No Matter the Differences, We are Alike

by little rosebud

In a desolated world raged by war and tragedies, two opposite souls befriend each other despite the conflict separating their two races. Can they change the fate of their ravaged world? Flynn/Yuri, Collab, AU

12. Chapter 11 : Longing

A/N: Hi everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? We're so, so sorry for the delay.

Rose: Life's crazy right now, what with Saenda and I moving into an apartment in two weeks... there's much to do and not enough time, so sorry for the wait, we've been real busy.

With that said, thanks so much to everyone who are still reading and following this fic! Wow, more than a hundred reviews! So much love for our work, we can't express how much it means to us! Thank you! :D

Disclaimer: We own nothing except for our original characters and the storyline of this fic. If we owned Flynn and Yuri, they would totally kiss in the game...

With that said, we won't keep you any longer! Have fun reading this extra long chapter! ^^'

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No Matter the Differences, We are Alike

Chapter 11: Longing

"I certainly did not do it for you and never had the intention to."

Yuri's gritted his teeth painfully as the memory of last night kept flashing in his mind. It never ceased to return on the conversation he had with his friend about his actions two days ago. His friend. Could he really still call Flynn that? By the way the knight acted towards him last time they spoke, Yuri would not be surprised to know the Angel had put a definite stop to their friendship.

The sole thought pained him so much it was unbearable. Yuri was trying not to think about it, but it was useless. His mind would not let him any respite as it cruelly burned into his memory the cold way the Angel had looked at him while he had said those words.

Yuri rubbed his tired eyes and a wave of dizziness suddenly took him, almost making him fall down from his horse. He managed to keep his balance at the last second, but it did not go unnoticed to Schwann, who was riding his horse at his side.

It was early in the morning and the Demons had just departed from the Angels' capital to finally return to Jigoku. They did not want to extend their stay more than they were already forced to thanks to the string of murders, and this time, Yuri was agreeing with the captains and his father. He had no one waiting for him in the Angels' capital anymore.

Schwann closed in on Yuri and put a hand on his second lieutenant's shoulder to steady him. The blue-eyed captain looked worriedly at Yuri.

"What's wrong, Yuri? Are you feeling ill? Your face is deathly pale," he said worriedly.

Yuri shook his head weakly. "I'm fine, I'm just tired," the young Demon lied to his superior.

He was far from being fine. Yuri's wound at his shoulder was throbbing painfully as a reminder of the actions he had taken two days ago. Plus, the young Demon had not slept at all last night. He had been haunted by his conversation with Flynn earlier that day and it had prevented him from getting any sleep.

Yuri's chest burned again with pain at the memory of the words exchanged between him and Flynn, those words that kept resonating through his mind like a cursed mantra. Yuri feared they had reached a point of no return. The Demon was not fooling himself; he knew that the Angel could never forgive him for what he did. Maybe he could eventually if only Yuri regretted his actions and asked for forgiveness.

But that was the problem. Yuri did not regret killing those two Angels. Barbos and Garista had deserved their fate and Yuri would do it all over again if it meant protecting Flynn and making sure that his friend would be free of any worries and would never stop smiling. That, bright, breathtaking smile… Yuri painfully realized that this smile would probably never be for him again.

He had ruined it all, and he knew it would be useless to wish for redemption. He had done the unforgivable; he had gone against his friend's beliefs, even if he only had in mind to protect him.

Yuri could never hope to patch things up and it was killing him inside.

The Demon realized he had been lost in his thoughts when the hand on his shoulder shook him gently. He turned his gray eyes on Schwann. His captain looked even more worried than before. Before he knew it, that hand went to his forehead and covered it. Schwann quickly took it back and frowned at his second lieutenant.

"You're certainly not fine; you're burning up," Schwann said, loud enough for Ryuku to turn his face around, looking at them over his shoulder as he was riding ahead with Yeager and Nylen.

Yuri ignored the look his father threw his way the best he could, looking pleadingly at his captain.

"Captain, I'm fine, really. I just need to rest a little," he insisted, not wanting to attract attention on him.

He could not take the chance of his wound being discovered. He would have some difficulty explaining how he got such a serious wound.

Schwann was displeased, if his expression was any indication. After a moment, the captain sighed in mild annoyance. He took hold of the bridle of Yuri's horse.

"If you insist. I'll guide your horse until we're back at the capital, so take it easy, alright?" Schwann said in a gentle tone. Yuri nodded and turned his attention back on the road ahead with a small sigh. Fortunately, they were not very far from Jigoku's capital now.

It was a good thing, because Yuri did not know how long he would last before he would collapse from exhaustion.

When they reached the capital, Yuri had never been more relieved to arrive home. By the time he got to his house, his fever worsened to the point of being almost unbearable. His weary state did not go unnoticed to Yumie. The servant worriedly guided the young Demon to his room and gently told him to rest. As soon as the door to his room opened, Yuri was welcomed warmly by Repede. The dog seemed to have missed him deeply in those weeks he was stuck at the Angel's castle.

Yuri smiled weakly at Repede as he walked over to his futon on wobbly legs. As soon as he reached it, the young Demon collapsed on it, his exhaustion taking complete control over his body. Repede whined and went next to his master, gently nudging his side with his nose. Yuri chuckled softly, but his laughter held no mirth.

"Don't worry, Repede, I'll be just fine. I just need to rest a little," he managed to say as he closed his eyes in pain.

Yumie was soon at his side and she carefully tucked him under the covers. The servant smiled gently at her young master.

"Try to get some rest, young master. I'll be back soon with something to relieve your fever," she whispered.

Yuri nodded and watched sleepily as she stood up and left the room. He was so tired, because of both his raging emotions and his wound. He fell asleep before Yumie had the time to come back.

---

Yuri opened his eyes with a start. His sight was met by the sky high above him, covered with black and threatening clouds. It confused him. Yuri searched his memory, but it was frighteningly empty. He did not know where he was, or why he was here. He felt cold and suddenly realized he was lying outside on the snow-covered ground. The Demon was even more confused. Was it winter already? He could not say since his memory was a confused blur. Trying to remember anything was giving him a headache.

Yuri lifted a hand to rub his forehead, but he froze in his movement. His eyes widened in horror when he caught sight of his hand. It was stained with blood. Yuri's heart began to beat faster as he lifted his other hand, to see it also dripping with fresh blood. His hands began shaking. Just then, he finally picked up a strong and infect odor, one that he would recognize everywhere: the scent of blood and death. Yuri sat up quickly and immediately regretted doing so when he saw the sight that awaited him.

All around him, lying broken on the tainted snow that was once white, were no less than a hundred corpses. All of them, Angels and Demons alike, were looking lifelessly at him, their faces frozen in resentment and hatred. Yuri began shaking and he covered his nose with the sleeve of his kimono to block the atrocious scent. All these people... dead?! Who killed them? Was it... him? No, it could not be! Yuri would never do something like that! But... the blood on his hands...

He was startled when a cold hand closed around his ankle. Yuri slowly let his gaze travel down, fearing what he would see. His eyes widened in horror and he felt his heart stop in his chest as he looked straight at none other than Garista. The blonde councilor was lying at Yuri's feet, his chest pierced where Yuri had fatally wounded him. Blood stained the corner of his mouth as he stared at Yuri with eyes shining with madness.

Yuri was paralyzed by fear and he could do nothing else but watch while the councilor's lips stretched into a frightening smirk.

"You killed me, and you killed them all. Our blood stains your hands. Who's the monster now?" Garista's sepulchral voice rose from the moving corpse, accusing him.

Yuri tried to say something, to deny what he just said, but no sound came out of his mouth. His eyes suddenly caught movement and he slowly turned his head to the side.

Yuri shook with fear as he saw the corpses twitch and begin moving and crawling on the ground towards him. His ears picked up their voices, rising towards him and whispering the same word over and over again.

Murderer… murderer… murderer…

"Stop it!" Yuri screamed in terror and tried to move, but he was paralyzed.

The voices grew more and more insistent while the corpses crawled towards him, wanting Yuri to share their fate.

Yuri finally managed to make his body move. He pried Garista's hand away from his ankle and swiftly got to his feet. He ran off from the horrible scene, not minding where he was going. He could feel the coldness of the snow under his bare feet and the biting of the icy wind against his face while he ran. Yuri could not care less. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from the mountain of corpses calling out to him.

This had to be a nightmare. Yuri remembered killing Garista, but he did not kill all those other people! He had to wake up from this nightmare and fast!

While the Demon was running, the scenery suddenly changed. Yuri abruptly stopped and found himself at the entrance of a village. He recognized the place. It was where he had his first mission with Schwann's brigade, and where he had met Karol. What was going on? One minute he was running through a desolated wasteland covered in snow, and the next he was here…

Yuri did not have the time to ponder more over the question. A sound resonated not far from him and he swiftly turned his face towards where it had come from. The sound he had heard was coming from a dark alleyway. The Demon's heart beat faster and faster as he feared what was there. He stayed frozen in place, his gaze never leaving the dark alleyway.

The sound resounded again and it was getting closer. Yuri recognized it now; it was the clinking of armor. Worry settled in a painful knot in the Demon's stomach.

"Flynn? Is that you?" he asked in an shaky tone.

No one answered. The sound kept getting closer and soon, a human form emerged from the darkness. Yuri made a few steps backwards and he gasped in horror. There stood Judith, clad in her armor. The left side of her face was splashed with blood and it did not take long for Yuri to see where all that blood came from; the side of Judith's neck was slashed open and blood was oozing from the fatal wound. Her red eyes stared right into Yuri's with incomprehension and betrayal.

"Yuri… why… why did you… do this to me?" the woman whispered shakily, painfully.

Horror flared into Yuri as his friend's words sunk in. What? This could not be! He would never hurt Judy! Just when he opened his mouth to refute the accusation, Judith's legs gave out under her and she crumbled on the ground, her eyes still glued onto her killer as she drew her last breath.

"Judy!" Yuri screamed with desperation and fear.

He was about to run to her when he heard another sound, this time coming from behind him. Yuri swiftly turned around in time to see Karol collapse against the wall of a nearby house like a broken doll, his hands holding a deep wound to his stomach.

"Karol!" Yuri exclaimed with panic as he hurried to the young boy.

The latter looked at him with the same expression Judith wore before she died.

"Yuri… Why?!" he sobbed painfully.

Yuri froze in place at the boy's last words. No, he did not kill Karol either! He would never do that, he would never hurt them! He would rather kill himself than do such a horrible thing! What was happening? Who was killing his friends? Yuri's heart sank in his chest when he heard a soft, painful whine coming from his left. He turned his head around and saw Repede collapse on his side in the middle of the street, his fur matted with blood.

"Repede!" Yuri yelled and rushed at his side.

He knelt next to his dog and extended a shaky hand towards him. The young Demon shook him.

"Repede, wake up! Don't do this to me!" he said in a panicked state, feeling the sting of tears burn the corner of his eyes.

