The Sorrowful Prince
~ VISION 2-3: A Grown Priestess ~
The locomotive train was riding towards the east of Volk, as the cloudy skies were lingering over Volk City. Meanwhile within one of the middle train cabinets, there were multiple carriages with two sofas in each of them, as Klonoa and Popka sat in one of them on the opposite sides of each other, with the door closed to the carriage, as well as the window on the opposite side. Both Klonoa and Popka just stared out of the window during the ride, looking down at Volk City below... The sounds of the war happening further up down in the center and the south were more faint from here... Eventually Popka just deeply sighed, with Klonoa raising an eyebrow.
Klonoa: Hm? What is it, Popka?
Popka gulped a bit, as he started to fiddle around with his thumbs while trying to slowly look directly towards Klonoa.
Popka: Y'know... I can't believe i oughta say it to someone personal like ya, Klonoa, but... thanks for savin' my butt out there from that tank. And... the skydivin'... And the streets... and-
Klonoa: Wait, hold on, is there something i missed? Usually you would call me out for the recklessness of pulling off certain actions.
Popka's face then turned red out of embarrassment as he just loudly started to shout with a bit of an angry tone while looking away.
Popka: D-Don't make it harder for me, dude! I ain't wanna owe you anythin' more than i already do as a friend! Havin' tried to save ya butt but then havin' mine to be saved by you from literal death to my face!
Klonoa: You... You actually see me as a friend? Even after everything?
Popka: Nnngh... It's just embarrasin' when i owe a lot to 'ya...
As Popka still seemed a bit embarrassed, Klonoa slowly raised his hand and just gently patted Popka on the head. It seemed to calm him a bit down, although genuinely confused by his reaction from it, while Klonoa just gently smiled at him.
Klonoa: Popka... as friends, helping each other out is what we do. Nothing you owe me for. Even if you may be more talk than action compared to the others, i don't mind to help out someone i personally care for.
Popka then slowly started to smile up... but then eventually broke a bit and raised a bit of a confused eyebrow.
Popka: Ayyy, hol' on, what's that supposed to mean wit' more talk than action'?!
Klonoa then chuckled, as the locomotive train they were on was now getting close to the border walls east of Volk, as the locomotive train goes through the tunnel made within the wall laid out for the train tracks. While the train was going through the dark tunnel, their carriage was lighted up by the lantern hanging above them. Suddenly Klonoa thought back to the Air Board that was still in his Wind Ring, as he detached the Wind Ring from his belt.
Klonoa: Popka, i... i have been meaning to ask you about something for when i would finally come back here.
Popka: Whaddya mean?
Klonoa then pointed his Wind Ring at Popka with the green crystal directly at him.
Klonoa: Could you grab an item that is stuck in the Wind Ring for me?
Popka: Grab the item?
Klonoa: Yeah, you often jumped in and out of the Wind Ring before, right? I want you to see it for yourself... It has something to do with the last time i was here.
Popka: Umm... I dunno, i said i ain't tried it in a while, but... sure...?
Popka just shrugs it off and tries to jump into the Wind Ring, but fails... Harshly faceplanting against the other side of the sofa that Klonoa was sitting on, right next to him. Klonoa seemed really confused and a bit worried.
Popka: Aiye! ! Owowow...
Klonoa: A-are you okay Popka?! What was that?
Popka then quickly tries to get back up and turns back towards Klonoa, a bit annoyed from it.
Popka: Don't ask me, mos def forgot how to do it! I ain't a priestess, y'know?!
Klonoa then slowly attaches his Wind Ring back onto his belt.
Klonoa: Oh... Sorry for asking then. I'll just hold off on it for now and ask you later.
Popka then begins to sit back on the other sofa in their carriage again.
Popka: ...Okay, now that kinda worries me...
Eventually the locomotive train crosses the border by making it out of the other end of the tunnel that lied within the border walls. From there, the locomotive just kept on following the road to the east with a stone bridge that kept the train tracks up. It was now in the middle of the afternoon, as the vaguely cloudy but also sunny sky came shining out of the window, with Klonoa being rather amazed at the view from here and looking out of the window a bit before turning back to Popka.
