Author's note: This fic is rated T for language, battle scenes, possibly alcohol (not sure yet), and other typical Tales series elements.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss, Tales of Vesperia, or any of the Tales characters or scenarios. Namco owns them.

Chapter 1: A Twist of Two Fates

The Albiore II sped through the snowy predawn sky on its way to the Absorption Gate. Tense silence had fallen between the seven people occupying the aircraft's flight deck. Guy stood behind Luke's seat, tapping one foot impatiently. This was it. The coming battle would decide the fate of Auldrant. If the group failed to stop Van, or if they were too slow about it, the Outer Lands would fall into the Qliphoth, and more than half of the planet's land mass would be destroyed.

He ran his fingertips over the hilt of his sword. Van had been Guy's own liegeman and protector, back when they had been Lord Gailardia Galan Gardios and Vandesdelca Musto Fende in the days before the fall of Hod. They had both been innocent children, two little boys who were best friends despite their different stations in life. But the Hod War predicted in the Score had pulled master and servant apart, setting them on different paths. Now those paths were about to cross for the final time, ending one life or the other.

Guy sighed. He hadn't slept well last night, thinking about the situation. Memories from his childhood had haunted his dreams; thoughts of what-ifs and might-have-beens had tormented him while he lay awake, tossing and turning. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear away the haze at the edges of his vision.

Natalia's voice startled him. "Guy, are you all right?"

"Yeah..." Guy replied. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Anise chimed in. "You look like you didn't get any sleep at all!"

"I slept badly," Guy admitted, "but it was enough."

"Liar," said Anise. "You have dark circles under your eyes."

"Maybe you should rest a bit," Natalia suggested. "Or at least sit down instead of standing."

"All the seats are taken," Guy said, glancing forward at Luke, Tear, and Jade.

Anise rolled her eyes. "So, sit on the floor."

"Anise!" Natalia scolded. "Honestly, how can you be so—"

"It's fine," Guy overrode the princess's beginning rant. Despite all of their experiences together, Natalia and Anise still occasionally clashed with each other. "It's not a bad idea. I'll sit against the back wall and rest for a little while."

He walked to the back of the flight deck and sat down, leaning against the rear bulkhead. He didn't want to worry anyone by admitting how tired he was, but it would be a bad idea to go into battle against Van while sleep-deprived. He didn't think he could sleep even now, but perhaps he would just close his eyes for a moment...

Aboard the Fiertia, Flynn sat propped against the starboard gunwale, feeling exhausted. He had been up all night dealing with the aftermath of Alexei's betrayal, but that wasn't the only thing sapping his strength. The anger he felt at the former Commandant's treatment of Lady Estellise warred with confusion and disappointment in his heart. Why had Alexei chosen this insane path? What had happened to the ideals Alexei always spoke of? And why, why hadn't Flynn realized sooner that Alexei was plotting against the Empire?

He still didn't know exactly what Alexei was planning to do at Zaude or why. It was increasingly clear that Alexei wanted to rule Terca Lumireis, but just what kind of blastia was the Enduring Shrine of Zaude, anyway? Some kind of superweapon, judging from what Yuri had said, but what could it do, and how did Alexei intend to use it?

The Entelexeia Phaeroh's words, as relayed by Judith, troubled Flynn. Zaude is a place that must be left undisturbed, by both Entelexeia and humans. Something about that didn't add up. If Zaude was a superweapon that no one should ever use, why had it been hidden in the ocean instead of destroyed? And if, for whatever reason, Zaude was not a weapon, then what was it?

"Hey... Flynn, you okay?" said Yuri, pausing as he walked past where Flynn sat.

Flynn glanced up at his best friend and lifelong rival. "...Yes," he replied.

"That didn't sound very convincing," Yuri remarked. "Are you still fretting about Alexei and his ideals?"

"...That's part of it," Flynn admitted, "but—"

"Listen," Yuri interrupted. "Whatever he used to believe—"

"I know that!" Flynn snapped. "I know Alexei is no longer the person I trusted. I just..."

"You just what? Flynn, we don't have time for doubts or what-ifs!"

"I know," Flynn said with a sigh. "I just wish I knew why, that's all."

"Why Alexei went crazy, you mean? Hell if I know," Yuri replied, shrugging. "But no matter what his reasons are, we still have to stop him."

"Yes," Flynn agreed. "We cannot allow him to hurt any more innocent people."

Yuri nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. So, relax a little and get some rest while you can. You look like a zombie. Were you awake all night or something?"

"Yeah, I was." At Yuri's incredulous expression, Flynn added defensively, "I had a lot of work to do. The knights are in complete disarray, and I'm the acting Commandant now."

Yuri shook his head in exasperation. "You never give yourself a break, do you? Seriously, take a nap or something."

