"Umm... are you... are you all right..?"
"Unghh... y...yeah... at least... i think so..."
"Oh thank goodness... I'm Lolo. A priestess... well... a priestess in training..."
Slowly, Klonoa started to regain consciousness as these words were echoing through his head... when he came to, he found himself floating in the dark void of nothingness, as a few faint white lights were bypassing him. All Klonoa could do was look around a bit, taking a deep breath, and then thought to himself...
Klonoa: This is all starting to feel too familiar...
Then Klonoa kept falling, as he finally reached what seemed like the surface of the sea above... But... halfway there, he stopping falling. Now he found himself in the middle of the sea, as he started to descend back down. Klonoa with a lot of concern, looked upwards and around himself.
Klonoa: W...What's going on? What is this?!
Klonoa then desperately tried to swim upward and even flap his ears, but... to no effect. No matter what, he just couldn't get up... Losing his breath more and more while struggling, he finally just stopped... and let his body fall back down below.
Klonoa: W-why now...? Why...?!
Klonoa, with his head turned to the ground as he was falling in the clear, dark blue waters, started to bypass the tall sandy rocks further down below... and even watches over the ruins of the submerged church below the sea further down below. He just started to tear up, as the tears falling from his eyes started to become one with the sea.
Klonoa: I... I can't do this anymore... I... I don't want to leave her out there, but i...!
Klonoa, starting to lose his consciousness a bit, saw someone sitting on the sandy floor below... Klonoa tried to look closer... as it was revealed to be... himself? Except his other self was a younger child with black pupils and wide yellow eyes, wearing a blue cap, red belt around his chest, red pants, yellow gloves and brown shoes.
Klonoa: ...Is that... me...?
The younger self was just staring out at the older true self, as he innocently kept smiling. Then he said right towards him...
"You finally made it... you followed your heart and have done what you truly wanted to."
The real Klonoa's eyes widened after hearing that, as the younger self stood up and then grinned a bit, finally saying...
"Now don't let all of that go here. She is waiting for you..."
The real Klonoa then felt energy arising in his heart, as with his last remaining strength, he quickly turns back around, and flaps his ears so hard while the gust enhances the force, that it sends him raising back upwards faster towards the surface of the sea. The younger self just watches him go off into the distance and waves...
Finally, Klonoa barely surfaces out of the and manages to tcatch up with his breath, as he sees the early morning sky in the distance, as well as the rocks along the Sea of Tears near the island further off in the distance. Klonoa then slowly just rolls back onto his back, and left his body drift with the water, as he slowly falls asleep from tiredness... meanwhile as his body starts to drift back towards the rocks, he just says to himself...
Klonoa: At least... At least i did it... I made it back to Lunatea...
The Sorrowful Prince
~ VISION 2-1: A Grand Entrance ~
On a pile of rocks near the Sea of Tears, there was a small dog creature with brown and light fur, long and slightly sharp claws on his hands and green and black eyes, wearing only a red bandana around his neck. He was holding a set of small pebbles, as he was stone-skipping. When one stone passes a few hundred meters, the dog creature just kneeled down and sighed.
Dog: Is this really what i'm doin' with my life after years of peace...? It's gone too quiet. None of those Moos are even fun to mess with anymore. I pray for somethin' a little more cool than this...
The dog creature then grabbed another pebble, as he just threw it across the water... but then in the distance, he heard that the pebble seemed to hit something. The dog seemed confused from this noise and looked further in the distance, as he slowly raised an ear out of confusion, stood up and then looked further up ahead... seeing that he hit the drifting and unconscious Klonoa in the head with the pebble.
Dog: Huh? Yo, hold on... is that the dream traveler fool?
As the dog creature got a more clear sight on Klonoa in the distance, he then saw two armadillo-like creatures with yellow spikes on their back, wearing a green military uniform and helmet, and carrying an automatic rifle. The armadillo-like creatures got close to the drifting Klonoa, as they checked up on his body for a pulse. The dog-like creature seemed confused, noticing that near the coast close to the main land, there were multiple other admadillo-like creatures holding automatic rifles, with a large military transport aircraft resting on the waters supported by two main floats near them.
Dog: Volkan soldiers? What're they doin' here?
