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“That is exactly why we should do this now, Xiu!” Hel replied. “Because so much has happened, and because I am sure you want all the training you can get. Because we become so busy as well, I think we need to capitalize when we can, yes?” She smiled widely down at the ghoul, and placed her hands on her shoulders, giving them a warm squeeze.

“Ha! I can sleep anywhere and anytime friend, truly. You just let me know where we should go, yes?”

Hel stared down at Xiu, and just stared.

After a moment she laughed. “You are so adorable.” She commented with a grin, squeezing her shoulders once more. “It is not imposing when I offer, is it?” She chuckled and then gave a nod of her head. “It sounds like a plan! Lead the way friend!”

Hel just grinned as she followed Xiu up to her room, and once she was inside she gave a nod. “Alright!” It was time to get down to business.

The reaper pulled off her boots, placing them near the door, and took off her apron as well, folding it and placing it on top of her boots. She moved over to Xiu’s bed then, staring down at it for a moment before she climbed onto it and settled on her stomach, facing the baku. Hel gave a thoughtful hum. “…I am not entirely certain what I have been dreaming of as of late…just a fair warning to you, friend.” She smiled a bit before closing her eyes, and uh, surprisingly enough, her breathing evened out after a few minutes as she slumbered.

Xiu might have found this to be uh…a rather different dream than any other she’s ever been in before.

As the ghoul followed the path into Hel’s dream, and entered it, it would be pitch black. Next, she would feel arms around her, and a gentle hand tapping her cheek. When Xiu ‘opened her eyes’, she would find herself in Hel’s arms, though Hel didn’t look like she usually did. First and foremost, Hel was not two toned. Her entire skin was pale, her hair a platinum color, and both of her eyes a light sky blue. Next, she seemed to be wearing a bit of armor and a black feathered cloak. Xiu would also find herself wearing the same thing, actually!

“Sister…” She was addressing the baku. “Sister wake up…” What was also startling, was their environment…a cave of some sorts, chilly, wet…the ghoul’s voice echoed off of the barren walls eerily. “Dear sister Xiu…we died.”

Hel nodded her head solemnly. “Yes.” She turned her gaze around the dark cave, her eyes lingering on the faint gray glow that seemed to be at the end of what appeared to be a winding path. “…We were not strong enough. Well fell in battle against the false reapers.” There was no anger to her tone, just a morbid acceptance. What had happened happened.

“…We need to get back to Valhalla, sister.” The reaper stood then, and helped the Baku up as well. “…It will be a perilous journey though…and we have a lot of ground to cover…we must return regardless. Are you ready?”

Hel pulled the Baku to her feet, keeping hold of her hand as she looked back towards where the faint glow was coming from. She only paused for a moment, before she started to lead Xiu out. The path to get out of the cave was long and winding. To top it off, it was calmly, damp, and chilled as well, and the only sounds for the time being seemed to be echoing moans of despair and the clinking of their armor was they moved along.

As they went further and further in…or hopefully out…of the cave, the light grew brighter, and after some time the sounds of water lapping at a shore could be heard. Upon exciting the cave, the two ghouls were greeted by the sight of a gray-ish beach, along with a long dock and a thick cover of mist and fog. The fog obscured anything beyond the dock, and the dock seemed to be where Hel wanted them to go. She carefully led them down the rocky incline to the dock, where their boots echoed on the wooden planks now.

Upon drawing closer to the end of the dock, there appeared to be a figure waiting at the end of it, holding a long oar and standing near a boat as well. Hel seemed to know what to do, as she paused and dug through her cloak before she produced four gold coins. She held out two to Xiu.

“To pay the ferryman so that we may cross the river.”

As they got closer to said ferryman well…Xiu would most certainly recognize Mr. Grumpyface still looking as well…Grumpyfaced as ever. Hel paid her two gold coins, and boarded the boat, taking a seat near the front.

Now Hel was usually a pretty consistent dreamer…and she was usually able to hold onto a dream for a long time…but with the recent events well…it certainly was changing the ghoul’s mind set.

After being paid to cross the river, the ferrymen who looked suspiciously like Mac pushed his boat away from the docks and started to take it into the fog. As they went further in, the fog got thicker and thicker, and even though Xiu was sitting right next to Hel, even she was starting to become obscured by fog until everything went white. The sounds of the water lapping the boat faded, as did the sound of the oar gliding through the water.

The next sight Xiu would be treated to, as the fog seemed to start to thin out and fade was Hel’s breath on the glass door of the freezer aisle of the local grocery. They were both dressed in their normal clothes, and the ghoul seemed to be staring longingly at something. “Oh. My. Goodness, Xiu!” The valkyrie exclaimed, pulling her face away from the door to look at the Baku. “I really want some Black Cherry eye-scream!”