At Heaven's Gate

by Shmello

The story I wrote about is kind of based on Hiyo and Kouro from the manga Love Monster, but in my story they are in a kind of alternate universe so the story does not take place in their normal world (the manga). In the story you follows Hiyo, as she meets Kouro in Heaven, later on in the story you figure out why Hiyo went to Heaven, and how she is related to Kouro. Hope you enjoy!

"To be or not to be, that is the question," the very famous quote from Hamlet; perhaps Shakespeare's most famous tragedy. This is what we are learning now in our English class. Everyone finds the play extremely boring and pointless, but surprisingly this play gives me peace. How strange it is that a tragedy brings me peace; especially this one line. This one line gives meaning to the constant question that kept repeating over and over in my head. I still remember him standing there, waiting to tell me something important, but I was unable to understand and here I am not lonely and regretful. Will I always be like this? In constant wait, for that one day when I leave everything behind and finally be with the one person whom I love the most?

My name is Hiyo Osora, I am a typical seventeen year old girl in high school. I have a typical life, with my parents and my two twin brothers. My father was in a serious accident at a construction site when I was a little girl. Since that day, he can no longer walk without crutches, and because of this, my mom has taken the job of being a caretaker, for both my father and my younger brothers. This puts me in the position as the financial supporter. Well, not exactly, because we get compensation for the accident, but it is not enough to finance my very expensive school fees. Both of my parents insisted that I go to a private school. You could say it is their dream that I graduate from a private school, and because of this, my father always worked hard so that I may remain at school. After the accident, my mother tried working, but it was too hard, because my father could not possibly take care of himself without help. So one day, I decided that it was time for me to take responsibility, and I started to work. Working is not so bad, considering the fact that I work with my best friend, Yuka, and my boss is very generous, and has very interesting love stories from her past. My daily routine is very simple. I go to school, then I go to work, then I finally come home, have dinner with my family, finish my homework, and go to sleep. Not much really happens in this place, except for that one day, when everything changed, and I learned perhaps, the toughest lesson in life.

It was like any other day. I came home from work, and had dinner with my family. I was exhausted, and went to bed early.

BANG!

Suddenly I heard all these voices at once, but where were they coming from? I was alone in my bedroom. I tried to call out, but I could not see anything. The room was filled with darkness, until suddenly I saw a flash of white light, and a voice that called out, "Stay behind me!"

Then I could finally see! I saw a person, dressed in black, holding a very long sword. He was tall and slim, and had very large black wings. They were magnificent, although I had never seen black wings before. In all of the stories I had read, wings were supposed to be white, but come to think of it, wings are only found in stories. Who was this person, and why did he have wings? Why was he carrying a sword?i was lost in thought, and completely unaware of the battle that was going on in front of me, until I saw a creature with a large mask over its face! I don't think it was human, but wait; this all seems like some story! How could all of this be happening in my room? People with wings; dark creatures; what was going on? The only logical explanation was that I was dreaming, so I closed my eyes and pinched myself a couple of times. when I opened my eyes, there was a face in front of me!

"Are you alright? What are you doing here?" I was amazed! This winged person was quite handsome, and obviously strong. The only think I could think of saying now was, "Thank you for saving me from, um, whatever that think was!"

"You're welcome. What brings you here at Heaven's Gate?"

Surprised, I asked, "What do you mean, Heaven's Gate?"

"Well, you're obviously dead, and landed in Heaven. But you should have woken up in the registration unit or the building for the new comers, but definitely not here!"

I was shocked at what he was saying! Dead? How could that be? I was just in my room minutes ago and sleeping. When and how did I die? This has to be a dream! Maybe I am so tired today that I am having these strange hallucinations.

"Quit pulling my leg. I know this is a dream! Here, I'll prove it to myself now."

PINCH! PINCH!

"Ow! Ow!"

Still nothing. What is going on? Why can't I wake up and come back to reality? I looked up and he gave me a very sad smile.

