AN:

Hey guys, thanks for the nice comments so far. :D

Fear not Sunnigen, the fluff will hopefully begin in Chapter VI if all goes according to plan.

Fan Fan Girl, thanks for great feedback every chapter, it's really cool of you. I did go into detail slightly about Colette's reasons for going to Mizuho, but it wasn't in this story. Technically, this story follows on from a collection of short stories I wrote. It also documents Lloyd and Presea's romance, and sets up the story you are reading now. It's called Don't Leave Me Behind. Check it out if you have the time, I'd love to know what you think. :D

Cheers again.

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V) Go! Team Klonoa!

There was darkness all around as far as Presea could see, although in this particular environment such descriptions were entirely meaningless. For darkness itself at least contains some substance but, to Presea, the surrounding blackness seemed to become an empty void, desolate and exuding an aura of loneliness. Presea looked around desperately, searching for a way out of the nothingness. She began to walk, then run, but it seemed as though even the concept of direction could be ignored here. Just when she felt like there was no way out, a small silver line suddenly appeared on the horizon – or at least, what Presea thought was the horizon, and either moved towards her or grew larger – again, she couldn't tell. It was a dizzying and confusing spectacle.

The silver line surged forward, coming to an abrupt stop at her feet. It appeared to be a kind of path, winding its way off into the void and its presence gifted Presea with a stability of sorts, as she now at least had an idea of directions and perspectives.

As she begun to follow the line, a strange calmness spread over her. The surrounding darkness subdued any concept of time, and the only way Presea knew she was making progress was by the gradual curve in direction of the path. She walked on until a bright light began to burst from the line, causing a strange dizziness to spread over her. Presea dropped to her knees and placed a hand on the line to steady herself as the darkness fell away, retreating from the light as it surged outwards from the silver path. Presea blinked as she looked about. Instead of the desolate void stood a vast forest, which seemed to go on as far as she could see. However, this location felt different, like she actually knew the place.

The silver path was the only constant in the changing environment, and she followed it through the forest – there not being much else she could do. It was a strange place despite seeming real enough. The colours here seemed pale, in spite of what looked like sunlight filtering through the branches up high. In addition, everything was eerily silent. It was as if there was no kind of living being besides herself in the area, and no wind to stir the branches or whip up fallen leaves. As she continued down the muted terrain, it eventually relented and Presea found herself bursting clear of the tree line.

The open ground before her, overgrown with long grass and flowers, continued only a short distance more before abruptly dropping away. Beyond the cliff edge, Presea could make out a beautiful horizon; rolling open hills flooding into the forests at the base of vast mountains – their tips barely visible through a fine mist. The sun was already descending behind the rocky peaks, far too quickly to be natural. Against it's dying glare, Presea suddenly became aware of two small silhouettes sitting with their backs to her – propped up against a scattering of tiny boulders with their legs hanging over the edge of the cliff. Judging by the sound of their delighted giggles as they talked, unaware of her presence, Presea guessed that the pair were young girls. She watched them for a second more before the setting sun flared up again, much brighter than the silver line had done before. As she shielded her eyes, Presea saw one of the girls turn round to look at her. The young child had pink hair that was tied into a single ponytail and stared at her with happy blue eyes. Presea blinked in surprise – the girl was the exact image of herself when she was a child. She began to call out to the girl, but the light from the sun became too bright, and Presea felt herself falling into the yellow-white abyss.

She awoke with a start; nearly falling from the bed she was lying in. A quick glance about the room reassured her that she was in Regal's mansion still, and by the looks of things it was either night or in the early hours of the morning. Presea sat up, wiping her brow with a trembling hand and tried to slow down her breathing. Despite the fact she had been perspiring heavily, she found herself shivering uncontrollably with every movement. The pink haired girl felt something run down her cheek, and realised that she was crying, suddenly feeling an enormous emptiness well up inside of her. It wasn't even as if the dream, or nightmare, had been a frightening experience or a memory – but she felt so scared now she was actually awake. Looking round, Presea was relieved to see Lloyd was still beside her in bed, fast asleep, and after a moment or two she lay back down to snuggle close to him. As their bodies came into contact, Lloyd rolled over – still asleep – and wrapped his arms around her, drawing the pink haired girl close.

Presea felt a surge of happiness pass through her body at that. It was as if, even asleep, Lloyd had sensed there was something wrong and had acted to comfort her. Presea burrowed in close, and pulled the blankets back over them both, feeling the warmth and contact healing. A few minutes later she was asleep again.

"Good Morning!" Colette bounded down the corridor that linked the guest rooms together, spying Rochelle looking out of an open window. The Felesian turned sleepily towards the former Chosen and yawned some sort of reply, belatedly putting a hand to her mouth. "Tired," she said by way of either apology or explanation.

