Hurting

**Kaiser** Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:46 pm

Disclaimer: I do not own FusionFall; all credit goes to Cartoon Network for the characters and Grigon for making the game.
…..

“Papa, why do people hurt each other?”

A little girl with long black hair ran over to a tall man wearing a white lab coat sitting by a small table. In her hand was a book filled with recipes for various foods found around the world. She stared intently at the older man as he looked down at the girl that was presumably his daughter. He rose from the chair and began approaching her. Once standing next to the child, he knelt down and rested his right hand on her shoulder.

“That’s a weird thing to ask. Don’t you think?” The man stated while still looking in the girl’s eyes with a gentle expression.

The girl quickly shook her head and grabbed the man’s arm. She wasn’t removing her attention from him for even a second. “I wanna know, Papa!”

The father let out a sigh as he moved his hand from the girl’s shoulder to the top of her head. With a sincere sounding tone, he began saying, “I can’t give you an answer.”

“Why can’t you tell me? You’re smart, Papa! You should know!”

“Sorry…I don’t…something like understanding humans…there’s no easy explanation. Maybe I’ll be able to find the answer when you become a big girl. Is that alright?”

Thinking it over for a few seconds, the girl eventually let out a smile and nodded. She then transitioned into hugging her father as he embraced her. Looking up to the sky with a grim look on his face, the man wondered about that question shortly before his expression changed back to one of happiness as he looked down at his daughter.
….
I was quite the fool.

Back when my daughter asked me why people liked hurting others, all I could do was lie and say that there was no answer. I tried to delay the inevitable since I didn’t want her to witness the truth about humanity. I was afraid of what might become of her if she learned the meaning behind that question. If she fell into the same suffering as the rest of us…I wouldn’t have been able to bear that pain. I wanted her to be a beacon of hope for the world.

For what reason did I want that though? I truly loved my daughter, but even I understood that there was no way she truly was capable of being a sign of hope for the entire planet. As her father, I truly wanted to believe that the sky was the limit for her future despite the controversy she would have been forced to overcome. However, I finally realized that the reason why I couldn’t was because I did not want her to succeed for her own sake. No, I only wanted her to reach the heights I created for her because I thought that her reaching that far would save me from my own pain.

The duty of a parent is to inherit their child’s dream, for their own dream to transform into their child’s. That’s a basic concept that has been passed down since the beginning of time…and yet…I couldn’t accept that. My dream has always been to end the constant pain that tortures me, pain caused by weakness.

Yes…it was the answer that I refused to tell my daughter all this time. She wanted to know why people hurt each other. I knew it all this time and thought I was denying it for her sake, but I finally realized that wasn’t the case.

As I walked towards the rubble, hatred continued to enter my heart. I didn’t know what the target of my rage was, but I knew it was consuming me alive. Whether it was my own inability to do anything or if those fools that dare call themselves rebels, I knew that punishment would have to be dealt out eventually.

Rain began falling on my face as my destination got closer. Boards that used to form a floor to a house were scattered throughout the area. I desperately threw these boards out of their positions on the ground, looking for something. What I was looking for…was it salvation? Did I finally realize that I was wrong for viewing my daughter as nothing but a tool to reach my own goals? Did I want to save whatever I found here because I was a soul looking to change?

Eventually, I came upon what I was looking for. Kneeling down, I placed my hand over her cheek as tears finally fell down my face.

“…Papa…?”

“Olivia…the reason why people hurt each other…is because we’re weak.”

“…Is that why?”

“Yes…our weakness makes it easy for hatred to overcome us. Hatred makes people forget that things like hurting others is not what we should aim to do. It takes strength to defeat this hatred…but there isn’t a human capable of doing it.”

“Papa…I’ll do it…”

“…What? What did you just say?”

“If humanity can’t defeat hatred…then make me into a weapon that can…”

“…Do you realize what you just said? Do…you really…mean that?”

“You told me a long time ago…parents don’t give up their dreams when they have a child. They change their dream to their kid’s because we’re your hope. So, Papa…if I’m really your hope…please…let me achieve my dream."

“Your…dream?”

“Yeah…Papa…I want to be your strength. I knew all this time…you’ve been feeling pain. If it’s because we’re weak, I want to become strong. I’ll support you…so please…help me with my dream.”

“But what am I suppose to do with strength?! Even if I’m strong, that won’t matter…if my hope changes…”

“You’re the brilliant Franklin Rosencrantz…you’ll know what you can do when you’re strong…I believe in you…Papa.”

“…I see. If that’s how it will be…yes…I’ll make you strong. Together we’ll end this hatred.”

Picking up the woman that was still lying on the ground, I started walking away from the wreckage. I know what I must do now. I had to create a utopia that could erase weakness from this world. For the sake of my daughter’s dream. I couldn’t be weak any longer. She was my strength now…and I vowed to make her strong enough to rid myself of this pain.

“I’ll rid this world of this curse.”