"My name is Kouro Tenma, and I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have just died. I don't know when or how, but we can find that out, only if you would like to know. We can find the information in the council building, where all the history of the people of Heaven is held."

I couldn't think . . . dead . . . how could that be? I began to cry out of frustration. How could this have happened? What will happen to dad, mom, and my brothers? How will they manage?

He took my hand and said, "I'm sorry"

He began to walk, and I just followed. For some reason, he made me feel safe, even though he was a complete stranger. I just remembered I hadn't introduced myself yet.

"Um, my name is Hiyo Osora. It's nice to meet you Kouro Tenma. Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's me. Now hurry up! We don't have all day! I am supposed to be on duty right now."

'He seems rough but then again, he did save me, and I guess he is busy; I must be keeping him from something important. This is all so strange! I mean, I feel like I am in some type of fairy tale with a handsome prince who comes to rescue me!'

"Um Kouro that thing you were fighting back there…"

"Ya, what about it?"

"What was it?"

"It was a demon."

"WHAT! A demon?"

"Ya, they are people from Hell that try to get into Heaven, or should I say force their way in."

"Why do they wear those weird and creepy masks over their faces?"

"The masks help them shield the light. The light of Heaven is too bright for them, so they cover their faces with dark masks."

"Why are you fighting it?"

"That is my job; I am a demon hunter, or slayer. I am supposed to prevent all demons from entering Heaven through Heaven's Gate. If I don't, the demons will bring chaos to this place."

"Wow, how exciting! How did you learn to fight like that?"

"I was trained, of course. There is a training school for people who want to become demon slayers. Do you know, that you ask way too many questions. They are starting to give me a headache."

'Why is he so rough? Well, I guess it suits him. Being a demon slayer must have made him like this. Maybe he hasn't met too many girls in this place. But he should understand, I am completely lost. How am I supposed to know anything about his place? As far as I know, a few minutes ago, I was sleeping in my bed, and then suddenly I was transported to this place.'

'Wow this girl asks so many questions! How irritating! I wonder how long this is going to take! This is such a drag. I could have killed five demons by now.'

"Okay, we are going to fly from here on."

"What? What do you mean fly?"

"I mean what I said! We are flying."

"But how can I fly? I don't have any wings like you."

"Just think of something close and special to your heart. Let the feeling fill you up, and then you'll have …WOOSH… wings."

'Wow, his wings are beautiful, and the color, its jet black!'

"Okay I'll try."

'I will think of my family. I love them the most in the world, okay let the feeling fill you up…then…WOOSH!

"Huh? What just happened?"

"You got your wings! Look!"

'I turned around and saw them: two large white wings like a bird. I was startled at first but they were so soft and beautiful.'

"So, you have pure white wings? Wow! That's impressive. I've never seen them up close before."

"Don't other people have white wings?"

"No. White wings are really rare."

"Well is there a way to get a certain color of wings?"

"Ya, there is. If you have ever lied in your past life, or in the present, then your wings will become tainted. They will get darker and darker, until they are the color of my wings."

"You mean to say that you have lied so much in your life that you got jet black wings?"

"Yes I have. Now try to fly! Just picture yourself flying. It will come naturally."

"Um…Okay…Whoa!"

"Good job! Now try going higher, and try moving around."

'The feeling of flying is wonderful! I feel so free, just like a bird.'

"Okay, I think you've got the hang of it now. Let's get going."

"Hey! What are you doing? Just follow me, okay. You'll get lost! Geez, what a nuisance!"

'He grabbed my hand again, and we began flying together. What a beautiful place this is. I feel so free! I have never felt like this before. I was always so busy with everything going on that I never had time just to relax and try enjoying myself. This is wonderful, and for some reason, I like following Kouro like this. I feel so safe when he guides me.'