Then after a while, one of the Volkan soldiers in the water turned back around towards the others near the coast and stuck out his hand, as he yelled back towards them...
"WE GOT THE LAST RECRUIT! ! WE'RE GOOD TO GO! ! !"
Dog: Last recruit? The heck's he talkin' abou-
Then the two Volkan soldiers grabbed a hold of Klonoa's body as they began to try and drag Klonoa towards the military transport aircraft. As they got back onto the land, the back hatch of the aircraft slowly opened up. The dog creature suddenly realised what was going on, and then started to get concerned...
Dog: Oh no... Ohhh nooo, goddess Claire, i didn't mean 'cool' like this! Don't make me haul all the way after 'em! !
The dog creature deeply sighed, as he squiched his two cheeks together using his hands.
Dog: Ngghhh... Lolo better thank me for doin' all this...
The dog creature then quickly jumped off the rock and started to use his long arms to try and quickly flutter all the way over to the military transport aircraft, as the other Volkan soldiers near the aircraft began to enter the plane from the open hatch. Then as they all got back in, the hatch slowly started to close again, as the dog creature then barely slips through the remaining space inbetween the aircraft and the closing door, as a second after that, it fully closes. The aircraft on the water then started its engines as the propellers began to spin really fast. Then the aircraft began to ride on the surface of the water up ahead, building up speed, until it was able to ascend and become airborne...
Very slowly, Klonoa regained consciousness and opened his eyes as he only heard the sounds of the aircraft's engine in the distance, while staring at the steel ceiling above him while lying down on the ground...
Klonoa: W...What...? Where am i now...?
Klonoa slowly got up from lying down, and looked in front of him, as it turned out the dog creature was awaiting for Klonoa to recover, now wearing a military helmet. Klonoa dropped a bit silent as he confusingly pointed at the dog creature, saying...
Klonoa: Wait, Popka? Is that you?
Popka then smirked right at Klonoa as he just crossed his arms behind his back.
Popka: Heh, took ya long enough to BOTH get back to here, and to get up. Lazy bastard!
Klonoa: Long enough? Wait, what do you mean-
Then Klonoa abruptly cut himself short mid-sentence, as he suddenly noticed how he was holding a wooden rifle in his hands, as well as a helmet on top of his cap... Klonoa immediately stood up out of shock.
Klonoa: W-what is all this?! And why are YOU wearing one of those head covering thingies?!
Popka: Yeah, uh... they been callin' me cannon fodder ever since i snuck on board of here, but i just couldn't leave ya to be dragged with these bozos. Didn't even gimme a cool gun like ya have right now...
Klonoa: 'Bozos'?
Popka then pointed at the other hundred or so lined up soldiers from different Lunatean species, but mostly Volkans, within the back of the aircraft that they found themselves in and with them all surrounding the two of them. Klonoa then overheard one of them nervously mumbling to another next to him.
Volkan Soldier 1: H-Hey... Uh... You ever jumped before?
Volkan Soldier 2: Nah... But i'm sure if i did, i would've already been shot.
Volkan Soldier 1: D-don't say that! I'm trying to convince myself that we are the invincible!
Volkan Soldier 2: ...Why would you lie to yourself about that? If it were me, i would say we are merely pawns in all of this. It hasn't ever been the same since our peace was broken...
Volkan Soldier 1: See, that attitude's gonna get you killed! Our city's ALWAYS been at war! My grandparents still remember! Don't try to question any of it! !
Then one Joilant resident who was wielding a rifle and a military helmet turned back towards the other two discussing Volkan soldiers.
Joilant Soldier: Endless war? What kind of nonsense is that? Just give peace a chance!
The two volkan soldiers then both turned back around toward the Joilant soldier, as they just looked disappointed at him.
Volkan Soldier 1: There is years of history with Volk, it's not as easy as that.
Volkan Soldier 2: Those damn new rookies, really dunno what they are even fighting for...
Klonoa then turned back towards Popka as he seemed a bit confused.
Klonoa: Volk? Wait, what are they talking about? I thought i was drifting within the waters of the Sea of Tears.
Popka: Well, when ya came in sight, these Volkan weirdos just grabbed ya body and shook 'em with this flyin' machine. Claiming ya were the 'last recruit' or somethin'
Klonoa: Last recruit? But why me?!
