The Return to Phantomile
~ VISION 1-15: A village's last breeze ~
It was getting closer to the evening. Klonoa and Kio found themselves climbing the stairs of the Wind Kingdom's ruins while back on their way to Breezegale, as Klonoa helped Kio climb upwards with his heavy supplies. It was foggy and somewhat gray around this area of Phantomile,.while nobody was there, aside from the two of them and Huepow within the Wind Ring. Meanwhile Kio looked around as he just got back up and further up ahead, as he saw the rather modern but also ruined stone structures and carvings of the kingdom, fascinated by everything, but also became somewhat nervous.
Kio: W-whoa... Is this an abandoned kingdom? It's way too quiet here... and kinda spooky.
Klonoa: Yeah. It serves as a shortcut back to the wind village from Forlock.
Kio: Interesting... i wonder what any of this was even meant for?
Then they walked into the inside of the large castle and walked down a broken pillar that served to them as a bridge. Meanwhile, Huepow exited the Wind Ring in the Ring Spirit form and turned towards the two of them while they were still walking.
Huepow: You know, i never even was aware of this kingdom until Granny first spoke about it seven years ago.
Klonoa: Wait, really? Even you didn't know any of this?
Huepow: No... Somehow nobody that i know, ever spoke of this place before. Not even in my own kingdom.
Then as they kept on walking further ahead, they eventually found themselves into what seemed like a mysterious cave that was both indoors and outdoors. They passed by a graveyard full of tombstones, as Kio started to tremble and just came to a full stop. Klonoa and Huepow stopped, as they turned back around to Kio.
Klonoa: Hey, uhh... you sure you'll be alright?
Kio: W-who, me? Y-yeah of course! Why... Why wouldn't i be?!
Klonoa just started to smugly smugly smirk for a bit towards Kio.
Klonoa: I dunno... maybe a Plowm would jump out of their graves, and enter your soul? Then they'd be taking control of your entire being, for the rest of your mortal years. Ooooooooooohhhhhhhh...
Kio nearly jumped from even thinking about any of that and just clinged onto Klonoa's arm out of reflex.
Kio: AH-! P-please, no! !
Klonoa then innocently laughed for a bit as Huepow just grinned towards Kio.
Huepow: Don't worry, i do not think those ghost monsters will bother us. Besides, if they do, just stick close to us and you will be fine. Although... Not that close.
Huepow just looked at how Kio had his arms clenched around Klonoa's left arm, to which Kio seemed embarrassingly flushed while Klonoa just seemed genuinely confused. Kio then immediately let Klonoa go.
Kio: R-right... sorry...
Then they kept on walking... later on the remainder of what seemed like grassy plains within the cave, they found some small, broken airplanes. Klonoa just stared at one, as Kio seemed rather shocked and confused to even look at them.
Klonoa: Oh hey... an airplane.
Then Klonoa thought for a second and suddenly seemed confused himself, as was Huepow.
Klonoa: ...Wait, what? What's one of those things doing here?
Huepow: I believe those were here before too, but... i never noticed them either. That's strange... Airplanes are still a very new thing in Cress.
Kio: Hold up, how do you two even know what those things ARE?
Huepow: Again, we have them in Cress.
Klonoa: Leorina flew one of them.
Although Kio understood what Huepow said, he just scratched his head and turned back towards Klonoa.
Kio: Who even is Leorina?!
Klonoa just sighs and shrugs it off.
Klonoa: ...Nevermind. Just Lunatea things.
Huepow: I wonder what happened here that caused the downfall of this entire kingdom though?
Then as they looked further over the grassy plains in the cave, they noticed what seemed like a rusting, mossy, stone robot with a helmet, green eyes made from what seemed like crystals, and green palms also made from crystals. It also had red markings over its shoulders and legs. The robot seemed to be sitting down against one of the broken and old airplanes. Klonoa stopped as he looked at the robot, with Huepow and Kio stopping as well.
Huepow: What is the matter, Klonoa?
Klonoa: Hrmm... i don't know, but... that thing somehow seems...
Klonoa looked directly at the robot in the distance and then walked on over to it.
Klonoa: Familiar...?
Klonoa carefully walked up to the robot, examining it up close, and then he carefully touched it by the helmet a couple of times... nothing happened. Meanwhile Kio and Huepow walked up next to Klonoa.
Klonoa: Well... That's strange. I expected it to actually turn on or something...
Then as Klonoa got back up and turned around, he confidently just shrugged. Meanwhile Kio and Huepow stared in shock behind Klonoa.
Klonoa: If it was still alive, that would have been so cool, but also ridiculous.
Kio: W...W...Wha-
Huepow: What is that?!
Klonoa: Hm? What is?
