Disclaimer: I, as I'm sure you expected, do not in any way own Klonoa or any related characters. The Klonoa series is owned by Namco.

Finally, here's the third chapter. Hopefully it turned out good, this one was a challenge to write. Most of this chapter is pretty laid back – lots of dialogue as well.

Chapter Three

The ride was a bit bumpy. Though it wasn't in anyway stormy, the waves did bounce the boat somewhat. It grew colder as well as they neared Mira-Mira. Despite all this, the group wasn't in any danger – the ferry was built for this kind of weather.

Lolo sat comfortably on one of the many red couches in the main lobby. She sighed peacefully, it felt great just to lay low for a while, though the gash down her side and her other wounds ached. The first thing that everyone had done when they first boarded was to bandage up their worst scratches and scrapes, thankfully, none were deep.

She still couldn't believe how badly she had faired in battle, but she made a conscious decision not to think about it for the moment. She was sure that Friedole would have a talk with her – for she had assured him that she was able to use the normal Priestess skills when he had agreed to take her along . And back then she thought she could, but now... Apparently, she still couldn't use them when under stress. Anyway, she'd have enough time to think about it when Friedole gave his lecture. Now it was time to just relax – she found it hard to be upset in such a peaceful setting.

The left wall of the ship contained a large window, about the size of a sliding-glass-door. From where she rested, it gave her a great view of the lake outside. The water, as dark as the sky, didn't provide a bright scene, but in its own strange way it was beautiful. The waves rippled with the light wind, and just a few moments ago sparse raindrops began to drizzle down – painting the glass with droplets of water that reflected the dim, gray light and the rays that occasionally pierced the clouds. The soft pitter-patter of rainfall could be heard hitting the outer-layer of the ship. It was very soothing and surreal, Lolo found herself fighting to keep her eyes open, sleep threatening to overtake her.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She said to Klonoa, who was sitting on the other end of the same couch. "Hmm." He nodded, but barely, his eyes once again staring into space. So far during the ride he'd ignored every attempt she'd made to have a conversation with him, as usual…at least what had become usual since yesterday night.

She looked back at Theo. He was sitting by himself at the edge of the lobby. He still couldn't seem to take his mind off Klonoa, though he was trying not to let it show. He looked greatly uncomfortable.

What was it between them? She wondered. Maybe he was just impressed with Klonoa – he was the Dream Traveler after all. That had been her initial thought, but in reality, the glance wasn't friendly at all – much less admiring.

"Hey, Klonoa, do you know who he is?" She asked, leaning over and whispering to the Dream Traveler. "He keeps looking at you like he's mad or…disturbed…or something." She didn't really expect an answer, but she thought she'd try. And much to her surprise, she got one. "So I've noticed. But, no, I don't have any idea who he is!" He sounded annoyed, you could tell through his voice that he was irritated by his on-looker. "Really? You don't?" She was a bit surprised. "But it sure seems like he knows you!" "You're the one that let him come along, not me – why expect me to know anything! You welcome him, and then you're the one that asks the questions! If anyone should be expected to know anything about him, then that'd be you! And I certainly can't say that I'm particularly pleased about that creep being here. What were you thinking when you gave him permission to join us, you don't even know who he is!" He raised his voice angrily, glaring at her. "I…I'm sorry… I really didn't think that it would be a problem…I mean, it's only for a short while…" She stammered, taken aback. "Whatever! Just make sure he leaves after the ride. I don't like him." With that, Klonoa closed his eyes and leaned back, ignoring everything else around him. She wished she'd never asked.

Lolo sulked off – looking for another place to rest. There was an empty chair near the place where Theo was sitting. Why had he wanted to come along, anyway? She never had found out. Besides, maybe Klonoa's new found annoyance would have more to say than the Dream Traveler himself. She slowly walked over to the purple velvet chair beside the lone creature and sat down, desperate for some sort of friendly conversation.

"Hi Theo. You don't have to sit here all by yourself, you know?" She greeted.

"Oh! H..hi!" Theo jumped, startled. His eyes looked sad. "Uh…yeah… I…just didn't know if I was really welcome…" The white-furred creature stammered. "They didn't seem too happy when you allowed me to come… Thanks again, by the way…" "Oh, it's no problem! But why exactly do you need to go to Mira-Mira anyway?" She wondered.

