I have neglected this for too long. I am indeed, yes, ashamed of myself. But hey, I've updated! I'm alive!
Author's Note: This is the darkest fic I have ever written. Things have not been going well with me, what with a brewing divorce between my parents and all the pressure being a Year Nine. Also, I have been ill for a long, long time. Writing, drawing, people in this site and Deviantart are the only things keeping me sane at the present moment. If I had no writing talent, no drawing talent and no social ability whatsoever I would have just about died by now. Thank you for standing by me. Thank you.
Warning: Character death. Darkfic. Guntz x Klonoa but it's not fluffy at all, and it doesn't end happily. This should be given a rating of T at the least - I personally think this is a M rated fic.
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Lightening flashed in the darkness.
It was raining heavily, and the village was silent.
Except for one being that stood in the darkness. The figure did not move.
Slowly, the figure's hands went to his jacket, fastening it tightly. Other than that, he did not seem to care that he was getting soaked.
"I'm coming..."
And with that, Guntz the Bounty Hunter walked away into the darkness, up the village where it had all started.
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It had all begun normally, it was all a friendly affair. But life was never that simple.
Guntz had only been polishing his guns. Klonoa just had to come into his room and start fiddling with his stuff, didn't he?
"Klonoa, get off!" The cabbit only smiled.
"You have to..." He stuck out his tongue. "Catch me first, Guntz!" And the boy ran away, with a certain, very angry hunter in hot pursuit.
"When I catch you, you're dead, Klonoa! I'm not letting you get away with this one!" Guntz yelled. But in the end, he knew it would end with Klonoa and him having a right laugh and walking back together to the house they shared. No one could resist Klonoa - the damn kid was just too cute.
Come to think of it, it had rained that day...
Klonoa was panting but smiling happily as he stopped for breath. Guntz ran up to him soon after, his anger gone.
"Great way to exercise, isn't it, Guntz?" The hunter looked disbelievingly at the boy, but started to laugh as well.
"You're right there. Although I'm not as sporty as you may be..."
"What are you saying! You're like, one of the fitter ones in our village!"
"I'm older than you. I have less energy - have you even been paying attention to what Pango had told us last week?"
"Not really." Klonoa's eyes shone with the sun. "I'm too busy looking at someone."
"Who, I wonder." Guntz said sarcastically. "Let me think. Her name begins with a L and ends with a O."
Klonoa blushed. "Um..."
"Got you there, didn't I?" Klonoa just ignored him.
"Shouldn't we go back for lunch now?"
"Klonoa! We ate breakfast three hours ago!"
"Three hours is a long time!" Guntz shook his head, a mixture of wonder and disbelief in his face.
"You're unbeliveable, you are."
How was Guntz to know...
...the damn rain...
...that those happy times would soon end?
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"Guntz?"
The cabbit had called him. That fateful rainy night, he had called the hunter. "Guntz?"
"Yes, Klonoa?"
"I'm cold." Guntz tutted and went over to the cabbit's room. "What is it now?"
The cabbit's ceiling was leaking, droplets of water falling everywhere. Klonoa sat in the middle of it all, looking gloomy and depressed as Guntz had never seen before. "What the hell happened here..."
"I don't know. It's raining too heavily. I think, anyway." The cabbit sniffed softly.
"You do really look down in the dumps, kid." Guntz sighed. "Kip in my room for tonight. We'll have to fix that tomorrow or so. Just as long as we aren't flooded in next morning..."
"Thanks." Klonoa whispered, and they had went over to the hunter's room together.
The cabbit sat down on the carpet, ready to curl up and sleep. The hunter looked over at him.
"You don't have to do that, Klonoa. Here, come over." He patted his bed.
"...Are you sure?"
"Yep." Klonoa walked over to the bed and awkwardly placed himself in it, curling up again. Guntz pulled the cabbit closer to him, giving him his body heat. "Why so depressed today, I wonder?"
He had come to me...
He had just given the cabbit a hug.
And things had gone from there.
He didn't know how that had happened or why it even happened. It just did, and both of them had to deal with the consequences. After that took place the both of them lay silently in the bed, unsure what to do or what to say.
