Ep.38: On Deaf Ears, Part 2

“Hey! What are you doing here?” I question, wondering if Anaea is psychic. “Hey, Anaea, I have a serious question… Are you psy…”

“No, idiot! She’s just smarter than you!” Maka hits me upside the head.

“Ouch!”

“Maka is right, Fukai. I could tell there was something you guys weren’t telling me.” Anaea drops gently out of the tree, rolling when she lands and strolls up to us. “So, I figured I would wait here for you.” Anaea grabs my hand and smiles. “Because I had faith you would come… that’s just your character.”

“Really? Huh. I haven’t thought about it.” I pause to reflect on Anaea’s statement. “Hmmm…”

“That’s all fine, but Fukai, there’s something I need to tell you.” Maka grips my arm tightly. “I was thinking about the things we saw in the Deep Jungle… everything seems unbelievable,” Maka stresses, his grip turning vice-like.

“What’s unbelievable?” Anaea asks, confused.

“Yeah? And what’s your point?” I say, ignoring her while scratching my head.

“Ummm… if we stop and think about it, what we saw is something unbelievable,” Maka states. “And if we have these feelings, what do you think the masses will think when some kids tell them this?”

Looking at Maka, I can feel warmth as worry wells up inside me, “I see…” That’s when I remember the Guardian’s pleas. “Maka,” I put my hand on top of Maka’s head and smile, “Even if nobody believes… I won’t stop trying until I find that one person who does.”

Maka looks at me while wiping the tears from his eyes. “Ummm… I guess you’re right, we shouldn’t give up.”

“Guys, what’s unbelievable?” Anaea steps in, crowding me.

“Fukai, do you have a plan?” Maka asks.

“Of course I do,” I say, shedding their hands as I put my fists on my hips, puffing my chest out at my own boast.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” Anaea shouts, shoving the pointer finger of the hand I just dropped directly in my face.

Grabbing her hand again, I concede and say, “Alright!” Then, I grab Maka’s hand as well and, grasping them tightly, drag them with me as I dash towards the palace. “Now it’s time to start Operation: Sneak into the Palace!” I declare, my face lit by a bright smile.

“Palace?” Anaea blurts in fearful confusion.

“Huh?! Wait, WHAT?!” Maka squawks, realizing my intentions.

***

“Do you have anything to say?” My father, the king, asks as he quietly taps his finger; his subtle sign of displeasure.

“Father, I make no excuses for what I’ve done. I was well aware that going into the outer realm is forbidden, and yet I still went,” I say as I calmly kneel before my father. “I’m truly sorry.”

“Let me tell you a story about a foolish man,” my father begins, casting his gaze down upon me from his throne. “Once, there were three friends: the Dreamer, the Warrior, and the Fool.”

“Father, I’m sorry, I don’t understand the point of-” I interject.

“Quiet, child, I’m not finished.” My father admonishes me, his voice: the calm before the storm.

“Yes, father,” I acquiesce.

“The Dreamer was always looking for something more outside of his home so he set out on an adventure. The Warrior couldn’t help but worry for The Dreamer, so he tagged along. The Fool, without any resistance, agreed to go despite also being aware that the venture was reckless and ill-conceived. You see, out of all three of them The Fool was the smartest…” My father closes his eyes, pausing for a moment before asking me, “So, why do you think he was called The Fool?” My father opens his eyes, looking down at me so coldly that I can feel a chill overcoming me.

“I’m sorry, father, I have no idea.” I hesitate to give my father the answer he seeks, knowing quite well what he is implying.

“I see…” My father smiles a little. “Despite knowing the dangers that lay beyond the comfort of their homes, he didn’t even try to stop them. His knowledge: his greater understanding made his decision all the more folly. Henceforth, he was known simply as the Fool.”

Trying to salvage the situation, I explain myself. “Father… You see, I just couldn’t leave them-”

“You have brought disgrace to this family!” my father erupts from his throne in anger. “You foolish little child!” Raising his fist to quash his own outburst, my father unleashes his fury upon his throne, striking it with a force that resounds to my very bones. “To think I raised such a foolish child!”

“Father… I’m sorry that…” I gasp, struggling to find the right words… the ones he would want to hear.