Disclaimer: What I said in the last chapter eighteen days ago.
Author's Note:
Ugh.
Just ugh.
This chapter was horrible to write.
Totally, totally horrible to write.
Nahatomb is never good.
The night sky was splayed out overhead, speckled with millions of glittering stars. The world of Lunatea was visible, shining dimly above them, and the silvery surface of the moon glowed pleasantly. It was almost as bright as day; but it was still night-time, and they knew that much.
The unusual turn of day and night was due to the disturbance of the Darkness of Nahato.
"It's so bright here." Klonoa whispered, shielding his face and wincing. "What's going on?"
"The Darkness of Nahato." Pango murmured. "It's turned the whole concept of day and night upside down. So it thrives on night and it's dark by day." The surface of the corrupted land was pulsing, not enough to throw them off balance but an annoyance nonetheless. "Here we are... we enter the centre of it..." Pango pointed ahead, where the ground had turned a dark purple. The land carried on far ahead into the horizon.
"Guntz?" Leorina asked, looking into the hunter's face. He was staring straight ahead, his stare unmoving and very blank. "Are you feeling... all right?"
"He is here." The hunter answered, expressionless. "Garlen. He is here."
"He's here already? That was quick..." Leorina pressed, apparently not caring about the fact that Guntz realisticly had no means of knowing this. "Where?"
"...At the very centre." Guntz replied, sounding somewhat strange and quiet, but then a light of urgency entered his face. "And unless we hurry... he'll trigger the Darkness of Nahato and release Nahatomb. Let's go!" He began walking, with the other three following. He peered into the distance, saying nothing more; Klonoa watched him, wondering what would happen next. But then something caught his eye and he squinted - there was something large and black buried in the ground.
"Is that..." He started, but trailed off. He had no idea what it was; he could guess, but it was simply too dismal to imagine.
"...Nahatomb... the Hero?" Guntz murmured, looking at the same direction. Leorina flinched sharply away from it, glancing nervously at the object; but it didn't move nor do anything else. It simply stayed still.
"Is it... alive?" Klonoa murmured again.
"I don't know... I don't-" Guntz broke off sharply with a grimace on his face.. "Goddess Claire, this is actually making me feel sick! I'm sure this is the centre of the Darkness of Nahato, but I certainly don't know what the hell that is..." It was true; there was a certain nauseous aura about the creature, and although none of them knew why, it was affecting them.
"First things first." Pango interrupted, although he looked nervous. "Where is Garlen? If Guntz was right he should be here now..."
"Pango!" Klonoa hissed, pointing to the right. Leorina looked and ran over, silently; the group followed, shielding behind a rock, and watched what was going on.
"Damn it... why... what are you doing?" A frustrated cry came from behind the object.
"Garlen! He made it after all." Leorina murmured.
"Why... aren't you obeying me?" Garlen was shouting now, along with some words that made little sense; Klonoa peeked out from the rock, seeing a container by the inventor's foot. He could not actually see Garlen, but he could very well guess what that container held. Cursing, he tried to dash out, but a cold hand gripped him by the wrist. Guntz was holding him, his eyes strangely blank once more.
"Wait." He said simply, and then let go, turning to the view again.
"Aren't nightmares enough for you? That should not be the case... they're - they're dreams! What does that make of me?" Garlen was ranting now, and had moved around to shout at the object. "Do you hear me, Nahatomb? Listen to me!"
Nothing happened, but then there came a frightful chuckle from the ground. Garlen flinched, backing away, which just seemed to amuse the voice more. "Foolish." The voice - deep, dark, and laced with a hint of a sneer - whispered. "Foolish... my child you may be... but incredibly foolish..."
Klonoa didn't know what to think anymore and just stared. Garlen had lost the power to speak, and he stared dumbstruck at the object, which had now begun moving.
"You sad, pathetic being... conceited and power-hungry, unaware of the true meaning of the Medal..." Nahatomb was speaking again, and his voice was dripping with contempt and sarcasm; yet at the same time, he sounded almost sorry for Garlen.
"Shut - shut up!" Garlen barked. "I'm - I'm-!"
