Tales of Vesperia: The Last Blastia Core (fan-fic)

One After Another

After that brief moment with Zagi, we were still stuck in Fylnn's room. The room with a broken door. I walked past Yuri and Estelle as I peered out into the hallways. While walking by, I overheard Estelle talking to Yuri about what we'd do next. Yuri, calm as ever was just like 'Yeah, I know'. 

"There's no one around", I said as I turned around to look at them both, "We can go now." "But wait", Estelle said, "We can't just leave the door like this." I looked at her, and then looked at Yuri. I made it obvious to what he was supposed to do. "Feel free", I replied, as Yuri sighed. I walked out of the room and stood outside as I waited for them to finish what they were doing. After they finished, we went through the hallways and found ourselves at the balcony. Underneath us in the bottom floor, were a lot of soldiers running around. Were they fighting or something ? 

"I wonder if this is because of those guys earlier", Yuri said as we watched them run around like ants, "It better not not try to pin this on me too." "I hope no one was hurt", Estelle said faintly. "You shouldn't worry about the knights", I replied, leaning against the wall, "They know how to defend themselves." "Yeah..", Estelle replied to me with a tone of uncertainty, "I guess...so.." 

"YURI LOWELL ! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING !?"

It was Leblanc, wherever he was. "That must be Leblanc", Yuri said, "I'd recognize that dulcet tones anywhere." "Do the two of you know each other ?", Estelle asked him. "We have a bit of a history", Yuri replied, not getting into details, "...Come on, let's go." 'A history huh', I asked myself, 'Of what ? Trouble ?' While we walked through, I automatically decided that Estelle's clothing got in the way. "Might we stop by your room ?", I told Estelle, "You won't be able to move around in that." She looked down at he clothing and smiled awkwardly. "Your room is nearby isn't it ?", I said, leading the way, "Let's get you changed into a different thing." She nodded and followed, just like Yuri did. After a couple minutes, we got to her room. 

"This is my room", she told us, "Just give me a minute." "Yeah", Yuri replied, "Just be quick about it." Estelle nodded as she closed the door behind her. The moment she shut the door, I realized that I was alone with Yuri. "So what is Shinji doing here", he said, getting straight to the point, "And also, who is this "Shinju" ?" I looked at him and grinned foolishly. "Hahahaha.....", I mumbled, "That's uh..." "Your twin ?", he asked, cutting me off. Even if he said that, I bet he already knew. "You want to know why, don't you", I said after a while, "Why someone like me is here in the Castle ?" "Pretty much", he replied. I was about to answer when Estelle came out from her room in a different kind of clothing. It still stuck out, but at least it wasn't one of those gowns. Those annoying gowns that we had to wear. Something I will never miss. And also, she saved me from having to explain to Yuri. Thank you Estelle ! "What's wrong ?", Estelle asked when she caught Yuri and I staring, "Does it look weird ?" Yuri turned away and closed his eyes. "It's nothing... it's just that these don't suit you either", Yuri replied. I lunged at him and missed JUST BY AN INCH. "Huh ?", Estelle asked, "What's wrong ?" I shook my head and started walking ahead. "Nothing", I replied, "Nothing at all.."

During our little trip to the Goddess Statue, Estelle and Yuri had a conversation about when he was still an Imperial Knight. "Yuri, you were once an Imperial Knight, right ?", Estelle asked first. "Didn't you already say that you heard about me from Flynn ?", Yuri asked back. "W- well.....", Estelle began to say, "It's just that... you don't seem to know your way around the castle." I was about to barge into their conversation when she suddenly gasped. She looked at Yuri with a horrified look. "Are you an imposter !?", she said. I nearly tripped and grabbed onto the wall. "That's.... not it...", I muttered as they looked my way. "You've got some imagination", Yuri replied, not looking pleased at all, "Why would I want to impersonate some guy from the Lower Quarters ?" "I- I guess you're right..", Estelle mumbled as she looked down at the ground slowly. "Come on you two", I sighed while leading the way, "Let's get out of here before we get caught by the guards." Unfortunately, the conversations didn't end there.

"Are there many people outside the castle that are like that man Zagi we met earlier ?", Estelle asked. For a moment, I noticed Yuri slightly looking at me. Did he think that I'd tell her about what it's like outside the castle ? If I did that, then they would have killed me for leaving the castle. "Nah, he's one of a kind", Yuri replied, "It's pretty hard to find anyone that nuts." "I see", Estelle replied, some relaxation in her voice, "Well that's a relief. I don't know what I would have done if everyone behaved like that..." "Yeah, life would be pretty rough if the world were full of guys like him." 

"So how long have you guys known Flynn ?", Yuri asked. Were they trying to get us caught ? "Um maybe two or three years", Estelle replied. I'm guessing I was supposed to answer to so I replied. "Dunno", I replied, "A while." "So he's been getting along here in the castle ?", Yuri muttered. Estelle replied to him, but I couldn't waste my time to listen. Where was that statue again ? 

After a couple more minutes of listening to their conversations I finally found that statue. It was just beyond this hallway and there, the statue of the Goddess. "This must be it", Yuri said as we gathered around the statue. "Is there something special about this statue ?", Estelle asked. "It's supposed to have some sort of secret", he replied while looking at it. I moved behind the statue and waited to see what they would do. "It doesn't look like there's anything particularly secretive about it....", she said, following me to the back to the statue. "Maybe if we moved it", Yuri suggested, "Then maybe there'd be a hidden passage or something." "You don't think....", the innocent and easy going Estelle asked. "Well, we'll never know until we try", I replied, even though I already knew what was under it. Yuri and I moved behind it and pushed it forward. The statue moved and a passage opened up the led downwards. 

"It really worked !", Estelle said in amazement. "What do you know", Yuri muttered, "The old man was right." Old man ? "Do you think this will lead outside ?", Estelle asked, peering down into the hole. "I can't guarantee it", Yuri replied, as began going down the hold first. Estelle and I exchanged glances before following after him. "Wait !", Estelle said as she suddenly grabbed his hand. He looked up at her. "What ?", he asked, "Are you changing your mind ?" She shook her head. "Your hand", she said, "Its... hurt. Let me take a look at it." After saying that, a faded light appeared around Estelle as she used her Arte to heal it. "Hmm ?", Yuri said. He suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. He stared at it until she pulled away. "Aaah !", she muttered in surprise. I didn't want him to get into further detail, so I headed down the hole first.

"Let's go", I said faintly, "I think I heard footsteps getting closer."