“So, what is it you want to do with this boy, exactly?  Whatever it is will require thoughtful and careful planning or consideration.” 

“Simple.”  “Reincarnation.”  She says confidently.  “Reincarnation?!”  “In what world is that “Simple”, that’s about as complex as it can get!”

“Messenger, again, I know you are concerned; however, I am still one of the high rulers of heavenly ordinance.  Do not forget this, I of all, know what this means” “Yes, of course.” Bows the messenger.  “Where will you send him?” “If I may ask.” 

The boy, still shrouded in darkness, hears all of this, however, cannot comprehend it as, it is the language of the gods, an unknown and unlearnable language of those only rumored to exist.  Barly able to read his own world’s language, he is in the dark in more ways than one.  His only saving grace through this whole thing, is the fact that tone is universal for all languages, and he can tell an argument from a casual conversation.  He begins to rattle inside of his “mind” what could he have done wrong? Why is he in darkness? Is this the afterlife? Is everything dark forever? Just a floating soul in forever blackness? What is a soul? Is he one? His memories still haunting him, still as vivid as if he had never died. 

With a snap, he can see.  Where am I? What is this? Clouds? Panic rushes within him, looking down at his hands, wait, his hands? But these, these were? How? What is going on? Where am I?

Arms from behind him caress his small frame, warmth and love flow within him.  “Do not be afraid little one.” That voice, the woman, the one who took me away?  Where am I? “It is ok now little one.”  “You are safe in my arms.” 

The warmth fills his whole body, like a calming wave of light.  “I take it you remember me. I took you in with me, you have died, and I have taken you here, to the realm of light and love.”  “I, I died. I, remember.”  “Oh, don’t recall those memories, shh, they are too painful to recall.”  She says putting her hand on his forehead “How did it, how did it happen?”  She is quite for a while, until she speaks once again; “It matters not, how it happened, just know, your final wish was fulfilled and the brothers you left behind are at peace” 

With a sigh of relief, the boy’s body was calm.  “Thankyou.”

“Come with me.” She stands in front of him holding out her hand.  The young boy grabs hold of her hand and follows her over to the throne.  Sitting him on her lap, looking down at him with a smile.  “Little one, your time has passed, the life you once knew is no longer.”

“While this usually means you go to the beyond, and live there for eternity, I want to gift you with a new life, a new life of peace and happiness, so that you can find true happiness away from pain and struggle.” “I was moved by your final thoughts, how even with the horrible end you met, and the pain you felt, you only wished for the peace and betterment of your fellow brothers” “Most I have taken up are filled with hatred and avarice, wanting only for further bloodshed or revenge.”

“Will you take my offer? To live a life of fun and peace?”

The boy looks up at the magnificent figure, and with a smile agrees with her ask.  “Am I going back? Back to my world?”  “No, heavens no, I will bring you to a better world, a more loving world, a world of power, and magic that has been made sweet like honey” “Magic?”

 “Yes, magic, your world had this as well, however, those with it etched a world in where few could use it, they twisted it in your world” “They used the gift of the heavens to inflict pain until there was only a few who could use it.”  “As heavenly beings we could not stop this but hope for a better outcome over time.  In some worlds it worked, but in others it became diseased” “I want to send you to one in where it did work, I want you to smile real smiles, feel genuine happiness, be loved by family and friends alike.” “So, you’re a god?” he timidly asks.

She lets out a warm laugh, “Yes, yes, I am.  One of many” “I rule over many worlds like yours, I am responsible for the cycle of life and death, magic and gifts, although I cannot interfere with life directly, I sometimes break the rules.” She winks.

“I’m sorry to ask, but in my world, well.” He looks down in uncertainty.  “Oh, don’t be shy little one, ask your question.  I will not be mad nor resentful to you, you do not have to be afraid.” 

“I, I didn’t have any magic, I actually had no idea it was a thing, what is it?”

“Magic, well, it’s the ability bestowed by the heavens unto humans to control certain aspects of the world they live in, whether it be the land, the sea, even the very sky!”  “We give humans the ability to control these aspects to, well, I guess test them in a way, and to help them thrive.”  “We want to see what they can do with it, how they can use it for their betterment or the betterment of humankind.”  “Think of it as a safety net of massive proportions, or a devastating calamity.”  “Remember how I said we cannot intervene? Well unfortunately that is a rule no matter what they use it for.” “Your old world is an example of a devastating calamity, your old world was beautiful, but the few used it to twist it for the many.” 