Nahatomb was rising from the ground, the black colour of his body fading away into gold and sinister purple. He was growing taller and now towered over the inventor. "I feel your dreams." He spoke again, and he sounded so unbelievably majestic and grand that nobody could move for a while. "And I feel your despair... it is certainly sad, only sad... you're nothing but a plaything in my eyes." Two insect-like eyes peered at Garlen, and a clawed had scooped him up in the air so suddenly that he squealed. "I will save you. I will save you from your despair, and your nightmares..."
"You talk nonsense!" Garlen managed to squeak out. "Nahatomb, you can't...!"
"You were led by the brightness of your Gold Medal, regardless of whether you were good or not," Nahatomb reached and tore off a small Medal, not unlike the ones that Guntz, Pango and Klonoa had, from Garlen's clothes. He dropped it onto the ground, near Klonoa's foot, where it glinted a bright gold. "so I will grant you salvation... disappear now, disappear into my dream... become a part of my dream, where you can rest eternally in peace..."
"Darn... you!" Garlen shouted, but then he cried out as his body matter began fading away. "I'm... the ruler... of the... world..." His voice faded away also, and no matter how much he struggled, it made no difference. He was transparent now, no more sounds coming from him; the group stared in horror as Garlen dissolved into thin air. Something blue faintly lingered in the air, and Nahatomb closed his hands over it, swallowing it whole. His body had fully transformed, and he settled down on a blue throne that had appeared out of nowhere.
"That was his soul!" Pango whispered. "He... took Garlen's soul!"
"Garlen..." Guntz murmured. "was taken into..." He did not finish his sentence, as he actually looked like he was going to be physically sick. Klonoa finished it for him.
"Nahatomb..."
"Welcome." Nahatomb bowed, turning to the group. "I am Nahatomb. I am the creator of all Hero Medals, and the owner of the Star Medal."
"The... Star Medal!" Klonoa breathed. "How..."
"Are you Heroes?" Nahatomb continued as if he had not heard. "Your Medals are not Gold yet - you have no Medal at all-" This was directed at Leorina. "-but were you still searching for the end of your quest and led by the brightness of your Medals? If that is so, that's still perfectly fine. You will fulfill my dream..."
"Fufill...your dream?" Guntz repeated, looking blank.
"Led by the brightness of our Medals?" Pango repeated also, looking uncomprehending. "Nahatomb! What-"
"...I am Nahatomb." The creature continued. "I am the true, and only, hero in the world... I made the Hero Medals." He reached down to pick up Garlen's Medal, which had been lying on the ground. He turned it around and showed them. "They all imitate the Star Medal. They start out as grey, which stands for a Blank Medal." The Medal on his hand was no longer golden, but merely a dull grey colour; it had no owner to belong to now. "Then after achieving something for your dream, they turn into a Bronze Medal." The Medal instantly changed colour; Klonoa realized, with horror, that under Nahatomb's influence those Medals meant nothing. "Then they turn Silver... and then Gold." After the Medal flashed a deep golden colour, Nahatomb tossed the Medal away, which had become blank once more. "I made them to divide the world into two. Heroes... and the followers of Heroes."
"Heroes..." Klonoa murmured. "And the followers of Heroes?"
"Those who are followers give me dreams." Nahatomb explained, leaning back on his throne. "They call for me. They will use even nightmares to ask for me. I am their God." He paused, letting the meaning sink in. "Those who are Heroes-" He gestured to the three. "-they are the ones who collect dreams. More and more they progress, day by day... and that's shown by the colour of the medals. When the Gold Status is reached they seek for more. They come to me as a result. By that time their dreams are full with hope, which just happens to suit my taste."
"What?" Pango blurted out in horror. "That's - just..."
"What... are you saying..." Klonoa whispered. "That... those Medals... mean nothing?"
"As a whole they mark you." Nahatomb replied calmly. "They record your progress. This world, and many others, are moved by dreams. It is the Heroes' duty to bear them. But it is, ultimately, my duty-" He bowed again, making a grand gesture. "-to bear the Heroes."
"So you classify the people into each rank by the Medals..." Pango glanced at his own Medal, which glinted an innocent silver.
"Lead them into achieving whatever they want and then luring them here-" Leorina continued. She did not have a Hero Medal but had heard about them.
