Yeah, I am alive and hooolyy shit it has been too long since I published anything. I wonder if I my skills have rusted over these years... Anyhow, welcome to read my first multiple-chapter Fluri fic. It'll probably be my last too and the chances that I never complete this are pretty high (I do try though!)

This was inspired by Tangled, which I find to be great movie. However, Tangled is just the mushrooms that my extremely fickle muse was sniffing when thinking about fic ideas. So no long-haired Estelle, no singing about pretty lights aaand no evil witch mothers.

This is also totally AU, so while there are blastia and aer, they are no bad and Ba'ul is just a normal monster !

Pairings: Flynn/Yuri, may have others (this depends on the readers)
(Silly) Warnings: Yaoi, Slash, gay people, unintentionally oocness, some violence, Ba'ul is in his first from 'cos being a giant whale is so unfair, slight Flynn angst about everything because I love Emo!Flynn (not too much because this is a humor fic), Yuri can be a bloody bastard, Zagi and his crazy personality, Judith and her boobs, Rita being violent little tsundere, everything bad happens to Flynn, I am not kidding about Flynn getting hurt a lot, Sodia is not in love with Flynn, she just blames Yuri for everything that has happened to Flynn, BAMF!Flynn, no Sodia bashing, execpt maybe little. UN-BETAED
Disclaimer: I only own a copy of ToPS3! Please don't sue me!

Summary: Estelle has been trapped inside a tower for years, the members of Brave Vesperia have a critical mission to accomplish in Zaphias and Captain Flynn Scifo tries not to get his feelings mixed with his job.

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Steps away from Heaven (I'd rather be with You)

Prologue

A chip on your shoulder – Being upset for something that happened in the past

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Captain Flynn Scifo studied the painting above him. The painting of a woman and a young child, both whom he knew in theory, from the books and the stories of older knights.

Blue eyes focused on the woman on the canvas. On her bright turquoise eyes which were looking in the distance and her long, wavy hair with the color of fresh cherry blossoms, gathered in a high bun with a beautiful hair ornament.

Flynn turned his gaze on the child – a small eight years old girl. She was standing next to the woman, smiling shyly at the artist. Her pink hair was pulled in two small pigtails and emerald eyes were looking straight at Flynn – who looked right back, almost like expecting the girl to come out the canvas.

Flynn shook his head slightly, scolding himself for such a childish thought. He heard fireworks exploding outside, where the people were admiring how the sky turned red, green and blue. Otherwise it was quiet and the knight couldn't see another soul within his vision.

Another set of fireworks exploded and Flynn turned around to look out the window. Goldn sparks flied in the sky, only to disappear seconds later. The knight noticed small hints of frost in the corner of the window and felt slightly proud. It was surprisingly cold autumn night and yet the streets were filled with people – while they could be sleeping in their warm beds.

Of course, this was an important event for the citizens of Zaphias. You see, these fireworks were different. There were no cries of delight as the colors painted the sky, no laughter or chattering within the crows. No, these fireworks were to honor the dead. And this year's event was special, after all it has been ten years since the Princess Estellise was kidnapped.

Every single person knew the story, how one day the little princess had gone to her bed, only to have disappear by the morning. The search lasted for months with no success and in the end, the Queen fell ill due the grief and stress which caused her death.

However, even though it has been so long, the effects of the Princess' disappearance were still strongly present. For example, most of the Council and knights believed that it had been an assassin guild's work – since during that time the already tense relationship between Guilds and Imperial knights had grown even more negative. But without proofs, this theory stayed as it was – a theory, but only a fool would think that it didn't have a effect between the Guilds and Imperial Knights. There had been a scent of a war in the air, but nobody dared to speak of, yet everybody were aware of it.

Flynn's thoughts were interrupted by another explosion. He quickly looked out the window, only to caught a glimpse of a purple sparks. Sighing, he unconsciously lifted his left hand to rub the nape of his aching neck, moment later feeling his fingers touching soft bandages.

Oh, right. He had forgotten about that.

The blonde man let out a deep sigh. He had been gone for some time now, Sodia would have a fit if she found an empty bed in the medical bay.

Flynn turned his back on the window, facing the painting once again. He saluted to the painting, like he would to a person above his rank. It might have looked silly, but this painting was special. It was the only piece of art with the late Queen and Princess Estelle ever made. This was Flynn's way to respect the dead.