This was a nightmare! All his friends were dying and he was powerless to do anything! Yuri clenched his teeth in anger.

"Why… who did this to you?" he seethed with anger and pain as he stared at Repede's now lifeless form.

"It's you, Yuri. Don't you remember?" A weak and saddened voice resounded from behind him.

Yuri's eyes widened and his body grew rigid as he recognized this voice. The young Demon was scared to turn around, fearing what he would see. Despite his fear, he slowly turned his head around until he was looking over his shoulder. Schwann was standing behind him, his sad gaze staring right through him. Blood was rolling down his chin, contrasting with the sad smile stretched across his bloodstained lips.

The captain's chest was stained with blood where he had been stabbed by a sword. By his sword. That blood on Yuri's hands… there was no doubt about it. There was no use denying it anymore. Yuri had killed them all! He had turned his blade on all his friends and murdered them!

"Schwann, no!" Yuri whispered with desperation, feeling his chest tighten painfully with each of his friend's demise.

Schwann opened his mouth to talk, but no words came out. Blood slipped out of the corner of his lips and the captain's sword fell from his hand and onto the ground with a loud sound. Schwann's legs gave out from under him and the captain collapsed on the blood-stained ground.

"Schwann!" Yuri yelled with a broken voice, powerless to do anything but watch as his mentor and paternal figure died under his eyes.

"What have I done?!" he exclaimed painfully as he gazed at the corpses of his friends.

"You should know that already, boy," a hoarse voice answered him from further ahead.

Yuri froze and he watched as a familiar figure emerged from a dark alleyway. He could never forget that face. Barbos. The ex-captain was smirking at him, and from the look of things, he was dead for a while now, just like Garista had been. His skin was of a deathly color and a bloody hole was right in the middle of his neck, at the exact same place Yuri had stabbed him. The ex-captain slowly advanced towards Yuri.

"I told you, boy. You're no better than me. You're a murderer now. You've tasted blood. That councilor and I weren't enough. You needed more, so you came after your friends. It was fun to watch," Barbos said with a demented laugh.

Yuri shook his head and he slowly stood up on shaking legs.

"No, it can't be! I refuse to believe that!" he exclaimed furiously, even though deep down inside, he knew what Barbos had just said was the horrible truth.

The scarred man smirked wickedly and his eyes shone madly.

"Oh, I'm not lying. You killed them all in cold blood. One after the other. You even went after that brat Scifo," he revealed in a dark whisper.

Yuri's entire complexion turned deathly pale at the mention of Flynn. No… not Flynn! Yuri would never hurt him! He lived to protect him! He would never lift his blade against his best friend! The Demon clenched his fists tightly in furor.

"You're lying!" Yuri exclaimed with fury, but his shaking voice betrayed how unsure he felt.

Barbos laughed louder. "You think so? Then go check it out yourself," he said and pointed towards the street stretching behind Yuri.

The Demon felt his heart beat faster as doubt settled into his chest. What if Barbos was right, after all? What if Yuri had really gone after Flynn? His friend might be wounded and dying right now!

It did not take more for Yuri to make up his mind. He turned around and ran the faster he could in the direction Barbos had just indicated, ignoring the demented laugh that resounded behind him, ignoring the ground scraping his feet until they bled. He needed to get to Flynn fast. He needed to make sure his friend was okay. As he ran, Yuri's mind strangely knew where he was going: the central plaza where he had met Karol that time. He would be there in a second.

The Demon turned the corner of the street and arrived at the plaza. When he took in the sight of the place, he froze right there and gasped at what he saw. He could not tear his gaze away from the sight that paralyzed him.

The Demon's legs suddenly gave out under him and he fell to his knees. His entire body began to shake uncontrollably. He kept staring blankly ahead for a few seconds, not believing his eyes. Then, his hands shot up and grabbed his head, and a horrified, agonized scream was torn from his throat.

The Demon sat up in his bed, still screaming as he woke up from his nightmare. His body covered in cold sweat shook all over as he took quick and panic breaths. A few seconds later, the sound of rapid steps coming towards his bedroom reached his ears. The door to his room slid open and Yumie entered, a worried expression on her face.

When he saw the servant, Yuri realized it was just a nightmare. That mountain of corpses, his friends dying at his hands one after another, that last scene that tore at his heart... all just a nightmare. Thank God. He sighed in relief and tried to get a hold of himself. It was difficult while he still remembered the events of his dream.

Yumie knelt at his side. "Are you alright, young master?" she asked worriedly.

Yuri closed his eyes and nodded stiffly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for waking you," he whispered shakily, still trying to regain a semblance of composure.

The servant smiled gently at him. "You have nothing to apologize for, young master. You should go back to sleep. Your fever died down, but it would be best not to strain yourself," she said in a gentle and quiet tone.

Yuri nodded again and lied back down on his futon. Now reassured, Yumie took her leave, but not without throwing a last worried look at the young Demon.

Once she was gone, Yuri stared tiredly at the ceiling above, knowing he would not find sleep anytime soon. Not when he feared he would be haunted by another frightening nightmare.

---

The next two days that followed were a living hell for Yuri. He never felt so tired before. Each time Yuri was falling asleep, he was pulled back into that same nightmare; the one in which he was seeing his friends die one after the other. It was sometimes unfolding differently, but it always ended the same way; with Yuri getting to the central plaza of that village and finding him.

It was more than the Demon could take. He was afraid to sleep, for he feared this nightmare. He felt like his sanity was slowly slipping away from him as time passed.

Yuri knew Yumie was worried about him. She said nothing, because it would exceed what she was allowed to do, but it did not stop her from throwing worried looks every now and then. Yuri could understand why; he knew the servant heard him waking up screaming each night and she could see the tiredness on his face as well as the dark bags under his eyes.

The young Demon wanted to tell the old woman that he was fine, but that would be a lie. He was far from being fine, and he would be surprised if he would be again soon.

Yuri knew that the reason for those nightmares and restless nights was Flynn. The mere thought of having lost his best friend forever put a deep scar on his soul. Yuri was suffering more right now than he ever did in the past, knowing he had hurt and betrayed Flynn. He hated himself for it. He never wanted to hurt the Angel, but he did it nonetheless. And as much as that thought killed him, Yuri knew Flynn was better off without him.

He never belonged at his side from the very beginning. How could he think differently? The moon had no place besides the sun. Flynn was like the sun; a bright, brilliant light shining ever so strongly, while Yuri was like the moon. His pale light would only shroud his friend in darkness and drag him down into an abyss he did not belong into. The more he thought about it, the more Yuri knew it was better this way. He was never meant to be by the Angel's side.

The sun had just set down that evening. Yuri was awake in his room, scratching Repede behind the ear while the dog was sleeping peacefully. Yuri longed to do just like Repede, but he feared it. He could not stay awake forever; he knew that, but he wanted to drag it out as long as he could, not eager to live another one of those nightmares should he fall asleep.

Because of the overwhelming silence of the household, Yuri was startled when he heard a soft knock against his door.

"Come in," he said quietly.

The door opened to reveal Yumie, who bowed quickly in front of him.

"Young master, there is a messenger waiting for you at the entrance. He says it's an urgent matter," she announced.

Yuri frowned and swiftly got to his feet. He followed Yumie to the entrance. He knew, as soon as he laid eyes on the messenger, that something went wrong.

The messenger was an Angel. Yuri recognized him as a member of Flynn's brigade who was taking part in the ambassador mission. His clothes were torn off and stained with blood. When the Angel saw Yuri, he was quick to talk.

"Sir, there's trouble! We need your help!" he said in a panicked state.

Yuri put a hand on the man's shoulder to try and calm him.

"Calm down and tell me what happened," he asked, hiding the worry he felt.

The Angel nodded and explained once he had calmed down enough.

"We've been called to the border earlier this afternoon. Captain Flynn had heard word that one of our villages was under attack by a group of rebels. They're Demons who are displeased with the peace treaty," he said.

Yuri felt his worry deepen, but he stayed silent, letting the Angel finish his report.

"Since we didn't have time to send the word to you, we went alone, thinking that us Angels would be enough to restrain them, but there's too many of them for us to handle alone," he said, out of breath.

Yuri did not need to hear more. "Wait for me here. I'll be back in a second," he ordered before turning around and heading towards his room.

He did not have a second to waste. Right now, Flynn and his men were fighting and they were in trouble. No matter what was happening between him and Flynn, Yuri had to come to the Angel's aid.

That was all that mattered; to make sure Flynn was safe.

---

Once Yuri was dressed in his armor, he departed quickly with Repede and the messenger to get the rest of his team's members. Once Yuri had gathered everyone, with Judith's help, they set their horses at a gallop out of the capital and towards the border.

The messenger guided them to the village under attack. While they rode towards the border, Yuri tried to fight off his tiredness. He would need all his energy to fight off those rebels. He could not afford to be distracted.

At some point of their travel, Yuri felt the weight of a gaze on him. He did not need to turn his gaze around to know who it was. Judith's red eyes were locked on him as she was riding at his side. The young Demon decided to ignore it. He knew he looked like a mess and that Judith was surely worried about him, but now was not the time to talk about it.

It would have to wait.

The ride stretched out in a tensed silence. Everyone was deep in thoughts, and Yuri was no exception. He did not know what to expect once at the village. For the first time, he would have to fight against people of his own race. He knew this might happen sometime. Not everyone was happy with the way things stood now. He would have to resign himself to it, but Yuri would do anything in his power to only restrain them. He would not kill innocents anymore.

When they arrived at the border between their two countries, Yuri's detachment quickly crossed the battlefield to get into Paradis' territory. Once there, the messenger guided them towards the village currently under attack.

It did not take long for them to arrive at destination. When they stopped in front of the village, they saw that many of the houses were on fire. The scent of burnt wood was strong in the air. The village's entrance was deserted, but they could hear screams from further ahead, which meant Flynn and the other Angels had retreated further into the village.

The Demons and the Angel messenger quickly climbed down from their horses. After they solidly attached them, they did not waste anymore time and ran towards the screams, Yuri leading the way with Repede and Judith. He just hoped it was not too late to save the villagers and Flynn's detachment.

The screams and sounds of fighting led the group to what seemed to be the village's central plaza. There, they saw Flynn's detachment standing in a circle in front of a church, blocking the way to the building against the Demons attacking them.

Yuri quickly understood that the villagers were sheltered inside the church. The Angels and the Demons were clashing ferociously, but it was clear that the Angels were trying not to kill their enemies. Because of it, they were forced on the defensive. Yuri quickly spotted Flynn who was busy fighting off two Demons.

Yuri swiftly turned his face towards his men.

"Let's help them! Don't kill anyone! We'll bring the rebels back to the capital!" he exclaimed.