Klonoa: Wow... It's beautiful to see the land from here...! Since when did this become a thing? I do not remember that these trains left Volk before.
Popka: Sometime after you left they been buildin' these railroads. I dunno for how long but at least there's three stations it makes a run to now.
Klonoa: Three stations?
Popka: Yeah, uh... If i remember right, it's Volk, Center Plains, and Joilant.
Klonoa: Wait, this train does not go to La-Lakoosha?
As Popka heard that question from Klonoa, Popka slams himself in the back of the head a bit.
Popka: Man, i knew i forgot somethin' of my plan!
Klonoa just shrugs a bit at hearing this from Popka, and then turns back to him.
Klonoa: It's okay. We will just stop at the nearest station and quickly make our way over there on foot... I'll even carry you if needed.
Then after they kept heading east for a while, they heard footsteps down the hall of their cart, as someone walked up to their carriage... A volkan man in a formal blue suit, black shoes, white gloves and a blue and golden cap that said 'CONDUCTOR'. As Klonoa and Popka saw this volkan man, Klonoa seemed confused as Popka quickly gasped and got on edge, reaching with his hand for the window and opening the sash by sliding it upwards a bit...
Popka: Ah, shoot...!
Klonoa: Huh? Who is that? Someone you have trouble with?!
Popka: No, no, just the conductor. But we ain't been payin' for ridin' tickets... Which'll surely get 'em on their nerves! We gotta get outta here!
Klonoa: So you need to pay for a ticket to ride the train...? Hehe, no worries, no worries. We can just pay him on the spot for the ride.
Popka: Huh? You got enuff money for that? I thought you were just a hobo travelin' though other worlds!
Klonoa: Wait, what-
Then the conductor reached for the door and easily slided it open, as he then faced right for both Klonoa and Popka in front of him, holding his hand out towards them... Klonoa and Popka immediately focussed their attention towards him.
Conductor: Sir, your tickets please?
Popka still stood right by the open window, with Klonoa sitting down... Klonoa then just smiled a bit as he reaches for the pouch in his back pocket, and pulled out one Dream Stone out of it.
Klonoa: Sorry mister conductor, i'm not used to this whole train travel system yet... Can one of these suffice, or more?
The conductor just deeply glared over at the Dream Stone and then just sighs.
Conductor: Sir... it is within our policy that only an official ticket bought at the station suffices. Otherwise, you are illegally evading fares.
Klonoa: W-what? What does that mean, 'evading fares'?!
The conductor then almost seemed to be bursting with fire in his eyes, as the rest of his face kept his more relaxed but seriousness posture, as he said with a deep voice...
Conductor: Something i deeply despise about youth such as you... Thinking you can just hop from anywhere to anywhere...
Klonoa just looked back to Popka with his head...
Klonoa: ...You know what Popka, you were right. LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! ! ! !
As Klonoa yelled out of fear, he then then swiftly ran for the window and then jumped out with a dive, to both Popka's and the conductor's surprise. They looked back towards each other for a short bit, with Popka nervously shrugging.
Popka: Heh, he quickly adjusts to the idea of it.
Popka then also swiftly jumps out of the window as the conductor tries to grab a hold of him just before he jumps, but is too late... All he could do is look back behind the train when Klonoa and Popka fell out, as he yelled from the window.
Conductor: Hey-?! You brutes are not going to get anywhere in life without following the law! ! !
Meanwhile Klonoa roughly falls onto the grass fields right next to them, as was Popka, while they kept sliding further ahead for a bit due to the momentum they were carrying from riding the train. Then as they stopped, they slowly stood back up from sliding over the grass and looked off towards the rail tracks in the distance, seeing the locomotive train following the long turn to the right of the track, leading up to the south from the plains.
Popka: Pfft, yeah, right. Like i ain't been livin' off of life like this forever.
Klonoa: ...Magya... I tried to offer him my money too, but he just wouldn't accept it... How dare he call us that?!
Popka: Ya tell me. Where exactly are we anyway?
Then Klonoa and Popka looked off further to the northeast and saw a river that lead to a large lake with a small island on top of it, where a large tree rested. As Klonoa saw the tree in the distance, he thought a bit to himself before finally saying...
Klonoa: Wait... Is that Baguji's Island?
