Act IX

by Alexander Gordon

  Squeak and Star rubbed their eyes then looked over the magnificent spread before them with speechless, or rather squeakless and meowless, wonder.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Clover shouted out, with the group turning to see the enraged elf yanking on her pigtails with gritted teeth. “I struggled to put together that paltry breakfast this whole morning, just barely managed to make it edible for anyone, and then she whips up this in half the fucking time? How the fuck did she do this?”

  “She’s scary,” Cindy whimpered as she hid behind Daniel. “Who is that?”

  “That’s Clover,” Daniel explained. “And yes, she can be rather intimidating too.”

  “Please tell me you’re not comparing me to her,” Triska moped.

  Clover walked into the room and eyed over the luxurious spread on the table before seeing Doku quickly fluttering back and forth in the kitchen area as she was apparently rushing to finish one more thing for the group’s lunch.

  “A fucking cake?” Clover cried out, with the group quickly running over behind her to see Doku was preparing a three layer cake that was decorated in white frosting with colorful flowers made of cream that adorned all the large rounded sections.

  “Holy shit!” Triska exclaimed. “Doku, wha… what are you doing?”

  “Oh!” Doku squeaked turning to face the group with a nervous smile. “I’m sorry, it’s almost ready. I promise it won’t be but a few more minutes, I just need to-”

  “Stop!” Alyssa yelled at her. “For the love of everything, just stop for a minute!”

  “Doku, you didn’t need to do all this,” Daniel worried as he saw the very large dessert the harpy had been making. “You are working way too hard all on our account. I thought you would have just made a normal lunch for us like you always do.”

  “But we have a special guest,” Doku said with a kind smile to Cindy. “I wanted to prepare something nice as a show of goodwill.”

  “You did all this for me?” Cindy wondered as she looked around at the table and kitchen.

  “This is too much, Doku,” Specca pleaded shaking her head. “My word, how did you even make all this so quickly?”

  “You are spoiling us rotten,” Kroanette added as she looked around at everything the harpy had prepared in record time. “Honestly, this is far more extravagant than anything you’ve made for us before.”

  “It’s no trouble, really,” Doku assured before she started fluttering side to side near the cake, using her feet to squeeze more frosting onto the large dessert in a stylish wave design all along the edge. “Please, all of you may sit and enjoy your meal. I’m just going to finish this before I-”

  She halted with a small yelp as Daniel quickly held her from behind, keeping the harpy in place as she slowly stopped flapping her wings and touched down on the floor. All the girls fell quiet as Daniel kept his arms around the harpy’s waist while holding her close. Slowly Doku turned her head to peek at Daniel from behind her bangs, seeing him having his eyes closed while resting his head against hers.

  “Daniel?”

  “We don’t deserve you,” Daniel softly said. “I don’t deserve you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “You do so much for us, Doku. It’s unreal how much effort you put into everything you do. You take such good care of us, every day, and you’re always smiling and being so kind to us through it all.”

  “I just… want to…” Doku slowly replied before losing her voice.

  Cindy watched the two of them curiously while stepping over to the side to get a better view, taking notice of the way Doku was bashfully smiling as she was held by Daniel, and the way Daniel was speaking to her with such admiration and care as he held her close.

  “You’re more than a kindhearted girl,” Daniel continued. “You’re a saint, Doku. An angel. You’re more than proof of my belief, of monsters being capable of having a heart. You’re simply amazing. I don’t know what we ever did to deserve having you in our lives, but I’m so glad you are here.”

  The girls behind him smiled and nodded in agreement, except for Clover who had a gentle expression on her face as she envisioned Daniel speaking the same way he was with Doku to her.

  “We’re so thankful to have you with us,” Specca commented, with Cindy looking to the girls and seeing how they were smiling at Daniel and Doku.

  “You’re the best bird ever,” Pip agreed with a hop in the air.

  “You truly are a kindred spirit, Doku,” Kroanette complimented.

  “This is so beautiful,” Luna sobbed before tearing some leaves off her skirt to blow her nose.