“My old world….” he says faintly while looking down.  She puts her hand on his head, lightly ruffling his hair; “No to worry little one, you won’t be going back there.”

“Will I have magic?” With a little happiness in his voice, although superseded by hesitation.

“Do you want magic?” She asks with a smile and a giggle.  “I, well…”  “You can have it little one.” Still rubbing his head.  “You can have anything you want.”

“I, I don’t want to be a bother, it can just be something small, it’s, it’s really ok.” 

“Then you have it.” “I just want you to be happy, think of it as my special little gift to you for all your struggles” “Ok?” 

Smiling brightly, as if forgetting his past, and his hesitation, he agrees.  “You’re a good boy, your smile just made my eternity little one.”

Through this ordeal the messenger who had been to the side of them, quite this whole time, was quietly crying, crying over the boy, who till this moment hadn’t really smiled a real smile his whole life, not a smile for others, but purely and truly for himself.  A child of pain and suffering till the very end, finally letting his guard down, and smiling a true smile.

She thinks quietly to herself, that this boy, this cute little boy, is worth whatever struggle is coming their way for breaking the divine laws.  Whatever comes their way, she stilled in her heart that she would fight, fight for this boy, with the divine mother who loved him.

“Well? Shall we be off?” The boy and her walk forward, standing in front of a massive swirling portal, as if the cosmos had been condensed in a blender.  Dark, but filled with light, starry and deep. “You will be reborn as a boy to a set of lovely parents, they have been wanting a baby boy for a long time now, and you’re the answer to that prayer.  In this world, like yours, it is a world of nobility and classes.” “As you will come to learn, however, this world is a kinder one, a loving world where a helpful had can almost always be found.”  “You will have magic, leave that to me.” She winks. 

“I will be watching over you; I want to see what you do with this new life I have given you.  The only thing I want from you, is to live a full life, a life filled with wonder, love, and cherished memories” “Be warned however, although this world is a much lovelier place, there will still be trials and problems, as this is a world of free will and out of our control.” “Do your best and be happy.”

Kneeling in front of him, he could see the hope in her eyes, the love.  It was a genuine wish, if he had a mother, he imagined this is what it would have been like.  A mother, hoping for the best for her child.

Grabbing both of his hands in hers, she looks to the swirling portal in front of them.  “Just walk through it, and you will be on the other side, you will be many, many years younger, a baby, so you will have to get used to not being able to move as you once did, however, you will grow into a strong healthy boy in no time.” “Now go, and remember, I am with you.”  

As he begins to walk forward, he stops, for some time he stays still.  Until just when she was about to reassure him, he turns back and gives her a hug, an emotional and tear-stricken hug.  “Thankyou.” He says behind tears, “Thank you.”

With a warm smile, she closes her eyes and hugs the little one back.  The messenger was still crying in the background.  Some time goes by, and the boy, full of hope for the first time in his life, steals himself, straightens up, and confidently walks towards the portal.

 As the boy’s image grows weaker and weaker the further, he steps in, the portal swirls with increasing intensity, almost as if it is going to break apart, the woman looks on.  She claps her hands together in an almost fidgety way, excitement and trepidation fill her as she stands up.  Will the little boy be able to create for himself the life he was never afforded? Will he let his past define him? Or will strive for greatness. 

“This was good.” The messenger says calmly; “This was the right thing to do, well, maybe not.” “This will surly come back on us, we will definitely be punished.” The goddess looks over to the messenger: “Surly, however, it’s not like this will be the first time we are punished.” “I will talk with the counsel of divine.” “That boy” “That’s boy will be great, he’s like my own child!”

The messenger just looks at her with a look of disbelief, what does that even mean? She knew the poor boy had been through enough pain for five lifetimes, but her own child?! “What are you planning?”

“Oh, nothing.” “Don’t worry about it.” She says with a faint laugh.  “That boy, that boy is special.” “He has a pure heart, a heart for others over himself, he will surly change that world.”  The messenger, taken aback; “Wait, what do you mean? I thought the world he was sent to was perfect. Or at least close to perfect.” The divine goddess turns to look at the messenger once more; “It is, it is.” “However, it won’t stay that way.  I have seen it.” “That world, it is barreling towards calamity.”  The messenger, shocked by her words: “Calamity?! Then why? Why send him there?”

