A Love for Duty

There was more than one human approaching me, but they weren't here to save me. I was being dragged away by a woman with a green coat. Such a face was cloaked behind a golden mask, preventing me from seeing who was behind this unlovely encounter.

"Augh...ugh...my body..." My thoughts are clear, but not from them.

I was numb, but not fully asleep. Doorwell can still see and hear, only can't move her cookie muscles or speak. The gold-masked humans are putting me into a crate like a toy—the kind of merchandise Doorwell has been made once for the studio.

"Yes...yes...she is indeed what we're looking for."

"But where's the rest? Where's the prowess? Only this?"

"Such a waste of potential. Valentine could not see how wasted she had become in the fraud of their comforting."

They were carrying me somewhere on a crate! Oh, is this another surprise for me? People in the studio used to do this to me on my birthday. But today was not my birthday, isn't it? I could only hope cake and presents were waiting for me by the end of this trip.

I feel a bump—like we are riding on a rollercoaster. Outside was tense, and I could barely hear voices with the engines roaring. This must be a coaster! What else could've made that sound? I only wish they didn't need to seal me inside this box while they were having fun.

"Augh...so weak...why so weak...?"

"Doorwell eat candy...Doorwell gets stronger..."

"Augh...doctor Volcker was right...I was too weak...candy made me weak..."

"Huhuhu..."

I wonder what my parents would think of me now. I should've stayed on the coast and waited for this to end, but it was too boring for Doorwell. Humans were strict and passive for a being who enjoyed love. But Doorwell likes to be outside shimmering with sunlight or playing some games like she did with the Joyling—not waiting inside the box for a surprise!

I saw lights shining between the creaks, passing in a line before it got dark, then bright, then dark, and so on. The humans are nowhere to be found, and I feel dizzy waiting on this ride for so long. I could feel myself crumble under the pressure. The funny machine makes a rolling noise, like a train. A funny train.

Bzzt...

Suddenly, they stopped moving. I feel the ride calm and the humans opening their doors before chattering faintly about a 'project' or something. Now I'm curious, how can I be involved in this project? Does it involve love-blooming necessities? Or a budding? I can do all of that if they just ask.

"The one is here."

"Careful with her! We don't know if she could handle another pressure."

"Why do we even needed her? Does Valentine family even know?"

"Their acknowledgement is not our concern. Not yet..."

They're carrying me! I can feel the box floating. I was moving in the air like an angel without my wings spread, and I heard whispers about me. I smelled fragrance, and it was the lilies of the east, too. I still couldn't see what happened outside, but I could hear more chattering—more humans in my party.

"Call every brothers and sisters now. We have a news to be shared."

"Let them know the Valentine has fulfilled their duty."

—————————————————————————————————

[30 minutes later]

I heard birds chirping and the sun shining through the creaks of my box. I must be outside—the warmth tells a lot! But the curiosity no longer waits because Doorwell is going to see these flowers right after they put me down. Finally, they put me down.

"Let her out, now!"

Crack!

They opened the crate, and I returned stronger as I was before! Doorwell sees the sun shining at first, but she isn't invited to a party like she expected. Instead, she was brought into a huge place filled with green-coated humans. There were candles everywhere, and the room was as dark as the night. They didn't make it bright enough for the window to shimmer everywhere.

"I'm ready for the party!" I yelled out of curiosity. But every human looks at me strangely behind their golden masks.

"Sorry...not a party...?"

I was at someone else's party—One not-so-good party. Not only that I wasn't invited to this party, but I was served as a silent stock before the audience. The gold mask was looking at me with squinting eyes and immovable expression, feeling nowhere near love and favour for this angel.

"Huh?" I looked behind me. Eyes filled with hope from the seat, and candles shine blue. I have never seen a candle shine blue before. I wonder if it was cold.

"*Gasp* It's the angel. The angel!"

"Such divinity! Miracle truly exist for us!"

"Bless the Valentine's child of god!"

But this party looks oddly ridiculous. The lighting here was not appropriate, the food was nowhere to be found, and everyone was not having fun. There was a large symbol carved on the wall of this party in the shape of three rings centered from small to large. The human party really was mysterious.