Popka: Oh hey, yer right. Wow, way closer to Claire Moa from here than if we been stoppin' at the station.
Klonoa: Well, that's a good thing for us. Let's hurry towards La-Lakoosha!
Popka: Aye! !
But just before they began to run, Popka turned his head towards Klonoa and smirked.
Popka: Say... Didn't 'ya tell me ya gonna carry me if needed?
Klonoa then gave Popka a light smack to the head, as he began to run further up the dirt path close to them, as he yelled.
Klonoa: If i NEED to. You seem perfectly fine! Do not be lazy and move it!
Popka: Heh, tell me who's the lazy one who slept on a lousy plane, fool!
Popka then laughed a bit, soon following Klonoa afterwards. The two started to run off across the large grassy plains, following the dirt path that lead up further north towards La-Lakoosha...
Quite a bit of time passes, as it was now in the middle of the evening... Klonoa and Popka just made it to the main town of La-Lakoosha. Around them in the mountainside landscapes, there were multiple tall houses made out of stucco and with different colored roof tiles. Meanwhile as Klonoa and Popka were making their way upward, multiple monkey creatures with large ears and furred tails were going through their usual way of life. Some cleaned their roofs, some were out relaxing outside, and some just pass by through. Meanwhile the trees leaves have turned mostly brown as they fall off of the trees and blow with the wind, with some leaves even passing the two of them by. Klonoa seemed rather amazed.
Klonoa: Whoa... what are those brown leaves...?
Popka: ...Ya' kiddin' me, right? Never seen fall before?
Klonoa: Wait, fall? Fall from what?
Popka: ...Nevermind.
Then further up across the road, Klonoa accidentally bumps into a La-Lakooshan man in a suit while running, causing him to nearly fall over. Klonoa quickly turned back his head as the La-Lakooshan in the suit just yelled at the two of them.
La-Lakooshan: Hey, watch it buddy!
Klonoa, as he was still running with Popka, waved in apology right at the La-Lakooshan man in the suit.
Klonoa: S-sorry, i'm in a hurry! !
Then as they were still following the road upwards the mountains and bypassed the waterfall that lead to the cave further up to the north, Klonoa looks back down onto the town of La-Lakoosha below in the distance.
Klonoa: It's good to see all the poison has been cleared out, at least.
Popka: No kiddin'. That stench still bothered me for months since ya been gone...
Klonoa: I thought the poison didn't affect you, if i remember correct?
Popka: Yeah, ain't been affectin' me. But it still smells, ya know?
Then Klonoa and Popka ran into the first cave and made their way throughout the dimly lit and mushroom-filled cave by following the route further up ahead to the other end. As they were following the path, Klonoa turned his head towards Popka.
Klonoa: Hey, uh... Mind if i ask what exactly has going on with Lolo, just so i know what has been going on?
Popka: Well, uh... After 'ya left, she walks up to the Claire Moa Plaza by herself randomly and just silently says 'yer name... She sometimes just turnt quiet for the entire day, lockin' herself in her room, and i even hear her scream in the night...
Klonoa: Huh?
Popka: Yeah, i figured she'd be at Claire Moa becuz of it. She ain't been ever like this before from my view, ya know? I'm worried she may just break.
Klonoa seemed a bit confused, but then a slight tear dropped from his eyes, as he quickly wiped it away before turning back to Popka with a really determined face.
Klonoa: Ngh... That doesn't sound good at all... I should get to her before it's too late! !
Popka: Amen to that!
Klonoa and Popka then began to quickly sprint as they made it to the other end of the cave...
As they made it back outside, they quickly ended up on a bridge connected to the cliffside that lead downwards and across the lake, while they could see the Claire Moa Temple in the distance on the side of the mountain further up ahead. As they were crossing the bridge, Klonoa confusingly looked around, noticing how silent the lake was.
Klonoa: What happened to those giant shark monsters?
Popka: Shark monsters? Oh, right the fat shark monsters! Honestly i dunno... But i'm glad those bastards stayed outta our territory!
Then as they reached the other end they approached the entrance to another dimly lit mushroom cave that leads up further north towards the Claire Moa Temple. As they entered the cave and quickly followed the route further up ahead, eventually a giant yellow skinned eel-like creature with blue eyes and green spots comes out of the hole in the wall next to them and tries to devour the two of them, with Popka squealing out of shock and Klonoa shouting...
