Sorry, everyone! With everything that's gone on this week, I've had little time to write. It's the first time that I've missed the deadline, so please forgive me! XD
Review response: Yes, in fact, the idea about the star of our life is from Negima! by Ken Akamatsu. That line was one of the most inspiring lines he's had, so I couldn't resist the urge to put it in.
Anyway, RiviPSP: I've finished Mireno Cemetery! I feel like I'm going through quite quickly. I haven't started on Yggdrasil yet. Well, this chapter's long enough already, so I'll stop talking here. Enjoy the extra-long and extra-steamy chapter! In fact, I believe this is the longest chapter to date XD
--
As the sun began its descent into the horizon, Ein carried a resting Soala towards the family house while Ledah carried the worried Cierra, following Ein. Serene and Lina followed behind them. The three of them made their descent quietly and entered the house without a word.
Ein made his way to the living room and lay Soala down on the couch. Cierra followed quickly and sat down where Soala's head would rest before Ein could set her head down. Ein looked at her quizzically but understood and set Soala's head in Cierra's lap. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
"I can eat in a bit," Cierra replied. "I'm more concerned about Soala, though." She pulled both Soala's and her hat and set both down next to her feet and gently caressed Soala's cheek.
"Um, I think Soala's fine," Ein reassured her. "She seems pretty exhausted, though. Well, anyway, eat whenever you're ready." He pulled all the weapons they were using for training that day and set them down in a corner, and then left the living room to join the others in the dining room.
"…and so, we really didn't get much training done." Serene was talking to Fia about the events at the forest while Fia was resting. Ein entered and looked around. CoCo seemed busy cooking in the kitchen, hurriedly cutting food and tending to the stove. Ledah was talking with Rose in the corner in a voice too soft to hear. Lina hopped her way to a fruits basket and made off with an applecot. Ein decided to help CoCo with the cooking and walked over to the kitchen.
"Hey, CoCo," Ein greeted as he entered. "You seem kinda busy."
CoCo glanced up from the cutting board. "You have too many friends, Master Ein," she answered. "How was your day?"
"It's been one heck of a day." Ein chuckled and headed over to the stove. He stirred the thick red-orange mixture in the pot. "We need more time to rest and relax lately."
"That's for sure," CoCo agreed. "I need some time for R&R myself." She picked up the cutting board and carried it to the pot to dump its contents in. "Especially when I have to take care of so many of you."
"Maybe you should get another fairy to help you," Ein suggested, glancing around the kitchen at the food spills and unprepared food. "You're going to have your hands full if you're on your own."
CoCo pondered the thought for a moment. "That might not be such a bad idea!" She cleaned off a fish using tap water. "Maybe I should. Do you have any ideas who?"
Ein gave her a sideways glance. "You know, there's a fairy that's always floating outside our door telling people that this is Lina, Fia, and Ein's house," he reminded her. "Don't you think she could do a lot more than that?"
Coco thought for a moment and scraped the scales off the fish in silence. She spoke after about half a minute. "Hey, that's right! Wow, I never thought of that, because I usually just fly right by her."
Ein grinned sheepishly. "I do too sometimes." He grabbed a fish himself and copied CoCo's actions. "But if all she ever did was tell people this is our house, do you think she'd be any useful at housework?"
"Never know until you try," CoCo recited. "And never judge a book by its cover." She giggled. "I'll talk to her tomorrow. Do you know her name?"
"Uh…" Ein thought hard. "No, I don't think she's ever told me her name. You know, now that I think of it, there's usually one fairy floating somewhere just explaining to people where they are." He finished scraping off the scales and put his fish next to CoCo's on the plate.
"Two fish should be enough," CoCo mumbled, filling a pot partially with water. She put a metal stand inside and rested the plate with the fish on top, above the water, and then turned on the stove's flame. "Anyway, what about that fairy you rescued way back then at Heaven's Gate? NoNo, I think it was?"
"You could talk to her too," Ein agreed. "Although I feel like she won't be much help." He got out a second cutting board and knife and began to cut the vegetables on a plate nearby. "Besides, she seems a bit… different from the other fairies."
"How so?" CoCo placed a chunk of meat on her cutting board and began to remove the fat. "She looks exactly like us."
