Well, would you look at that…yet another snippet from me. I'm so good at the whole 'finishing my other fics' thing. It's not even funny, eh? XD

In all seriousness, though, this is just a little something I did for class. My fan fiction class. Best. Class. Ever. End of story. Basically, we had were given the option of writing a fic for class, so I did. This one. (Please bear in mind that this was written for class, so if some things seem needlessly drawn-out, that's probably why.)

The reason behind it is that, in class one day, we got to talking about how, in the fandoms we had been reading, friendship fics were not very well done. So I decided to tackle a friendship fic. Yuri and Flynn were the obvious choice to me, so that was easy.

Later that night, I was playing Vesperia. I was trying to get Karol's 'Chirpy Fighter' title, and to do so I had 'Stand Alone' on Yuri and Karol, so Brucis could beat up on Karol while Yuri just chilled. (Couldn't very well depend of Karol to kill the thing when I needed it dead...)

Anyway, inspiration struck, and this ridiculous piece was born. The first part is what was actually submitted to my Prof; Part 2 is nearly done, and will be posted Friday (I hope).

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this rather ridiculous result of my boredom. XD Reviews are always appreciated!

Disclaimer: Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco, not me.

Spoiler Warning: the whole game, guys. The whole game...

Cavalry

Part 1

"Yuri, this is insanity! You're going to get us both in a lot of trouble."

Rolling his eyes, Yuri snorted. "What? The Great and Mighty Commandant Scifo is afraid to break the rules once in awhile?"

"You know what I mean, Yuri," the blond muttered back with a barely suppressed sigh. "And stop calling me that, it just comes out sounding mocking."

"Oh, my bad. Sorry, Commandant."

At that, Flynn did sigh. "You're insufferable."

Much to Flynn's chagrin, Yuri grinned in obvious triumph. If there had ever been a person born to get under Flynn's skin, it was the dark-haired swordsman.

"Anyway," Flynn muttered tiredly, "mind finally telling me why we're here in the first place?" As he spoke, the blond gestured to the night-darkened forest they were walking through. The path was broad, but it was still no stretch of the imagination to envision the monsters that normally inhabited Egothor Forest watching them from the deep shadows of the trees. "I can certainly think of places I'd rather be."

"Aw, there's somewhere you'd rather be than out here in the woods, just you and I?" the dark-haired swordsman teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Sighing, the young knight planted his hand over Yuri's face and pushed the other man away. "First off, we're hardly alone," he muttered, gesturing behind them to where Repede and Karol were trailing them, the boy looking suitably terrified. "Secondly, yes."

"Ouch, Commandant, that was harsh."

Ignoring him, Flynn carried right on speaking, "And don't bother trying to evade the question, Yuri. Answer me, or I'm leaving right now."

"Oh? And just how are you going to get back?"

"Need I remind you that Aurnion is not all that far away?" Flynn demanded with a sigh. "Now answer me."

With a sigh, Yuri finally complied. Clearly he was tired of Flynn not rising to his bait. Not that the blond cared in the slightest.

"I have something I want you to help me with."

"...excuse me?"

"Well, see, I can't do it alone, so I was thinking that you could help me out..."

"What are you driving at, Yuri? Need I remind you that we're in the middle of nowhere? What could you possibly have to do?"

"It's a surprise."

"And what, pray tell, sort of surprise requires me, Karol, Repede, you, and a lot of rope?"

Yuri winked. "That's the surprise."

"You know I hate surprises, Yuri."

"Really? Hm, and here I thought you liked them. You used to play enough pranks o-"

A loud cough interrupted him, as an abashed looking Flynn glanced back hurriedly at the leader of Brave Vesperia before turning to his closest friend once again.

"Yuri! You cannot just go around saying things like that! Never mind the people of the empire finding out about that, but our alliance with the Union is fragile a—"

Yuri's loud scoff cut him off neatly. "Finding out what, Flynn? That the empire's commandant used to be a notorious prankster worse than even me? What's the big deal? That was years ago!"

