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.
…It's been forever since I've updated this, hasn't it? And actually, this still isn't the final chapter xD – it just kept growing until I ended up deciding to split it again – this was originally part of it. I've had this half written for quite a while…now I wish I'd just uploaded it back when I finished it, but I didn't initially plan on doing this…I tried to finish the whole last chapter, but already it just got way too long, and was simply too much. However, this chapter is much different from the last one (which was also originally cut from the final) – it's much longer and is definitely very important to the story! Easily just as much as the actual final one will be – it has a certain climax the story's been building up to for a long time.
Anyway, enjoy, and I'm really sorry for the huge delay to anyone who's been reading this…
Chapter Eight
The group came to a halt as the ground leveled, but they didn't have much time to catch their breath from the climb before it caught in their throats once more. Two tall doors stood above them – now un-readable symbols carved into their bluish stone base. More than likely, they'd been sacred words to the ancients that had built the place. The twin doors were quite a daunting sight, not doing anything to quell the fear surging within any of them.
For a moment that seemed to stretch on, each of the remaining warriors – Leorina, Icarus, Aquette, Lolo, Eneste, Vioris, and Klonoa – simply stood staring in an almost expectant silence. It was as if they imagined that at any moment Gemini would slam the doors open, rush forward, and slight each of their throats one by one. But it never happened, and the room remained ominously unassuming and still.
Eventually, Klonoa, still in the simple white body of 'Theo', stepped forward cautiously, standing with the entrance to the room towering directly over him. He stopped and focused, trying to sense the location of his old ring. Yes, he realized as he felt the familiar sensation strong within him – if he still had the ring, Gemini was definitely in there. The original Dream Traveler nodded back at Leorina, who nodded as well in understanding, but he didn't move. It felt strange to him to be standing there, right outside the room where his killer was probably waiting for them. He felt very exposed and vulnerable, knowing that his life could be terminated a second time at any moment if their enemy chose, but yet couldn't bring himself to move his shaking legs.
He only turned his head when he heard footsteps behind him, giving him a start. Lolo and Leorina were approaching, the rest of the group following slowly. "It looks like we're going to have to push the doors open ourselves." Leorina whispered urgently as she gave the stone entrance a closer look. Her voice was so soft that it was almost in-audible. They'd been trying to speak as little as possible, afraid of being heard by someone rather un-pleasant. "But what if Gemini's waiting right on the other side, ready to blast us to pieces as soon as we open the entrance?" Vioris questioned fearfully, a note of disgust also distinguishable in his quiet voice. "If we're lucky he doesn't know we're here yet." The group's leader replied in a hush.
Klonoa seriously doubted that, at first he'd been hopeful of getting the advantage of surprise, but he knew that in reality Gemini was a lot sharper than to let himself be caught of guard – it's what made him such an excellent assassin…that and his cold heart. And besides, they were all standing right outside his door, their feet echoing off the stone floor as they walked. Their hope of silence was but wishful thinking…he'd have to be deaf not to have heard them, and Klonoa himself knew all too well that this wasn't the case – his original body had always come with an acute sense of hearing… He caught himself shivering again.
Leorina put her hands to the door, motioning silently for the others to do the same. There was no reason to put it off any longer, what ever would happen was going to happen, no matter how long they sat around doing nothing. More than likely, the group's leader in reality already realized that they weren't going to surprise their foe, but there were no other alternatives if they wanted a shot at stopping him.
After a brief hesitation, every member of the group had their palms against one of the two doors, ready to push forward. They did nothing for a moment, feeling their hearts flitter ferociously – there would be no turning back once the doors swung.
Leorina gave a sudden nod – the soundless signal. All at once they each gave a hard shove, their hearts jumping as the entrance flew open; the doors slammed against the walls on the inside of the room, sending a resounding boom throughout the tower. The group drew their weapons in a flash, ready to strike!
…Nothing. Just a room with a bed, a wardrobe, and an old mirror off to the side.
For a few seconds, the group stood still, their confused, nervous faces scanning the room for their enemy. It was Lolo who first spotted the silhouette of the all too familiar long-eared figure, shielded from them by a curtain that separated the main room from what she guessed was a balcony.
Sensing her gaze, it turned around as if only just noticing them, parting the thick drapes to step into the room casually. The group, each catching sight of him all at once, lifted their weapons back up to position, instinctively pulling into a fighter's stance. It would actually have looked like quite a sight to any regular on-looker – a crowd of armed, well-trained warriors all shuddering and protecting themselves at what appeared to be the entrance of an innocent child.
Gemini only smiled, the sight of them all flinching at his appearance only caressing his already large ego. "Well, it looks like I have some company after all. And here I was thinking that I was going to get some time to myself tonight." He may not have seemed the most intimidating with Klonoa's body and voice, but sure enough the sapphire pendent was set around his neck, the chain tightened to avoid it easily coming off. He rubbed his hand across it nonchalantly as he gazed out at them with bright golden eyes, the whites haunted by only a tint of blue from the cursed gem. The killer was waiting for them to make the first move.
He was too calm. The group had expected an aggressive rush from him, and his casual attitude and silent confidence disturbed them only further. He stood looking as harmless as ever, a warm smile forced across his face. For a moment, he eerily reminded Lolo of the way Klonoa had always looked, and she once again found it hard to believe that it wasn't her old friend that was staring back at her. She felt a shiver shoot up her spine, quickly catching a gulp in her throat, and forcing out a guilty sliver of doubt that had somehow found its way into her mind.
The pale creature standing next to her, however; apparently Klonoa himself, looked absolutely sickened. He swiped his blade forward, un-able to take it any longer. "This is it Gemini! Just shut up and fight!" Anger tarnished his voice, his fangs bared.
Gemini didn't even flinch. "Hasty, aren't we?" He paused for another moment, a different sort of smile possessing his face. "Very well…then have it your way!" He suddenly shoved his hand forward, palm outstretched.
Startled gasps left the group as they were all thrown backwards, propelled by a gust of blue wind into the now closed doors before they even realized what hit them.
Lolo wheezed, trying to catch her breath as she looked up through a haze, not quite sure what had just happened. But before she had even managed to get back onto her feet, she caught sight of a white shape burst from the group out of the corner of her eye. "Klonoa!" The name formed on her lips, but came out as more of a muffled whisper, her breath still caught in her chest. And besides, it wasn't a name she should speak in front of Klonoa's unknowing imposter - as far as she knew, Gemini still hadn't realized 'Theo's' true identity.
The blade now wielded by the original Dream Traveler, Friedole's old sword, connected with Gemini's with a sharp clang, the edge held by his enemy's parry. They had their swords locked only for a moment, Gemini suddenly flicking his sword in a circle and causing the white creature to stubble backwards, losing his balance.
Klonoa was given no time to recover, barely stepping to the side as the blade that had once belonged to him was flung towards his lower neck, the clumsy dodge causing him to fall onto his rear with a badly timed thud.
"Is that all you have in you? You're even more pathetic than I thought!" The once-reptilian creature mocked, slashing his blade towards his helpless foe's chest. The force sent Klonoa to the floor, the original Dream Traveler finding himself with his own lost sword pinned up against his neck. He closed his eyes, not able to shake the feeling that he was about to be killed by his own reflection…he had failed even more miserably than before. Gemini smiled coldly, golden eyes gleaming in dark amusement. "Say goodnight now!"
