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, the seventh chapter is done. Sorry about the delay, I've been having a bit a writer's block recently with this fic. Note that this chapter was originally supposed to have been part of the next, but I split it into two as this part got kind of long, and this fic hadn't seen any update recently either. Plus, I don't know, it just reached a point that felt like it should be the end of the chapter. Despite what I said before though, this chapter is a lot like the last one – dialogue heavy. The 'action' is coming in the next one. This chapter sets the stage for it.

Chapter Seven:

The snow was especially thick that morning, and it was still coming down heavily. Truth be told though, none of the travelers minded – it helped shield them from the prying eyes of Gemini. All of Ussannis' soulless puppets had disappeared with the passing of their master, but they still had to be careful, not knowing what to expect from their new, much more deadly foe.

Nevertheless, however, it was a beautiful sunrise, and the snow covering the mountainside glistened in shades of soft pastel, reflecting the dim but colorful shades of the sky. Lolo found it hard not to stop and stare, almost forgetting about the mission at hand. "C'mon Lolo." A voice prompted gently from behind her. "We shouldn't really stay still for very long, incase you-know-who finds us."

She turned her gaze to find that Theo, …Klonoa…, had hobbled up to her side, still maintaining a slow, but steady pace. At first Leorina had tried to force him to stay behind, but he wouldn't be persuaded. In the end though, she had admitted that the 'original' Dream Traveler would be helpful to have as a part of the group, injured or not. That is, after she had grown to believe him.

It was the morning after 'Theo' had revealed his true identity to Lolo, alone in the pale light of the woods. It had been that day's afternoon that he had announced himself as the 'real' Klonoa in front of the rest of the group. He had been met with mixed reactions, to be sure.

"What would make us believe a story like that?" Vioris had mocked. "You're so important that you of all people got a ticket out of death? Yes, that's quite believable." "Another imposter? That 'Klonoa' must have been a pretty famous guy." Eneste commented after the speech.

It had been Lolo who backed him up. At first Leorina had looked at them like they were crazy…or rather, like Theo was a liar and Lolo was desperate, but in the end, after everyone started to calm down, the sky pirate decided to believe him, at least mostly, for much the same reasons Lolo had.

Still, she had been hesitant to figure him in as a main part of their plan. He had explained to the other's what he had told Lolo before – that he wanted to try again to 'bond' with the sapphire, hoping that if he could as well it would severally weaken Gemini's strength. Leorina didn't want to build the whole mission around him though, considering the fact that he himself seemed skeptical as to his idea's chances of success. And not to mention that most of the other's still didn't trust nor believe him – not like the air pirate herself felt completely positive about his story either.

Lolo started to move forward again, keeping pace with the creature now revealed to be her friend. They were lagging behind. The two of them were the only ones that hadn't been up the narrow mountain path before, seeing as that they had been held hostage at their current destination while the other's had been making their previous ascent.

She looked towards her left as her companion let out a slight groan, placing one of his hands behind him to put pressure on his back, as if in pain. "…Klonoa," she still used the name with slight hesitation, not yet used to associating the name with the unfamiliar figure, "Are you okay? You don't look so good…"

"Shush!" Icarus called back, though his voice was more like a whisper. "Don't talk so much, we don't want anyone to know we're here. We don't know what capabilities he has, or if he has anyway of seeing us or not. …And you may not want to call him that here either, if he still wants to try whatever it is he's going to do. I assume the element of surprise would be helpful."

"Oh, right." Lolo looked down, lowering her voice as the bat turned away.

"…Well, in any case, yeah, I'm okay…" Her companion finally answered with a hushed voice, struggling to stand up straighter. "…Just, a little sore…."

To be honest, Lolo had felt a bit embarrassed after she had first found out about 'Theo's secret'. All those times she'd been crying about him for some reason or another, he'd actually been right there by her side.

At least that saved her having to formally apologize though – he already knew her feelings and regrets quite well, perhaps more than she would have wanted.

"As strange as it seems, I was really only gone for one night. Nothing more than normal! I found you the next day by the ferry, remember?" He had laughed later that morning, after she had realized who he was. "It felt weird though…" He'd continued more seriously. "To hear my name addressed to someone else. …And to be forced to silently watch him take over my identity like that… Every time I looked at him, in my body, I just… …It was creepy! I don't think I can really explain it. It was just a helpless, lonely feeling."