Then as Klonoa turned back around from confusion... he saw it for himself. The robot seems to have actually gotten up, as its eyes and helmet started to brighten up a bit. Then the robot seems to try and punch Klonoa, as Klonoa dodged out of instinct, with Kio immediately running behind a gravestone nearby for cover.
Kio: O-Oh no, this is exactly what i was thinking of... A ZOMBIE! ! !
Klonoa: What?! That is not a zombie! That is a robot! !
Then as Klonoa rolled right back up on his feet, Huepow immediately jumped into the Wind Ring, as the robot held out its right palm and then charged and shot a powerful energy beam right at Klonoa, to which he did a backwards jump.
Klonoa: Whoa!
Klonoa then quickly turned to Kio in the distance, as Kio yelled back.
Kio: Wait, really?! That's one of those machine things?! Oh god they're even scarier than i thought! !
Klonoa: Yeah! ! What else did you think it is?!
Kio: I don't know! YOU'RE the expert for different worlds!
Then the robot tried to punch Klonoa again as he swiftly dodged, detached the Wind Ring from his belt and shot a Wind Bullet right at the robot, which caught him off-guard. Then as the robot got back up, he tried to fire another energy beam with his left palm. Although Klonoa barely dodged the attack, it left a minor scratch on the side of his face and the energy beam hit a few rocks in the distance, causing them to fall into the abyss below. Klonoa just stared back at the rocks in shock.
Klonoa: Ngh-! This thing packs quite a lot of power for someone who's been resting for a long time!
Then as Klonoa turns back and strikes within the moment the robot is caught off-guard, he forcefully slashes off one of its stone palms, and then kicks the robot, knocking it down to the ground as it leaves a crack in the face due to it being made from stone... Then as the stone robot struggled to get back up, Klonoa prepared to vertically slash the robot, and swiftly cuts the robot in half, with the robot breaking down, as it stopped lighting up from its crystal eyes and palms... permanently. Klonoa deeply sighed and put the Wind Ring back onto his belt, while Kio slowly rose up from behind the tombstone and Huepow exited the Wind Ring in his Ring Spirit form, while staring at the permanently broken robot.
Huepow: Wow... Okay, if this kingdom truly is a relic of the past like we're made to believe, then it sure seemed like they were years ahead of their time...
Klonoa: Man, an ancient energy beam shooting robot that is set to kill anything in its path...? This place must've been even scarier back in the day.
Kio: I...Imagine if they were still around today...
Kio trembled while even thinking about it. Meanwhile, Klonoa and Huepow then just turned back to the main path and began to walk on further ahead, with Kio immediately running after them to not stick behind.
Kio: H-hey! Wait for me! Don't leave me behind here! !
Then after walking for a while through the path further up within the cave, they carefully crossed a set of swinging stone slabs attached to the cave's ceiling with a rope, as Kio nearly falls off of one of the swinging slabs.
Kio: W-whoaaaa-?!
Klonoa immediately grabs Kio by the hand as he held on, with Kio looking up to Klonoa. He just smiled a bit and softly said...
Klonoa: Do not let go, okay? I got you.
Kio: R...Right...
Klonoa pulled Kio back up, as they kept timing their jumps to make it to the next few stone slabs, until they finally reached a platform next to the end of the cave... when they got outside, they now found themselves on the edge of what seemed like a cliff with a bunch of steep slopes, as Klonoa noticed the grey clouds were getting much closer to them... Kio seemed concerned and confused, but Klonoa just stared out of shock, as he gets abrupt flashes from his past, about rushing right across these exact same slopes... he then quickly snapped back to it, clenched his left hand and seemed more serious and determined.
Kio: W...Where are we now?! This isn't any place that i can remember!
Klonoa: We're close... but... so are those clouds! Let's hurry! !
Kio: Close...? Close how?!
Klonoa then began to slide off of the steep slopes using his feet as Kio just shakes his confusion off and clumsily begins to slide down on his butt, following shortly after. When they reached the end with another entrance to a nearby ice-cave with the river from the mountain tops flowing through it. They immediately entered it and found themselves going down the stream of the river, riding on top of the surface like a slide. Klonoa slided down while keeping balance with his feet, as Kio just slided down on his butt.
Kio: Where are we even going?!
Klonoa: You'll see!
Then as they reached the end of the cave further up ahead, they went flying into the air from the edge of a cliff when reaching the outside, and saw the village of Breezegale further in the distance... Kio seemed in awe and also rather happy from finally seeing it, as Klonoa still seemed concerned for the clouds that were getting nearly over to Breezegale in the distance.
Kio: Whoa... that is indeed close! !
Klonoa: Ngh... Not close enough for us though...!
