The Riviera section on Fanfiction is pretty small, so I'm here to make it better! So here it is, folks, my very first fanfiction. Uhm, I admit that the first and second chapters are pretty boring, but I promise it'll get better. I've done three pairings in this fic: Ein x Fia, Serene x Lina, and Rose x Ledah. Anyway, on to the story, and of course, I don't own Riviera: The Promised Land or any of its characters. This disclaimer applies to all chapters.
One more thing, I will be updating this story every Thursday and Sunday night, meaning you can view new chapters every Friday and Monday. I promise to meet my quotas, unlike many people on the website. Now, onward!
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"Eiinnn!"
Ein looked up from the table in Fia's house he was sitting at, sharpening his Einherjar, startled by the random cheery voice in the early afternoon. The house was empty, so the voice must have come from outside.
"Who's there?" He knew Fia had a key, and besides, it didn't sound like her, or Lina, either. He went to the door and opened it, but no one was there.
"Prankster…" Ein muttered. How about... yeah, let's do that. "This is the will of the Go-" he began.
"Boo!"
"-ds! Disa… oh, Serene!"
"Yeah, don't go using that on me," Serene winked, brushing the dirt off her clothes from crouching down. "Do you really wanna kill me?"
"Er, no… I just didn't know who it was, and… yeah." Ein shifted his weight, a bit shocked at who he almost attacked. "So um, what are you here for?"
"Oh, just visiting," Serene replied. "It's been so long since we were together... is Lina home?"
"It's only been a week or so since you last left, and no, Lina's out playing with Molan and Gill again."
It had been a couple of years since Hector's defeat. Serene went out to wander every so often, and just came back from her most recent trip. She carved her own home out of a tree, not wanting to live in Fia and Lina's house. Cierra was often at the Magic Guild, so most people stayed away from there most of the time. Cierra had decided to live in Fia's house, which was getting crowded since Rose and Ein had moved in there too. Though she bought a magic typewriter, Rose rarely used it for her writing work, saying it was too much hassle. Everyone had matured since the journey. Fia was a little more outgoing, Serene became slightly more reserved, and Lina became somewhat less annoying, although she still had a childlike attitude.
"I see," Serene said. "What's up lately?"
"Not too much with me," Ein answered. He turned around a little and added, "Wanna come in? You haven't been here in a while."
"Mm sure." Serene walked in, looking around at the organized furniture and other things. "Wow, sure has changed… Fia's learned to organize?"
"Yeah, kind of." Ein put water on the stove to boil, and reached into a cupboard to pull out a bag of tea leaves and a small tea set. "How was your little trip?" He asked, rinsing out two teacups and the teapot.
"Oh, kinda boring," Serene said. "Since all the demons disappeared, there's been no fun for someone like me."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ein said, sitting down with her while waiting for the water to boil. "I sort of feel like that too, but I think I've learned to live a normal life here."
"Normal?" Serene picked up a picture with Ein, Fia, and Lina on a cliff overlooking the sea, the sunset in the background, lighting up the sky with a soft pink glow, and looked at it. "Since when is a Grim Angel living like this normal?"
"That's a good point, actually," Ein remarked. He got up to pour the boiled water into the teapot, mind somewhat elsewhere. "It's actually pretty fun living here in Elendia. It's peaceful."
"Yeah?" Serene said. "I'm probably gonna give up traveling for a bit, just to stay here for a while." She put the picture back down. "Where'd you take this? And how?"
"Take what?" Ein brought the tea on a plate and set it down on the table they were sitting at. "Oh, that? We took that down at the bluff near Lacrima Castle. What a nice picture, huh?"
"Mm hmm, that it is," Serene stared at the picture, seeming to be lost in it. "It's beautiful…"
"It's one of my favorites," Ein told her, sipping his tea. "Cierra's magic is truly amazing, if she can make a picture like that. She made the paper out of a tree and implanted the image on."
"Huh? Cierra?" Serene looked up suddenly.
"Yup, that's right," Ein said. "What did you think we did, paint it?"
"Yeah, yeah," Serene murmured. "Good tea."
"Fia grew these," Ein informed her. "Her little garden out back is just amazing."
"I have to see it sometime," Serene grinned. "Anything good to eat there?"
"Of course. Banangos and applecots alike."
"Ooh awesome."
Coco flew by, carrying some things she picked from the garden.
"Oh, Master Ein, good afternoon," she bowed in midair as she passed. "Pretty fast with the ladies, I see."
"Um, what?" Ein challenged.
"Oh, nothing," Coco winked. "I'm gonna start cooking dinner. See you later."