"You leave him alone!" The high-pitched yell was enough to distract the killer momentarily, causing him to glance off in Lolo's direction – the girl glaring defiantly back as she took a few brave steps forward. He almost found himself laughing at how childish she sounded.
But the distraction had been enough, surprise registering on his face moments later as his legs were suddenly pushed out from underneath him by his foe, causing him to fall forward onto his face with an embarrassing gasp. He immediately flipped back up with surprising agility, fangs bared. He wasted no time in flinging his sword back towards Klonoa's direction as he stumbled to his feet as well after the kick.
A series of clangs followed as the white creature struggled to block his enemy's furious swipes, finding himself being forced slowly towards the wall – one of Gemini's favorite tricks, it would seem. This time, however, the killer felt a blow connect off to his side, letting out an unexpected screech as Eneste spun her blade around and slashed again, the vixen growling an aggravated curse as he deflected the second thrust and countered. He couldn't block two blows, however, and he winced in pain as he felt another blade pierce through the skin on his side.
Klonoa smiled triumphantly as his enemy jerked painfully away from his sword, still trying to hold Eneste back. His shoulder twisted awkwardly as he retreated, causing the edge of the blade to leave a ragged tear in his flesh as it left his body.
The once-reptilian creature jumped back stiffly, a hand to his side as he shuffled away from his foes. By then, though, the rest of the group had pretty much recovered, and he suddenly found himself faced with many more weapons. "Enough!" He shouted; an edge of pain detectible in his voice. He thrust his palm forward again, sending forth another blast of wind. This time, however, the group was braced for it, but it bought him enough time to draw a shield of blue over himself with his blade; both the ring and the pendent around his neck pulsing brightly.
The whole group came to a pause, as if not sure what they should do next – as far as they knew, there was no way to get past the shield.
Gemini grinned as he watched his foes take a few unsettled steps back, though as much as he tried to hide it, he had obviously lost a lot of blood already from the single, well-timed slash. "You're really not as tough as you like to think you are, are you? It doesn't take much to throw you off." Almost as soon as the killer had spoken those words, a blue flame erupted from beneath his feet; engulfing his whole body in indigo flames and sending a pillar of fire to the ceiling.
The group took edged away instinctively, recognizing what was coming.
Sure enough, when the smoke-less fire waned, a new figure was standing before them, with cold, solid blue eyes, elongated fangs, and demon wings – Gemini had wasted no time to use the sapphire transformation.
Klonoa grimaced in shock, as if wondering what Gemini had done to his body. In the back of her mind, it hit Lolo that this was the first time the original Dream Traveler had actually seen Gemini's transformation with his own eyes – he'd been unconscious during the change before.
A sudden clang sounded as Vioris unexpectedly charged forward, tired of gaping in fear; but the only surface his blade hit was that of their enemy's azure shield. He was propelled backwards violently as indigo fire shot up the metal of his sword, finding himself moments later with his back against the wall once again, blood spilling out from behind him. It had happened so fast that he hardly had time to realize what had just taken place.
Lolo looked back with wide eyes as she watched the sword-wielder struggle in his attempt to get back to his feet, but no one had any time to help him.
Another blaze of fire was suddenly shot through the air while the group was distracted by their wounded companion, grazing Eneste's leg as it whipped by. But they didn't have any chance to regain their balance as another shot followed right after, the members of the group still on their feet almost tripping over each other as they jumped to the side.
The spotted, agile feline, however, regained her footing quickly. Aquette reached back and fired a rapid arrow through the air, hoping to cease Gemini's firing, but instead found herself being the one to scramble backwards as a her arrow was reflected back to her in flames.
"Lolo, can you do anything about that shield? We'll never get anywhere with that in the way!" The words were Klonoa's as he jumped away from yet another blaze of blue flames.
The Priestess backed up slightly, realizing that he was asking her to use her own magic. She took in a few deep, nervous breaths, and then closed her eyes, trying to remember the words once more…
At that moment, Gemini had charged forward, his shield still around him in a sphere, clashing his blade with Leorina's, flipping around to block a swipe from Icarus as well. The whole group surged towards him, including Vioris, who had managed to recover.
Klonoa whipped around behind their foe, carefully prodding the shield with the tip of his sword. But it was no use, no matter at which angle it was they tried to attack, the sphere would flare up. He let out an inward, desperate sigh, watching Gemini flip his ring into his hands as he fired another bolt of blue fire towards Leorina.
He noticed the silver chain the sapphire was hung on, cutting tightly into the killer's neck. If only he could just reach over and grab it! He narrowed his eyes in frustration, feeling fresh hatred for Gemini all over again.
A bright white and blue light suddenly illuminated the dim room, a spark going off and sending him back a few paces. The whole group looked over in surprise, seeing Lolo with her palms pressed against Gemini's shield. White light shown from her wrists and ankles; blazing down her arms as she pressed forward with all her strength. The Verse of Light.
Gemini reached towards her, placing his own hands against hers. The Priestess staggered for a moment, being taken off guard as the shield's strength increased. The two stood facing each other, grimaces on their faces as they matched their magic against each other. Lolo closed her eyes once more in concentration, trying to summon fourth every bit of magic within her, the light on her wrists beginning to shine all the stronger as she continued pushing forward.
Klonoa saw the form of the sphere waver, the fire ebbing before flickering back. He also noticed blood start to seep out of Gemini's wound once more, the once-reptilian creature shutting his eyes in a wince of pain. Klonoa immediately swung his blade back, bringing it forward with all his might towards the blue fire.
The shield shattered like glass, no longer flames, but clear, broken bits. Gemini swung around in shock, just missing a blow to the neck from the original Dream Traveler. He jumped back in surprise, trying to get away from the group that surrounded him. But he staggered; his hands once again over the wound on his side, warm blood staining the fur on his fingers.
He gave his webbed wings a quick flap, the sapphire around his neck pulsating. He squinted his eyes, trying to hide the pain visible in them. "Forget it, I'm done with all of you!" He lifted up into the air slightly, keeping himself afloat with his wings. He turned, making quickly for the balcony.
"No! He's wounded, don't let him get away!" Leorina's voice called out. The group surged after him, Klonoa and Lolo bringing up the front. The white creature swiped out his blade furiously, just missing his enemy's tail as he ran. "Pathetic! The person that slaughtered me so easily can't truly be such a coward!" He cried out bitterly, hardly noticing anything else around him. Gemini spun his head around quickly as if confused by his pursuer's words, both of their eyes meeting for a flickering moment.
Klonoa swiped out vainly once again, almost crying out in fury. He was so focused on his enemy, however, that it came as a surprise to him when his foe suddenly lifted higher and he found himself instead face-to-face with the fence of the balcony.
He frantically tried to stop himself, but his feet slipped out from under him on the balcony's cold, icy floor. He smacked straight into the short fence, the speed of his approach causing him to flip right over it – sending him falling from the tower with scrapped legs and a stifled cry.