"Well…umm…" It took him a long time to answer, as if he was still trying to form a response. Lolo passed him an odd look. "Uh, actually I came here on vacation from Mira-Mira with some so called 'friends' – they happened to be quite wealthy, enough to afford the ride anyway, and they invited me along. But, long story short, things didn't go quite as planned, and I went off on my own – I just had to get away from them for a while… It seems they weren't really my friends after all… I was going to come back before they left, but apparently they'd caught a boat a few days earlier instead – they just left me there! I couldn't believe it! … And I had no way to get home…so…" The creature hung his head, Lolo looked down at the floor as well. "Yeah, that sounds like something the other Priestesses would do to me…" She thought she understood.

For a moment, both were silent. Lolo watched Theo's eyes begin slowly trailing back up toward the place where the Dream Traveler was sitting, that unpleasant look still on his face. He kept shuffling distractedly in his seat, and when he wasn't looking toward the Dream Traveler, he kept his head down – eyes sullen. She couldn't hold the question in anymore – "Do you know Klonoa from somewhere?" – nevertheless, she regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Theo's face darkened. "No." "Oh…" Silence again.

But now she really did want to know – for his sharp answer had already proved her suspicions – Theo did indeed know him. Why wasn't Klonoa being honest with her? One more try, maybe if she just lightly prodded the topic…

"It's just that you seem uncomfortable… Is something…wrong?" No answer. "You don't need to worry…if you are… I know Klonoa's been acting weird, but he's actually very nice. I just don't understand what's gotten into him the passed few days, ever since the night before the trip… I don't know, maybe he's just stressed or something." She said it casually, with a warm smile. However, much to her surprise, she saw Theo's face twist in fury –obviously not directed at her – as he turned his face toward the wall. What really shocked her though, was when she saw a tear spill from his left eye, dripping slowly down his face and onto the floor. She gasped. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! Did I say something wrong?" He wiped the water from his eyes, swiping his hand across his dampened cheek. "No, it's nothing… I just don't feel that good…" Now she was more confused than ever, though it was obviously time to let that particular issue go for now.

"If anyone's hungry, dinner will be served for our special guests in the galley, please, come enjoy yourselves." Lolo turned toward the lobby entrance. It was one of the captain's assistants that spoke.

"We get food here, really?" Lolo heard Aquette's voice pipe up from where she sat next to Marris, as usual, in the middle of the room – her face peering over the back of the couch. She looked slightly surprised. "Of course!" Replied the sailor. "What sort of service would we be providing if we starved our guests the whole trip. Besides" He added with a smile. "Don't forget that this is usually just for the rich – and not even they would pay that much money to cross if they suffered the whole way!" "What will you be serving?" Wondered Vioris from where he rested, beside the usually alone Icarus – for the rat-like creature was the only other person that the bat would share a few words with. "Well, to keep with the theme of the sea we have to serve some fish, and tonight we will also have a salad and baked potatoes. You're welcome to take a seat whenever you like, we'll be bringing it out in about 10 minutes."

"C'mon Theo, let's go check out the galley. Maybe if you eat something you'll feel better." Lolo stood up, waiting. "Uh…I don't think…I don't know if I'm really hungry…" Theo sputtered. "I think I'll just stay here…" Lolo frowned. "But you must at least be a little hungry – we've been on board for over three hours now. You'll be starving by the time we go to bed if you don't have something to eat… Besides, you don't have to have very much, if you don't want to." She insisted sternly. Theo sighed. "…Okay… I suppose you're right." The white-furred creature got up slowly, seeing that the Priestess wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Good. You'll feel better after this, you'll see." Lolo said brightly. The two headed off into the dinning room.

Several travelers had already assembled inside the galley; around the large, rectangular table that was set in the center of the room. She spotted Klonoa. He was sitting by himself in a seat near the middle, but instead she sat down next to Marris, who was sitting near the edge of the table. Theo looked around, seeming a bit intimidated by the group. "There's an empty seat right here." Lolo pointed out, beckoning to the chair beside hers. He took the corner seat she had mentioned, looking at her appreciatively.

