Ep.48: School Field Trip, Part 1

“Fukai! What’s the matter?!” Ramsey shouts as he runs up beside me. “Why did you st…” Ramsey looks down where the battle of the beasts took place. “Damn it. We need to hurry.”

“Yeah… I…” The words I want to say are stuck in my throat. I bite down on my lip in frustration.

“You don’t have to say it,” Ramsey regards me with a deep seriousness, “I know.”

“Guys, wait up!” Anaea shouts from behind.

“I’m sure it’s nothing good,” Maka says morosely.

“Hmm…” Cinder responds noncommittally as he’s focused on the book he brought along instead of the conversation.

“Let’s go,” Gwyn prompts the other three to continue following Ramsey and I to the top of the hill.

As we stand there, all of us overlooking the jungle below from on top of this hill, the reality of this all finally sinks in. The ashen jungle is spreading faster than we could’ve anticipated; consuming all living things that dare to step foot in its domain. Cinder, Gwyn, and Anaea are astonished by what they are witnessing.

“I can’t believe the magnitude of this,” Gwyn says while surveying the land.

“Told you so,” Maka replies fatalistically.

“Yeah, but… It’s just so unreal,” Anaea whispers while taking it all in.

“Well, it’s real…” I begin to make my way down, determined to keep my promise and restore our land. “And we need to stop it before things get any worse.”

Gwyn follows closely behind me. “Young Fukai is right. We mustn’t linger for too long.” Gwyn observes the ashen jungle. “It’s hard to say what ramifications might come if this is left unchecked.”

Maka glances at Gwyn as even more worry worms its way into him. “Ummm… ramifications… that sounds dangerous,” Maka quails while walking away. “I’m sure you guys don’t need me, right? I mean, I’ll only get in your way.”

“Are you worried, Maka?” Cinder looks down at Maka.

“Oh… well, it’s only natural to not want to head towards danger,” Maka replies.

“Oh. Right. You don’t have-” Cinder begins.

“Look, Maka, you don’t have to go with us,” Ramsey interrupts from his position behind Maka, his eyes closed. Cinder just shrugs and intertwines his fingers, holding his hands in an x in front of himself.

“Really?” Maka perks up with excitement. “Alright! I guess I’ll see you-”

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!” I say, having turned around and run back up to Maka. “Maka, buddy, what are you talking about? You’re not dead weight.”

“Dead weight? Nobody said anything about dead w-” Maka starts to quietly refute.

“Look here, Maka!” I tell him as I put my arm around his shoulder. “Ramsey is what you would call a hater.”

“A hater?” Maka reiterates, confused.

“Yeah?” Ramsey demands, irritation tingeing his voice.

“Yep, a hater! And this hater doubts your abilities,” I announce while smiling.

“I don’t mind if-” Maka tries to input.

“…and next thing you know, you’re getting benched!” I look at Maka with excitement. “And I know about your adventurous side. You don’t want that!”

Ramsey looks at me and shakes his head, then soon looks away. “Idiot.”

“Ummm… I don’t mind getting benched,” Maka squeaks, nodding.

I walk away from Maka with a pep in my step. “Trust me, Maka, once you get benched, you’re always benched!” I turn around, walking backwards as I look Maka in the eyes with excitement. “But just think of the possibilities! Endless adventures! Epic battles! And-”

“Shut up, Fukai.” I run into Ramsey’s arm, barring me from proceeding. “Look.”

I turn back around and notice we’re on the edge of the ashen jungle with the body of every living thing it has consumed pulsing like a heartbeat. It makes my stomach turn. “Should we go this way?”

“Hmmm…” Gwyn picks a small branch off the ground and walks over to the edge, then tosses it across the line into the ashen jungle. The ash quickly consumes the branch, like an all consuming invisible fire. “Like I thought.”

“That’s not good.” Ramsey looks at Gwyn. “Do we even know where it is that we’re going?”

“Cinder, are you ready?” Gwyn looks over his shoulder at Cinder who is behind him.

“I almost have it,” Cinder says while studying his book.

I look over at Cinder, a little curious as to what he’s reading. “Yo! Professor, what’s Cinder reading?”

“It’s an ancient book of our people’s history with the Temple of Ember.” Gwyn looks at me and smiles. “And Cinder and I are hoping it will tell us the location of it.”

Ramsey walks up beside Gwyn, looking far off in the distance. “And why is The Temple of Ember so important to what’s happening here?”

“It may hold the key to saving the jungle,” Gwyn looks at Ramsey with a smile, “if my calculations are correct. Though, only time will tell.”

“Master, I think this is it.” Cinder looks at Gwyn while adjusting his glasses. “The location of the Temple of Ember.” Cinder closes the book and smirks, self-assuredly. “Follow me.”