  “Thank you so much, for everything you do,” Falla added.

  Squeak nodded and squeaked something with a warm smile at the harpy.

  “You really are something,” Clover admitted before lowering her head as she felt her heart pulling towards Daniel even more now.

  Silence filled the hall as Doku leaned back against Daniel, his words making her heart pound steadily in her chest as a few tears began to well up in her eyes. Her wings gently held onto his arms around her waist. As she relished the sensation of her loved one holding her Daniel suddenly felt something poking into his mind again, the same as he did the first night Doku had stayed with them. It was a feeling he recognized all too well, the presence of another star in his mind from a monster’s love towards him. And this one was right in front of him, clearly being from the harpy that he noticed was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

  ‘Wait, I can feel it. Her monster energy, her spirit, I can… but then, that means…’

  “I love you, Daniel,” Doku said, both confirming his assumption and causing everyone to jump with a startle at hearing her declaring such words right to his face.

  “Doku…” he managed to get out before falling speechless.

  “I love you so much, Daniel. It’s true. The truth is… I’ve been in love with you since we met. I’ve known you were the only one for me, I’ve known it without any doubt. You were so kind to me, so selfless, so considerate of my feelings. And not just with me but the other girls as well. You’ve been nothing but good to all of them, loving them and caring for them despite how different they are from you. And with me, you’ve always been so kind to me, excusing my mistakes and blunders as if they were nothing at all, comforting and guiding me during my troubled time after losing Cilia, and saying such beautiful words that make my spirit soar higher than even I myself would dare fly.”

  The girls behind them stared at Doku with stunned faces, all remaining perfectly quiet as they tried to process what they were seeing and hearing now. Although Doku was directly confessing her love to Daniel the girls were finding themselves more surprised by her actual declaration instead of being angry or upset about it.

  “I know you don’t see me as your wife,” Doku whimpered. “I know you don’t see me as your mate. You probably don’t even want me in such a way, and I can understand that. I know I mess up a lot, I know I bother you all so much, I know I’m such trouble for you to deal with. But I have to tell you, Daniel. I love you so much, and that will never change. The truth is it is I who is undeserving of you. You’re the real angel here, the one any girl would be lucky to have as her mate. I can only pray one day you may even consider giving me a chance to be yours, and I’ll stay by your side until then and do anything I can to prove how much I love you.”

  “Doku… I…” Daniel managed to get out before falling silent. The harpy turned to show him a saddened smile, her eyes remaining hidden behind her hair while a single tear rolled down her cheek.

  “Forgive me,” she softly spoke. “I don’t wish to be a bother to you, and I’m certain I’m making you feel uncomfortable now. However I had to tell you. No, I wanted to tell you, for so long. I just couldn’t hold it in any longer. I’m sorry.”

  She slowly walked around him towards the other girls, all of them looking to each other in question of how to react before seeing the harpy bowing to them with her win
gs tucked close.

  “I’m sorry, to all of you as well. I know… I’ve just been getting in your way with Daniel. And I do apologize. You’re all so lucky, you really are. You have a human who truly loves and cares for each of you, unconditionally, no matter what you may look like or have done in your past. I envy all of you, so much.”

  “Wait,” Cindy confusedly said eyeing over Daniel. “What’s she talking about? You like monsters?”

  “I beg for your forgiveness,” Doku pleaded with a whimper. “I just had to be honest, I couldn’t keep quiet about it anymore. Yes, I love Daniel. And I don’t believe anything, not even Kitten’s threats of physical harm to my being, could sway me from that feeling. I know you’re angry at me, I understand you may hate me now, and I’m truly sorry for that.”

  “Doku… stop,” Triska quietly said. “Stop… being… so…”

  “I’m sorry,” Doku dearly said before turning her head towards Alyssa. “I’ll bear any punishment I must endure for my words. I have no regrets about speaking what my heart is feeling. Do as you wish, Alyssa.”