"...All right," Flynn relented. He closed his eyes and leaned slightly back to let the gunwale support all his weight. He focused his attention on his own breath, willing it to become slower, and felt his body begin to relax.

"Wait, you're going to sleep sitting up like that?" Yuri asked in surprise. "There are bunks down in the hold. Take one of them."

Flynn didn't answer. He didn't feel like getting up, or arguing with Yuri, or anything. The gentle rocking of the ship, as the Entelexeia Ba'ul carried it through the sky, was already lulling him.

As he drifted off, he heard Yuri's voice as if from far away, saying, "Fine, suit yourself..."

Outside the plane of existence, an unknown entity observed the two snoozing young men. It snickered to itself as it reached out with an immaterial hand and delicately plucked their lifelines apart from all the rest of the lives – past, present, and future – within its domain. It brought the two lifelines carefully into parallel and then twisted. An eldritch voice whispered in the infinite space: "Let's see what happens..."

Flynn woke with a start. Something didn't feel right. The swaying of the airborne Fiertia had stopped, and he could feel a subtle vibration. There was also a strange humming noise.

He was sitting on the floor of a dimly-lit enclosed space. Glancing around, he saw six people, all of whom were facing away from him. Four of them were sitting in padded red chairs that appeared to be bolted to the floor, and two more stood behind the second pair of chairs. Overhead, a curved window showed clouds racing by.

"Huh?" Flynn said aloud. "What is this? Where am I?"

Five of the six strangers turned around to look at him. One was a young girl with curly black hair tied up in two pigtails. Another girl, older and taller, had honey-blond hair and sharp green eyes; she had a bow and a quiver full of arrows on her back. In the chairs sat a young man with messy red hair, a teenage girl with long brown hair who had a staff balanced on her lap, and a tall man with glasses and shoulder-length golden-brown hair.

"Whoa!" said the redhead. "Guy, where did you get that armor?"

The man with the glasses frowned. His blood-red eyes narrowed. "Why do you have a shield all of a sudden?" he asked. His tone of voice was definitely not friendly. Flynn had the immediate impression that if he crossed this man, he would regret it.

"Hey, isn't that a different sword too?" said the black-haired girl, peering at Flynn.

"I-I'm sorry," Flynn stammered. "I think there must be some mistake. Who are you people?"

The redhead and the three girls stared openmouthed at him. The man with the glasses rose from his chair and strode over to where Flynn sat. Flynn scrambled awkwardly to his feet. Whoever this man was, he was obviously hostile, and Flynn needed to be able to fight him if necessary.

The man's glasses glinted as he inspected Flynn. Finally, he spoke. "If this is your idea of a joke, Gailardia, it is not amusing. We have no time for pranks."

"What are you talking about?" Flynn asked nervously. "Who is Gailardia? And who are you?"

"...I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division, Malkuth Imperial Forces," the tall man replied, watching Flynn closely.

"Huh?" said Flynn, completely baffled.

The Colonel sighed. "You might consider introducing yourself. What is your name?"

"I'm Flynn Scifo," replied Flynn. He decided not to mention his affiliation with the Imperial Knights. It could only cause a misunderstanding. What – or who – was Malkuth? Flynn had traveled all over Terca Lumireis, and he had never heard of any Malkuth Empire.

"Hmmm," said the Colonel. A calculating expression flickered briefly across his face.

"Where are we? Are we... flying?" Flynn asked, looking up at the curved window.

Colonel Curtiss turned away from Flynn to address his companions. "Well, this is trouble we didn't need. It would appear that this 'Flynn Scifo' is telling the truth. He isn't Guy, and he has no idea what's happening."

The blond-haired girl gasped in shock. "Are you certain?!" she asked.

"Natalia, Jade is right," said the redhead, rising from his seat to join the Colonel. "That's not Guy's voice." His blue-green eyes scanned Flynn's face. "His eyes are different, and so is his hair."

"How can you tell?" the black-haired girl asked plaintively. "He looks the same to me!"

"Trust me, Anise. I've known Guy my whole life," the redhead told her. He grabbed Flynn by the collar. "What did you do with Guy?!"

"What do you mean?" Flynn asked, feeling very alarmed and more confused than ever. "I haven't done anything! I was asleep, and then I woke up here."

"Then you have no idea how or why you traded places with Guy?" Colonel Curtiss demanded.

"No..." Flynn replied. "And I don't think I'm dreaming... am I?"

The redhead released his grip on Flynn and turned to Colonel Curtiss, saying, "We have to find Guy, fast!"

The Colonel shook his head vehemently. "We don't have time to search for him. The Outer Lands could fall at any moment!"

"Then what should we do?!" Natalia asked frantically.

"I suppose we're stuck with this substitute for now," Colonel Curtiss replied. "This isn't good, but we have no choice. We must get to the Absorption Gate without any more delays."