"Hurry up, you two." Leorina, who was leading the group up the steep path, prompted as Lolo started to slow to a stop again, getting lost in her thoughts once more. She nodded, the person now revealed as Klonoa passing her a glance as they both picked up their pace.

The group made quick progress until about an hour later when they branched off of the direction that they had taken a few days before, heading more towards what seemed to be the back of the huge building. None of them knew the exact way they should be heading, seeing as that the area was now new to all of them.

Snow covered this area even more deeply, the cold white layer of ice growing ever thicker as they slowly made their ascension. It was hard to walk through, and Lolo found herself stumbling in the shoe-shaped imprints the people ahead of her had left in the cold powder.

Klonoa had an even harder time. He tripped and fell a few times, jarring his injuries further. She tried to help him keep his balance, letting him lean on her left arm.

He had been hesitant to except the help, but she couldn't have him hurting himself even worse before the fighting even began – she didn't want to loose him again. And aside from that, it wasn't hard to tell that he appreciated it, even if it made him feel a bit awkward for troubling her. She couldn't help a smile, he always had been like that – not wanting to cause problems for anyone. In reality though…she didn't mind at all…

However, after an incident where he tripped and took Lolo down with him, Icarus was sent back by Leorina to assist from his other side.

All the time they walked, the large stone building in the distance loomed closer. She was afraid, she admitted to herself. She didn't know what would happen once they went inside, or whether or not they'd all be coming out again. No one did.

She'd been lucky last time, but would that last?

Klonoa turned to her and smiled, feeling the arm he was leaning on start to shake. "Are you nervous?" He asked quietly, un-ease exposed in his own voice. Lolo looked down, as if ashamed. "Yeah, a little…" Her words were quiet, permitting only him to hear. "I am too…" He confessed. "More than I've ever been before, I think." Certainly that last statement was true, for she had never heard the Klonoa she knew sound the way the person next to her did then.

"I can't defeat Gemini. He already…he…" The white creature shook his head, trying to shake of his memories of a certain night in the woods. "And I failed again the last time too. Heck, I wasn't even conscious for most of the fight! But this time, I… I wont let him get the better of me! And I wont let my own thoughts drag me down either… No matter what happens."

For a moment, their feet stopped moving, their eyes looking out in the distance towards the place they both dreaded arriving to. Lolo's heart felt funny…heavy. Subconsciously, she felt her hand slowly creeping closer to his, but before she could realize what she doing, a tug pulled against her, Icarus dragging her companion onward.

They kept moving.

- - - - - - - - -

Gemini flung open the balcony doors, feeling a refreshing, snowy cold wash over him. He took in a deep breath, feeling a much-needed icy sensation work it's way throughout his insides.

The once-reptilian creature didn't know if he'd ever get used to having a warm-blooded body, especially one with a thick coat of fur. True enough though, that he would be about frozen now if he were still in his old form.

The killer had moved himself into what had once been Ussannis' private room, complete with a wardrobe, a bed, and a roof made of stained-glass. There was also a mirror near the chamber's only exit; one that made him miss his original lizard-like features even more each time he paced by it.

He had to admit that the worthless magician had at least had good taste. The Mira-Miran ruins were a fine place to begin exercising the control he could have over all of Lunatea. He wasn't even sure where to start!

Gemini had taken one of Ussannis' old cloaks as well, eagerly throwing off the clothes that the original inhabitant of his body had dressed it with. …At least he wasn't playing the role of that little wimp anymore.

A distant smile played across his lips as he remembered the face of that girl when she had found out the truth about her friend's fate. It was days like that that made everything worthwhile.

He wondered if he'd be seeing what was left of the broken group again that day, or if they had all ran home crying like the cowards they were. If they did come about once more, he would make sure it was for the last time – and the Priestess girl would be the first to go.

Absentmindedly, his fingers fiddled with the sapphire pendent around his neck. He had flown down and retrieved the chain containing the Dark Sapphire, still in his winged transformation, late the night after that same obnoxious brat had thrown it out the window.

He actually wished that he could stay in that form all the time, not only just for the power, but also for the change in appearance. While still not his first choice, his stolen form did appear at least a bit more intimidating after fully harnessing the strength of the stone.