Colette joined her at the window. "Oh, did you not sleep very well?"

"Not really babe, kinda had a bad dream. Nothing special." The Felesian yawned and folded her arms on the window ledge, bringing her head down to rest on them.

Colette peered outside, feeling the fresh morning breeze blow cold against her skin. The guest rooms were on the ground floor of the house, so there wasn't really much of a view – just the bare trees of the empty orchid opposite, and a scattering of other vegetation.

"Well, why not go back to bed then? I can speak to Harold and ask him if he can bring your breakfast up later."

Rochelle shook her head, her slightly untidy hair falling down about her face. "Nah, s'ok." She looked up at Colette and smiled brightly, "Hey, I like your clothes."

The former Chosen looked down at herself. She was wearing one of the traditional outfits in Mizuho, sky blue in colour. "Hehe, really? Thanks. It's kind of just standard clothing where I live."

Rochelle frowned in thought for a second. "Yeah, you live in this…Mizuho place, right? So…how come you know Lloyd and the others so well then?"

"Oh, Lloyd and I grew up in a town called Iselia," replied Colette as she gazed back out the window. "It's a long story really, but when I was the Chosen, he came with me on my journey of world regeneration. When that kind of…" she still found herself hesitating at the word, "…failed, we went on a quest to unite the two worlds. Presea and Regal journeyed with us too, as well as several other close friends."

"You've known each other a long time then." Rochelle's tail flicked about sleepily. "I remember when the worlds were united, but guess I don't really understand a lot of the changes that have happened 'cause this is the first time I've actually been out of Meltokio. So…why'd you go and live in Mizuho?"

Colette stretched, trying to work out some of the stiffness she had woken up with, "I went back there when Sheena, another friend who travelled with us, returned to take on the responsibilities of Chief of the village. I liked it there, so I stayed to help out."

"Wow babe, you just decided to stay? That's amazing. This Sheena must be really lucky to have you as a friend."

The former Chosen laughed; feeling slightly embarrassed at the compliment. "Well, we're all kind of lucky to have met each other. So, you coming down for breakfast?"

The Felesian nodded. "Yeah, 'sides, I wouldn't want to miss Lloyd and Presea's training for the big day."

Colette found herself smiling, remembering the look on Presea's face when Lloyd had told her he had entered them in the race. "Me neither, lets hurry before they begin!"

"Team Klonoa? Tell me you're joking!"

Presea looked across at Lloyd as he directed a scowl towards the front of the room. She wondered why he was getting so worked up over a name. She also wondered why he, Colette, Rochelle and herself were sitting at desks while Regal stood at the front of the room beside a blackboard. It was like being at school.

"Well…" Regal paused in thought. "Your timely entry into the race has allowed me to rectify a previous oversight and actually have a representative of the Lezareno Company in the competition. It does mean that the company will foot the bill for repairs and any upgrades made to your Rheaird. You really haven't taken very good care of it, have you?"

He waited for Lloyd to finish sulking then continued. "Now, if you open up the folders you have on your desks, I will talk you through the details of the race."

"He said class dismissed – he actually said it. Did you hear him? I think he was actually enjoying it!" Lloyd sighed wearily as they left the room and began to walk towards the lobby.

"I thought it was quite educational," replied Presea, ignoring her partner's moody remark.

"Yeah, it was just like being taught by Professor Raine in Iselia," giggled Colette.

"I was surprised to hear that Lord Alderwyn will be present at the race." Presea frowned. "It would not have crossed my mind that Delphinium was responsible for creating this competition."

Lloyd looked around as they entered the lobby. "So what do you want to do now then?"

"Well, it would be wise if you returned to the Lezareno Company building. That is where Regal has his team working on the Rheaird. You should practice if you want to win tomorrow. I am going to walk the route of the race so I can navigate more effectively."

Lloyd blinked, "Woah, you're really getting into this, Presea."

The pink haired girl coloured slightly. "I am not…but as you entered us, we should at least do our best to win!"

Colette squealed with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun!"

"Hey, are any of you heading in the direction of the Lezareno building?" Lloyd asked, "May as well walk together."

"Yeah!" Rochelle cried, bounding up behind Presea and hugging her. "Me and Big Sis will!" She looked at Colette and smiled; "You're coming too, right?"

The former Chosen shook her head, "I need to get word to Sheena that we'll be leaving tomorrow – she'll be relieved at the news. I'll catch with you later?"

"Please do," replied Presea, "Say hello to Sheena from us."

