Disclaimer: None of the Klonoa characters belong to me, they belong to Klonoa Works/
Namco.

Chapter Two: Immortelle

"Ah-choo!" The young girl gripped the books more tightly to her chest, a lock of hair falling across her cheek. She placed the books beside her and adjusted the pink hat which had tilted from her sudden jerk. Tucking her legs underneath her, Lolo picked up the textbooks once more and straightened the short priestess clothing. When she heard a slight rustle, she glanced to her side and smiled. Popka lay beside her, slumbering quietly. His bandana flapped downwards as he drew in a deep breath, then back in place as he blew it back out.

She moved a hand to her large ears. "I hope I haven't caught a cold...it's too nice out to spend the day indoors. Well, there's always that silly thing about someone talking about me. ...not too out of the ordinary."

There were plenty of people who she knew that might gossip behind her back. The other priestesses at the Claire Moa temple were in a bit of an uproar over her promotion. She frowned; 'it isn't fair at all'—no matter how hard she tried to fit in, they always found a way to exclude her.

Her face suddenly became as warm as her ears, and she dropped her gaze away from the sleeping childhood friend beside her. 'Or it could it be Klonoa…'

For a long time, the now priestess has had a bit of a crush on the Dream Traveler. It was foolish she knew; after all, he could only visit whenever Lunatea was in danger, but she could not help but hope. Hope that maybe he would feel that way for her too. "Popka…" she started before a shout came, reflecting off the wind's breeze.

It was none other than the Wind Child, himself. "Lolo!"

XxxxxxxX

BGM: Kaze no Klonoa II - Lolo!

Klonoa looked to the dog-like creature beside her, and knelt to whisper, "Popka, wait here…take the post for Lolo." He gave a lopsided grin to the now frustrated side-kick, before walking up to the awaiting companion. "I can't believe I made it on time!"

"Oh, Klonoa is that an injury?" She eyed the way her dear friend was roughed up.

Klonoa smiled back cheerfully, rubbing the scrapes on his arms, "Don't worry, it's just a scratch! I just ran into a person along the way to the sky temple." He reached for his large pockets and within his hands was a delicate, beautiful pink flower, not yet bloomed. "It was a promise, Lolo, so this is for you!"

Lolo stared at it before taking the bud into her hands. It was indeed a promise; a promise that the girl had forced the Dream Traveler to make—she did not allow him to give her the gift unless he returned safely from his journey. But with that she was astonished to find it so rare a present.

"The Hikari Sakura!" Lolo clutched the flower tenderly in her hands. "Thank you, Klonoa! Thank you so much!"

"It's to wish you luck on the training at the Sky Temple. They say, whoever holds this flower will be given good luck." Suddenly under the petals, a fragile butterfly fluttered out, encircling the two. "Oh, under it's petals…?" It almost seemed as if the creature had looked at them right before it took flight once again, leaving them.

"Beautiful…"

Klonoa smiled back at the priestess, who was watching it fly away in awe. "Guntz must have noticed this…therefore he took care of it." He turned back to the fading insect, so he did not notice the puzzled gaze Lolo gave him.

'Guntz?' She pondered, staring at the flower. It was all too strange to her, ever since she met this adventurer, she had run into many different people. To her knowledge Shinigami Guntz had always disliked her. His forced chuckles did little to suppress the temper inside her, especially when he called her a weak loser at the Dream Champ Tournament. So now, Lolo did not understand why he would help Klonoa deliver the flower safely to her. 'Was I wrong about him?'

A voice interrupted them from across the fields, "Let's go, Lolo!" Another priestess, a bit older than her, held the length of her dress up to lessen the chance of tripping. "Hurry it up!"

"Coming! Yes. Then…Klonoa, Chipple, and Popka…I am going." She smiled sadly, tucking the flower behind her ear, using the hat to hold it in place.

The maple-eared cat laughed, patting her on the back. "Do your best, Lolo!"

"I'll come visit sooner or later!" Popka hopped up and down, waving his paper like arms.

Chipple gave a nervous smile, "Farewell, then!" He didn't get a chance to speak beforehand and was too embarrassed to interrupt the heart-felt moment before.

"Yes, I will be strong!" With that, she took off running down the field, only to trip on her face.

"Ack…and hopefully not so clumsy…" Her eyes were abruptly met with a shadow and when she looked up, a Heart Moo was passing by her. '…..I feel strange…as though they suddenly reminded me of something.' But she allowed the thought to slide, pulling herself back to her feet once more. She will walk the path to becoming a High Priestess with no regrets, as she promised herself. "I will endure!"

Kero Guardian: Now that's friendship!