'This girl is so much trouble. How did I get myself stuck in all of this trouble? Why am I such a good guy? She reminds me of someone, someone I had known a long, long time ago. That was the only person who I never lied to, who always knew how I was feeling. But that was a long, long time ago. I have left my past forever, and I never want to remember anyone from my past again. Not even her. I bet she doesn't even remember me, but I can't forget her. She was special; very special, but I could never tell her that. How come I can't remember her name, though? I guess it's because, ever since I got here, I tried my best to forget everyone, and everything has become such a blur. This is the first time I have tried remembering anything from my past. It's because of this girl! Geez, who is she, and why di I have to meet her?'

"Wow there is so many people here! Who are they?"

"What did you expect? Hundreds of people die all around the world every week. They end up either here or in Hell. The ones that are accepted into Heaven come through Heaven's Gate. Now let's hurry. The building's just up ahead."

"Wow, this building is beautiful, and so big! I guess it has to be if it holds all of the records for all the people who live here."

"Hello, I need to know how Hiyo Osora dies. She is…How old are you, fifteen?"

"NO, I am seventeen."

"What? Really? You're my age, but you look so young..She is seventeen years old."

"Okay, just give me a minute while I find her file."

"Thank you. Come on Hiyo let's wait in the resting room."

"Okay."

'I don't think I really died. How can that be possible? As far as I know I am very healthy, and I have no life threatening conditions. Maybe it was all of the stress and work that finally caught up with me. But again, this is so unbelievably sudden! It defies all logic, but I can't say I am complaining. Being with Kouro makes me feel so care free and relaxed. I feel like I can tell him anything. But this is weird. I mean considering that fact that we just met! How could I see him as a friend?'

"What's wrong, Kouro? Why do you have that look on your face? Did something bad happen? Are there demons here!?"

"I don't know how to tell you this."

"What? What's wrong?"

"We found your file, and it turns out your death wasn't yesterday."

"What does that mean?"

"Well it means that you're not supposed to be here. We found another girl's file who has the same name as you. She was supposed to die yesterday. Her file shows her death date. You might have died in her place by accident."

"What? I am not supposed to have died? I died in the place of someone else? I knew I couldn't have died!"

'This makes sense; well as much sense as it could in this strange place. This is good news, I guess. Now I can go home back to my family and to reality. But that means I would have to leave to leave this place, and leave Kouro. For some reason I don't want to be apart from him. I want to spend more time with him. For some reason, I feel connected to him somehow. He saved me, and helped me reach the truth, and along the way he showed me this beautiful place. In this place I feel so relaxed; so free from any burdens. Here I don't need to worry about school or work. I can just breathe for me and relax. I began to cry while thinking of all of this, but I don't know why I was crying so much. I got the answer that I was expecting, but maybe this wasn't the real answer I was hoping for. Maybe some part of me wanted to stay; wanted this to be real.'

"Are you okay?"

"Ya, I am fine. Um, Kouro? How do I get back to my family?"

"Well we are going to have to talk to the Old Man for that answer."

"Old Man? Who is that?"

"The Old Man is the superior to this place. Let's just say he is not God, but he is the direct connection to God. He is responsible for everything here, and it looks like he messed up."

"How come you call him Old Man if he is your superior?"

"Let's just say we go way back. I wasn't supposed to end up in this place, but he helped me, and I was approved to enter into Heaven. Since then he's watched over me, so I guess I have some right to call him Old Man."

'I want to know everything about Kouro. He seems so mysterious. I wonder how his life on earth was; I wonder where he's from; I wonder if we ever met?'

'Poor Hiyo. She died in the place of someone else. To have to go through all of this, it must be tough to hear that you died so suddenly, and then to find out that it was all a mistake. I am impressed that she has such white wings. She must really be a good person. She seems like a nice girl. I always fell for nice girls. Maybe in another time, in another place. Wait! What am I thinking? I am no longer human! Why do I let myself become consumed with these thoughts? I have left all of this. I am Kouro, the Demon Slayer! That's it; I have no ties with anyone and am no longer human. My sole purpose is to slay, and only to slay. But right now I really want to help her out. I want her to return back to her life. I am sure her life was very nice, for her to be such a nice person. I know this much: it definitely is better than what my life was like.'

