The Brightest Smile
The great war between the Moniyan Empire and the Abyss had ended, but Lumina City was still recovering from its wounds. Among the ruins, people stifled their sobs, but Dori's keen ears caught them all.
Dori was a Nature Spirit born with the gift of calming the hearts of others. She stayed close to the survivors, sharing bits of her warmth in hopes of bringing the smiles back to their faces. She wanted to help people, just as the Sacred Beast Lukas was said to have done.
But Lumina City was vast, and its grief and despair became more than she could bear. The Monastery of Light's Acolytes found her on the day she finally reached her limit, and showed her the Ritual of Light. Candles flickered as prayers filled the air, and the believers' pain slowly eased.
"Would you join us and bring comfort to those who are suffering?
Dori's tail began to wag. She studied the scriptures, recited the doctrines, and put her faith in the prayers. Whenever she stood before the holy relic and prayed with all her heart, her feelings radiated outward, and a halo glowed beneath her feet.
Would this make the world a little better?
Dori questioned herself. No matter how hard she tried, she could not ease every pain. Their tears had stopped, but their smiles had not truly returned.
One day, a strange airship drifted over Lumina City. A fluffy little magical beast slid down a cable and rolled all the way into the Acolyte Temple's confessional room, and right onto the pulpit. It balled itself into the shape of a yo-yo, then bounced and spun through the air.
The crowd stared in surprise. A moment later, laughter rang through the room like fireworks. Dori looked at a mother who had lost her child. She had been trying and trying to find her smile again, and now, she was smiling with genuine joy.
So it was joy that made people smile!
The acolytes rushed in to drive away the magical beast named Yoyo. Just as they were about to catch it, Yoyo barreled into Dori's arms and grabbed hold of the cable. The floor suddenly left Dori's feet, and she was yanked up toward the airship. As she tried to pull free, she met Yoyo's gaze. Its eyes curved with joy, and Dori decided not to let go.
Aboard the airship, Cici mistook Dori for Yoyo's savior and eagerly invited her to join the Whimsical Wonders troupe. "T-that's not what...," Dori started to explain, but swallowed the words. She quietly reminded herself that she was a missionary and could not let these "heretics" lead her astray. After all, everything she had been taught condemned the troupe as heresy.
But what Dori saw was nothing like what she had been told. Humans and magical beasts carried props together, built the stage side by side, and performed in harmony. Everyone had on such bright smiles. With each new sight, a little more of her wariness faded.
The airship landed on the Empire's borders. Dori slipped into a corner to pray for the people there, but when she opened her eyes, everyone was gone. She looked around and found them crowded near the theater entrance, talking and laughing as they waited with their tickets. Sir Chester, the troupe master, and Cici found Dori looking flustered, but decided not to draw attention to it.
Cici showed her a peace sign to lighten the mood. Dori fumbled as she tried to copy her, somehow bending her ears into a crooked imitation. Cici was taken aback for a moment, then let out a laugh.
Her eyes lit up. "See? Happiness is just that simple!"
Sir Chester chuckled too."We could use someone to watch the venue and let people know they can laugh without worries here."
Cici grinned and announced, "From now on, you're our happy stage manager!"
Dori changed into the troupe uniform Cici had prepared for her, grabbed her guiding banner, and gave the crowd a nervous wave. Her ears couldn't stop trembling, but no one laughed at her. Instead, they took it as part of her shy performance. Laughter rose through the tent again and again, and before long, Dori was laughing with them. Her eyes became a bit watery, but she wasn't sure why.
She just knew that her smile was as bright as everyone else's.
One day, when the troupe was performing in a new town, a person in familiar robes appeared outside the tent. The acolyte said:"Dori, you disappoint us. Return with me. Now." Dori was vital to the Monastery of Light's plans in the north. They had no intention of letting a Nature Spirit who could sway people's hearts escape their control.
Dori's ears could not stop trembling, and she almost blurted out a "sorry" out of habit. But just then, the curtain rose. Music filled the tent, followed by thunderous applause. Dori turned without thinking. Around the stage, countless smiles lit up with joy.
Dori slowly raised her head. "I know this isn't the light you preach of... but it's what I want to protect."
Behind her, the laughter and applause grew louder and louder. The stage lights against her back felt warm and comforting, as though the entire troupe was standing behind her.
"I just want to do something for this world full of wonders—ruff!"
The acolyte dropped his false smile and waved his hand. From the shadows, Monastery Knights rushed toward the stage.
Then, a sudden sound of glass shattering. One by one, the lights went out. Darkness fell over everyone in the tent. Screams burst from the crowd as the knights charged at the stage.
Dori, who was always saying "sorry" with trembling ears, raised her banner and moved in front of the crowd. A serious look came over her as she gritted her teeth, her trembling ears now steady with resolve. "I... won't let anyone ruin the show!"
Fear still had a hold of her, but beneath it was something else: all the performances that she watched, and all the smiles that they brought.
She didn't want the laughter to stop!
The banner held tightly in her hands began to glow in the darkness. She mustered her courage and made her voice heard: "E-everyone, p-please don't panic. Next up... we have a special performance."
In the dark, a child giggled: "She's so nervous. Is that part of the act? Let's just watch the show." The adults soon calmed down and took their seats.
Dori began waving her banner. Wherever Waggy swept, a glowing ring appeared. Sir Chester jumped into the generator wheel and ran with all his might. One by one, the backup lights came on. The squirrel band snapped out of their daze and continued their music.
Dori lifted her hands higher and higher as she waved; even her ears perked up!
On the second sweep, the glowing ring spread across the entire stage and specks of starlight glimmered around the edges.
On the third, the ring reached the edges of the tent. Starlight climbed up the tent and burst across the canvas like fireworks.
The charging knights slowly came to a halt and began helplessly swaying with the music. When it was all over, they hastily fled the venue in humiliation.
Outside the tent, the acolyte slipped away amid the applause.
The "special performance" she began continued around her, livelier than ever. But Dori could barely hear it. She stood at the edge of the stage, her legs still trembling as she raised her banner higher and higher. The timid pup who always said "sorry" and trembled whenever she got nervous now stood at the very front without taking a single step back.
She looked behind her at all the happy smiles.
And she answered back with the brightest smile there.
