/This chapter sees one of the Banjo series' most irritating loose ends tied up.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from this chapter except the Cloud Islands and Stasis Pod./

Cloud Island 237

"Um, okay, guys, it was a pleasure, really!", said Jingaling. He really didn't feel comfortable in such situations, especially with all ten Jinjo families looking the other way.

"I sensed something important when the evil was banished! Once, there were three people living here. Yourself, Kazooie and… Tooty."

Mention of Tooty was the only thing that could have dampened Banjo's mood, and he and Kazooie sadly stepped back a pace. She had been missing for about four years now. He had enjoyed two wondrous, idyllic weeks with her, Kazooie and Bottles, spinning tales of how he and Kazooie had collected all 100 Jiggies in Grunty's old lair. Then she had gone skipping out to get some honey, and never skipped back. Banjo had posted Missing Person notices everywhere, but as the years went by he gave up hope of ever seeing her again. Now there was only one he knew of, if it was still there after two years – the notice on the side of the giant milk carton in the giant trash can in Cloud Cuckooland.

"Well", continued the Jinjo King, "there was such a strong bond of love here – a privilege to witness, really – that I could feel the resonance from its source! Tooty lives, Banjo! Tooty lives!"

"Do you have any idea where she is?" asked Banjo eagerly.

"Only a general idea. Somewhere very high, and very small. That's all I caught. But if you will come to the Palace with me, we shall be able to check the charts and maps in my possession, and we'll have a more exact idea then."

So the Jinjo King and the Jinjo families returned to Jinjo Village. The Jinjos dispersed into the crowd around where the Pool was to tell a tale of the purification to any who would listen. Jingaling headed straight for the Palace; Banjo and Kazooie quickly told the mole family what was happening before they followed.

"This is wonderful news!", Mrs. Bottles said. "Listen, dear, we're going to see Tooty again!"

Inside the palace, Jingaling had spread maps and charts all over a table by his throne. He normally went for the minimalist philosophy of design, with a simple stairs – leading – to – throne arrangement, but since the 9 Realms of the Isle 'o Hags had been opened to each other he had needed to pay more attention to affairs of State.

"If I am correct", mused Jingaling, "she is on one of the smaller Cloud Islands. The Cloud Islands, as I'm sure you know, are a barren section to the far East of Cloud Cuckooland. In my vision, I saw an island of a particular shape… I think it was 237", he added, pointing towards an Island whose shape on the chart seemed no different to a thousand others, "but I cannot be sure. Here is the chart of the Island's drift over the past week."

He gestured to a chart showing the island's movements, and its predicted course over the next couple of days.

"Kazooie, can you read charts? This is at an altitude of roughly 1,500 feet, as mentioned here", – he gestured towards part of the map again – "And 0,0 on this chart is the top of Spiral Mountain."

"Are you implying I can't get to a specific coordinate at a given altitude?"

She puffed out her chest, displaying her wings.

"I'm a BREEGULL, Jingaling, and more than capable of finding my way in the air!"

And so it came to pass that the dynamic duo were 1,500 feet up in the air, closing on Cloud Island 137. It was a very small island – roughly circular, about four metres in diameter – and the only thing on the island was a small glass pod. Tooty was suspended inside, with one paw covered in honey.

"I don't know what happened to her before she was put in that thing", said Kazooie, "but I'd bet all my birdseed money on that thing being a stasis pod, like Grunty used to use on her prisoners!"

Once Grunty had been defeated the first time, Banjo and Kazooie had explored her lair to the full. There were entire rooms filled with prisoners held in stasis, and Banjo and Kazooie had freed them all before they finally settled down.

"I'd be inclined to agree, Kazooie. What is Tooty doing up here in a stasis pod, though? Come on, let's bust her out of there…"

And so Banjo reached down to the keypad at the bottom of the pod, and tapped certain buttons in a certain order. The glass hissed open.

"-RRGGHHH! Oh! Banjo! Where did that nasty Gruntydactyl go? And… what happened? You look like you've aged! Is this one of Grunty's spells?"

"You've been in there for nearly four years, Tooty", said Banjo, tears leaking out of his eyes.

"Four years!", he continued. "I'd nearly given up hope of finding you! Then two years ago Grunty got free, and we had to defeat her… again! She shot a spell at our home, blasting it, and it festered, turning Spiral Mountain into an evil place. King Jingaling only restored the mountain today, after Humba and Mumbo resurrected the Grey Jinjo Family… How did you get in there? You just went out to get some honey – which I see you did", he added with a grin, gesturing to her honey-covered paw.

It turned out that a Gruntydactyl of immense proportions had been swooping around Spiral Mountain, keeping an eye out for Tooty in case Grunty should fail in her mission to extract Tooty's beauty. When Tooty ventured out on her own, arm in a honeycomb up to the elbow, the Dactyl struck, taking Tooty to the Island for when her beauty was to be extracted. Her last memory before Banjo opened the seal was of a Gruntydactyl closing the door.

"We have a kick-around with Grunty's head every Sunday afternoon, and still her evil remains", murmured Banjo. "You've lost the last four years, and there is nothing we can do. Humba and Mumbo can restore the dead, Jingaling and the Jinjos are Shadow battle mages of the finest order, with the power to cleanse the land… And Kazooie and myself are twice over the heroes of the Isle 'o Hags, the only ones who fought Grunty face-to-face and survived. And there is nothing any of us can do."

"Come on Banjo, Tooty", said Kazooie, "let's go home".

It was then that the flaw in their rescue operation hit them. Kazooie could only carry one of them at a time.

"Kazooie, take Tooty and come back for me", said Banjo.

"SQUAWK!"

It was Canary Mary!

"King Jingaling sent me", said Mary, "he seemed to think you'd need another pair of wings!"

"Kazooie, you take Tooty. She's more likely to catch something." He steeled himself; Canary Mary was as grubby as she ever was.

"Mary, follow Kazooie's lead. It's time to go home."

Kazooie started flying back. Mary followed in a cloud of dirty feathers.

/Okay, don't expect further updates for about a week, anything you get during this period will be a bonus.

Grunty's fallout has been pretty much cleared up now. It's almost time to start the Quest! Just a little more build-up first…/