AN- Thanks to Boredomisdeadly, seraphic dragon and Crystallized pen for the strength to carry on with this fic ;) your reviews are what keeps me going!

Crystallizedpen - Added in those breaks between the two different PoVs, thanks for pointing it out! :)

Chapter 4 - The True Meaning of Fear

The Fiertia arrived at the mountains of Northern Yuzorea the next morning. The team disembarked onto the grassy plains, talking as they headed to where they knew the entrance to the Labyrinth of Memories.

"It's theoretically impossible for someone who is dead to reach through the spirit world to save our lives! What we saw must have been some sort of hallucination brought on by the excess electrical energy in the air caused by the storm!" Rita proclaimed, earning a pout from Estelle.

"But you saw him too.." she pushed.

"I saw something glowing in the relative shape of a person. None of us can definitely say it was Yuri." Rita argued.

"It was Yuri." Everyone turned at the sound of Flynn's quiet voice; he had been silent ever since that night's events. "He visited me in my sleep, the night before we left Zaphias. He's with us, just not physically."

The group was silent for a few minutes as they trudged towards the glowing portal that marked the Labyrinth's entrance.

"It's still theoretically impossible", Rita stated, causing the others to roll their eyes.

They glanced at each other as they approached the portal.

"Shall we?" Raven reached out and touched the portal, entering it. The rest soon followed.

As Flynn opened his eyes on the other side of the portal, he gasped as he found himself back on the battlefield from almost two weeks ago. Knights and monsters battled around him on all sides as his eyes frantically searched for the others. Realising that he was alone, he raced across the battlefield to where the dragon roared at it's target; lost among the swarm of the battle.

He paused in shock as he saw Yuri battle fiercely against the oversized reptile, hacking and slashing with a grace only he could achieve. His face was covered with the usual somewhat cocky smirk he usually wore when fighting, a certain gleam filling his eyes that only revealed itself during battle.

Flynn realised that he was staring, before turning around to fight the creature that had attempted to sneak up on him. He suddenly found himself flying through the air onto his stomach as the dragon's colossal tail swiped him off of his feet. "Flynn!" he heard his name called out.

Flynn looked over to wave at his friend to ensure him that he was fine, when he saw in horror the dragon's immense claws heading towards his best friend.

"Yuri, look out!" he screamed, running towards his friend. 'No, I can't lose him again!' he thought, desperately trying to reach his friend before the dragon.

He watched in despair as the dragon impaled his best friend in less time than it took for him to cross the battlefield.

Flynn held his best friend after the fall of the dragon, tears rolling down his face.

"It's all your fault. Had you not distracted me, I would have lived" Yuri's dark reflection told him as he lay bleeding in his arms.

"Yuri, I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful.." Flynn cried.

The dark reflection's eyes narrowed as he stared at Flynn accusingly. "You killed me with your own negligence. It was your duty to take out the threat to Zaphias. You're as bad a Commander as you are a friend. I hate you, Flynn Scifo".

"Yuri, please I…" Flynn looked the dark reflection in the eyes. As he noticed the lack of emotion in the stormy grey eyes it suddenly dawned on him - this wasn't Yuri. It was the effect of the Labyrinth; the "Fears" the book had foretold. His expression hardened as he unceremoniously dropped the dark reflections head onto the ground. "Yuri knew the dangers; he knew what he was doing. His death was due to him being a self sacrificing idiot. It wasn't my fault."

The dark reflection smirked up at him, shimmering. "Well done, Flynn Scifo. You faced your fear and won. You have completed your trial". The reflection vanished in a twisted puff of smoke as the battleground faded away to what appeared to be some kind of ruined chamber.

Karol was lost. No matter which way he turned, he always ended up in the place he started. Worse still, he was alone and lost. "They don't need you. You're just a burden to them" a disembodied voice whispered out in the darkness.

Karol's eyes widened. "Th.. that's not true! I'm part of the team!".

"That's truly what you think? They take you along with them because they feel sorry for you! They don't care about some silly little kid who thinks he's tougher than he is."

Karol sat down and pulled his knees to his chin. "Maybe.. Maybe you're right… I'm not strong like Judith. I'm not smart like Rita. I'm not even brave like Yuri." Tears filled the boys eyes. "I just slow them down."

The phantom voice cackled. "You're just a little boy.. They're better off without you. You'll just end up getting them killed."

Karol placed hands on his knees and placed his chin on his hands, tears rolling freely down his cheeks. "If I'm such a burden.. Why don't they tell me to get lost?" he asked quietly. The voice remained silent.

Realisation hit the 13 year old at that moment. "They don't tell me to get lost.. Because I'm not a burden, am I?" he cried at the voice. "I'm a part of each of them, just as they are a part of me! We're a family, and nothing you can say or do will change that!"

He stood up to his full height. "I might not be brave, or strong, or smart.. But I bring my own qualities to the team! They need me as much as I need them!"

He stumbled in surprise as the darkness suddenly melted away.

Sodia stepped through the portal.. And into an office.

Looking around in shock, it took her a moment to realise that the office was the Commandant's office, Flynn's belongings replaced with her own.

The door to the office burst open and Witcher walked in. "reporting for duty Sodi- uhm Commandant" he murmured, unable to meet her eyes. Sodia stared at the small mage, uncomprehending.

"Flynn's not here."

Witcher looked at her surprised. "Commandant? Who's Flynn?"

Sodia looked at him as if he had gone insane. "Our Commandant? Flynn? What are you.."

