I Became My Healer Elf Character - Chapter 139

Chapter 139: A Mother’s Hug
So many feelings attacked Hikari at once when they landed in her and Ayase’s hometown, and she was certain that Ayase could feel it too. In the warm morning light, the group landed in a small park. Across the street, Hikari could see the game store. Her heart pounded as Ayase gripped her hand.

“I always heard that the owner of that place is really kind and understanding.”

Hikari nodded. She looked around at all of the girls and pointed towards the nearby park benches. “Can all of you wait outside, please? I would like some alone time initially.”

The other girls agreed. They took out a table from Kurayami’s inventory and readied themselves to play the card game.

Hikari smiled and released Ayase’s hand. She kissed the witch on the lips before pulling away. “I will call you in a second.”

The elf trudged across the crosswalk. On the other side of the street, there were several stores lined up next to her. She walked past a hair salon, a jewelry store, and a store that sold unique outfits. Many of them were geared towards the gamers that would walk into the game store next to it. A neat [Gensuba] coat was affixed to a manikin in the window.

Hikari turned her attention to the game store. Luckily for her, it wasn’t busy at this time. No one tried coming in or out. She looked up at the sign and noticed a change. The store’s name was completely different now. It said, “Hikari’s Refuge.”

The elf’s eyes widened. Her heart throbbed as she grabbed the handle of the door and pushed. It swung open, and the bells above her chimed. The sight that greeted her was nostalgic.

Several red-cushioned booths were lined up on two of the walls with tables for eating food. The middle was wide open, and further back, retro game machines started to make their appearance on a carpeted floor. Hikari could glimpse the edge of the PC room. The one that she remembered most. Her mind pictured the bean bag seats inside and the hours of her life spent playing in there.

She heard a woman’s voice from the back. “Coming!”

The sound of the voice brought warmth to Hikari’s chest. She stood in silence and watched the woman come from out of the back hallway. She was greeted by a face she remembered all too well.

Aiko-san’s beauty had not diminished in the slightest. Even though she was getting on in her years, the woman’s wrinkles didn’t detract from her. If anything, they added a unique charm to her face, and the few strands of grey hairs gave her a unique aesthetic. The woman wore a white apron over a black dress, and there were a few doughy stains presented.

The fact that she hadn’t changed in the slightest made Hikari’s heart throb. Tears flooded into her eyes, and they dripped down her cheeks.

Even Aiko-san’s demeanor hadn’t changed. She rushed over to Hikari and grabbed her by the hand. The elderly woman pulled the elf into a nearby booth and sat her down.

“A girl as gorgeous as you should not be crying.” The woman thumped a ladle across her arm. “If someone hurt you, I won’t hesitate to beat them up for you.”

Hikari smiled at the woman and shook her head. Her voice came out softer than she intended. “I…These were tears of joy.”

The woman sat down across from Hikari and raised her eyebrow. She scanned over Hikari’s face with her eyes. “I see…Are you a cosplayer? I feel like I’ve met you somewhere.”

Hikari felt a pain in her chest. Somehow, she never suspected that Aiko-san would not recognize her. “Aiko-san…”

The words barely left Hikari’s lips when Aiko’s eyes widened. Her hands reached out and grabbed onto Hikari’s cheeks. “That way of calling me, and those eyes…”

Hikari felt a smile tugging at her lips. She wrapped her hands around Aiko’s arms, and her tears flowed more freely. “It’s me, Mama…”

Aiko jumped to her feet, maintaining her grip on Hikari’s face. She strolled around the tablet o Hikari’s side, her grip on Hikari’s cheeks tightening. The woman planted a kiss on Hikari’s forehead. “Is it really you, Hikari-chan?”

Hikari flinched from the name. Hearing it sent goosebumps through her body, and a wave of nostalgia flowed through her. The elven goddess nodded. “It’s me. I’ve come back home.”

