A Dreamy Visit (Klonoa)

Three months later…

…Body…light…

…Vision…clouded…again…

…Can't…feel…ground…

…Wh…what's going on…?

…I remember I… I was so exhausted after the festival… it must've been midnight when I… I flopped into bed, then…

I rubbed my eyes, forcing my vision to clear up. I found myself hovering above Earth's atmosphere, staring down at the planet below. If I had to guess, I'd say I was just as high up as I was during my spacewalk with Guntz.

Since it was still night, I couldn't make out any coastlines or other natural features like last time, though I could see small patches of light illuminating Volk's factories, and the Sky Temple's pointed rooftops…

Wait… how did I get up here, anyway? …I wonder…

I tried inhaling – my lungs filled yet again with what I could only hope was air.

Good, I can still breathe… but how…?

…I'm dreaming again, aren't I? Though… this doesn't feel like my other dreams…

I mean, I remember falling asleep, and it's… it's pretty obvious how it started… like when I dreamed that I died in Lolo's pla-

Realizing what dream I'm referring to, I started grinning…

…She's trying to reach out to me again, isn't she?

…Did it work, though? She did say it took Mari two years before-

"K-Klonoa…?"

That voice… behind me…?

"Lolo?" I asked, trying to turn and see who it was. It was a bit awkward, since there wasn't any solid ground for me to pivot on. Instead, I ended up using my hands to push against the air (at least, I think it was air) around me, as though I were swimming.

Sure enough, it was Lolo, the moon shining brightly behind her. She grinned slightly, a few tears trickling down her cheeks.

Neither of us said another word – we just floated closer together, embracing each other tightly for a few minutes. I could feel my grin widening, tears streaming down my face.

"Great to see you again, Lolo…" I eventually whimpered.

"Same here." she whimpered back. "Told 'ya I'd be able to visit you sooner."

"I know, b-but I… I didn't think it'd be this soon…"

"Me either… guess Mari's a better instructor than she thought."

"Fair enough…" I chuckled slightly, my tone letting up a bit. "Did she… did she tell you we had to do it out here, though?"

"Pretty much…" We pulled out of our embrace, looking down at the planet Earth. "Though you have to admit, that view hasn't gotten old yet."

"Agreed…" I sighed. "Guntz did say it looked heavenly up here…"

Lolo chuckled slightly. "Say, um… speaking of Guntz… what's he been up to? I know Pango told Mari he and his dad left shortly after they… they brought you back home… something about going on a few gigs together…"

"Right. They're still coming by about once a month, though, making sure I'm still alright… plus, I have his radio if I need anything before then…"

She sighed in relief. "Glad to hear he's still looking out for you…"

"Thanks… in fact, I managed to get him and Butz to stay a bit longer this month… even convinced them to take part in the summer festival…"

"I see… Pango did say they set up a firing range near Bell Hill… for the festival, I'm guessing?"

I nodded. "They've provided firearm demonstrations to anyone who was interested – even Chipple and your parents got in on the action…"

Lolo shot me a startled look. "Wait… what?"

"I know, right? I'm surprised Chipple could even pull the trigger with his boxing gloves on-"

"N-no," she stammered, "that's n-not what I… erm, I just meant I… didn't think my parents would be into that, that's all…"

"Oh…" I muttered. "They seemed to be naturals at it, though…"

I cleared my throat. "E-either way, d-did Pango say what he did for the-"

She nodded, regaining her composure. "He said the two of you were… were gonna help anyone who wanted to design part of the evening fireworks show… beautiful job on that, by the way…"

"Thanks – with his help, I think I was able to honor about half of everyone's reque-"

I stopped myself, realizing what she just said. "Wait… so you saw our work after all?"

She nodded again, grinning. "It looked kinda small from up here, though; I needed to borrow Mari's binoculars to make everything out…"

"Ah, erm… sorry about that…"

"I-it's fine, it was… it was all still great nonetheless…"

I chuckled a little. "Great to hear…"

"Thanks…" She sighed. "So, erm… did you design an effect for yourself, by any chance?"