As the Demons exclaimed their agreement, Yuri ran towards the enemies, unsheathing his katana at the same time. Yuri knew his shoulder was not completely healed yet and that fighting now could reopen the wound. He was glad to be ambidextrous, which would permit him to fight with his right arm instead and cause less strain on his wound. Thanks to that, he did not have to hold back in this assault.

The rebels were taken by surprise as they did not see Yuri's faction arriving. Yuri clashed swords with his first opponent. He saw surprise, and then anger on his enemy's face at being attacked by one of his kin. Yuri took advantage of it. He overpowered his enemy and used the handle of his sword to knock him out cold.

As he moved ahead to get rid of another Demon, he saw from the corner of his eyes Judy and Repede take on other Demons with the rest of his faction. Judith was knocking her opponents down efficiently and Repede was aiming to disarm the Demons by biting their hands or arms, forcing them to release their weapons.

Yuri returned his attention fully ahead and he fought another Demon, making his way towards Flynn who was in a tight spot. He had obviously been targeted the most because he was the Angels' leader. Yuri had to help him, even if Flynn would prefer to have him far away from him. It did not matter right now. What mattered was to make sure Flynn would be safe.

Yuri fought his way to his friend, using all the little energy he had left. When he was finally near the Angel, he swiftly got rid of one of the blonde's opponents. It earned him a cold glare thrown his way that made him flinch, but Yuri did not move from there. He settled near his friend and fought with him against the enemies.

From there, the rebels seemed taken aback by the number of reinforcements. They must have sensed that they would not win this fight, because one of them quickly yelled the retreat to his companions. Flynn was quick to act.

"Don't let them escape!" he yelled to his men.

He knew that if they let them escape, they might come back with reinforcements. The Angels obeyed and chased after the retreating Demons. Yuri followed his friend's example and ordered the same thing to his own men. When they were gone after the rebels, the Demon turned his face towards his friend. He looked with uncertainty at Flynn's closed expression while the Angel sheathed his sword.

"Flynn…" Yuri began, wanting to talk to his friend, but he stopped when those blue eyes always full of warmth stared coldly at him.

"Don't waste your breath. I have nothing to say to you," the Angel spat out with a biting edge.

Hurt flared inside Yuri. It hurt so much that he almost uttered a pained gasp. He knew he had earned that cold treatment because of what he did, but he never thought it would be so painful to be treated as such. He had really ruined everything between them. Yuri realized it now; he had lost his best friend, the one who mattered the most in his life; the one he cherished more than his own life.

Yuri bit his lips and lowered his head to let his bangs cover his expression of agony, unable to hold that icy stare anymore. It was too much to bear. To know that he was nothing to Flynn anymore… it was killing him inside. Because he lowered his head, Yuri did not see the flicker of pain and hesitation that flashed in the captain's blue eyes.

The sound of steps approaching reached Yuri, and he lifted his face to see who it was. He grew tense when he recognized Sodia. The woman stopped next to Flynn and glared darkly at Yuri for a split second before she looked at her superior.

"Captain! I'm sorry, but we lost the rebels. They fled towards the mountain," she delivered the news.

Yuri chanced a glance at Flynn, to see that the captain had turned his gaze on his lieutenant.

"In that case, we have to take into account that they may be back later. Give the order to restrain the rebels that are still here. I also want all the injured to be treated as soon as possible. Once this is done, we'll set camp here. We have to be ready to protect the citizens in case they'll be back," Flynn ordered.

Sodia saluted her superior. "Yes, Sir!" she exclaimed and quickly walked away to relay the orders.

Flynn left too, walking away from Yuri without as much as a glance his way.

Yuri stayed motionless for a long moment. No expression betrayed what he was feeling, but from the inside, the young Demon felt his heart shatter painfully at the rejection he just suffered from his best friend.

Even if he let none of it show, it did not go unnoticed to a certain blue haired Demon, who watched him with sadness from afar, Repede at her feet.

---

Yuri rolled over on his futon and sighed tiredly. He was lying in a small tent set up in the plaza of the village, one of the few tents the villagers could lend them. No matter how much Yuri refused to sleep in the tent, arguing that surely someone needed it more than him, he was 'forced' to accept, due to his rank and his function as ambassador. Judith had made it clear to him that he would have to accept it, and Yuri was too tired to argue endlessly with her.

Yuri rubbed his tired eyes, forcing them to stay open even when all he wanted to do was to close them and sleep. He would gladly give in to sleep, if it meant forgetting about his torments for that short moment, but he knew that quite the contrary would happen. His vision was suddenly covered by something and a warm tongue licked a trail up his cheek. Yuri smiled weakly and caressed Repede's fur.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered with gratitude while the dog settled near his head, his eyes staring intelligently at his master.

Repede always sensed it when Yuri was not feeling well. The dog was not one for affectionate gestures normally. That he was doing so now meant he knew the turmoil Yuri was in. The Demon was grateful for it. Without noticing it, Yuri's eyes slowly closed and his hand fell back on the ground as he was finally slowly lulled into sleep by tiredness and Repede's warmth.

When Yuri opened his eyes, his heart sank in his chest as he recognized that fateful clouded sky and felt that familiar cold sensation under him. No, he was back in that nightmare again! And no matter how much he wanted to stop it, to stay here and let the corpses of his victims devour and smother him, his body was moving like it had a mind of its own.

Trapped in his own body, Yuri could only watch on helplessly while he ran away from the mountain of corpses; he watched as he saw all his friends fall one after the other; he screamed at it all to stop; he watched as Barbos showed him the way.

And just like in every other time he lived that nightmare, Yuri ran down the street, his heart beating like crazy. When he arrived at the central plaza, his heart squeezed painfully in agony, and the fact that he was seeing this scene for the umpteenth time was not getting any easier. Yuri's body began shaking at the abominable sight gracing his eyes. "No, not you," Yuri whispered painfully, desperately.

How many times would he have to see this? How many times would his mind torture him with this horrible sight?

Like Barbos had said, Yuri found Flynn. He wished he did not. The Angel was collapsed like a ragged doll against the wall of a house, his body unmoving and broken. His glazed eyes were open and devoid of any light, eyes that would never see again. His skin was deathly pale, a sign that his life had been brutally torn away from him. A katana was stabbed through the Angel's chest. Blood was everywhere; staining his clothes, splashing the wall and the ground around Flynn.

Yuri gasped in pain and horror and he was unable to tear his gaze away from his friend. There was no use denying it anymore; that katana was Yuri's. He killed his friend with his own hand! He murdered his most important person! Yuri's lips began to tremble and he walked on numb legs towards the corpse of his fallen friend. When he was finally standing in front of him, Yuri fell to his knees and reached a shaking hand to Flynn.

"Flynn, it can't be…" Yuri said in a quiet, shaky whisper.

His hand stroked that pale cheek and dread filled him at the coldness of that skin under his trembling fingers.

The Demon felt his eyes burn with unshed tears. Yuri grabbed the handle of his sword and pulled it quickly out of his friend's body. He let the weapon fall carelessly to the ground. Yuri grabbed the lifeless body of his friend and cradled him against his chest. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth tightly together to bit back a scream of desperation, but it was no use. Yuri screamed his distress and sadness until his throat was raw.

Then, he broke down into bitter sobs, not bothering to stop the hot tears from rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he sobbed against his friend's forehead.

Yuri cried the loss of his friend, wishing at the same time that he could die along with him. It was his fault. He was a monster. He wished a thousand times that he could trade places with him.

Yuri's tears kept falling down, staining Flynn's face.

"Don't go! Please, come back to me!" Yuri cried out, his voice breaking out at the end.

This was so unfair! Flynn did not deserve that! He was the better of them both! If someone deserved to die, it was Yuri. He had killed his friends, betrayed their trust, and crushed their hopes and dreams as he robbed them of their life. He deserved that fate, not Flynn.

The Demon suddenly froze when he felt cold fingers brush his moist cheek. His gaze slowly lowered shakily and his eyes widened in fright when he saw Flynn staring at him, a mad glint burning feverishly in his dead blue eyes. Yuri froze, not believing his eyes. The Angel's lips stretched into a cold and foreign smile.

"See what you did to me? You deserve to suffer for that. Live on with your sin, with the memory of killing the ones you love," the Angel whispered with a frighteningly empty voice.

His cold fingers slipped on the Demon's cheek and down on his trembling lips before falling back down on the Angel's lap, unmoving once more.

Yuri's eyes widened and he felt his heart being brutally torn apart inside. He frantically shook Flynn's shoulders, hoping the Angel would move once more, wanting to drown in the illusion that he was still alive.

"Flynn… No, please, wake up… Flynnn!" Yuri yelled his pain, his screams resonating in the cold and desolated village.

Yuri woke up screaming, his body shooting up in the bed. It took a while, but when he realized it had been just another nightmare, he let out a sigh of relief. Yuri realized he was crying and that his whole body was shaking like a leaf.

He grabbed both his arms, trying to stop the shaking. Unfortunately, his body was not cooperating because the images of his nightmare kept haunting him. Repede whined softly at his side, sensing his master's distress. Yuri was startled when he heard a voice call for him from outside of his tent.

"Ambassador Lowell, are you alright? I heard screaming."

Yuri recognized the voice as one of his men who was standing guard that night. He quickly wiped the tears moistening his cheeks and tried to regain his calm.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he answered, thankful that his voice seemed mostly normal.

Having been heard screaming was embarrassing enough. He did not want to be caught crying as well.

Silence stretched on for a short moment before the guard on faction answered.

"Alright. Just let me known if you need anything."

Then the sound of footsteps getting away resounded in the silence of the night. The guard was gone and Yuri finally released a shaky breath. He shivered, realizing that his body was covered in cold sweat. His tent suddenly felt stifling. He needed to get some fresh air. It might also help him to forget about the atrocious images of his dream, even if he highly doubted it.

With this thought in mind, Yuri rose from his futon and picked up his sword before walking to the entrance of the small tent. He slipped outside and his eyes fell on the soldiers sleeping on the ground in the central plaza. Yuri was surprised he did not awaken them all with his screaming.

Yuri silently left the camp and walked towards a random street, unaware of the pair of blue eyes following him as he walked away, their owner having slipped out of his own tent. The Demon finally stopped when he was onto a small bridge passing over a tiny stream of water. Yuri leaned against the guardrail. The chilly wind against his overheated skin felt good and soothing.

The Demon closed his eyes, trying to regain control over his emotions. As he was doing so, he heard soft steps coming his way. Yuri snapped his eyes open and turned his face towards the sound. His eyes widened slightly when he recognized Judith.

The woman smiled gently at her friend and stopped next to him, leaning against the guardrail besides Yuri without uttering a single word. She said nothing, but even so, Yuri knew she had heard him scream earlier. She surely followed him, wanting to make sure he was alright. Yuri turned his gaze back forward, keeping silent for a moment. He thought Judith would say something, but when he realized she would not, he finally talked.

"You're not going to ask me what's wrong?" he asked in a weak and tired tone.

Judith smiled sadly as she gazed at her friend.