"Klonoa!" Lolo screamed without even thinking, seeing her friend fall from the edge. She raced forward in panic, finding herself losing foot-hold as well. She too hit the fence, tripping over the edge into the empty nothingness outside of the balcony, perhaps half-purposely…
The rest of the group came to an abrupt halt, stopping at the edge of the room before they hit the ice. Gemini still hovered just above the fence, looking down to where he'd seen his pursuers disappear into the misty clouds below them.
"Lolo, Klonoa! No!" Leorina cried; her eyes wide with shock. They were high up in what was probably the tallest tower of the ruins – there was no way anyone could survive that fall.
"…Klonoa." Gemini whispered the name on his lips thoughtfully: 'Lolo' was the name of the Priestess girl, but hadn't the name of the creature that had fallen been Theo? 'Klonoa' had been the name of the brat he'd killed – the one who'd originally in-habited what was now his body, and the part he'd had to play for a time too long. For a second, he had thought that the Priestess had once again relapsed into thinking that he was still her old friend when she'd used the name, but it didn't seem to have been addressed to him… And what was that the white thing himself been saying just a few moments ago?
He shrugged inwardly after a pause. Oh well, what did it matter now? The two were probably dead anyway.
Gemini looked back up once more, a strained smile on his face as he flew off, barely dodging an arrow as he ascended. His foes could only watch, un-able to stop him as he left them behind in emptiness and shock. He'd wait until they retreated before returning to the tower – the wound in his side stung, blood still seeping out onto his fur, and his wings ached terribly…he needed to find somewhere to rest up fast! He couldn't fly much longer…
Leorina walked carefully forward towards the end of the balcony, sliding her feet along ever so delicately to avoid slipping on the ice as her companions had. She put her hands on the edge of the short fence, looking down towards the gaping nothingness below. Through all of the layers of mist, the ground beneath the tower was not even visible. She had hoped desperately to see some sort of ledge or branch, anything that could offer any possibility of survival for the group's two missing members. But she saw nothing.
She swallowed hard, a dull ache tightening in her chest. She was aware in the back of her mind of the others slowly approaching, that is, Aquette, Eneste, Icarus, and the injured Vioris – her only remaining companions – but she didn't bother to look up. The four gathered around her, gazing down with terrified wide-eyes at the same grim view. None of them spoke a word.
"Oh Lolo…Klonoa…" The air pirate finally sighed, muttering the names beneath her breath. Leorina didn't consider herself to be a very emotional person, but the growing lump in her throat was hard to ignore. Too many people had lost their lives in this little escapade. Marris, Friedole, and now it seemed that Lolo and Klonoa were no more as well. The misty void in front of her had swallowed them up. Gone…just like that!
She almost found it hard to believe that the two of them really weren't coming back this time – in some strange way the two of them had always symbolized hope. They'd always somehow come through even the tightest of situations – Klonoa had even come back from death once before! And for them now to be taken away by such a stupid, pointless accident was just too much… She wanted to believe that somehow, someway, they could still be alive…but what 'way' would that be? …There was nothing.
The air pirate closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to look at the looming drop anymore. Out of all of her companions in the group, she'd had the most memories with them, going all the way back to when the Kingdom of Sorrow had first appeared. Even despite the fact that she'd never been particularly close to either of the two.
She'd actually started out as their enemy, but yet it had been after her first meeting with them, and the re-birth of Hyuponia, that her life had started to turn around again. She'd always identified with Lolo too, being a former Priestess herself and having gone through many of the same ordeals as the poor girl. She suddenly wished she'd known them better.
"What are we going to do now?" A dull voice abruptly asked, jolting the group's leader out of her thoughts. She moved her glance towards Vioris, who had been the one who'd spoken. "We go after Gemini, what else?" She answered un-enthusiastically, her eyes once again off into the distance. "But there's only five of us now…and none of us have any magic" Eneste pointed out, her voice glum. "What can we do?" "And how would we even find him?" Vioris questioned further.
This time Leorina only sighed, not bothering to answer. Perhaps it would be best to just give up. To go back across the ferry and have someone else sent to finish what they'd started. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to go back to her small, quaint home on the boarder of the Sea of Tears, between La-lakoosha and Hyuponia. Tat would surely be waiting anxiously for her, eager to get started on finishing their works in the Kingdom of Sorrow. But on the other hand, with Gemini already injured, this might be the best chance anyone would ever have at defeating him.
"I don't know…" She finally replied simply to Eneste's and Vioris' questions, not sounding particularly hopeful. "Well…he flew off that way, right?" Icarus started, pointing. "I don't think he could've gotten too far in that state, we could probably just go off in that direction and see what we can find."
Leorina nodded suddenly, trying to pull herself out of her slump. "Right. It's not very specific, but I guess that's all we can do. Our only other option would be to wait here for him, but it might be better if we're the ones to catch him off guard. And who knows if he's even coming back – he'll probably be on the defensive for a while with that wound."
"So…is that it, then?" Vioris wondered, looking for a confirmation of their plans. "I guess so." Leorina decided, finally turning fully around to face the group of three. "With Gemini wounded, we have an opportunity we can't ignore. Just…be cautious. We don't need any more casualties. If we get in over our heads we may have no choice but to run…in which case we would go back home and fetch more help." The others all nodded in acknowledgement, though Leorina somewhat doubted they'd even be able to escape if they needed to…
"But what about…" Aquette paused mid-sentence, her voice awkward. "…are we…going to search for them?" "Who?" Leorina turned, startled out of her own thoughts once again. "…Klonoa and Lolo." The feline archer clarified after brief hesitation, she didn't like being the first to bring the subject up. Leorina looked down. "No. I'm afraid there wouldn't be any point, there's no way they could still be alive, not after a fall like that… And it's too dangerous a place to go around searching for the dead." Dead. The word stung. It pained her to just leave her two companions down there, at the bottom of that horrible place. But just as when they had been forced to leave Friedole's body, she logically knew that it was a waste of time to deal with corpses. It wouldn't make any difference to them anymore, anyway…
"…But what if they did survive…somehow? What if they're lying down there with broken bones, unable to move or call for help?" Aquette added; her eyes sad. "It wouldn't be right just to leave them there…" Leorina sighed. Apparently it wasn't just her that had a hard time believing that the two could have been finished off by such a haphazard mishap. But she only shook her head. "There's no way…we're too high up. As much as I wish it were otherwise, I'm afraid the simple fact is that another two members of our group are gone…"
No one answered; their heads down. The air pirate forced herself to reclaim a little sparkle in her eye. Though it wasn't easy by any means, she knew that she was the one who had to get her disheartened companions through what they needed to do.
"…It wouldn't be right to just sit here and let Gemini get away, not after everything he's done. They wouldn't want that either – none of them! Come on…for Friedole, for Marris, for Lolo, and for Klonoa…let's head out before we waste anymore time!"
Lolo felt cold air whip into her face as she fell, the ground not even visible through the thick cloud cover; and yet she knew it was approaching at a rate far too quickly. All the same, she had managed to stay conscious, even though the pull made it feel like her insides were about to fall straight out of her.
"Klonoa!" She called out again, catching sight of a white shape plummeting ahead of her. She closed her eyes once more, reaching out towards him with one hand. Her whole body suddenly lit up with a pulsing, white shimmer, illuminating the dim mist that surrounded them.