They left the mansion, opting to walk instead of taking the proffered carriage Regal had suggested. The sun was breaking through the bruised clouds as the group left the grounds of the house, and by the time they had passed through the noble district the warming rays had turned most of the snow into glittering puddles.

"Hey guys," said Rochelle as they entered the main district of Altamira, "There's something I don't understand. If these…Delphinium people are bad, then why are they showing themselves in something as public as a race?"

"Well," Lloyd replied, "It's not as if many people know of Delphinium's hidden projects, such as whatever they are collecting Exspheres for. In fact, not many know at all."

"Yes," Presea agreed, brushing windblown strands of hair from her eyes, "Publicly, they condone the use of Exspheres. Delphinium are chiefly known for their contributions to science, technology, law and order, politics and historical preservation."

"Woah," Rochelle whistled at that, "Not involved in too much then. I didn't realise they were such a big organisation.

Lloyd sighed. "I know, but they are. They appeared quickly after the worlds were united and have become extremely popular since."

"Indeed." Presea looked across at the Felesian. "They were influential in bringing everyday stability to the united world. But the humanitarian front which endears them to the general population is a simple disguise to mask their more sinister operations."

They crossed over down another street towards the boat terminus to the Lezareno building. Rochelle looked hungrily over the wall at the beach below. "Wow, look – can we go down there when we're done? I've never been to one before."

Presea smiled, remembering her first time at the beach. "Affirmative. I am sure we will find time."

Lloyd sighed as they reached the terminus. "Yeah, while I'm still training to fly this wonderful new Rheaird. Great. Well, see you later."

He gave Presea a hug, then left for the boat. Rochelle bounded up to the pink haired girl excitedly.

"Hey, you two make a sweet couple, you know that? A bit yukky sometimes, but it's kinda nice. So," she let the word hang in the air for a second and smiled slyly before continuing. "You gonna get married soon or something?"

"Wha-?" Presea blushed furiously. "I…what do you mean? I have not…" she paused, distracted by the Felesian's I-don't-believe-you smile. "…Let's go, we have a lot of ground to cover today."

She started walking, wondering why Rochelle's question kept replaying itself in her head.

Colette closed the door to her room and sat down on the chair beside the bed, fiddling with the device on the small table in front of her. It emitted a tiny burst of static, before crackling once and falling silent.

She gingerly pushed a button on the device, still finding herself in awe at how the thing worked.

"Um, hello? Sheena, are you there? It's Colette."

The silence continued for another moment or two, before the device crackled into life again and Sheena's fuzzy voice emerged from the item. She sounded excited.

"Colette? Wow, it's great to hear from you. How's Altamira?"

Colette smiled to no one in particular; "It's been fun. Hey, guess what? I managed to track down Lloyd and Presea! They say hi!"

"Oh wow! That's cool Colette – I knew you could do it. How is he…uh, how are they?"

The former Chosen giggled. "They're good! Actually, it wasn't that hard to find them – they turned up here the day after I did. I told them what's been happening and we're all coming back the day after tomorrow."

"Woah, so soon?" Colette picked up a tone in Sheena's voice, despite the static. She sounded nervous.

"Yeah, Regal has managed to get us an airship for our journey. Apparently if we leave in the morning, we should arrive in Mizuho by early evening. Cool, huh? Oh, there'll be another person coming too – a girl Lloyd and Presea met in Meltokio called Rochelle. She's funny."

"Cool, so many people here – guess it'll be like old times, huh?"

Colette paused for a second, suddenly realising what was wrong.

"Sheena," she said, then hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should bring up the subject. "Are you…um, going to be okay?"

A laugh burst through on the communicator. "Yeah, of course I will, don't be silly…"

"Sheena..." The former Chosen had spent long enough in the company of the young lady to know when she was putting a brave face on things. There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

"Um…heh…I'm okay, really. It's just…well, you know…it's going to be a little tough I guess."

"I know," said Colette sympathetically, placing a hand on the device as if it would transport her support to the young lady at the other end. "Be strong Sheena. It'll be okay."

"Yeah…thanks Colette." Sheena laughed, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Don't know what I'd have done without you. Let me know when you're leaving?"

"Of course, I'll be in touch before we set off."

"Cool, take care then. Sheena out."

Colette remained where she was sitting for a second, feeling a strange sadness briefly consume her. Oh, poor Sheena, she thought, turning off the communicator.

As the day passed by, the sun was gradually chased down by angry clouds that threatened to unleash a ferocious blizzard upon the city. Presea felt the change in temperature as a brisk wind began to blow inland. She took a sip of the cool drink that was sat on the table in front of her, finding the fruity cordial refreshing and successful in taking her mind away from her aching legs.

