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“Our lord. The fool. Reigns supreme over the spirit world. He is the king of yellow and black who wields good luck…”
The tall bishop spoke as he towered in front of Mr.Fool’s believers. His voice echoed through the church as the rain poured outside. More and more people started to pour in to hide from the rain and listen to the fool’s teachings.
Drip. drip. drip.
Leonard carefully stepped out of the carriage. His eyes stared into his own reflection. His eyes were hazy, and his wet hair clung to his face. His smile tworn.
“Captain…are you okay?” Cindy asked reluctantly as she walked out of the carriage.
“I’m fine. File the report for me.” Leonard said in a cold tone.
Cindy looked around at the other Red Glove members. The area they were in was not that far from the Evernight church, but it would take more than 30 minutes of walking from the location they got off.
“Captain…we aren’t at church. You stopped us here.”
Leonard finally looked up to look at his surroundings. Only then did he realize he had made the carriage take the team to the Fool’s church instead of Evernight. He tilted his head up and stared at the symbol of the church. He started to laugh menacingly at himself.
“I guess I got lost.”
The red gloves looked at Leonard with concern but didn’t really say anything. They all knew why Leonard was acting so out of character, so all they felt was pity. The last mission, paired with an artifact he was holding, made Leonard's emotions go out of control. He became overwhelmed and overly sensitive to every tiny emotion he felt in a fleeting thought. Regulating his emotions was next to impossible.
The people started to finally leave the church, even though it was still raining. The bishop was giving out our umbrellas so everyone could go home. Leonard's eyes widened when he saw a glimpse of the inside.
There was a statue of Mr.Fool. Even though his face was covered and his figure was obscured by a huge, long, floaty coat that was carved into stone, he had a slight comforting smile on his face.
Seeing Mr. Fool made Leonard feel as if a wave of emotions could crash down on him. He started to stumble his way inside, soaking wet from the air. The red gloves turned their heads just about to leave when they saw their captain walk into Fool’s church like a drunk person.
“Captain!” Cindy and Bob yelled out in unison.
Hearing the red gloves yell and the tapping of their feet against the rain made Leonard tense up. He started to sprint to the fool’s statue, even ignoring the bishop.
The bishop turned slightly in shock, accidentally tripping Leonard in the process. Leonard fell face-first onto the ground but quickly got up. He closed his eyes and sniffed. The pain didn’t hurt, but the feeling of pain wanting to cry amplified when he tripped.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you-“ the bishop apologized.
He held out his arms, offering Leonard a hand, but Leonard shoved the bishop away, almost making him fall back.
“Don’t touch me!!” He yelled out.
He quickly got up, but then a hand grabbed his wrists and pulled him back. It was Bob and Cindy. They started to pull Leonard back while the other red gloves apologized profusely to the Bishop, all the while trying to explain what’s going on.
Leonard shakes his head, and tears start to well up in one of his eyes. The feeling of helplessness and regret crushed in his heart. All the memories of his time in Tingen that he suppressed for years came by as if the glass heart he finally smashed into pieces and all the water was flowing out.
“NO! No! Not again!”
“Captain!!! You need to calm down!”
Leonard's wet hair started to grow, and he bit his lip. He managed to slip out of their grasp and pushed them off with his hair, not wanting to hurt any of his subordinates. One of the red gloves members managed to grab his ankle, making him fall again.
“Ngh!” Leonard let out an exaggerated, pained grunt when he fell.
Using the opportunity of the red glove member loosening their grip to not hurt Leonard, he quickly crawls to the statue. He crawled at Mr.Fool’s robes and clung to his knees for support as he pulled himself up.
“Mr.Fool…I beg you…please bring him back.”
The red glove members paused for a second and looked at each other in confusion. All the while, Leonard starts to cry. His tears fall onto the statue’s lap. His gaze looked up to see the familiar smile.
“I just want him back. I’ll do anything.”
