Hikari was tired... Hikari was sad... Hikari was lonely... Hikari lost count of how many times it happened... Hikari struggled to get out of bed, Hikari forced herself to move, Hikari forced herself to go to the guild, Hikari forced herself to keep working, Hikari forced herself to work, and to go back to Hikari's empty home... Hikari was lonely... Hikari was sad... Hikari was... Tired.
Hikari didn't... want to be... Hikari, anymore... Hikari wanted... To sleep... To sleep and let go... Hikari wanted... To give up.
Hikari slept. Hikari slept in the darkness. Hikari slept for a long time... Hikari knew it really was a long time, Hikari sometimes forgot how long even... But Hikari kept sleeping, Hikari remained in the darkness, Hikari was used to the darkness, Hikari... Hikari did not want to open Hikari's eyes.
It was fine like this... Hikari was fine with this... Sleeping... Hikari could sleep for as long as Hikari wanted now, it was alright, nobody would force Hikari to wake up anymore... Not even Hikari.
Yet Hikari... Wanted to wake up. Hikari wanted to see again. Hikari wanted... To be Hikari again. Hikari wanted to meet Hikari again.
"And so we met again." Hikari-chan said. Hikari recognized Hikari-chan's voice, Hikari was happy to hear her again, Hikari was happy to be with her again.
But how... "How are we meeting again?" Hikari asked... For Hikari-chan was not within Hikari anymore... For Hikari-chan was already gone...
"Because you wished for it. You wished to be me, and to be you." Hikari-chan said. Hikari-chan patted Hikari was happy to be with her, Hikari wasn't sure she understood, but Hikari was happy to be with Hikari-chan again... Hikari just... Wanted to see her again too... "Then see." Hikari was confused, "Open your eyes. Open your eyes and look at me again." Hikari-chan said...
"But it's scary... Hikari doesn't want to... To..."
"To what?" Hikari-chan asked, "Just what are you scared of seeing?"
What was Hikari scared of...? Hikari doesn't... "Hikari doesn't remember... Hikari doesn't remember what scared Hikari so much..."
"Then...?"
Then Hikari opened her eyes, and Hikari saw Hikari-chan... She was... Clear. Hikari-chan wasn't fading anymore, Hikari-chan was clearly visible before Hikari's eyes... "It's nostalgic." Hikari told her.
She patted Hikari's head, "It sure is. Though it's not a bad feeling, is it?" Hikari shook her head. Hikari was pretty happy right now. "Then, have you decided?"
Hikari was unsure... "Decided what?"
"Decided what you want to do now? Where do you want to be? When do you want to be? Who do you want to be with?" Hikari-chan asked... They were hard to answer questions... Hikari had answers... Hikari had many answers though, Hikari had way too many answers...
Hikari... "Hikari wanted to be with her family... All of her families." Hikari hugged Hikari-chan, "And Hikari wants to be with Hikari-chan... Hikari does not want to part ways again..."
Hikari-chan caressed Hikari's back, "It's alright, we can meet whenever you want... It's alright now." Hikari-chan was smiling. Hikari couldn't see Hikari-chan's face, but Hikari was sure that Hikari-chan was smiling. Hikari was happy. "But Hikari... You still... Need to choose. When do you want to go to first?"
Hikari nodded. Hikari understood... Hikari... "Hikari wants to be Hikari's age! Hikari wants to be with the people that have always looked over Hikari!" Hikari took a step back, and then looked at herself.
Hikari was 4 years old. Hikari was soon going to be 5. Hikari was soon going to celebrate her birthday again.
And Hikari... Was near a familiar house... Yukari-sama was sleeping inside that house... Ran-sama... Ran-sama is probably cooking. Ran-sama is probably cooking lunch for Hikari... She must be looking forward to it, Ran-sama hasn't seen Hikari in a long time after all... 3 years is a long long time...
Hikari turned towards Hikari-chan and said, "I'll be going now, please wait for me.", and then, Hikari gave Hikari-chan her best smile.
Hikari-chan smiled back, and disappeared... No, she did not disappear... Hikari-chan went back inside Hikari... Hikari-chan will always be with Hikari.
"Ran-sama, Yukari-sama, I'm home!!!" I shouted, and then, I ran. I ran towards that familiar house... That house that I spent my whole life in.
First of the paratroopers have landed.
Thanks for chapter