Popka: A-Aiye?!
Klonoa: Whoa! !
Meanwhile Klonoa out of reflex, quickly grabs a hold of Popka and flinches the two of them forward and out of reach from the eel monster, further sliding across the stone path and coming to a stop from running... Klonoa puts Popka back down as the two of them sighed.
Klonoa: Man... I nearly forgot about those things...
Popka: M-Me too... Freaky beasts, this is why i always keep my distance from these caves!
Klonoa and Popka then started to run up to the top of the cave by following the path until they finally came out the other end...
As they got out, sun had started to set a bit more, as the orange evening sky began to rise. The two now found themselves up on a bridge next to the side of the mountain, where there resided a enormous stone statue on the edge of the mountain close to the bridge. The statue consisted of a long-eared girl wearing a hood and robes with large spread-out goddess wings behind her, while she was holding up what seemed to be a broken, small orb, trying to mould it. As Klonoa and Popka make it halfway across the bridge, Klonoa slowly stops for a moment, and stared at it.
Klonoa: Goddess Claire...
Popka: Hm? What 'bout this fairy-tale figure?
Klonoa began to deeply breathe in, sighed, and then kneeled down to the statue in front of them.
Klonoa: If you're out there, Goddess Claire... Please give me your blessings. Make some of the things in my life go right, for once... Just this once, please...
Klonoa slowly as stood back up, and the two of them eventually began running further up to the top of the bridge as Popka turned back around to Klonoa in confusement.
Popka: What's all that for?
Klonoa: I'm just trying to wish for the best... If anyone could hear me out there, it would be her.
Popka then scratching his head from those words, while they kept on running, and mumbled to himself a bit.
Popka: ...Just as weird as Lolo, geez...
Klonoa and Popka eventually reached the other end of the bridge, as they made their way over to another entrance to the last dimly lit mushroom cave in their path. Following the road up ahead, Klonoa and Popka finally reached the end of the cave systems and saw the brick stairs that lead back outside towards the Claire Moa Temple and the plaza...
They stopped near the steps, and caught up with their breaths for a bit. Klonoa then unwillingly thinks back to his nightmare of how Lolo grown hateful to the entire world around her, while the words echo through his head, saying...
"I could not care anymore about you, or Lunatea."
Klonoa then tried to shake out these thoughts and deeply breathed in and out, as he turned his head back to Popka.
Klonoa: Popka, please stay here, okay? I will try to talk to her alone...
Popka: Mm, ain't tryna ruin this for 'ya...
Klonoa carefully takes one step up the stairs, and then another, as he began to climb the stairs that lead towards where the light came from...
When he reached the outside of the cave, he made it... He found himself south within the circular plaza close to the Claire Moa Temple. The orange evening sky was brightly shining, as the brown-leaved trees around them blew with the wind. Klonoa looked a bit around in confusement, as he noticed the plaza was mostly empty.
Klonoa: Where could she be...?
Then Klonoa saw it... On the opposite side of the empty plaza from where he stood, there was a teenage La-Lakooshan girl watching over the edge of the plaza looking into the northern mountains in the distance. She was wearing a pink hat with a green feather attached to it, a large, long-sleeved pink robe, black leggings and brown shoes. She also had really long ginger hair... As Klonoa saw this, he briefly gained a short vision back on his nightmare, and seeing that frail and pale-skinned Lolo, while her words echoed through through his head once more...
"I will never, ever forgive you for abandoning me..."
Klonoa then snapped back to reality, seeing the real La-Lakooshan girl in front of her, as he nervously pinched himself for a moment... softly saying the following to himself.
Klonoa: ...I need to open up to my mistake. My friends helped me to get here, just for this moment.
Klonoa then began to walk closer to the teenage girl in the robe, as he carefully toucher her on the shoulder.
Klonoa: L...Lolo?
Then the girl smoothly turned around... Within a moment, Klonoa immediately recognised her right from the front. Those exact blue eyes, and that green crystalled brooch with wings... Although she seemed a bit confused. Klonoa and the girl stared each other down for a while, as a few brown leaves passed the two of them by with the wind. Klonoa seemed speechless.