"Uh huh, sure," Ein waved her off.
"Well, Ein, I'm gonna go visit everyone else," Serene said, ignoring the incident, and left before Ein could protest. "See you around," she called behind her.
Gee, what's with her, Ein wondered. She's acting differently… and she left without a thank-you for that tea.
Ein picked up Einherjar, spun it a couple times above his head and sheathed it behind his back in one swift motion. Better watch out for her, he thought.
He walked out the back to visit the garden before heading out. The plants were spread out orderly, and all of them were watered in the morning. He gave the plants another small spray of water, and then left for the Undine Spring.
Nono was there to greet and warn him. "Ein!" she called. "Um, don't go any farther. Fia's bathing with Lina, Rose, and Cierra."
"Oh really?" Ein said. "I guess I'll come back later."
"Well, unless you're really quiet," Nono winked at him. "Do you want to peek?"
"Um, no I don't," Ein's face turned a bright red. "I'm not a peeping tom."
"Liar! Liar!" Nono teased him. "You so are! See, your face is all red!"
Behind Nono, Ein could see Fia and Lina exit the water with towels on. Stunned, he couldn't move a muscle, staring.
Nono turned around, saw them come out, then turned back and teased him some more. "See, I knew you were a peeper, Ein!" Nono flew off towards the spring, and Serene sneaked up behind Ein.
"EIN, STOP PEEKING!" she yelled in his ear. Ein, scared half to death, jumped ten feet into the air.
"Are you crazy?" Ein said, bewildered. "They're gonna hear you!"
It was too late. Lina and Fia, still in towels, heard the commotion and came out.
"Ein's a perv!" Lina exclaimed. "Perv! Perv!"
"That's not news anymore, Lina…" Serene informed her.
"Argh…"
"Ah, Serene!" Fia managed. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yup. Didn't expect to find Ein peeking again, though," she winked at him again, and he shrunk away. "Care if I join you?"
"Well, we just finished, but I wouldn't mind another bath," Fia replied. "Cierra's there too. She's just a bit slow coming out."
"Wow, family reunion," Serene remarked. "Hey, Ein, wanna join us?"
"Uh, what did Serene just say?" Lina raised an eyebrow.
"Serene? You okay? You were just attacking him about being a peeping tom," Fia added.
What's with Serene today? Ein wondered. "Um, I'll pass…"
"Gosh, Ein, your first ever chance to bathe with just girls around you, and you pass?" Serene shook her head. "Oh well, let's go, everyone. I was only kidding anyway."
"You two go on ahead," Fia told them. "I'll be right there."
"Alright! Splashy again!" Lina jumped and skipped her way back to the spring, Serene following gliding through the air.
"Hey, how was your day?" Fia asked. She'd left him alone at home when she went out that morning without saying a word.
"Not bad," Ein replied. "Mining is so boring." Ein often helped Ritz down at the mine. "But then again, you never know if you'll find something if you don't try."
"That's right," Fia said. "I'm glad you fit in so well here. Are you sore anywhere?"
"Just a little bit in the shoulders… Hey, what are you doing?"
Fia sat him down on a smooth rock and began to massage his shoulders from behind. Being so close to him made her heart beat faster, and her breathing became short and shallow.
"What do you think?" Fia managed. Her hands weren't very strong, but she kept at it.
"You've never done this before," Ein remarked. "It feels great."
"Really?" Fia felt her heart beat even faster. "Ah, Claude taught me how to do this. He said I should try it on you."
"What a guy," Ein remarked. The massage felt good on his shoulders, and he relaxed. "It would be great if you could do this every day, but your hands would hurt after a while."
"I'll do it as much as I can," Fia reassured him. "Say, want to go somewhere after tonight's dinner?"
"Somewhere? Like where?"
"Someplace nice," Fia told him. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."
Fia got up, and Ein, who was beginning to really relax, almost fell over backwards. "See you at home later," she said, moving back to the spring, leaving him to wonder what was going to happen tonight.
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A/N: Just a little suspense here. I used this chapter mostly for foreshadowing, but most are pretty subtle and/or vague… I know the personalities don't match, but I already said that everyone's changed since the journey, which was about two years ago. I also said this chapter was gonna be pretty boring… Please R&R! Anyway, I have this story written a few chapters in advance, so here's a chapter preview for chapter 2.
Chapter 2: An Unexpected Guest (release on July 13, 2006)
As Serene goes out for a walk, the dinner gets cold! Ein and Fia decide to search together, but run into a couple of… "people" who attack them! A battle ensues. How do they fare? Who are these mysterious "people?"