"I'm not pushing you to talk if you don't want to. I just figured you could use the company," she said softly.

Yuri was often amazed by the way Judith could be so comprehensive sometimes. She was just what he needed right now. Despite her words, Yuri felt he needed to confide in her to an extent. He needed to talk to someone about his torments and fears, about what haunted him so.

A mirthless smirk painted Yuri's lips.

"Even if you say that, you know that I'll tell you," he joked without a hint of humor.

Judith's expression turned serious. "It's about Flynn, isn't it? I've seen what happened with him earlier," she revealed.

Pain shone in Yuri's eyes and he bit his lip until it hurt. There was no use hiding the truth, was it? A sad smile appeared on Yuri's face.

"You can say that. I'd be surprised if he still thinks of me as his friend," he said, his voice laced with pain.

Judith stayed silent, listening closely to her friend while he spilled his worries and regrets.

Yuri turned his eyes on Judith, and the pain shining in them destabilized her.

"I've done something unforgivable, Judy. I've betrayed his trust in me. It's no wonder he hates me now," he said in a dejected tone.

Of course Flynn hated him now. How could it be any different? Just remembering the way he was looking at him earlier made him firmly believe that. The mere thought of Flynn hating him was like a dagger twisting its way into his heart.

Yuri closed his eyes and his hand grabbed his wounded shoulder as it throbbed painfully. It always did when he remembered what he did, the sin he had to live with now.

"Maybe he'd change his mind if I apologized, but that's the problem. I don't regret what I've done. Not when I did it to protect him. I'd do it all over again, if it meant I could protect his smile and keep him free of all worries and out of harm's way," he said bitterly.

Flynn did not know why he killed Barbos and Garista. It was because they targeted Flynn, his most important person. If they had targeted someone else, Yuri was sure he would have told Flynn of their scheme instead and that they could have searched for another way together.

He could not take the chance of something happening to Flynn back then, and he knew that if the same situation was to happen again, he would kill again. He would live with the consequences of his acts. Being haunted by nightmares was still a hundred times better than losing Flynn.

Judith's gaze saddened, but she kept listening in silence. Yuri clenched his hand tighter around his shoulder.

"I didn't think about what I was doing. Before I knew it, it was too late to go back. The thought of losing Flynn was too much to bear," he said truthfully.

His hands then grabbed the guardrail so tightly his knuckles whitened.

"It's better that he hates me. Flynn is the perfect leader. He's got a brilliant future ahead of him. He doesn't need someone like me by his side. I would only hold him back. I'm just standing in until the right person comes along," he said in a resigned and painful tone.

No matter how much that thought hurt him, Yuri knew that would be best. He did not deserve to be Flynn's friend. He did not deserve to occupy such an important place in his life. No matter how much he wished for it, it was just not meant to be. He was not worthy of the Angel. Flynn could find someone way better than him.

Why, though… Why did the thought of Flynn befriending someone else and abandoning him hurt so much? It was tearing his heart apart. It had taken Flynn growing apart from him to understand that his entire world was revolving around the Angel.

Judith sighed softly and leaned against Yuri, covering one of his hands still gripping the rail tightly.

"You're such an idiot," she whispered with a hint of exasperation.

Yuri turned his face towards Judith and his eyes widened.

"Why are you saying that?" he asked.

Judith shook her head. "Because you don't even realize why you feel that upset about Flynn not talking to you anymore. It's so obvious, but you don't get it," she added.

Yuri frowned. "Then how about enlightening me?" he said a bit annoyingly, not in the mood to play games.

A small smile decorated Judith's lips.

"I'm sorry, but that's something you'll have to figure out yourself," she answered and the seriousness in her tone bothered Yuri.

As Yuri turned his face away, Judith noticed movement from the corner of her eyes. She turned her face slightly towards the street, to see none other than Flynn standing half-hidden around the corner of an alleyway, obviously listening to the conversation from afar.

Judith thought the Angel had surely wanted to talk to Yuri, or at least to make sure he was okay, but he surely changed his mind when he saw Judith was already with him. Because of it, she knew that there was still hope to patch things up between the two oblivious males.

Judith turned her attention back on Yuri, acting as if she did not see Flynn.

"Do you intend to tell him about why you did what you did? It might help, you know," she suggested softly.

Yuri shook his head and his bitter smile returned on his face.

"No, I don't intend too. I don't regret what I did, and telling Flynn that I did it to protect him would only serve as an excuse for my actions. No, it's best if he doesn't know," he finished in a whisper.

Judith sighed and leaned her face against his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get through to him. You may doubt it right now, but I'm certain Flynn still cares about you. Just give him time," she said in a quiet tone, just loud enough for Yuri to hear.

Yuri wanted to believe her, he really did, but would it really happen? Yuri feared to hope, because it would only deepen his agony if Flynn did not want anything from him anymore.

---

After his conversation with Judith, Yuri returned to his tent to spend the rest of the night alone with his thoughts. He had no intention of going back to sleep despite his tiredness. That last nightmare had been worse than the others before and he did not want to take the chance of reliving it.

Instead, Yuri was sitting on his futon, distractedly polishing his weapon. He needed to keep himself occupied if he did not want to fall asleep again. He knew he could not avoid sleeping forever, but there was no way he would risk it tonight. He would not be able to take another one of those nightmares, not tonight.

Yuri was startled when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside of his tent.

Suddenly, one of the guards yelled; "The rebels are back!"

Despite his fatigue, Yuri was soon on his feet and he hurried outside of his tent, Repede following closely behind. As soon as he was outside, Yuri was relieved to see the soldiers were quickly getting ready for battle.

"Everyone! Gather the civilians and lead them inside the church! Then get ready to battle!" Yuri ordered loud enough for the soldiers to hear him above the chaos.

Some of the Demons and the Angels were already running around to obey his orders, ordering the panicked citizens to enter the church. They had kept the citizens with them in the plaza, in case the rebels would be back. They knew it would be easier to protect them that way.

Yuri looked around and saw Flynn quickly emerging from his tent, not wearing his armor. He only had time to grab his sword. The Demon quickly turned his gaze away from his friend, not wanting anything to trouble him. Now was not the time to let himself get distracted by his thoughts of Flynn.

A short moment later, the rebels emerged into the plaza. Yuri quickly noted that they came back with reinforcements. The Demon barely had the time to unsheathe his weapon that the first rebel was upon him. Yuri blocked the attack destined to slit his throat and harshly pushed against the blade, making his opponent lose his balance.

He quickly disarmed him by making his weapon fly out of his hands just in time to parry the attack of another Demon coming at him. Yuri's tiredness made his attacks and parries weaker and sloppier and he had trouble keeping his stance steady. He knew that if this fight stretched on, he would be in trouble.

After Yuri disabled his second opponent, his vision got blurry for a couple of seconds, which was enough of an opportunity for another Demon to lash at him. Yuri barely avoided the strike and stumbled backwards, lifting his weapon in time to parry another furious attack. His arm shook under the strength of the other Demon and Yuri had to use his other arm to keep his ground.

He clenched his teeth at the sudden strain it put on his wounded shoulder. He was so focused on trying to keep his ground that he lost sight of his surroundings. Because of it, Yuri did not sense the Demon closing in behind him just after he managed to beat his current enemy.

"Yuri, look out!" A familiar voice screamed, making him turn his face in the direction it had come from.

He barely had the time to see Flynn dashing towards him and pushing him out of the way of the Demon baring his sword at him. Yuri lost his balance and harshly met the ground. His head hit the harsh surface and it stunned him for a short moment. When he regained his senses, he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked at Flynn. His eyes widened in horror and surprise.

Flynn was standing right where Yuri stood a few seconds ago. Droplets of blood hit the ground, coming from where Flynn was wounded to the side. It did not seem too deep, but Yuri was still horrified to see his friend wounded, obviously by protecting him.

Flynn did not let his wound distract him. He grabbed his enemy's wrist and twisted it at an uncomfortable angle, making its owner scream in pain and release his weapon. Flynn knocked his opponent out cold with the hilt of his weapon. The Angel then turned his attention on Yuri and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he finally closed it back.

Instead, the Angel reached a hand to Yuri. The Demon was surprised by such a gesture, but he quickly got over his shock. He took the offered hand and Flynn pulled him to his feet. Yuri did not miss the way the Angel clenched his teeth under the strain the movement caused on his wound.

Yuri wanted to worry over his friend, but now was not the time. They had to restrain the last of the rebels before doing anything else. Yuri stood on shaking legs and positioned himself back to back with Flynn. He had just enough time to ready his blade when a Demon threw himself at him. Yuri resumed fighting at the Angel's side and he had to draw every last bit of strength he had left to get the best of his enemies.

Luckily, the fighting ended quickly after that. The rebels were still outnumbered, and eventually Flynn's and Yuri's men quickly gained the upper hand. Soon, they had restrained every last rebel without too much casualties on their side. As soon as things calmed down, Yuri let himself fall down on the ground, completely exhausted.

He watched tiredly as some of the soldiers ran through the plaza to attend to the wounded. Yuri's attention was soon diverted to Flynn, who was standing not too far from him. The Angel was clutching his bleeding side, talking to Sodia who seemed to be trying to convince him to have his wound treated. Yuri could not hear anything from where he was since they were talking in hushed tones, but after a moment, Sodia went away, obviously to obey the order her superior just gave her.

Yuri felt worry fill him at the sight of Flynn's wound. He also felt guilt, because it was his fault if the Angel was wounded. The Demon wanted to go to his friend, but could he really do it? Surely the Angel would coldly send him away. Yuri was sure he was still pissed at him. Then why? Why did Flynn bother to shield Yuri from that attack? The Demon did not understand.

Yuri's attention soon turned on an Angel who was coming towards Flynn.

"May I take a look at your wound, Captain Flynn?" he asked.

Flynn was about to answer when his attention was diverted to Judith who joined them with a small smile on her lips. Judith took hold of the soldier's arm and looked at him.

"I'm sorry, but could you come with me? There's an Angel who's badly hurt over there. He needs help as soon as possible," she said hastily, her voice holding deceptive worry. Yuri understood too late what she was trying to do.

The Angel threw a worried look at Flynn. "But the Captain…" he asked, uncertain about what he should do.

Judith turned her red eyes to Yuri for a split second before returning her attention on the Angel.

"Don't worry. Ambassador Lowell can take care of it. I'm sure it won't be a problem," she suggested.

Yuri's eyes widened and he stared at Judith. He knew it! Judith was trying to force them to talk to each other! Yuri looked at Flynn, expecting the Captain to refuse the suggestion. He was shocked when he saw his friend only seemed only uneasy about the woman's suggestion, but that he did not look about to refuse.

The soldier seemed to hesitated still, but when Flynn curtly nodded his approval, he gave Judith the healing supplies. The girl then turned her face towards Yuri, making it clear that he needed to get there.