"Well, for one, she jokes around a lot. And well, a lot of her jokes are… shall we say, sexual." Ein swept the cut vegetables back into the plate and began to cut more. "Do you get what I mean?"
CoCo was silent as she took a frying pan out and poured a bit of oil on it and put it on the stove. "I guess… but how would you know that?"
"I talk to her every so often," Ein answered nervously. He finished cutting the vegetables and put them near the frying pan that CoCo had gotten ready. He picked up a chunk of dough. "What's this for?" he asked.
"Oh, that's for baking cookies later," CoCo said. "Anyway, I've heard Lina and Serene call you a pervert before, but I didn't really understand why. But now I think I do."
"Don't get the wrong idea," Ein cried, putting down the cookie dough. "After being with her for a day or so, you'll probably feel the same way."
"We'll see," CoCo replied, a twinkle in her eye. "You're so fun to tease sometimes, Master Ein." She giggled at Ein's blank gaze. "Oh, nevermind. Take the plates and utensils out and tell the others that dinner's ready."
Ein nodded as he pondered what CoCo just said. As he exited the kitchen holding several plates with forks and knives set on top, he decided to not think about it. He put the stack of plates down on the dining room table and set them around the table as best he could. "Dinner's just about ready," he told everyone as he made his way back into the kitchen.
Fia was still talking to Serene about the events of the day, but looked up and watched Ein walk back towards the kitchen. Serene looked at her and smiled. "Isn't it great to have a boyfriend who does all he does?" she winked.
Fia quickly snapped her attention back to Serene and flushed a deep red. "I-it's not like that!" she stammered. "Ein and I, we're—"
Serene placed a finger on Fia's lips, quieting her, grinning knowingly. "You don't need to deny it, Fia," she whispered. "Ever since you two made up after that misunderstanding, you've been much closer to him. I can tell just by looking at you two together." She took her finger off Fia's lips.
Fia flushed even deeper red. "B-but, can I already think of him as a boyfriend?" she asked. "I'm worried that that might move things along too quickly."
"Don't worry about it," Serene reassured her. "It's enough to be boyfriend and girlfriend as long as you two love each other. It's what matters, right?"
Fia nodded. "Thanks, Serene." She glanced around to find that no one was listening to their conversation. "So, what about you and Lina?" she asked.
"Huh?" Serene's cheeks began to turn red while Fia's returned to their natural color. "What do you mean?"
"Aren't you and Lina like Ein and me now?" Fia pressed, a mischievous look on her face. "Does that mean she's your girlfriend too?"
Serene's face turned a deeper shade of pink. "Ah… I guess that's right," she confessed, sighing. "I guess that makes me and Ein pretty similar."
"Huh?" Fia looked confused.
"We both like girls," Serene answered almost casually, laughing softly. "It's kinda funny, isn't it?"
Fia nodded nervously. "And to think you and Lina were arguing every minute just a couple years ago. It's almost unbelievable. But remember, I'm only for Ein, okay?"
Serene giggled. The red color had left her face. "Don't worry, I don't have any plans to try to steal you away from him." She looked up to see Ein enter the dining room again, this time carrying two plates of food. "Looks like it's time to eat!" She headed towards the table, leaving behind Fia, who just watched blankly, deep in thought. Lina joined Serene, jumping around her excitedly and throwing questions at her, but Serene seemed to just keep walking. After a moment, Fia shook herself out of her reverie and joined the others at the table.
Ein entered the dining room again with another two plates of food to find everyone sitting down around the table. Lina sat at one end, with Serene on one adjacent corner and Rose on the other. Ledah sat beside Rose, and Fia had her seat by Serene. Cierra and Soala were nowhere to be found. Ein looked around, then shrugged and set the food down and took his place at the other end of the table, between Fia and Ledah and across from Lina.
"CoCo's an amazing cook," Ein remarked. "I'm amazed that she doesn't work for a salary."
Fia giggled. "We don't use money here, Ein. Haven't you noticed?"
"Yeah, we trade other things!" Serene added. "Rocks, minerals, fish, just about anything!"
"If you don't use money, then how do you know what money is?" Ledah asked.
"I was just wondering the same thing," Ein said.
