Before, it was nothing.

No supreme being took it's shell in both hands and molded it into a new form. No supreme being enveloped it with unwavering light and warmth. No, that mighty being did not do so yet, that mighty being did not give her lungs to breathe, or skin to touch, or a skeleton to move, or-- or even a heart to feel. Not yet. When he spoke, it was not a voice the shell heard, only an invisible touch against whatever "skin" it had to spare.

"Are you sad?" It asked. But the shell had no lips for speaking, or a throat for that matter, and it realized that that alone made it sad. It had no nerves. It could only give a small thought in return, and it occurred to the shell that-- that it was sad. And it felt something touch it, pick it up from it's sea of desperation to live. And it heard voices, and felt warmth on new skin, and-- and everything was coming alive before it's-- what was it?-- before it's eyes. Eyes for seeing. Even a brain for comprehending what was going on around the shell. And the shell grew bigger, bigger, though not as big as the other shells around. But they were not shells, were they? They were occupied. Was she occupied too? She? A female, a female was what she was, she knew that. All of it resulting from her brain that was so generously donated by-- by who? How it agonized her that she had already forgotten who had given her such gifts, and green, gold-flecked eyes could barely make out what was before her.

A white landscape with nothing but her toes pressed to the ground. Vulnerability started kissing her with hasty lips, but she was too overwhelmed by all the new sights and feelings to notice. She peered down at her feet, noticing a simple, white robe hugging her body. Could that be the result of the warmth? She tugged it a bit, concerned as to why it hadn't any lips or heart or lungs, but was enamored by a new discovery. Hands. Small, nimble fingers that only reached up to touch soft auburn on her head that also was long enough to nip at her ankles. The girl took a step, her lungs filling and dispersing of air quite slowly and heavily, and she took another. It was easy. A word had crossed her mind, the invisible push-- walking. She was.. walking. And she walked further, further, around in circles, until her eyes had spotted a completely new discovery ahead of her.

A figure. Another form, similar to her own. And the form triggered a new emotion that the invisible voice told her: fear. The girl stood, dark brows raised in an anxious expression, and pink, soft lips barely parted apart. She took.. one step back. Two. Three. Four. Despite knowing all these words, grappling at all this knowledge-- she found none in her throat. And if she had, they died on her tongue. All she could do was back away, and breathe, and look, and think, until the force rattled her brain a bit. She gasped.

Stop. It had said. And she obeyed.

Of all created in His great name, he’d been the first. Per obligation and some interest he’d been present during the creation of the other great six. And now, once again, he stood as the seventh and final of the superior came into existence. This one was not quite like the others though, at least in her physical aesthetics. She held a sense of frailty and was a good deal smaller than the others. In a way it seemed like her completion remained incomplete and she had not grown to her full intended size. However, he knew this to not be true, for He never made mistakes. Even that aside, the girl did not appear incomplete. No visible flaws showed in her complexion or frame. Perhaps there was something in her personality that had gone amiss though, as none of the others had backed away. None had appeared as if to flee.

The tall, dark-haired male stood eerily still, arms dropped at his side. Even as he moved a single arm out in extension to her the rest of him remained perfectly still. “Gabriel,” he spoke her name in a voice which contained a melodic ring. And it was her name, whether she knew this yet was uncertain, but He had said that it would be her name, and so it was. “I am Lucifer.” It was his place to assist her in her earliest phases, as he had the others, but he considered the idea that he might play companion to her longer than the others. Her potential seemed significant and something about her seemed to draw him in.

“I am an Angel, a child of our benevolent God, as are you. I am here to help you, little Gabriel, as charged by his magnificence. I am here to assist you. I can answer your questions and I will show you around Heaven. You can rely on me.” As he finished speak a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. It was not an evil smile, in fact it was quite genuine and caring, but something underneath it was slightly off. Something far underneath, perhaps kept in those unwavering golden eyes which focused so intently on her.

She couldn't decipher if stopping was a good or bad move, and she certainly hadn't the slightest idea how she could understand this-- this-- what was he called? An Angel? And what had he referred to her as? Hazel eyes dropped from his sheer, golden gaze, and she could only stare at her feet. It was a tad overwhelming, taking in all the new information, but if that benevolent "God" he was referring to was that little push in her head, maybe he wasn't there to intentionally frighten her. She peered up in time to see a curve in his lips, and somehow sought comfort in that smile. Not even when a tiny voice in her head had told her something was-- something was subtly wrong, she dismissed it, along with her fear. She took a step towards the sable-haired man, only a dot of hesitance lingering in her eyes. You can rely on me. And who else would she rely on then? She saw no other dark-haired, gold-eyed men in her presence.

When standing across from him, only a couple of feet to mark their distance, she gently took his hand. No shock lay on her face from the contact of one another, though it definitely distracted her from this Angel called Lucifer in front of her. To her, he was so very pretty. He must have been the most beautiful Angel of the two. Or were there more? Ah, but if there were, she was sure they would hold no light to Lucifer, who she was beginning to become more and more reliant on. Did the push in her mind rely on him? Was that God? He must have, giving him a task to show his other angels how to serve him accordingly. But for what purpose? Even further questions rose in her mind, though delicately, she held the hand in both of hers.

