ALKISAH: Prayer for the World [1001 Indonesian Fantasy Stories]
STORY: The Last Letter That Scratched Happiness

Story By: Ary Prakasa

“Anggrietta, I won't use my magic on you again.”

“Lho! But why, Zelos?”

“Remember why you started dancing.”

The words that Zelos made during training yesterday still haunted his mind. Zelos said that while they were at odds. Anggrietta never intended to hurt Zelos' feelings at the time, only that Anggrietta could not hold back her emotions.

“You are so selfish, Angrietta,” he reprimanded himself, “Pahala, Zelos is the one who helped you so far? But what did he mean yesterday? Isn't it clear that I danced to have money for my mother's hospital treatment? Argh!”

Anggrietta patted both cheeks. Then decided not to think about it at this time.

“Focus, Anggrietta! Focus!”

With the music spinning, he stood up again.

Anggrietta regained her breath. Slowly his blue eyes closed. Then he lifted both hands and put them in the air. His left hand slightly bent as if he was hugging someone and his right hand he extended long hanging in the air. It looked so sturdy as if both of his hands were resting on something. Then his body he leaned and slightly leaned to the left. That position makes it look very fragile but very charming.

Anggrietta began to move her right leg. His left foot immediately followed as if he did not want to miss in the rhythm of the dance. The steps go hand in hand with the movements of his body and give birth to a harmony. Provides an impression of elegance and extraordinary beauty.

After finishing his training, Anggrietta immediately left the training room to his room. He should be getting ready for the dance contest this afternoon. But on his dressing table, he saw a piece of paper folded neatly. He's opening. A handwriting from someone he knows very well.

I will show you something when the contest will begin.Zelos

At that time Anggrietta still thought that everything would be the same as usual. But until the contest was about to begin, Zelos did not show up. And it really made him riled up. He kept looking back and hoping that Zelos would come and cast a magic spell so that he could dance to the fullest.

Unfortunately... Zelos still did not appear, even after the number of the participants was mentioned by the moderator. The moment he stepped onto the stage, the applause of the audience rang out. And the cheers shook the room. Anggrietta's eyes were wide-eyed as she watched.

Jemari Anggrietta. Even the one who is his partner is also worried.

“Mbak Angrietta is fine?” whispered the man who became his partner.

“Eh! Ja. I'm fine, Om Gilbert. Sorry to make you worried.”

“The Broker is not present as usual. You guys fighting again?”

“Not, Om Gilbert! She's not my girlfriend! And we're not fighting!”

Anggrietta's reaction invites Gilbert's laughter. Since becoming a dance partner, Gilbert is sometimes nosy. But behind his own mess, Gilbert always thought of Anggrietta.

“What is your stage fright gone, Sister Anggrietta?”

“It's better. Thank you, Om Gilbert.” he said with a smile.

Although Anggrietta has felt better from her stage fright, that is not the core of the problem this time. This time he would inevitably have to dance alone without the magic of Zelos. That made him really scared. He was afraid of losing everything when his movements became chaotic and disappointed the audience and judges. At the moment Anggrietta does not know what to do.

The magic used by Zelos to him made him able to dance very well. It was as if his body was being moved by something and his mind just stayed behind.

Anggrietta is alone now. He could not dance like before. Given that this dance contest is not a moment, he can only hope that Zelos will come on the sidelines of the match.

After all the participants entered the stage, the crowd began to subside. The atmosphere began to be quiet and the participants were arranging their respective positions.

The sparkling dress she was wearing matched perfectly with her pure white skin. Plus the black hair that she had neatly put on made her look very beautiful and dazzling. The Anggrietta the Primadona. That's how fans call it.

Music was played, and a dance contest began. All participants started their own dance routine.

Likewise with Anggrietta, even without magic, he must still dance. Inside his head kept remembering their movements and tried as hard as possible to stay focused so that their dance synergy and unification was perfect. Gilbert noticed the strangeness from the look on her face that was too tense. Although Anggrietta hid it with a smile.

They kept dancing and dancing. Completing Waltz was followed by Quick-Step in the next round. And back to Waltz in the last round. The dancers' stamina must be drained. But none of them stopped moving their bodies. Keep moving, until the stage looks like a frame with flowers blooming in the middle.

Then, as time went on, the dance contest ended. The dancers with sweat poured out and then flocked out of the stage.

Gilbert who had felt the strange was about to convey something to Anggrietta.

“Sorry, Gilbert,” said Anggrietta, “I'm sorry for my poor performance today.”

Gilbert could not say anything.

Anggrietta with quick steps walked towards the corridor. Just as he was about to enter the dressing room, Zelos was seen there. There was an old woman sitting in a wheelchair. The old woman smiled broadly and said to Anggrietta,

“Your movement is really beautiful, Anggrietta. Mother... very happy.” her tears melted.