"Well, we sprites know a bit about Asgard and their currency system," Fia informed them. "It seems very interesting. Maybe we should use something like that too."
"What are you all babbling about?" Lina interrupted. "Come on, the food's getting cold, and Lina's hungry!"
Ein chuckled. "Yeah, let's eat."
---
Cierra listened to the commotion next door as she sat with Soala's peacefully sleeping head on her lap. Soala's lips were curled upwards in a slight smile, and she rested on her back. One arm rested on her stomach, and the other had dropped and dangled towards the floor. Cierra smiled as she watched the sleeping beauty.
"Thank you…" Cierra whispered, so quietly that no one more than a meter away could hear. "Thank you for believing in yourself, Soala." Her next sentence was barely audible even a foot away. "And thank you for returning my feelings…"
With nothing to do and slightly bored, Cierra began to trace invisible patterns on Soala's clothes with her finger. Absentmindedly, her finger traced its way over Soala's waist, circled around her midsection several times, then traced slowly up her chest and between her breasts. Cierra suddenly realized where her finger was and pulled away quickly, blushing slightly, but soon after found her hand in the same spot, tracing around Soala's soft breasts.
Soala moaned softly, causing Cierra to jerk her hand away again, but the moaning stopped as soon as she did. After a moment of nervous silence, Cierra could hear Soala's soft mumbling voice. "Cierra… vv you… I…" Cierra couldn't make out most of the words because Soala's lips stayed mostly closed.
Slowly, Cierra brought her hand up to Soala's face and caressed gentle patterns on her cheek. Unconsciously, Soala's hand that had been resting on the floor rose and held onto the hand that was brushing against her cheek. Cierra seemed surprised for a second, but the surprise disappeared and she smiled and continued her brushes on Soala's cheek, dragging along Soala's hand. She nervously looked around, and relaxed when she confirmed that no one else was in the room and that there was still a commotion in the neighboring room.
Cierra turned her attention back to Soala and caressing her cheeks. With her free hand, she gently brushed away a few strands of light blue hair that had fallen on Soala's face. Cierra gently cupped Soala's cheek with her palm, and Soala unconsciously placed her own hand over Cierra's and smiled, seemingly enjoying the touch. Soala moaned softly again, and Cierra smiled at the gentle sound.
Suddenly, Soala sprung up from her resting spot and semi-tackled Cierra with her whole body, throwing her arms around Cierra's neck, taking her so completely by surprise that Cierra was knocked down onto her back, with Soala pressing down on her with the front of her body. Soala propped herself up on her arms and smiled as she looked down at Cierra's shocked expression.
"W-wha?" Cierra finally whispered, trying to keep her voice low despite the noise in the neighboring room and her own surprise. "You were awake?"
Soala grinned. "Well, you kinda sorta woke me up," she replied, slowly letting her body back down onto Cierra's. Cierra gasped slightly for breath, as the sudden attack had dramatically increased her circulation rate. Soala brought her face so close that they almost touched. "Is this bad?"
Cierra looked into Soala's eyes for a moment, searching for any sign of harmful intent and, finding none, smiled and placed her own arms on Soala's back. "No," she whispered. "I'm glad you're okay." She closed her eyes and sighed. "So glad…" She applied gentle pressure to Soala's back, and Soala responded by lowering her body further with her head to the side to avoid hitting their heads together.
"I'm sorry to have worried you," Soala said. "Was I unconscious long?" She pressed her chest on Cierra's, mingling their body heat together.
"Well, I think the others should be eating dinner by now, so it's been quite a while," Cierra answered. Her eyes stayed closed as she took in the full feel of Soala's body pressing against hers, making her body heat up. She could feel Soala's body also heating up.
Soala looked slightly surprised. "Aren't you hungry? You don't have to wait for me, you know." She toyed with Cierra's long red hair with a wandering hand, giggling softly at the light tingle caused by the heat from Cierra's body.
"It's okay," Cierra reassured her. "You're more important to me anyway. Are you feeling hungry at all? You really gave it your all out there."
Soala nodded. "Yeah, I'd like a bit to eat. But Cierra..." her voice trailed off.
"M-hm?"
"Can we stay like this just a bit longer?"