As they then fell back to the downwards grassy hills and onto the rideable stream of the river, Klonoa immediately began to lean more forward to speed himself up, as Kio then noticed it and began to slide down onto his stomach to speed up as well... Eventually the two reached the ending of the grassy hills and were led right into another ice cave from following the stream. Klonoa smoothly landed and slided onto his feet, as he began to run further up ahead, while Kio then harshly landed to the ground and immediately got back up, trying to keep up with Klonoa... The two kept running through the ice cave, jumping from the giant bone remains to giant bone remains, as the bone remains started to slowly fall apart into the abyss below. Although Kio seemed kind of scared, Klonoa didn't even look back.
Kio: T-this route is way too dangerous...!
Klonoa: Just... keep going...! We're almost there...! !
Then they finally grabbed onto the edge of another cliff within the ice cave after jumping from the last bone remain, as the bone falls down... Both Klonoa and Kio climbed upwards onto the cliff, as they finally saw the light from the exit... Klonoa immediately turned towards Kio.
Klonoa: There is the exit. Hurry! !
Kio: R-right!
Klonoa and Kio ran out of the cave, and found themselves on the road to the side of a mountain, which leaded right to a brick bridge that was close to the edge of Breezegale. They immediately ran up onto the bridge, and then turned over to the southern edge of Breezegale's village... in the distance they saw the ruins of Grandpa's old house, and also the rest of the village further up ahead, with some of the cabbit residents just confusingly looking over the cloudy and somewhat rainy weather, as most of the others didn't even pay any mind and went on with their regular task... Klonoa and Kio tried to catch up with their breath, and seemed a bit relieved to see nothing's happened yet.
Klonoa: We... We barely made it...
Kio: Whew... Oh thank goodness...
Klonoa then looked on over between the bridge and the solid ground in the distance, but noticed the gap was too far to make with a leap, even if he can flap his ears really hard to make himself ascend once. Kio turned to Klonoa.
Kio: So... why don't we just jump over there and talk to them right now?
Klonoa: The gap's too far...
Huepow then jumped out of the Wind Ring in the Ring Spirit form, as he turned to Kio.
Huepow: And the path further up ahead takes too long to get back to the village... By the time we'll be back, it's already over!
Then Klonoa deeply breathed in... and deeply breathed out, and started to raise his voice.
Klonoa: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY! ! ! ! !
Although he yelled as loud as he could from the bridge, the residents were barely able to hear it... one resident did, but he awkwardly stuck out his hand close to his ear to try and listen in on what Klonoa yelled, and still couldn't grasp it. Then a bolt of lightning struck in the farther distance beyond Bell Hill, as a mysterious rough bird-like scream rose across the skies and the bell further up on Bell Hill loudly started ringing, completely draining out the noise of Klonoa's voice. Klonoa, Kio and Huepow all seemed really concerned now from both the really loud noises, but also the fact that they couldn't be heard.
Klonoa: That bell... Please don't tell me...
Kio: Ngh... I-It can't be...!
Huepow: This isn't a lull in the wind here! Their lives are at stake! !
They then both deeply breathed in once again, and yelled with all their desperation as loud as they could, right at Breezegale in the distance... With even Huepow joining in as the two began loudly yelling.
Klonoa: EVERYOOOONNEEEE! ! ! ! MONSTERS ARE COMING! ! ! ! ! TAKE COVER! ! ! ! ! ! !
Kio: HEEEEEEEYYY! ! ! ! ! ARE YOU DEAF? ! ? ! LISTEN TO US! ! ! ! !
Huepow: PLEASE! HEAR US OUUUUTTTTT! ! ! ! !
Kio: HEEEEEEYYYY-?!
The Breezegale residents seemed mildly confused from the commotion of the three, but still weren't paying attention to them in the farther distance as they couldn't properly hear their words, just that they were yelling in a somewhat high note. Then... all of the sudden at very quick speed while they were still desperately yelling... something appeared. It seemed like it was a humongous dragonfly and cobra hybrid, estimated to be 12 meters, which had a black and gray body, twelve slender wings, sharp and thin blades on its wings, sharp and large spikes on its lower body and tail, an iron armor helmet and a body covering its head and weak spots. It also had purple-glowing veins across its entire body, and red glowing eyes faintly shining out of the iron helmet.
Then within nearly the blink of an eye as Klonoa, Huepow and Kio could only stare while they still tried to yell... the monster quickly swooped down from the skies near Bell Hill, and swiftly flew by three Breezegalian cabbit residents, as the monster dragoncobra swiftly passed them all by, and slashes the three of the residents in half, killing them instantly as the three residents fell into two parts. Klonoa dropped completely silent, and stared in absolute terror... Kio dropped completely silent and stared in terror... and Huepow just stopped, and gasped.