"Yuri! That's not the point! Karol's right back there! He has authority in the Union, now, and..."

"And what, Flynn? He's fourteen. He'd still be playing pranks himself, if given the chance."

Flynn could not hold it back any longer, as he felt a string of chuckles burst forth.

Shooting his friend an imploring glance, Yuri asked, "Mind sharing the joke?"

"Hahah, sorry, Yuri. I was just thinking that you probably still play pranks, or at least would if you could."

At that, Yuri could not help but grin. "You know me too well."

The remainder of the walk passed in relative peace, save for a few whimpers from the boss of Brave Vesperia.

"Yuri, what the hell is that?" Flynn demanded, blue eyes wide. Honestly, they had been walking half the night when suddenly Yuri had led them into the trees to approach a small clearing from the side. Closeted within the clearing was an enormous monster. Its brown body was covered in sharp scales that caught the moonlight. Running underneath its lithe form was a stripe of black, the dark scales almost making the creature appear to be floating in the darkness. Its long, serpentine tail swished back and forth with a force that made Flynn hope never to be hit by it.

Marching up its tail was a row of sharp spines that ended just before its withers. Its head was relatively small, yet still sported two yellow bull horns. The neck of the creature made Flynn think those horns were not there for show.

Yet, strangest of all, was that the monster's head sported what could only be called a pair of giant bat's wings. The leathery appendages were a pale blue inside, and towered straight up into the sky.

In short: the thing looked ridiculous.

"That, dear Flynn, is Brucis."

"Brucis?"

"Yep. Remember the eleven giganto monsters we took out? Well, you weren't there for all of them, but Brucis here is one of them."

"I...see, but what does this have to do with your 'surprise'?"

Flynn felt his stomach sink into his gut before he even heard Yuri's reply.

"He is the surprise."

"...Yuri, what the hell?"

The dark-haired swordsman just smiled one of his many infuriating smiles and said, "We're gonna catch him!"

Flynn had no response for that.

"Here, help me rig these ropes between two trees."

Flynn barely snapped out of his stupor in time to catch the bundle of heavy rope being hurled his way. As the two worked, Flynn tried as hard as he could to figure out what exactly Yuri was thinking. Three people and a dog, out in the middle of the night try to catch a monster?

Did Yuri even know how to think?

"You know it's gonna be fun. Admit it."

Flynn could not help but jump slightly when Yuri's breath hit his ear. Honestly, probably no one else on the planet could sneak up on him like that, but Yuri was just...Yuri.

"Yes, perhaps when Repede learns to fly."

"Never doubt Repede, Flynn," Yuri told him with a laugh. "He just might yet."

The blond could not hold back a slight chuckle at the image.

"Yes, well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, and you know what I mean. C'mon, Flynn. Admit it. This is gonna be fun."

As much as he would never say it out loud, the blond was starting to get excited. Only Yuri could do this to him. His best friend's enthusiastic attitude truly was catching. It was hard not to feel a little bit of excitement when looking at the stupid grin his friend currently wore.

"...maybe a little."

Grinning ear-to-ear, Yuri yanked the last knot firmly in place.

"Great! Then let's do this!"

"Do what, exactly?

"...and where's Karol?"

"Watching the packs," came the nonchalant reply.

"Oi, Boss. Do me a favour and toss me one of those poison bottles," the dark-haired male said, turning to address Karol.

"But you're not poisoned, Yuri," Flynn pointed out, confused as to what his friend was up to.

"I know."

Flynn knew that grin all too well. It was the one that said 'I'm about to do something really stupid,' but, sadly, Flynn had no way to stop it. Because he still had no idea what Yuri was doing.

So it was that the blond could only watch in horror as Yuri took the glass bottle, with its strong-smelling antidote, and hurtled it right at Karol.

With a sharp squeal, the brunet teen found himself coated in green liquid.

