Ariels POV

Where am I...?

I squinted and shielded my eyes. It's so bright...

After my eyes adjusted I realized I was...standing in front of large golden gates.

"Huh...?" I whispered, looking down at myself.

I was wearing a long white robe, and that's when I realized my back felt extremely heavy.

I looked behind me, seeing I had two large white wings.

"What..." I breathed out.

I turned in circles, looking for someone, anyone.

"Hello?" I called, my voice echoing.

There was silence, and I walked around a bit. For as far as I could see it was just...clouds. White, fluffy clouds.

"Um...is anyone there?" I called again, my voice once again echoing.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when there was an answer.

"This way, child," came a male voice. It sounded familiar...

I turned around, looking for the person it was attached to. It seemed to have come from the gates, that were now slowly opening.

"This way..." the voice spoke again, except now it sounded layered. The male voice was the most prominent, but beneath it seemed to be many other voices.

I took a few steps towards the gates, my brows turned up in concern.

"Who are you...? Where am I?"

A large ball of light appeared at the entrance of the gates. I blinked, staring at it. It looked almost like the sun, except it didn't hurt my eyes to look at it.

For a moment we just stared at each other in silence, me and this orb.

"What are you?" I said quietly. I'd be surprised if it even heard me.

Yet a soft chuckle sounded. The voice seemed to be all around me, yet also focused at the orb.

"I AM, my child...what are you?" It returned my question.

I took a few more steps towards it. We were a few feet away now, and I stared up at it. The light was almost...captivating.

"Who's voice is that...I recognize that voice..." I barely even spoke, ignoring the question it asked. My hand slowly reached out towards the light.

"It's the voice of whoever you love the most...your most cherished connection earthly or otherwise."

It's so familiar...

"But...I-I can't...I don't even know who I am..." I breathed, unable to break my trance as my fingers barely touched the orb.

"Let me show you..." the voice said, and I gasped sharply when the orb grew, enveloping my sight and blinding me briefly.

Memories flashed all around me. Laughing. Little me, running around.

"Ariel!"

Ariel...that's me. My head swiveled, my body felt as if it were floating. I watched the memory of me as a child. My mother yanked me up off the floor after I'd fallen during a dance lesson, screaming at me.

I pursed my lips, turning away from the memory.

Next I heard laughing, my ears tuning into the noise. I turned to face the new memory.

It was me with one of my highschool friends. We were singing karaoke. She and I fell out of touch...

But I loved that day.

I smiled, going from memory to memory. Slowly my life pieced together before my eyes, my memories returning to me as I found them.

I had just finished a memory of my boss promoting me when that voice rang out again.

"Hello!"

I turned around with a smile, ready to greet the orb once again but I froze. It wasn't the orb.

It was another memory...

I floated over to it, watching as it played. It was me in my room, staring at...a man. Wait...

Memory me screamed suddenly, and then I watched as the man waved his hand, causing my scream to mute.

A laugh bubbled up my throat at the sight of my wide eyed expression.

My hands pressed against the memory, the surface feeling almost like thick sand. It rippled beneath my palms.

The memory slowly disappeared, and I heard the voice once again, behind me.

"You look beautiful...I mean that..."

I turned around and once again there was that man. But he looks different...in the first one he didn't look...human.

Now he does.

Suddenly, all around me memories erupted. His voice filled every inch of the white void I was floating in. Images of him.

Images of me.

Of us.

Together.

I smiled, spinning around at the burst of memories. It was all one big jumble of noise until one memory stood out from all the rest.

I stared at it.

It seemed brighter than the rest, and was of me in my living room, crying in the dark.

**

That familiar chill swept through the air as the demon popped up in my living room.

"Darling I—!"

His voice cut off. I didn't care. I'd had such a shitty day, and of course he's here to make it worse.

I swear all this demon seems to do is make fun of me.

"Darling?"

His footsteps approached the couch and I curled up, facing away from him.

"What do you want." I sniffed.

"I'm here for our visit!" He said enthusiastically.

When his tone didn't earn the giggle I would usually produce, I felt his energy shift. The weight on the couch shifted as he took the empty space I wasn't occupying.

"What's the matter?"

His tone surprised me. He didn't sound snarky or condescending like usual. I sniffed and turned to face him.

"I had a bad day..." I said softly, expecting him to ridicule me.

"Ah, we all have a rainy day, darling...how about you sit up and dry those tears for me, hm? Come here and we'll talk about it,"

I looked at him, wondering what the catch was. But his eyes were soft, he looked...serious.

Slowly I sat up, sniffing once again as I faced him.

He was still wearing that wide smile, but something felt different. He looked less psychotic and more...genuine.

He tsk'd, pulling a handkerchief from his front coat pocket. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me forward, making my eyes widen as I nearly fell into him.

He wiped my eyes, then held it to my nose. I looked up at him curiously, blowing my nose. He firmly wiped away the snot before incinerating the rag in his hand.

"Now then, cher...tell me about this awful day that has you so out of sorts..."

So I did. I told him how my boss screamed at me in front of the entire office. I told him how I'd dropped my files into a puddle. I told him how I'd spilled coffee on my favorite blouse, which I was still wearing.

He removed the stain.

And once I'd finished my rant, it seemed all my bad feelings had gone away. I felt...better.

I looked up at him, and his smile was softer. He rubbed my back gently and I found myself blushing at the simple action.

Is this true friendship...?

Or is he playing with me again...

"Do we feel better?" He asked suddenly, making me jump.

"Y-yes...thank you..."

He hummed, "it's only my absolute pleasure, my darling...and for Pete's sake, woman put some damn clothes on!" He exclaimed and I arched an eyebrow.

"I'm wearing clothes...?" I said, confused.

He tsk'd once again.

"My dear, you are utterly indecent...where's that gorgeous smile at? You're never fully dressed without one!" he said with flare.

Slowly a smile crept up my cheeks and I hid my face, laughing slightly. That was so stupid, I can't help but laugh.

He chuckled in return.

Then he stood up, heading towards the center of my living room like how he does when he's going to leave.

"Well, my dear, I believe I've fulfilled—"

"Wait!"

He paused, turning halfway to face me.

"What...what's your name?" I asked him.

His smile widened.

He spun around, "Alastor, darling, and yours?" He purred, lowering his eyelids.

I simply smiled at him, rolling my eyes at the return of his boisterous confidence.

"It's nice to formally meet you, Alastor...

I'm Ariel."

**

I gasped sharply, feeling as if I were thrown back once the memory was over. My body no longer felt like it was floating, instead like it was falling.

I landed on my feet, my fall cushioned by the soft clouds all around. After stumbling slightly, I stood up, searching frantically.

"Alastor!" I shouted, searching.

"Where are you...!" I spun around, and finally I found the gates again. I sprinted towards them, and the ball of light slowly appeared once more.

"Hello again," said his voice, sounding amused. It wasn't condescending though...more like playful. It almost felt...paternal in a way.

It was confusing me hearing Alastor's voice come from this orb.

"Where's Alastor? Where am I?" I asked, becoming more and more distressed.

"Calm down...it's all ok. He's fine. You're fine...but my child you have a choice...your soul is not tainted. These gates only open to those who are worthy..."

It was then I realized where I was.

And also who I was talking to.

"My child..." the voice became layered once again, the several voices creating an echo.

My eyes widened.

"Would you like to come home?"