The cry of Anggrietta exploded. He ran like a child and cried hysterically. His hands grabbed the mother's body and hugged her tightly. The mother could only gently stroke her daughter's head. And after the cry of her son began to subside, the mother wiped her tears.

“Already... already... later your beauty will disappear if crying continues.” said Mother.

“Pardon Angrietta, Mom. Today... Anggrietta does not dance well.” he said stammering interspersed with sobs.

“That is good or not a dance is not the dance itself, but the jury,” sela Zelos, “Kontes is not finished until they announce who the winner is. Now go back and meet Gilbert. Whatever the result, face it with a puffed up chest.”

The words of Zelos are like a light that gives hope in the heart of Anggrietta. However he did not want to part with his current mother.

“Go My Son. Mom is fine.”

However, the words of the mother rounded the determination of her daughter. Anggrietta returns to meet Gilbert while waiting for the announcement of the winner.

Shortly thereafter, the Moderator began announcing the winners of the current dance contest. Winners announcement starting from the last stage. The number of participants is called one by one. Their numbers are not yet mentioned. Anggrietta can only resign given her unusual appearance.

“For the second stage, Cheer happily to the number ten sequence, Erix Reyes and Armita!” he continued, “And for the first stage, Congratulations to the number eight, Gilbert and Anggrietta!”

“Wait... We... win?” said Anggrietta in disbelief, “How is it possible?”

Gilbert immediately pinched the cheek of the girl who was his partner.

“What are you talking about, Sister Angrietta? Today was your best performance. I was even amazed to see how perfect your movement is today.”

Anggrietta, who did not expect this, fell into a bliss she could not have imagined. Her tears are flowing. It was not once that he won a dance championship. I don't know why the championship this time is very giving a tremendous impression for him.

“Mbak Anggrietta.” Gilbert extended his hand to Anggrietta, the prince who welcomed the royal princess. “This is a result that matches my hunch today.”

They also joined hands to walk towards the winners. The cheers of the crowd went wild after their prima donna managed to win the championship. Congratulations continue to spread endlessly to the winners, especially to the first stage.

And this time the championship is over.

After finishing with the championship business, Gilbert left because there was an affair. While Anggrietta returned to see her mother. Once there, he did not see Zelos.

“Mother..” Anggrietta hugged her mother for a while, “Where was the man you were with earlier?”

“It..” The mother handed him a wreath with a letter on it.

After receiving the bouquet, Anggrietta opened the envelope and read the letter.

To you, Anggrietta, for me,

Congratulations on your victory today.

I never thought that a super introverted girl and very shy first, now a girl who shines very bright on the dance stage. It has even become a famous dancer in its own city. Its clumsy and rigid nature is now very supple and graceful. No one will laugh at him anymore. Though I really miss the moments when he was colonized by men his age. Hehe.

But, along with this letter I want to convey two things to you.

First, I want to apologize. The magic I used on you wasn't a magic that could make you dance better or something. It was just a magic that gave rise to sparks of glare. Not more. I'm sorry I used you all this time for my personal pleasure. Make you buy me a burger every day or take me to that really noisy karaoke place.

At first I just wanted to use you. Not more. Because your existence as a human being is very short and fragile. So that for a celestial like me, it does not provide any benefits. But that was the old me. Having been with you all this time, (if I have deceived you to this day) I feel a sense of dedication and passion that extends all the way into my body. And what made me come to this is a word you said at that time. Do you remember? On a night filled with snow, you innocently said back then about the reason you danced.

At that time I replied to your words with origin.

“What's up with dance?”

With that huge smile, you confidently answered him.

“Because dancing is the way I pray to the gods that they grant my request.”

Your words back then really made me fall silent. I can't even laugh. And then I made a fool of you by casting a magic that you didn't need. So, in exchange for my lies, I used my powers to wake up your comatose mother. I hope this will make you forgive me.

And that wreath was the second thing I wanted to say.

I'm going home to my world. You see, the longer I stay with you, the harder it is for me to part with you. I don't know when this heart began to bloom the seeds of love. But I am not a man, I am a being parallel to the stars in the sky, while you are mortal. We are destined to separate. So forget me and keep dancing. But, you take it easy, I will definitely always watch your dazzling dance.

Zelos. - A Star Child

For the umpteenth time, Anggrietta's tears trickled down again. He tried to hold back his sobbing when he finished reading the letter. He clasped his clothes tightly and bowed. The mother gently stroked her son's head.

“The man said earlier that he will be where you first met for some time.”

“Eh...? Really Mom?”

The mother smiled happily.

“Meet the man you love so much, Anggrietta.”