Rochelle was sat opposite, holding her own glass with both hands and looking around the outside seating area of the restaurant they had visited on the way back from walking the race route.

"It was nice of Regal to give me shopping money," she said, smiling happily.

Presea eyed the Felesian's bulging rucksack. "Yes…exactly how much did he give you?"

Rochelle fidgeted. "Um, don't really know babe. Got lots of new clothes though! And, as promised, I got you another dress. I'll give it too you later."

"You have…spent it all already?"

"Um…most of it. But look, I got him something too!" The Felesian rummaged in the bag and produced a long, thin mahogany box. She opened it up and its contents, a stunning range of ornamental cooking utensils, glistened in the fading sunlight. "He was saying that he wanted to get back into cooking again, and that he'd got outta practice. Thought these might help."

Presea blinked, touched at the kindness and sensitivity that seemed to have gone into the gift. "Rochelle…that is very generous of you. I am sure that he will like it."

The Felesian put the box away, her tail twitching. "You think? Hope so. I like him, he's kind." She paused, "Not to mention really good looking. I mean, he is so dashing!"

Presea nearly choked on her drink, her eyes widening in embarrassment. She did not appreciate hearing her friends talked about in such a way. "Ah…um, right."

Rochelle giggled, "You're funny Big Sis! Hey, can we go to the beach now? Before it snows again?"

Presea found herself smiling at the Felesian's infectious excitement. "In a short while. There is one last thing I need to purchase first." She finished off her drink. "Let's go and get it now."

They left the restaurant and followed the still crowded street until they reached another group of stalls and shops. Checking the hanging signs above each of the doors, Presea found the one she was after, and entered. Rochelle followed, looking confused.

The weapon shop held a few customers, who were busily browsing through the enormous range of wares on display. Rochelle looked around, excitement etched on her face. "Wow…they've got everything in here."

Presea nodded, feeling the heat spill from the back room of the shop into the browsing area. This was one of those rare, professional weapon shops, whose owner was a blacksmith and constructed his or her own weapons, rather than import them in from other sources.

"Rochelle," she said. "If you are coming with us to Mizuho then there may be instances where you will have to fight. Or at least, defend yourself. I hope that will not be the case, but it is best to be prepared. To that extent, I will purchase a weapon for you." She looked at the Felesian, who was still staring at the contents of the racks and shelves. "Is there anything you have had experience in using?"

"Uh…um, gee, well not really." Rochelle cast another eye around the store. "I've never really had to use a weapon before." She frowned, in thought. "Oh, wait…Grandpa…no, well, anyway, the old guy taught me to use a bow – in case I ever had to hunt for food. I used to be quite good at it, I think, but I haven't used one in a while."

Presea considered the possibilities for a moment, then nodded. "Well, I will purchase one, and we can always find something else if it turns out to be unsuitable."

The transaction itself did not take overly long, but some time was needed for the owner, a friendly Dwarf, to find and customise a bow with a suitable weight for the Felesian to use. Eventually, she was equipped with one that had an adjustable shaft, so it could be used with reasonable accuracy as a short or long bow. It was made from a beautiful specimen of wood, sandy gold in colour, with a decorative copper handle and gilded adornments. Rochelle was elated with the item, and continued to thank Presea the rest of the way to the beach.

"There is a fairly large quantity of arrows in the quiver," she advised the Felesian. "But it would be prudent to learn how to construct more should you ever need them."

"You got it! Wow, this is amazing. Thank you ever so much, Big Sis!" Rochelle leapt about in jubilation as they reached the bottom of the steps and crossed onto the yellow sand, dull in the fading sunlight. They sat down together, glad to unload the weight of the heavy bags. The sun was just retreating below the horizon now; the large burning orb in the sky reflected onto the wind whipped sea. Rochelle fell onto her back, resting her head on her hands.

"It's really pretty," she said quietly.

"It is an attractive sight," Presea replied, looking across the near-deserted beach. An odd feeling returned to nestle at the back of her head – that familiarity again.

Rochelle sighed contentedly, her earlier excitable nature receding. "I like it when the sun rises and sets. I get this feeling, like I'm free, like I could just go anywhere and not have to worry about anything. Don't you think it's like that, Big Sister?"

Presea paused, "I think I know what you mean, it is an inspirational sight, and it does seem to reflect the properties you mentioned."

The Felesian nodded, then was silent for a few seconds. "Presea, is this…um, does this seem weird to you?"

"Weird?" Presea frowned; the frothing tide was beginning to come in for the night. "What do you mean?"