Over the next five minutes everyone flowed in through the door – one by one – and took a seat somewhere along counter. The food was brought in soon after.

"This looks great!" Marris remarked from where he sat, between Aquette and Lolo. "Make sure you get your fill everyone" Friedole reminded. "We probably wont be having any other good meals for a while." "And I'd say we deserve it after what happened today. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that Ussannis was able to conjure up that many puppets. If it hadn't have been for Klonoa we might have been in real trouble." Vioris added. "Quite true…" Agreed Friedole. He turned his gaze to Klonoa, scrutinizing him thoughtfully. "Though I still find it odd you never said a word about these powers until you used them today, Klonoa."

"Well, like I said I was a bit afraid…" The Dream Traveler answered, trying to act a bit embarrassed. "I find that hard to believe…" Friedole said quietly, under his breath. Though it wasn't known if that had been his intention or not, the words were still loud enough for everyone to hear. "Indeed." Seconded Leorina. "It's quite interesting that all you did was play 'yo-yo' with your ring, while the whole time you knew in fact that you had that kind of power…" "Yes, that is a bit strange…" Eneste nodded in agreement.

"But it's the truth!" Klonoa insisted. "I was never able to use them before, and I was a bit scared to try. I was ashamed to admit it, so I never said anything about my powers at all. I secretly started trying to use them recently though, but I didn't want to mention it until I figured it out for sure… If you must know…I'll admit that it was me who singed those trees last night by the temple – not Ussannis! I didn't mean to…it was an accident! I was practicing for today in case I needed them. I was just nervous about bringing it up, so I tried to come up with another explanation for the mess…" Everyone looked at him in surprise, including Lolo who raised an eyebrow. He had insisted that it had to have been Ussannis – but the whole time he'd known that the insane magician actually had nothing to do with it. He had done it himself.

"Really? So you lied about it, then." Inquired Friedole. "Err, yes…I guess. Again, I just really didn't want anyone to know for a while, as I still didn't feel entirely comfortable using them. The only reason I did today was that it seemed like I didn't have that much of a choice. Otherwise I never would have! Not for a while anyway…" The table was hushed for a moment. "Well, whatever the case, I'm just glad that you have that magic! If it came in handy earlier today, I'm sure it will come in handy later as well. I'm glad you're on our side." Said Aquette, chugging down a glass of cider at the same time. Klonoa smiled, but Lolo shivered at the shadows in his eyes.

"Wait! What exactly happened, what'd he do?" Theo piped up unexpectedly, though Lolo saw he had been holding in the question since the conversation started. He hadn't been able to keep it to himself any longer. "Well, Klonoa's the Dream Traveler, you know. We were in battle today and he used some new powers we'd never seen before to rid us of the pests." Friedole explained simply, looking frustrated that he had take the time to catch up an un-wanted guest.

"But…" He continued more slowly. "Not all of us put on an impressive front…" He turned his eyes harshly on Lolo, who flushed completely red. She'd known this was coming, but in front of everybody? "Lolo, what happened? You said you knew how to use some basic abilities. I would've picked someone else, if I had known…" "I…I do! I do know them! But…under the pressure, I guess I…" She sputtered, feeling everyone staring at her. Theo passed her a surprised glance, while Friedole nodded decisively. "Klonoa, I know your magic and her Priestess skills aren't the same thing, but surely the way to use them is relatively similar… And Lolo's your friend, right? I was hoping you'd take some time tomorrow to help her a bit." Her heart jumped, purely from embarrassment. Him – her teacher!

Klonoa frowned. "But I told you, I only just learned how to use them myself!" "But alas you can, and you still could under pressure – even though you lacked experience. I want you to work with Lolo." Friedole insisted. "But…" "And that's an order! You're the one who begged me and the High Priestess to let her be the one to come – I would never have chosen her otherwise! I could tell she was weak just by looking at her – but you convinced me that she could handle herself, and that you'd keep an eye on her. Now it's your responsibility to follow up and make sure that she doesn't slow us down or prove to be an obstacle!"

