New chapter! It's just this one on this update. I really want to thank Misha12's reviews and insights, Grace really made me laugh!. Check out her fanfic "Hello"! It's really worth it. I want to apologise in advance if any of the contents of this particular chapter may offend your religious beliefs. I tried to make this as neutral as possible. Besides, God has to have a sense of humor... He invented it!

OnixTales, signing out.

VIII

How to small-talk with God.

Kotarou had his eyes closed. The harder he wanted to open them, the stronger the force that forced his eyelids shut. Soon, Kotarou gave up. Suddenly, a wave of warmth overcame his body. It was a loving, caring wave of warmth. An unconditional love just burst out of it. A brotherly love. Like somebody who has been close to you for the whole of your existence. Kotarou felt that he knew the being in front of him, even before he was even born. It was, as a matter of fact, true.

"Who are you?" said Kotarou.

A glimmering light appeared in the black abyss of his closed eyes.

"Who am I?" -said the deep voice from before-"I have many names: Kami-sama, The Divine Providence, God, The guy upstairs, The Big Boss… you can name however you like. It's you humans who have named me."

Kotarou sighed nervously. Was really God himself in front of him? There was nothing else to do but to continue.

"Why am I here?"

"Now that's the question. Why is it that you, a simple human somehow managed to go to heaven and upset an angel to that extent?"

"… maybe it's because of that accident I had, I remember the pain…"

"Might I ask you why did you fall in love with Misha? I already know but I want you to find the answer."

Kotarou meditated the question for a few moments. Then he said:

"Maybe it's because nobody made felt the way I felt with Misha-san. She was there for me, even when I least needed her."

"You felt connected?"

"Yes."

"Good, then why did you gave her up? If you loved her, why let her go?"

"Because she was going to be an angel, if I hadn't done that she would have probably disappeared."

"Did you knew that for a fact?"

"Yes, Sasha-san told me that would happen. After all that's happened to…"

"Shia-san, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Well, I'm God. I'm your creator. I know everything about you."

"Ok."

"But there was also your past-life, right? Kotaroh?"

"Yes, I didn't want to end like him, putting Misha to suffer because of a selfish feeling."

"But you didn't! You think you made the right choice?"

"I started regretting it, but I had to."

"Why?"

"For Misha-san's sake."

"Thought so. Your soul was a special one, I remember each and every soul I have created. Normally on the way to earth, they split into two: One is you, the other is your soulmate. The person who completes you. Your other-half-of-soul fell in heaven, the other one fell on earth. So you never found your soulmate anywhere. The other half that stayed in Heaven was Misha. When she first came down she saw Kotaroh. The connection was immediate. He killed himself and Misha was punished. You reincarnated and Misha flew to you as soon as she could."

"Really?"

"But you still sacrificed your soul to permit Misha achieve her dream. You sacrificed the other half of your soul to give her a second chance. On the way you betrayed your own feelings."

"I had to!"

"Yes you had to! But you still needed her. No soul can go for long without their other half when they already met and departed. Your soul is old, even though you are very young."

"And? What's next? I'll go earth empty-handed? Again?"

"No. That's why I'm so proud of you. I bestowed upon man a gift which even surpasses my power and binds to my laws, that is free will. You used it to help Misha reach heaven. You humans have used it to ruin yourselves and later you blame me. But they have forgotten that to every offer, there is something recieved. It is only fair, that you receive what you give, my dear Kotarou."

Kotarou felt a strange surge of hope coming.

"Really?"

"It is, again, called many names: Karma, The Golden Law, Holy Justice, Boomerang Law. Things like that abide to free will. What makes the difference is not our aptitudes or features, it is our choices who make us different.1 Now, do you want Misha as your companion for life on Earth? Or do you want to stay here in heaven? Of course, down on earth you will be dead."

Kotarou wasn't surprised.

"Dead?"

"Yes, Misha split your body and soul. Down there your body is completely mangled and charred form the electricity discharge you received. Shia and her master Kalus have your body, they are just waiting for your soul to return to their body. They knocked out your friend Ayanokouji, since your flying body just crashed through his windshield."

"But why are they waiting me to go back to my body? Shia and Klaus can just have a smorgasbord of my blood without the real me being there."

"What they really suck from your blood is the life coming out of your soul. Your body is alive and beating, but it's like an empty shell. Life-less blood is poison to demons. That's why they evolved an energy alarm implanted in every demon that sends the lifeless body away from the demon."

"Why even bother returning? Nobody wants me down there. Not even my old friends."

"That is when you are being selfish, Kotarou. Even if you didn't noticed, you are essential to the lives of Ayanokouji, Koboshi and Mitarai."

"How?"

"A friend is a holy gift, Kotarou. Don't ever doubt that. There is a mystic bond between true friends, my dear friend. It was not a coincidence that you precisely crashed into Ayanokouji's windshield while he was passing by the school you two attended, coincidentally remembering you. Too much for a simple coincidence, right?"

Kotarou meditated the last words spoken and said:

"You knew this was going to happen, right? Everything!"

"You humans watch time like a series of letters out of order, you never know what is going to happen. For me there is no past, present or future. I know how things might happen, or might not. I know nothing of how you will behave on the next second, and yet, I know everything."

Kotarou then suddenly saw something. He saw 4 suited and mourning figures looking down at a pearly white tombstone. It prayed:

Kotarou Higuchi

1988-2006

Beloved friend and father. While it lasted.

He suddenly saw the faces looking down to him. A crying Koboshi-san, a black veil covering her beautiful face; a stern and sad Ten-chan, a frowning and teary eyed Dai-chan. And… a sobbing Shino, those big, purple penetrating eyes that were filled with tears. A true sadness that surpassed everything. It overwhelmed Kotarou's heart. He wanted to shout "I'm right here". They wouldn't listen. The image disappeared as it had appeared.

Kotarou let down a tear. It was more than Kotarou could possibly bear.

"Now you see?"

"Ok, I will go down to Earth. Misha-san will come too, right?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Misha: "Hai-su! I wants to be with Kotarou-kun-su!"

"Well, then. It's settled. But you'll have to cope with the fact of your injuires."

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes. I can't let everybody down."

"Then it's settled. See you soon, Kotarou, Misha."

The warmth started fading away.

"Just one last question!"

"Yes?"

"How is it like to be God?"

"It actually sucks. I have to endure little hairless apes turning upside down one of the best things I came up with. But, what can I do? It's their free will. Karma will come sooner or later"

The warmth disappeared. Kotarou opened his eyes and saw a radiant Misha. "Let's go Kotarou-kun-suu!"