"Now, we run." Laughing like an idiot, Yuri grabbed Flynn's wrist and dragged the blond away as fast as either of them could more.

"W-wait! Yuri, what about Karol?!"

Flynn received no response, however, as Yuri suddenly jumped into the trees and took off through the thick foliage.

With a grumble, the blond knight hopped up after him, the two heading back in the direction of Karol. They were just in time, too. A sharp scream shattered the quiet of the clearing as Karol met Brucis. Attracted by the scent and noise, the monster had come over to investigate.

With a sharp neigh, he reared up, clawed, yellow feet pawing at the sky before he charged straight at the intruder: Karol.

Slightly ahead of Flynn, Yuri dropped down out of the trees, an action the blond instantly mirrored. Eyes moving quickly between Yuri, who was grabbing tightly onto the four long ends of extra rope making up the trap, and Karol, Flynn tried to figure out just what the hell was going on.

"Karol, duck under the ropes! Flynn, grab those ropes and stay where you are!"

It was at the moment that Flynn's brain finally clicked into Yuri's asinine plan. If plan it was. The blond was tempted to believe that the dark-haired swordsman literally had just woken up that morning, went 'I'm going to catch Brucis today,' grabbed a few things—Flynn and Karol among them—and headed out here. Then he had proceeded to just...do whatever he felt like. Which had led them to this moment.

Watching as the young guild leader dove under the rough semi-circle of ropes that had been rigged up, Flynn grabbed his ends of the ropes and charged forward as Yuri did the same from the opposite direction.

"Repede, drive!"

The command came from two mouths at once as both young men keyed in on the dog to help them out. Like the well-trained knight's dog he was, former pride of the Nylen Corps., Repede dove forward, knife out between clenched and snarling teeth as he drove Brucis to the back of the makeshift pen. With the monster out of the way, Yuri and Flynn hurriedly sealed off the exit.

"Break, Repede!"

With no hesitation, Repede turned and bolted from the pen. With a shrill shriek, Brucis tried to follow, only to be foiled on every side by the well-strung pen. Sure, it was a hair-raising few moments, but it did hold.

Thank goodness Yuri had at least learned to tie knots correctly.

As both young men bent over panting, Flynn could not help but return Yuri's triumphant grin. It had been such an ill-thought-out plan, with no real mechanism, and a lack of information, and it was dangerous...but it had been so much fun.

"Told ya," Yuri muttered with a grin, collapsing onto the grass.

"Hm?" Flynn muttered in response as he followed suit, granted with more dignity.

"That was awesome! I didn't think we were gonna make it there, for a second."

"Yes ,well, perhaps that will teach you to plan in the future," Flynn lectured. If he showed Yuri his own glee, it would only encourage the hothead, which Flynn did not think the world could stand.

Yuri just laughed.

"So, now what?" Flynn asked after a moment, letting Yuri's merriment dwindle away.

"Well, in the morning, I vote we break him."

"...wait, you mean to ride him?"

"Uh, no. You do." That infuriating smile again. "Happy Birthday, Flynn!"

Oh. No.

Flynn was convinced his best friend was going to be dead by noon. Sure, the blond had always known that Yuri was horrifically impulsive and entirely too careless, but this took the cake. It really, really did.

"Dammit, Brucis!"

Flynn winced as his friend rolled hurriedly out of the makeshift pen, Brucis' pounding paws smacking the ground behind him.

"Yuri, you're going to get yourself killed," lectured the blond as his friend stood up and dusted himself off.

"Yeah, well, maybe I wouldn't if you'd help me."

"What, and die with you? No thanks, someone needs to be here to bury your sorry corpse." Of course Flynn would never really let Yuri die, but that was far from the point. The point was that Yuri's ideas were terrible.

"Karol can bury us both!"

"No way, Yuri! You can rot!" the young guild-boss snapped. Clearly he was still bitter from the night before.

Flynn did not blame him.