  Alyssa stared at her while appearing to be speechless, the small witch then slowly looking around at the other girls as they all seemed taken aback as well. After a while all the girls turned to Daniel along with Doku, waiting for his response as he too seemed to have lost his voice with a stunned expression on his face.

  “I’m sorry,” Doku whimpered. “Please, don’t hate me for being so selfish.”

  “Selfish?” Daniel asked.

  “In wanting to be your wife. Your mate. To… have your love. I know it may never happen, I know you have no need for me when you have so many beautiful mates already, and I know I’m nothing but trouble-”

  “Stop,” Daniel insisted.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, I don’t know. But I had to tell you how I felt, even if you couldn’t possibly feel the same way in return.”

  “Stop, Doku,” Daniel begged as he started walking towards her.

  “What have I done?” Doku sobbed as all the girls began showing concerned faces. “I’m so sorry, I just let it all slip out, didn’t I? I should have kept my beak closed, I shouldn’t have fooled myself, I shouldn’t have-”

  “Please stop it, Doku,” Daniel urged as he held the harpy by the shoulders.

  “I’m so sorry, I’ve ruined everything,” Doku wept with tears dropping from her chin. “You all were right about harpies after all. Maybe we do get desperate to have a man in our lives, maybe we do crave love and affection too much, and I’m sorry for that. I just want to be with you, Daniel, so much. I can’t help it, I love you! I love you! Even though I’m not good enough to be your mate I still want that, I still want to be with you forever!”

  “Doku!” the girls called out. “Stop!”

  “This is making me sad,” Cindy whined. “And I don’t understand what’s going on still.”

  “I love you, Daniel!” Doku cried as she clung to his chest, burying her face and breaking down completely in his arms. “I love you, I really do! I’m so sorry for everything, I’m sorry for being such a nuisance!”

  Everyone watched as Doku cried her heart out with Daniel holding her close, his heart feeling a painful stabbing sensation from hearing the harpy’s lament. The girls glanced to one another then lowered their heads, remaining silent as they didn’t know what to say given the circumstances. After a while Doku sniffled and turned her head away while trying to steady her breathing.

  “I’m sorry, Daniel.”

  Daniel held the harpy while feeling her star in his mind pulling at his heart. Slowly he looked around to see his harem watching him with concern, Clover and Star included, while Cindy was wiping her tears away as she was both saddened by what she was seeing as well as confused by it.

  “Daniel?” Triska finally spoke up with. “Do you have anything to say?”

  “I know what I should say,” Daniel distantly replied looking up. “I know I should say I’m sorry as well, that I can’t return her feelings, and that we can’t be together like she wants.”

  Doku whimpered and clung to his chest from those words before slowly turning her head up to face him, seeing his solemn expression as he appeared to be thinking deeply about something.

  “But you’re not going to say that?” Specca inquired.

  “I don’t want to,” Daniel answered shaking his head. “I don’t want her to leave us. And I don’t want her to be sad. Hearing her crying like this is unbearable. Breaking her heart is something I just can’t do.”

  “Daniel, what are you saying?” Triska asked carefully.

  “Tell me, honestly, could any of you girls send her away now? Do any of you want her to leave knowing how she feels about me?”

  “Well… um…” Alyssa started to say before looking down and gently kicking the floor with her feet.

  “I’d really rather she didn’t go,” Specca unsurely replied. “It’s just… well…”

  “I don’t want her to go,” Luna said shaking her head. “I like her being here with us.”

  “It’s not that we don’t like her,” Kroanette reasoned. “It’s just… I mean, we don’t want…”

  Squeak opened her mouth to squeak then smiled nervously and started to point to Doku then to Daniel before looking down with a concerned expression on her face.

  “I like her,” Pip spoke up. “I want her to stay with us forever.”

  “So do I, Pip,” Daniel said, with Doku squeaking in surprise. “The truth is she’s part of this family, she’s part of us, and she’s… she’s…”

  “I’m what?” Doku breathed out.