Leonard reached out but couldn’t bring himself to touch Mr. Fool's face. He bit his lip and slowly lowered his arm to hold his hands together on the statue of Mr. Fool's lap. He sniffed, and his voice started to quiver as he felt the urge to sob uncontrollably take over his body.
“T-the fool that doesn’t belong in this era…”
All the red glove members started to panic and ran to him. The bishop was just standing there, unsure what to do. He looked around and walked to one of the official beyonders of the fool’s church who had just stepped out.
“No! No! No!” The red gloves called out.
“The king of yellow and back that wilds-“ Leonard spoke, ignoring their pleas before suddenly getting interrupted.
All of the red glove members present started to pull Leonard back again. Some grabbed onto his arms, and others grabbed onto his shoulders. Leonard shook his head and pulled himself forward, fighting and resisting their grasps.
“NO!!! NO!! Come back!! Bring him back!” Leonard yelled out at the statue in a plea.
“We need him! I NEED HIM!”
Leonard yelled out as if he were admitting his sins before god. He trashed around, shaking his head as tears ran down his face uncontrollably. Some of the beyonders of the fool’s church started to run over to help. They closed the doors to the church to resolve the situation first. Leonard, using the opportunity when the Fool’s church closed to the public, used his beyonder powers to escape everyone’s grasp by bursting into a group of rose petals. The rose portals quickly wrapped around Mr.Fool. Leonard wraps his arms around the Fool’s neck, clinging to him as his life depended on it.
The beyonders of the Fool’s church ran over, but they were stopped by the red glove members.
Now the two churches were in a standoff, but no side wanted to actually fight. Leonard looked out to see the two parties. He tightened his grip. Now anger took over his body, replacing his sadness. No matter what he did, he couldn’t control his emotions, and words started to spill out of his mouth before he could even think properly. His body and mind were only acting on emotion and instinct.
“Don’t come near me!! I’m the Fool’s star! You hear me?! I’m the star!!”
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock at the revelation. They all look at each other in disbelief. The seers immediately started to do their divination, but they got no consistent results.
“Get the oracle or the priest!” A seer shouted at his teammates.
“They both left this morning!” Another replied.
The Fool beyonders debated what to do. They were all low-sequence beyonders, so they had no combat abilities that could take on Leonard. Using any beyonder artifacts was out of the question as a beyonder of the Evernight church. He was showing no signs of losing control, only an emotional breakdown. Leonard used his hair to plunge into the floor, and ice spread from it. Creating almost a barrier between the beyonders and him and Mr.Fool.
Leonard breathed heavily and slowly turned his head back to Mr.Fool after a minute of staring on guard. He presses his forehead against the hood of Mr.Fool and closes his eyes. His hand slowly moved to cup Mr.Fool’s face that peeked out of the hood. He started to pray again, and tears started to fall from his face once more as the sadness from before swelled up in his throat.
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era, you are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; you are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
A seer, out of panic, pulled out their gun and shot at Leonard. But a fog suddenly surrounds Leonard, covering him from the shot. Everyone took a couple of steps back in even more shock. The beyonders of the Fool’s church quickly took everyone to hide behind the church to avoid possible danger. Praying to a sleeping god is always a gamble, especially for beyonders. Leaving only the highest sequence red glove member and a seer to moderate the situation.
“Please…Bring back Klein… or even Gehrman! Or Dwanye! Just someone!!” Leonard pleaded as he hugged the statue, but of course he got no response.
“Gerhman Sparrow???” The seer asked.
The red glove shrugged. The seer leaned back and knocked on the door to talk to the other red glove members. “Did your captain have a relationship with Gehrman Sparrow or a person named Dwyane?”
Cindy and Bob looked at each other, then shook their heads. “We did an investigation on an individual named Dwyane Dantes, but that's it.”
Leonard continued to sob on Mr. Fool’s statue. His body slowly slides down Mr.Fool’s body, and his body slumps against Mr.Fool’s legs. He sat on the floor with a vacant look in his tired, red, puffy eyes from crying so much. It was as if the years of tears flowed out all in one day, and not even an hour passed. He held his hands together and started to pray over and over again to Mr. Fool, but every time he tried, it revealed no response.
