The dark lioness took measured steps down the stairs from the captain's cabin, her eyes showing her contempt for the heroes scattered across the deck below her. "I'd hoped you would have given up by now. But even when at every turn you only played into my hands, you kept coming, so I shouldn't be surprised. You must truly love the chase."

"It... it's not that." Lolo got up as far as her knees. "The Elements should live in their respective kingdoms, keeping Lunatea in harmony. Maybe sorrow should come back to the world; we've forgotten too much. But it isn't the only thing in our hearts!"

Leorina growled, clenching the red gem-encrusted ring she held in her right hand. "You don't know anything about sorrow!" She took a deep breath as she reached the deck, calming herself, and with a flourish drew a long cutlass into her left hand. "Besides, none of that matters. Power does, and now I have all the power I need. Really, how do you expect to defeat a sky pirate on the deck of her ship?"

Klonoa slid into a fighting stance, brandishing his own ring with its green gem. "You're alone, Leorina. What's a sky pirate without a crew?"

The sky pirate's eyes flicked around the deck, and she frowned. "Tat... what did you...? Rrr." She shook her head. "But you're wrong anyway. I'm to be the Queen of Sorrow--I am not alone!" She raised her ring to the sky, and light flared, illuminating a column of falling rain. A strange humming filled the air, and then from out of the darkness behind the Ark came a veritable fleet of Kitons, the hoop-like creatures flying through the storm with deadly purpose.

One struck Klonoa in the back of the head before he could react, knocking him back on his face. "Magya! Ugh..."

"See?" said Leorina, smug. "These are the soldiers of Sorrow, eager to see their hour come at last. I'll never be without a crew... or an army."

Once again Klonoa hauled himself to his feet, his head ringing and legs trembling. "Nope. You're still alone, sorry. Lolo! Let's do this." The acolyte began to pray, and Klonoa's ring glowed once more with the power of the wind.

Leorina lunged first, thrusting with her cutlass. Klonoa dodged, almost skating on the thin layer of water on the floor of the ship, and counterattacked with a Wind Bullet. But Leorina just raised her ring, and the blue bolt splashed into a spray of harmless sparks. "Wind? Meet fire." She flicked her wrist, and the ring issued forth a tendril of bright red light that lashed the deck. Klona dive-rolled aside, and where he'd stood a moment before, a black scorch mark steamed in the rain.

So the direct approach wouldn't do much for him. A Kiton came diving at him again, but this time he was ready to intercept with his Wind Bullet. His ring bound to the creature, lifting him into the air over Leorina's head. She struck at him with her cutlass, but he swung his legs upward, carrying him out of her attack's reach. With a twirl of his ring, he spun full circle as his legs unfurled--and in so doing struck Leorina in the head with a vicious spinning kick.

The lioness went sprawling, but recovered quickly. Even as Klonoa dropped back to the deck, the commandeered Kiton spinning away confused into the dark, Leorina swung a broad high arc with her flame whip. A section of rigging, trimmed with gold thread and burning at cut ends, came swinging down to the deck, certain to entangle Klonoa like a net.

"Klonoa!" Lolo shouted, yanking him out of the way. He staggered back against the rail, and the rigging came down on Lolo instead.

Klonoa started to dash forward to help, but Popka was ahead of him. "I'll get Lolo! You deal with Leorina!" Popka started chewing on the heavy rope of the rigging. Klonoa nodded and circled around, a grim expression on his face.

Once more he faced off against Leorina, across the stairs. He faked a lunge toward the high ground, then fired another Wind Bullet, this time well wide of Leorina's defending ring. It struck true, grabbing the hilt of her sword. Unable to inflate or bond with the metal object, the elemental energy just knocked it away, disarming Leorina and sending the weapon sliding far across the deck.

"You little..!" Leorina rushed Klonoa, grabbing his arm. To his chagrin, it was the injured one, and he let out a yelp of pain as she lifted him off the deck by his wrist. "Hah. A little sensitive, are you?" She sneered in his face.

One eye squeezed shut against the pain, Klonoa lashed out desperately with another Wind Bullet, and to his great fortune it struck true, grabbing an ancient barrel standing by the rail behind Leorina. It hit her behind the knees as it flew toward Klonoa's ring, and she let go of him, falling over the barrel onto her back. The wind went out of her, and she lay there a moment, stunned.

It was all the time Klonoa needed. Snagging a small cargo crate with his Wind Bullet, he dropped it onto Leorina's outstretched arm, forcing her to let go of her ring. He dove to the deck, pouncing on the artifact before it could roll away. Struggling one last time to his feet, Klonoa crossed his arms at the wrists, pointing now two sacred rings down at Leorina. "It's over, Leo."

Leorina closed her eyes. Did she cry, then, or was it just the rain running down her upturned face? "The power... it wasn't enough. It never is, is it?"

Klonoa grinned at Lolo as she rushed to his side, free of the net just in time. "Nope. You kinda need a little of something else too."

(to be concluded)