Moments later, another bolt of light suddenly pierced its way through the snow, the original Dream Traveler's limp form suddenly sparking in the same shade as Lolo's. All at once, the two's descent started to slow, so suddenly that the Priestess' stomach lurched. Their falls decelerated, becoming more of a float than anything. Lolo couldn't help but smile to herself. It had only been a matter of seconds, but she'd pulled it off.
Klonoa was the first to reach ground, plopping face down into the snow. Lolo came down next to him moments later, landing gracefully on her feet. The glow around both of their bodies immediately ceased. They had dropped safely alongside the ruins, almost directly below the balcony they had fallen from, though the low cloud-cover kept it hidden from sight.
After a quick, nervous glance around at the frost-covered trees that surrounded them, the Priestess leaned down next to her still unconscious friend, his white fur blending in perfectly with the snow. …Except for a little red leaking from his old back wound and a few new scratches on legs. "Klonoa...are you alright?" She prodded his limp form with a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to rouse him when she got no response. "Come on…wake up."
At last he gave a quiet, in-audible mumble, pressing his face up from the snow with his palms a moment later. He groaned in disdain. "Oh thank goodness – you're alright!" Lolo blurted out quickly, sounding noticeably relieved. "…What…happened?" Her companion asked after a few blinks and a pause, his voice sounding thin and winded. He put a hand to his back, wincing at the pain from his reopened wound.
"You fell from the tower when you running after Gemini. I saved you!" Lolo explained abruptly, and perhaps over excitedly; she sounded like she was about to burst with pride. "…Oh." Klonoa replied simply, still confused and somewhat dazed. "Well, thank you…"
"I think I'm finally getting the hang of my magic!" The Priestess went on brightly, practically skipping around in the snow – the lights still on her wrists and ankles sparked, starting to glow brighter with her enthusiasm. "I only had a matter of seconds but I stopped us both from falling!" Klonoa blinked again. "…That's great, but…what happened to Gemini?" He asked distractedly, still out of breath. Lolo's smile faded immediately.
"I don't know… I think he flew off somewhere…" Her thoughts instantly soared back up to the tower, to where the rest of her companions presumably still were. She could only hope that they were all alright.
Klonoa grunted in frustration, balling his hands into fists and pounding them against the powdered ice. Lolo almost jumped at his reaction, shooting him a strange look. "…Hey, are you okay?" He didn't answer, much to her dismay. She bent over, trying to carefully pull her friend up from where he was, still on his knees. She noticed dampness in his eyes, causing her to jerk back a bit in surprise – he looked almost like he was about to burst into tears.
"…D…don't…there's nothing to cry about! I'm sure we'll find him!" She sputtered, not quite sure what to do. He didn't look well, and he was having a hard time standing up, despite the fact that he'd had a soft landing. She tried pulling him up again, this time getting him to his feet – though it was only to have him let out a sharp shriek and fall back to his knees moments later, a surprised gasp escaping the Priestess' mouth as her friend winced painfully.
Fresh red dribbled onto the snow, Klonoa shivering as more blood stained his fur. He'd obviously been pushing himself even before he had hit the fence and fallen – he wasn't in good shape at all. Nevertheless, he seemed to finally regain a bit of his senses, carefully trying to raise his body up himself. He succeeded in getting up on his feet, in a wobbly, hunched stance. He grabbed his sword as he got up as well; the weapon having fallen right next to him. Lolo reached over again gently, helping him to keep his balance.
Maybe it wasn't the time to go after Gemini. She knew how much the killer's defeat meant to her friend, and to her as well, but more than anything she didn't want to lose him again. "Klonoa, I think it might be best if we just go looking for the others…you're really hurt…you need some rest before we try to find Gemini." "No! …I'm alright. Really." The original Dream Traveler insisted, trying his best to sound convincing. He forced a smile across his face. Lolo, however, only frowned.
"How stupid do you think I am?" "…Huh, wait, I don't…" Klonoa sputtered, taken aback by her reaction. "Don't try to pretend you're perfectly fine! You were hurt even before the fight, and now your wound has completely re-opened – if you were to try and confront him now you know you would only get yourself killed!" Again. She almost added the word, but decided that maybe it was best to leave that whole subject alone for the time being.
Her companion looked away, his head down in defeat. "Fine." His voice sounded utterly pathetic. She sighed, for a moment wondering if her response had been too harsh. Determination and a tendency to pretend that everything was alright were traits that had been a part of the Klonoa she knew since back when they had first met. "Look, Gemini suffered some wounds as well – I don't think he'll recover too quickly. Besides, I doubt we could find were he went off to even if we tried."
Klonoa didn't reply at first, taking a glance off into the distance. "But how are we going to find the others either?" Lolo almost flinched at the question. The thought had crossed her mind before, but she hadn't been wanting to think about that, even though they didn't really have a choice. "…I think the best thing would be just to go back to camp… They'll probably show up there later on their own." "I hope that they don't go looking for Gemini without us…" Klonoa wondered thoughtfully. "I hope not – there's only five of them – but there's not really much else we can do except for to go back. I don't think they'll come looking for us – they probably all just assuming that we're dead." As much as it made her cringe to think about it, Lolo admitted to herself that the group probably wouldn't waste time looking for their bodies in such a dangerous area, not when they thought there was nothing they could do for them anyway.
Klonoa nodded absently. "Come on, let's go." Lolo prompted hurriedly, already turning around – the sooner they got out of there, the better. For a moment, however, she was disoriented, unable to tell which way they had first climbed up to the ruins from. They had fallen from one of the taller towers. She strained her mind, trying to remember where that had been relative to where they had first ascended. "I think it was this way…" She mumbled uncertainly, but almost as soon as she said the words, a distant crash resounded from somewhere in the forest, branches and leaves crumbling to the ground with a series of loud cracks.
Klonoa's short, white ears perked up immediately. "Wait, what was that?" Almost before Lolo knew it, he had ripped himself from her helpful arms and was off in a limping sprint, even despite his injuries. The Priestess whipped around. "Klonoa! No, come back!" She had no choice but to take off running after her companion.
With his slow, injured gate, he wasn't hard to catch up with, but by the time she reacted he had already made a clumsy dash through a few yards of trees, into the first part of the forest lining the old temple. He stopped in his tracks at almost the same moment she reached him, but for what seemed like an entirely different reason. Lolo strained her eyes forward, following where her friend's gaze was set. She could have cursed, her heart picking up a sudden rush of speed in her chest.
A familiar, long-eared figure with battered wings was crouched on the ground not far ahead, covered in leaves and panting for breath. Blood was still spilling out of the wound on his side, and he was hunched over as if in pain, one of his shaking hands placed over his gash. Their foe had probably been forced to make a haphazard landing, due to exhaustion from his wound. He didn't seem to have noticed them yet.
Klonoa, unfortunately, was the first to react. "…Gemini!" He lurched forward with his blade raised, but an aghast Lolo managed to grab his arm as he took off, pulling him back. Gemini might have been injured, but so was Klonoa, and they were alone against the powerful killer – the sapphire still glowing an icy blue from where it hung on his neck.