Witcher cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Commandant, are you feeling alright? Flynn died months ago.. You were promoted to his position."

Suddenly feeling as though the ground was being pulled from under her, Sodia placed a hand on the edge of the desk to steady herself. "N..no, This is a dream, it must be… I was just with Flynn.."

Witcher guided her to the chair behind the desk. "I hope you feel better soon Commandant, because the army is prepared to leave for the war. They need you to lead them."

Sodia looked at him, true fear in her eyes. "Lead? I.. I can't.. I don't know how."

She stood up and looked out through the window. "Flynn is our true leader. Without him…" she faltered.

She slammed her hand down on the desk. "No. I won't accept it. Flynn is our leader. He is not dead. I would follow him to the death. Nothing will change that, nothing." She turned to Witcher. "If you were really Witcher you'd know that."

Reality twisted around her; 'Witcher' vanishing in a twist of black smoke.

Estelle opened her eyes to find herself.. On the top of Zaphias' famous Sword Stair, a maniacal looking Alexei stood before her. "You see Princess, I told you that your power will kill the people you care for."

He took a step back to allow her to survey the area , where almost every member of Brave Vesperia lay motionless on the ground. Almost. Yuri was crouched by the edge of the stair, clutching his stomach in pain. She tried to move, to run to her friend, but found herself unable to. Alexei influenced the Apatheia crystal in his hand, making it glow. She felt her feet move sluggishly toward Yuri, the sword and shield in her hands raised. "No!" she gasped. Her sword arm raised itself higher as she towered over her crouched friend, the bloodied blade reflecting her horrified expression back at her.

"It seems Yuri was wrong, Princess.. You and your power as the Child of the Full Moon really are just a puppet for whoever holds the true power." He cackled.

"Noooo!" Estelle began to cry. She looked deep into Yuri's eyes, trying to apologise for her weakness, when his words for long ago echoed deep in her mind."

"Estelle! Do you really want to end your life like this - as someone elses tool? Come back to us! Estelle!"

"No!" she yelled, finding the strength to lower her sword and turn to Alexei. "Yuri was right! I control my destiny, nobody else!"

Alexei's sardonic smile twisted and vanished in a flurry of smoke.

Raven knew only one thing, his chest hurt. Critically. He was sweating, gasping for breath. Every single breath felt as though it was tearing his chest apart. 'Guess this is the end, old man', he thought to himself. The spirits are finally letting me die.' He pulled open his shirt to reveal the Blastia in his chest, right where his heart should be. Rather than the usual quiet hum and glow that resounded from the blastia, there was silence. Darkness. He knew it was just a matter of time when all blastia were turned into spirits that his heart would stop, but he didn't realise when. "I recreated your heart" Alexei's voice resounded in his head. "I can shut it down."

As darkness begun to claim him, his head snapped up, remembering the conversation he'd had with Judith. "You have to keep on living" , She'd said. "If not for your own sake, then for everyone else". She had smiled. "Brave Vesperia isn't ready to let go of you just yet".

Filled with a renewed determination, Raven climbed to his feet.

Judith was six years old again. It didn't take a genius to work that out. Afterall, with such an immense height and build decrease, what other conclusions could be drawn.

She was also home again. And the whole of Mt. Temza was crashing down around her ears.

She felt a familiar panic rising up in her chest, prohibiting all forms or rational thought as she curled up in a ball and prayed that the buildings wouldn't crush her. The sounds of screaming long since passed reached her ears, causing her to break down in tears. "mama.." she cried, the grief swallowing up the usually stoic Krytian.

She lifted her head as Ba'ul's voice resounded within her memories. With a sudden burst of courage, the now-six-year-old girl crawled through the gaps beneath the rubble; the whale-like sounds of the Entelexia who originally saved her life acting like a sonar, guiding her through the rubble to freedom.

Looking out over the sunny hillside, Rita smiled at the sight of her pink haired friend sat beneath the blossom tree, her back towards her. Rita ran towards Estelle, not realising until she got closer that she wasn't alone. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Estelle run her hand lovingly down the chest of the raven haired swordsman who lay beside her in the grass. Rita felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched Estelle lean down and kiss Yuri passionately.

Tears formed in Rita's eyes as she realised that the cerise haired princess never could love her; never would. She ran as far and as fast as she could, and kept on running and running until her legs gave way.

She collapsed into a heap and cried.

Estelle heard the sound of sobbing as Rita materialised into the ruined chamber. She ran over to her friend who appeared to be in the throes of some kind of nightmare and held her close, rubbing her back, whispering soothingly to the little redhead.

"Shh it's okay Rita, you're safe now. I'm here for you."

"Estelle" the sixteen year old cried out from within the throes of her nightmare, her voice laced with sadness. "I love you.." she murmured.

Estelle gaze at her young friend, stunned at the proclamation, before shaking herself out of her daze.

"It's okay Rita, I love you too.. Please come back to us". She planted a light chaste kiss on the young mage's delicate lips.

Rita stirred and then blinked owlishly up at Estelle, who offered the genius mage a somewhat unsure smile before helping her up. "Welcome back."

"Th..thanks" the mage responded, rubbing her neck, a crimson blush spreading across her face.

Estelle offered her a sunny smile and a hug before they turned back to the group.

In a somewhat familiar twist of smoke, a cloaked figure appeared in the room, holding a brightly glowing Lantern.

"The Rosuto Lantern" Estelle gasped.

To Be Continued.