A Very Riviera Christmas

DISCLAIMER: Well, it should be fairly clear by now that I don't own :3 However, I should be given full credit for my ingenious plans to stick two certain boys together XD Just so's you know!

Over the span of several months, winter passed in Riviera.

There were hardships and victories both small and large, as is the way in life. Dangerous storms, though none quite so bad as the one that had trapped Ein and his company in their home for a week. Celebrations, as birthdays and anniversaries passed. Life, essentially, took its natural course, and peace reigned throughout the land.

As time went by, all of Elendia eventually adopted Ein, Ledah, and Rose as their own. The sight of the two angels perched somewhere high and out-of-reach, or of the former familiar roaming the streets with a new book and a black quill pen, became commonplace and accepted. The youngest children were already beginning to forget that things had been any other way.

Peace had returned to the land.

But some, it seemed, had gone too far on their adventures to be able to take the gift of peace just yet. And regardless of their love for their home, Ein and Ledah could never forget where they had come from…

---

Ein lay lazily on his back, staring up at the ceiling and letting his thoughts drift aimlessly.

He was sticky with sweat and there was still a dull, exhaustion-born ache in his lower belly, but he was content. The aftereffects of his release and the culmination of resolution always made him sleepy, and he suspected that it probably always would. But it was a sweet tiredness, and no matter how rough he and Ledah had been with each other, the tenderness they shared when it was done was almost as good as sex itself. He and the blonde were still partially entangled; Ledah's head was rested on his chest, with the seraph's arms fitted loosely around his waist. Their naked bodies were still pressed together, their legs a tangled braid of pale and sweat-darkened skin. Absently, Ein played with a few soft tufts of Ledah's hair, teasing their ends over and over in a comforting repetitive movement. Very slowly, without moving the rest of his body, Ledah stretched out both of his wings, briefly twitched his left, then resettled them with aching care, stretching one over to cover the two of them above the thin sheets that were strewn across their bodies.

It had been about a week or so since Ein, who had secretly been a little afraid, had at last let Ledah come inside him. As the blonde had warned him, and unwillingly let on during their first time, the pain had been fierce and sharp, and would've been unbearable, had Ledah not been so sensitive to his young lover's needs. If Ein hadn't known about the older angel's past experiences with sex, he would've been greatly surprised; Ledah was a very gentle and tender lover. Sensing without need for words the state that Ein was in, he had waited to bring the young brunet past his pain (and the fear that came with it) to show him the helpless pleasures of being an uke. Early on, Ein had learned that Ledah generally liked to take things slowly when granted his brief graces of dominance; it had paid off that night when the two of them had climaxed in unison and given deeper of each other than they'd thought their bodies capable.

Among the many other things Ledah had taught him, Ein could now list the true meanings of patience and understanding. The wingless angel was learning fast from those rare nights what Ledah not only desired but needed from him, and he used that knowledge to carefully wake his friend and lover's flesh fully to his own in their lovemaking. And it was the things he had learned which led the two of them to quiet moments like this.

Ein let himself savor the deep silence and comfort a moment longer, then spoke, his words reluctant and soft. "You can feel it too, can't you?"

Ledah sighed and did not respond.

"This peace… it just doesn't feel right, somehow. Almost as if, for some reason… we don't deserve it, at least not yet."

"You don't have to say it. I know." Ledah's voice was equally reluctant as he lay against his lover's body.

Ein went on. "I think… I think I know what we have to do. But even though I can't really relax anymore unless I'm with you, like this… I'm almost afraid to do it…"

"……" Ledah shifted slightly and closed his eyes.

"It would make the girls sad. And besides…" Ein held Ledah a little more tightly, and let out an almost-frustrated sigh. "It's not fair. After all that we've done, why can't we have the peace we helped create? …It doesn't make sense, Ledah…"

"Sometimes we're forced to make too many changes to be able to return to our old lives quite so quickly, Ecthel. …And there are still things that we must do in this world before we will be allowed to fade back into the void of anonymity."

"Well, it sucks." Ein sighed again and leaned his cheek against his lover's forehead.

"So does life, but that's just the way it's always been."

Ein frowned. "You are altogether too passive. Why don't you think that can be changed?"

"And you're too idealistic, as well as too aggressive. You think you can change everything."

