In another world, I was called as, Bandage Witch.

Ao's Feeling

A/n: I simply love this lullaby, really fitting for a mother singing a lullaby to her child. And of course, I read the manga, anime if I may.

Ao's POV

Hi everyone! My name is Ao and I am 3 years old!  I'm good at math as I good at counting the trees I burn while I playing around.

I love playing but there's no one other than me and my mom!  It's soo boring. But grandma and Aunty Merida often come for the visit,  so it's not entirely lonely! I'm not lonely at all!  Not at all!!

....but...does mom feels lonely?

Mom always tugged her lips that I don't have to downward while asking me if I have fun or not. Unlike Aunty Merida, she always had different shaping facial and eyes that my mother doesn't have. When I was 2, I once asked Aunty, why my mom doesn't have eyes like her?  Why does she cover her eyes with strange white clothe, why both of them look different?

However, Aunty only makes the same lips the same as mommy but her green eyes look over me with strange facial that I don't know again.

"Ao, your mommy...cannot...she.. Is blind, " she said with a tone I never heard before.  And what is 'blind'?

Granny which bigger than Aunty with her comfy feathers I like to play, answer me coldly as usual.

"Your mother doesn't have eyes like us, she will never see the thing same as you could see.. "

What does that mean?  Never see?  cannot see? But mommy always turns at me and always easily find me when we were playing hide and seek in the cottage... Blind... Blind mean she cannot see?

"Granny, you're a liar!  Mommy can see me!! Mommy is not blind! "I roar with the feeling I'm never felt before. I'm felt tired after I let out this strange emotion, overwhelmed by it I simply lay on the ground and stared the little purple flowers mommy love to collect. Mommy can also find these flowers, this beautiful flower is something mommy never unsee it.

"Take as an example the flowers before you little young one. "Granny said.  "She can see it was a flower... But never see the beauty of it.. "

Lie, mommy can see it.

"Mommy... Mommy can see it, she can see everything!" I frustrated and pluck all the flowers before me so I can show to mommy.  I ignored their calling as I leap and fly my best to reach mommy, I smell her scent in the air, mommy always has a calm tiger lilly scent left from her body. I climb the tree to reach the branch as I look around mommy must be collecting food again.

But then my instincts were right as I found mommy with overflowing bandage was busy collect some marble fruit from the trees with strange vine dangling in the branch. Mommy as usual easily to find me as she turns her head at my direction, she tugged her lips downward again with cheerful voices.

"Ao, what are you doing there?  Did Granny and Aunty already leave? "

She can see me! I glide toward her excitedly with flower still in my mouth and landed into her embrace, she let out a ticklish laugh as I landed to her rather faster than usual.

"Mommy look what I found! "I muffled as I show flower to her, she glances down on me and strangely fell into silence.

Mommy looks a little longer, it's mommy favorite flowers! She can see-

" Is it purple one? " she said that it caught my breath. "Ao, what color is this? "

Mommy... This flower is purple... But.. This flower is right before her face, she just cannot see... it?

Mommy..it can't be..

"Mommy...can't you see it? "

"...."

"Mommy, you are not blind, right? Granny and Aunty can't be, right? Mommy can see me."

"...mommy is blind, my dear Ao. " she cuddles me as she sat down. "...mommy can only see darkness as if someone is making mommy's eyes close forever. But with this necklace your granny give, I at least be able to find the presence of living thing.. The light inside of it. The light inside you is what I can see. "

I cannot understand, mommy can only see darkness but at the same time.. She can see the light?  What is light? She can see me because she can see the light? 

"Light?  Mommy said its darkness.. But can see the light? "

"Yep, like a firefly in the night, like how glowy mushrooms gleaming in the dark...all those things that alive giving out the light as if the flickering like the candle."

Oh... Like that... But if they all glowing at the same time, how mommy able to see me among them?

"Your light Ao. " she softly said.  "Your light is the most beautiful thing mommy ever see. "

I'm beautiful?  Yeah, mommy praise me!  I stare at her with starry gaze wishing her to explain further.

"Like stars in the sky... But stars in the sky are not enough to compare with you because it's overflowing so beautifully that mommy instantly notices whenever you near me. "

She kissed on my forehead which I reply with a pleasant purr, but what's it feel when you only see darkness? I close my eyes and imagine myself.

Darkness... Black.... Nothing to see... So scary... So lonely... I don't know where to reach because I don't see anyone around me... It's scary....

I open my eyes to feel glad when I am still inside her arms, but then I felt sadden because of mommy the only one who cannot see it...

"Mommy, is it fun for being able to see the light instead of the real, real one? Like these flowers? " although the purple flower began to wilt, mommy still hold it. It does not look pretty anymore...

"There is a good thing for not being able to see with eyes. " She said.  "Unlike seeing with a pair of healing eyes, they were mostly not being able to see..the heart..."

"....huh?" A heart? Huh? huh?!

"Oh look Ao, grandma, and aunty is coming this way, " She put me on her shoulder and pick up the basket that filled with fruits. Ignoring my confuse as she leaps down easily with her bandages grab onto each branch, both of us glide in the air. 

"You know, I still not agree to be called 'aunty' at this age." The palms slap both of her cheeks. " I still have a baby face."

"Right, nothing worse than being called grandma I guess. " someone replied while giving a judgemental gaze through the mask.

As we both landed gently on the ground, it turns out to quiet as none of us speak. I low my head hiding my admit at the truth they state to me before. Mother glance next to me then toward them two but then rub my forehead gently as she seems to notice my resentment on something.

"I believe you need to say something before they leave?" She smiles as she put me down in front of them.

We three looks at each other not knowing what to say...or perhaps I don't know what to say. However, in the end, I only spout a single word of asking forgiveness.  

" Dearie, we forgive you, diamond little one." Aunty bends down to pick me up as she giving me few kissing, I'm not fond of it though. "Everyone can get cranky, especially little one like you. However, I hope you can learn to be more understanding toward people around you before jumping into conclusion."

I glance to see granny stare at me for a long time before sighing.

"I must say you need to heed this word, little young one."  She fluffs her colorful feathers. " Because words can wound more than feeling inside the heart."

Heart? Again that word? What is 'heart' actually? Is there where the feeling coming from? Maybe I will be asking mommy later. She is a knowledgeable person after all. Yep, me and my mommy again.

'

'

'

'

'

The first eclipse moon is coming.