  “She’s someone I want to be with,” Daniel answered, looking down to the harpy as he brushed aside her bangs. Her yellow eyes that were revealed stared at him in awe with a few tears falling from them, her voice having vanished entirely as she felt her legs wobble beneath her.

  “Daniel, do you love her too?” Luna wondered.

  “I think I am falling for her, Luna,” he replied, with Doku squeaking while her face turned a deep red. “I fear she’s too kind, too caring, too loving of those around her, and if I spend any more time with her I believe I may end up taking her as my mate.”

  “Mate?” Doku squealed before quickly hiding her face in his chest. She trembled and stammered something uncontrollably, her muffled voice all that was heard in the hall as Daniel’s girls were staring at the two in surprise.

  “However,” Daniel continued, with Doku looking up to him with a whimper as he still held her close. “I cannot allow anything to take you girls away from me. I have a responsibility towards those I’ve given my love out to first, and that’s all of you. If I were to betray any of you it would cut me just as deep. So I want you to tell me now, is there any among you that don’t want Doku to be part of this family?”

  Doku quickly looked back to them with a whine while holding her wings around Daniel, seeming to be scared of being separated from him at all now.

  “Wait, hold on,” Triska countered holding a hand out. “It’s not that we don’t like Doku or anything, it’s just… but…”

  “I like Doku, I really do,” Alyssa defended. “I’m not going to lie about that, and I’m not even going to punish her for saying she loves you because I don’t think I could stomach seeing her in such a state. But… another girl to share you with? I don’t know about this.”

  “I don’t think any of us are angry with Doku,” Specca clarified. “Honestly, it wasn’t much of a secret with how she felt about you. But… even so… I don’t know if I want to keep sharing you with more and more girls, Daniel.”

  “Daniel, what are we to do here?” Kroanette asked stepping forward. “I hate to complain about this, since it’s something I do love about you, but… damn it all, you’re too desirable. You’re so kind and caring to all those you meet, you treat us all so wonderfully, and to top it off you would willingly fight to the death to protect us. You’ve stolen all our hearts and now Doku’s too. How many
more are waiting to fall under your spell?”

  “He’s that nice to all of you?” Cindy wondered. “Even though you’re monsters?”

  “Yeah,” Falla said while crossing her arms. “I hate to admit it, but you’re a little too good of a catch, Daniel. How long before another monster falls in love with you and wants to be with you forever?”

  “You’re not going to love us any less if you have her too, are you?” Luna worried.

  “Daniel,” Triska sighed while rubbing her face. “I love you, and I want you to be happy. I’m fine sharing you with other girls, we all are. But where’s the limit to this? How many more are you going to claim as your mates?”

  “It’s not like I’m going out looking for more girls to love,” Daniel defended. “I mean Doku literally fell right onto your lap that one day. I’m only speaking how I feel. I do like the person she is, and I’ve grown closer to her just as you all have. I know you all care about her too, and that’s why I’m even considering the option of taking her as my mate.”

  “Yes, we do care about her,” Triska reluctantly agreed. “I don’t know who couldn’t like her, she’s far too kind for her own good. But still what about my point? If she’s joining us today then who’s next? How long before another girl falls in love with you and steals more of your heart? We can’t let this happen again and again.”

  “I’m seeing a pattern forming here,” Alyssa groaned with a face palm. “Every time we bring someone along with us they fall for Daniel. It always happens without fail. He’s just too nice to us monsters. At this rate Clover is going to fall in love with him too, I just know it.”

  After a pause the witch slowly looked over to see Clover watching Daniel with a timid expression while having her head lowered, obviously in an attempt to hide her blush that she was failing to conceal.

  “No,” Alyssa spoke with dread as she pointed to the elf. “No. No. No. I was just speaking in example, I didn’t mean that.”

  “Clover?” Triska carefully asked as she saw the elf’s face. “You don’t love Daniel, do you?”

  All the girls watched as Clover remained silent, her eyes locked onto Daniel while her hands were clenched tightly at her sides. She glanced around at all the girls then back to Daniel as he too waited for her answer.