Yuri sighed and stood up before walking towards the trio, trying to ignore his madly beating heart. Judith was really devious when she wanted. What did she expect to happen between them by doing this? Yuri stopped in front of Judith, making sure not to look Flynn in the eyes. Since when was he such a coward? Then again, he really could not bear to see hate reflected in his friend's eyes. He just could not.

Judith dropped the supplies in Yuri's hands.

"Take care of him, alright? Let's go, Mr. Angel," she then teasingly said to the soldier who blushed at the nickname that he was granted with.

Judith began to walk away, her hand still locked around the Angel's arm, and she threw a last look at them over her shoulder to wink at Yuri.

When they were gone, Yuri had no choice but to look at Flynn. The captain was staring straight back at him, but his gaze was not as cold as it had been before. Something was wavering in those blue eyes, something that Yuri did not recognize. The Demon quickly diverted his gaze away, not wanting Flynn to read the pain and confusion shining in his eyes.

"Sit down and remove your tunic," Yuri quietly ordered.

Flynn stayed silent, but he did as told. He removed his tunic and sat on the ground. Yuri sat at his side and examined the wound. Like he had thought, the wound was not too deep. The Demon's weapon had brushed Flynn's side and tore at his skin, but there was more blood than there was damage.

In a tensed silence, Yuri proceeded to gently wash the blood away and disinfect the wound. He felt Flynn tense at the pain it caused, but the Angel had no other reaction and obediently sat there while Yuri worked on his wound.

The silence was so heavy between them that Yuri soon could not take it anymore. Feeling Flynn's wrath would be better than this awkward silence. Besides, he needed to know something.

"Why… why did you protect me? You shouldn't care that much," Yuri whispered quietly, unable to meet his friend's eyes as he spoke.

Flynn did not answer right away and Yuri thought he would not.

He was finishing disinfecting the wound when his friend's voice finally reached him in a resigned whisper; "I don't hate you, Yuri. God knows I've tried to in the last few days, but no matter what I did, I couldn't bring myself to hate you."

Yuri's eyes widened at the words he just heard. Flynn… did not hate him? There was still hope for Yuri to patch things up? He suddenly felt hope bloom into his chest. It was a feeling he had come to forget lately. Yuri would give everything he had to get his friend back.

Yuri chanced a glance at Flynn. Onyx meshed with sapphire and Yuri found himself at a loss for words for a short moment. He could see that the Angel was torn. Torment was swirling in those blue irises. The Demon slowly lowered his gaze again as he fished into the supplies for the bandages.

"Thank you for protecting me," he said, not knowing what else he could say to the Angel's confession.

He did not know what was going on through Flynn's mind and he dared not speak too much before knowing where the captain was standing.

Yuri began to wrap the bandage tightly around the captain's waist. As he did so, his gaze fell on Sodia, who was looking at them from further away. The look on her face was one of pure outrage and anger. Flynn followed the Demon's gaze and spotted his second in command. He stared disapprovingly at her, but Yuri did not see it since he was busy finishing bandaging the captain's wound.

When Yuri was done, he pulled away from Flynn and was about to stand up when the Angel called his name. Yuri lifted his gaze on his friend's face only to see the captain staring seriously at him.

"Yuri, we need to talk later. Now that things have settled somewhat, I'd like us to really talk this time once this situation will be dealt with," he said.

Yuri understood what his friend meant. Last time they tried talking about Yuri's actions at the castle, Flynn had been really upset by the news he just learned and Yuri was seriously wounded. None of them were in any state to talk calmly and weight their words. Yuri knew this time, it could be an occasion to maybe redeem himself to his friend and regain his friendship. That conviction pushed him to nod his agreement. Flynn sighed softly while he put his tunic back on.

"Good. You should probably go get some sleep. We'll depart in the morning," the captain said in a softer tone.

A shiver ran down the Demon's back at the mention of going back to sleep. His unease must have shown on his face because Flynn's expression softened.

"You've been having nightmares?" he asked, even though he obviously already knew the answer.

It was easy to guess just by looking at Yuri's face, by how sunken his features were and by the dark bags under his eyes. Yuri stood up and a mirthless smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah, but you'd probably say I deserve it. I know I do," he whispered the last part to himself.

Flynn did not have the time to answer anything that Yuri talked again; "Well, good night Flynn."

Then the Demon was off towards his tent, where he would spend the rest of the night trying to find something to occupy himself. Though with the conversation he just had, he knew it would probably keep him awake. That was a relief in itself.

Yuri was so tired that he did not even notice that Flynn had followed him until he was in front of his tent and that the Angel kept the entrance of the tent open for him. In his normal state, Yuri would have felt that someone was tailing him, or at least heard them. Yuri gazed with surprise at his friend. The Angel's eyes were holding that gentleness that Yuri had missed so much in that short lapse of time.

"I'll watch over you, so go to sleep," the Angel suggested.

Yuri could not explain in words what that offer made him feel inside. Flynn was offering to stay awake the rest of the night to make sure Yuri would be able to sleep peacefully. He was incredible. Even when they were on cold terms, the Angel was still caring about him that much. Yuri could not express how touched he was by the gesture.

A small, tired smile appeared on Yuri's face.

"Okay. Thanks," he answered with a hint of embarrassment at how pleased he was by the small gesture.

Flynn answered with a small, reserved smile of his own. They entered the tent and Repede lifted his head when he heard them. The dog was at Flynn's side in a second, happy to see him. The captain bent down to pat Repede while Yuri went to his futon. He collapsed on it in a second, already feeling his eyes droop with sleep.

He managed to stay awake long enough to see Flynn sitting next to his futon, not that far apart from him. When Yuri did fall asleep, it was with a grateful and relieved smile on his lips.

---

When Yuri woke up next morning, he did not remember at first the events of the last day. His memories came back to him once he turned his face to the side and noticed Flynn, sitting by his futon. Yuri froze at the sight. He remembered now; Flynn had offered Yuri to watch over him to make sure he would not have another nightmare. The Angel seemed to have really kept to his word. Yuri felt like he had finally gotten a good rest, and it was all thanks to Flynn.

The Angel turned to face Yuri when he heard him move. Their eyes met and Yuri was relieved to see they had not regained their coldness. Still, the Angel did not smile at him. That small smile earlier that night would surely not be an often recurrence until they would talk to each other. Thinking of that…

"You're awake? I was about to wake you. It's about time we return home," the captain announced tiredly.

Yuri straightened up into a sitting position and stared at the Angel.

"I see. Thanks… you know, for watching over me," he said in an uneasy tone.

Flynn turned his gaze away as he stood up. "It was no problem," he answered simply.

The Angel began to move then and he was about to leave Yuri's tent when the Demon called out to his friend. The blue gaze was soon on him. Yuri held it with a glint of pleading in his onyx irises.

"Can you come see me at my house tonight? You said we needed to talk, so…" Yuri said with slight hesitation.

Maybe Flynn had changed his mind? Maybe he did not want to patch things up in the end?

Flynn frowned. "Your father won't be home?" he asked.

Yuri understood why Flynn was asking that. He surely did not want to be found out at Yuri's home by the General when he had no real motive to be there. The Demon shook his head.

"He'll be home very late. Lately, he spends most of his time at the Imperial palace to deal with the state affairs. He couldn't do it when we were stuck those two weeks at Paradis, so he has a lot of catching up to do," Yuri explained.

He was relieved when he heard the Angel say after a while; "Alright, then. I'll come."

Flynn then left the tent, and with it, Yuri felt hope bloom into his chest. He had a chance to redeem himself with his friend and he would not pass up this opportunity.

When everyone was up and ready to go, The Angels and the Demons went their separate ways, both returning to their respective capitals to submit their reports on the situation. The Demons were charged with the captives. They were to bring them back to the imperial capital in Jigoku were they would be judged for their actions against the peace.

The trip back to the capital was way longer than the one towards the village for they had to ride their horses at the rhythm of the prisoners walking at their sides. It was already quite late when they arrived home. Yuri charged some of his men with the task of bringing the captives to the prison where they would have to stay until their fate would be decided.

Yuri would have to submit his report to his father in the meantime. As much as that alternative did not please him, it did not have a choice on the matter. He braced himself for the unpleasant meeting with his father as he went to the imperial palace.

The rest of the day went at an incredibly slow pace. Yuri could not wait until night settled in, knowing his friend would not come to meet him before that. He was so nervous it was almost making him sick. Repede sensed it. The Dog was watching his master from up close, silently wondering what was making him so nervous.

It was now or never. In a short moment, Yuri would know if he could salvage their friendship or if he would lose Flynn forever. As he was mulling over his thoughts, a sudden soft knock against his bedroom door leading to the garden made him jump. His heart beat faster as he stood up and went to the door. He silently slid it open and saw Flynn standing on the footbridge, clad in his civil clothes. Yuri smiled nervously at his friend.

"I'm glad you came. Can you wait for me in the garden? I'll be there in a second," he said softly.

Flynn frowned, wondering what Yuri wanted to do. The Angel nodded nonetheless and walked away towards the center of the garden. Yuri closed the door behind Flynn and walked to the one leading to the hallway. His heart still beating faster and faster in his chest, he opened the door and walked to his late mother's bedroom. Once inside, he quickly retrieved his mother's shamisen. When he carefully held the delicate instrument in his hands, Yuri opened the door leading to the garden and slipped outside.

He immediately spotted Flynn, who was sitting under the maple tree where Tsukiko always used to sit. Yuri joined his friend and sat at his side, tucking his legs under him. The Demon put the instrument down on his lap. Flynn looked at the shamisen with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Your mother was playing this the time I saw her," he said quietly.

A melancholic smile painted Yuri's lips. "Yeah., it was her favorite pastime. I learned to play the shamisen because I feel a connection to her when I play," the Demon revealed with of sadness and longing in his voice.

Flynn's gaze softened. Yuri threw him a furtive look.

"I'd like you to listen to this before we talk," he said quietly, trying to keep his nerves at bay.

Flynn nodded and calmly waited in silence. Yuri rested the instrument against his shoulder and grasped the plectrum tightly into his hand. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

A short moment of silence stretched on before Yuri gently struck the first note. That note was unsure, and so were the firsts that followed, but soon, Yuri gained some assurance as he immersed himself in the melody he had composed just for Flynn; the melody that was born from his pain and longing.

Yuri kept his eyes closed, a serene expression on his face as he played the melody full of longing, pain, and sadness. In it, Yuri poured all the feelings, all the emotions that were haunting him since he and Flynn fell apart. Nothing else mattered but to convey all of these feelings to his friend.

As he kept on playing, no other sound disturbed the peace of the garden lit by the few rays of the moon passing through the clouds. Yuri was completely entranced in the melody. When the last notes of the song echoed in the garden, Yuri slowly opened his eyes and put the shamisen down beside him.