"Brothers and sisters, put your hands off of the divine one. She is not a toy to be played upon! Let us be humble..." The woman on the stage stops everyone.

"But I am! I mean, I was made to be played by a human. Though, I think this party was in need of me! So, what do you want me to do?"

Around me, there was an empty space with a stage left only for a woman with a golden mask and a white robe. Yet she has three, one for the left and one for the right of her head. How silly, but she has a crown! I would feel terrible if I ever laughed at such majesty. And behind her, there was a huge window.

There seems to be a gathering here, but there are no games or toys here to enjoy. It's like they were just sitting there, hearing only the woman. By the looks of their seat, I would say the party had just started. So I didn't miss something, except the reason behind this party.

"Uhm, woo! What a party you have...uhm...humans. But can I ask what's happening here? It's not that I don't like your party, but...why am I invited like this?" I walked out of the box, cleaned the dust off my body and stood at the center with my arms for a serious call.

"And also...can I have a drink? I'm thirsty..."

"Holy one, fear not! You are here not to be harmed, but to be loved. You are here because you are the only one who could helped us." A man beside the woman came to me with the voice of an old man. His back is bent low, and he approaches me with a cane like a king.

"I...I am? Really?" I glance in awe.

The humans said they were desperate and they needed me. I had never thought I would hear those words after everything that happened in the morning with me and my family. Even the humans on the chair were praising me in that need.

"Yes, yes! I knew it! I knew I hadn't lost it yet! But...why did you put me here? Why not just...call me instead? It was rude to put me on a box without my permission!"

"Forgive our rudeness, holy one. But we could not risk carried you from the Valentine's grip through a soft agreement."

"Why? It's not like they would hurt you or that they hated you. Right?"

The humans are silent, especially the one with a white robe standing tall at me. After I asked that question, the wind turned stale and quiet like a breeze. My pale, cookie skin feels thin and cold through their ignorance, and the audience of humans whispers and chatters behind me.

"Young one. Please, consider yourself appropriate here. The Order would like to see you in a more reasonable attire."

"Oh?"

To my surprise, they were offering me a seat on the stage and a robe to wear. They wanted me to be like them but without a mask. Doorwell didn't have any choice, especially when the humans were begging for her. So she headed for a wardrobe to change her beautiful human clothes with a more beautiful one.

It didn't take me long to change it, especially with how impatient humans could be when you needed them in a hurry. It looked so much similar to my old bloom dress, except it was green. I have this pure white dress extending down my legs, nearly cutting my wings with its tight fabric. Now I know how it feels to be like Pearl. Such beauty, if I must say.

"So, do I look beautiful?"

"Brothers and sisters, right before you lies the daughter of Maria Valentine, who has forsaken her duty long. Yet now, she gave us one miracle through her offspring." The woman interrupted me, turning the topic before the people about my mother.

"H-hello? Uhm, are you listening?"

"Maria Valentine has long abandoned her place in this church for the hole in her faith. Such a tragedy that falls for our dearest sister, breaking our hearts even more."

"Now, she returned—her child returned. Bearing the holy essence from a world beyond our sight, here she joins us for a sermon. Let us give her the love she deserves for her contribution here."

With how little I have done for this place, the humans immediately praise me with a clap and a bow. They have said to love me even if I didn't do much for them, calling me words I have not even known as a compliment before. It's as if I finally found the humans who needed me.

"Dorriel Valentine, you are here because you have been chosen to continue your mother's duty for the existence of hatred within this world."

"Dismay begets the Britannia, turning people against hope and deliver them to the false 'truth' and 'judgement' philosophy. Love has disappear from the eyes of the people, and hatred win against the heart of the people. Those who love truly are not loving now."

"But you? You will be the one loving them all. You will fought this hatred and win back Britannia from the grip of heartlessness, for you will stand as their hero."

"H-hero? That sounds great, but...risky. How big is this hero would be? Do I still have a chance to return to the beach to spend some time with my family? I didn't even picked a perfect ice cream yet!" I couldn't think of doing this duty myself. The humans expect so much from me with this supposed duty.

"Aww, I'm so worried about this...why did I let this happened to me?"

