Disclaimer: All Klonoa characters belong to Namco. Yada, yada. You know the drill. OCs belong to me.


Chapter 43: The Right Way

"Who were you talking to back there, Klonoa?"

The soft, kind voice was the first thing Klonoa heard as he entered the cottage. He paused. "No one, really," he finally replied quietly. A rather large, furry woman walked up to him and patted him gently on the head like a dog. She was easily twice his size in height. "I've made dinner. Come along," she invited sweetly, turning around.

Usually these words made Klonoa very excited. But for once he wasn't in the mood to eat Aya's delicious cooking. He followed her, anyway, as she headed for the small kitchen. On the table were two plates. He immediately knew which one was his. It was covered in meaty foods, no leafy greens in sight other than her plate. Aya always knew what he liked.

Klonoa slowly sat himself down on a chair opposite hers. His plate looked very inviting, but his absent mind kept his appetite at bay. "Aya…" he began. "Hmm?" She hadn't even begun eating yet. "Why am I still here… in this village?" he asked slowly, not sure how to put his thoughts into words.

Why are the villagers so nice to me all of a sudden? Why aren't they trying to chase me away...?

Aya cocked her head inquiringly, but she never stopped smiling. "How could you forget something like that?" There was no sense of spite or even surprise in her voice. Just that usual soft tone that sometimes was so comforting it was disturbing. "I didn't… I just… can't remember at the moment." He knew it didn't make any sense, but Aya answered anyway.

"Well… You remember that day that big monster attacked this village, right?" she asked. Klonoa said nothing, only listening intently. "It demanded sacrifices or else it'd destroy us all… At first it only wanted animals, then it asked for people. That's when some of us decided to fight back. Only the men, of course. But compared to women and children, there really aren't that many men in this village…"

She paused and Klonoa looked up at her. She looked sad. "They never stood a chance… My poor Maurice." She sighed mournfully. Maurice… That name had always made Klonoa's fur bristle. What had happened to him? Had he died? Of course. He wasn't here, and Maurice hated Klonoa. He would never have accepted him.

Aya looked at Klonoa, smiling again. "And then you fought it," she continued. Klonoa tried to stop himself from looking surprised. "No matter how many times I told you not to. I was afraid I'd lose you, too… But you were amazing. You knew just where that monster's weak point was and almost made it look easy."

Klonoa looked away thoughtfully. It must have been a Shadow Monster. Aya was still talking. "And then, all of a sudden, everyone loved you." She chuckled slightly at a thought. "And it just at a point where I was afraid the villagers would outrageously try to run you out of the village." These words made Klonoa shiver.

So that was it. Some monster had appeared just in the nick of time for him to defeat and gain the favor of everyone in the village. That was the only thing that had stopped what had really happened… He should've been happy, but somehow he could bring himself to be. Something didn't feel right.

This didn't feel like the home he'd been so despaired to leave. Somehow, this didn't seem like the same woman he had cared for so deeply. He thought back to what Guntz had told him. Maybe… none of this was real. Maybe this really was never meant to be…

---

It was dark now. Guntz stared out the window of a room his father had rented in the one inn this small village had. His father was seated on one of the beds, polishing his big rifle. Guntz hadn't done that in a while; polish his guns. But he never had the extra time he used to anymore, and he certainly wasn't in the mood now.

"Where'd you disappear off to before, son?" his father then asked. Guntz waited a moment, his thoughts making the question slow to trigger in his mind. "I just wanted to explore the village," he lied. His father nodded slowly, apparently not surprised by such behavior. "Well, tell me next time. I worry about you," he replied.

Guntz said nothing, looking back out the window. He felt rather awkward all of a sudden. Such dependence wasn't something he'd ever been used to. He'd had to take care of himself all his life. He wasn't used to anyone missing him if he disappeared, or being worried for, or being looked after. And, to be perfectly honest, he didn't much like it.

I can take care of myself. You don't have to bother yourself over me.

Even if he'd wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to cope with this new life. It was too different than the life he had forced himself to grow accustomed with. A life of independence, violence, abuse, indifference… Here he actually lived somewhere. People cared about him and loved him. And he was probably a much nicer person, or at least he was supposed to be. He wouldn't be able to just accept this drastic change.

It's my own fault. I let myself become this way...

His father was putting away his large rifle. "Well, we ought to get some sleep now. We have another job tomorrow," he yawned. Guntz watched from the corner of his eye as he shifted into bed. He sounded tired. If his father was anything like himself, he'd be asleep in a matter of seconds. His father reached for the light, flicking it off as he spoke.

"Goodnight, Jinjo."

Guntz flinched, his eyes narrowing. When was the last time someone had called him that name? It sent an uncomfortable chill throughout his body. No. Jinjo wasn't here. There was only Guntz…

He stood up slowly. Though it had only been a minute or two, he was quite sure his father was sound asleep. All he took was the small handgun. He couldn't be sure if he'd need it or not, but he wanted to be careful. He silently padded to the doorway, looking back once as he opened it.

I'm sorry, father.

Outside was dark, only the crescent moon and a few stars giving light. But Guntz was good in the dark. He didn't fear what he couldn't see, though his eyesight was quite keen in darkness. He quickly made it up to the hill, afraid if he delayed any longer he might change his mind.

He was still very reluctant. If he somehow found a way to make everything back to normal, what would happen to his father? He'd go back to being dead, of course. This time it really is my fault. Though it had been his fault last time, too, of course. He stopped, forcing himself not to look back.

Guntz shuffled a hand through his mane fur, feeling for a small metal object. He brought it out into the moonlight, its golden surface sparkling dimly. It was a necklace. A locket shaped like a small heart. On it in script was engraved the word "benevolent." He had gotten this a long time ago, when he was still an innocent child. That was probably why he still had it here.