Popka: Look, i dunno why either mate! Prolly low on number o' people to fight and thought a random boy in the waters would do!
Klonoa: All of this just makes me so much more confused...
Then as the steel door next to the two of them widely was slammed open, a man stepped in... it seemed like a ominous, middle-aged Volkan soldier in an outfit and a campaign hat, who stood up completely straight and had his hands behind his back as he angrily glares over at all of them. All the other soldiers just turned quiet and stood up right towards the rear end of the plane... The Volkan soldier then walked past all of them, facing right towards them all, including Klonoa and Popka. He then directly looks right at them all, as he spoke up...
Volkan Soldier with hat: All of you worthless pieces of bricks, listen up! Stand up straight!
Within an instant, almost all of them immediately stood up perfectly straight from their already straight position, as Klonoa and Popka both seem genuinely confused on what the Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat even said.
Popka: Yo, what?!
Klonoa: W-Worthless pieces of-
As the Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat heard Klonoa and Popka talking in the distance but couldn't see who exactly was talking, he began to shout really loudly in anger while walking towards the back row.
Volkan Soldier with hat: Who was that...? WHO THE HELL WAS THAT?! I MAY NOT KNOW WHO IN THE DAMN HELL THAT WAS, BUT I-
In the middle of the shouting, Klonoa and Popka quickly dropped silent... The Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat then noticed how Klonoa and Popka seemed a bit nervous, as he slowly stepped up to them.
Volkan Soldier with hat: ...Well, well... look at what we have here... two outsiders, who dare to interrupt me during my speech... Weren't you...?
Klonoa then stared back at the Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat as for a while, as did he...
Klonoa: Okay, okay it was us! I'm sorry, we we do not even want to be a part of-
Then the Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat punches Klonoa in the stomach, as Klonoa drops down to his knees from the pain, trying to look back up towards him, while the Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat began pointing at him...
Volkan Soldier with hat: I hate it when you new kids like you dunno the rules... As long as you are under this metal roof, you will NOT speak! You will NOT interrupt! And will definitely OBEY EVERY WORD! Or else i will have your damn tongue ripped out and played with like a skipping rope! !
The Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat then walked up to Popka as he fiercely slapped him in the head, knocking him down onto the ground.
Volkan Soldier with hat: Same goes for you, digusting mutt... From here on, you two will only be allowed to speak when i'm done, ending your sentences with 'sir'! Do i make myself clear?!
Klonoa then quickly stood back up, glared on over to how the soldiers in front of him were holding their rifle, and then held his own in a similar position as he loudly shouted...
Klonoa: Sir, yes sir! !
The Volkan Soldier with the campaign hat began to slowly walk back up to the front after quietly staring him down for a bit, as he then cleared his throat as he began to speak up again while walking up to the front. Meanwhile Klonoa and Popka just barely grasped their minds on what just happened, with Popka still getting back on his own feet.
Sgt Manneheim: To those without any wax in their sewer-filled earholes, the same goes for all of you too! My name is Sergeant Manneheim, your temporary drill instructor! Nobody is allowed to interrupt my word unless i ask you to. Do i make myself clear?
Sergeant Manneheim then reaches the front lines and began to stand in front of everyone again, as they then shouted simultaneously while Klonoa and Popka still seemed a bit oddly confused at each other...
"Sir, yes sir! !"
Sgt Manneheim: Bullcrap! I ain't hearing any of you! Speak up! !
"SIR YES SIR! ! ! !"
Sgt Manneheim: All of you who are here to stand your ground and die for Volk, you are nothing but worthless beings in the eyes of Goddess Claire! Every last one of you! Even if the damn Dream Traveler himself was here and ready to fight with us! Do i make myself clear?!
"SIR YES SIR! !"
Meanwhile one of the Volkan Soldiers began to tremble a bit... as Sergeant Manneheim just confusingly looked at him and angrily yelled.
Volkan Soldier: Worthless... Worthless...
Sgt Manneheim: And what in tarnation are you doing, you pile of worthless shit?!
Volkan Soldier: M-Months of training under hell... Worthless... Worthless..! I am worthless! !
