Chapter Text
Gilbert took another look at the little book that he held in his hands with a small sigh. Children always annoyed him the worst. They always asked impossible questions and he never knew the right answers. There were a few children he regretted to take, they were bright and knew what he was. And that they were leaving the world behind. They didn’t ask such annoying questions, but were still sad until they were lead to the gates.
The Lord had a thing for children. It was bittersweet, to see them happily bound off for a place that he was never allowed to touch again. And only get glimpses of if he was lucky. But he was steadfast in his decision then and there was no room for regret now. Not with the one staring at him, he wasn’t sure why the other one was here. But this child was destined for Heaven, and he would not let the one before him stall his work.
“You sure you can’t spare this one,” the demon asked with a small sigh. Curled horns looked menacing even as the face that started into Gilbert’s own was bored. “I’m sure the Lord would forgive one little mishap. After all, look at you. You know how merciful He is.”
[[MORE]]“This child is going where the book says,” Gilbert replied, snapping it shut, tucking it back into his black robes. His hood was not yet up, so he didn’t shield his glare from the other. “How about you go find a victim that you can actually have influence over? You’re wasting both of our time.”
“Oh, that wounds me,” the demon said, pouting now, tail going back and forth lazily. “You know, you could have been a great de-“
“Shut up,” Gilbert snapped. He was irritated already because he had to take yet another child into Heaven and would most likely be bombarded with questions. He didn’t have the patience to deal with ‘could haves’ or ‘would haves’ of a past he couldn’t change. Not anymore anyway. “The kid is going to Heaven, I am taking her there, and you’re going to slink back down into that pit of yours and complain on how ‘oh the mean reaper wouldn’t give me one measly child’s soul’ and I’m sure Lucifer will hear every complaint.”
The demon snorted at that, and if anything, the pout grew larger, icy blue eyes looking like they were going to tear up. Crocodile tears worked on mortals, sure, but Gilbert was higher than that. Or so he liked to often think. This punishment didn’t dull his ego one bit, if anything, it made it sharper.
The time was drawing closer. Gilbert could hear the heartbeat. That was always the first sign. He didn’t have too much time to argue with this demon. He idly wondered where the Guardian was. Usually they liked to be around in their mortal’s last minutes, as well as the demon assigned to them to try to tempt them into hell. Sometimes souls were abandoned for another as soon as the reaper showed up, which Gilbert liked the best. He didn’t have to deal with any jabs at his fallen status or the fact that he would have to explain (again) to a demon that nothing could stop him from completing his task.
“You know Lucifer is too busy,” the demon pouted. “Even Satan is busy nowadays. You know, with the influx of souls and all. You seem to get the most that go into heaven though. Maybe you’ll be forgiven before the rest of them.”
“You know, Alfred,” Gilbert hissed, pulling down his hood, concealing his face, “you’re still the most annoying being in all of the 16 planes.”
“Oh~,” Alfred said, fake swooning. “Oh I thought you were Ivan’s~ I had no idea that you felt that way about me! The Great Reaper Gilbert has feelings for little old me! Oh I have to spread this around Hell!”
Gilbert sighed again, wishing the other would just… go away. Or even stop existing. It had been at least 50 years since he last had to deal with Alfred and he only wished that it had been longer. The heartbeat was growing slower. It really wouldn’t be long now. He could only hope that this little girl was a quiet one, but he wasn’t holding his breath. Luck was rarely on his side after all.
“Ivan’s going to be sooooo jealous,” Alfred continued, wings fluttering behind him. “I think he’ll be the one I’ll tell first!”
“Don’t you have something better to do,” Gilbert asked. “Like go after something you can actually get into Hell? I’m sure that a great demon like yourself should be able to get something out there. I mean, have you met your kin from after the Fall? They don’t know how to tempt worth shit.”
Alfred waved a hand, unconcerned. “Because you’re always the most fun to mess with! All the other Reapers lost their flare millennia ago. Do you know boring it is talking to a wall? It’s even more boring to talk to someone who can cry at a word.”
Some Reapers took the punishment worse than others, Gilbert heard stories, and only ran into another once where they had seen him and cried. It was always harder to see others with the same fate, of being forever cast out, but Gilbert was over it. Who could be lonely when he had all these mother fucking demons hounding after him and angels scorning him?
There it was, the final heartbeat. Gilbert looked down at the small child, she couldn’t be more than 3, and just stared at him, curious. Maybe this would go better than he thought. He reached an open palm out to her, the child looking at it questioningly before catching the sight of Alfred’s Cheshire grin and holding onto it desperately.
“Good child,” Gilbert cooed softly, leading her away. The path to Heaven opened before him, at least to the gates. “Come now. You will feel no pain here.”
The child didn’t look like she understood quite, but followed anyway, pressing up against Gilbert’s sides, gripping his robe with her other hand as Alfred leaned over her bed and now still, cooling body.
“Such a shame. She would have looked adorable as a demon,” Alfred said, still smiling. “Come on now. Don’t you want power? They won’t give it to you there. Come with me. We’ll have real fun.”
The girl didn’t move from Gilbert, and instead shook away from Alfred, moving towards the golden path.
“Good little one,” Gilbert said, leading the girl quickly into the closing portal. He didn’t want to hear anymore of Alfred for hopefully a very long time. He stood at the gates, the gold shining from an inner light that Gilbert had once been welcomed into.
With a sigh, he watched them open, he could never see it for long, but he always looked anyway, and saw familiar places. The places he learned to fly. Where he learned his Gift. Places he tumbled with his brothers and sisters in playful fits all under the smile of the guiding light.
The little child’s soul went in, and the gates snapped shut. Gilbert remembered when he tried to get in a few times when this was new, when he was first given this destiny. With a snort, he turned back around on the path, looking at his book. He didn’t have another appointment for a little while, time went at a different pace on the plane he was a part of. Something he was thankful for.
With another sigh, Gilbert spread his ashen wings. They were once a pure white, like his brothers, but turned this color when the Holy Light could no longer touch him. At least they hadn’t fallen off and replaced with the ugly wings that they demons possessed. Lifting off was effortless to Gilbert as he circled back into the portal to earth, to wander for a little and just enjoy what he could from the mortal plane.
At least while he could. Because all too soon it would become nothing itself and then he truly would have nothing to look forward to.