Author's Notes: To all those who said that last chapter was cute, here's hoping that you know it won't ever last with anything I write.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

He woke in his own bed with a start. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there when he was positive that he had fallen asleep up on the Sword Stair next to Yuri while stargazing. He rubbed his forehead and threw off the covers. He was still in uniform. Yuri must have moved him.

The first thing Flynn remembered was his failed attempt at a confession. In fact, he had failed twice. But that memory only renewed his strength and his desire.

His hand groped for the corner of the covers, finding not linen there, but cold steel. Sitting up, he stared down at the sword beside him. It was old, the length of its unsheathed blade marred from years of use. Those years had been long ago. Flynn knew this sword, knew the shape of the handle in his grasp and the weight of it in his hand, the arc of its swing and all the memories bore in those scuffs and notches. It was his first sword, the sword that he had shared with Yuri all those years ago when that was all they had between them. As well as he knew the sword, Flynn also knew that Yuri cherished this blade, that he kept it up, polished and hanging from a pair of wooden hooks near his bed. If that was the case, what was it doing here? He didn't like the paths his mind took with that question.

He rose and dressed quickly. He left his armor on its stand. He had no need for it now. He passed through his stateroom just in time to greet the maid, who had been coming to deliver his breakfast that he had to kindly turn away. Sodia was waiting outside of his quarters, with the morning reports.

"Sir."

"Excuse me, Sodia. I have to head to the Lower Quarter. There's something I have to do."

Her face twisted into a bare grimace before she contained her disdain. She knew where he was going and who he intended to see. Flynn never could figure out why the two disliked each other so strongly and neither of them had ever said why. Eventually, he had just assumed that they were far too much alike and butted heads too often.

"But, Sir, the morning meeting..."

"I'll be back well before then. I should only be gone an hour or so." He didn't wait for a favorable reply; it wasn't coming.

The halls of the palace melted into the warm, sunlit streets of Zaphias. The steps between the Royal Quarter and the Public Quarter were no barrier for him, and further still to the ill used and poorly maintained walkways of the Lower Quarter. Those in the streets knew him, they had always known him, and greeted him just as warmly as the sun as he found himself walking at an incredibly brisk pace for Yuri's room above the Comet.

He knocked. He didn't have to. He could just walk in, but he at least tried to respect Yuri's privacy. But when no answer came, he knocked again. There was still nothing, and finally he opened the always unlocked door. But there was no Yuri.

The apartment that Yuri lived in for years wasn't empty, though. Repede lay on the bed, his head perked up with Flynn's entrance.

"Hey there, Repede." He shut the door and moved to the bed. The dog wagged at him, his tail thumping against the sheets. "Where's Yuri gone off to?"

Repede whined, a long, strained sound in his throat, and shifted his paws a bit.

Flynn didn't like that sound, or what he saw just beneath Repede. The trail of a white ribbon caught his eye, and he followed it to a lacquered black scabbard jutting out from between Repede's front paws. He reached down and Repede allowed him to grab the sword.

The Second Star was Yuri's favorite sword, a gift from Estelle after she had been rescued from Alexei. He always had it with him without fail, as he was known for causing fights and trouble most everywhere he went. There was no reason for him to leave it here with Repede. There was no reason for him to leave it anywhere. Flynn could have sworn that Yuri slept with the blade either in hand or beneath his pillow.

"Repede... did Yuri go somewhere?"

Flynn couldn't imagine Yuri going anywhere without his partner of more than five years. They went nearly everywhere together. They slept together, ate together, bathed together. There were always moments when Repede disappeared to take care of his own business, but other than those few instances, he was steadfastly at Yuri's side. The fact that he was here with Yuri's sword and no Yuri left Flynn with a sinking feeling that he couldn't shake. There was no reason for this.

He wished that he could have spoken with Repede the way Yuri did. He never quite understood how the two communicated, but they did, and Flynn was always a little envious of that, even if people looked at Yuri like he was crazy for talking to a dog like it was a human.

"Arrroooo..." Repede turned his head toward the window and whined more.

"Let's go find him." He scratched Repede behind the ears and the dog jumped off the bed to follow him out. Flynn took the Second Star with them. Depending on the reason for this sudden disappearance, he may or may not have planned to hit Yuri with it.

Down in the plaza near the fountain, he and Repede found Hanks, the de facto leader of the citizens of the Lower Quarter. Flynn and Yuri had known him most of their lives and he had looked out for them when they were children alone in the scary world. He was always happy to talk and Flynn was glad for that, because if anyone knew where Yuri had gotten too, Hanks would.

"Ho there Commandant!" He waved them over with a smile that turned grim quickly. "What in the hell is the matter with Yuri today?"

"I was just looking for him. You've seen him?"

"He left town out the Lower Quarter exit earlier this morning." Hanks tugged thoughtfully at his beard, squinting. If he had noticed something strange about Yuri's behavior, there was no doubt about it. "He wasn't acting like himself. Unnerving if ya ask me. Something in his eyes. I told him to keep out of trouble and he only smiled and waved me off. He didn't have a sword with him either, you know how the boy never goes anywhere without one. The guards warned him about not being armed, but he went anyway. It was very unusual."

"Thank you."

That cemented for Flynn the worry in his stomach. Something was very wrong, and he wasn't going to find out what it was until he found Yuri. But he had responsibilities and he couldn't just up and leave them. Being torn between Yuri and his duties, there was only one thing that he could do, so he and Repede returned to the palace.