"-Knowing that they collect people's dreams, and theirs also... and lastly eating them." Guntz finished off, sounding ghastly calm although looking disgusted. "That's your idea, huh? Seems like a pretty desolate way to live."
"In the end you were pulling the strings behind us... only calling them Medals." Klonoa whispered.
"You are all my children." Nahatomb said indifferently. "You were led to the Hero Medals by choice. You collect dreams - bright as gold each time - and give them to me." He bowed his head again. "I ask you again. Are you Heroes? Or are you the followers of Heroes?"
"You pretend to be God." Pango said with obvious contempt and disgust. "Although you were sealed in the Moon... again and again... you pretended to be someone who you were not!"
"There is only one God, Nahatomb, and that is the Goddess Claire." Leorina spoke out bravely. The creature flinched a little at the words, but then regained his posture again.
"You see how pathetic people are." He said calmly. "I exist. You see me before you. Claire, however, does not exist in this world! I am the only one truly worth of worship!"
"Sure. Collecting nightmares and making yourself into a worshipped entity!" Guntz sneered. "Garlen was adorable compared to you."
"Say whatever you wish. You cannot deny me. Heroes or followers you may be; but in the end they are all mine!"
"No!" Klonoa jumped up. "You're wrong! Heroes are not like that! We don't become Heroes for someone!" He took a deep breath. "We don't... we don't become Heroes so we can be worshipped and demand dreams! That's wrong!"
"Why are you Heroes, then?" Nahatomb asked directly. "You do not want dreams, let us say; then why are you Heroes?" Klonoa knew the answer to that instantly.
"We become Heroes because we want to fulfill our dreams... no, we want to continue fulfilling dreams!" He shouted. "To go forward... to stand up every time you fall down, and help each other up... To be courageous enough to fulfill dreams... that's why Heroes exist! Not because of anyone else!"
The other three stared at the cabbit, a slow but new-found realization awakening in their eyes. Nahatomb was tragically wrong; and they could prove it, they could prove it well. However, the creature merely laughed cruelly.
"Sad..." He sneered. "You are all marionettes, all of you, dancing in my hand... But you still deny me. I must respect you for your courage, as wasted as it is." He seemed truly respectful, although cynically amused. "Since as your dreams have so much power... your dreams will do fine for me and my powers also. I shall make your dreams into part of my power." He looked up into the sky. "There is only one Hero... only one true Hero... and I shall prove it to you!"
For a second or so nothing happened. Nahatomb stayed where he was, contrasted to the previous enemies they had fought, who had all transformed in one way or another; but orbs of light began to appear suddenly all around them. Leorina swiftly took a set of throwing knives from her belt, ready to retaliate and slow down the orbs of light if needed; but the light faded and Moos fell out of them, onto the ground, where they immediately began searching for food.
"Moos?" She blurted out. "Is he serious?"
"I would advise you to be careful if you intend to challenge me." Nahatomb rose from his throne and clapped his hands. Instantly his form faded to a near-transparent state, and the Moos all turned to face them, their strangely blank eyes filled with hate. "After all... those Moos are nothing like the ones you've ever seen!" With the remark he was completely gone, and the Moos charged.
"Look out!" Leorina threw her knives at the Moos and dived out of the way, taking the three with her weight; the knives hit their mark, and they slowed down the Moos, but they did not burst nor fall down. They simply carried on after a pause, which was unlike the animals they'd ever encountered before. They were stronger, not even close to the Moos they had passed by before. The four hesitated, not knowing what to do next. The knives had disoriented the Moos, and they were coming in wild zigzags - as a result no one knew where to attack.
"Klonoa!" Pango suddenly shouted, "Behind you! Get out of the way!"
"What-" Klonoa didn't get a chance to finish, as Guntz had roughly grabbed him and pulled him back. When Klonoa looked up, he saw something, its colour a loathing purplish-black, pulsing on the ground. This did not surprise him too much, although it was unpleasant; but when he moved a step, the object followed him like a shadow. Suddenly it shot up onto the ground again, knocking Klonoa away, reforming into Nahatomb sitting calmly on his throne.