Obviously ignoring the boy's ire, Yuri turned his attention back to the pen where a very worked-up Brucis was snorting and pawing at the ground. Following his friend's gaze, the blond shook his head slowly with a tired sigh. The poor monster was rearing, tossing its head, pawing, charging at the ropes, shrieking in rage, and just in general putting on a fantastic display of discontent with his new circumstances.

Somehow, Yuri had managed to rig a halter on the thing's head, with another rope strung underneath to act as some sort of reins. How Yuri had managed it, the blond did not even want to know. He was pretty sure Patty's abducted frying pan had been involved, however.

"You don't know what you're doing, Yuri," Flynn stated after a moment. "You're only making him hate you more."

"Oh, then how would you do it?" his friend demanded, huffing in annoyance.

Finally getting up, Flynn walked over to where Brucis was standing, rope reins dangling. With a sigh, he ducked under the rope wall to face the monster down.

At the sight of him, the monster reared up and charged to the other end of the pen. Once there, Brucis spun and leapt forward, charging hard for the blond. Calmly Flynn faced him down. Once Brucis was close enough, the young commandant jumped aside and grabbed the far rein. Due to Brucis' size, the blond was able to duck under him, catching the rope on one of the creature's legs. Using the monster's own momentum against it, Flynn tugged the rope sharply.

With a shrill whistle, Brucis fell. Before the dust had even settled, Flynn was on him. Keeping the rope's end caught on Brucis' leg, he wrapped the other end around one of the creature's horns and tied it off.

Yuri whistled as Flynn stepped back. All-in-all, Flynn had to admit it was not a bad job. In less than twenty seconds he had trapped Brucis on the ground, the awkward angle making if difficult for the monster to even snap the rope, as such an action would require poorly-developed neck muscles.

Grabbing the other rein, Flynn pulled Brucis' head to the side, further distorting the angle. Brucis was not getting out of this easily.

"Bring me an apple, Yuri."

"Huh?"

"He's omnivorous, right? The next step is an offer of peace. He needs to know we're not trying to kill him, or even harm him."

With a grunt, Yuri made his way over to the packs, only to return a moment later with several small, red apples.

Catching them as they were tossed his way, Flynn began offering them to the giganto one at a time. At first Brucis tossed his head away, butted them off of Flynn's hand, and tried to impale the man on his curved horns, yet, after awhile, Brucis started to pay just a hint of attention to the food. Still, he refused to take it from Flynn's hand.

Setting the apples down, the blond moved out of the pen.

"This could take weeks, you know."

Yuri shrugged. "So, it'll take weeks, then."

"Yuri, I don't have weeks. I shouldn't be here now, only you practically kidnapped me!

"Frankly, I think you need to let him go."

"No."

Flynn sighed. "Yuri, use your head for once."

"I am," Yuri snapped. "And here's what we'll do. We'll send Karol back to the Atherum and get him and Tokunaga to rig up a hold for Brucis while you and I lead him there. After that, we'll sail to Aurnion and build an enclosure there where we can train him."

"You're not keeping him in Aurnion."

"We'll make it a ways away," Yuri replied with a wave of his hand.

"And how do you propose we go about moving him? Even having his head and tripping him I had trouble bringing him down."

"We paralyse him, you know how, don't you?"

"Yuri, that's..." Flynn started to protest, only to realise that, as far as Yuri's ideas went, it actually was not that bad.

Well, aside from the whole 'bringing Brucis home with them' part.

"...not the worst idea you've ever had," he amended after a moment's thought. "Although this entire trip comes close."

"Great, that settles it! Karol?"

"Wait, Yu—"

"No way! I'm not going out there alone," the brunet muttered stubbornly.

"Yuri!"

"Repede, go with him," Yuri told the dog. "And can you two take most of the stuff with you? We're going to have our hands full. Great! See you two back at the ship."

"Yuri!"

"Oh, and don't forget the spare ropes."

And so it was decided without either Karol or Flynn getting a chance to say no.