"That's not such a bad thing, though…" Stretching, he added, "But hey, isn't that what makes us such a good couple?"

Although he didn't give any spoken reply, Ledah smiled.

---

Fia reached up to touch a few buds on the branches of the trees as she passed them by.

Spring was her favorite season; she loved all the new beginnings that happened in it. It was in her nature to love birth and detest death, and here was the time of year when birth reigned.

"I wonder what the new blossoms will look like this year…" she said dreamily as she walked down the village paths.

As she went, however, she caught sight of something that deeply disturbed her, though she couldn't say why.

Ein was standing near the entrance to Elendia, looking out with a distant expression on his face, deep sadness in his eyes.

Feeling prickles of worry starting along her back, Fia gathered up her full skirts and hurried over to him. "Ein…? Ein, what is it…?"

Starting, the wingless angel turned to look at her, visibly surprised. "Fia? Ah… do you need something…?"

"You had such a strange look on your face…" she said softly, her green eyes liquid and pained. "For a moment, you looked almost as if… as if you were leaving…"

Ein was silent, but a crease formed on his brow as she spoke.

"Don't go anywhere, Ein," she begged him. "Don't you know that Elendia will gladly take you in? We all owe you so much…! And I… I don't want you to go… we'd all miss you so much… so please…"

"Don't worry, Fia," he told her, but he looked almost more troubled than before. "If I ever had to leave here, it would be for a good reason, and it wouldn't be for long. Because this is… this is really my home now, you know?"

Fia nodded, but the look on her face said clearly that she couldn't believe him.

---

"This is going to be so much harder than I expected," Ein said with a sigh.

"That's the problem with you, Ein—you just don't think enough about things before you decide you're going to do them," Rose told him frankly. "It's not as if you aren't intelligent, it's just that you act like you aren't whenever it really counts. Honestly! You knew that everyone was going to take it badly, and now that Fia already suspects… well…" She shrugged.

"You don't seem to mind that much, though," Ein pointed out.

Rose stretched and sighed. "That's because, if I wasn't busy where I am now, I think I would be going with you. I've finally found my purpose in life, and it's not going to let me rest easy either. As soon as I'm done collecting the folk stories of Elendia, I think I'm going to be heading out again."

"On your own? Ledah and I… we might not be back by then, after all…"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Rose shrugged. "Don't look so worried about me—I have my own magic powers, as you may've forgotten. I can take care of myself. Besides, I may just decide to tag along with Serene. You know she's been saying that she wants to go do something about all the demons that are still running around here."

"Huh…"

"Don't think that you and Ledah are the only ones who are having trouble just settling in now that all the action's over and done with. Just look at Cierra—from the way Claude and Soala tell it, she hit the books two months after we left, and she's been studying magic and developing her own new spells ever since. Serene's getting fidgety. And you know that Lina's got her own plans for her quest two years from now to look forward to. I think Fia's really the only one who'd be content to just go back to being an average, everyday priestess-in-training here in Elendia. It's not as if we won't all come back home a lot… it's more that we can't stand to just sit here when we can see things worth doing out in the world.

"You know, part of the problem is, all of us have already found our purpose. I'm a writer. Cierra's a born and bred witch, immersed in her studies. Serene's shaping up to be a crusader. Lina's a treasure hunter. Fia has the training she'll need to go through to become the next Elder when her grandfather passes away. But you and Ledah? You guys don't really know what your purpose is anymore. Back in Asgard, you knew you were going to be a Grim Angel, and Ledah was on the fast track to becoming a high priest, but here you don't know what to do with yourselves. So you've found something worthwhile to do in the meantime. And after that, you'll either figure out your purpose or find something else to do, or something else after that. It may be that the Magi will want you back on Grim Angel duty, anyway, but I don't think you'll really be okay with that, Ein… not with all the fighting and killing they'll want you to do. You'll only be content when you've got a real purpose in life again, and that even might not let you stay in one place for very long, you know?

"I just want you to be prepared, is all. You're my friend. I worry about you."

Ein grinned. "That's quite a speech, there."

Rose smacked him. "Oh, shut up. You know what I mean, don't you?"

"Loud and clear, Professor." Knowing she'd take another swing, Ein ducked again, laughing.