He then chanced a glance at Flynn. The Angel was staring at him, a soft and touched expression on his face. His blue eyes were shining with so many emotions that it was hard for Yuri to tell what he was thinking. Silence stretched on as Yuri waited for Flynn to say something, anything. His nerves were quickly getting worse as he waited.

The Angel's expression finally softened even more.

"Did you compose this melody… for me?" he asked tentatively with a voice full of emotion.

Yuri turned his face slightly away, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"… Yeah. I – there's so much I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find how to say it, so I decided to play a song for you instead," he explained with embarrassment.

Just saying that he was short on words was already embarrassing enough, but he even had to admit he composed a song for Flynn. In normal circumstances, Yuri would never have done this, but he needed Flynn to know how he felt. He needed to get through to him.

The Angel turned his face away too, seeming deep in thoughts. Soon, his hand resting on his thigh clenched the fabric of his pants tightly.

"We have… a lot to talk about, Yuri. What you did…" he began in a soft tone.

At least he was not yelling at Yuri. The Demon bit his lip for a moment and found the courage to talk.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I didn't think about your feelings when I… when I killed Garista and Barbos," Yuri admitted softly.

Flynn looked at Yuri with a severe gaze. "But you don't regret what you did," his sentence came out more like a statement than a question.

Yuri kept looking stubbornly away, not wanting to answer that question. Flynn already knew the answer, so why was he asking again? A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist in a strong hold, making him wince and finally turn his face towards Flynn. He saw great pain and resignation in those blue eyes.

"Answer me!" the Angel seethed quietly and Yuri found himself unable to stay quiet.

"No, I don't," he whispered.

A tense silence followed his words. Betrayal shone in Flynn's eyes and it almost made Yuri want to lie only to not see that emotion again. Flynn did not release Yuri's wrist. Instead, his grip only tightened painfully, but Yuri said nothing.

"Do you at least understand what you did? You almost destroyed the peace that we obtained together! And most of all, you betrayed the trust I put in you! You promised me you would try to rely on me, but you didn't! You had to go and bear all the burden by yourself!" Flynn said in a pained tone.

Yuri could say nothing to that. He kept quiet, lowering his head with shame. He did not feel ashamed of his actions, but because he betrayed the trust Flynn put in him.

Flynn's next words had him snap his face back up and towards the Angel; "Is it because of me? Is it because I'm not trustworthy enough for you to be able to tell me anything?"

Yuri was speechless for a while, staring at the Angel's hurt expression. Flynn was putting the blame on himself? Yuri could not believe this! The Demon fiercely held his friend's sad gaze.

"Don't say that! This got nothing to do with you! I'm the one who decided to keep you in the dark! You've never given me any reason not to trust you! I just… I couldn't tell you, Flynn!" Yuri admitted in a quiet tone that conveyed his sincerity.

Flynn's gaze saddened even more and he finally released his friend's wrist.

"Because you were doing it for me? Barbos and Garista were targeting me, right? That's why you didn't want to tell me?" he asked bluntly.

Yuri's eyes widened and he soon diverted his gaze as slight embarrassment gained him.

"Where… where did you hear that?" he whispered, slightly frustrated that Flynn knew about his motives.

Flynn looked down and sighed softly. "I… overheard your conversation with Judith last night. I followed you because I wanted to make sure you were alright. That's when I caught you talking with Judith," he admitted quietly.

Yuri was too mortified to answer anything. Flynn had heard it? It surely meant he had heard everything he said to Judith. That was not good. Yuri really had no intention to tell Flynn. He did not want the Angel to feel guilty about the whole situation. An annoyed sigh coming from Flynn made Yuri turn his eyes on his friend once more. Frustration and conflicted emotions shone in those blue eyes as they stared right at him.

"But that doesn't matter. I thought a lot about your actions. No matter for what motive, I can't forgive them. Doing your own justice is something that I can't tolerate," Flynn said with unwavering resolve.

Yuri snorted and his gaze hardened. "Then don't! That's why I told you to denounce me to everyone! You don't have to pay for something that I did! I don't want you to share that burden!" he replied harshly.

The Demon immediately berated himself for his harsh tone. He should not lose his cool right now. They were there to talk, not yell at each other! His reply was enough to fuel Flynn's temper. He grabbed Yuri's shoulders tightly, but his grasp turned gentler when he heard the hiss of pain the Demon let out as his wounded shoulder was squeezed.

Flynn held Yuri's gaze severely. "Do you realize what would have happened if I had denounced you? You would have been executed, Yuri! The Angels would not have tolerated your actions!" he hissed, a hint of fear lacing his words at the mere idea of what would be Yuri's fate if he got caught.

Yuri's onyx eyes turned a shade darker and his features hardened. "I'm not trying to hide what I did, Flynn. I know that someday I'll have to pay for my actions. I would accept any punishment, even if it was death," he said in a dark and resigned whisper.

This time, Flynn's eyes clouded with distress and pain. "Don't say that, Yuri! Stop thinking so selfishly! Did you think about my feelings for a change? Do you think I want you dead? I can't even bear the thought of losing you!" he exclaimed in a voice that showed the suffering he felt in the past few days.

Yuri was taken aback by this. He had no idea Flynn was so affected by the recent situation; he had hidden it well from his eyes. Now, Yuri could see it all; the pain, the fear, the longing, the uncertainty, the anger… All of those emotions were swirling madly in the endless blue of his eyes.

"Flynn…" Yuri whispered in a shaky tone and the words got stuck in his throat.

It was fine, since the Angel was not finished. He released Yuri's shoulders and turned his face around, hanging his head just enough for his blond bangs to cover his eyes.

"That's why I'm so torn right now! No matter what horrible things you did, I can't bring myself to let go of you! I can't…" Flynn's voice broke at the end and his hand gripped his hair in a painfully tight hold.

The sight was too much for Yuri. He felt so guilty for putting his friend in that state. How could he have been so stupid? He had murdered those two bastards to protect Flynn, but the only thing he ended up doing was hurting his friend so deeply! He was such an idiot! And now, he did not even know how he could redeem himself. Was there even a way?

Yuri gently took Flynn's hand that was gripping his hair and brought it down. The haunted blue gaze was on him in a second. Yuri stared into them, his own eyes reflecting his guilt.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry for everything I put you through, Flynn… I don't know what to say that could make you feel better," he said in a quiet, uneasy tone.

Silence followed, in which the two friends stared into the other's gaze. Yuri felt his heart beat faster and faster in his chest while anxiety filled his entire being. Would Flynn want him back? Or would he just walk away and put a definite end to their friendship? Yuri needed to know soon, or he would go crazy, he knew it!

The Angel's gaze soon fell on their still joined hands from when Yuri had pulled Flynn's down from his hair. The Demon suddenly realized this too and tried to pull his hand away, but the Angel kept it tightly into his hand.

Yuri tensed at that and his eyes widened when he heard his friend say in a quiet tone filled with want and hope; "I want… I want to make a world in which you won't feel obligated to do things like that. I don't want you to feel like you have to dirty your hands anymore. It's killing me inside to know that you think like that."

Those words struck a chord deep down inside the Demon. How could… how could Flynn feel like that? After everything Yuri had done? He still cared enough to wish for that? He still cared enough to have Yuri as a part of his dream? He was so straightforward and honest that it made Yuri speechless and touched beyond belief. Yuri felt he did not deserve this.

The Demon tried again to get his hand free, and this time, Flynn let him. Yuri turned his face away as embarrassment and unease showed on his features. Because of it, he missed the pair of blue eyes lifting to his face and shining with determination.

"Yuri, I… I'll give us another chance. I'll try my hardest to be trustworthy enough so you can tell me anything; but in exchange, I need you to trust me in this and not do anything by yourself anymore. Please. Just do this for me. I don't think I'll be able to take such betrayal one more time," Flynn's soft, yet determined voice reached Yuri's ears.

It took Yuri a second to understand what he just heard. When he did, he snapped his face back towards his friend and his eyes widened as his heart jumped in his chest. Had he really heard well?

"Flynn! Are you serious? You're giving me another chance?" he whispered with hope.

Surely he had imagined those words and Flynn would tell him so, crushing his hope into pieces. Yuri did not deserve another chance, after all. The Demon's eyes widened even more when he saw the Angel nod. Now, Yuri could not stop the hope blooming inside him, getting stronger by the minute.

"Does that mean we can go back to what we where?" he asked hopefully.

Flynn's gaze saddened a little. "No, Yuri. I can't trust you as I did before. I'm sorry, but I can't help it. It will take some time before I can trust you completely. But… we can still be friends. Start off anew, what do you say?" he suggested softly with a hint of a smile, of that breathtaking smile Yuri thought he would never see destined to him again.

Just knowing that he was given a chance to redeem himself, even if he had much to do to regain Flynn's trust, was enough to make all of the burden on his shoulders disappear without a trace. He smiled back; a shaky, relieved smile.

"I… I understand. I don't deserve that much, so it's good enough for me. I'm so glad," he said in a quiet whisper.

Yuri suddenly felt his eyes sting and he realized tears of happiness were threatening to fall. Horrified by such a show of weakness, he tried to hide it, but he was not quick enough. Flynn had seen it. The Angel's gaze softened.

"Oh, Yuri…" he whispered as he reached a hand to his friend's face.

His thumb gently wiped away an unshed tear at the corner of Yuri's eye. Their gazes met and Flynn froze, his hand still against the Demon's cheek.

After a few seconds in which both of them did not move, Yuri was about to say something to dismiss his embarrassment at the present situation when Flynn suddenly removed his hand. Yuri did not expect what happened next. Strong arms wrapped around his waist and he was pulled against a solid chest. Yuri gasped at the sudden embrace and his eyes widened. Flynn closed his eyes and approached his lips to Yuri's ear.

"Just let me hold you like this for a while… please," the captain whispered against Yuri's ear, making the Demon shiver at both the words and the contact of his friend's hot breath against his skin.

After a short moment, Yuri relaxed in the embrace and returned it, his hands snaking up and around Flynn's back. He nodded and closed his eyes too, fighting the heat gaining his cheeks. Yuri understood that Flynn needed to hold him like this, for whatever reason it may be. He would not deny him this, even less when Yuri did not mind. In fact, it was more than that; the Demon enjoyed it.

He enjoyed the feel of the blonde's arms holding him tightly against his chest; he enjoyed the tickling sensation of the Angel's hair against his neck and cheek; he enjoyed Flynn's warmth wrapping delightfully around him like a blanket.

Yuri relaxed completely into his friend's arms, just content to be lying there in that loved and protective embrace. Yuri felt his heart about ready to burst out of his chest, and he wondered why. Why did he feel that way? Why was it that he knew he could die happy like this, with no other care in the world? It confused him. Yuri was so focused on his thoughts and feelings that he missed the way his friend's heart was also beating madly and he missed the slight shaking of his body.