With one last glimpse out the window, Flynn left the hallway.

0o0o0

"Wow! Look at those!" Karol gasped from the wagon, pointing grant fireworks rising from distance. "That's really amazing, not even the best firework maker in Dahngrest could create something like that!"

Somewhere deep in the wagon, Raven snorted. "So friggin' noisy... the old man needs his beauty sleep, ya know!"

Another voice snorted. " I am certain that no matter how long beauty sleep you take, old pervert, it won't affect your ugly mug in any way," stated Rita, turning another page of her thick book.

Just when Raven was about to answer, a dreamy female voice called out from the rider's bench. "Children, children – calm down," Judith chuckled as a blue colored firework exploded above the capital city. "My, that is quite pretty. Don't you agree Yuri?" She asked the man next to her.

"Mmm... yeah sure," Yuri muttered with a uninterested voice. The blue haired woman turned to look at her friend with raised eyebrows. "What?" the black-haired man asked after he noticed Judith's questioning gaze.

"You have been kinda distant," Judy noted, "I thought you would be more excited – you love messing with the Imperial Knights!"

Yuri waved his hand distantly. "Just little tired," he replied. "Besides, I have seen those fireworks every since they started – you kinda lose the interest after few years."

"That's not what I mean," Judy noted. "You have been distant this whole trip!"

"Lovely Judy here is right, Yuri," Raven said, sticking his head from the inside of the wagon. "Ya didn't say anythin' when our lil' mage here was hit on by those sailors in Capua Nor!" the archer barely managed to finish his sentence before Rita's brick-like book fled from the wagon straight into Raven's head.

"Shut the fuck up, you old pervert!" the temperamental girl threatened from the depths of the wagon.

"Exactly," Judy nodded, noticing Yuri's slightly disbelieving look. Her violet eyes studied the face of her friend for a while. "Is it because this is your hometown?" she mused aloud and for a tiniest moment, the corner of Yuri's eye twitched.

'Bingo!' the blue-haired woman thought but refrained from saying anything. She liked to make her observations alone with only her own eyes and brains. 'Now, I wonder what is it about Zaphias that makes Yuri so bothered...' she thought, giving Bau'ul a gentle order to slow down.

Meanwhile, Yuri rolled his eyes. He knew that she knew, they were similar enough to know each other's ways of thinking. However, Judy was wrong. 'It's not the Zaphias itself, Judith,' thought Yuri. 'It's a person within Zaphias.'

0o0o0

She always heard the fireworks, but was never able to see them.

Bright green eyes stared at the thick and tall trees, making her unable to see the sky properly. Another year has passed, she realized. The book slipped from her dedicated hands as the girl stood up, walking to a small bookshelf. After rummaging it for a while, she let out a pleased sigh as the girl pulled a paper sheet between two brown leather books.

Not wanting to waste any time, she sat down on the cold stone floor and started to fold the paper sheet into smaller and smaller shape. Within minutes, the ordinary piece of paper had a new form – a simple, white flower resembling lily. Happy with her origami, the girl quickly ran to a small bed in a corner, tossing herself to the floor again to peer under the bed.

She pushed her pale hand under the bed while trying her best to see what she was looking for. Soon after, she pulled a wooden crate from the darkness. Wiping dust off it, the girl removed the lid and smiled slightly.

The crate was filled with the origami flowers, some more clumsily made than others, but all of them bearing similar look of the one she had just made.

One for each year... She thought sadly, counting the flowers by using her fingers.

One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight...nine...

There were nine flowers in the crate.

She froze, picking up the newest origami.

Ten.

Emerald eyes stared at the flower made of paper. It has been ten years since she had been able to feel the grass under her feet, to see the city and the castle. Ten years in this tower, isolated from the rest of the world.

She dropped the flower, like it was burning her, with its siblings and quickly pushed the crate back under the bed. The voice of fireworks felt suddenly much louder and the girl covered her ears, closing her eyes too, like hoping it to make the sounds go away. She wanted them to stop, childishly hoping that it would make her forget.

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Annd this is the end of the prologue! It's pretty short, but I promise the next chapter will be longer. And something may happen too! And by the way, if you have read my TotA fic Luna Nova, it has been adopted by MischievousWolf66 – so go read it if you're into originalxreplica gayness!

Also, reviews make me happy and thus they give me strength to write faster.