Fulfillment of Promises
By: Asagi Tsuki
My first Riviera fic, so please go easy on me
Summary: even before the two of them went to Riviera, Ein made a promise to Ledah. Will he be able to fulfill his promise before Ledah's death?
Disclaimer: I don't own Riviera – The Promised Land
I Promise that if You Become My Wings…
It had been a month, and a day since he last saw his blond companion. It was hard for him at first, but he was able to accept the truth as he met with his Familiar, Rose. Along with Rose and the four girls he had acknowledged as his friends, he had sealed all of the Accursed that had threatened Riviera's well-being.
He had met with his blond companion in-between the quest to seal the third Accursed and the fourth Accursed, but no matter what he said to convince his companion –his friend- he wouldn't listen to him.
He was always known for his sense of duty, but Ein knew better than that. Ledah wasn't someone who would follow every order without questioning it if he thought that it wasn't the will of the gods. So what had made him so… obedient?
He was mulling over the fact over and over as he walked the path in Yggdrasil, the world inside the three that supported all of Elendia, the peaceful village where two of his friends came from.
He didn't want to fight Ledah, and he was a little cheered up when Lina cried for him when she asked if Ledah was his friend. Ledah was his friend. Ledah is his friend, no matter what happened.
He had always feared that the day when he would have to fight Ledah would come. He was no match for Ledah, and he didn't want to hurt his friend in any way. He cared for him too deeply to do so. And after all, he hadn't fulfilled his promise to him yet.
-.-.-.-.-. flashback -.-.-.-.-.
"Wow, Ledah, look!" Ein exclaimed excitedly as he pointed at a giant tree with his right hand while his left hand held Rose tightly to his chest.
"Hn," Ledah merely grunted, but Ein didn't feel disappointed. He merely smiled contentedly, because he knew Ledah cared.
"It's so great to be up here!" he added as he nearly giggled in excitement. It was years ago since he last flew high into the sky, and he was happy to get that feeling back, even though he had sacrificed his wings for his Diviner, his prized yellowish sword Einherjar that was modeled after Fanelia.
He was looking down excitedly, careful as not to let Rose slip from his grasp, and not to let himself slip from Ledah's grasp. He was being held by Ledah by his waist, and was taken up high, enjoying the cool breeze that swept by in Asgard.
"Hey Ledah," Ein called softly as he smiled at the sight. He had forgotten the feeling of having wings. He had also forgotten the feeling of flapping wings behind him, but he hadn't forgotten the sensation he got whenever he was up high in the sky, looking at the land below him.
Ever since he lost his wings for his Diviner, Ledah had always walked with him whenever they go on a mission together, or when they hang out together to save whatever little pride he had left, and he was grateful for that. To him, Ledah is a brother he could never have. A companion he should be grateful of having, and someone he had always looked up to. Ledah is someone so precious that he couldn't bear to lose.
"Hm?" Ledah let out a soft questioning grunt as he continued to look forward, careful at balancing the both of them so they wouldn't fall to the ground.
"What did you sacrifice for your Diviner?" Ein asked, but he was only answered with silence. He smiled wistfully, and said, "Guess you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But when you decide to tell me, please," he paused for a while, "Let me become that thing you lost for you,"
Ledah merely stared at him in silence, before he nodded slightly. "I will,"
"Promise?" Ein asked.
"Promise," Ledah said so flatly that Ein almost doubted it, but he knew better than to ever doubt Ledah. He had never gone back on his words before.
"Then it's a promise," Ein said brightly. "You'll become my wings, and I will become the thing you gave up in exchange for your Lorelei,"
-.-.-.-.-. end of flashback -.-.-.-.-.
As he had feared, he was forced to fight Ledah. He did go all out, otherwise he'd die in Ledah's hands, and he wanted neither of that. He insisted on letting Ledah live because he is his friend, but was interrupted midway by Malice who appeared behind Ledah, and slashed him from behind with her Diviner, Skadi.
"Ledah!" he couldn't tell how shocked he was when he saw Malice slash Ledah with that huge axe of hers. He rushed forward to catch Ledah as Malice stepped back, telling him how useless Ledah had become since he had lost to Ein.
With a laugh and an announcement that she'd be heading to the last Aquarium to destroy it, Malice went away, leaving the seven creatures behind.
"Ledah, you okay?" Ein asked as he looked at Ledah's wound at his back. It seemed bad enough to him.
"I'm okay," Ledah said as he batted Ein's hand away. "You should go after Malice. She was following after Hector's will… but that wasn't the will of the gods,"
"Ledah?" Ein asked with a rise of an eyebrow.
"Time is of the essence," Ledah said the phrase he usually said, and Ein felt relieved that the old Ledah that he knew was back, the Ledah that wouldn't hurt him in any way. "You have to go after her,"
"But what about you?" he asked, biting his lower lip and frowning in worry.