Regardless though, there was no way from him to remain in that state, it would eventually tire the body out. A pity, for the appearance of a furry child didn't suit him very well, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't help but wonder what it would look like once he reached what would have been his victim's adult years, perhaps he could grow to like it more.

Gemini could see a faint image of his new face staring back at him, reflected by the ice that crusted the tops of the balcony fence. Aside from just the sapphire necklace, what had once been his victim's sword now hung on a belt that Gemini had also taken from the magician's old closet, and the original Dream Traveler's precious ring dangled dimly from a chain around his wrist.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the color of the gem on top of the golden circle, which should have shinned a blue similar to the Dark Sapphire itself, seemed to have become increasingly pale during the last few days. It was almost as if the object was grieving for it's first owner, or didn't like being used for the will of someone like him. Regardless, the ring's performance didn't seem to be effected. …The thought was stupid anyway.

Oh well, regardless of the way he was now stuck looking, at least he got what he had set out for. And what he had used of his new strength the night before had been but a small taste.

As if reacting to his thoughts, the clouds parted for just a moment, and the dimmed sunlight that cut through the gray fog reflected off the azure gem under his hand, causing it to twinkle like an excited eye. It was a coincidence, but it caused the killer a small grin all the same.

- - - - - - - - -

Under the pressure of a strong kick from Leorina, the bricks of the weakened wall gave way with a sharp crack, debris falling onto the exposed stone floor.

After walking for what seemed like hours, the group had arrived at an area behind the massive building, and after a bit of searching, had come across a section of the wall that was already partially shattered. Quite lucky indeed.

"Where are we going to search for Gemini?" Icarus asked as they all gazed into the dimness of the opened ruins. He was the first one to speak for at least an hour.

Leorina shook her head. "I'm afraid that it may not be possible to know, we're just going to have to search for signs of life once we get inside." "But I thought we were going to sneak up to him, how're we to do that if we have to find him first?" Eneste questioned. "Search quietly." The air pirate answered simply.

Distracted, Lolo looked up towards the building's towers, their dark shapes looming ominously in front of the snowy gray sky. "Could he be up in one of those?" She wondered aloud. "Quite possibly." The group's new leader nodded. "More than likely he wouldn't want to linger somewhere too accessible, namely, close to the ground."

The Priestess turned to her side, noticing her white-furred companion staring up at the same towers, his eyes distant. "Is something wrong?" She leaned in closer, asking the question quietly. "Oh…nothing." He answered simply, though he never turned his gaze.

"Do I have to say it again? Lolo, Theo, come on!" Leorina called back. To be honest, the air pirate hadn't been sure what to call the white creature once he had admitted his identity. So far, Lolo seemed to be the only one who had taken to using what was apparently his original name.

Upon hearing, the Priestess turned to look at her leader, startled to see that the group was already entering the dark building. With quick glance back, she took the arm of her companion, who had hardly even looked down, trying to pull him along. She stopped when she felt resistance. While the original Dream Traveler had shuffled slightly, he remained fast to the same spot, his eyes full of un-ease. Apparently, the burst of resolution that he had displayed on the way up had faded upon their arrival.

For a moment, Lolo didn't know what to say – this was the type of thing she'd normally do. "…Come on, let's go get this over with," the Priestess started gently, "We'll be okay as long as we stay together, I know it!" She had to work hard to sound optimistic.

Regardless, Klonoa's gaze still fell. "But Gemini…" He shook his head. "We were pathetic against him before, to him we're just toys… I'm trying to be strong, but…" The Priestess shrugged it off, attempting to force a smile. "But we got out alive, didn't we?" She pointed out, still trying her best to sound cheery. Her companion only sighed. "That time." He said dryly, Lolo able to tell from his tone that he was probably still thinking about his lethal encounter with the killer, in the forests near the cabin. "But that's different!" She said as if reading his thoughts. "You were alone then! This time we're together, and with the rest of the group."

"Same goes for last time, but I still had to be carried out unconscious! And not to mention that Gemini probably has the sapphire back in his hands now, he'll be even more powerful… I'm not ready to die Lolo. I…I guess I already have – I've experienced death before, and it's not as bad as they make you think, but I…" Klonoa sure didn't seem to be in the mood for cheering up though, his voice trembling as he spoke. It almost sounded like he was about to burst into tears. "I don't want to leave yet!"