"Then rely on you I will-- Lucifer." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper as it seemed to echo throughout their opulent world. Her voice also held the potential to be very sharp, but she did not display that little trait, and waited for him to show her this.. Heaven. Heaven. A strange name, almost as strange as the name "Gabriel". But if that was what her name was, than that was what she would be.

The threads of fate possess an unkind weave. An unspoken promise in the taking of a hand is designed to shatter. And such a promise was echoed in a soft whispering voice. But fate ignored it, as it would any design but its own. No protest—whispered or shouted, would sway it.

“And I will not disappoint you.” Lucifer spoke the smile he’d previously adorned now receded to comfortable neutrality with a hint of delight lingering on his countenance. There was something about this one. This little Gabriel. “The first thing I will show you is of essential importance.” Lucifer said this as he let go of her hand, gentle easing it into a resting place before taking a single step back. Then from their resting place his wings stretched out. What had previously appeared nearly invisible now stretched out into clear visibility. His wings were longer than he was tall and covered in delicate white feathers. His eyes then flickered from her face to her wings only to return to her face. “I will show you of your ability in flight. It is your privilege to dance in the skies.”

Once, then twice his wings moved with great force and he rose up but a small distance before returning to his place on the ground. “It should be as natural as walking, more so even, once you have grown used to it.” A few more movements of his wings and he was flying above her head. “Will you follow me?” he asked. Lucifer had no plans to fly too far as Gabriel might not be able to keep pace. However, a little challenge would hurt her. If anything it would be interesting to gauge her reaction. There was also the desire to see if she would be a natural flier or not. If he had to take the time to guide her in her flight it would delay acquainting her with Heaven in its entirety.

Essential importance meant, she knew, that you had to listen no matter what. But, even if it was irrelevant, even if it held no light of their situation, she would have listened anyway. The blank scenery they stood in was only occupied by his mellifluous voice. The voice of an angel. And.. the wings of an angel. Her expression was generally calm, but anyone, even her, could only stare in awe at the beautiful, flawless feather. Not a feather out of place. Nothing about Lucifer was out of place, and her expression lowered to dangle down at her own hands. That push-- that Lord-- where did he acquire the power to create such perfect beings? But was he strong enough to create her? Her only definition of perfect was Lucifer, and to compare her to the elder angel was close to impossible. She was not perfect. Not as perfect as Lucifer.

And his beautiful wings and eyes and face. How she wished to reach out and grasp such features.. but even she did not know what she looked like. All she knew was her hair and her fair skin, and-- and did she have wings of her own? Gold-flecked eyes slowly traveled to the side where she noticed the same neat feathers stretching out to either side of her. She observed them for quite awhile, speculating upon how she should go about following Lucifer. Even if she watched him, it was different when you were on the opposite end of the spectrum. Especially when her wings looked minimal compared to Lucifer's. They were quite small, though not much was needed to hold her body up, and they were not white.

They were a shade darker, maybe a gray color, and she almost cringed at the sight of them. She did not like the color grey for some reason. Nonetheless, the girl shut her eyes and gave one beat. Her feet were no longer touching the white ground anymore, and Lucifer was correct, she did find it as natural as the walking she was so fond of. It was not difficult for her in the slightest. "Yes, I will follow you," To Heaven? Was that their destination? The earlier dislike of her wings had disappeared, and she knew, she knew that they were just as good as any-- they would take her where she wished.

Essential importance meant, she knew, that you had to listen no matter what. But, even if it was irrelevant, even if it held no light of their situation, she would have listened anyway. The blank scenery they stood in was only occupied by his mellifluous voice. The voice of an angel. And.. the wings of an angel. Her expression was generally calm, but anyone, even her, could only stare in awe at the beautiful, flawless feather. Not a feather out of place. Nothing about Lucifer was out of place, and her expression lowered to dangle down at her own hands. That push-- that Lord-- where did he acquire the power to create such perfect beings? But was he strong enough to create her? Her only definition of perfect was Lucifer, and to compare her to the elder angel was close to impossible. She was not perfect. Not as perfect as Lucifer.

And his beautiful wings and eyes and face. How she wished to reach out and grasp such features.. but even she did not know what she looked like. All she knew was her hair and her fair skin, and-- and did she have wings of her own? Gold-flecked eyes slowly traveled to the side where she noticed the same neat feathers stretching out to either side of her. She observed them for quite awhile, speculating upon how she should go about following Lucifer. Even if she watched him, it was different when you were on the opposite end of the spectrum. Especially when her wings looked minimal compared to Lucifer's. They were quite small, though not much was needed to hold her body up, and they were not white.

They were a shade darker, maybe a gray color, and she almost cringed at the sight of them. She did not like the color grey for some reason. Nonetheless, the girl shut her eyes and gave one beat. Her feet were no longer touching the white ground anymore, and Lucifer was correct, she did find it as natural as the walking she was so fond of. It was not difficult for her in the slightest. "Yes, I will follow you," To Heaven? Was that their destination? The earlier dislike of her wings had disappeared, and she knew, she knew that they were just as good as any-- they would take her where she wished.