"Hiyo, come on. We're off to find the Old Man! He's probably in his study room right now. I guess this means more flying."

"Really? Good, because I really like flying like this with you."

"Umm… Ya okay. Let's go."

'We reached another beautiful building and Kouro grabbed my hand, and we were off to the study.'

"Hey Old Man! Where are you?"

"Is that you Kouro?"

"Ya it's me. You have some explaining to do."

"Oh? What brings you here, and with such a lovely girl, Kouro? This is new."

"It's not what you think. She was lost and I, um, helped her out. Anyway, that's beside the point. You need to explain something. This is Hiyo Osora."

"Um, hello, sir. It's nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, young lady. Ah, yes, Hiyo Osora! You, my dear, have a very interesting relation with this place, or should I say, with a certain someone in this place. I was waiting for you. I knew this would come soon. The time is almost near. I advise you to start thinking of your past very carefully from hereafter. This is to the both of you. Even you, Kouro. No one can cut ties with their past; always remember that."

"Old Man, what are you blabbering about? Are you trying to cover up your mistake? You made a huge mistake! You killed the wrong Hiyo Osora. She was not supposed to die. It was another Hiyo Osora who was supposed to die yesterday. So what do you have to say? How could you make such a big mistake?"

"Ah, yes. I already know of all of this, but this mistake could be just the chance you need to remember something very important. Not even I have the control over people's destinies. And you my dear are given the chance! You have had a tough life, and you have always proven to be selfless in all of your decisions. But now you are given the chance to choose. What is it that you want the most?"

"Um, I am sorry, but I do not understand, sir."

"Old Man answer me! What is the meaning of all of this? What are you talking about? This makes no sense, and what is this talk about destinies? Just admit that you made a mistake, and send her back! Give this girl her life back!"

"Is that what you truly want, Kouro? To send this girl away from you? Will you still not try to remember something important in your past; something that has always stayed with you, even when you tried so hard to forget everything? I urge you, my boy, come to reason, or it will be too late! Think hard, and try to remember."

"Listen! Enough of the lectures. Just answer me one question: how do we send Hiyo back to her family?"

"Well, it is for her to decide if she wishes to go back or not. I will discuss it with my superior, but I already know the answer. In the meantime I suggest you take this time to think, and think hard."

"Okay fine. I have no idea what's wrong with you today, but I'll play along. Come on, Hiyo."

"Oh okay. Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank him."

"Oh, sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Oh, okay, sorry."

"I said no more saying sorry!"

Kouro took my hand again and guided me like he has been doing ever since I got here. We went to a very peaceful place. The scenery was beautiful. Kouro told me this place was called the Mountain of Serenity. He said that this was his favorite place to visit when he was frustrated. I can see why. There is so much peace here. We talked for so long about everything. He told me how he died. Kouro was an heir to a very large corporation. His family was one of the richest families in Japan. Naturally, being the only son, he was to one day become the head of the corporation. But this meant that he had to sacrifice his life to train so that he may become a suitable head. His parents were always so busy with the business that they neglected Kouro. The only person that cared for him was his older sister, but even she had her own problems. She was forced to marry the son of a prominent businessman. The marriage was an alliance between two companies. After she left, Kouro was left all alone, and things became worse. He was always angry, and one rainy day, he was fed up with everything, so he took his motorbike and left. He went to his favorite spot, on top of a cliff, in a very village city area. There he notices that someone was planning on jumping off the cliff. He approached them, and grabbed their hand. In the process of helping the person, Kouro ended up slipping himself, and that was the end of his life. Because he had spent his life being miserable, and hating everyone, he was destined to end up in Hell, but his one action of saving the life of another person, gave him enough credit to enter Heaven. His life was filled with so much anger and frustration. I feel so sad when I think about it. All he wanted was freedom and love from his parents. He seems like such a tough guy but really there are so many emotions inside him. He mentioned that the only happy moments in his life were when he was very young, and he had no worries. Turns out, he had a crush on a certain girl, but she moved away a long time ago, and he never saw her again. What a sad story. Now that I think about it, I have a pretty frustrating life too, and Kouro was surprised to hear that.'