---

"Are you really leaving, Serene?" Lina asked, her light brown eyes wide and teary.

"I have to." The last Arc grimaced and swung her pack over her shoulder, looking back and forth from every face in their circle of friends. "There are still demons crawling all over Rosalina, and it's my duty as an Arc to get rid of them. When I think of them roaming around my home and Lacrima, I…" Her hands clenched, and her eyes glittered angrily.

"Be careful, though," Fia said softly, her voice mournful. "And please, come back home as soon as you possibly can. We're all going to miss you so much…"

"'Specially since Cierra and Soala and everyone are going off to investigate Nelde," Lina pouted.

"But we'll be coming back within the week," the scarlet witch protested, her eyebrows upraised. "You shouldn't worry so much, Lina. Big sister can handle it if demons show up."

"Yeah…" Smirking, Serene flexed her right arm, showing off the hard, rippling muscle that popped up when she did. "I think we're gonna be okay."

Rose discreetly elbowed Ein, who made a face at her, then turned to Ledah and squeezed his hand in silent inquiry. The blonde angel nodded, then let Ein step forward.

"Um, well… this is probably a really bad time to say it, but I think Ledah and I will be going soon, too."

"What? Why!" The girls all rounded on the two of them, faces locked in various expressions of shock, disbelief, and heartbreak.

"Ein and I have become aware over the past months… that those of Asgard probably never received the full story about what happened here two years ago," Ledah said softly. "That being the case, the six remaining Magi could possibly be pending judgement on Riviera in their confusion over Hector's death. Not all of the Magi are like him. I believe… we believe… that they can still be reasoned with, if that's the case."

"And even if they aren't, Asgard deserves to know the truth about what's going on in Riviera," Ein continued. "Hector had everyone believing his wicked lies. They may still think everything he said about there still being dangerous demons that are trying to overthrow Asgard is true. And someone would have to convince them otherwise—someone who's actually been here, and seen everything."

"Riviera needs a time of peace and healing after the way the demons disrupted the natural flow of life here," Ledah told them gravely. "Ein and I will act as the emissary relaying the message that the Sprites are not contradicting the will of the gods, but wish to live in harmony with the angels and the Magi. It's an important mission that must be fulfilled by those of us who have lived in and love both lands."

"But, we can go with you," Fia protested. "Lina and I will go with you!"

"No. I can't allow it," Ein said firmly. "Do you remember when we traveled through Yggdrasil, and got to its highest realms, where Ursula lived? It was very close to Asgard, and you and the others found the atmosphere to be too heavy for you to exist in for long. Ledah and I, and Rose too, would be fine, since we were born and raised there. We're natives. But we might have to stay there for a while, and any of you could end up being very sick. We can't risk you, don't you understand that?"

"Then Rose can go with you," Fia insisted. "Can't you understand that I can't let you go alone!"

"I'm staying here," Rose said flatly. "I don't have their twitch to be up and doing things just yet, and I like taking my time around here. I'm an author now, and I have stories to write. I may travel the world in my lifetime, but I want to enjoy the peace right now. And I trust these boys to be able to survive on their own."

"Besides, I'm not going alone," Ein reasoned, smiling now. "Ledah will be with me."

"Furthermore, we'll still have the power of Lorelei and Einherjar," Ledah added. "We are Grim Angels, born and trained to deal with danger. …Besides, Asgard is our birthland. I doubt that we would be going into undue danger there."

Fia looked at them with wide and tearful eyes, but at last she nodded. "…I understand…"

"We're going to leave in seven days," Ein said softly. "We don't really want a big send-off, either. That'll make it seem like we're not coming back. Which we are."

There was a long pause in which no one said anything.

"Elendia… it's our home," Ein told them at last, hands held out helplessly.

---

The two angels stood in the middle of the path, gazing into the distant sunset. On either side, the road was flanked by a few venerable pine trees and the grass carpeted in roses of the most delicate pinks and vivid crimsons.

They had walked a long way, and the dust of the road clung to their clothes; though they were tired, both looked remarkably at ease, even happy.

Ledah turned to his lover with a soft smile. "We still have quite a ways to go before we reach Asgard, my Ecthel."