Guntz had mated Klonoa.
But it wasn't that that had successfully marred the hunter's mind. It was what Klonoa had said afterwards. The cabbit shifted, and looked at the hunter for a long while, never blinking. There was something unnatural about that gaze, and what Klonoa had said next made his blood run cold.
"I love you, Guntz."
The cabbit had said that so matter-of-factly. Guntz didn't know what to make of it. So he just replied, "Sure, Klonoa." and chuckled in a fake way, implying that he didn't belive the cabbit. After all, no one had loved him before. Not in that way.
But he regretted saying that as soon as the words left his lips. He had known that Klonoa had been serious, he had known what might the words do to Klonoa's heart. Yet he had not done anything about it.
The next morning was something different. They had woken up, gotten dressed and went about their buisness as though nothing had happened. Guntz avoided Klonoa whenever he could, but lived normally besides that. In the evening he had a call. An important call.
He had some work to do as a hunter. He had to leave for a few days or so.
Guntz had taken up the offer immediately, not really wishing to face Klonoa or what had happened for a while.
"I'll be away for a while, Klonoa. I'll be back soon, I promise." He said to the cabbit as he hung up. For a moment he thought a shadow had crossed the boy's face, but then Klonoa smiled softly at him.
"Getting paid with dreamstones?" He asked, his voice soft. Guntz nodded, although he was still turned away from the cabbit.
"That's great, Guntz..." Klonoa stood up and put his arms around the hunter's waist, burying his face into his back. "That's great..." Guntz turned to face the boy, keeping Klonoa's arms around him.
"Don't worry too much, okay?" Klonoa nodded, smiling as always. Guntz took in the sight of the boy's shining golden eyes for a moment and went off to pack his equipment.
How was I to know that he would do this...
"Here you are, Guntz." Klonoa handed him a bag. "Your handguns and rifle. I packed them for you."
"Oh, thanks." Guntz replied, taking the bag and feeling it to see that it contained his guns all right. He felt the outline of a handgun and rifle, and packed the bag away without question. "I was wondering where they had got to..."
"I figured you'd need them. You would go crazy if you misplaced any of those." Klonoa said. "It's okay now."
"Thank you, Klonoa."
After that, and a quick supper, Guntz put on his jacket and started the engine of the RedClan. He looked back at Klonoa.
"You'll be okay, right?" The cabbit nodded. He gave Guntz a quick hug to indicate goodbye, and a smile. Guntz thought there was something different about the smile, something sad yet beautiful, but put it out of his mind as he drove away.
He never knew that it would be the last time he would ever see Klonoa. Alive.
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"Your mission starts in two days." The shady man stated. "I'm trusting you with this. Any failure will result in instant death."
"I agree to your proposal, sir." Guntz replied, his voice deadpan and blank as he had learned to do. Emotions were a waste of time in situations like this.
"I'm counting on you." With a curt nod he was dismissed. Guntz walked out, his posture stiff and calm.
In ten minutes he had reached the inn he was supposed to stay. The innkeeper recognized the hunter's appearence - just about everyone in Lunatea knew who he was - and instantly sank into a bow, frightened out of his wits. Guntz stated his orders clearly and the innkeeper obeyed. He decided to be generous this one time and paid the keeper with dreamstones, to which he got another bow and murmured comments of appreciation.
He fell on the bed once he got to his room and fell asleep, suddenly tired.
The rain started outside, heavy and rhythmic.
If only I had awoken sooner
His sleep was disturbed with nightmares and other images.
He awoke, sweating heavily and clutching the bedsheets. He glanced wildly around, his gaze resting on the clock on the wall.
Ten-thirty.
He had a feeling - a sharp feeling - that something was wrong, dreadfully wrong. 'Klonoa' popped into his mind at the thought, and he shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts, but it was in vain.
He checked his bag to calm himself down, check his guns and everything. He had to get to his father's rifle. It would calm him down, it always did. His hand fumbled in the bag Klonoa had given him, closing around one of the handguns. Guntz put the handgun away on the bed and felt for the rifle. He got it out and closed the bag with the remaning handgun in it.
The remaining handgun?
The bag was empty...