Several hours later saw a very mismatched trio walking the plains of Hypionia, the Egothor Forest just behind them.

Yuri and Flynn walked one on each side of Brucis, who had been paralysed, each with one 'rein' firmly in hand. Aside from that, each of them held a rope that had been lashed to one of Brucis legs, Flynn having the front left, and Yuri the back right. Rope hobbles kept the large, horse-like monster from charging, should the paralysis wear off, and most of their remaining supplies had been lashed to the monster's tail to keep it from swinging and injuring one of them.

Of course, actually constraining Brucis as such had not been easy.

Patty's poor frying pan would never be the same again.

All-in-all, Flynn decided, Brucis actually was fairly secure. Hopefully it would hold all the way to Aurnion.

Wait, what was he thinking? They should not be taking this monster anywhere! He should be left to roam the forest as he saw fit, not kept as a...pet, for lack of a better word.

Yet, somehow, Flynn had a weakness to Yuri; the dark-haired man always managed to get Flynn to do things against the blond's better judgement. Today was a prime example of that.

Actually, Flynn thought, his entire life was a pretty good example of Yuri manipulating him. Yuri just...had this air about him that got people moving. Flynn was not even certain if his friend knew it or not. That was how it always went, though. Yuri had an idea, he presented it, and suddenly everyone around was on board. Whatever the other man thought of himself, Flynn knew Yuri had charisma.

"There's the Atherum!"

The blond knight was startled out of his reverie when Yuri shouted, spooking Brucis, who then reared and tried to bolt.

After several minutes of fighting with the monster, minutes that soon stretched into hours, they managed to get him back under control and, by some miracle, onto the ship.

"This is never going to work, Yuri," Flynn muttered, eying the feeble hold that Karol and Tokunaga had constructed between them.

"You underestimate me, Flynn," the devious swordsman replied with a playful wink. "I have a plan."

Yes, and rappigs could fly.

"What is it, Yuri? I'm not really in the mood for your games right now," the young commandant muttered with a tired sigh.

"Oh, you'll see."

"Dammit, Yuri...!" Gritting his teeth, Flynn resisted the urge to smack Yuri upside the head. The man was completely insufferable! Completely!

"Hahah, relax, Flynn."

How was he supposed to relax? Yuri was...his best friend, by some miracle, but that was hardly the point! The man was also half insane, irresponsible, impulsive, reckless...

"Hey, Flynn, you home?"

The sight of Yuri's hand waving before his bright blue eyes snapped Flynn out of his stupor.

"Thought I'd lost you for a sec there, Commandant."

Rolling his eyes, Flynn let out what had to be the twelve-billionth sigh that day. "I am quite alright, thank you, Yuri."

"Aw, when're you gonna drop that whole soldier act? We're not in the empire anymore, loosen up."

Flynn wanted to hang him. Or at least reinitiate the bounty on his friend's head. Sure, he had been more lenient toward Yuri earlier, yet, by this point, he was too run-down and cranky to put up with Yuri's shenanigans.

"Alright, alright. No fancy tricks," Yuri finally agreed, sighing himself. "Man, you PMSing all of a sudden or something?

"Well, whatever. Let's just knock him out."

"F-for the whole trip?" Flynn's question fell on deaf ears, as Yuri was already charging the monster, frying-pan in hand. Flynn winced at the loud clang that resounded on contact. Patty's poor frying pan. It was not likely to survive to return to her at this rate.

Flynn's fears would prove unfounded. Somehow, somehow, Yuri had managed to keep Brucis down for the entire trip, and the blonde pirate's frying pan intact. How, Flynn had no idea. It was just another of the mysteries surrounding his friend. At least Flynn himself was finally free, though. Yuri could keep the remainder of his asinine plan to himself.

"I'll be heading to Aurnion, Yuri. You can do whatever you like."

"Yeah ,yeah. Just do me a favour and send the carpentry guild Aurnion faction to me, would ya?"