Kio: ...No...
Then the monster flew above a bit, as it began to throw a few missiles from its wings, making a part of the village in the distance explode and go up in flames... as quite a few residents began screaming in agony and burning to death. The monster dragoncobra begins to let out another rough bird-like scream, as the skies seemed to be getting more and more grey... Klonoa's eyes widened and he trembled. Meanwhile Kio began to tear up, pulled back, and began to scream in absolute terror...
Kio: NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Kio dropped to the floor as he still kept screaming, and defeatly got onto his knees, turning dead-silent... Klonoa then faintly began to speak again, as his eyes were still widened from the utter shock of what is happening.
Klonoa: We... We were too late again...? ! ?
Memories quickly flash by of what exactly happened on that day... the day that Joka killed Grandpa and making their house explode, right on the exact same bridge... then Klonoa immediately snapped back to it, and saw that the monster dragoncobra was flying off of to the mountains beyond the brick bridge, while multiple variations of Moo's and even a few Nighty-Knights were starting to fall down from portals in the cloudy sky. Klonoa clenched his teeth in frustration as one tear rolled down his face.
Klonoa: Nrrrrghhh...! ! Joka and this wretched beasts will PAY FOR THAT! ! !
Klonoa then quickly wiped the tear rolling off of his face, grabbed a hold of the defeated Kio, and began to run furiously after the monster dragoncobra by going through the dug up tunnel from one of the mountains directly attached onto the other side of the brick bridge. Huepow quickly entered the Wind Ring again, as Klonoa entered the tunnel with Kio.
When they came out on the other side, they found themselves onto the cliffside of two mountains with a huge forest hundreds a few hundred meters below them onto the plains below, as a wide and long stone bridge was connecting the two cliffs. Klonoa noticed the monster dragoncobra swiftly came flying upward from the grassy and forest-like plains. Klonoa put Kio down, as he was mumbling a bit to himself. Klonoa directly looked at Kio.
Kio: We're doomed... we're doomed...!
Klonoa: Just... try to hang in there, okay? I'll deal with this. Then together we will try to save whatever may be left of Breezegale.
Kio: ...Okay...
Klonoa then got back up and stared on over to the dragoncobra in the distance, as Klonoa started to run up to the center of the bridge, fiercely pulled the Wind Ring from his belt and then switched to the the Wind Sword form. The dragoncobra began to leave out another rough bird-like scream...
~ The Soaring Slasher ~
AERIAL VERTICADIUM
As the Aerial Verticadium still was roughly screaming like a bird, the scream was so rough that it caused Klonoa to cover his ears and nearly lose his grip on the bridge from the force the scream caused. Then all of the sudden, the tunnels of both mountains that the cliffsides were attached to, collapsed in on themselves from the force. As Kio then noticed it, he frightfully began to tremble. Eventually Klonoa recovered from the scream and also noticed the collapsed tunnels.
Kio: This is the end for us all...! !
Klonoa: Ngh... now we have no way to get back to Breezegale!
Huepow: Don't worry, we can figure out a way back after this! For now, let's just kill this wretched beast! !
Klonoa then held up the Wind Sword, pointing it right at the Aerial Verticadium.
Klonoa: Right! ! !
Then as the Verticadium began to dive down and fly right at Klonoa with his sharp wings, Klonoa immediately jumped up and flapped his ears to send himself jumping even higher in the air as the Verticadium then flew in a circle and came back around, to which it immediately throws a crystal obelisk right underneath where Klonoa was falling down to, while he was coming down to the bridge's surface on his back. The Verticadium began to fly around in circles again... as Klonoa gasped when he saw this.
Klonoa: W-what?!
Klonoa then immediately and sloppily flapped his ears yet again, to send himself flying away from the crystal obelisk. Klonoa landed onto the right side of the bridge, with him immediately noticing that the Verticadium then came crashing right into the bridge where Klonoa was... When it got close and rammed right into the bridge, Klonoa jumped away as the entire stone bridge rumbled a bit, with the area going up in dust. Then as Klonoa got back up to the Verticadium as he was stuck in the bridge, he attempted to strike him into one of the eight glowing spots on the front body with the Wind Sword... But his sword got stuck as he managed to barely break through one of the upper glowing spots. Meanwhile the Verticadium pulled back from the pain, as Klonoa barely got his Wind Ring out, and the Verticadium then dropped a bomb in the shape of an eye, right next to Klonoa on the bridge... When Klonoa noticed this, he quickly got on edge.
Klonoa: N-Not good...!
Klonoa immediately jumped out of the way, but as he did, a part of the bridge's surface exploded and went up in smoke, as nearly the entire bridge started to harshly rumble, with one piece of stone brick falling down... Meanwhile, Kio still stared in complete despair just looking right at the Aerial Verticadium in the distance.