Cierra smiled and gave a soft "mm" and small nod of affirmation and ran her hands up and down on Soala's back, making Soala moan softly. Soala propped herself back up on her elbows, bringing their faces close together. After a moment of looking into each other's eyes, Cierra slowly closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly. Soala brought her own lips towards Cierra's, closing her eyes as they made contact. The kiss lasted a few seconds, after which Soala pulled back reluctantly, breathing heavily. Below her, Cierra was also breathing heavily and smiling. They stayed in that position for about a minute, and then Soala pushed herself off of Cierra's body and sat up. Cierra stood up and placed their witch hats on the couch where she had been sitting. She offered a hand to Soala, who smiled, took it, and let Cierra lead her towards the dining room to join in the commotion.
---
"CoCo, these cookies are really good!" Ein remarked.
Cierra and Soala had joined the group in the dining room about an hour earlier, and everyone had finished eating dinner since. CoCo had also finished baking the cookies and was enjoying them with everyone else in the dining room, along with a basket of fruit.
"Why, thank you," CoCo replied, blushing happily. "This is one of my favorite recipes! I'm glad you like it."
Lina popped an entire cookie into her mouth. "Mm!"
Fia looked worried. "Lina, you'll choke if you do that!"
"Don't worry about it," Serene told her. Fia glanced at her in surprise, but Serene just winked. "She's used to it anyways. Nothing's going to happen."
Fia sighed. "Serene, you're a bit too carefree." She took a nibble of the cookie in her hand. "But these cookies are good. You have to teach me the recipe sometime, CoCo."
CoCo looked surprised. "I thought you don't like desserts anymore, Fia. I mean, ever since Ein came down to Riviera, you've been skipping them… oh, should I not have said that?" She looked nervously at Fia's glare. "Um, nevermind…"
Rose giggled from her spot. "Yeah, I remember hearing about that." She took a bite out of a cookie. "But I think these are irresistible, even to the most determined of dieters." Ledah watched in silence and bit into an applecot. Rose looked at him in confusion. "Don't you want to try the cookies, Ledah? They're delicious."
"I'm not too fond of sweets," Ledah replied. "I prefer natural foods. They're better for the body." He finished up the applecot and grabbed a banango from the basket. "This should be enough for me."
"I can't really say I'm surprised," Serene remarked. "There's gotta be some way he keeps in such good shape, after all."
Fia cleared her throat. "Serene?" She extended the second syllable for a full second.
"Oh, oops, sorry!" Serene grinned widely and winked as a tease.
Cierra reached out and got herself a cookie and broke it in half. "Here, Soala." Soala held out her hand, but Cierra pulled away. "No, no, say 'ah.'"
Soala blushed bright pink. "But that's embarrassing!" she protested. "I—" she was cut off when Cierra pushed the cookie half into her mouth. Soala released a sigh of resignation and bit into the cookie. "Wow, it really is good!"
Cierra bit into the part that Soala had just bitten from. "I agree entirely," she commented. "These are the best I've ever tried." She offered the piece to Soala again, who didn't hesitate this time and plucked the rest of the piece out of Cierra's hand.
Ein glanced out the window at the darkening sky. "Well, it seems to be getting late," he said. "It's about time to clean up now." With that, he picked up all the used plates from everyone, stacked them up, and went to the kitchen with all the forks and knives. A clatter could be heard from the kitchen after a moment. "You sure used a lot of stuff here," Ein's voice called from the kitchen.
"Um, yeah, I didn't have time to clean up yet," CoCo called back sheepishly. She got up and sighed, carrying a cookie that was just about as tall as she was. "Time to finish up then! You guys should get some rest." Everyone watched as she flew off towards the kitchen.
Serene broke the short stunned silence. "Now, wasn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?"
Lina perked up. "What?"
"Yes," Fia agreed. "It isn't often that you see something like that, even in Elendia."
"You guys sure are lucky to have a maid fairy," Rose remarked. "It seems like not much would get done without her here."
Cierra giggled. "That's true. I'm very grateful for fairies too." Soala nodded in agreement.
Lina pouted. "Serene said CoCo was cute?"
Serene winked and ruffled Lina's hair. "Yep." Lina drooped her head and was silent.
Rose chuckled at the scene. "Oh dear, oh dear." She rose from her chair. "Well, Ein's right. We should be getting some rest soon."