"Not bad." He said softly. "Not too bad." He clapped his hands just as the Moos were getting ready to swipe at the four; they disappeared, and blue orbs of light appeared this time. Out of them fell Bouncing Moos, and they immediately began to bounce towards them with alarming speed.
"Whoa!" Klonoa dodged out of the way and brought down his boomerang onto a Moo. It squawked unpleasantly and bounced far away from him. "Oh, Pango, this is hopeless!"
"Ah, but he isn't a match for us." Pango smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "Look at your Medal, Klonoa."
Klonoa looked down; the previously Bronze Medal now shone a triumphant silver. "That was some speech you did back there. You felt it in your heart. And I daresay we all did too." Pango smiled. "The Medal is not a mere mark, as Nahatomb thinks." He took out the pin from a grenade, and then threw it far ahead.
"Everyone, stop! Seven seconds and it blows!"
"Why seven?" Guntz shouted from a corner, throwing off a bouncing Moo. "Oh Godde-" He ran towards the whole group and then ducked as the bomb went off. A thick cloud of smoke spread through the land, but this did nothing to hinder the four; they darted out, each securing a corner. They had learned not to hesitate in such situations.
When the smoke cleared, all the Moos were gone. Nahatomb was nowhere to be seen. No purple shadow lingered this time anywhere, which meant he wasn't hiding beneath the ground. They looked around carefully, still not believing that the creature would have vaporized with just that one bomb.
"Is that..." Leorina muttered. "...it?"
"I doubt that..." Guntz answered, glancing around. "He can't have gone far if he ran."
Klonoa and Pango said nothing but merely raised their weapons. This proved to be a very safe bet, as the ground below Guntz began to shake; and just as the hunter threw himself out of the way, Nahatomb emerged calmly from the ground.
"You are all undoubtly skilled." He said quietly. "I respect you for that."
"Is that all you can come up with, Nahatomb?" Klonoa shouted. "Stop trying to play games with us. We'll take whatever you throw at us; you cannot win!"
"A young, fiery spirit you are..." Nahatomb merely continued. "You shall all prove satisfactory when you form my dream."
Guntz raised his head to the sky and closed his eyes, staying like such for the whole conversation. Pango glanced at him with concern.
"Guntz?"
"They're coming to help us." The hunter whispered, and his eyes flew open. "They're coming to help us!"
"Who? What are you-" Leorina was cut short when Klonoa, Guntz and Pango's Medals began glowing. In an instant they had turned a beautiful golden colour, although why they did not know; Guntz stared down at his Medal blankly, as if he only half understood, but when he looked up at Nahatomb his eyes were filled with an unnatural fire.
"Our loved ones." He stated. "They're the ones who are helping us, whether they are dead, alive or incapitated! You failed, Nahatomb. They did not succumb to your nightmares. They are still down there, dreaming and hoping for a miracle, forever believing in us!" His hands clenched on the pistols. "Come then, Nahatomb! Fight us!"
Nahatomb opened his insect-like eyes, looking at them with a piercing glare.
"Now," He snarled. "You challenge me."
He reared his head, and his gaze stopped on the body of a little priestess lying on the ground. Grinning, he reached out towards her.
"No!" Klonoa shouted, realizing too late what would happen. "You can't! No!" He aimed a Wind Bullet at the creature, firing three consecutive shots - but alas, they all missed. Cursing, he ran towards the creature to try to stop him, save Lolo-
But it was still too late. Nahatomb outstretched his hand towards the girl, and something vaguely resembling a vapour cloud came out from her heart. Nahatomb drew away, letting the vapour form itself into a glowing sphere, and swallowed it.
Two things happened instantly. The four gasped in horror, while Lolo's eyes flew open. She made no sound, but merely spasmed for a second, before she sank back down on the ground, motionless. In an instant she had met the same fate as Garlen, as Nahatomb devoured her soul; and the four knew that there was no saving her now.
"Bastard!" Guntz shouted as hard as he could, as Nahatomb let out a cackle and flew into the air. "You bastard! You ought to die!"
Nahatomb merely bellowed with laughter. "You may take me down, Heroes, you may win - but you will never revive her! You'll never bring her back!" With another ghastly laugh, his shape began to distort into an oddly spherical, but even more repulsive form. The ground turned pitch black, along with the sky, and suddenly they were standing in total darkness. The only light came from Nahatomb, who screeched and began to shoot flames from its mouth. It had dived below them into an abyss, where they could not attack it; but it was just fine where it was.