"Yeah, sure...you coming, Karol?" As the boy joined him, Flynn shot back, "And don't get killed."

It would be some months before Flynn heard from Yuri again. When he finally did, trust that Yuri would pull it off in the most spectacular manner he possibly could. It started as a disturbance in the city. The knights in the streets were yelling, running through the lanes with citizens, clearly trying to protect them even as they moved to safety.

Whatever the disturbance was, it was approaching the castle.

"Guard to me!" Flynn yelled out, summoning the Emperor's personal guard, and therefore Flynn's personal unit, to the forefront. Heading his own knights to the castle's gate, Flynn signalled the well-trained soldiers to fall into formation, with some heading for the throne room while the rest stayed by Flynn himself to address the threat. They were the last line of defence, should Ioder's life be in any danger.

Shouting orders to passing soldiers, Flynn soon had the noble's quarter sealed off, all of the gates closed and locked. Knights were sent scurrying through the city to protect both homesteads and the people.

"Captain Leblanc!" Flynn called out as the orange-clad knight trotted by. "Can you give me a rundown of what's happening?"

Pausing, the former lieutenant of the Schwann Brigade threw a hasty salute with his arm across his chest.

"Sir! It seems that a large monster has made it through the defences and is coming this way."

"And what about the units stationed in the Lower Quarter? Shouldn't they have stopped it by now?"

"Well, Sir, see, it's not really attacking anyone, just charging straight for the palace."

Well, that did not make any sense. The Lower Quarter had plenty of food these days, and there really was no other reason for monsters to attack, if not for food.

"Well, hopefully we can snipe it off when it hits the gate." Pausing, Flynn checked the formation of his men. Good, well trained soldiers every one of them.

"Go check on the emperor, Captain."

"Sir!" Saluting again, Leblanc took off into the castle.

Trusting Leblanc to see to Ioder personally, Flynn began ordering his archers into position.

"C-Commandant!"

Eyes shooting to the first gate at Lieutenant Sodia's cry, the blond caught his first sight of the creature that had been terrorising his city.

Oh...what the hell?!

"Brucis!" he yelled, stepping forward. And where Brucis was...

"Hey, Flynn!"

"Yuri Lowell."

"Lowell! Of all the damned stupid things you've done..."

"Enough, Sodia, I'll take care of it," Flynn ordered, a tired note to his tone. "Let them in."

Once the gates had been open, Yuri rode Brucis through, before lightly jumping down to grin at his friend.

"Long time no see!"

"Arrest him."

"W-what...what the hell, Flynn?!"

"Yuri, you and I are going to have a long talk later, but for now you're going to stew in a cell for awhile." Not waiting for a response, the blond turned and strode into the castle, issuing orders to his officers even as walked.

"You're a damned fool, Yuri Lowell. A damned fool!"

"Hey there, Flynn, I was just coming to visit," Yuri replied, shrugging, clearly not at all concerned with spending a few more hours in the castle's prison. He had spent enough hours there before, anyway. It was probably like coming home for the fool.

"On Brucis," the young commandant stated flatly, folding his arms. "Although congratulations on surviving training him."

"Oh, wasn't that hard."

"Right. I'm willing to bet you had a lot of help."

Yuri shrugged. "Maybe a bit."

"Patty? Never mind, don't answer that. Instead tell me what the hell you think you're doing."

"Just dropping off your present."

"My present?"

"Uh...yeah, Brucis. Don't tell me you forgot, Flynn. We caught him so you could be awesome when leading your cavalry! The commandant's gotta have the best ride, right?

"...Flynn?"

"Detain him for three days for disruption of peace."

"Aw, c'mon, Flynn! It was only a bit of fun!"

Flynn ignored him, disappearing up the stairs. Dear gosh, but was Yuri ever going to grow up? Stupid question. Of course not.

"Now what am I going to do with that thing..." Flynn muttered as he walked. Trust Yuri to wander back into his life and throw everything back into chaos.

And Flynn would not have it any other way.