Lolo jumped up with a gasp, shocked by the insult. He could tell she 'was weak just by looking at her?' Begged into letting her come? She stared at the two teary eyed. The Priestess had so much she wanted to say, or rather shout, but no words came out. She just couldn't take it all! Lolo turned and dashed out of the galley, toward the outer area of the boat.

"That was harsh!" Leorina confronted their leader, also bolting up. "Have some understanding for the poor girl, she's been through a lot! And I know for a fact that she has the potential that any of those other clones have…maybe more…" "Well, I'm sorry but I can't have someone holding us up – regardless of how much 'potential' they have!" Friedole's voice had become surprisingly cold. "Just lay off of her for a while – that was the first time she's ever been in a situation like that! She can get it by herself, without anyone to teach her!" Leorina still insisted, but Friedole shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not so sure…and we don't have time to take chances. For her sake too, she could end up dead if she doesn't shape up!" He glared at the Dream Traveler. "That's the last time I take advice from a friend of the person in question." Klonoa just stared back wide-eyed, looking confused – though vague amusement played across his face as well. He laughed. "Don't worry, I'll fix her up tomorrow." He said it in a way that was meant to end the conversation. "Well I should hope so…" Friedole sighed, making sure he put in the last word. No one else had anything to say – the table was silent. Theo, who had been watching the whole conversation, rather stunned, now stomped out of the room – running up the stairs after the upset girl.

Lolo watched her tears splash down into the water. The rain had stopped, but the cold still gnawed at her like an angry demon. So, now she was crying – did that make her even more 'weak?'

She stared meekly downward at the stars that were now reflected the lake – the moonlight giving the mist that was rising off the icy water an ethereal glow. So much for all her hopes of impressing the others during the trip. That'd been a wasted dream. She'd felt so excited before. Now all her hopes fell like her tears. Helpful? They could have done better with just about anyone! She hated herself. Why was it that she could never do anything right? She'd try her very best, but in the end, it was never good enough! Her fears had held her back. All that she'd ever existed as was a problem – a living annoyance! She'd always been the one that needed rescuing, the one that couldn't handle things by herself… Apparently she was no different now. She was just bothering everyone again. An 'obstacle'.

Friedole had known her shortcomings all along, then. She was so pathetic that he had been able to realize it right when he'd first seen her. He'd probably seen it clearer than she herself had ever had, but now it lay transparent before her – a truth she'd never wanted to acknowledge. All her past failures. The only reason she'd got to come on the quest at all was Klonoa. The one that always fixed her messes. Now it seemed like even he'd rejected her – maybe he'd just gotten tired of it all…

She barely noticed the footsteps coming up the stairs behind her. "Lolo…" She only looked at Theo out of the corner of her eye as he came to stand beside her, a bit surprised that anyone had bothered to come – much less someone whom she had just met. "Are you alright? That Friedole was a real jerk to you!" "No, he was right…" She sighed, still staring blankly down toward the freezing water – now that she recognized reality she wasn't going to deny it. "You're wrong about that! He wasn't right at all! I know that you can be strong…" Theo persisted. "And what makes you so sure? You barely even know me." Lolo questioned, refusing to lift her head. "I can just tell! You're not as weak as you think you are." Theo enforced sternly. "You didn't see me this morning…" "It doesn't matter! I just know that you have it in you! Don't let him get you down… There's much more to you than there is to those others." "Others? You mean the rest of the Priestesses?" Theo nodded, but Lolo shook her head. "No, they're perfect! They wouldn't have messed up this morning like I did…" She said sadly. "Perhaps not. But, I know that you have the potential to outshine them all! Once you find your strength, you'll make all those others all look bad!"

Now she finally lifted her head, looking at him strangely as she searched his eyes. Why was he saying these things to her? What did it matter to him? – He'd never even seen her before this morning! And tomorrow he'd leave, walking off to his own life as if they'd never met. He gazed back at her warmly, still trying to comfort her. His eyes… She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but his stare seemed so…familiar. There had to be more than he was telling her! She was sure of it! And she had to know what. Lolo opened her mouth to speak, but at that very moment, another figure approached her and the white creature. Lolo wiped her face around to find that it was Leorina. She sighed, though her disappointment struck her by surprise. She realized that she'd expected Klonoa.