It was over too soon to Yuri's taste. Flynn gently released him, but he did not push him far away. Yuri felt his cheeks burn even more as he was still too close to his friend to be comfortable. The Demon finally turned his face to stare at Flynn. His eyes bore deeply into Flynn's and the intensity of the blue irises made him shiver. Unable to hold that gaze too long, Yuri looked down, but his eyes fell on Flynn's lips instead. His heart beat even faster as he could not tear his gaze away from them.

"Yuri?" Flynn's soft, questioning voice snapped him out of his trance.

Yuri turned his face away brusquely, pulling away from his friend while trying to fight the blush from gaining his cheeks. He was thankful that it was dark outside. Maybe Flynn did not see it. Yuri's entire body seemed to be burning and he almost cried out from frustration at not knowing what was happening to him. Why was Flynn's simplest touch bringing him into such a state? Why was he staring at him so much, as if hoping for something to happen? It was maddening!

Flynn called the Demon's name again. Yuri forced himself to calm down and slowly brought his gaze back on his friend's face. A small, fond smile was stretching the Angel's lips.

"Would you play the song that you played earlier one more time? I'd like to hear it again. It was beautiful," Flynn asked gently.

Yuri's eyes widened for a split second at his friend's demand. Soon, a small smile appeared on his face and he nodded. Yuri carefully grabbed the shamisen again and nestled it against his shoulder.

And as he played the first note, the Demon knew with a strong conviction that everything would be fine from now on. As long as Flynn would still want him, Yuri could not hope for anything else.

It was with a peaceful smile that Yuri closed his eyes, the notes he struck echoing silently in the garden.

---

Since the night Yuri and Flynn had their conversation and decided to start anew, Yuri was feeling way better. His nightmares were less frequent and they were not as traumatizing anymore. Yuri knew he was slowly getting over it and it relieved him. The fact that he was back to being friends with Flynn helped a great deal with the nightmares. He knew he would be fine now. He could overcome everything as long as Flynn was with him.

However, there was something bothering Yuri. He felt like his friendship with Flynn was… different somehow. Yuri felt more self-conscious than before when around his friend, but he did not understand why. He tried not to show his unease to Flynn when they were together. He did not want to worry his friends with the messed-up feelings he did not comprehend, now that they were finally back on good terms.

Two weeks passed in relative peace. Flynn and Yuri were still patrolling the border villages, helping with the reconstruction and calming the feuds that happened now and then. But no matter how they wished for it, the relations between the Angels and the Demons did not seem to get better with time.

They knew it could take years, maybe even decades before everyone got along. But no matter what, they would not give up on the hope of a world where everyone would accept each other. They had to be patient.

It was a particularly warm day at the end of spring. That morning, the high-graded officers from Jigoku as well as Yuri were receiving the Angels at the Imperial palace for a special meeting. It was unusual, because the Demons received the demand for the meeting on a very short notice and the meeting's motive was not specified in the letter. It sparked Yuri's curiosity. The Demons welcomed their guests at the capital with unhidden curiosity.

When the Angels entered the meeting room that morning, the Demons were already all seated around the table. Yuri motioned for Flynn to come sit next to him when they locked gazes. The Angel was quick to comply and they exchanged a small smile. While the other Angels took their respective places on their cushions, Yuri leaned towards Flynn to whisper in his ear.

"Do you know what the meeting is about?" he asked, curious.

Flynn shook his head negatively, a clueless look on his face.

"No, the King told no one about it. I'm curious too," Flynn whispered back.

Yuri pulled a bothered face and turned his attention back on his father and King William. Ryuku waited until everyone was seated to talk. He bowed briefly in front of his guests in a sign of respect. As he began talking, the servants entered with the tea and began pouring cups around the table.

"Welcome to all our guests. Now that we are all present, I believe you will tell us the reason for this meeting," Ryuku asked in a neutral tone, but Yuri knew his father enough to know he was irritated to be kept in the dark.

It was showing by the subtle clenching of the general's jaw.

King William bowed in front of his counterpart.

"Of course, Ryuku-taishou. No one here is unaware of the situation that happened a few weeks ago at the castle in Paradis. That situation was more than regrettable and I can't say enough how sorry we are for involving all of you Demons in that matter," the King began, bowing again to express his regret.

Yuri hid the slight guilt he felt at the mention of that incident, in which he played a part to a certain extend. It was still a tense subject between him and Flynn, so he made sure not to meet his friend's gaze right now. Everyone stayed silent, waiting for the King to continue. A small smile appeared on the gentle ruler's face.

"It's useless to say that this incident left the peace between our two countries in a fragile state. Since none of us wants to lose this newly acquired peace, I thought about a way to strengthen the bond between our two people," King William announced.

Many confused murmurs rose in the room, but they died down when Ryuku frowned and spoke up.

"And what would you propose?" he asked.

The King of the Angels stared right into Ryuku's gray eyes as he answered; "A marriage of convenience between two of our people."

Many exclamations of surprise were heard. Yuri's eyes widened and he looked at Flynn, who was as stunned as he was by his king's suggestion. A wedding between an Angel and a Demon? It was a great idea to strengthen the relations between both races!

Yuri's mood suddenly dampened as he thought of something; Ryuku would never, ever accept this. Just the idea of mixing their blood with the Angels was surely disgusting him to no extent. Yuri's eyes worriedly turned towards his father. The general was bearing a stoic expression as he kept quiet, unlike many others. His expression was not making it easy to know what he was thinking about.

Soon, he asked for the silence with a gesture of his hand.

"Tell me more about this marriage. If I agree to this union, who are you suggesting on your side?" he asked, his severe eyes boring into his counterpart.

Yuri frowned at his father's words. What, was he considering the idea? Unbelievable! Surely it was his imagination playing tricks on him!

The King held Ryuku's gaze and when he answered, the agitation was even stronger than before; "My own daughter Estellise. I want to show you Demons how serious I am about this marriage. I asked my daughter and she agrees to this union with a Demon."

Ryuku stayed silent for a moment, seemingly reflecting on the king's proposition. Yuri took advantage of that time to watch the other occupants in the room. Nylen and Schwann seemed enchanted by the idea, and so was Flynn.

Yeager was bored out of his mind – which was always the case in the meetings – while Duke and Alexei were bearing neutral expressions that did not tell of their opinion on the matter. Eventually, though, the decision would be his father's to make.

When the General did talk, Yuri did not believe his ears.

"Alright. I too believe it would be a good idea to strengthen the relationship between our two races. Since you proposed your own daughter, I can't very well propose anyone to be her husband. It will have to be someone worthy of her," he said.

Yuri frowned, still not believing what he just heard. His father, agreeing to an arrangement that would be in favor of the peace? What was going on through his mind? Surely he must have something in mind. Yuri could not bring himself to believe his father's goodwill. It just was not him.

"Do you have someone in mind, Ryuku-taishou?" the King asked in a gentle tone.

Yuri could never have expected what happened next. His father's eyes settled on him and a smile appeared on his lips; a soft, ironic smile.

"I would think that my son Yuri is a good enough choice, don't you think?"

All the colors in Yuri's face drained from his face. If he had looked in his friend's way, he would have seen that Flynn reacted the same way.

No, it was impossible! Ryuku could not have really suggested him, right? He hated the Angels! How could he propose his one and only son to be married to an Angel? It meant staining the rest of his bloodline with Angel's blood! This had to be a joke! But when Yuri kept holding his father's gaze, when he saw the small sardonic smile stretching his lips, the young Demon had to see the evidence; Ryuku had really suggested him. But why? For what motive? What could he possibly gain from this?

Before Yuri could get over his shock, the general was talking again, never leaving his son's gaze as he did so.

"Yuri is very favorable to the peace and he goes along well with you Angels, or so I've heard. And being my son, I believe he would be worthy of your daughter," he said, that hated smile still plastered on his face.

Yuri clenched his fists tightly. Damn him! His father was playing with him right now! But how could he do that? Did he not resent the consequences?

Yuri's entire body grew numb with refrained anger and shock and he barely felt the weight of the Demons' and Angels' gazes on him. He was in such turmoil that he almost did not hear the King address Ryuku again.

"I agree with you. Yuri would indeed be a very good choice for my daughter. Your son is a brave and honest lad. I would be honored to have him in my family," he said with an honesty.

Yuri hid his unease and shock as he bowed in front of the King.

"You flatter me too much, your majesty," he said quietly, managing to hide everything he felt under a cool demeanor.

Though under the table, his knuckles turned white at the way he was clenching his fists tightly on his thighs.

The King smiled gently at Yuri. "I'm only saying the truth. So, what do you say? Do you accept to become Princess Estellise's husband?" he asked.

Despite being given the choice, Yuri knew he did not really have one. It would be rude to say no and who knew how the Angel's would react to this affront? No, Yuri had no choice in the matter. He knew it. His father had skillfully trapped him.

Yuri did not dare look at Flynn, who he knew was staring at him. He felt like he would not be able to give his answer if he did.

He kept his gaze solely on the King and felt his heart weight in his chest as he spoke words that would seal his fate; "I accept."

As soon as the words left his lips and that the voices rose again in the room, Yuri felt like something shattered violently inside him. Why was he feeling like his heart was trapped in a death grip? What was it trying to tell him? Maybe it was the fact of being taken by surprise. Yuri was no fool. He knew he would have to get married someday, and that he would never get to choose who would be his wife. That was the way things worked in Jigoku.

When Yuri really thought about it, it was not so bad, was it? He had seen Estelle only one time, but she seemed like a good girl. He could learn to love her… right? And even if he could not, it would help in strengthening the relations between the Angels and the Demons. His happiness was a small price to pay for helping the peace. Then why did he felt that way? Why did he feel like a part of himself just died in this room?

Yuri finally turned his face towards Flynn and what he saw confused him. Flynn's jaw was clenched tightly and the Angel was stubbornly staring ahead. His body was shaking slightly, unnoticeable to everyone but Yuri who was sitting next to him. What was wrong with Flynn? Yuri had no clue and it worried him. He tried to meet his friend's gaze, but Flynn refused to look at him.

Yuri was so distracted by his worry over his friend that he barely listened to the rest of the meeting as the formalities of the wedding were being discussed. His mind managed to register that an escort would be designated to accompany Estelle to Jigoku so she could spend some time with Yuri and for the future wife and husband to get to know each other. The date of the wedding was not decided yet, but neither party wanted to drag things out too long. Yuri's heart only squeezed harder at the thought.

Yuri had never felt more relieved when the meeting was finally over. He left the meeting room together with Flynn, who did not address one word to him since the meeting ended. As they walked, Yuri smothered the violent emotions he was feeling at the news of his upcoming wedding and forced a smile on his lips as he nudged his friend in the ribs.

"Hey, Flynn! Isn't it great? With this, the peace will be even more solid! We're almost there!" He exclaimed with fake happiness.

Flynn stayed silent and Yuri did not miss the way his expression hardened with displeasure. Yuri frowned at that.

"Flynn? What's wrong? You don't seem too pleased by it," he asked, unsure.