The redhead's broad shoulders slumped. "...Yeah, you're right," he said. His fists clenched as he added, "Damn it! Why now, of all times?"

"What's wrong?" Flynn asked. "What's going on? Who are you?"

"I'm Luke," said the redhead. "Luke fon Fabre. I guess I should say 'pleased to meet you,' but... well..."

"Yes, this isn't a good time for me to be here," Flynn agreed.

"If you know that much, then give us back our friend!" Anise snapped.

"I..." Flynn said hesitantly. "I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened, or how to undo it. Believe me, I wish I could go back. I'm needed elsewhere right now."

"Oh?" Colonel Curtiss inquired. "How so? Where were you when you fell asleep, and what were you doing just before that?"

"I was on a ship headed for Zaude with my friend Yuri and his... his friends," Flynn tried to explain. He had a feeling these people wouldn't know anything about guilds, and the relationships between Yuri and his assortment of new friends were complicated. "We have to stop Alexei – the Commandant – I mean, former Commandant – from using Zaude's power for... for whatever he's planning to do."

"And what is he planning to do?" the Colonel pressed.

"He has some insane plan for world domination. None of us know exactly what he thinks he's doing, but... we have to stop him!" Flynn insisted.

"I see," the Colonel murmured. "Well then, Flynn Scifo. We, too, are on a mission to stop a madman from causing irreparable harm to our world. Since you've taken away a valuable member of our group, I propose that you join forces with us and fight against our enemy in Guy's place."

"I, um..." said Flynn, trying to process all of this.

"If Guy exchanged places with you, then he must be with your friends at this very moment," Natalia deduced. "And if they ask him for assistance, as we are asking you, I am sure he will not hesitate to be of service."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, Guy won't abandon them. Please, Flynn! We need all the help we can get! We've got to stop Master Van before it's too late!"

Flynn took a deep breath. "...Very well. I will aid you in any way I can. Please tell me... who is Master Van, and what is he trying to do?"

"What the hell?! Flynn!"

Guy blinked his eyes open at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He looked up, squinting in the bright sunlight. Standing over him was a tallish young man with long black hair and angry gray eyes.

"Huh?" said Guy. "Wha—?"

The black-haired man seized Guy by the collar of his vest and pulled him to a standing position. Guy was too surprised to fight back. Close by, a dog barked and growled.

"Who are you and what have you done with Flynn?!" the man snarled in Guy's face.

"Whoa, hey, take it easy!" Guy protested. "Who are you? Who's Flynn?"

"Answer me, damn it!"

"Woof! Woof woof! Grrrrrrr!"

Guy wasn't sure what to say. Something weird was going on. Where was he, why was there a dog here, and who was this angry stranger blocking most of his view?

"Yuri, what's wrong?" asked a female voice somewhere to Guy's right. "Why are you choking Flynn?!"

"Stay back, Estelle!" warned the black-haired man, whose name was evidently Yuri. "This isn't Flynn!"

"Woof woof!" barked the dog.

"Hey, what's going on here?" asked another voice. A girl with reddish-brown hair and green eyes, wearing a pair of goggles on top of her head, appeared in the edge of Guy's vision. "Huh?" she said in surprise. "Flynn, why are you wearing a different outfit?"

"I said, he isn't Flynn!" Yuri insisted. "Who are you?" he repeated, shaking Guy.

"...I'm Guy Cecil," said Guy, deciding to use his longtime alias instead of his proper name. "Where am I? What the heck is this all about?"

Yuri, ignoring Guy's questions, demanded, "Where the hell is Flynn? What did you do to him?!"

"Grrrrrr!" the dog growled again.

Guy was beginning to get frustrated. "Let go of me, will you? I have no idea who Flynn is, and I didn't do anything to anyone! I was sleeping, damn it!"

To his left, Guy heard running footsteps and a man's voice saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa... Yuri! What are ya doin' ta Flynn?!"

"How many times do I have to say that he isn't Flynn?!" Yuri snapped.

"Huh?" said a child's voice – a boy? – somewhere behind Yuri. "But he looks exactly like Flynn, except for his clothes!"

"...No," said the female voice that Yuri had identified as Estelle. A young woman with short pink hair, turquoise eyes, and a determined expression stepped into Guy's field of view, just behind Yuri's shoulder. She gazed intently at Guy, as though she was analyzing him.

"Flynn's eyes are a lighter shade of blue, and his hair is a slightly paler blond," Estelle continued. "This person's hair is a little shorter and messier, and his voice is different, too. I think Yuri is right!"

"Ba'ul told me there was a disturbance in the aer a little while ago," said another female voice. "Perhaps that was when Flynn disappeared and this 'Guy' appeared instead."

The girl with the goggles nodded. "Yeah, I felt something weird too, not very long ago."