"But how can you be such a nice and happy person with all of that frustration? Aren't you angry at the fact that, because you dad was injured, now you have to take such a large responsibility?"

"I try not to think about it like that. They are my parents, after all, and they are always thinking about what's good for me. They know that I will have a good future if I graduate from a private school. I can't be angry at them for wanting good thinks for me. And about my dad's accident, there are some things that you have no control over. No one expected the accident. It's just something you have to accept."

"Wow, you are so mature and still young. I guess I never really thought about any of that. I just thought about how angry o was at everyone for not letting me be free; for not letting me decide for myself what I wanted. But you know it makes me sad to know that you have troubles in your life. I don't know when I met you, you seemed so happy, that I could never imagine that you would have any problems. I wish life was different for you, Hiyo."

"I guess everyone feels like that sometimes, but things just happen, I guess. Maybe there are some good reasons behind why things are happen the way they do."

"HA! HA! HA! You sound just like the Old Man! All philosophical."

"HA! I guess I do! Why are we so serious? Oh, I wanted to ask you; who was the special girl? How come you could never find her?"

"I don't know. Her family just moved, and I never heard from them again, I don't even remember her name now, but I felt happy anytime I was with her."

"I wish you could have met her, maybe your life would have been a bit happier."

"Maybe it would. Who really knows?"

"Now you sound like the Old Man! HA!"

"Okay, enough of this. Let's fly! Give me your hand."

"Okay!"

'We went everywhere! Kouro showed me all of his favorite places, like where he trained. It was wonderful. That moment, I was so happy just to be with him. But it got late, so we had to head back.'

"So Old Man, what is your decision?"

"Like I said before it is up to Hiyo now; if she wants to stay or return to her family and her life."

"It's up to me? But I am a little confused right now."

"Ah yes! I knew you would be! Have you remembered anything yet Kouro? Or are you still adamant on forgetting everything about your past?"

"Ols Man, just spell it out! What do you mean? I am confused! What am I supposed to remember?"

"Well, I can't tell you that but if you look inside of your heart, I am sure you will find the answer. But I must say that you need to do it now. Hiyo has to make her decision now."

'Now? But I don't know what to choose; my family is very important to me, but my time here has been so amazing! But for me to stay here would be selfish. I know that my family needs me. I can't just abandon them for my own happiness. But other than Kouro, I have no reason to remain here, and even Kouro is a stranger, but why do I feel so close to him! I guess the answer is clear to me. I can't give up my family for a stranger.'

"Ah, sir, I think I have made my decision. There are some things more important. I hope we will see each other soon, Kouro!"

"Huh, Hiyo…"

'Wait! That seems familiar! Someone said those same exact words to me before; a long time ago. She was leaving. Her family was moving, and I was so upset that I wouldn't talk to her for leaving me. She came to see me for the last time and said: "Some things are more important. I hope I see you again soon, Kouro!" No it can't be.'

"I decide to go back to my family sir."

"NO WAIT! HIYO! NO! YOU'RE THE ONE! The girl who was special to me! Wait! No! Please…!"

'As everything began to disappear, I still remember his face, in tears. I wanted so much to go back and hug him; to let him know that I wanted to be with him, but it was too late. I had already made my decision.'

After that, all I was left with was regret and the question of 'what if?' So here I am again asking the same question, "to be or not to be, that is the question." I guess we all face this question at some point in our lives. We are always constantly faced with questions to which we have to make decisions. But again, we are always left with the regret, and we wonder. Is it really worth it after all? So we find some reason, some important reason why we must keep going. And for me, that reason is to see him again. I have to keep going on, so that one day, when my time is truly up, I can see him again at Heaven's Gate.