Frantically, he looked inside the bag and the rest of his equipment for the second handgun. It wasn't there.
Where was it?
Klonoa had been the last one to touch it besides him...
Guntz realized, with faint horror, that Klonoa could be in very serious danger.
He had to go back. Now.
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Exactly an hour later, Guntz arrived back in Breezegale. He quickly got off his RedClan, stowed it away behind the house and ran inside.
The house was empty.
There was no trace of Klonoa; the bed looked unslept in, and the room was tidy. Too tidy. Guntz ran back outside again, and spotted a black sillouette walking up the Bell's Hill. Thanking the Goddess Claire for his night-time vision, he followed the sillouette, close enough to see who it was.
The famillar long, floppy ears confirmed his thoughts.
Guntz almost ran towards Klonoa, but something stopped him. He decided that it would be best to wait, to bide his time.
How wrong I was...
Klonoa was walking along slowly, his steps not very focused at all. He was more like stumbling towards the top of the hill. Guntz followed, looking at the boy almost dead with fatigue. His conscience called out to him to grab Klonoa and just get off the hill, and he almost followed the conscience.
But he had to stop when he saw the glitter of a gun in Klonoa's hand.
It was his handgun.
Although Guntz was heavier and more stronger than Klonoa, the cabbit was amazingly fast. Guntz was also quick, but Klonoa was younger and more full of energy. Plus, Klonoa was armed and Guntz was not. Klonoa didn't know how to handle his gun, but an accident could easily occur.
Guntz's much-logical mind concluded that it was a stupid thing to run out to Klonoa.
The cabbit had reached the top of the hill, and was standing next to the bell. He did not move. Guntz waited, the rain whipping in his face. Further action from the cabbit and he would run out to him. He didn't care if he got hurt - all he could think about was getting Klonoa to safety.
Klonoa now stood with his back to the bell. He was facing Guntz's direction but his eyes were dilated and saw very little.
A flat smile spread across his face, visible by the light of the cresent moon.
Klonoa put the gun to his head, finger on the trigger.
Guntz's eyes widened out in horror; he yelled to Klonoa, running out, trying to stop him -
(Bang)
- But it was too late.
Guntz didn't hear himself crying out. The gun dropped, and Klonoa started to fall backwards, falling into the bell's surface. The hunter ran like mad and caught the cabbit's body before it fell.
"Klonoa! Oh my God! Klonoa!" He screamed, looking at the limp body in his hands. "Klonoa!"
Slowly, the cabbit's eyes opened, but it was no longer the shiny gold he remembered. The eyes were streaked with blood, dull and broken. "Guntz..." Klonoa murmured softly. "Guntz, is that you...?"
"Klonoa..." Guntz couldn't believe it. "... Why...?" That was the only thing that came out his mouth. "Why..?"
"... Because I loved you. And I knew no one would accept me with me like this. I couldn't live." Klonoa's eyes were brimming with tears, his voice becoming slurred. "... When... you didn't accept my love... I was ashamed... I didn't want to live... I made my mind up when I packed the guns for you..." He coughed, blood staining his white fur.
"Why couldn't you..." Guntz broke off. He was sobbing, but not realizing it. "I love you, Klonoa... I love you..." Klonoa's mouth curled into the ghost of his bright smile.
"That was what I wanted to hear, Guntz... all this time." He raised a hand with difficulty and caressed the hunter's cheek softly. "It's not your fault... in the end... no one else would have accepted me..." His eyes closed once more, his breathing becoming increasingly laboured.
"Klonoa..." Guntz whispered. "I'm sorry... I'm so... sorry..."
"It's okay... Thank you, Guntz..." Klonoa's lips hardly moved by now, the words becoming fainter. "This was the way I've chosen to go. I love you.. and... goodbye..." His hand slackened, and his body went limp.
Klonoa was dead.
Guntz stared at the body for a long while, never believing it. The blood from the wound had stained the white fur, the perfect face into a deep red. The rain had stopped but he didn't even notice. The boy, who had been so alive and bright just a few hours ago was now dead in his arms. And he couldn't accept it.