He left Repede in his room and watched a moment as the dog forlornly padded onto the balcony and stared off into the distant wilderness of the north. At least with Repede at his side, they were definitely going to find Yuri, because no one knew his scent better.

There was still a little time before the morning meeting and he hoped to catch Ioder in his office. He walked up the flight to the royal family's quarters and he was relieved to find that he was in luck. This was going to be a difficult question to pose and Flynn had no idea how Ioder would react to the thought of him leaving the capital for any amount of time in order to find the whereabouts of his misguided childhood friend, but he had to try. Yuri would be mad about it, but Flynn had to face the fact that when it came between being Commandant and Yuri, his friend was the first and foremost.

"What can I do for you this morning, Flynn?" The future Emperor at least seemed to be in good spirits, so maybe this would go well.

"I know that my tenure in the post of Commandant hasn't been very long but-"

"No need for such formalities," Ioder smiled, steepling his fingers over his desktop. "Just come right out and say it."

And Flynn did. "I need to take a little time off. Maybe a week."

"Whatever for?" Flynn wasn't exactly the type to ask for time off, so Ioder had to suspect that it was something more urgent that a simple need for a vacation.

"To tell the truth, Your Highness, I need to go in search of Yuri."

"In search of? Has he gone missing?" He sat up a little straighter, a look of concern furrowing his brow.

"I believe so. I found both Repede and his sword left in his home this morning, and the last sighting of him is of him leaving town unarmed and acting strangely."

Ioder rocked back in his seat for a moment, eyes closed. "A moment in our time like this, your presence here is crucial. We simply may not be well enough equipped to allow you to leave on such an errand, even if only for a week."

"Your Highness, if-" Flynn cut himself off before he said something that he would regret. He was mad, but he should have expected something like this. And Ioder was right. There was so much going on that the Commandant going on leave could prove detrimental to all the work they had done. But that didn't mean that he had to /accept/ it. "I understand, but if leave cannot be given, then I will turn in my resignation effective immediately." It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

"I see. I had been wondering about that for a while now." Ioder smiled again, planting his elbows back on his desk. "Your request for leave is granted. Good luck on your search."

Flynn was stunned silent for a moment before beginning to question the surprise verdict. "But, Your Highness-"

"You're excused."

He chose to simply thank Ioder and leave rather than question it further and ruin the chance he had been given.

Now the adrenaline kicked in and he had to force himself not to run back to his quarters to pack for the journey. Worry was spurring him into action and in his mind he plotted out the course. Yuri couldn't have gotten far. It had only been a few hours, and if Flynn went on horseback, he would be easily intercepted by the time he reached Halure, if the northern part of Illyccia was his destination. There was nothing in the way of civilization to the south yet, and Repede's gaze north gave him the indication that it was the way to go. And once Flynn had found him he was going to bear his heart, and then promptly beat the crap out of Yuri for making him worry in the first place.

Repede was still waiting on the balcony, his one good eye fixed to the north. Flynn gave him a quick pat on the head as he passed toward his bedroom. The dog followed him after a moment, padding along behind him and sitting at the door as Flynn pulled out his travel pack. He didn't have much in the way of civilian clothing anymore, but he packed what he had and a few other essentials. He whiled away the time by talking to Repede.

"Don't worry, Repede. We're going to find him."

"Sir?"

Flynn jerked upright, dropping a change of clothing that he was just about to get into. He turned to find Sodia standing in the doorway of his room. She had probably knocked, but he hadn't heard that or her enter.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking a few days' leave."

"It's about Yuri Lowell, isn't it?"

He sighed. She and Yuri had never gotten along very well. "Yes, it is."

"Sir, why are you constantly wasting your time on him? You're the Commandant, and he's just some-"

"Don't finish that sentence." He turned away from her and went back to packing. Whatever she had to say about him, it wouldn't be good, and it was something that he didn't have the patience to listen to right now. "I'm not asking you to understand. Before I am the Commandant and Yuri is a guildsman, we are friends, and no matter what else, that comes first."

"You're willing to throw away your career, your chance to make a real difference in the world, just for him?" The tinge of anger to her voice wasn't lost on him.

"I'm not throwing away my career. I'm just taking a few days off."

"But if it came down to that, you would, wouldn't you? You'd throw away everything you've worked for for... for him?!"

He didn't have a reply to that. His silence would be answer enough.

"You're dismissed."

"I-"

"I am still the Commandant and you are still obligated to obey orders. You're dismissed."

Sodia stormed out, slamming the door to his state room behind her. He couldn't understand why she was so upset about this in the first place. She would see though when he returned in a few days and everything was back to normal. Her little outburst hadn't made the knot of worry in his chest fade or ease, only worsening it and building up his resolve to find Yuri even higher.

Flynn changed, leaving his uniform on a hanger in his armoire. His civilian clothing was something that he wore so little that it felt odd at first, but that feeling would pass once he was on the road and able to travel freely without everyone pointing him out as the Commandant. It would at the very least make it easier to mingle and find Yuri.

He had one of the Royal Guard see to it that his horse was prepared for a long journey, and he and Repede met the same guard with the horse at the exit to the Royal Quarter. It wasn't a long trek to Halure. He would pass through Deidon Hold. Yuri had likely taken his shortcut through the Quoi Woods, but he was probably on foot, and even with a shortcut, Flynn could catch up to him in no time on horseback.

Leaving the city behind, Flynn allowed Repede to pick up Yuri's trail. The dog had it in no time, and led the way across the planes toward the north.