"Something weird in the air?" Guy asked, feeling confused.

"Aer. A-E-R," the girl with goggles said impatiently. "What, are you from another planet? Or are you just stupid?!"

"Rita! Don't be so rude!" Estelle scolded.

"Uh..." Guy temporized. "Just checking... what planet am I on?"

"Terca Lumireis," replied Rita. "Sound familiar?" she added sarcastically.

"No..." said Guy, too shocked to come up with a snarky retort. "I've never heard of a planet called Terca Lumireis. Is it in the same solar system as Auldrant?"

"How should I know? I've never heard of any 'Auldrant,'" Rita scoffed. "Look, if this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny!"

"I don't think he's joking, Rita," said Estelle.

"Yeah, I get the feeling he's telling the truth," Yuri agreed. "So," he said, glaring at Guy. "You're from a world called Auldrant, you don't know anything about aer, you don't know how you got here, and you don't know what happened to Flynn."

Guy nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up."

"Damn!" Yuri swore, letting go of Guy's vest. "This is not what we need right now!"

Guy suppressed a sigh of relief. He glanced covertly at his surroundings. He was on the main deck of a wooden ship, and oddly enough, the ship seemed to be flying rather than sailing. He was surrounded by seven total strangers: Yuri, Estelle, Rita, a brown-haired boy carrying an oversized satchel, a middle-aged man in a purple coat, a voluptuous woman with violet hair and pointed ears, and a little girl dressed up as a sailor – or maybe a pirate. There was also a dog with wolf-like features, who was glaring at Guy with an expression of immense distrust. It had a chain collar, a pipe in its mouth, and a dagger in a sheath strapped to its body.

The boy with the satchel spoke up. "Should we try to find out where Flynn went?"

Yuri hesitated a moment, then shook his head. "No. Sorry, Karol, but we have to stop Alexei. Once he's out of the picture, we can search for Flynn."

"Who's Alexei?" Guy inquired.

"Alexei Dinoia is the Commandant of the Imperial Knights," Estelle began to explain.

"He was the Commandant," Yuri corrected. "Now he's a traitor to the Empire."

"Woof!" barked the dog, as though in agreement.

"...Right," said Estelle. "So, we're on our way to Zaude to stop him from taking over the world, or destroying it, or... or whatever he plans to do."

Guy's eyes widened. "A knight commandant trying to take over or destroy the world? That sounds just like Van!"

"Who?" Yuri, Estelle, Rita, Karol, and the other three people chorused.

"Van Grants. The Commandant of the Oracle Knights," Guy replied. "He wants to destroy the Outer Lands and create a world of replicas. My friends and I were on our way to the Absorption Gate to stop him."

"Oracle Knights? Outer Lands? Absorption Gate?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Rita demanded.

"Ugh..." Guy groaned. "Do I have to explain everything? It's complicated, and it sounds like you don't have much time."

"Heh," Yuri chuckled. "Complicated. Believe me, the mess we're in with Alexei is complicated too. But at least now we know where Flynn is."

"We do?" asked Estelle, sounding doubtful.

"Well, yeah!" exclaimed Rita. "Flynn must be with Guy's friends! They switched places!"

"Really?!" Karol gasped. "But Rita, how do you know that?"

Rita rolled her eyes, walked over to Karol, and slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!" Karol yelped. "Stop doing that!"

"Idiot," Rita said scornfully. "It's the only logical explanation. Why else would someone who looks just like Flynn, with a similar story of stopping a nutcase from messing with the world, appear in Flynn's place? Auldrant must be a parallel world full of people who look exactly like us! I'll bet it's in another universe altogether!"

Guy decided not to waste time explaining that none of his friends looked like Rita, Yuri, or any of the others aboard the flying ship. After all, it was possible that Rita's hypothesis was correct. There might be someone, somewhere on Auldrant, who resembled Rita. There might also be someone on Terca Lumireis with the same features as Luke... or Tear, Jade, Anise, or Natalia.

"I wonder what caused them to switch places, though..." Rita mused.

"So how do we switch back?" Guy asked urgently.

"We don't have time to worry about that," Yuri declared. "Stopping Alexei comes first. After we take him down, we can deal with Guy and Flynn. But right now, we have to get to Zaude!"

"But Luke and the others need my help!" Guy protested.

"Hey, I know Flynn will help your friends. That's the kind of person he is," Yuri replied. "So help us out in return, all right?"

Guy swallowed hard. "...All right," he promised. "I'll help you defeat Alexei – and I'll help you get your friend Flynn back afterward."

Yuri grinned at him. "Thanks, Guy. We're counting on you."

"Sure thing," Guy replied, hiding his uneasiness at the situation. "So... can you tell me more about this crazy ex-Commandant we're up against?"