"We can't fight in this dark!" Pango shouted. "Quick, take shelter!"
The whole group obeyed and took shelter beside a large rock, noting their advantage - they could not see the creature, but Nahatomb could not see them either. "We must think of something." Guntz stated, although he looked pained to say this. "Any more of this and we all die."
"There's only one other thing that might stop Nahatomb." Leorina murmured. "But-"
"Then what are you waiting for?" Guntz asked, sounding urgent.
"You can't use it. It'll kill you."
"Well, can you use it?" Klonoa asked; Leorina nodded, her face pale. "Then use it now. Please!"
"I can't." Her voice wavered and she shook her head. "I can't! I don't deserve to use it!" Holding back tears, she reached in her pockets and brought out two round objects. They glowed faintly within themselves, but other than that, did nothing. The three others stared at the objects for a minute before Klonoa gasped.
"Leorina, they're the elements!"
"Yes." She cried. "Yes, I admit it. I was selfish. I stole them out of the towers of Indecision and Discord ages ago." She sniffed. "Look at them. They're not bright anymore. They don't have their powers anymore because they've been with me so long. Mira-Mira and Volk is falling apart, and the elements are losing their power... all because of me!"
Nobody said anything, but looked dismayed; Guntz, however, stood up and looked into the distance where the monster was roaring.
"Let's go." He said quietly.
"But..." Leorina whispered, looking nervously at him. "But how can we defeat him? We can't fight that!"
"Our Medals aren't Gold for nothing." He replied briskly, and then drew out his laser. "I want you all to promise that if I die in this battle, you will bury me near Jugkettle. There's a cemetery there. The owner should know where to bury me when you tell him who I am. This applies only if there's any body to take back, of course." The hunter smiled bitterly, and then without another word leapt out from behind the rock, neatly dodging a flame attack.
"Here I am, Nahatomb!" He shouted. "Come and get me!" His eyes were crazed and almost insane, his speech pattern changed; that only happened when he was overly excited or in an otherwise deranged state. Klonoa looked at the hunter, confused and not knowing what to do. Right now Guntz was little more than a madman; but without aid, wouldn't he die? Surely Klonoa owed him something, after all the hunter had done and suffered-
Pango suddenly whirled around, looking around their surroundings. "Do you hear something?"
"Hear what?" Klonoa asked, but then his question was answered as the whole area suddenly fell into absolute silence. Nahatomb reared his head below them, seemingly hating the silence; but for the four it was oddly soothing.
"Klonoa, don't worry!" A bright, somehow famillar voice called to the young boy out of nowhere. Klonoa gasped, looking above.
"Chipple?" He whispered. "Chipple, is that you? What... how?"
"It's all right." Chipple's voice continued. "You're doing your best, so we will do our best as well..."
"We'll protect Lolo!" Popka's voice butted in. It was only then Klonoa realized that the nightmare-stricken ones back in Lunatea were talking to them via the waves.
"Popka... Chipple... You're safe...!" Klonoa whispered.
"And don't you worry about us either, Master Klonoa!" Another soft voice called. "Mama and I will do everything we can! So be sure to win!"
A motherly voice joined in. "Even if my life is forfeit... we will return the kindness you showed us!"
"Karal and Pamela!" Guntz exclaimed, although he had stayed unusually silent through the whole exchange so far. "You... remembered us!"
"Indeed, Master Guntz!" Karal giggled. "How could we forget you?"
"And you shall not find me ungrateful either!" The gruff voice of Diglo, from the Moon's Ruins, called. "This time... for sure...!"
"I'm not going to die until Lephise's concert!" Balue's voice was heard from a corner, making Klonoa laugh despite the situation.
Klonoa and Guntz looked around, spellbound, as voices - some that were new, some that they had heard before called out to them. Even Pango and Leorina, who had no idea who all the voices belonged to, were listening to the encouragements with a smile. They had truly forgotten about Nahatomb now.