As everyone watched him, the doors suddenly flew open, and a grey fog seeped in. A team of people dressed in cloaks of yellow and black with the symbol of the fool’s church on their chests walked in. One of them stood out; he was taller than the others and had a longer train. It was one of the elite teams of the fool’s church who just returned from their own mission. The tall figure walked over and watched in silence with the others behind him.
“Mr.Fool…please bring back Klein…” Leonard begged and sobbed in a whisper.
“…Why is the high deacon of the Evernight church crying on our Fool’s feet?” The captain of the seers asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance in his tone.
Bob walked over and explained what happened. The seer frowned and looked at Leonard.
“Who is this Klein…?”
“He was a teammate of our captain back in Tingen. He died in an attack.” Cindy explained as she leaned out from the door.
The Seer snapped his fingers and got his subordinates to get some paper and a pen. After gaining relevant information, a drawing of Klein Moretti appeared. He looked up at Mr.Fool and took a deep breath. His eyes suddenly flashed yellow for a second.
“Everyone get out of the church. No one is permitted to listen until I open the door.”
Cindy and Bob agreed without questioning the seer. Everyone quickly ran outside the church as instructed, leaving only the seer and Leonard. A grey fog surrounds the seer, and a black portal opens up. The seer stepped through it, and after a moment, the captain finally took off his hoodie, revealing a man with short brown hair and brown eyes with soft features. It was as if Klein Moretti came back to life.
He had a smile on his face, and as he walked, the fog slowly dissipated, slowly changing his clothes from a long robe to a black suit and a top hat paired with a cane. Leonard slowly tilts his face up. His eyes dilated when he saw the face he had longed to see again for years. Using Mr.Fool’s lap to help him get up, he slowly pushed himself up only to slip and fall back down onto the ground again.
“It’s been a while, Leonard.” Klein smiled with a comforting smile on his face.
“No…you’re not him…! Who are you?! Why do you smell like him?”
Klein slowly tapped on his cane, and his smile slowly faded into a sympathetic look.
“You are correct. I am not your Klein. But I am Klein. But also not him.”
Leonard stared at the figure. A mix of sadness, remorse, and anger filled his eyes. His trembling hand slowly reached for his gun, but he didn't pull it out. He couldn’t bring himself to shoot at Klein even if it was only a fake.
“I can kill you.”
“I know. Then kill me. I won’t be mad.” Klein replied with pity in his tone.
“...”
Klein looked at Leonard, who showed no signs of leaving any time soon. He glared at him and pressed his back against Mr.Fool’s legs. Klein sighed and slowly sat down on the floor. He placed his cane down and took out a gold coin. Flipping it in between his fingers as he scoots his way next to Leonard.
“You got hurt?” Klein asked while staring at the gold coin.
Leonard looked at Klein for a minute before replying. “It was a Demoness, and the artifact I’m holding amplifies my emotions.”
“You’re slacking. Mr. Poet.”
Leonard runs his hand through his damp hair. “You sound like the old man…”
Klein let out a laugh. “You should listen to him. He gives good advice. He wouldn’t harm you. He needs you.”
Leonard lifts his legs and curls up. “I just want you back. I don’t know what to do with my life.”
Klein looked up at the ceiling of the church. “I don’t know. I don’t have the answer to that. You have to figure that out yourself.”
Leonard looked at Klein with a sad yearning look on his face. “Why can’t you come back with me?”
Klein looked back at Leonard in his green eyes.
“You know why.”
Leonard’s gaze slowly shifted to the floor. He slumped back against Mr.Fool’s legs, slowly lowering his own. He sniffed, wanting to cry again, but there were no more tears left to cry. His lips quivered, and his voice got shaky as if he were about to cry again.
“Why…is living so painful? Everyone I care about always dies. Why do I even exist?”