Ledah rose to follow her. "Thank you very much for allowing me to freeload here." The two of them left the dining room and headed for the living room.
"I guess I'll be spending the night here too," Serene added. "Is that okay with you, Fia?"
"Of course! You two have fun together." Fia winked, causing Serene to blush very deeply and Lina to glance between the two of them in confusion. Serene shook her head quickly and, with a wave, proceeded to drag Lina with her towards Lina's room.
"Looks like we'll be heading up too," Cierra added. "It's okay, right? I'll just sleep in the spare room like I did last night. Soala's staying, right, Soala?" She looked convincingly at her partner, who sighed again in resignation and nodded in agreement. Cierra smiled in satisfaction and turned back to Fia, who was looking at her quizzically, but decided not to ask.
"Go ahead," Fia agreed. "Um, you two have fun too, I guess." Soala blushed bright red in embarrassment, and Cierra just smiled and pulled her along.
Seems like the house will be packed tonight. Time to see how Ein's doing. Fia made her way to the kitchen, where Ein and CoCo were washing dishes together.
CoCo noticed her entry. "Ah, Fia, are you going to help me with the dishes too?"
Ein heard CoCo's greeting and looked up to smile at Fia. "It's okay, we're almost done anyway."
Fia picked up a dry cloth and began to dry off rinsed dishes. "It'll be faster if I help, right?" She stacked a few and brought them over to the counter beneath the cabinet.
"Thanks, Fia," Ein said. He finished rinsing off the last few plates and turned off the tap. He picked up another dry cloth to help with the drying while CoCo cleaned up the counter. Within minutes, the kitchen was clean.
"Thanks for everything, you two," CoCo said, bowing repeatedly. "It's not often that I get help with chores."
"Don't worry about it," Ein replied, patting CoCo on the head. "You worked very hard today. We should be thanking you." CoCo blushed with pleasure.
"Well, we'll be going to sleep then," Fia said. "You should get some rest too, CoCo."
"Oh, I'll be getting to sleep soon too," CoCo reassured her. "You two go on ahead." With a nod, Ein and Fia headed upstairs. CoCo watched them go, and then began organizing things in the kitchen.
Silently, Ein and Fia made their way up the stairs and stopped outside the door to Fia's room. "Well, good night," Ein said with a small wave and began to walk towards his room.
Fia reached out and grabbed Ein's sleeve. "Ein…"
Ein turned around. "Yes?"
"Um…" Fia's face began to turn red. "Ein, do… do you want to, um, sleep together tonight?" She looked down at the floor in embarrassment.
"Huh?" The red color seemed to spread to Ein's face. "Um, I don't mind, but…"
"Okay then!" Fia smiled happily up at him. Some of the red color left her face, leaving it tinted pink. "Go change and come back here, okay?"
Ein paused for a moment, and then nodded. As he headed off towards his room, Fia watched his back for a few seconds, and then disappeared into her room. She opened her closet, took a look inside, then shook her head and stripped down to her underwear and placed the clothes neatly in a basket half-full of clothing. She got under the covers on the bed and, after a few seconds of waiting, began to shiver.
A few minutes passed in silence, and then the door softly creaked open. Ein entered, bathed in the moonlight from the window, wearing simple pull-on pajamas and carrying both his Oracion and Fia's Needle of Light. Fia watched him enter from her spot in the bed, while doing her best to appear to be asleep. Ein placed the weapons down in the corner and slowly made his way over to the bed where Fia lay. Fia's eyes opened wide and took in the full scene in front of her, almost breathless.
"Hey, are you still awake?" Ein whispered. "I thought you were asleep already."
Fia appeared overcome by amazement. The moonlight shimmered off Ein's wings, giving off dim sparkles of light from the tips. "Ein…" she finally managed. "You… you look so beautiful."
Fia couldn't see the faint blush that appeared on Ein's face. "Um, thank you, I guess." He lifted the covers slightly and slid under, folding his wings behind him. Fia recovered from her reverie when Ein's wings disappeared under the covers and turned her attention to him. She realized she was still shivering from the cold and gently placed her hands around Ein's neck, pulling him closer to her so she could feel the full warmth of his body.