Gemini had looked up at the sound of his name. He didn't make much reaction, but Lolo could see him staring coldly out of the side of his now azure eyes. She could see the grip tighten on his sword as well. He almost looked surprised; he'd probably assumed them dead after their fall. For once, he didn't seem to be in the mood to fight, but it was clear that he was still ready to defend himself if the two were foolish enough to come near him.
Lolo took a few steps backwards, still gripping her friends arm. His footing remained steadfast to the spot, however. "…Klonoa, let's just go – we can't fight him on our own." She whispered, though with Klonoa's ears she wouldn't have been surprised if Gemini could hear them anyway. "No. Now's our chance – he's hurt!" He insisted determinedly, trying to pull away from her. "So are you." The Priestess reminded him sharply, pulling him back with a jerk so that he was face to face with her. "Just the two of us don't stand a chance. Even if he's injured, he still has his magic!"
Klonoa's face fell, looking like he had heard her, though she could see that his eyes were still set on his foe, full of un-disguised hatred. It was almost painful for him to pass up this chance. He nodded, slowly. But just as they were about to turn back, Gemini had to open his mouth. "…Cowards, turning your back on a weakened foe." He muttered under his breathe, just loud enough for them to hear. He raised his eyes, looking directly at Lolo, even though she had her back turned. "Priestess girl, tell all the rest of your companions to stay well away if they know what's good for them – I wont forgive this! If I ever see any of your faces again you will face the same fate as your miserable, dear little friend." Both the Priestess and the original Dream Traveler stopped in their tracks at the mention to Klonoa's former murder.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Gemini tensed, perhaps realizing his mistake, but his pride hadn't let him watch them leave without saying anything. After a brief pause, Lolo just kept walking, knowing that it was best not the let him get to her. But Klonoa didn't move, the whole of his white body shaking. He gritted his teeth, once again tightening the grip on his blade. The Priestess reached out for his hand impulsively, but he pulled away from her, dashing towards his own killer. "That's enough, I won't take this anymore!" "Klonoa, no!" Once again, Lolo found herself running helplessly after her companion.
Their two blades clashed seconds afterwards, Klonoa dashing forward in a rush. Gemini hadn't reacted quite quick enough to get back to a fighter's stance – still half-way up, and supporting himself on one knee. The sapphire around his neck pulsed, brightening as he pushed forward against the original Dream Traveler's sword, giving his stolen, somewhat weak body an increase in physical strength. From purely a muscle standpoint, it was as if he'd never been injured at all.
The killer suddenly shoved his blade forward with a burst of energy, knocking Klonoa down to his back momentarily. This gave Gemini himself time to get all the way back up to his feet, but his foe didn't waste any time in lunging right back at him, though the tumble surely hadn't helped his injuries at all. The two enemies spun and stumbled throughout the small clearing as they clashed and dodged repeatedly in their one on one sword duel, almost as if in some strange, macabre, dance. It wasn't a particularly pretty sight, the blood seeping from both of their wounds painting their fur red.
Lolo watched wide-eyed, keeping shelter next to one of the nearby trees, unsure of what to do now. What had Klonoa done? Even if she was to convince him to run, was Gemini going to follow them now? But even getting her companion to flee was unlikely, he was in a fervor now, and she doubted that anything she could say would take him out of his frenzy. All of his hate for the assassin in the woods had been unsheathed at once, and she didn't think she'd ever seen him so angry. And yet there was no way that she could just abandon him.
Panic slowly contaminated her mind, threatening to overtake her logic. In a way, she understood his point about this being one of the best opportunities they would have against Gemini, the wound caused by Klonoa's lucky strike earlier that day bleeding more than ever. At this rate, it was actually possible that the killer might go down if they could keep him in combat long enough, but with his own wounds, Klonoa surely would too…probably before he ever got a chance to take his body back from his foe.
Lolo suddenly snapped to her senses, rushing forward towards the once-reptilian creature herself. She swiped a nimble hand across his back, sending a burst of energy forward as white light blazed down her arm.
Gemini shrieked, falling over onto his face with a jerk. He flipped to his back with his blade raised just in time to avoid having his opponent's sword cut into his neck. "Klonoa, please, stop!" Lolo burst out, still standing next to the scene as the original Dream Traveler engaged his foe. "If you keep this up you'll die!"
He never raised his eyes. "I already did."
She blinked, surprised by the dullness and indifference in his voice as he answered. What did he mean? Was he even afraid of death anymore?
Gemini suddenly shoved a palm forward, forcing Klonoa back with a beam of blue fire. Lolo stumbled backwards messily, just managing to avoid the blast; for a second she had almost forgotten that she was standing right next to a murderer.
She reached out a hand of her own again as Gemini jumped up, but this time she hadn't caught the killer so off guard with her clumsy attack – her foe side-stepping it easily as he blocked another of his original victim's relentless blows.
Lolo found herself having a hard time concentrating on the fight, her mind swarming. "But…Klonoa,I don't want you to loose you again!" Her companion's strength faltered momentarily, before the presence of his enemy's sword near his face reminded him to keep pressing against it. "The only reason I'm even alive now is to defeat him. I'm like a ghost in this world – by all reasoning I'm dead! His death is my sole purpose now. I'm here to fix what my original defeat put in motion, at any cost…even if it means that I don't get to stay."
Lolo said nothing for a moment. A pang hit her in the stomach, sending a chill down her spine at the cold and distant reply. "But what are you saying? Don't you want to live? Don't you want to stay here?" With me, she almost added, but she chocked the last two words back. "Don't you care anymore?" She was aware of water starting to drip down her cheeks, tasting salt against her tongue. She hated to get so emotional at a time like this, but the ache in her chest was overtaking her logic, all of the stress from the last few days coming out at once, re-injured.
A few days before, when Klonoa had exposed his identity, it had taken her a while for what he had told her to seep into her head, but she'd been happy. She'd had him back. While they had rested in camp that day, he'd acted like his old self. It had been strange for her to associate the un-familiar white figure with her friend, but for a while she'd been able to pretend that nothing was wrong. He was back – everything was alright again. No harm done. She should've known it was all too good to be true.
"You told me that you could keep this life!"
"If I defeated Gemini." Now she could see tears dampening Klonoa's face as well. "I was sent back to kill him, and for no other reason. If I can come through this alive and take my body back, then I can truly reclaim my life…I can be myself again. But until then all I can do is give all that I have into helping you guys defeat him while I'm still here. I have no other choice!" He paused slightly. "Even if I was to run away, to go back home…this body I'm in now wont last much longer, it's…only meant to be temporary."
Realization suddenly hit Lolo. He wasn't meant to stay forever, not like that. He couldn't. …How much more time did he even have? Was that why he'd been so frantic?
By now Gemini's stolen eyes were stretched wide as well, having picked up on their conversation. For a moment he looked genuinely shocked. "Wait…you mean you're…?"
"Lolo, please, just help me!" Klonoa suddenly broke, crying out almost pleadingly. "There's both of us against him – we still have a chance!" Lolo, with a quick shake of her head to clear her mind, dashed forward, realizing that he was right. Now was not the time to give up and mope. She threw her hand towards where Klonoa and Gemini held each other in a sword lock, successfully zapping her foe with another current of white energy. He flinched, digging his feet into the ground as the holy magic surged through him, but still he managed to hold his ground.