With a look of utmost seriousness, she retorts: “In fifteen years, fifteen years is all he has, peace and love, but.” As she speaks, she calls forth the grand sphere, the divine oracle of the gods; “Look here.”

In the sphere, the messenger sees many worlds, all at once, falling, collapsing into ruin.  Some, on fire, others being engulfed in tidal waves of massive proportions.  “These worlds, magic, its such a powerful force, with, as with everything there is an opposing force.” “Good and evil” “From magic spills forth monsters, human and beast alike, so many worlds, so many lives.” She stares at the sphere longingly for a long time.

“So many worlds have perished or been overrun by beast or corruption.” “The humans they just don’t have the heart.” “But, that boy, that boy has a heart of gold.” “I want him to save this world, this world has thrived for so long, I do not want this one to fail.” The messenger gives the goddess a look of extreme concern, what of the boy, the world of love? Sweet as honey? It’s going to crumble around him.  Why would she send him to a world that is doomed?

“I know what you’re thinking, yes, I did say these things, and it is true.  He will have a great life.” “A life surrounded by warm parents and true friends, a world, as sweet as honey.” “I did not lie.” “I have not abandoned him; you will come to learn this.”  “As I told him, I will be watching over him, I will come to him at night, in the realm of dreams, I will, in the coming time of calamity, train him, he who has a golden heart.”

 The boy awakens on the other side, through squinted unfocused eyes.  Standing around him, his parents.  Eyes full of love, of appreciation, his father’s golden eyes staring at him with such loving intensity, his red hair as bright as fire.  His mother, a beautiful woman, staring at him with sky blue eyes full of happy tears.  The son they have prayed for, longed for, has finally come to them.  They do not know this boy to be anything other than their beloved. His mother, fair skinned and smelling of peaches and mint, picks him up from his crib with such delicate care.  Holding him to her breast, warm and loving, rocks him as he begins to cry, as babies so often do.

Her shiny black hair falling on his face, the father can only brace the air under him, lest he fall.  Such loving parents full of concern for their newborn baby boy.  “He’s beautiful.” His mother says.  “He has your eyes dear” “Oh! You’re right! He totally does!” Yes, he yells in excitement. The baby boy, the reincarnated young boy, knows not his past life, he knows nothing, other than this is his mother, and that is his father.  He begins to cry once again.  “Oh, honey I think he may be hungry.” “Oh, right, I’ll, I’ll go.” His father says hesitantly. His mother can’t help but laugh; “Honey, we made him, you can’t tell me that makes you uncomfortable” she continues to giggle.  “Eh, oh, no, no I’m fine of course!” He blushes.  “I just have some, ah, right, I must go chop firewood! Yeah.” He says, obviously lying.  She laughs once more; “Ok honey, we need more firewood.  I’ll be here.”

His father leaves the room; “Oh your father is so silly; he gets embarrassed over the silliest things baby.” She says giggling.  After he was fed, he became so tired, all that crying must have tuckered him out.  He falls into a deep sleep, no concerns or worries, no troubles or insecurities. 

As his mother tucks him into his crib the father comes back into the room to ask how he is, even though he had just seen his baby boy a couple minutes ago.  “Oh, are you done already? That sure was quick!” the mother says, “With what?” he asks, “Oh! Yeah! The firewood, we had just enough, I didn’t need.” The mother cuts him off, “dear, you’re so cute, you know that?”  The father says nothing with a blush and a glance at the ground.

The mother, his beautiful wife, runs at him wrapping her arms around his upper body, “I love you, honey.” He turns bright red, as if they were teenagers meeting for the first time. “I love you too babe.”

“So, what should we name our boy?” asks the husband.  “Hmmm, well, I don’t know, how does Christopher sound?” The husband ponders the name for a while, this is important, its not that he doesn’t trust his wife’s judgment, he just really doesn’t want to screw it up.  With time, however.  “Yeah! That sounds good! And we could call him Chris for short” His wife laughs, “you like it?” She asks.  “It’s perfect baby.” He replies.

With that, his name became Christopher, born to two loving and doting parents, Abigail and Michele, in a world as sweet as honey.