"Of course. I wanted to design something in your memory… hopefully let you know we were still thinking about you…"

My expression fell. "Unfortunately, it… it didn't end up being much; it… pretty much consisted of a giant Lunatean crest that twinkled slightly…"

"Oh… so that one was yours…"

I nodded weakly. "I was… kinda hoping I could do something more, but I… I couldn't really think of how to make-"

Before I could finish, she pulled me back towards her, embracing me tightly once again. "Hey, I said it was still great, didn't I?" she snarked.

Though startled, I hugged her back. "T-thanks…" I muttered.

"Any time. Plus, the text at the end was a pretty nice touch…"

"Text?"

"Yeah – that was also you, right? Those white block letters that said 'Thank you, Lolo!'?"

"Ah, s-sorta…" I hesitated. "I did make that part, but it… it was actually your mom's idea – she wanted to make sure we… we didn't forget what you did for us…"

I sighed pensively. "It was our first festival without you, after all…"

"I see…" She sighed likewise. "Good to hear you're not the only one who thought that… especially after your eulogy…"

"Same…"

Right; it'd be a shame if everyone forgot how she saved them…

…Wait…my eulogy…no, after…!

"Oh! T-that reminds me," I stammered, pulling out of our embrace, "d-did you ever find what I… what I left for you b-before we…"

"Y-yeah…" she said, reaching into her pockets. "Apparently, they were in my desk drawer this whole time…"

Out of her left pocket, she pulled out a small, pink flower bloom – the Radiant Flower.

"Oh," I noted, "actually, that was Pango's offe-"

"I know." she cut in, slipping the flower behind her brooch. "Mari said he thought I could use some good luck up here…"

Her expression fell slightly. "So, I… guess you left this, then?"

Out of her right pocket, she pulled out a small, eight-pointed medal – my hero medal. Even against the moonlight, it seemed to shine as bright as the stars in the distance.

"Yup." I answered, my expression falling likewise.

"B-but… how come?" she asked.

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, though my expression was still low. "You know, Butz asked that same thing on our way home…"

I told her the same thing I told Butz: not only did I want to honor what she did to save us, but with how she's helped Breezegale her whole life, even before she drove back Nahatomb, she deserved the medal more than I did… as she embodied more of a heroic drive than I ever could…

"Y-you really think that?"

"Of course." I insisted. "Apparently, so did my medal… I mean, it only managed to turn gold, the second highest rank, before we fought Nahatomb… and it stayed that way after we won…"

I hesitated. "…It only became a Star Medal after… after I gave it to you…"

"Gotcha…" she muttered, pinning the medal to her dress. "Still, you must've been doing something right if you reached gold that fast…"

"Like saving Guntz's life…"

She shot me a puzzled look. "Wait… when did you…?"

I shot her a similar look. "You mean Mari didn't tell you?"

She shook her head no. In response, I told her what happened before Guntz, Pango and I entered the Lunar Base the first time… how after our fight with Janga, he managed to convince Guntz to let him live, as that's what Butz would've wanted… how shortly afterward, I saw Janga lunging toward Guntz from behind, claws ready to strike, only having a split second to shove him down and take the blow myself, causing Guntz to kill the cat in retaliation… how I lost consciousness from Janga's poison, only to wake up after being treated by the wolf and pangolin…

"Ironically enough, I didn't know I'd been poisoned until after I woke up." I finished.

She took a deep breath, her puzzled look giving way to concern. "And you still think I'm more heroic than you? Even when you had to make the same kind of choice I made?"

"Choice?" I asked, still puzzled. "But there wasn't much of a choice to make there: Guntz was in danger, so I saved him, simple as that."

"Right. And do you remember why?"