The Volkan Soldier then began to maniacally laugh as he loaded a clip into his rifle, and then pointed the barrel of the gun towards Sergeant Manneheim first, but then quickly aims it into his mouth instead and pulled the trigger... committing suicide by shooting himself in the mouth, as his corpse quickly drops to the ground. Klonoa and Popka only having heard the gunshot from afar and not seeing what happened, covered their ears from the loud noise. Meanwhile the other soldiers around the front lines seemed utterly shocked while a few were unfazed by this event. Sergeant Manneheim just stared at the corpse as he kneels down to the head of the corpse.
Sgt Manneheim: What is your problem, you absolute numbbrain?! Whoever said you could take the easy way out?! You are worse than a worthless being, you goddamn gutless sissy birth defect who couldn't even die with honor! ! !
Klonoa then tries to quietly whisper to Popka as they heard the commotion in the background.
Klonoa: I... I really wish we weren't here right now...
Popka: Ditto. This is too crazy. I dunno what even happened...
Sergeant Manneheim then turned his head back to everyone as he started to speak up again.
Sgt Manneheim: Alright, for all you ACTUAL fighters who try to prove you have balls, listen up! In a minute, y'all going to jump out from behind here when the rear ramp opens! Ya got parachutes on your backs. Be shot from artillery or make it to the ground and then get shot, i don't care! Just take out at least one soldier of the opposing side and that'll be enough! If you can't even do that then i will climb up to the afterlife and rip up a new one with my own arms! Any pointless questions?!
Then one soldier who seemed to be from Mira-Mira raised his hand, and just started speaking without even having permission from Sergeant Manneheim.
Mira-Miran Soldier: But sergeant... all of Volkan's soldiers at war with each other look the exact same. They're all wearing green-
Then Sergeant Manneheim walked up to the Mira-Miran soldier and slapped him in the face as he started yelling.
Sgt Manneheim: What, you think you're some sort of comedian?! Everyone here knows that the opposing side wears lighter green! Goodness gracious not even a bucket can't fill the bullshit you're giving me! !
Afterwards Sergeant Manneheim walked back as the back hatch started to open up, with him facing back towards everyone once more...
Sgt Manneheim: Soldiers, scream with a war face and get outta my sight!
The back hatch then stopped, as it fully opened up...
Sgt Manneheim: And don't even dare to turn back, i'll push you off into Volk myself! Scream like your life depended on it! !
Sergeant Manneheim then began to scream at them while pulling off an angry war face at all other soldiers, as they began to also scream while putting on their best war face while running and jumping off of the back hatch's ramp one by one...
Sgt Manneheim: AAAAAHHHH! ! !
"AAAAHHHHHHHH! ! ! ! ! ! !"
After a while, most have jumped out, with only a few more soldiers remaining within the aircraft, including Klonoa and Popka... As they began to walk up to the open hatch, they noticed the corpse of the Volkan Soldier who shot himself, just lying there on the ground and looked at it in disgust.
Klonoa: So that's what that noise was? Geez, i don't feel good about any of this...
Popka then turned back towards Klonoa.
Popka: Me neither, but we gotta haul our butts outta this thing!
Klonoa: R...Right...
The two of them then ran up towards the near end of the ramp, as they could hear the distant explosions and gunfire from afar... but as they got close to the end, they stopped and looked down just at the edge...
Klonoa: Whoa, what the-?!
As they were far above the clouds, they saw the giant hexagonal shape below them from the ground thousands of meters below them, which is the entire kingdom of Volk... With dusts of smoke arising and flashes of gunfire sparking, even being able to be seen from this height. And in the far distance, they saw the morning sun starting to come up brightly as the skies were shifting from orange to blue. They could even see the tall and snowy mountains from Mira-Mira way out in the distance from this height. Klonoa seemed nervous, as Popka just gulped.
Klonoa: I can see Mira-Mira all the way from here...
Popka: Ya gotta be kiddin' me. I really have to put up with all these nonsense mornin' routine thrills when stickin' around you?!
Klonoa: Okay, why are you blaming me for this Popka?
Popka: 'Cuz it always becomes like this with ya!
Klonoa: Hey... maybe it could have been prevented if you just grabbed me out of the water before they got to it? Just saying.
Popka: Well it's too late for that now, ain't it fool?!
Klonoa: You're telling me it- IS?!
Sgt Manneheim: Move it, lazy kid! !