Aiko’s eyes filled with tears. She wrapped her arms strongly around Hikari’s head and pulled the elven girl into her large chest. “My…My beloved daughter…”

Hikari wrapped her arms around Aiko’s back and hugged the woman. Ever since becoming a goddess, she had hugged the people around her several times. Each one was beautiful and warm, but this was a new level that Hikari hadn’t experienced in a long time. The hug of a mother was something that Hikari didn’t know if she’d ever obtain, but feeling it now, she didn’t want to let go.

“I missed you so much, Mama…”

The elven goddess had no idea how much she had truly missed Aiko until this moment. She sobbed uncontrollably, her tears dripping onto the floor beneath them. For a brief moment, she wondered if it was really okay for her to be hugged like this. Would it make her seem weak to the others? Was there any point of the strongest goddess seeking out a mother’s warmth? A mother that was mortal and fragile.

Perhaps this fragility was what Hikari needed all along. With her seemingly infinite power, she could no longer connect herself to mortals.

“I missed you, too. Where did you go?”

The question struck an odd cord inside of Hikari, and she flinched. How long had it been on Earth? There was no way of telling because of the time differential, but she was certain that it couldn’t have been too long. Then she remembered that she hadn’t exactly stayed with Aiko the whole time before she left.

“How long has it been?” Hikari asked tentatively.

“It’s been 2 years, and you disappeared from your apartment. The police couldn’t find you, even after a missing person report was filed. Where have you been?”

Hikari took a deep breath, and struggled to find her voice. “You won’t believe me, even if I tell you.”

Aiko frowned and grabbed onto Hikari’s shoulders. “Tell me. You do not get to decide what I believe or don’t believe. If the words come from your mouth, then I will believe them.”

Hikari met Aiko’s steadfast gaze with a look of disbelief. Did she really have that much faith in me?

The elf slumped down in her seat and gestured across the table. “You might want to get comfortable. Can you get us some tea?”

Aiko nodded and smiled. “I will. Then you will tell me everything about it. I wonder what kind of adventure my daughter went on…”

Two words struck Hikari like lightning. There was the fact that Aiko was calling her a daughter, but there was also the fact that she’d said ‘adventure’. Hikari stared up at the woman’s sincere gaze and blinked several times.

Aiko smiled and tapped the table. “I guess, I better start making that tea!”

Hikari watched the girl disappear into the back and waited with baited breath.

When the woman got back, Hikari started immediately. She would hold no details back from Aiko-san. At first, her voice struggled to speak the words, but she noticed that Aiko had been listening intently the whole time. The woman made no preliminary judgments, and she did not try interrupting her.

Hikari’s voice became more steady over time as she recalled everything. She told her how she didn’t remember her last moments on Earth. How she arrived in a new world as a character she’d created in a game. The elf continued towards her adventure in Amalin and even meeting a goddess of another world. She described all of the pinkness that came with it and the fact that they tried to foist two princesses onto her.

The elf hadn’t even noticed how wide she was smiling as she explained it all. When she talked about the crystal dwarves, she was making hand gestures, trying to show the idea of crystals jutting out from their skin.

When she talked about first arriving in the Empire, she explained the dire straights of the city they’d landed in. How the slums had tried to break these two little kids, and how she had taken it upon herself to free them.

She talked about the gorgeous ocean and all of the strange creatures at the bottom. She talked about her memories of diving to a mermaid kingdom and freeing them from the tyranny of a false god.

Hikari went on and on, eventually talking about her two domains. She mentioned how happy she was that someone actually proposed to her and could love her so much.

“And then we came back here. I wanted to see your face again. I wanted you to hug me again.”

Aiko handed Hikari a handkerchief to dry her tears. “It sounds like you’ve been through a lot.”

“You believe all of it?” Hikari asked in disbelief.

“Of course I do. You’re not the type that would lie to me, but…”

“But?”

Aiko smiled. “Why don’t you show me a little magic?”