Klein stared at him for 5 long seconds and slowly tilted his head up to look at the statue of Mr.Fool above him. He slowly got up and stood in front of Leonard. A fog surrounded them both out of the blue from Klein. The train of his suit grew longer, and a grey fog started to come out of his body. He placed his hand on Leonard’s head and slowly patted him, comforting him. Leonard flinched and looked up to see Klein, but also a figure looming over him, slowly taking over his body. Klein slowly gets enveloped by a grey fog, and a hoodie of black and yellow covers his face. His voice deeps deeper and his face echoes through the church.
“If you must have a reason right now…then live for me. Wait for me. My star.”
Leonard looked up at the figure in shock. Mr.Fool smiled at Leonard and caressed his cheek. He held Mr.Fool’s hand and nuzzled his cheek against his touch. A slight whimper came out of Leonard’s throat as he spoke.
“By your will…Mr.Fool.”
He slowly lowered his head while clinging to his hand. Mr.Fool held out his other free hand and slowly helped Leonad get up. He then slowly wiped the tears that were still on Leonard’s face and pressed their foreheads together. In an instant, Leonard felt the urge to cry stop, and his emotions, although not completely gone, he felt much calmer. Mr.Fool rubbed his forehead against Leonard’s slightly to comfort him before pulling away.
“Your new friends are waiting.”
Leonard looked at Mr. Fool, confused but didn’t object. He gave a slight nod and tightened his grip. Mr.Fool turned to the side, and they slowly started to walk. He walked next to Leonard’s side with a warm smile while Leonard stared at him but didn't say anything. As the fog slowly dissipates, Mr.Fool's appearance changes. Leonard wasn’t phased or shocked. He stared at the changing figure next to him like he was meeting an old friend again. The figure changed to a wandering magician, then to a tycoon. Their steps were small and slow but deliberate. Leonard’s pace, however, slowly halted halfway when the figure changed to a familiar figure of a crazy adventurer. He looked at Leonard with not a cold look but a sad, confused look, with his eyebrows raised. Leonard’s lips finally curled up to a slight smile.
“That’s out of character.”
Gehrman Sparrow smiled and let out a laugh. “You’re right.”
Gehrman then grabbed his half top hat and changed his appearance to a detective with a scruffy beard. He held out his hand.
“Shall we keep going? This mystery isn’t going to solve itself.”
Leonard held the hand again, and they started walking. Eventually, they made it to the door, but neither of them wanted to open it. Leonard turned to his side. He watched as the detective slowly turned back to Klein, and the fog coming off of Klein was becoming smaller and smaller.
Leonard held both of Klein’s hands and looked at him. Klein looked up for a while but slowly lowered his gaze.
“We can’t…stay here…” Klein said with a hint of sadness in his voice.
“I know…”
Leonard slowly lifts Klein’s hand and kisses it. Klein opened his mouth, but his voice got choked up. He let out a weak, breathy laugh.
“You’re going to make me cry…”
“That’s not out of character for you…” Leonard said with a smile.
Klein closed his eyes and started to laugh to himself. “You’re right…”
He slowly pulled his hand away and put it on the door. “Are you ready?”
Leonard watched as Klein’s clothes slowly changed back into the uniform of Mr.Fool’s official beyonders.
“I think so…”
Klein nodded and slowly grabbed his top hat. It changed into a hoodie as the last bit of fog dissipated. His smile disappeared when Klein turned back to the captain of the Fool’s church. He opened the door and held out his hand for Leonard.
“Can I get your name before I leave?”
The captain tilted his head as he was contemplating a name on the spot. “I go by many names. Too many to count. I’m just a wandering magician. My name does not mean anything to you.”
Leonard put his hand on his heart and bowed to the seer. He walked down the stairs to the other Red Glove members, who were waiting for him under a tree to hide from the rain. Leonard smiled at them and reassured them he’s now okay. It didn’t take long for a carriage to show up, and as he got in, he looked back at the captain of the Fool’s church, who was standing at the door of the church. Although his eyes were covered by the hoodie, he was clearly staring at Leonard. He smiled at Leonard and mouthed some words at him.