Slowly, he fell to his knees, letting the body go. Klonoa's body struck against the surface of the bell, slid down and lay beneath the bell as it started to ring. It made a deep, solemn thud, the sound washing over the hill. And then Guntz realized why Klonoa had committed suicide this way.
Whenever one of the villagers died, the body would laid beneath the bell and the bell was rung once, striking its deep note to the other villagers' hearts.
Klonoa had killed himself and mourned himself in this way, for he knew that no one would mourn someone like him.
Slowly, Guntz picked up the gun Klonoa had used, stained with drying blood. He looked blankly at it, not wiping the blood off or doing anything at all. It was only at dawn he acted.
He heard the sound of the villagers at the bottom of the hill, getting closer. He quickly picked up the gun and fled, with one thought in his head.
(I've got to get out of here)
And he ran.
He got on his RedClan and sped off into Jugkettle, faintly hearing screams and shouts behind him, in the direction of the Bell's Hill.
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Things had never been the same since. All the time he was doing his mission Klonoa's dead body popped into his mind, distracting him. After the mission was over - successfully too, how, he didn't know - he had to go back into Breezegale.
He dreaded it.
The first thing that happened after he set foot in Breezegale was Lolo, screaming hysterically, jumping into his arms and crying, between sobs, that Klonoa had been found dead with a note in his pocket. Guntz had asked blankly what the note had said, as if in shock, and she pulled it out, letting go of the note quickly. The note had stated why Klonoa had chosen to die next to the bell, and the reason he committed suicide in the first place.
Guntz's acting abilities were superb, and no one suspected him. Klonoa hadn't stated what gun he was going to use in the suicide, so no one knew that Guntz was partly the reason.
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And now it was exactly one year after that.
Three hundred and sixty-five goddamn days.
The hunter's face had changed. The face was still cold as ever but now it was no longer full of emotion. The eyes had dulled, the sparkle gone. They were just like pieces of marble, only blue.
The rain poured down, still getting heavier. But Guntz cared no more.
He began to walk up the Bell's Hill, as Klonoa had done exactly a year ago. His steps were as unfocused and stumbling as the cabbit's had been. But he made it in the end, his eyes seeing only the bell, his destination through all the rain.
He stood next to the bell, his back to it, and pulled out a package wrapped in a towel. In it was a handgun, his handgun, which he had never used and never polished since that day. There was also a note inside, explaining why everything had happened, and that it was his fault Klonoa had died.
The handgun was still crusted with dried blood. Klonoa's blood. He took it out and put his finger on the trigger first, deciding where to put the bullet through.
Klonoa had shot himself in the wrong point of the head, giving himself a painful, slow death. Guntz knew where to shoot himself for a quick, easy death, unlike Klonoa had done.
A quick death he did not deserve.
He had to suffer like the cabbit had done. A flat smile came into the hunter's face and he put the point of the gun on his head.
With another bang -
A death I have deserved
- His body fell, with nothing to stop him, against the bell.
He struck the bell painfully, sliding down with a thump to the ground. Through his dimming eyes, he thought he saw a faint light coming through the endless fog and rain. His life flashed by his eyes, everything from his father's death to Klonoa, Klonoa's death, Lolo, his wasted year...
And then his hand fell limp on the ground. The hunter would never move again.
Tonight, Klonoa, tonight...
It's only you and me.
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The deep sound the bell made rang out to all the grounds of Breezegale, seemingly mourning the death of the hunter who had made himself a legend, who had terrorized Lunatea for so long yet opened up his heart to a mere boy.
But eventually, the sound faded away, lost between the endless rainy parade.
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...Dark, I tell you... Dark.
My feelings are only slightly better. I poured out all my anger, angst, and sadness into this fic. I wrote like mad. It only took me three hours.
But I also feel horribly guilty, seeing as I may have ruined another person's feelings about a character/their day with this fic. I'm not this kind of person, although I like writing angst.
But I never really expected this fic to be... this dark. I have seen even more darker fics but... Klonoa's supposed to be happy!
A friend of mine acted as a beta for this. She said that it was riveting, but also 'the most disturbing, angry and dark fic that belongs to the Klonoa section'.
Urghhhh... my head.