Then as Sergeant Manneheim walked up to the two of them in the middle of their conversation, he forcefully pushed Klonoa off of the aircraft from the back. Klonoa began to fall down as he screamed... Sergeant Manneheim then stuck out his hand, as Popka waved at him.
Popka: Right, right, i heard 'ya... No need to be pushin' me...
Popka then casually took two steps, and leaps off of the ramp with a jump, following after Klonoa in their fall...
As both Klonoa and Popka began falling closer towards the kingdom of Volk below, they began to bypass multiple falling Volkan Soldiers. Meanwhile, as they got close to a group of them, one was screaming out of excitement.
Volkan Soldier: I AM INVINCIBLE! THE UNTOUCHABLE! ! HAHAHAHAHA, WHOOOOOOOO-
Then an artillery bullet at high speeds tears through the Volkan Soldier close to them, which sent his body flying back up a bit from the impact, as well as a few other soldiers being shot in mid-air in the distance. Klonoa seemed shocked, as were the other soldiers next to him who were still alive.
Klonoa: Oh my goddess! What the heck was that?!
Popka: They're firin' from the ground! Stop complainin' bout the casualties and just go! Or we'll be piled up with 'em! !
Klonoa: I'M the one who is complaining?!
Then a missile directed at Klonoa came flying at him, as he manages to barely dodge it by manouvering out of the way by doing a roll mid-air.
Klonoa: Whoa! ! !
Popka: Ohhh geez... This is gonna be it for us, ain't it? Even if we DO make it we'll be gunned down for sure!
Klonoa: Okay, look, i survived a fall this high before with nothing but my ears, so... we should probably make a quick dive for it and get to safety!
Popka: Hold on, what?! Your ears?! I mean i agree with stayin' safe but what're you even-
Klonoa: No time to explain! We need to make it to Volk now! Hold on tight Popka! !
Popka: Whoawhoawhoawhoa- KLONOA? ! ? !
Klonoa then quickly grabbed a hold of Popka with both arms during their fall, and started to nosedive further down below towards Volk, bypassing the circled group of Volkan Soldiers below, with Popka getting more and more scared... Eventually another artillery shot gets fired at Klonoa, while he just does a midair front flip to dodge the bullet while holding Popka in his arms.
Popka: D-Don't be so reckless ya dummy! ! WATCH IT! ! ! !
After a while they finally get closer to the kingdom of Volk, with a few hundred meters left before landing around the south-center of Volk City. They saw the worn down brick houses close to them, as well as the large main street below that they were gonna land in.
Popka: Now's a good time to open ya 'chute!
Klonoa: That will only take more time for us to safely get to the ground than needed. I'll make a quick landing onto the ground!
Popka: Onto... Onto the ground?! You'll die from the fall! !
Klonoa then smiled a bit towards himself, as they were less than a few hundred meters above the ground, saying...
Klonoa: No, we won't.
Then as they got close, Klonoa stylishly flipped back around onto his feet, stuck out his large ears and flapped them as hard as he could to quickly ascend himself a bit, with less than ten meters left below them... Klonoa safely falls back onto the main street with his two feet and lands onto the ground... Popka wiped the sweat off of his head, as Klonoa then puts him back down onto the ground.
Popka: Whew... That was close...
Klonoa: See, i told you we would make it safely to the ground.
Popka then internally had to think a bit to himself before he quickly turned back to Klonoa from astonishment.
Popka: Wait hol' on, ya tellin' me you can now FLY with those ears? Since when?! And why didn't ya just fly us away from this craphole?!
Klonoa: Well... i learnt it recently. And it's not really 'flying', it's more like a hard flap.
Popka: Oh, goodie...
Then as a bullet shot barely misses Klonoa and hits the ground, Klonoa and Popka immediately got on edge and look around, trying to see where the shot came from in the mostly empty street.
Klonoa: W-who was that?!
Popka: Damn sniper! WHERE ARE YOU?!
As they couldn't find who tried to shoot them, Klonoa then spotted an alleyway to the left of them and quickly turned back to Popka.
Klonoa: Let's not chitchat here, let's hide in that alleyway!
Popka: Right! We gotta hurry!
Klonoa and Popka both then began to run into the dark alleyway to the left of them, bypassing the corner of the alleyway at the end...