Sylphid's Happiness Revisited

Chapter 1

Ryu stared up at the roof of the Hostess of Fertility, her mind distracted as she was washes dishes in the pleasantly warm water. It helped ease the aching she felt from the pain she had dealt with during the death march she had with Bell... her Hero.

A flash of danger whipped towards her, but she was too distracted to react as a meaty hand slapped in the back of the head. It didn't hurt luckily, but it did stun her for a second. "When you finally finish with dishes, come talk with me outside."

"Of course, Mama." Ryu stood for a brief second in silence. With a sharp shake of her head, she returned to the dishes she had been working on.

Not more than 10 minutes later, she placed that last plate on a wooden drying rack, 'Time to face the music.' She already knew what to expect, but that didn't make it any easier.

With a deep breath she made her exit out the back door, Mia stood looking at the sky. Ryu noticed a small white dove flying far in the clear blue sky. "You wanted to talk." Ryu asked, trying her best to hide her hesitance.

"Yes." Mia easily picked up the worry and hesitance, sighed slightly and spoke softly. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Mama." Ryu didn't get a chance to reply as Mia's muscled arm raised and held her hand palm outward to stop the elf from speaking.

"Tell me Ryu, what is it you want to do?" Mia waited a few seconds, but Ryu didn't answer. "I know why you keep disappearing, you just got out of the hospital five days ago. So I will ask again, and I want an answer. 'What is it You want to do?'" Placing extra emphasis on You.

Ryu's mind raced the entire time Mama Mia had been speaking 'What is it I want to do?' She asked herself. Mia noticing the self-introspection Ryu was in and let her think for nearly a full minute before Ryu spoke up again. "I don't have an exact answer to your question, there are several."

"Good, that's good. You always need something to push you." Mia spoke, more like her namesake of Mama. "For the last six months you have changed and grown so much. I almost don't recognize you when compared to the broken elf Syr picked up in an alley all those years ago."
Ryu nodded, "For the longest time, I had lost myself. My drive to grow and change. I knew that was terrible, but I couldn't change. But now things are different, I know what I want to do in the future."

Mia nodded with a soft smile; Ryu continued. "I want to help the people of the city again; I want to embody the justice my goddess represents. I want to live free from the cage I put myself in, and..." Ryu could feel her ears begin to burn as she finished, "I want to be there and support my hero, just as he rescued me from myself."

Mia couldn't help but let a large grin crack her already smiling face, "Good, get out of here and be free, just like the Gale that you represented. But remember, while you are a terrible waitress, you will always have a home here, even if it doesn't work out."

Ryu could feel her emotions bubbling up from deep within her heart, before she could stop herself, her own surprise far out stripped the woman standing in front of her. Ryu hugged Mama Mia tightly, "Thank you Mama."

Mia for the first time in forever was stunned silent, but Ryu dashed off before she could act. Mia stared up at the sky again, noticing the dove had a partner that was swooping around the other. Mia sighed softly; she could tell in a month the temperature would begin to shift towards having a bite in the air.

Ryu dashed away, more out of embarrassment than anything else. But she would be lying if she said she wasn't excited for what the future holds. She nearly threw the door to her small room open, glancing around quickly before quickly getting changed out of her waitress uniform.