A crystal blue lake shielded by the wide forest sparkled beneath the sun. The lake rippled as a beautiful young man stepped into the lake—his face and body hidden beneath his long brown tresses. With every cascading ripple the lake sparkled like sapphire in the light. Flop. A drop of violet liquid falls from a ruby vial held by a delicate hand belied by the vicious nails that gleamed in the sun. The ripples of the lake blackened as the young man's frightening screams shattered the tranquility…NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The handsome man with lustrous raven black hair and eyes the color of the ice cold winter awakened from his nightmare drenched in sweat. He sat unmoving for a few minutes trying to relax his racing heart. I will never forget that moment, he thought.

Soon enough, he was on his feet and headed for the bathroom. Once inside, he poured salt into the water in the tub. As he immersed himself in the salty water, he sighed with unabashed relief. Shiny turquoise scales slowly appeared all over his lower torso down to his lean muscular legs, as the rest of his skin became a pale shade of the ocean. He immersed himself in the feeling of tranquility that he always found in the water. He stayed underwater for a while undisturbed and peaceful.

Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong. His eyes snapped open for even underwater he heard the sound of the clock striking eight. He got out of the water and quickly dried himself so his scales quickly disappeared and his skin color faded. When he faced the mirror, he looked like a normal person once again. He dressed up looking like a superstar in his simple long-sleeved shirt opened halfway his chest and body-hugging jeans. Donning on a pair of eyeglasses and matching flip-flops, he walked out of his apartment as if he had no worries at all.

Heads turned towards him as he walked down the street—a man who clearly stood out anywhere. He dropped by his favorite seaside café, The Pantheon for breakfast. Women there did not even bother to hide their hungry stares.

"Who's that? He's gorgeous!" gushed the new blonde waitress.

"That's Rivaille. You're new to him now but you'll get to know him in time, he hangs out here all the time. All women who come here want to be his girl," explained another waitress.

"Who wouldn't want a piece of that!" cut in another waitress naughtily. The waitresses tittered like a bunch of schoolgirls.

Rivaille's ears twitched at their words, no one knew he had an ability to hear for miles and miles anyway. But instead of feeling flattered his eyes became sad for he knew he could have any woman in the world except the one he truly wanted. He can never be mine, he thought as he finished his coffee and stared at the bunch of wildflowers in the vase on his table. A silky voice reverberated through his head, a voice from long, long ago—You horrid monster! Stay away from me! He felt his eyes moistening and he quickly placed the cash on the table as he went. Females' eyes followed him all the way out.

"There's one problem with Rivaille," declared the older waitress among the others longingly staring after the handsome man. They all turned their attention to her. "He's not interested in any woman."

"He's gay!" piped up the blonde in disbelief.

"I think so. One former waitress here said she got the chance to talk to him once."

"What did they talked about?" the others asked giddily.

"Apparently he's looking for that particular person, the person to whom his heart belongs to."

"Why does he have to look for that person?"

"Because he doesn't want to be with him, he doesn't feel the same way."

"And now he searches for that person to try to win his heart all over again! How romantic!" sighed one waitress.

"What a fool!" commented another as they all stared after the tragic forlorn figure of their romantic fantasies.

Rivaille never knew what the women were saying about him for he was too absorbed in the beauty of his surroundings—the beauty of the modern world. He could only sigh for all this beauty seemed tasteless with the great void gnawing within his soul. Suddenly, a tall handsome man with silky blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes appeared beside him matching him step-by-step. "Glaucus, how have you been? Are you still not planning to return to the sea where you belong?" he asked.

Rivaille did not even blink at his appearance; he could only smile back sadly. "Erwin, my name here is Rivaille. And we both know, I will not return until I have done what needs to be done."

"It has been hundreds and hundreds of years yet you have not found him, Rivaille," Erwin pointed out gently.

"I know but I still have to do this. I have to fix the mess I created."

"What if he doesn't want to be found? What if he doesn't want YOU to fix this mess?"

Rivaille winced. "Maybe, but I still have to do so. This is my responsibility."

Erwin sighed. "Yes it was rather foolish for you to ask the cunning Circe for help then reject his love so coldly," he acknowledged.

Rivaille's shoulders visibly drooped with guilt. "Because of my foolishness, my love is now cursed!"

Erwin knew he made the wrong move. "No! No I didn't mean it that way!"

Rivaille's eyes suddenly burned with passion. "And that is the reason why I never turn my back on my mission!"

Erwin sighed with relief. "Then Rivaille, heed my words. Do not forget to ask help from the heavens, you are still a god and your fellows will still come to your aid." With those words Erwin disappeared unnoticed by anyone else but Rivaille.

Thunk. A conch shell struck Erwin on the forehead as he entered his bedroom in the underwater palace somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. "Ouch!" he muttered as he opened his eyes to look at the culprit. "Hello my love," he nervously greeted the beautiful woman in front of him with brown hair and eyes.

"You nearly discouraged him!" Hanji accused fiercely.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," he pleaded.

"You are so insensitive sometimes," she muttered. "You know that he's basically exhausted after all these years."

"I said I'm sorry already. How come your so gentle around others but not with me?" Erwin complained.

"That's because I'm your wife and as the one who loves you, I have every right to correct you!" she pointed out cheekily.

"He'll be fine, you're not the only one worried you know. He is like a son to both of us," Erwin admitted. Hanji's face gentled as she embraced her husband.

"I know."

Note:

Okay! So this is all I have to offer now. But I am now currently writing the next chapter so yeah! wait for it.

Reviews, suggestions and comments are all welcome. Thank you. 3