Anggrietta wiped her tears. Then kissed his mother's forehead.

“Anggrietta go first, Mom. Mom don't go anywhere, yeah.” He nodded and rushed to that place. Anggrietta left her mother.

From behind the hallway, Gilbert appeared.

“Let me drive to the Angrietta dressing room,.” Gilbert.

“Thank you very much, Nak Gilbert.” Anggrietta replied with a smile.

The sun sets and the moon begins to rise in its place. The stars are also scattered in space. Unite in harmony and sparkle like diamond dust.

Under that sky, right in the middle of the garden in the city, a silvery-haired man lay on the ground. Then a light came to him.

“Mr Zelos, How was your trip in the human world?”

Zelos breathed a long breath. A smile on his face.

“Funny. Really fun.” he replied. “This is my eighth visit to this world, but, yes...the human world is really interesting.” Zelos smiled slightly.

“Then, it is time for the Master to return.”

“Not yet,” interrupted Zelos, “Didn't you hear his steps?”

“Step?”

The attention of the two of them was distracted by the glitter of light moving from a distance. Slowly, slowly, the steps began to sound clear to the human ear. Until, slowly appeared the figure of a man who was running. He's Anggrietta. The woman who won the dance contest today. With the orders of Zelos, the figure of light disappeared without a trace.

“Zelos! Zelos! Zelos!” The screams of Anggrietta echoed.

Even for an entity equal to the gods, when his name is called that way, he must inevitably pay close attention to who calls his name.

“Anggrietta..” said Zelos.

Anggrietta was still panting as she arrived before him. The woman did not even have time to change her clothes. And that made Zelos amazed by the spirit he had.

“Zelos... You forgot one more thing in your letter.”.

Zelos scratched his head. Then a little laugh.

“What indeed? The feeling I've written everything I have to say, deh.”

“Remember? long ago, the first time you patted me on the back, you said, 'I'll dance with you if you've become a blooming dancer'.” Anggrietta stretched out her hand, “I'm no longer a clumsy and stiff girl like a robot. So then... Would you dance with me now?”

Zelos' heart rippled hard. It was as if Anggrietta could see something of her and provoke passion in it.

“Maybe it was done by a woman like her?”

Zelos was petrified. But seeing that this was the first and last chance he had, he had no reason to refuse.

“By pleasure, Anggrietta.”

Zelos plucked his finger, and at once a piece of music out of nowhere was heard by them.

Anggrietta smile. He immediately closed his body to Zelos. His left hand was placed on the man's shoulder. And his right hand clasped the fingers tightly in his left hand. They also looked at each other.

“Alright, let's start, our first and last dance, Angrietta.” Zelos started his steps.

They also started dancing.

It was the first time they danced together but the movements were so harmonious. It was as if their bodies had fused together.

The music that continues to spin makes both dissolve in dance. Their faces are so bright. The smile on the faces of the two could not be dimmed by the darkness of the night. The sky, moon and stars bear witness to the beautiful dance they perform.

“Anggrietta... I will use special magic this time.” whispered while continuing to dance.

Zelos recites a magic spell. As they danced, their positions continued to ascend into space. It was as if the air had become dense as their feet touched it. Not only that, their every step would emit sparkling light. Their dance is like a very bright light that adorns the solitude of the night. The sparks spread out and continued to spread into small stars that enlivened the atmosphere.

It was an incredible moment for Angrietta. A beautiful sight that could not be described with words. It was the greatest dance he ever did.

Although they continued to enjoy every second of their togetherness that night, time still could not be stopped.

“Anggrietta...my time has arrived.” Zelos suddenly stopped his dance.

Anggrietta. Again, he tried to convince himself.

“Never forget your own words, Zelos,” his eyes begin to glaze over, “I. Then... You too, never take your eyes off me.”

Spontaneous, Zelos kissed the woman's forehead. And hugged him very tightly.

“I promise. I will keep looking at your dance until you can no longer stand.”

Slowly they began to descend from space and the music stopped. Their feet had stepped on the ground again. The whole sparkle of the night began to disappear.

Zelos let go of his embrace and stared fixedly at the eyes of Anggrietta. Let go of the big smile and tears that just flow.

“Goodbye, Anggrietta.”

Anggrietta tried to withstand the turmoil that was trying to explode from within her. With trembling lips, he tried to smile sweetly.

“See you later, Zelos. Thank you... for everything.”

Zelos' body slowly became a light bulb and simply vanished. When it was all over, Anggrietta could no longer bear it. His cries were so loud that he could not hear them.

It was his last night with the man he loved. And that night she realized that her dance was not just to make her mother smile happily. But also for himself.

The feeling he received that night became a new spirit in his life. With a love that will no longer be avenged.