I thought it over. "N-not really, I… I think it was more of an instinct than anything else…"

I sighed. "Though in hindsight, Guntz did say he and Pango had to carry me to the medical ward afterwards… perhaps it would've been harder for us to carry Guntz instead…"

"Indeed. So instead of letting Guntz die to save your own skin, you risked your life figuring he could return the favor better?"

I paused. "…Kinda a big leap in logic, but sure…"

"Sound familiar?"

"I… I think it d-"

I fell silent, my puzzlement giving way to shock.

S-she's not referring to… to her sacrifice, i-is she?

Lolo, noticing, smirked a little. "I knew you'd see the connection."

I took a deep breath, trying to relieve my shock a little. "S-so you… you think that's what makes a hero?"

She nodded again. "Like you told the High Priestess, you thought being a hero meant always doing the right thing, correct?"

"R-right…"

"But even then, it's… it's not always easy to do what's right. As you witnessed, even heroes have to make tough decisions about which path to take – risking one's life to save another… sparing a foe so their blood isn't on one's hands… standing strong in the face of adversity… honestly, I could spend days going on about this."

"Figured you could…" I said, smirking back. "So, does that mean you… you still think…?"

She pressed her finger to my lips once again, resting her free hand on my shoulder.

"I said it before, didn't I?" she asked sarcastically, pulling me in for yet another embrace. "You'll always be my hero."

I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Lolo…" I said, hugging her back. "And you'll always be mine."

"Thanks, Klonoa…"


We continued to hold each other for another half hour, not saying a word. Though I tried to keep my mind focused on this moment – after all, I imagine these visits will be few and far between – I couldn't help but wonder…

…Will this solace really last?

Now, don't get me wrong, of course I'm glad I get to see Lolo again, but… well, like Chipple said before she left for the Sky Temple, it'll still be pretty lonely without her around…

And though I highly doubt this was what he had in mind… all things considered, he turned out to be right. Although I'm trying to make up for her absence – helping out wherever I'm needed, offering condolences, and the like – it won't change the fact that she'll no longer be part of our everyday lives…

Not only that, but any future gatherings we have, we'll… we'll still have to hold them without her…

…Then again, I'm… I'm sure we'll continue to memorialize her at… at each and every one of those celebrations…

At each summer festival…

At each autumn harvest…

At each Christmas gathering…

Even if our tributes aren't as big as they were last night, we can still make sure we… we still remember how she saved us… we can still ensure her death wasn't in vain…

…No, wait… we've already ensured that last one; her captors… Joka, Janga, and Garlen… they're all dead, thanks to us… and thanks to Lolo, Nahatomb's been sealed away again…

My grin seemed to widen…

Right… like I told Guntz back in Volk, maybe I can rest easy after all…

Janga and his allies can't bother us anymore…

The world's finally at peace…

Plus, Lolo's still looking out for us… not just me, but everyone back home… even beyond the grave…

A few tears seemed to float in front of me…

…Yeah… for now, at least… I can rest…


Eventually, I looked back down at the planet Earth – the sun's rays seemed to creep closer to Volk, though they haven't quite reached the city yet.

"So, um…" I muttered, "it looks like I have an hour or two left before… before I have to wake up…"

"Looks that way…" Lolo muttered likewise, pulling out of our embrace yet again. "Did you… did you have anything else you… wanted to talk about?"

"Not really, but I… I'm sure something'll come to me before our next visit…"

"Same here." She hesitated. "In that case, what do you wanna do then?"

"Hmm…" I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, thinking it over. Honestly, there wasn't much we could do except float… at least Guntz and I had some music to dance to…

…Wait… what did I say before then…? Before he convinced me to…

Imagine if she were still with us… we could've played in the stars without a care in the world…

I started smirking once again. "You know…" I said, "during our flight back up, Guntz showed me some zero-gravity dance moves we… we could've pulled off if you were still around…"

I offered my hand to Lolo. "So, now that we're together again, you… you mind if I show you some?"

She smirked back, taking my hand. "Not at all."