Klonoa did take the opportunity for a well-placed lunge however, Gemini barely managing to tumble out of the way before taking a light hit to his chest. The killer countered by raising an arm to block a second thrust, the blade clanging against an invisible barrier as the sapphire pendent flashed. He didn't seem to be able to re-create his shield yet, but apparently he could still block with temporary barriers.
Another flash preceded, a ring of blue fire suddenly bursting from around Gemini, and sending both Klonoa and Lolo falling back with a screech.
They got to their feet painfully, scalding wounds on their knees and lower legs, but just as they stumbled up, another surge of fire followed. Lolo half dodged, half fell to the side – just managing to avoid getting the tip of her tail singed, but Klonoa had anticipated it enough to be able to jump over, coming down with the edge of his sword pointed towards his foe.
Gemini side-stepped, sending out a stream of fire this time, aimed specifically for his original victim. Klonoa managed to stumble to left of the blue blaze; twisting to the side as the beam of fire arced and homed straight for him, causing it fizzle out as it connected with a nearby tree instead of its target. But he didn't get to stay on his feet long as Gemini sent forward yet another blue blast with his palm, knocking a shaky Klonoa to the ground.
"Creepy little thing." Gemini spoke as he took a few steps forward, slowly advancing on the fallen Dream Traveler. "I don't know why or how you're here, but it's time for you to heading back now. What makes you think you have any more of a chance this time? If I can kill you once, I can kill you again!"
Lolo however, still struggling to steady herself, thought she could detect almost a bit of fear in his voice, or at least apprehension. Perhaps it was just the idea of the whole thing that was making him a bit uneasy.
The former reptile slammed his blade down towards the neck of his enemy, who was still lying exposed on the ground. Klonoa did manage to block it, holding the sword above his head, but all it took was a quick, well-placed swipe from Gemini and the blade swung out of his sweaty hands, landing against a tree several feet away with a dull clang.
Klonoa managed a startled gasp, straining to look behind himself at were it had fallen. He desperately tried in vain to reach for it, trying to struggle to his feet, but just as he started to recover he felt a hard weight slam into his chest, pushing him to the ground once more. He gagged under the pressure as Gemini held him down, squirming helplessly as a single foot pressed against his torso kept him pinned against the powdery ice.
Normally Klonoa would have been able to just throw Gemini off. After all, his enemy was currently in what had been his original body, and was not really any larger or stronger physically than his current form was, even in his transformation, but aside from just the extra strength the sapphire gave his foe, he felt a startlingly sudden surge of weakness throughout the whole of his white body, pain shooting all up his spine. A familiar, deathly darkness appeared and then waned at the edges of his line of vision, threatening to overtake the scene before him. The snow beneath his white form was painted completely red, blood from his wound smeared all around the place where he struggled.
"My, my…you without a sword. …This somehow seems familiar, doesn't it?" Gemini leaned in close to Klonoa's face as he spoke the words, his voice like velvet spite. But the original Dream Traveler wasn't looking, his eyes closed and head turned weakly to the side. The killer frowned briefly, but his expression turned quickly again to a smile as he raised his blade, once again swiping it downwards. The dangerous silver edge was aimed directly to sever his victim's head from his shoulders.
"No!" Gemini didn't react fast enough at the female shriek, yelping as a sudden, unexpected rush of white heat whipped through his body. His legs buckled, sending him crumbling to his side as he was hit with a dart-like concentration of magic. For a few moments he had almost forgotten that Lolo was there.
For a moment, he just lay there still; fighting with a temporary paralysis as the Priestess dashed over. But the effects of the magic didn't last quite as long as Lolo had hoped, for just as she approached the killer bolted to his feet, swinging his sword forward with a slash – straight towards her. "Brat!" He snarled, lips pulled back to reveal Klonoa's sharp fangs – his voice wrought with fury. Lolo swung her body to the right, managing to narrowly dodge the blade of her still slightly disoriented foe.
She thrust her palms forward towards Gemini's back, sending another shockwave through her foe. He let out a cry, shuddering but keeping his ground. Lolo pressed harder in frustration as she kept the energy flowing into him, almost knocking her wincing foe over on strength alone.
The Priestess blinked, suddenly feeling something scrape against her fingers as her foes knees buckled, causing his back to bend as he struggled to stay standing. She gingerly felt through the fur on the back of his neck as she continued to shock him, feeling something rough catch between her fingers. She gasped, sudden realization sweeping through her. The chain.
Gripping it with her glowing palms, she suddenly ceased the magic and yanked with all of her might. Gemini gagged terribly as the chain cut into the front of his neck, leaving him fighting for air. Finally free from the attack, he tried to lurch himself away from her grasp, but the more he pressed forward the more he felt the chain tighten around his throat, choking him. He reached for the pendent with his free hand, pulling it in the opposite direction that she was in desperation to loosen the pressure on his neck. Light-headedness worked its way into his mind as he squirmed, un-able to breath.
Gemini suddenly found himself with his face in the snow, the string of metal having snapped and sent him falling. Lolo stood with the chain in her hands, the Dark Sapphire still dangling from it dangerously…pulsing a dim, dull blue.
"Here, Klonoa! Catch!" She called, remembering the original Dream Traveler's plan to 'bond' with the gem himself. But just as she was about to toss the gem, she held back, a cold jolt suddenly hitting her in the stomach.
Klonoa hadn't gotten up. He was still lying limp in the exact same spot, not moving; his fur tainted a sickening pink.
"…Klonoa!" She repeated, sudden panic rising in her voice as she hurried over to where her friend lay. She passed Gemini, the killer still helplessly gasping for air, his own wounds seeping red. She sent another bolt of energy into him as she ran.
"…Klonoa?" Lolo whispered his name gently, bending down over her fallen companion. She put a gentle hand to his face, slowly lifting his head when he didn't respond. His eyes opened wearily, lending the Priestess a sigh a relief. "Lolo?" He replied, sounding slightly disoriented. Her alarm returned instantly, noticing the weakness in his voice.
She felt Klonoa's muscles tense as he tried to pull his body into a sitting position, only to fall limp against her hand again with a painful moan. His left leg kicked as his whole form jerked, his muscles going into a brief spasm as he struggled.
"Ahhk!" Lolo suddenly shrieked, fumbling herself and Klonoa's limp form to the side as a blade came down nearly right on top of them. She held up her wrist, blocking the attack with a small barrier of her own. Gemini snarled in hatred, thrusting his sword forward once more. She managed to block again, kicking one of her own feet into him in the process, and sending him backwards for only a moment with another light, shock-like attack.
Foolish. Foolish, foolish, foolish! She should have tried to finish the fiend off herself while he had still been fighting for air, or at the very least have taken his blade.
"Klonoa, here, take this. Hurry!" She spoke the words in a rush as she bent down, forcibly placing the gem in the fallen Dream Traveler's weak hands. His terrified eyes were wide, despite the limpness of the rest of body.