"I will be fine," Ledah said. "I am Ledah, a Grim Angel. I will not fall here,"
Ein stared, and Rose finally bit his hand, telling him that Ledah is strong, and can manage on his own while they pursued Malice and prevented her from destroying the last Aquarium that protected Ursula.
"Ledah," Ein said as he got up and stared at his friend. "I believe in you. I always have, and always will," he said, "So believe in me, and wait for me until I fulfill our promise,"
Ledah looked at him, and nodded in dismissal, before he smiled wryly at himself.
"You have fulfilled your promise… Ecthel,"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
They were a little too late to stop Malice from destroying the last Aquarium, but they were successful at hurting her a little so she needed time to recover before she could actuate the Retribution, because, as far as Ein had known, she lacked another soul or two to break the seal.
"Why you…" Malice had looked so angry. Angry at him and angry at herself for not being able to fulfill her master's command. She got up and took her Diviner.
"I'll let you have the honor and become a sacrifice for Seth's resurrection!" Malice shouted as she swung her axe towards Ein who was too shocked to move away.
"Oh no you don't," there was a single silent voice that spoke the phrase, before all Ein could see was red. The redness of Ledah's clothes, the dark redness of his wings, and the redness of his blood.
"Ledah!" Ein shouted hysterically as he ran over to his friend's side.
"Tch," Malice clicked her tongue before she retreated for the time being.
"Ledah! Why did you do that?" he demanded angrily as hot tears started to well at the corner of his eyes. Getting one hit was bad enough, and he was sure that even Ledah couldn't withstand two.
"Because… you are the only one… who is fit to… carry out the will… of the gods," Ledah said through ragged breathing. He was holding onto Lorelei for support.
"But- but why me?" Ein asked. "Why did you protect me?" at this, the tears he had tried so hard to suppress finally broke free.
"Familiar," Ledah said as he turned to Rose. "You asked me once… what I lost… for my Diviner,"
Rose's ears perked up at this.
"And you asked me… as well, Ein," Ledah added, and Ein nodded. "It was… my emotions,"
Rose looked shocked. It was evident from its bulging eyes. Ein didn't look far away from how Rose had looked. He hadn't expected that.
"I lost my emotions… so that I could get Lorelei… and be able to… carry out any mission," Ledah explained. "But I know… I was wrong,"
"Ledah?" Ein asked as he frowned, holding his friend's body with both of his hands, getting his gloves drenched in Ledah's blood.
"Without my emotions… I could no longer… doubt the command… like you did," Ledah said as he smiled wryly at Ein. "I was tricked… just like Malice…"
"Malice was tricked?" Ein asked, feeling curious all of a sudden. Why would Hector do all this?
"There is… no time… to explain it," Ledah said, and went into a coughing fit.
"Ledah!" Ein lunged forward and caught Ledah as he continued on coughing. "Breathe, Ledah, slowly,"
"Ein… Ecthel…" Ledah called.
Ein merely kept silent. He didn't like being called Ecthel, but maybe Ledah is an exception after all.
"I'm sorry… to have caused you… so much problem," he whispered softly. "Fare… well…"
"No, Ledah! I haven't fulfilled my promise to you!" Ein shouted as he shook Ledah's body, trying to keep the other boy conscious.
"You have, Ecthel," Ledah said softly. "You have become my feelings. Because of you… I was able to know… that Hector was… abusing his position,"
"Ledah…"
"And… you have… returned my feelings… to me," Ledah said, this time with a content smile. "Although it wasn't as blatant as happy… I was able to feel contented… whenever you're around,"
Rose looked away. It didn't want to see anymore of this. It'll forever be EIn's memories. The memories of a dear friend.
"While I wasn't able to… return your wings to you… you gave me my emotions back…" Ledah murmured. "Thank you,"
With that, he breathed his last breath, and closed his eyes, falling into a peaceful and eternal slumber.
"Ledah?" Ein asked as he shook Ledah's body, the tears that had dried up when he talked with Ledah now became visible again as he cried silently.
"Ledah…? Ledah?" he called out as he continued to shake Ledah's body, while Rose tried to hold back its tears from flowing out freely from its eyes.
"Ledaaaaaaaaaaah!"
I will be the Thing You Lost
Finished at last. Whew, it took so much out of me, but I wasn't even sure if it's good. So please leave a comment. A constructive criticism is appreciated, but I will not take a double look at a flame that wasn't based at anything at all.
I love getting criticism that help me write better, but I hate flames that just came out of nowhere saying "You suck" without saying why. Damn. Did they even read my fics?
Oh anyway, hope you enjoy. And don't forget, please leave a comment