"Nightmares are also dreams." The High Priestess's voice rang out loud and clear to the four. "and I shall bundle everyone's dreams and protect Lolo. It is my duty as a priestess. It is the only real help we can give you now; the rest is up to you, the Heroes!"
"Oh my..." Leorina gasped, hand over her mouth. "The High Priestess...! Why now, even with all my shortcomings..."
"You were forgiven a long time ago." The voice replied softly. "Do your best now, Leo... Goddess Claire be with you always..."
"Everyone... even the High Priestess..." Pango murmured. "What... is this feeling? Can you all-"
"I'm not losing, Papa!" A quiet, but nonetheless brave voice, called out and cut Pango short. "Hold on... keep going!"
"Boris...?" The armadillo whispered, but then his eyes widened. "Boris... Boris! Where are you? Are you all right?"
"I'm here, Papa! And so's everyone else!"
Klonoa looked up to the heavens and closed his eyes. They were all here now, they were with them and he felt truly comfortable for the first time in weeks. He wished hard for one more, just one more person to speak out to him, and he would then have courage.
"Klonoa." As if on cue, his grandfather's voice called softly to him. "Don't waver. Don't look back. Just go straight on."
"Yes, Grandpa!"
They were surrounded by voices, endless streams of voices, calling to them, encouraging them right to the end. The force of those voices brought along light; beautiful, god-sent light, shining from the heavens. It glowed a pale white, bathing them in soothing warmth. Nahatomb shrieked and roared, shrinking away from the endless abyss of light, but not one of them noticed. The four looked up into the air.
Guntz uttered a soft gasp, and his hands went to his chest, where something was glowing. Klonoa and Pango held identical orbs of light near their chests, and they looked down, mystified; Leorina's hands were glowing and she grasped the two elements tightly in them, feeling a warm rush of power within her. This triggered something in all four of them; for a moment they were surrounded by divine light, and their Medals shone with the brightness of a star.
This lasted only a moment, but in that instant they were divine and invincible. They settled back onto the ground, where Nahatomb lay groaning in pain.
"Take this!" Klonoa shouted, and the three ran towards the creature, each plunging a final attack into him. Nahatomb flailed about, screaming in pain and anger, but the three felt nothing. The creature's struggles were futile next to them. Leorina ran towards them, still clutching the elements tight.
"Farewell." She whispered, and she brought them down on the creature.
All went white.
When the world returned to normal, there was only silence. The voices had faded away, and there was nothing to be heard.
The first thing Klonoa knew was that it was cold.
The wind was blowing in their eyes. Klonoa shook his headfur out of his eyes and looked around. Nahatomb was gone; there was no sign of him, and the land was a brilliant silver once more. He knew that Nahatomb was gone now, for ever, and managed a smile.
"We did it." He murmured. "We did it! We got rid of him!"
He heard a small groan come from next to him. Guntz was stirring and he sat up, looking dazed; but his eyes regained the usual spark in a second and he looked around, alert. The wind whipped around his face, his loose hair swirling, and Klonoa was momentarily struck by how beautiful the image was. Guntz had done it, they had all defeated Nahatomb. Klonoa felt the long-forgotten sense of pride for the hunter return slowly to his mind. He could allow himself, now, to forgive. It would be eventual, and slow... but he could still forget and forgive him. He was close. They'd done this together and Klonoa could not forget that for the world.
Pango and Leorina got up also, and looked for their two companions. Silently, they went over to them and smiled tiredly; but they did nothing else. They were far too exhausted for that.
"Lolo..." Klonoa murmured. "Lolo... she's... safe?"
"Where is she?" Pango looked around, his hand resting on a soft arm; he waved the dust clouds away and looked. "Ah, here she is, Klonoa..." The cabbit jogged over, looking over at Lolo. She lay very still and very silent, her eyes unflickering.
"Shouldn't she be... waking up now?" Leorina murmured.
"Nahatomb devoured her soul." Pango replied sadly. "Even though he's gone... I find it incredibly difficult to imagine that she will wake up soon, if even at all."
Klonoa closed his eyes. He had expected it, yes; but the thought dismayed him even so. He had come this far, he had gained a Gold Medal and with the help of three companions, he had beaten Nahatomb for ever. Surely there was a way to save Lolo?
When he looked at her more carefully, however, his hopes were shattered.