He stared at it, not wanting to open it. He heard a crow cawing nearby, but he didn't look up. The same one, no doubt. Would it follow him, as it had for years? Quiet movement behind Guntz made him spin around sharply in surprise. But the sight made him smile.

Klonoa walked up to him slowly, looking down at the ground. He stopped, hesitating. "You're right, Guntz… Life can't change like this. I just… I was just really happy… to be here again, my home, with her… To learn that nothing had gone wrong, that everything was as it should be… But you were right. The more I thought about it, the more surreal it all seemed… This really isn't how things should be..."

From the way he sounded, Guntz guessed he was still quite reluctant to do this, as he himself was. "I'm sorry, for the way I acted before," Klonoa was saying. Guntz ignored the apology. "Of course I'm right," he replied simply, making Klonoa look up. "Besides, your home is Lunatea now, right? That's where your friends are. I'd say you can't have too many good friends here if they let you leave for whatever reason."

He was surprised by how easily he was letting Klonoa's little secrets go. But now really wasn't the time for a long personal story. Klonoa was staring at him. Guntz smiled coolly. "Now let's go find the others and make things right again." Klonoa smiled brightly. "Right!"

---

It was recess.

All of the priestesses were momentarily relieved of their duties. Most took this time to eat or gossip. But Lolo could find no way to relax. She was aware of a group of priestess glancing her way while whispering amongst themselves. She knew just what they were talking about. After years of verbal abuse, she was quite good at ignoring the hidden insults.

But this wasn't what was bothering her. She stood outside the temple, staring at the hills of La-Lakoosha. The sun was just starting to set behind the bumpy horizon. Lolo had managed to take several hours already of this incomprehensible situation. But by now she felt like simply running to the hills in blind search of a solution.

What in Goddess Claire's name was happening? Why was she here? Where was everyone else? She'd attempted to talk to the High Priestess just after recess had begun, but she didn't know how to put it in words without sounding crazy. Everything seemed fine to everyone else.

It was then that Lolo noticed a group of girls walking by a distance ahead of her. She'd almost missed them so lost in her thoughts. She couldn't believe it. It was them! Her sorceress friends; Suzu and all the others. They wore the traditional blue robes, expressing that they were still sorceresses. Lolo was so excited, she couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.

"Suzu!" She yelled, an arm waving in the air happily. Suzu looked her way, almost immediately looking back to her companions with an inquiring look. Lolo stopped waving her hand. She was just close enough to hear what they were whispering.

"Is that priestess talking to me?"

"Just ignore her."

"Yeah, I'm not in the mood to deal with those priestesses and all their obvious reasons why they're so much better than us."

Without looking back, the group of girls walked away. Lolo stared after them, not knowing what to think. They didn't recognize her... They took her for a typical arrogant priestess. Sorceresses and priestesses never got along, despite their similarities. Priestesses always thought they were better, for some reason.

Suzu had made an exception for Lolo, though, apparently seeing how badly she fit in with the other priestesses. That was how she'd been introduced to sorcery. The High Priestess had allowed her to take a break from priestess duties to train, saying that it would help her understand her "power within."

But none of that seemed real now. It was like a long lost dream. Lolo wanted to cry. She was so confused, so scared, so lonely. She wished someone was with her, that someone would recognize her. What if she never saw the others again? Klonoa, Popka… Leorina, and Guntz.

Where they suffering as she was? Would they come and find her? Or would she be trapped in this forgotten nightmare forever?

---

"You seem happy, Leo, nya."

The setting sun cast dark red shadows across the grassy plain. Leorina lay on her back, her arms spread out. She sighed blissfully. "Yes. I feel very relaxed," she replied. Her feline companion was lying next to her head, her chin resting on her shoulder. They had been like this for a while now, and Leorina didn't want to move.

She felt as if even moving just a little would ruin this miracle that had happened. Tat was here, alive; talking, moving. It was too good to be true. Yet it was. This wasn't a dream. Leorina had tested herself with a pinch. Then she'd asked Tat to pinch her, not trusting herself.

Deep in the corner of her mind lingered the confusing questions of what was going on. Had that all really just been a long dream? From going to Lunatea after dropping from priestess training to meeting Klonoa and Lolo and all the others to Tat's death to that odd building.

Was her subconscious mind that creative to make up such a story in only a few hours of sleep? Was she capable of creating such realistic characters that she was so sure they were real? It seemed so unlikely. But she didn't want to think on it. Not now. Tat was with her and that was all she cared about.

Leorina looked up, the huge silhouette of her sky ship towering above her. Seeing that before was what told Leorina that right now was after dropping from priestess training and becoming a sky pirate. Tat not knowing who Klonoa and Lolo were was what told her that it was also before returning to Lunatea.

At the moment Leorina still couldn't convince herself that the others hadn't even been real. In what kind of dream did the characters all have defined personalities and background stories? In what kind of dream did you feel such realistic emotions and pain…? But it had to have been a dream. This certainly wasn't one.

But it was hard to imagine never being able to see them all again. Klonoa and his optimism, Lolo's tentativeness, Popka's big mouth, Guntz' incorrigibleness… Oh, why was she bothering with him? If anything she should be glad that she'll never see that dumb wolf anymore. All they did was argue…

Leorina sighed lightly, suddenly not so relaxed anymore. "You wanna go? It's getting dark, nya," Tat then suggested. Leorina looked at her from the corner of her eye. Why was she thinking about these things? They didn't matter. All that mattered was right here and now.

"All right, let's go."


Poor Popka was the only one left out in this chapter. But there was no room… Still nothing much happening. Guntz and Klonoa are on the move, Lolo's feeling helpless(what's new?), and Leorina's in denial. I suppose I should probably get into Popka a bit next chapter, huh?