Klonoa: No... That can't be...
Eventually the girl closed her faintly open mouth, and then gently smiled right at Klonoa, saying the following...
Lolo: ...Welcome back, Klonoa.
Klonoa began to smile out of relief, as a lot of tears began rolling down Klonoa's face while still smiling... He then ran up to Lolo and tightly glomped her in a hug, even to her own surprise.
Klonoa: Lolo! ! ! Oh thank goodness... You're alright...! !
Hearing this all coming from Klonoa, Lolo got a bit flustered.
Lolo: I...I'm alright...? What about you? I am surprised to see you are still alive after all this time... Why are you so worried over me?
Klonoa: I couldn't help but think, the worst thing would happen once i went away. You still seemed so sad, and worried... I thought you would give up on priestesshood entirely, or... die... Even when i came back, i heard you were completely out of it!
Lolo: O-Out of it? Who told you that?
Lolo then looked off further across the square during their hug, as he saw Popka standing in the distance looming over from the entrance to the plaza, while he just nervously smiled and then quickly hid behind one of the corner walls near the entrance. Lolo seemed a bit annoyed at him.
Lolo: Oooohhh, that Popka... I tried to tell him it wasn't anything to worry about!
Lolo just gently shrugged off her annoyance at Popka and then looked back at Klonoa, as Klonoa released her from their hug and looks right at her with his arms on her shoulders.
Klonoa: R-Regardless, i am so glad to see you're okay. I really missed you after last year...
Lolo: Actually, it has been three years since we last met...
Klonoa: Oh... Really...? My goodness, i really am oblivious...
Klonoa seemed a bit overwhelmed to hear that, but then tightly embraced Lolo once more, as he closes his eyes while more tears began to roll from his face.
Klonoa: Lolo, i... i am so sorry for not being able to return to you earlier...!
Lolo: That's okay...
Lolo then eventually just closes her eyes and also fully embraces their hug while gently smiling and stroking his ears a bit, while she shed out one singular tear herself.
Lolo: I missed you too, Klonoa...
As the two of them slowly released each other from their hug with Klonoa wiping away his own tears, Popka walked up to the two of them at the plaza.
Popka: So... I take it 'ya two are all buddy-buddy again now?
Klonoa then raised an eyebrow at Popka, while Lolo also seemed a bit confused.
Klonoa: We never weren't though. I am not sure what you meant with me having 'done a number on her'...
Lolo then quickly seemed to get embarrassed and her face started to turn red. She then turned her head towards Popka while she began to raise her voice a bit at him.
Lolo: P-Popka, how could you?! Don't tell others a lie like that! !
Popka shrieked a tiny bit as he quickly began to hide behind Klonoa's leg while staring at the embarrassed Lolo.
Popka: Exactly this! Ya been reactin' harsh! Also ya really seemed to be outta it when watchin' over that sunset like jus' now! I thought you hated 'em!
Lolo: I-I just missed a good friend! T-That's not so weird, right?! Besides, what is harsh about my reaction?
Klonoa: Nothing seems wrong or weird to me, at least.
Popka: Pfft, of course it ain't to you, fool. But anyway, i wouldn't know how it felt, fell asleep durin' the whole 'gudbye' thing an' all. Just takin' things for granted...
Lolo then suddenly realised something, quickly snapped back to it and shook off her embarrassment as he turned her head towards Klonoa with a more serious but also worried look.
Lolo: Oh, right! Klonoa, something has been bothering the High Priestess! And i tried to figure out what, but i just cannot get any answers from her. On top of that, Sorrow's been missing!
Klonoa: Wait, what-
Lolo then grabs a hold of Klonoa's arm as she began to walk up further onto the path that leads towards the Claire Moa Temple from the plaza while having a hold of him by the arm, bypasssing the brown-leaved arches that lead to the tall temple with the stained glass.
Lolo: No time to explain. With you here, maybe we can finally make her confess the truth and help out!
Klonoa: W-whoa, wait, the High Priestess? Sorrow?!
Popka watches the two of them walk off, as he eventually just shrugs to himself and also began to run after the two of them heading for the Claire Moa Temple...