Lolo lay very still, only her hair fluttering in the wind. Her face was pale and blank, her body limp and unmoving. She looked dead; she seemed dead on all accounts. He bit his lip lightly to stop himself from showing his emotions; Pango noticed and silently laid a hand on his shoulder.
"We couldn't... help her..."
"Don't despair." Guntz murmured softly. He was checking her pulse. "She's breathing and her pulse is there. She's still alive."
"But she's-" Klonoa couldn't find the words to describe it. Lolo was soulless, and what did that make her? What were soulless beings called? Ghosts? A shell of a person? Was she even going to wake up? He didn't want to know; but it was Lolo, she was his friend, and he had a duty to protect her.
Yet he didn't know how.
"Can you use the elements to revive her, Leorina?" He asked. The girl shook her head. "She's not a full priestess, I know, but you aren't one either - and you can still use them!"
"They're too powerful to use on a person." Leorina murmured. "It's bad enough trying to handle them. She might take it well because she's still a priestess, but those elements represent Discord and Indecision. Nothing that can possibly revive her. And even if they did revive her, the qualities of the elements are going to leave traces on her mind. She's going to be a changed person."
Klonoa said nothing. Not even the elements could help Lolo now. That was his last hope dead and gone.
Guntz was searching through her pockets. This was hardly an act to bestow upon a girl, but right now Klonoa was so downhearted that he couldn't care less. He absent-mindedly looked at the Medal on his chest; it had turned back to Silver, perhaps because the Gold Status was only gained to fight Nahatomb. This did not worry him; the Medal occasionally flicked a golden colour, as if trying to change its status, and besides if he couldn't rescue Lolo there was no point in having a Hero medal.
"Hmm..." Guntz brought out something and pushed back a lock of his hair, peering at it. "This... flower... Could it be?"
"What?" Klonoa looked at the object. It was a little pink flower, pristine and well kept. Guntz held it out and the cabbit took it. "It's the Hikari Sakura! I gave this to her ages ago, how could she have kept it all this time?"
Pango drew a sharp breath. "Hikari Sakura? Isn't that the very first bloom of the spring season?"
"I gave it to her as a present." Klonoa said, quickly stealing a look at the hunter. Guntz knew, he could see it; it was the very flower he had taken by force and later had to return to the boy. He did not say anything, but Klonoa knew that Guntz was aware of this.
"But the Hikari Sakura doesn't even bloom in Lunatea." Leorina interrupted. "That was what made it so special, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Klonoa replied quietly, and he set the flower down on Lolo's chest. "Poor Lolo..." He closed his eyes and buried his face into his hands, trying not to sob; he was strong, he had come this far... he couldn't break down, not here, not now...
"H-hey!" Guntz suddenly exclaimed, causing the cabbit to look up. "Klonoa, the flower!"
"What?" He looked at Lolo, and what he saw rendered him temporarily speechless.
The Hikari Sakura was beginning to bloom, opening wide, enveloping Lolo in a gentle, soft light that merely lasted a second or so. When the light faded, the Hikari Sakura had opened wide, its scent sweet and fresh; and the girl slowly opened her eyes, blinking.
"Hello." She whispered, slightly dazed but smiling. "That was a really... good dream..." She looked at Klonoa, who looked dumbstruck. "Klonoa? Where did you come from? Where am I?"
"Lolo...!" The cabbit cried, locking her in an embrace. "Oh, Lolo! You're safe!"
"I was always safe, silly!" She giggled, and looked around the three others. "Where am I? Who are you? What happened?"
"We'll explain when we're back aboard." Leorina grinned tiredly. "This had been a really long day, you know... we all deserve a rest..."
Urgh.
The last truly long horrid chapter done.
I had to make up Nahatomb's bit for the latter part. I just couldn't face trying to beat him for half an hour. Nahatomb must be the hardest boss to beat in game history, ever. Not even the Last Boss from Sonic and the Secret Rings (known for the notorious missions and confusing bosses) takes me half an hour.
Jesus Christ.
The Klonoa Part will end next chapter. And because I wrote the ending down before I was writing Ch.4, that one will come fast. Really fast.
5699 words for a chapter, indeed. Nice. xD