Kio: I... I let them all down... If i was sooner, i...
Kio then tried to reach for his Fixe axe on his hip as his hand was trembling, but... he couldn't. He put his hand down, and just stared down to the ground again.
Kio: ...I can't even face the monster who killed my friends. I am an absolute coward...
Klonoa: Nmph...?!
Meanwhile, as Klonoa recovered, he seemed to have a few burnt marks left onto his body from the impact of the explosion... But Klonoa just tries to wipe it off of his fur. When the area cleared up a bit more, Klonoa noticed that the Verticadium began flying right at him this time.
Klonoa: Oh no-
Then as Klonoa tries to roll away to the left side of the bridge, the Aerial Verticadium swiftly bypassed Klonoa and hit him with one wing, cutting him on the palm of Klonoa's left hand, as it quickly poured open and began to bleed.
Klonoa: AAARGHH! ! Y-You-!
Klonoa quickly turned around, as he noticed the Verticadium had already started to fly off in the distance and bypass the bridge with its back turned against the ground below... When it did, Klonoa boldly leaped off of it and jumped onto the front of the Verticadium, holding onto it as it began to fly straight up again.
Klonoa: N...Now i've got you! !
The Verticadium then tried to swing Klonoa off by flying fiercely around as he just held on... Klonoa just climbed up a bit further to the top, and then used his right hand with the Wind Sword to stab the blade in another one of the glowing spots... then as he did, the Verticadium violently began to swing around and then threw off Klonoa, as he harshly landed back onto the bridge with the bridge slightly starting to break off into two, and was nearly sent sliding off into the trees below... Klonoa barely held on to the edge of the bridge, as the Verticadium slowly flew up to Klonoa from the other side of the bridge...
Klonoa: N-Nrghhh... Urrrghhh...!
When Klonoa was struggling to even get back up and looked down below to what would be a lethal fall, he then quickly turned his head back to Kio, and started to yell in desperation.
Klonoa: Kio! ! What are you doing?!
Kio meanwhile, seemed completely devoid of anything around him, and internally began to say the following to himself...
Kio: I let my friends down... they are dead because of me... Because i was too late...!
Klonoa quickly looked back, as he saw that the Verticadium tried to summon forth a missile, as it began to grow and grow... Klonoa seemed concerned, as Huepow spoke from the Wind Ring.
Huepow (Wind Ring): Is... Is that a missile? Is he going to blow this entire bridge up?!
Klonoa: Ngh...! Huepow! Couldn't you try and lift me back up?!
Huepow (Wind Ring): I... I really wish i could, but there's no time! The bridge will be destroyed by the time you're back up!
Kio: I... I failed them... i want to fight, but... i'm too scared... Damn it...! Why am i even scared in the first place...?!
Then suddenly, Kio snapped out of his thoughts, and frightfully stared at the Verticadium in the distance... The Verticadium began to reach out for the fully grown missile. Kio, as his hand was still harshly trembling, tried to reach for the Fire Axe on his hip, while a few sparks of fire came from the edges... but he couldn't just grab his weapon.
Kio: S...Stop...!
Meanwhile the Verticadium was preparing itself to throw the fully grown missile right at the bridge, ready to make the bridge explode and fall down. Kio then closed his eyes, and began to scream in despair and anger, yelling it out...
"STOP IIIIIIIIIIIITTTT! ! ! ! ! ! !"
Then the Aerial Verticadium attempts to throw the missile right at the bridge near Klonoa, as Klonoa flinched a bit, ready for the explosion that would lead him to a fatal fall...
But before the Verticadium could destroy the entire bridge, the Fire Axe was thrown from the side in the distance, as it stabs the Verticadium right in two glowing spots simultaneously next to each other, which immediately broke both of them. A few flames of fire erupted from the axe as the Verticadium squealed in shock... Kio, for the first time, finally used Fire Axe by throwing it while holding onto the chain!
He then quickly stepped up next to Klonoa on the bridge, and seemed hellbent and frustratingly motivated. Klonoa just stared in shock, as Kio stood his ground.
Klonoa: K...Kio?!
The Verticadium dropped the missile to the surface below. Then Kio began to anguishly and fiercely scream as he pulled the Verticadium back to him by using the Fire Axe's iron chain while the axe was stuck in the monster, and made it fiercely crash onto the bridge with its amored head, as a few more bricks fell down. When the Verticadium was trying to snap back to it after the crash, Kio pulled out the Fire Axe from the Verticadium, very deeply breathed in and out, and then turned back to Klonoa with a serious look.