For a moment, the Priestess was silent, startled by the desperation in those words. She had no idea what to say to his last comment. "But…this time we all know who he is and what he's up to, last time we were here we didn't!" She eventually continued, determined. "And besides, I feel stronger now that I know you're with me… Before I was still upset, I still thought that he was you…" She said the words so quietly that they were almost inaudible. He apparently caught them though, as he suddenly looked up towards her, ears twitching. "Now all my focus is on my mission! We're not being carried inside in a cage this time either." She added, her voice growing more confident. "We'll be fine! Maybe we can even get you back to normal…"

Klonoa looked down again for a moment, before a smile suddenly lit his face. "You're right. And didn't I just say on the way here that I wouldn't let my own thoughts and fears get in the way this time? I'm pathetic…" At the last two words, Lolo opened her mouth again, as if looking for something else comforting to say, but her companion just continued smiling. "Thanks Lolo." He said softly, his voice grateful. The Priestess was aware of her face turning red, momentary feeling it flush.

It was at that moment that the voice of Leorina once again interrupted. "Now, you two! We have to go!" She had decided to give them a few minutes, still trying to be sensitive to the strange situation between her and 'Theo', but now they couldn't wait any longer.

With a last glance towards each other, the Dream Traveler and the Priestess walked straight forward towards the gap in the wall, stopping only momentarily at the edge of the darkness. Lolo could feel her legs shaking, but her steps were still strong even as she felt the walls surround her, the expression on her face stubborn. She wasn't going to let anyone get the better of her, not this time!

- - - - - - - - -

There wasn't much difference between any of the halls, they were all made of stone – gray and dim. Stained-glass windows lined the walls facing outside – their delicate, eerie patterns the only source of light. Lolo couldn't help but wonder if the old ruin had originally been designed that way on purpose, all those thousands of years ago, to keep the prisoners the many cells once held from being able to memorize any sort of path out. The Priestess was beginning to feel a bit lost herself.

They'd been walking pretty much blindly for the last hour at least. They had no way of knowing Gemini's whereabouts, and so far hadn't found any sort of hint as to the direction they should be heading. It wasn't a good feeling to be wandering around aimlessly in the corridors of a killer, to say the least.

The room they had first entered through the hole in the wall had been full of cells and cages, much like the one Klonoa and Lolo had been kept in. It continued for a long ways further, but it wasn't long before they had found a crossroad that branched to what appeared to be one of the main halls in the building.

After that, Leorina had basically kept them on that particular route, ignoring the several smaller paths that sprouted from or crossed it. It wasn't until they reached what was probably the third fork in the hall that a certain white shape parted from where it walked by Lolo in the group, going to stand by the left corridor, a narrow hall without much light.

"He's this way." Klonoa stated, sounding quite sure despite the situation – though he didn't sound much in the mood to discuss his reasons for believing so.

Leorina blinked. "What makes you think that?" She asked, sounding both annoyed at the interruption and slightly curious at the same time. The white creature shuffled uncomfortably. "I can feel the ring." He said with a quiet voice. No one said anything. Klonoa frowned slightly, trying to think of a way to explain. "I've been able to sense it from the beginning, but even more so since the Dark Sapphire was awakened. It's been that way forever though, even before Gemini…" He paused for a second. "…Before he took my body. …So I wouldn't loose it, I suppose. I guess it still calls to me…"

"So let me get this straight, you can actually feel where the ring is? Even as you are now? Are you positive about this?" The air pirate asked the original Dream Traveler after a pause, sounding un-certain. Klonoa just nodded, smiling sadly. "Yeah… If he still has the ring with him, he's down this hall somewhere. Probably up in one of those towers we saw from outside. That's what I thought then as well. I'm certain now though – the 'signal' gets stronger as I get closer."

There was brief whispering among the group as to whether or not 'Theo' could be trusted, but in the end Leorina simply nodded in return. "Very well. After all, we have nothing else to go by. This way it is, everyone!" The air pirate announced, gesturing to the left hall.

"You can't actually believe that he's the real 'Klonoa'?" Vioris asked, his voice cynical. "We can't follow him!" Eneste scorned. "I don't trust him for a minute! He's already obviously been trying to lie to us already, he could be working for Gemini for all we know! We don't have a clue who he truly is!"