Flynn suddenly stopped walking and grabbed Yuri's wrist, making the Demon stop too. Yuri's gaze met the Angel's burning one.

"What about you? You're fine with this? With having to marry someone you don't love? And don't tell me you love Lady Estellise, because I won't believe you. You only met her once," Flynn said bluntly, his voice dripping with an emotion Yuri could not put his finger on.

The Demon sighed and diverted his gaze. "Of course I don't. But… it's for the peace, right? Then I don't mind. And it's not like I could just refuse the King's daughter," he answered.

The words that just left his lips tasted like poison. Yuri lowered his gaze on Flynn's hand, still around his wrist. The touch was burning his skin, confusing the Demon.

Flynn was quick to release his friend and a smile appeared on his face. However, Yuri was no fool; he knew that this smile was fake. It was not reaching the Angel's eyes.

"You're right. It's a good thing, then. Lady Estellise is a nice girl. She'll be good for you. Now I'm sorry, but I'll see you later. I have some urgent business to attend to," Flynn said briskly.

He did not let Yuri the time to say anything. The Angel turned around and quickly retreated down the hallway. Yuri was too shocked to move. What was that about? Why did Flynn seem so hurt all of a sudden?

And why did that sight tear Yuri's heart apart?

---

Yuri waited outside of the capital's entrance, sitting against the trunk of a dead tree. He was bored out of his mind. He was waiting for Estelle and her escort to arrive. The princess was supposed to arrive this morning to spend a few days in Jigoku for her and Yuri to get to know each other. Yuri just wished she would arrive already. Not because he was eager to get to know his future wife, but because he was really bored, having nothing to do but wait.

The Demon closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree trunk. He heard the bored whine at his side, coming from his dog Repede sitting next to him. It made Yuri smile to know he was not the only one bored.

After a moment, Yuri heard steps approaching and a high-pitched, feminine voice exclaimed with enthusiasm; "Oh, look! There he is!"

Yuri cracked an eye open and the first thing he saw was a pink haired girl coming towards him to greet him.

The second thing he saw made him open his eyes fully and they widened with surprise.

"Fl-Flynn?!" he blurted out, not believing his eyes.

The captain was walking at the princess's side, and seeing there was no one else with them, Yuri quickly understood he was the one escorting the King's daughter. The two Angels stopped in front of Yuri. The Demon slowly rose to his feet and smiled at the two newcomers.

"Hey, Estelle. Nice to see you again. And why are you here, Flynn? Surely escorting the princess is not a task fit of a mighty captain," he teased.

Flynn's expression turned sour for a second, but it was gone so quickly that the Demon thought he had imagined it. Estelle was the one to answer.

"It's because I asked that he be the one to escort me! I thought that this way, since you're such good friends, we could all spend some time together!" she said excitedly.

Yuri looked at Flynn again and frowned when he noticed something was very off with him. Flynn did not seem pleased by the turnout of events at all. Usually, Flynn would meet his gaze and smile gently at the Demon. Now, he was stubbornly avoiding looking at him or at Estelle. So, there really was something wrong with Flynn lately.

Yuri wanted to ask his friend what was wrong, but now was not the proper moment. Estelle was with them.

Speaking of which, Yuri's attention was diverted on the princess when she talked again; "What a lovely dog! Is it yours, Yuri? What's his name?"

The pink haired girl leaned towards Repede. Yuri smiled at the girl, hiding his worries towards Flynn to answer Estelle.

"His name's Repede. He's mine, but Repede considers Flynn like his master too, since we found him together back in the time," he said.

His eyes shifted to Flynn, to see the Angel was still not letting go of his stiff and stoic expression. It worried Yuri to see his friend like that, but at the same time, he knew that the Angel would surely brush it off as nothing if Yuri was to ask.

Yuri had no time to ponder over it further that the princess was letting out an exclamation of sadness. Yuri looked at her to see Repede walk away from the Angel's extended hand who obviously wanted to pet him.

"Repede! Did I do something wrong?" the princess said sadly, turning her eyes on Yuri.

The Demon shook his head. "No, don't worry. He's like that with people he doesn't know," he assured her, even if that was not the entire truth.

Repede chose who he liked and who he did not like. Yuri threw a quick look in Flynn's direction, to see the Angel looked still closed off. Yuri decided to ignore his attitude for now, until he could talk to Flynn in private. Yuri did not want to take the chance of upsetting the princess. He smiled at Estelle.

"So, how about I show you around the capital today? What do you say?" he suggested.

A beaming smile appeared on the young girl's face. "That's a great idea! It's my first time here and I'm curious about how your people live!" she exclaimed with excitement.

Yuri chuckled at her gentle and straightforward nature. He was finding out that it was easy for him to take a liking to the princess. Loving her would be another deal, though. The thought made the now familiar sensation grip in heart painfully. Yuri brushed it aside for now.

"Okay then, come along. Flynn, you're coming too?" he asked gently as he turned his attention back on his friend.

The latter forced a small smile on his lips. "Of course. I'm here to make sure Lady Estellise is safe," he replied in a casual voice.

Yuri pulled a fake outraged expression. "You make it sound like I'm not reliable or something," he said in a fakely hurt tone, trying to lighten his friend's mood.

It earned him a knowing look from the blonde Angel. Yuri put a hand on his heart and sighed dramatically.

"I'm really hurt, Flynn," he said, still on the same playful tone.

Yuri was glad to see a real smile paint his friend's face this time as he shook his head in a discouraged fashion. No matter what was on the Angel's mind, Yuri wanted to make Flynn forget about it, at least for now. A small laugh from the side had them both turn their faces towards Estelle, who was looking at them with a smile on her lips.

"You too are really funny together," she said while being unable to stop laughing.

It made Yuri smile. For a princess, she seemed really carefree and that was a relief. Yuri was not too fond of all the royalty thing and the etiquette. Since he was obligated to marry Estelle, he was glad that at least she was not the arrogant, high and mighty kind of princess. Then again, she would surely not be Flynn's friend if that was the case.

Yuri moved to the side and motioned at the capital's entrance.

"After you, Estelle," he said.

Flynn sighed at that and threw a scolding look in Yuri's way.

"Yuri, would it kill you to be a little more polite? You're addressing the princess," he scolded Yuri.

The latter shrugged his shoulders and said without a care in the world; "Why would I? She doesn't mind it. Besides, she'll be my wife soon, anyways."

That was the wrong thing to say. Yuri understood it too late. Flynn's expression darkened and hurt shone in his eyes. It was there only briefly, but long enough for Yuri to see it. Again, Yuri wondered what was wrong with his friend, what hurt him like that. He felt suddenly uneasy for saying such words.

When he looked at Estelle, he was surprised to see the girl looking at the ground, a somewhat sad expression on her face. Why was she wearing such an expression? Was it about what he said…? Oh.

Yuri understood. Even if she agreed to their soon to be wedding, it did not mean she wanted it. Yuri realized she was exactly like him; forced into a wedding with someone she did not love. He had been completely, utterly insensitive right now. He was not the only one suffering from this situation. He was so stupid.

Yuri cleared his throat. "Let's go," he said softly, hoping that by beginning the tour of the capital, he would be able to wipe away the awkwardness he just created.

Estelle hid her sadness and smiled softly. Yuri did not dare look at Flynn again as they began walking into the capital. He did not want to see the hurt in his eyes, that he was sure was still shining strongly in the blue irises.

He preferred to drown in the illusion that everything was fine.

---

Despite having begun quite awkwardly, the day spent in company of Estelle and Flynn went smoothly. Yuri had showed the princess around the capital and the young girl was amazed by what she saw. She was fascinated with the Demon's cultural differences. She kept asking Yuri questions that the Demon did not mind answering. The princess's thirst for knowledge seemed insatiable.

The only thing that kept bothering Yuri was the fact that Flynn kept to himself most of the time. Yuri understood why he did it; the Angel wanted to give Yuri and Estelle the occasion to get to know each other, but it still did not please him. He felt that his friend was keeping his distances with him. Yuri needed to know why.

That's what pushed him to catch up to Flynn just before the Angel had the time to retreat into the guestroom attributed to him at the imperial palace after the two friends escorted Estelle to her own room. As soon as he heard Yuri call out his name, Flynn froze in front of his room, his hand on the handle of the room, ready to slide it open.

Once he had his friend's attention, Yuri hesitated to talk. He wanted to ask Flynn what was troubling him, but he suddenly felt that the Angel would surely not tell him even if he were to ask.

Instead, Yuri smiled at Flynn and asked; "Flynn, what about joining me for some sparing? I feel I'm gonna win today!" the Demon exclaimed with his trademark smirk.

Maybe if he spent some time alone with Flynn, doing something that could make them both relax, the Angel would confide in Yuri. That was the Demon's reason for suggesting sparring together.

Flynn's reaction made Yuri know instantly that something was very wrong with Flynn. Instead of playing the game and teasing Yuri about his incredible row of defeats, Flynn shook his head and turned his gaze away from him.

"I'm sorry, Yuri, but not today. I've got a lot of paperwork to fill by the end of the day. I'll see you tomorrow," Flynn answered curtly.

Yuri's smirk disappeared, to be replaced by a small, strained smile. Yuri felt his heart burn painfully at the sudden cold treatment from his best friend. Pain shone briefly into his onyx irises.

"Oh, I see. Too bad, then. See you tomorrow," he said briskly before turning around, quickly walking down the hallway and away from his friend.

Because Yuri had his back to Flynn, he missed the crestfallen expression that appeared on the Angel's face.

Yuri did not slow down his pace until he left the imperial palace. As he walked slowly down the main street towards his house, he could not stop the bitter smile from gracing his lips. It could not be more obvious now; despite what he had said, Flynn was still angry with him. He had not forgiven him for his actions against Garista and Barbos. It had to be it. What else could Yuri have done to deserve such a cold treatment?

The mere idea that Flynn could have changed his mind freaked Yuri out. But if it was his decision, then there was nothing he could do.

He would have to live with the loss of his best friend and try to mend his broken heart.

---

A/N: *Preparing to receive rocks from angry readers* So... how did you like the chapter? We're pretty sure a lot of you are not happy with Yuri's and Estelle's incoming wedding, right...? Sorry, but for the sake of the story it is necessary... please don't kill us!

Anyways, we hope you liked the chapter and that it made up for the wait! At least our two lovebirds are reunited, even if there is undoubtedly hard times ahead...

So we'll leave it on that note. Please bear in mind that it might take a little while before the next chapter is available too, but we're not dropping this story, so we'll be back chapter 12 for sure :) (Rose: And trust me, it's going to be worth it... :D)

Thanks for the support, guys! We really do appreciate all of your comments! It keeps us going! :D

This chapter was brought to you by ~

Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become

The Fray - How To Save a Life

Three Doors Down - When I'm Gone

Within Temptation - Frozen

See you next time, guys!

Rose&Saenda