Kio: I may have lost a lot of my friends... but... If i don't do anything, everything up to now would've been in vain! !
Kio then quickly held out his hand as Klonoa just kept staring in awe, until he eventually snapped back to it and also looked more serious.
Kio: Klonoa! Let's kill this monster and make him pay for everything! !
Klonoa: R...Right!
Klonoa then grabbed onto Kio's hand, as Kio pulled him back up onto the bridge's surface. Meanwhile the Verticadium started to pull away from the bridge and then swiftly flew under it down below their field of view. The two of them just tried to look down below the bridge and then eventually turned back to each other.
Klonoa: I think i may got a plan to finish this... I will distract that flying monster, and you will knock and pull it down from a distance. That's when we try to attack.
Huepow (Wind Ring): And please, try to hit those remaining four glowing spots. Once they're all broken, the monster will go down, if the previous ones are anything to go off of! !
Kio: Understood!
Kio then began to run up further to the left of the bridge, as Klonoa stood his ground in the middle, and then raised his Wind Sword. When the Verticadium came back around, it threw a crystal obelisk against the bridge in Klonoa's direction while soaring through the sky, as Klonoa swiftly dodged by doing a sidewards jump... but because of this attack, a part of the stones from the bridge broke off and fell down, which made Klonoa a little more concerned. Then as Kio swung his Fire Axe around, he attempted to throw it at two of the glowing spots right next to each other on the Aerial Verticadium, as he still had his guard down. But when the Fire Axe finally hit, it only managed to hit one of the glowing spots, while flames arose from the axe...
Kio: I-I missed?!
Then Kio forcefully pulled the Verticadium right onto the bridge, as he reeled back his Fire Axe using the iron chain. Within that brief moment that the Verticadium landed on the bridge and the entire bridge began to rumble, Klonoa shook his concerns off, immediately began to run up to the Verticadium, and harshly stabs the glowing spot that Kio missed, breaking it. The Verticadium immediately got back up and began to fly off by backing away from the bridge. Klonoa immediately turned for Kio.
Klonoa: We have to hurry, Kio! This bridge isn't going to last! !
Kio: Wait, really?! Oh my goodness...
As the Aerial Verticadium came back flying around, it leaves out another rough and loud bird-like scream, and tries to throw a few missiles from all sides towards Klonoa. He jumped upwards in the air to avoid them... but with the missiles hitting the bridge and exploding, the bridge began to split into two from the damage caused to it, and deeply budged from the center all to the edge. Kio tried to hold on as it was budging, as Klonoa just stood in the center and tried to keep his ground...
Klonoa: Nghh...!
Klonoa then faced towards Kio, and yelled.
Klonoa: Now! Throw the axe! !
Kio uses one hand to throw the Fire Axe right the two remaining glowing spots next to each other from a distance, as the Fire Axe hit and stabbed the Verticadium... in only one of the glowing spots. Kio clenched his teeth out of frustration.
Kio: Urgh! Again?!
Kio then fiercely tried to pull the Verticadium right to himself in order to get the monster further away from the center of the bridge, but instead of the Verticadium being pulled... the Fire Axe just came loose off of the Verticadium, as the Verticadium immediately backed off from the bridge altogether. Kio seemed both shocked and frustrated, as was Klonoa.
Kio: N-No! !
As the Verticadium started to back off, its red eyes began to glow more brightly and the monster stuck out its wings even farther. The Verticadium then started to spin in circles to do the motion of what seemed like an aerial roll, and quickly went flying right for Klonoa while trying to slash him into pieces with his wings being out while spinning...
Klonoa: Whoops-?!
When Klonoa noticed this, he quickly jumped up with what little time he had left and then just barely dodged the Verticadium's sharp stuck-out wings, as the tip of one of the really sharp wings left a wide and painful scratch across Klonoa's face, as the scratch started to pour out a bit of blood...
Klonoa: Aaaargh! !
The Verticadium came back flying from above the bridge, as the Verticadium quickly dropped two eye-shaped bombs on both sides of the nearly-collapsing bridge. When this happened, Klonoa barely landed back onto the center of the bridge, as Kio was close to the left cliffside and ran off of the bridge. Then both bombs exploded, and the bridge finally was going to fall down... Klonoa noticed he had no way to escape the crumbling bridge from his current location.
Klonoa: N-Nrghh... If Breezegale and me are going down...
Klonoa then began to run onto the collapsing floor below him and put his remaining strength into a leap of faith for the Aerial Verticadium above him, as he yelled...
Klonoa: YOU ARE COMING WITH ME! ! ! !
Klonoa jumped, and flapped his ears one more time, as the stone bridge fell down to the surface below in its entirety, while Kio still tried to get back up after landing onto the cliff where they came from. When Kio looked back, he just stared at the bridge falling down, and then saw Klonoa in his current leap, as he just turned quiet, and faintly said to himself...