"You're warm," Fia commented under her breath. She pulled him close enough for much of their bodies to come in contact. "I feel kind of cold."
Ein nodded and closed his eyes. His own arms made their way around Fia's waist, but the texture caused his eyes to spring open. "Fia, are you wearing anything?" he asked nervously.
"I'm down to my underwear," Fia answered, blushing. "It's okay, right?"
Ein blushed a bright red that almost made his face glow in the dark. "Um, y-yeah," he stammered after a moment. "I guess I should too, then."
"What?" Fia looked at him quizzically, and then heard rustling under the blanket. Nervously, she released her hold on him and pulled away slightly. Suddenly, she saw Ein throw something out from under the covers. After a bit more rustling, he threw a second object out, and the rustling stopped. "What are you doing?"
"Now we're the same," Ein whispered. Fia looked confused and felt around his body, then realized what he had done.
"You didn't have to," Fia protested, blushing madly.
"It's okay," Ein said, smiling. "Besides, we'll be warmer like this." He took Fia into his arms again, and this time Fia pressed a bit harder into his body. Ein rolled so he was on his back, his wings flat out. Fia followed up and rested on top of him with her head on his bare chest. Her arms were still around his neck, and his still around her waist.
"I've wanted to be like this with you for a long time, Ein," Fia whispered. She slid towards Ein's head and propped herself up on her elbows so that she was face-to-face with him. The moonlight illuminated Ein's face, on which Fia saw a gentle, accepting smile. "It's okay, right?" Ein nodded and slowly narrowed his eyes. Fia slowly lowered her face and connected her lips with his, squeezing her eyes shut as she made contact. Ein's eyes closed as he took in Fia's kiss. The moonlight shined on Fia's face, revealing a shy blush.
After a moment, Fia pulled away slowly and breathed in deep. Ein's eyes opened slowly. He gently pulled Fia toward him and playfully licked at Fia's earlobe. Fia giggled. "It tickles," she said. She reached a hand to the side and fluffed a few feathers on Ein's wing. She plucked one off, causing Ein to wince slightly. She took the feather and brushed it slowly on Ein's neck, making him moan quietly.
Ein's mouth slowly made its way to Fia's neck and began to suck playfully in random places. The feather brushing stopped and Fia closed her eyes, moaning with pleasure. A slight tremble ran through her body as Ein looked for the most sensitive spot to toy with. Ein's hands roamed randomly across her back. He found a vein and gently bit it. It was all Fia could do to keep from melting then and there. Her body began to heat up as she herself began to brush the feather across Ein's chest, causing slight tremors in his body. She herself toyed with Ein's neck with her mouth and quickly found the spot she wanted, and proceeded to work gently at it, causing more tremors to go through him.
After a minute or so of sucking on Fia's vein, Ein released his hold on her neck and made his way up towards her face. Fia noticed the change and stopped her work, while continuing her brushing motion with the feather. Slowly, their mouths connected again for about half a minute.
Fia released her hold on Ein's mouth after a moment to breathe in. She then slid back down slightly and rested her head on Ein's chest. Ein breathed in and then ran his hand up and down across Fia's back. In the darkness, he suddenly heard Fia's soft voice. "Ein… um…" Fia fidgeted with her hands nervously, while Ein watched her patiently. "Um, can I… bear your child?" she finally managed, almost choking with nervousness, avoiding Ein's gaze.
Ein looked shocked for a moment as the question echoed repeatedly in his head. He seemed to think about it for a minute. "Mm," he grunted in agreement and nodded, smiling gently as Fia turned her gaze towards him.
Fia appeared to be in a daze for a full minute, simply staring into his eyes. The minute passed, and she rolled off and undid her underwear. As a tease, she brushed her panties across Ein's chest, making him blush madly. Fia giggled and tossed both pieces of her underwear at the laundry basket. Ein followed suit and chucked his own underwear at his pajamas that lay on the floor since he threw them there earlier. Fully naked, Fia made her way back into Ein's embrace.
About half an hour later, Fia lay on Ein's body, fully exhausted and spent, gasping for breath and still tingling with pleasure. Ein lay under her doing the same. After a moment, Ein brushed at Fia's hair and down her back. Slight trembles escaped Fia's control, and she huddled so her head was just under his chin. She closed her eyes slowly as she drifted off, smiling happily. Ein's hand movements slowed as he also began to drift off. They completely stopped as he fell asleep, smiling with contentment, less than a minute later.