"The wind died down, I see." The sky pirate commented awkwardly as she stared over the side, gazing over the now fairly calm waters. Leorina never had been one for this type of conversation, but she felt like she needed to say something. Lolo just stared at her blankly. "Look, don't worry about what he said…" The sky pirate added in a casual voice, seeing that she wasn't going to get far with remarks about the weather. "You are strong! Stronger than me, anyway. You succeeded where I failed. You stuck with your goal! When I realized how hard the High Priestess was going to work me, I turned tail and ran – looking for an easy way to gain power and respect. But that in and of itself was weak, you can't cheat fate. I know that now." Still no answer. The three travelers just stared out into the bleak distance, their eyes reflecting the moonlight in the same way as the water.

Eventually, the rest of the group emerged from the same doorway, heading off to their sleeping quarters – the sound of their feet disrupting the silence. Most of them were careful to keep their eyes away from Lolo as they passed, feeling awkward from that evening's conversation. The only one that passed them a glance was Klonoa, as he slipped out of sight and into his room – his expression un-definable.

"Well, I think I'm going to head off to bed as well." Leorina decided, nudging Lolo's shoulder with her elbow. "I'd suggest that you get some rest now too." With that, she walked off, leaving Lolo and Theo alone once again. "She's right." Theo agreed. "I think it's time to get some sleep. From what I understand, it's sounds like you've got a lot ahead of you tomorrow." She moaned, thinking about the training session with Klonoa that lay ahead of her the next day. That was the last thing she wanted – especially now that they currently weren't on the best of terms. Though she admitted to herself that she was saddened by the fact that he'd never come. Only Theo and Leorina had – two people that she knew much less well.

She nodded. "I suppose. I don't think that I'm going to be able to sleep much though…" "Just forget about it for now, I'm sure everything will go better after tonight." Theo assured her as they separated and headed toward their temporary bunks.

Lolo knew they were lucky to have their own quarters. On most overnight ferries, the groups had to share two rooms – one for females and one for males. However, since the cost of this ride was so high, they each had a private bed – the boat contained over 20 apartments. She was glad. The room was small, and the bed not the most comfortable, but she didn't want to be with any of the others tonight. She tried to force all the invading thoughts out of her mind as she closed her eyes, feeling the gentle sway of the ferry. Her stomach growled – she never had finished her dinner, but it was too late now. Hopefully breakfast would be served in the morning before they docked.

Much to her surprise, she found herself on the verge of sleep very quickly – not a peaceful rest, but a simple, physical tiredness. She prayed that Theo had been right when he said that things would go better the next day.

Gemini sat outside, the breeze from the boat's movement ruffling the fur that had once been Klonoa's. It was three in the morning, but he'd felt the need to be by himself for a while – in the cold night air.

He pondered what he would do tomorrow, when he had to mentor that Priestess. Quite frankly, he'd had the temptation to kill her. It'd be easy, and it would solve his problem – after all, she couldn't learn if she was dead. He was sure that he could find some way to pull off the murder while still maintaining his mask of innocence; for he was an expert in this dark art. Nevertheless, in the end he'd decided against it. The friend of his victim amused him. It was fun to play with her this way. He'd just get through the training session as fast as possible, though he knew it was entirely useless anyway – she'd never be much. He chuckled to himself – at least, nothing more than a pretty face, for she wasn't entirely un-attractive.

"Oh, hey Klonoa." Gemini startled at the voice, surprised to realize that Marris was standing close by. Apparently, he'd come out for some fresh air as well. "Hello Marris." Gemini never turned around. A few moments of silence. "That was a bit stressful wasn't it? At dinner, when that whole thing with Lolo came up? I had noticed that she had a hard time defending herself when we were attacked, but I didn't think that Friedole would humiliate her like that – some of the things he said were a bit over-the-top too. I have to say I kind of felt sorry for her." Marris finally remarked, wanting to create some sort of noise – he didn't like it being so quiet. Gemini just shrugged, no reply. "Actually, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't stick up for her more, I thought Lolo was your friend." The canine-like creature added. "I guess so." "I know that if it'd been Aquette I'd have said something. And I hope she'd have for me too." Now Gemini once again said nothing. "But I've noticed that you two don't seem to be getting along that well. Are you having some sort of tiff or something?" Gemini still didn't answer, but he smiled. Marris – he sure spoke his mind! Too bad for him he didn't realize that could get you in a lot of trouble. "Actually, you're not much like I imagined you to be. I thought you were supposed to be slightly less…cold."