Kio: No...
Klonoa barely jumped high enough to hold onto the Verticadium's tail, but when he did, he immediately climbed as fast as he could, and then with all his strength, pulled back the Wind Sword, and harshly stabs him in the last remaining glowing spot... The Verticadium loudly began to screech, as its red eyes stopped glowing... Klonoa didn't stop however, as he just kept pulling on the Wind Sword to the side, and then sliced off the Aerial Verticadium's head, with the decapitated head flinging off in the distance to the surface below, as he Verticadium's body started to slowly fall down below... along with Klonoa on it. Meanwhile, Kio then tried to reach out to Klonoa from the cliff while yelling.
Kio: Klonoa! ! NO! ! !
As the Verticadium and Klonoa fell down to the ground, all Kio could do was watch in pure shock. Then, the Verticadium caused a big explosion into the forest below the cliffs, onto the surface... The entire area below went up in smoke from the explosion. Kio eventually fell down to his knees, with a tear starting to roll down his face.
Kio: ...Not you, too...!
Then as Kio kept looking into the distance, he noticed that a larger than average fish came flying through the sky, right for where the cliffs are... As it got closer, Kio then noticed the fish had a yellow body, dark red eyes, a blue pearl above his head, blue fins, and purple scales, while leaving behind dark blue sparkles... Kio seemed mesmerised, and tried to wipe away his tear.
Kio: Wait... a fish that can fly...? Ah?!
Then as Kio looked closer, he saw that the fish was carrying Klonoa on his back. He seemed a bit unconscious.
Klonoa: Nnnnghh... what... what happened...?
Meanwhile, as Klonoa finally came to be within less than a minute, he carefully opened his eyes, and found himself on the fish's back, as it just kept hovering in the air. The fish turned his head around with a grin, as Klonoa just seemed confused, to say the least.
Fish: I knew it was you... I knew it had to be you. Gosh, i am so glad i made it in time!
Klonoa: Umm... Thanks... fish...?
The fish gasped as he seemed surprised to Klonoa's response.
Fish: You forgot?! Then again, you were gone without even a trace all those years ago... But i just knew something odd was happening when you went over to Seadoph, and i could sense something familiar about you...
Even Huepow got out of the Wind Ring as a Ring Spirit form and scratched his head.
Huepow: I'm sorry, but... we really don't remember who you are.
Fish: Y-You too?! You really don't remember saving a little fish from a cage?
Klonoa: A cage?
Huepow: A cage? Hmmmm... i am so sorry, we don't.
Klonoa: Well... you seem familiar to me... but... Ah?!
Then as Klonoa deeply thought for a moment, suddenly he gets another flash in his mind...
The young Klonoa and Huepow approached the end of the path to the Shell Palace at the top of Jugpot... Further up, they heard a few faint squeals, as the young Huepow exited the Wind Ring.
Young Huepow: Wait a minute! I hear something...
Then the young Klonoa and Huepow look off further to the right of the path and saw an iron cage with a small fish trapped in it near the Shell Palace...
Small Fish: Help me, please...! Someone... please, push the switch...!
As the young Klonoa saw this, he ran on over to the blue switch right next to the cage, grabbed the Wind Ring and fired a Wind bullet right at the switch, as it broke the cage open and made the small fish fall right into the water, to which it turns right around to face for the young Klonoa. Klonoa then carefully kneeled down to the end of the road and looked towards the fish. The fish stared right back at the young Klonoa.
Small Fish: Th...Thank you... you saved me.
Young Klonoa: Oh, no problem. What happened here though?
Small Fish: Well... weird people came in here, and messed up the castle...
The young Huepow then turned towards Klonoa, as did he.
Young Huepow: Maybe it was Ghadius.
Young Klonoa: Right...
The young Klonoa then looked right back at the fish.
Small Fish: Umm... If you're going to the castle, i can take you there.
Young Klonoa: Really?!
Small Fish: But... Can you save my mommy? I want my mommy back...!
Young Klonoa: Back?
Young Huepow: She's probably under some evil spell.
The young Klonoa then smiled up as he nodded to the small fish.
Young Klonoa: Okay, gotcha. We'll give it a shot.
Small Fish: Oh thank you!
As the Small Fish jumped up in the air and then turned around with his back towards Klonoa, the fish stopped.
Small Fish: Hop onto my back.
Klonoa then jumped into the air and landed onto the small fish's back, as Huepow began to follow. The small fish then turned its head a bit back towards the young Klonoa, and said...
Karal: I'm Karal. Pleased to meet you.
Young Klonoa: Same here! I'm Klonoa.
