Bet on her Heart

Disclaimer: Crossover! None of the Sonic characters belong to me; they go to Sega and Sonic Team, while the Klonoa characters belong to Namco and Klonoa Works. Lyrics belong to Escaflowne!

Kero Guardian: This story isn't moving along as nicely as I hoped it to. I've got the ending planned out all in my head, but I'm having trouble with the middle!

Tails: You really shouldn't write stories at the spur of the moment.

Knuckles: And your grammar isn't that great either.

Kero Guardian: (Twitch.) Maybe I have too many characters and should cut down a few, huh?

Tails/Knuckles: Why are you looking at us like that?

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Log Nine: Love's Story

"I can't believe they have an amusement park here!" Amy exclaimed, scrambling through the massive crowd of people. Left and right there were identifiable shades of light pink, but despite each person she approached, she could not find the priestess she was looking for. "I don't understand! That armadillo said he knew Lolo and saw her come here!"

She gave another quick skim before huffing, "If that's the case, then why can't I find her? Arrgh! Lolo, where are you?" In her frustration, she stomped her foot, feeling the solid concrete underneath her. Until something suddenly shot out from a group of people and surprised the hedgehog so much that she accidentally squashed him beneath her boot. "Eh? What the heck?"

"Hey you! How long do you plan on standin' on top o me!" The victim struck the bottom of her boot with his paws. She moved away, allowing him to regain his own footing. After a few moments of silence, mainly due to Amy's confusion to what he was, the smaller creature snarled, "Lotsa help you are!"

She blinked, then snapped back, "What do you mean by that? It isn't my fault you flew under my feet!"

"Ya coulda at least helped me up, ya know!"

"You're pretty rude!" Amy removed her hands from her hip and crossed her arms, looking away with a pout. "Whatever! I don't have time for this! I'm too busy looking for someone right now!"

The canine tilted an ear upwards, "so I heard. That person just so happens ta be a friend o mine!

She looked skeptical and scanned him up and down. The hedgehog then nodded, "Oh! You're her pet dog! Or some kind of puppet…uh…talking dog…"

"Awwwright! That's it, ya're getting on my nerves! Just tell me why you're lookin for Lolo!" He waved his arms about himself and pointed a claw threateningly at her. She blinked again, then shocked him as she smiled. She reached out and patted him over the head. To which he responded by yanking backwards and shouting loudly, attracting some children. "Quit it!"

"That's so cute!" Amy cried, "you're trying to protect your owner!"

"I told ya already! She's my friend!"

"……Don't you two feel a little awkward?"

Amy was the first to react to the voice.

"Rouge?"

Rouge the Bat smiled at them, then jumped into the air, crying, "Screw Kick!" As she landed her technique onto an egg passing into the open of the stands. A few Heart Moos became frightened by her sudden attack and ran away, but she only watched the butterfly that emerged from the broken egg. The creature called a Mirror Spirit fluttered around her leaving a trail of glittering sparkles that slowly diminished against the floor. After the butterfly like creature flew away; she smiled at them again, "Too bad…looks like that egg didn't carry any Dream Crystals…"

"Who the heck are you?" Popka grumbled, irritated by the sudden intrusion. 'What's with these tourists, anyway…?'

Amy ran in front of the dog-like puppet, her hand snapping beside her, letting a hammer drop out from hammer space, "Tell me where Lolo is!" She demanded, swinging the hammer, but only succeeded in making a large dent on the ground when Rouge opened her wings and dodged the attack. "Rouge!"

"Hey, wait a minute! What does she got to do with Lolo?" Popka pointed from the calm bat to the face-red hedgehog. "Who are you guys anyway?"

"I'm not trying to hurt the girl." Rouge said flatly, lowering her eyelids as she looked back to the still angry rodent. "I just happened to reintroduce her to an old friend of hers. Besides, what could I possibly want to harm her for? She has nothing worth-while to steal…"

"Huh?"

Amy shook a finger at Rouge, who was now adverting her attention to a Ferris Wheel, "she's a thief!"

"Jewel thief." She turned and focused her eyes on Popka, "Rouge the Bat, charmed. Don't worry, your friend is in safe hands. I guess you could even say that I've become a friend of hers." She yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

"Ooh, I'm her friend too!" Amy looked at the dog as well, "But you can't trust this one!"

Popka looked from one to the other, "Well, ya wanna know what I think?" Backing up; he mumbled, "I don't trust either of you!"

"My, that's rude."

"Oh, who cares what you think!" Amy swung her hammer at Popka and sent him flying into the air, until they were no longer able to see him anymore. With him gone, she glared at the other female in front of her.

"I know what you want, Amy Rose." Rouge was looking at the people who were now staring at them and sighed. "No matter what I tell you, you won't believe me, so let's just skip the arguing and if you would just listen then I'll tell you what my real intentions are." She shut one eye, "It's not like you don't have something up your sleeves too."

"………so…?"

"You're planning on getting that cat like rabbit kid with Lolo…….Klonoa, was it?"

Nod.

"Well, I analyzed her options pretty well, and I don't find him to be suitable for her."

"What?" Amy snapped, but then smiled, "Well, you don't know that she just so happens to be in love with him!"