“My…Dear…Poet.”
Leonard's eyes widened, and he leaned against the window, but before he could get out, the carriage started to move. He leaned out of it and yelled.
“KLEIN?!?! KLEIN!!!”
Leonard yelled over and over again, but his voice was drowned out by the rain. The seer didn’t even look at him as the carriage pulled him away. Eventually, the figure and the Fool’s church disappeared into the distance. He slowly crawled back in and leaned back in the seat in shock. He leaned his head against the window frame, watching the doves fly past the carriage as the rain slowly stopped. The carriage ride was quiet aside from the sounds of the bustling city and other carriages passing by. When the rain stopped, the occasional ringing of a passing bicycle gave a calming feeling. Leonard closed his eyes and couldn’t help but fall asleep on the short ride back
___________________
“Captain. Captain.”
Leonard woke up and turned his head to see all the red glove members already entering the Church of Evernight. He looked at Bob.
“We’re back?”
“Yes. For a couple of minutes already. You were asleep the whole ride back.”
“Whole??? We went to Mr.Fool’s church on the back.”
“Why would we do that? No, we didn’t.” Bob replied, confused.
Leonard's eyes widened. He hesitated to get out of the carriage.
Was that all a dream? No…
“I…I need to investigate something you guys do, the report, and inform Crestet Cesimir.”
Leonard leaned forward and patted the driver to take him to the location of Fool’s church. The driver didn’t question it and immediately started moving. Bob and Cindy ran for a couple of steps before giving up.
“We have our own seers, you know!!!” Cindy yelled.
_____________________
Leonard jumped out of the carriage and looked around. He paid the driver and walked down the quiet street, even more confused. It was a rich neighborhood with the closest church being the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.
What? Impossible. I’m sure we were just here…
A child ran past Leonard and jumped into every puddle that he could. His pants and boots were covered in mud, and his shirt was soaking wet. As he jumped, he lost his balance and fell onto the floor. The boy started to sob and cry for his mom. Leonard turned to look at the child, but the mother of the child walked over, lifting her yellow dress, holding an umbrella.
“Dear. I told you that you were going to slip.” She said in a disappointed tone.
The kid sobbed and cried loudly. Every time the mother tried to get him to move, the child would just cry harder. She sighed and placed the umbrella down before bending down to her knees to meet the kid at eye level. She pets his head and starts to sing a lullaby.
“I will protect you from all around you..I will be here, don't you cry.”
As she sang, the child slowly stopped crying. He sniffed and hugged her. She scooped him up with one arm and picked up the umbrella, not caring that her dress was getting dirty. Leonard watched the whole scene in silence. A strong gust of wind flew past him, taking the white doves with them. He looked up at the doves flying away, disappearing into the grey sky. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking in the wind. Letting the last bit of turmoil of his emotions fly away with it. After a minute, he opened his eyes and slowly looked down. A huge pile of yellow flowers suddenly formed out of the concrete surrounding his feet. Leonard's eyes widened, and he took a step back in shock. A bunch of yellow flower petals flowed around him and burst in the air into a huge pile of confetti. He looked up at the performance in awe. For some reason, his intuition told him it was okay, and he didn’t need to be alarmed.
Ring. Cling. Ring.
Rustling sounds of bells alerted Leonard. He lowered his head and looked forward to see a clown walking towards him, who appeared out of nowhere. The clown looked ridiculous with short yellow blonde hair, dressed in red and blue.
“Chrysanthemum. It symbolises happiness.”
Leonard looked down at the yellow chrysanthemum flowers. He slowly reached his hand and grabbed the flowers. Their hands touched accidentally. The clown didn’t pull away. He instead caressed Leonard’s hand for 3 long seconds before pulling away.
The clown let out a laugh and spun in front of Leonard. He placed his hand on his heart and gave a deep bow as if he had just performed a lifetime.
“Until we meet again.”
He had a happy smile. An exaggerated smile. A ridiculous smile.
Leonard couldn’t help but smile back.
“Until we meet again…”
“Klein.”