Lolo sped off; snatching the sword her companion had dropped a foot or two away. She barely had time to rush back before her foe slammed his blade towards her lone companion, desperate to take back the sapphire. She swung the sword she'd grabbed forward, blocking his lunge with the edge. She sent out a bolt of energy from her palm, dodging a stream of blue fire as her enemy sidestepped her own attack. As before, the once-reptilian creature could use the magic even without the sapphire directly in hand. She leapt to the left as the homing flames turned behind her, coming right back. She escaped the whole of the blaze, but a few strands of hair fizzled as the beam passed by.
Somewhere on the edge of her hearing, she could hear whispering as she sent another of her own attacks forward. Klonoa was trying to use the sapphire himself!
"Stone of the Ages, hear my voice…" Klonoa's eyes were closed as he spoke, not purposely but out of weakness, the words quiet and strained. He didn't fight the strange sensation he felt well up inside of him as he held the stone this time – he didn't have the strength. Heat started to pulse near his heart, where he rested the gem. A speck of light appeared inside the sapphire, separate and different than the glows the stone put out with each of Gemini's attacks. "I, the Incarnate of Dreams, command you to bring forward the darkness you have taken in once to save me – the midnight thoughts in the hearts of all souls…" He hesitated briefly, the magic flowing inside of him feeling foreign and strange, yet at his point he didn't even have the will to feel frightened. He gasped momentarily, trying to find the air to finish. "…I call that power to me now! …Awaken!"
Klonoa and Gemini both shrieked at once, a blinding azure flash rising up from the pendent like a beacon. Flames of all colors blazed around them both, shifting from lighter shades to darker. However, unlike the dazzling display that had appeared when Gemini had first awoken the sapphire himself, these flames just crackled and snapped as if angry…rising and ebbing un-predictably, not only around the two Dream Traveler's, but in the area between them as well – a line of sparking blue light connecting them both. Never before had two people tried to call upon the Dark Sapphire at once; the actual results were unknown.
A slightly singed Lolo stumbled to the side, her eyes stretched wide with a mixture of horror and awe, and her face pale. "Klonoa!" She managed to cry out, terrified for her friend. It was hard to tell what was happening through the chaos of fire and light, but she could guess from the ongoing screams from both her friend and her foe that it wasn't good.
She strained her eyes towards Gemini, his stolen, yet familiar shape nothing more than a silhouette against the bright blaze of the flames. He was hunched over miserably, his whole body shaking and jerking. His fur was on end as the fire crackled around him, azure eyes shut firmly in a grimace. Klonoa wasn't fairing any better, his weak white form curled tightly on the ground in pain as the uncontrollable magic surged through both of them. The stone was a ways in front of him, glowing a strange, sickly pink too bright to look at. He had probably tossed it instinctively after it had gone amuck – its balance completely thrown off when a second person had called upon it. It showed no sign of stopping.
A gulp worked its way into Lolo's throat, the Priestess realizing that if the chaos continued it would surely kill both of the already wounded Dream Travelers…and even if it did, what would happen then? It couldn't handle having them bonded to it at once, and the sapphire was on a rampage of its own.
"No! Klonoa!" She called out again in desperation, her voice not even audible above the sounds of the blaze and the shrieks of the sapphire's awakeners. She considered running to her friend's side, she wanted to, but fear kept her shaking feet anchored to the ground, stiff with anxiety. Something told her there was nothing she could do anyway; she had no control over the sapphire – even with her skills as a Priestess there was no way she could stop it! Terrified tears dribbled down her cheeks, her body begging her to run. Whatever happened was going to happen, and there wasn't a thing she could do!
All of the sudden she noticed movement in the corner of her eye, bringing her back to reality. Gemini's black silhouette shifted as he slowly raised his head, his muscles fighting the burning sensation all through his salvaged form. He smiled; a strange, dark smile – Lolo watching as the flames momentarily spread light across his face. His eyes narrowed, the blue tone that they'd had since his transformation gleaming viciously; an odd, wry certainty coloring his expression. And then he fell. His stolen body dropping to the ground like a stone.
It was over. Like nothing had ever happened. All at once the terrifying lights dimmed, the noise ceasing to silence. The magic reduced to a dim, pink pulse, contained inside of the sapphire.
Lolo couldn't even bring herself to speak as she suddenly raced over to the still shape of her friend. She dropped the sword she'd been carrying, her muscles still jittery and stiff. Klonoa groaned and jerked as she approached, still managing to open his eyes, if barely. "Klonoa!" She cried out in relief as she reached him and bent down again, amazed that he was even still alive at all. "Oh Goddess! Are you alright?"
He didn't answer at first, his weak eyes still filled with terror and shock. There were mild burns all over his body, but not to the extent there would have been had it been normal fire. His fur was on end, his whole form twitching. "…Is Gemini?" Lolo could barely make out the words, Klonoa's voice failing him.
She quickly got to her feet at the question, hesitantly approaching the place where the body had fallen. The familiar shape appeared as nothing more than a black lump in the snow, its singed coat standing out in stark contrast to the blooded snow beneath it.
When she got closer, Lolo could see that the body had come out of the sapphire transformation, appearing as it always had naturally before. She couldn't help a strange gulp as she kneeled over the familiar, unmoving shape. She still thought more of Klonoa than of Gemini when she saw it, she couldn't help it. It was a challenge to remind herself that her old friend was in fact still alive, although maybe not for too much longer if she didn't hurry.
Gingerly, she shifted a foot, prodding the body gently in the cheek. No reaction. She nudged a little harder, pushing the thing over onto its back. It wasn't breathing, blank golden eyes cracked open unseeingly. Gemini's final, wicked smile had faded from the familiar face, fangs protruding slightly from its awkward, limp mouth. It didn't seem like Gemini anymore, not at all.
"…He's…dead." She whispered, mostly to herself, as if it would somehow help the sight before her sink in. She twitched slightly as she reached her hand down, not particularly wanting to touch the dead thing. She knew, though, that there was no way Klonoa was going to be getting up, her thoughts going back to the white creature immediately as she tried to remind herself again about her friend's true condition.
She reached underneath the neck of the still-warm, furred remains tentatively, grimacing slightly as she gathered the scruff between her fingers. She hurried back to the side of her friend's white form, dragging the corpse along through the snow by the tips of her fingers.
"He's dead." She repeated, this time so that Klonoa could hear her. She plopped the body down right beside him, the lifeless flesh hitting the ground with a dull thump. Her companion barely raised his head, even though his eyes widened slightly. "Hurry! All of the wounds will heal if you take it back…right? And then you'll be okay!"
"Can you…turn it around?" Klonoa replied weakly, urgency somehow finding its way into his quiet, strained voice.
Lolo did as he asked, positioning the corpse so that Klonoa was face to face with his old features; his eyes blinking uncomfortably as the familiar ones of the empty shell stared back in a glaze, the expression blank. After a few ragged, nervous breaths, he reached out one of his jittery hands, placing it over the chest of his vacant old body, where the heart lay, once again un-beating. He closed his eyes once again.
His white form disappeared so suddenly that Lolo almost jumped, her own heart suddenly pounding in alarm. He was gone. 'Theo' was no more, not even a trace remaining of the pale shape; it was only the lifeless lump of flesh that still lay silently in the snow. For a moment there was nothing, the other body as still as ever. She somehow managed to swallow, her breath catching in her throat. What if something had gone wrong? …What if he wasn't going to wake up?