"Dorriel Valentine, you stand here before us with your hands empty of past burden. So are you ready to carry out this task into your hands and claim the saint of happiness as your mother once did?"

"W-well, if Mother was here once, does that mean I was here for the same job? So yeah! Count me in!" I thought. But the humans once again ignored me and showered me with love by the chairs. The old man bent and approached me with a chalice in his hand, with a drink that was meant to be drunk by me before the humans.

"Holy one, please drink from this chalice for us. Feel the power of love and compassion rushing through your body."

"Oh! Of course, give it to me!"

I gently take the chalice from the old man's grip, seeing only fresh water inside. My face turned sour with slight disbelief at the drink I was offered. But to my surprise, it has a taste of a sugary sweet leaking in my mouth! I was coughing for a moment, then I continued drinking all the way until done afterwards. Oh, the sweet in disguise—still a sweet for me.

"Praise the saint!"

"We love you, Dorriel!"

"I love you all, too!" I shed a tear of joy.

The humans loved me—they really loved me. As I returned to the party in this new white dress, I was greeted by many praises and adoration. My name hasn't yet been forgotten among these people. For once, they called upon me for a duty of love.

"Bow, young one." The man beside him forced me to kneel. I still didn't know why I was doing this. But at least that sugary drink is refreshing.

"Dorriel Valentine, you have been appointed here as the Saint. Claim this role at once and leave with the new enlightenment."

"Here, you will be reborn again."

The ground before me was trembling with their feet. A new kind of party was set here with a weird circle on the ground and candles lit on the three rings. The humans are circling me while holding their hands and chanting a song.

Doorwell is still confused about this day, and she isn't sure if she could last long for the party. Why did they have fun without me? I could make a wreath, too! I made one for every Joyling before them. Surely, humans would love them, right?

*Union chanting*

They keep chanting, and they keep circling me with their chanting. But something around me happens differently as I realize how much these humans had to sing for me. I have found not only the comfort of being a human but also the love I have been looking for for a long time in a world of humans.

"Yes! Yes! I feel amazing! I feel loved!"

"Yeah! Shower me more!"

The circle is glowing in yellow! Particles start to fly above my head, and the candles are playing funny around me. My body suddenly felt lighter as I felt something entering through my cookie skin. I was trembling, and I couldn't move past the inner circle. Yet the humans are singing even louder.

My Joyus was leaking from my skin, but I didn't feel pain from it. I feel only love and compassion for these humans who comforted me. I feel only the passion of joy and contentment as I always have been. Doorwell has finally found her duty as the love-bringer.

"Woah! Here goes!" I yelled for one last time as a light shone all over my face. Then, it was all a blinding light.

—————————————————————————————————

Me and the humans get along so well, but my parents are still out there looking for me. It was a sad thought to imagine they would get lost without knowing I was here under a green tent. Moreover, I'm starting to wonder about my brother, who was not happy with me far from them.

"What do you mean you don't know where is she?"

"Darren, she was running so fast chasing up a candy! We've lost her!"

'We shouldn't lose her! Don't you know what happened if she was gone?"

"We know, but I'm sure she's not far from here. She couldn't ran that far out of desperation."

"Well now, she did! And we've lost her!"

"Darren. Please be patient, son..."

"I'm not going to be patient. My sister is out there and I couldn't let him go..."

"I...can't let her go again...not anymore..."

"Aww, you're so caring. But I think you were caring so much for someone you just yelled at."

"Darren? Are you okay, son?"

"He just left. Not even a word?"

"I guess he just wanted to help his sister. Who are we to stop him? We should've followed him, too."

"I don't know, honey. Darren never get used to be this...emotional. Not since Dorriel was gone...do you think he felt guilty not helping her back there?"

"Definitely. What else would bring him to guilt? It's not like he made her like that."

[Darren's Journal #3]

Dorriel.

No longer my sister.

No longer alive.

May they forget you.

May you never return.

You should have stayed away.

Sister never stayed away.

Now you stayed away.

Thank you.

Brother had a girlfriend.

Mom and dad are happy.

Brother had a future.

Mom and dad are happy.

Sister is gone.

Mom and dad aren't happy.

You are not good.

Please never return.