Rachel's Pov...
I paced calmly across the smooth, white road, Grell scrambling up behind me. "Do please slow down, Ray!" He called and I craned my neck to glance over my shoulder. "The more you worry about falling through the cloud, Grell, the easy you'll slip through." I replied with a stoic expression. He had been following me this whole time, but, first I hadn't noticed, until he reached the air and I had to help him stay. Sadly, he didn't understand that if you lose faith in walking on air, you'll eventually fall.
There was silence suddenly and I thought Grell had fallen through, taking a mouthful of cloud with him. Though, as I was about to turn around, I felt a hand on my shoulder and a warm breath against the side of my face. "I guess I should put more faith in you." He said and I rolled my eyes. "Not in me, in yourself." I replied and brushed his hand off my shoulder. Afterwards, I continued my walk, but, the silence we had quickly drowned in voices as we reached a silver gate.
Grell was gazing at it with a peculiar expression. "It's not the gates to Heaven or Hell." I said, reading his thoughts by his glance. "Heaven's gates are gold, Hell's gates are black." I added and he nodded faintly, jumping as a small window opened and a girl's face leaned from it.
"Who are you?" She asked, her short, dark hair falling into her face. "I've come to enter the great city Of Dark and Light." I replied in a monotone voice and she raised a brow at me, but, it quickly turned to a scowl. "The living aren't allowed, reapers. You drop souls off, not join them." She said with venom, assuming our species since Grell was standing behind me. Grell was about to protest to her tone, but, I clamped a hand over his mouth.
"I have come with word from Heaven's Ruler. And the reaper is my companion." I said, my tone soft. She huffed lightly and adjusted the red scarf around her mouth, her dark eyes gleaming as she glared at me. "Not another idiot, surprised you all still bother." She mumbled and waved us away with her hand. "I'll need proof, if you are one of his messengers." She said in a disgusted tone.
I felt my eye twitch and Grell's eyes widened, quickly he ducked from my grip and stepped back a good ways. "How dare you question a holy being!" I stated firmly and threw up my arms. "I am the messenger of the Heavens! How dare you question my orders!" I yelled, my fair wings sprouting from my back into their eighteen-foot length. My olive eyes began to glow a bright emerald as my voice fluctuated in depth. I narrowed my eyes with a firm, yet proud, expression on my face as I met her gaze once more.
"I have business and my business is my own, child. I am your elder and you are to respect my word and my will." I said, all the while Grell had fixed his eyes intently on the white ground, swallowing hard. She was frozen for a mere moment before she pulled her head back through the small window and the gates slowly creaked open.
I took a step forward, glancing to the small out placed box she sat in, I resisted the urge to sneer at her. "Grell." I called looking over my shoulder and he jumped slightly. "Come on." I said in a softer tone and he nodded, following after me. Though, as I continued my light trout, my wings folding back into my shoulders, I noticed Grell had given the girl a sharp, sinister looking grin. I couldn't help, but, smirk at that. She wouldn't dare question me, or him for that matter, again.
Grell quickly skimmed up to my side and glanced around, a small grin appeared on his face. "Finally solid ground." He mumbled beneath his breath and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips. "What's so funny, dear?" He asked with a questioning glance. "Nothing truly, it's just you. Everything is solid if you believe it to be." I replied and he made no response, just turned his head to the landscape.
"I still don't understand what you've dragged me into, Ray." He said sometime later, breaking the silence that surrounded us as we continued with a soft pace through a wooded area, up a large hill. "Where do we deposit souls, Grell?" I asked and he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "We don't. We leave them to Will or another manager to take to Afterlife." He replied and I nodded. "Then," I began as we reached the top of the mount. "I welcome you to Afterlife." I said and outstretched my hand, slowly waving it across the scenery before us.
Grell came to stand next to me, his mouth slightly ajar, and then his gaze stopped on me. "And what exactly are we doing here, dearest Ray?" He questioned a firm gaze on his face. My expression hardened as I lowered my gaze, my bangs shadowing my eyes as I faced the valley. "Regaining something I shouldn't have lost and completing business I shouldn't have ever needed to do." I replied in a low tone, a dark expression across my face.