Suddenly, as if on cue to her thoughts, there was a brief flash, and the pile of black furred flesh beside her jerked, taking in a sharp gasp. Lolo flinched back again, slightly started. Her eyes quickly worked their way up the shape in front of her. The wounds and burns were gone. The thing put its palms on the ground, trying clumsily to shove itself up as its breathing slowly steadied.
The Priestess forced herself to help, hesitantly reaching out and supporting the head with her shaky right hand. Some part of her was still afraid that it would be Gemini that awoke, after having become so used to forcing herself to recognize the familiar form as the killer, but then after a tense moment golden eyes slowly opened, light returning to them and the glaze slowly disappearing. Lolo was all at once able to tell the difference, the beginning of a shy grin showing on her face. He smiled.
"Klonoa!" She cried happily, yanking the weak figure up and into her arms. He uttered something in reply, but the words were drowned out as Lolo held his head against her chest, squeezing him tightly. He didn't seem to object, still smiling.
"It's you, it's really you! You did it!" The Priestess squealed like an overly excited child. "You're back to normal, and Gemini's dead! I can't believe it! We did it! It's wonderful! It's really wonderful, isn't it?" She questioned gleefully as she slowly relaxed her grip, letting Klonoa finally take in a deep breath. He managed a brief nod, still looking tired and quite worn out. His body itself must've been weary, too, after the battle as Gemini's from.
"You actually did it – you were able to the use the sapphire this time." Lolo pointed out slightly more calmly, even though her own breathing was still coming quickly. "Does that mean that you got used to the magic?" He looked down slightly. "I was so weak, I don't know. In a way it was a good thing, since I couldn't really fight it." The Priestess blinked happily, liking hearing the real Klonoa speak in his actual voice again, as opposed to the slightly higher pitched tone of 'Theo'. "I'm sure that you'll get used to it now, since you've used magic once, you can probably do it again. You have all of your old powers back now, don't you? Maybe you can make use of them now!"
Klonoa nodded again. "…I suppose so." "Did you see me at all?" Lolo wondered, her eyes bright. "I fought pretty good, I think." The light around her palms had faded, the Verse having ceased. The Dream Traveler smiled once more. "You saved me…again. Gemini would've chopped my head off if you hadn't stopped him." She grinned back, obviously enjoying the praise. "No biggie, you've done the same for me…lots of times."
Lolo's smile suddenly widened, her over excitement coming back in a wave. "Oh Klonoa, I'm so happy! We did it, all by ourselves we stopped Gemini; I can't believe it! You're alive, you're still here – I'm so glad!" She pulled him closer again, beaming. "Amazingly." Klonoa added dryly. "Calling on the sapphire myself didn't quite go as I planned… I thought it would cause the power to be weakened and divided between us, but instead it went amuck!" He hesitated a moment before continuing. "Say Lolo, what happened to Gemini anyway? I was weaker than him; I should've been the first one to go…"
The Priestess slackened her embrace again, distance creeping into her mind along with the images of that strange smile, and his silhouette falling to the ground. "I…I don't know. He was all tense and curled, like you, and then he just raised his head and smiled. …This weird, freaky smile! And then he…he died." "So that's it huh, he died? Just like that?" Klonoa's voice was thoughtful. "But that doesn't make any sense." Lolo just nodded. "It was strange. …He looked spiteful, but he didn't look upset, or scared or anything. And yet I know he knew what was going to happen."
The Dream Traveler looked down blankly, an anxious tinge working its way into his mind; yet a smile lit his face again as soon as he realized what he was doing. His fingers were rubbing up and down on the golden rim of the ring, the familiar item still attached to the bracelet Gemini had put on his arm. He'd always done it when he was nervous or in deep thought, a sort of subconscious habit. The ring was something he'd always carried with him for almost as long as he could remember, he'd felt so strange without it. It seemed so right now, to have it back in his hands, and not to mention in hands that he actually recognized!
"We should probably start thinking about trying to find the others." Klonoa brought up, his voice distracted, though Lolo hardly noticed. "Right. I can't wait to tell them all what happened!" The Priestess got to her feet, brushing snow off of her battered skirt. The Dream Traveler got up slowly, finally feeling strength start to return to his body. He wobbled a bit before steadying himself. "You okay?" The Priestess concerned. "Yeah, fine. It's just been a while, you know?" He answered simply, pulling crusted ice off of his long ears. The texture of his own, messed-up fur felt foreign to him at first, a lot longer and finer in comparison to the shorter, rougher coat his 'Theo' incarnation had possessed. He'd almost gotten used to it.
Lolo nodded, realizing that switching bodies certainly would be a strange sensation. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it might feel like. "…Does it feel good to be back to normal?" She asked as she went over to pick up the sword she had dropped earlier. Klonoa collected the other, grinning as he put his own sword back into his belt, running his fingers lightly across the surface of the blade nostalgically. "Yeah… It feels…strange, but good."
"We finally get to go home now! You can get some more normal clothes then, too. Maybe that'll make you feel better." Lolo wasn't sure how else to reply. Klonoa was still dressed in the cloak Gemini had adorned his body with, bloodstains from his now healed wounds, spilled from both his current form and from his former 'Theo' incarnation, still painting it with red splotches. The look really didn't suit him at all.
"Oh! What about the sapphire? Is it still…'bonded' with you?" The thought suddenly occurred to the Priestess as she walked back over to her companion, catching a glint in the corner of her eye. Klonoa glanced over at it, nodded hesitantly. He reached down to pick it up, using caution. "It's…still pink." The Dream Traveler's voice sounded troubled as he looked it over, clearly not pleased with its unusual color.
"What does that mean exactly?" Lolo questioned, sounding a bit worried. "It's not going to go crazy and hurt you again, is it?" Klonoa shook his head thoughtfully. "I don't know why it's still this color, but I don't think so." He answered slowly. "Maybe that will just be its natural color now, since it got all messed up when you both tried to use it." The Priestess suggested hopefully. "Maybe…" The Dream Traveler didn't sound very convinced.
"What should we do with it now that it's been awakened?" Lolo wondered aloud, not sure what would be the best option as far as handling the deadly thing. "I guess I'll just take it with me for now…" Her companion replied uncertainly. "Maybe once we get home we can figure something better out…" "Is that safe?" Lolo questioned, sounding concerned. "I think so." He answered, thinking. "I'll be careful not to use it for anything." He put the pendent around his neck as he spoke, tightening the latch.
"Well, I guess we should start looking for the others then." The Priestess prompted, suddenly eager to reunite with the rest of her companions. Her long-eared friend smiled; his golden eyes now as bright and familiar as they'd always been. "Yeah."
So there it finally is – Klonoa's back to normal! But the battle actually isn't over yet…
Again, I'm really sorry about the huge gap between chapters…my goal when I first started this fic was to have it finished before it's one year anniversary – Valentine's Day – but when I missed that self-set date, I lost a bit of drive for a while, and constant schoolwork didn't help either…
But the next chapter should come much quicker, considering that I already have it about 3/4ths of the way written…so that and a short epilogue (which I'll upload at the same time) should be posted quite soon!