Young Huepow: And i am Huepow!
The two of them rode onto Karal's back as they swum around towards the entrance of the Shell Palace, as the memories began to fade...
As Klonoa snapped back to reality, he saw that Huepow was still deeply thinking to himself, and then with a surprising look, directly turned towards the fish.
Klonoa: Wait, Karal? Is that you?!
Karal's face started to light up, as Huepow's jaw dropped.
Karal: Oh, i am so glad you remember, Klonoa!
Huepow then stared back and forth between Klonoa and Karal, and then pointed at Karal.
Huepow: Are you serious? Is that him?
Karal then looked a bit down at his own body as they were floating in the air.
Karal: Well... who else can do something like this? Aside from my mother, of course.
Huepow then also smiled up.
Huepow: Oh my goodness, Karal. I am so sorry for that! Wow, you've really grown!
Karal then grinned a bit right at Huepow.
Karal: Well, i, uh... i wish i could say the same for you Huepow, but...
Huepow: Huh?
Huepow then looked down back at his own body, realising he was still in the Ring Spirit form.
Huepow: Oh, right...
Huepow then quickly switched back to his true form, and then began to sit onto Karal's back right next to Klonoa. Karal seemed a bit stunned. Huepow just flushed a bit while he put his hand behind his back.
Huepow: This is what i actually look like, hehe...
Karal: H-Hold on, really?!
Klonoa: Yeah. Remember, he's the prince of Cress after all.
Karal: Oh riiight, i overheard something about that back when my mother and I went to Cress...
Klonoa then suddenly realised something, as he quickly turned his head back to Karal.
Klonoa: Speaking of... Karal!
Karal: Hm?
Klonoa then looked over the cliffs near Breezegale and pointed at the one where Kio was. With Karal looking over the cliff in the distance too.
Klonoa: Pick him up for us! He's one of our companions!
Karal: Understood!
Karal then began to fly downward next to where Kio was, as he just kept staring at the flying Karal. When Karal stopped, Klonoa held out his hand to Kio.
Klonoa: Get on Kio, we're going back to Breezegale!
Kio: ...Flying fish...!
As Kio suddenly snapped back to it after a while, he quickly shook off his thoughts and then looked back towards Klonoa.
Kio: R-right.
Kio then immediately grabbed onto Klonoa's hand and got onto Karal's back too. The three of them began to fly off towards the edge of Breezegale by going around the tall mountain...
When they arrived back at Breezegale, they then stopped next to the grassy plains where the remains of Grandpa's house were... When Kio carefully stepped of of Karal's back, they just kept hearing a lot of ruckus could be heard in the further distance. Kio just stared at the few dead bodies that were scattered around the village and its plains, while Nighty-Knights and Armored Moo's were roaming free, while dozens of Breezegalian cabbits in the distance were still fighting to hold them off. Kio just kept looking at those who have died, and currently are dying, as he tried to hold himself together.
Kio: Nrgh... All i can do is try and hold them all off...
Klonoa just looked at the bodies in the distance too, as he frustratingly clenched his teeth.
Klonoa: That damn Joka...!
Then as Klonoa tried to step off of Karal himself, somebody stopped him. But it wasn't Huepow who pulled him back onto Karal's back... it was Kio, who shoved him back with one hand. Klonoa just seemed surprised.
Klonoa: Kio?!
Kio then looked back at Klonoa, and smiled a bit.
Kio: Klonoa... you have your own dream and goals to follow. Go and do that first. I will take care of this myself.
Klonoa: B...But, what if you can't do it alone?!
Kio: Don't worry... i will die trying. This is not your burden to bear.
Kio then slowly raised and held up his Fire Axe by the chain, while smiling up a bit more.
Kio: I am a natural survivor, after all. I will make it through.
Klonoa then slowly pulled back a bit, and just nods while keeping his serious face.
Klonoa: Okay... i trust you, Kio. But, if i ever return and you're completely gone... Joka's immediately going down the second i get back.
Kio then smirked as he turned his back towards Klonoa, and nodded himself. Klonoa then turned his head back to Huepow and Karal.
Klonoa: Karal! Let's go to the Moon Kingdom!
Karal: Right!
Then as Karal with Klonoa and Huepow on his back began to fly off, Kio just waved off to them and yelled...
Kio: GO GET HER, TIGER! GET THE PRIESTESS! ! ! !
Karal, Klonoa and Huepow just disappeared off into the gray-clouded sky above... Kio then sighed grabbed his Fire Axe with his handle, as he directly stared at the Nighty-Knights in the distance on the Breezegalian plains, and smirked.
Kio: The fearful becomes the feared... starting today! You will regret messing with my peaceful home village, monster clown! ! !