Letting the gentle wind ruffle his unruly bluish-brown hair, which was beginning to get more than a bit shaggy, Ein did not immediately reply. He knew that somewhere far behind him, Serene was battling ferociously simply to stay alive against overwhelming odds, and enjoying every minute of it; he knew that Cierra was continuing her groundbreaking research on the forgotten magics of the Nelde ruins and the deep mazes of the Wiese forest; that Lina was bubbling over with plans for a grander adventure than any her heart could conceive; that Fia was praying desperately for their safety.

That Rose was writing another book… perhaps one about them.

And Ein knew that for the first time in months—since he had first arrived in Elendia after years of travel—everything felt right again.

"So in the end, what did they find over the horizon?" he murmured.

Ledah understood immediately, and slipped his hand into his lover's, squeezing it tightly. "The gates to Valhalla, standing open and welcoming," he replied in a tender whisper. "Nirvana, and a place of honor in Heaven. Their fate, and they went to it in gladness."

Ein squeezed back, and leaned against Ledah's side, reveling in the comfort of his lover's wing folding around him.

"It's time to go," the blonde said, not unkindly. "Asgard should be just beyond Heaven's Gate."

Ein suddenly recalled enough about the beginning of his journey to find the irony in Ledah's statement, and began to laugh, sudden and startled and glorious like church bells broken from their winter's freeze. Ledah stood and looked at him for a moment, not quite comprehending, seeming almost hauntingly like his old self until he realized and smiled, soft and slow, his gentle humor lighting his carmine eyes from within.

"Come on, then," Ein said at last, but laid his hand on Ledah's cheek instead and held him there, falling in love with him all over again just for the pure wonder in those eyes.

"You're beautiful, Ledah Rozwelli."

"As you are yourself… Ecthel Legendra."

Not even pausing to wonder at the name his lover had given him, Ein leaned forward into Ledah's kiss, and the two of them stood clasped in sweetness on the path into the horizon, the path to Asgard and Valhalla and all of destiny, for they would travel the road that led to the end of their days together, and they knew it well.

---

Thus ends this tale of Heaven's last Grim Angels, Ledah Rozwelli, l'ange de croix rose, and my own dear Ein, him that was Ecthel Demonsbane who became Ecthel Legendra, l'ange d'ailes vertes.

After leaving Elendia and having several magnificent adventures of which can be read in any of my other volumes, Ein and Ledah did indeed reach Asgard, and were accepted with open arms by Lady Celina of the Six Magi. They henceforth became the emissaries of peace as well as judgement throughout the many lands of our world, and though they were called upon from time to time to remember their calling as Grim Angels, they were mostly allowed to roam as they wished throughout Riviera and Midgard.

They returned to Elendia for a time, but were soon off again, responding to cries for help from a village overrun by demons.

They returned again—for five years—then left on a dangerous mission given unto them by Celina, which led them into the bowels of Hel itself.

Then returned yet again, only to be called away again when Ledah had his chance at last to fight to win back his love's lost wings.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is… that Ein and Ledah did at last find their purpose as heroes, and lived happily and perilously on the razor edge of life at its fullest. Every legend in the making, though most will surely be exaggerated, that the future will hear of the Angel of the Rose Cross and the Angel of Green Wings is true.

And though each of those legends in the making have been written and recorded as best I can make them, there is perhaps one last story to tell of my dear angels, most restless of Asgard and Riviera's shared children.

The tale, short as it may be, of the day that came when Ein and Ledah did not come home…

-Rose R. Crawford, Historian

:TO BE CONTINUED IN THE CODA:

Author's Note: You think it's over… and then it's not.

Seriously. Even I thought it was over.

I swear.

But then it felt as though old sai Roland Deschain or one of his get (and if you don't know old long, tall, and ugly, take my word for it that he is one INSISTENT cowboy) poked me in the back and told me, "Hile, wordslinger—thy tale is not yet done."

(shakes head and rolls eyes) Anyway, I swear to God that the coda is going to be the last of AVRC you'll read. Although some of you may not like how it ends, it's a true end. My heart's the one that tells me these stories. I just write them down. If I tried to change things for the better or the worse, the story would only end up that much crappier.

NEXT TIME: The end of Ein and Ledah's story, for good or ill. And once again… it all happened on Christmas…