Rouge looked at her dully, then covered her eyes, "Isn't she a little young to know what's best for herself? Just because you like someone, doesn't mean-"

"She should follow her heart!"

"She doesn't see the whole picture."

Amy paused this time--talking--definitely seemed to calm her temper, that or it was the whack she gave Popka. "What are you talking about? Who are you thinking about?"

The bat paused, removing her hands from her eyes, to study the solid expression of Amy. Her gaze dropped down to the ground. It was true that she had only wanted to get back at the pink hedgehog, but now she cursed herself for getting so attached to the little girl. She remembered the sad look on the priestess' face and realized how serious everything had become. 'I guess she's like a little sister…' It was no longer just teasing.

It happened so quickly too. Lolo had become important to her, despite the fact that the bat had considered her a naïve pawn. The sheer sadness that masked the young girl's smile had caused Rouge to feel an engraved sense of pity.

And then again there was the fiend. The spy also came to develop a sense of respect or pity for him too.

"……a bet…" She whispered to herself.

"What? I can't hear you?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Let's make a bet." She pointed a slender finger at the younger girl, "I bet I can make Lolo fall in love with someone else!"

'Even though…I think she already has…'

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BGM: Escaflowne - Aoi Hitomi (Blue Eyes)

The bangs of her hair provided a softer surface, as Lolo pressed the left side of her forehead against the glass window. Her arms hugged themselves and she shivered even in the freely air-conditioned ride. From the high position of the Ferris Wheel, she could clearly make out the separate colors of a setting sun. The clouds casting an autumn mixture to the coming darkness known as night.

Please don't embrace
my longing
secretly in your arms.
Because I'm fine the way I am.

Even Joka was not sure how much time had passed. Judging by the fading source of light and with each lantern a person switched on below; time had now devoured his nerve to speak to the girl in front of him. Certainly, they had made small chatter when they moved across the different stands of the carnival. Some "how are you?", "anything exciting?", but as the clock drew closer to night; the fiend knew he might not receive another chance for the important questions. Those questions that plagued him during the times he would find himself alone again.

Those blue eyes.
Beautiful foolishness
I believed everything about you
was a miracle.

It was amazing how patient she had grown. He looked back at her again and studied the face of his beloved. The darkness of her clothes complimented with the sad color in her eyes. 'Why did she look so sad?'

People ride a gondola, drifting and floating away,
meeting, then parting.
A short mid-summer.
Sadness and happiness repeat again.

'Could it be that she still loved the Dream Traveler?' A strong sense of jealousy replaced the hesitation and Joka found himself becoming bitter. 'How could someone be so blind?'

Klonoa had everything, the fiend longed for. A laughing group of friends and a girl who looked to him with great adoration. The Wind Child suddenly dropped from the skies: rescuing people, making companions, and leaving for different worlds. But achieving praise from those left behind.

A careless smile, forever slipping its way onto the boy's mouth. As Joka saw himself to be the vile creature; kicked around, teased, and carrying the heavy burden of his duty and past. Her feelings would never be mutual to his. And now he wondered if she pitied him; something this clown need not. Pity was not the same as love…

"What are you thinking about?"

This one-time love
will end eventually, but
I think you will stay
with me for eternity.

"My sweetheart."

Lolo felt her face flush and dropped her gaze to her hands. "Funny…"

"What is?"

"It's just that…" She smiled shyly at him. "The last time…I saw you. You told me why you call me that…" A finger rose to her lips and she lowered her face, until she could feel her chin touching the fabrics of the turtle neck. "I never got to answer you."

A damp wind
strokes my cheek.
Forget everything.
Break it off.
And tomorrow, too
even this small me
will love you.

Lolo could feel the fiend's eyes on her and it made her even more embarrassed. However, this was important; truly important. And even though she was worried about his reaction--he might laugh at her--she had the words planned out ever since the days after his disappearance.

She opened her mouth, still not daring to look at him directly, " I…I still like you Joka."

Please don't embrace
my longing
secretly in your arms.
Because I'm fine the way I am.

"My sweetheart…?"

Lolo shook her head rapidly, blushing even more. "I want…I want to be the one to make you happy."

As she raised her eyes, Joka could see a few tears, but her smile told him everything was all right. So he approached her carefully, taking her hand into his and she eyed the gentle touch; before she looked at him. Lolo heard the other priestesses' laughter in her mind. Yet, none of it mattered at that moment. Their guilt was gone and their friendship was restored.

And the music box from her pocket slowly began to turn, after it fell open; just as the priestess got out of her seat to hug the smaller fiend. Its melody filling the entire gondola.

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Kero Guardian: Is it nothing more than a sick fairy tale? Or could this be something more…but anyway--this was a heck of a lot more descriptive than my other chapters! Guess I find writing angst easier than comedy!

Amy: Rouge, there's something wrong here! What aren't you telling me?

Rouge: Ahahaha…

Kero Guardian: The story doesn't just end here! Next we have Klonoa and Amy's turn--followed by several other events; oh, yes--and just what are Shadow and Maria up to?

Garlen: Plus, you still haven't introduced me!

Kero Guardian: (Hits Lolo with a paper fan.) Don't forget, you still have a crush on Klonoa!