Lolo found herself about to speak up, but to her surprise someone did it for her. "I believe him." The voice was small but sure. The surprised group turned back to look towards Aquette, who had been walking in silence pretty much the whole time.

"I blamed him for what happened to Marris, but I was wrong… I'm not going to make the same mistake again… If he and Gemini had been planning on disposing of us all along, they would have done it a long time ago…but the whole time Gemini was with us you could see the hatred they had for each other in their eyes." She looked towards 'Theo' timidly, her voice still quiet and shy.

"Gemini would have no reason to specifically plot to destroy us now, he's so powerful I'm sure he doesn't think it makes any difference to him whether we're alive or dead. And don't be stupid – you all saw what he did to him too, he didn't treat him any different in the last confrontation than anyone else." She pointed out, referring to Klonoa, and how badly Gemini had wounded him. "He'll fight when he sees us, I'm sure, but I think an actual plot against us is the last we need to be worried about… He probably has better things to do with his powers right now, besides worry about what he surely sees as our petty lives. I'm sure he's almost just as satisfied with the thought of us running home with tears in our eyes."

There were a few seconds of silence after that, everyone's eyes turned on Aquette, their heads down. It was a moment later that Leorina nodded, her voice determined. "You're right, but we're about to show him that under-estimating us can be a fatal mistake. We wont let him get away with the things he's done…for Friedole and for Marris too." The air pirate looked for a second back at the white creature that Lolo had gone to stand next to again, almost adding something else, but in the end she stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

Aquette however looked like she was about to cry, the loss she'd tried to push back coming to the front of her mind once again. Leorina however pretended not to notice; sometimes maybe it was best to say nothing at all she thought, the girl would have to work through her grief on her own. She only hoped that the archer would be able to hold it together during their fight with her friend's killer this time.

The group's new leader also stole another quick glance behind her, to where Lolo was standing close to the creature that was apparently the 'real' Klonoa. How could she be that lucky?

Lolo could easily have been in the same situation as Aquette, in fact, she should've. Did good things like that really just happen? Leorina didn't think the Priestess would ever have a right to think that the world was against her again, not after she had been given back her lost friend. She wondered if the naïve little Priestess even realized the full magnitude of how amazing that was. There were people that would do anything in the world to be with their loved ones again in life.

The sky pirate herself had lost her own family in a fire when she had been very small, she hardly even remembered them. She felt her own cheeks start to dampen, a strange combination of feelings starting to play in her chest, but she quickly pushed them aside – now was not the time to think about such things.

She turned around to the white creature to face him fully, before anyone else could say anything to Aquette, who was still on the verge of sobbing. They had to start moving, a breakdown in the middle of their enemy's fortress simply wouldn't do.

"Show us the way, we'll follow you." Leorina's voice was strong, startling the familiar stranger out of his own thoughts. "What?" He raised his eyes to hers. "Klonoa…you lead us from here. Show us the way to go!" For a moment, he said nothing, but then his eyes brightened, a smile taking over his face. "Okay, then follow me!" His words were enthusiastic, showing off a bit of his old spark as he hurried off boldly in the direction behind him, Lolo close behind.

There was one point when Klonoa held back for just a moment, waiting for Aquette to catch up. "Thank you." He muttered quietly, no one else hearing. "Don't mention it. I'm sorry I blamed you before… I'm sure that if he were here, Marris would believe you as well, he always was like that, he'd put his trust in anyone…but that's probably what killed him in the end…" The white creature hung his head. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault…I do wish that you could have warned us about Gemini before…but I understand why you didn't, I think you were right – in reality he probably would have killed us all…" She kept walking after that, having nothing more to say. After brief hesitation, Klonoa hurried back to the lead of the group, where Lolo and some of the others had stopped to wait for him.

No one complained anymore, a mixture of fear and determination hanging over the group as they ascended the countless stairs that lined the tower the Dream Traveler had lead them to. It was a painfully slow climb, but their hearts beat faster with every step, every one of them realizing what probably awaited them at the top.

Okay, well, that's that for now. The stage is pretty much set for the next chapter, which will be the final full-length one. I'll try to get it done fairly soon, but of course school has started again now too. Ugg.

…In any case, please review!