This time Gemini laughed, what a fool! If only he knew he was speaking to a murderer. Maybe he ought to show him… It wasn't easy pretending to be so innocent for so long – it felt like it was time to let out some aggression. Besides, Marris wasn't any help to the group at all.

… Everyone else was asleep, right?

"Really Marris, you don't think I've been acting like how you expected 'Klonoa' to be?" Marris passed him a strange gaze, confused. "Well, no…" Gemini turned around and gave his companion a shadowy smile. "True perhaps, but there's actually a very good reason why that is." Then silence came back over him and he turned away once again, waiting to see what Marris would do. The nosey creature's reaction would determine his fate.

Marris pondered over the situation. Now he was extremely curious, though he was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. It was obvious that the shady figure wasn't going to say anymore unless he asked. Perhaps it would be better not to…in fact he knew it would be, but the dog-like creature just couldn't shake off his curiosity. "And what might that be…?" He spoke the words with slight hesitance, finding himself afraid of the answer. Somehow, something about the Dream Traveler had become rather sinister.

Darkness came across the face of the killer. Just as he'd expected. How very predictable this person was – a dime a dozen. Another that didn't know when to stop asking questions. Unfortunately for Marris, it was the wrong answer if he wanted the good ending. He had just lost Gemini's twisted game.

"I'm not him." Gemini answered simply, his voice cold. "What?" Marris choked, surprised. "What do you mean by that?" There was no reply, but the killer turned and took a few steps forward. With alarm, Marris realized that Gemini was slowly advancing toward him, the canine creature stumbling backward slower still. He didn't like this. He was considering calling out to the others when Gemini's words, lifeless and cold, froze him.

"He's dead. I killed him. I killed Klonoa." Marris gasped in horror, but before he could utter a single sound he found the claws of Gemini's last victim around his neck, now the killer's own. Gemini glared at Marris straight in the eye, a sadistic glow in his own that was completely unsuited to his present form. Marris' whole body shook with terror. "Unfortunately, that was one of those 'I told you, so now I have to kill you deals'."

Gemini closed his eyes, a light of bright magic shot through him and straight into Marris – the dog-like creature feeling his voice fade. "That's better." Gemini whispered cruelly. "There's no need to wake the other's now, is there? Besides, there'd be no one around to hear your last words anyway."

With that, the murderer lifted the canine off the ground – his powers assisting him to make up for the lack of physical strength that his new body contained. Marris looked up fearfully at the maniacal creature that held him up by his neck, now surrounded by a chilling blue aura. The claws of his attacker were digging into him so tightly that they were beginning to pierce the skin. Blood spilled over Gemini's hands, but he simply narrowed his eyes at his terrified victim. "My name's Gemini – remember that! Oh, and don't worry, I'll make sure I say farewell to Aquette for you."

In a single, swift movement, Marris was hurled toward the edge of the ferry with outstanding force – Gemini's magic giving extra power to his throw. He wanted to cry out in terror as he was propelled backward, leaving a trail of blue magic as he flew – but no sound came out, his voice truly was gone. The canine's body crashed against the railing, leaving blood on the side of the boat as the fence gave way and Marris plummeted into the dark lake.

It was no use to call for help, Gemini had made sure of that. All Marris could do was to try to keep his head above the freezing water, but the whole time the ship only moved farther and farther away. There was no way he could keep up, and the icy chill was sapping his strength fast. Tears rolled down his face as he felt impending doom come over him. He hoped Aquette would be safe. Regret formed inside his soul – why did his quest have to end this way? The last thing he saw was Gemini staring coldly back at him, dark amusement on his face as he watched Marris, his second victim, vanish slowly beneath the waves. Swallowed up by the Lake of Seclusion.

How was that? Good? Corny? Please review!