---
Ein slowly opened his eyes. He was floating, suspended, in a swirl of many shades of blue with some white spots. He shook his head. "So I'm here again," he remarked. He stood up, suspended by the strange energy, and waited for someone to appear.
Before long, the same fairy as before appeared, still completely naked. "Oh, you're awake already. Hold on, Ursula will be here in a jiffy." The fairy vanished in a flash of white light, and moments later, Ursula appeared before him again, with a similar flash of light.
"Ah, it is the guardian of Riviera again," Ursula said. "There is something I feel I must inform you of."
"What's that?" Ein asked.
Suddenly, another flash of white light appeared, and as it faded, Ein could make out Malice's figure. "Hey there again, kid."
"Hello, Malice," Ein greeted cordially. "Is there something important that I need to know?"
Malice hit him on the head with her fist. "You're really impatient sometimes, kid." She shook her head.
Ein rubbed the spot where he received the blow. "The head again. Funny, I can actually feel some pain."
"Of course," Ursula affirmed. "I told you this before. We're in an alternate dimension. It is not your dream. However, at the same time, you have not moved from your position in Riviera."
Ein scratched his head. "That's confusing."
"Forget it," Malice told him. "We're not here to teach you about this place. Besides, even if we tried, it would be years before you understood what this place is."
"Okay, I won't ask about it then."
"All right, so here is the warning you should take to heart," Ursula said. "Orion has been amassing the Grim Angels together, as you should know by now. However, he seems to have sent a small squad of about three angels down already, and they are making their way to Elendia."
"What?" Ein cried. "So, he's trying a surprise attack?"
"That or a pre-emptive strike, whatever you want to call it," Malice continued. "We've been watching Orion very closely. The squad he sent down is almost through Heaven's Gate already, and their target should be Elendia, because Yggdrasil is nearby. Now, considering how quickly they're moving, they will most likely make it to Elendia tomorrow morning."
"Oh man," Ein grumbled.
"Ein, be careful," Ursula advised. "This squad is fairly small, so it is very likely that it consists of elite angels."
"Of course, there's every possibility that this is just a decoy and Orion just sent a squad of newbies, but if you think about it, there's no way he knows we can see what he's doing and can contact you," Malice added.
"Yeah, that's true," Ein agreed.
"Don't dawdle too long tomorrow, alright?" Malice said. She ruffled Ein's head. "You can do this, right?"
Ein looked at her questioningly. That look soon disappeared and was replaced by one of determination. "Yes."
"Be careful, Ein," Ursula repeated. "It seems convenient that all your friends are staying over at your house. If you decide to fight, try to keep the damage outside of the village."
"I understand." Ein nodded and bowed. "Thank you very much for the warning. It's probably going to save someone's life."
Malice chuckled. "Well, well. Looks like I saved someone's life. How ironic."
"All right," Ursula said. "It is time we all returned. But before we do, let me introduce you to the maintenance fairy that you have met a couple times already."
The fairy appeared in a flash of light, completely naked as usual. "Pleased to meet you! I'm sorry I haven't had the time to introduce myself. I'm BoBo!"
"BoBo is in charge of keeping everything in order here," Ursula explained. "She also serves as a messenger between this room and where we usually are."
"I see," Ein said, bowing in BoBo's direction. "Nice to meet you too."
"We should not spend too much time here," Ursula stated. "Let's all go back now." Ein was blinded by a flash of light that illuminated the whole room, and then he blacked out.
--
A/N: Whew! I apologize to everyone again about taking so long with this. I've missed the deadline by a day…
Yeah, I'm avoiding putting in a sex scene, because this fiction is rated T after all, and I'd like to keep it that way. Use your imagination… if you really want… XD
I feel like I'm getting kinda better at writing those long love/romance scenes. I think I still have a long way to go, tho'… I wonder if I should write something M rated? Haha, I'm still 17, tho' XD
On the next chapter of The White Wings:
Chapter 27: Surprise Attack! (Release on August 19, 2007)
The angel squad arrives the next morning, and Ein and company have to meet the challenge!