Rochelle coloured slightly, sitting up but looking at the ground. "I don't know. It kinda feels…familiar, but it can't be, right?" Her tail swished across the sand, scattering particles of it everywhere. "I just feel like…safe, reassured." She paused. "Y'know, like I've done this before. Guess it's just me huh?"

Presea found herself at a loss for words for a moment – she had been beginning to think it was just her own confused feelings. She placed a hand on Rochelle's.

"No, it is not just you. There have been times where I have felt something similar. It is…unusual, and strange."

Rochelle's hand wrapped around Presea's. "Yeah…I'm glad I met you babe. Really."

Presea found herself blushing at the Felesian's compliment. "Thank you, the feeling is the same."

The blond haired girl stretched then, and flicked sand at Presea with her tail. "Cool…ah well, guess we gotta go back soon."

Presea nodded in agreement, but the pair didn't actually leave the beach until the sun had finally set, and the night sky cleared to reveal a blanket of stars.

"There you are!" Lloyd cried excitedly as Presea and Rochelle entered the lobby of Regal's mansion. "We were just about to go looking for you both – we were getting worried!"

"I apologise for causing you concern," replied Presea as she ran forward to embrace the young man, feeling a surge of joy at seeing him, despite only being apart for just over half a day. "I was memorising the details of the route for tomorrow's race. Then we went to the beach and…lost track of time." She looked up at him, "Have you had a pleasant day?"

"Yeah, you should see the Rheaird, it looks amazing!" Lloyd beamed, "And I think I can pilot it quite well now. Regal's team is putting the finishing touches to it – paint job and things like that."

Presea smiled – the young man's enthusiasm infecting her. "That is good. Hopefully we have a high percentage of being victorious."

Colette giggled from the chair she was sat in beside the fire. "Yay Team Klonoa! We'll be cheering for you! Sorry I didn't catch up with you earlier, I ended up helping Regal with some of his work."

Presea shook her head, "It's okay, did you speak to Sheena too?"

"Yeah," Colette grinned, "She's excited about seeing you all again!"

"It will be nice to see her too," Presea was beginning to realise how much she had missed Sheena too.

Rochelle looked about the lobby. "By the way, is…um, Regal here?"

Lloyd thought for a second, then thumbed a direction. "Yeah, I think he's in the study near the guest rooms."

"Great, thanks!" Rochelle went to leave before pausing and taking out a neatly wrapped bundle from her bag. She handed it over to Presea with a grin. "This is yours Big Sister! Hope it fits! See you later."

Lloyd watched her go, "What was all that about?"

Presea began to unwrap the bundle, "She bought him a gift." From the wrapping she pulled out a short, but beautiful, dress that glittered in the light from the fireplace. It was made from numerous materials, from cotton and silk to a strange transparent substance that appeared to have been placed in some almost suggestive locations.

Colette made an excited sound. "Oh, it sparkles! How pretty."

Lloyd looked at the dress and blushed. "Uh…yeah, what there is of it. Did you leave some in the wrapping?"

Presea held it against herself. "…Well, it is a little more…ornamental than what I am used to. But it was very kind of Rochelle to purchase it. Maybe the next time we have to attend a social function I should wear it?"

Before Lloyd could reply, the door opened and Harold stepped through carrying four packages.

"Ah, good evening young master and madams. I have been instructed to issue you with these. Master Regal informs me that they are for the race tomorrow."

He checked the parcels, and handed one to Colette. "Is Miss Rochelle on the premises?"

"Yeah, she went off to find Regal." Lloyd replied, "You can leave hers here if you want and we'll give it to her when she gets back."

"It is no trouble, young Master Lloyd – I'm sure our paths will cross. Young Miss Rochelle seems to be everywhere at once anyway."

He walked over to Lloyd and Presea. "These are yours then. Master Regal assures me you will…enjoy them." Harold smiled, leaving the room. "Have a pleasant evening."

Lloyd looked at the parcel in his hand. "I wonder what this is? For tomorrow huh?"

"Oh wow, cool!"

They looked round to see that Colette had already opened hers. She was holding a jet-black jacket made from leather, with what looked like wool coating the sleeves and neckline. On the back in blue and white stitching was a large Klonoa emblem with the words 'Team Klonoa' underneath. It did look quite fancy, in a quirky kind of way.

"Wow, have we got one of those each?" Lloyd opened his package, his face falling, "What the?"

Presea looked down and quickly finished removing the wrapping from her own. Rather than a jacket, it contained a whole uniform – one that looked suspiciously like the Klonoa costume she had worn that time before.

She held up the outfit. It was, though slightly updated, a Dream Traveller costume. Presea looked across at Lloyd, who had received a similar uniform and sighed.

"You owe me for this Lloyd."