Disclaimer: I do not own any Klonoa characters… The others are mine, though.
Chapter 7: Circus of Hell
The audience cheered excitedly as Pango, Klonoa, and Guntz were introduced. The rope Klonoa was so carefully trying to balance on jiggled slightly, forcing him to move a bit. Pango was still struggling with his bombs and unicycle, unable to look away from them. With a snap of his fingers, Joka disappeared and reappeared in the cage Guntz was in.
On his round body was now a tuxedo and a black top hat. A whip and a red blanket appeared in his white hands. He held out the blanket with two hands and waved it. "Come along, little doggy," he taunted. "Hmph, I'm not gonna be provoked that easily," Guntz grinned. "Oh?" Joka asked. He stopped waving the blanket. On it, a picture then started showing.
Guntz' eyes narrowed at the sight of it. "Aw, well ain't this just the cutest little thing you ever did see?" Joka laughed. On the blanket showed two creatures that looked somewhat similar to Guntz; one much younger and one much older. They were smiling and laughing at each other.
Joka waved the blanket slightly and the image changed. "Oops. Look'it that," he chuckled. Now on the blanket was a purple cat-looking creature with large claws… then the older Guntz-looking character… then blood… Maniacal laughter and the pitiful wailing of a child ran through Guntz' ears. He shivered, teeth tightly clenched.
"Now, now. Must I continue?" Joka asked, waving the blanket a few times. Guntz' eyes were becoming watery as he started growling. "You bastard!!" He screamed furiously, running for him at full speed. He snapped his fangs at Joka, but the clown easily dodged. "What was that about not being provoked so easily?" he teased as Guntz snapped at him again.
"What a unique show. Though the costumes seem a bit much," commented a woman in the audience near Nikki and Chris.
"I suppose. But it makes it more enjoyable for kids," replied a man.
"At least the costumes look real, especially the teeth of that werewolf."
Nikki struggled in her seat. "Damn it…! Don't those people realize that they're doing this against their will?" she growled. Chris sat still. "Well, of course not. People never come to circuses and think on behalf of the performers," he said. Nikki turned to him sharply.
"Aren't you even going to try to break free?!" she asked. "Already taken care of." Chris smiled as he raised his freed hands, one holding a pocket knife. Nikki blinked. "Why didn't you—" Chris cut her off by covering her mouth. "You never know, this guy could have eyes on the walls. We gotta keep quiet," he warned.
Nikki blinked, then nodded slowly and looked forward. For the first time, she thought Chris pretty smart as he silently began cutting at her ropes.
Guntz made a sharp yelp as a whip struck him in the face. "Come on, now. You're making this too easy. The audience wants a show," Joka taunted, snapping his whip in the air. Guntz bared his fangs, snarling as a drop of blood slid down the side of his face. "Guntz! Don't let him get to your head!" Klonoa called from high above.
"Shut it!" Joka demanded as he pointed a finger at him. Suddenly, the rope Klonoa was so barely balancing on began jiggling violently. "W-Whoa!" Klonoa yelped as he struggled to keep his footing, the pole he was holding waving helplessly. "Keep yappin' like that and I'll make you fall." Joka turned to Guntz, who was finally calming down from his rage. "And you. Quit comin' at me and I'll only ensure that."
Guntz was panting slightly from chasing after Joka. "I'm done playing your games, clown," he growled. "Oh? That's just too bad. 'Cause I've just begun!" A large metallic ring appeared in Joka's hand and he held it up. With a snap, it lit afire. "C'mon, doggy. The lions here can do it, I'm sure you can," he said, swinging it slightly.
"I have a better game we can play. It's called 'kill the clown,'" Guntz suggested, not moving. "Oh? That sounds like lots of fun!" Joka replied enthusiastically. "Yeah? Well, here's how it goes!" Guntz lunged at Joka again, fangs bared. Joka didn't move. With a chuckle, he snapped his fingers just a Guntz was about to snap at him.
All of a sudden, with a puff of smoke, Guntz was in front of Pango and slammed into him, knocking him off his unicycle. The audience laughed as he so desperately caught the falling bombs with any available body part. "Don't let those touch the ground, my clown, unless you wanna explode," Joka laughed.
Guntz slowly got back to his feet and started growling again. Murmurs of uncertainty could be heard in the audience, for the "werewolf" was no longer in his cage. "Hrrm, you didn't play the game very well. It's 'kill the clown,' is it not?" Joka asked, with another puff of smoke appearing out of the cage. "I meant you!" Guntz snarled.
"Me? Can't you see this tuxedo? I'm clearly a beast tamer. My fair juggler over there is the only clown here," Joka replied. Indeed Pango, who struggling to not drop any bombs, was still wearing clown make-up.
Where's my ring? Klonoa thought as he looked around down at the arena. It was nowhere to be seen. I'll have to fight without it then. I'm not useless without the ring! Though part of him thought otherwise. How much physical strength could someone as small as him have? But he couldn't stand being so high up and helpless any more.
This is suicide! Klonoa thought as he prepared to jump off the thin rope. Joka noticed immediately. "Oh, no you don't," he said, pointing at finger at him. Just before he was about to jump, the rope snapped. It limply fell from his feet, making him fall with it. Yelling, he tumbled toward the piranha filled pool below.
"Klonoa!" Both Guntz and Pango yelled. Guntz started running toward him, but Joka appeared in front of him. "We're still playing our game, aren't we?" he chuckled. There was a big splash as Klonoa fell into the water from so high up. The audience silenced as they stared, wondering what would happen next.
After an anticipating long moment, something suddenly burst out of the water. Klonoa was flung to the ground, the dirt sticking as mud to his fur. A few piranhas were still chomping at him, though most fell off as they realized they were no longer in water.
"Can't have anyone dying in my show," Joka laughed quietly so that the audience couldn't hear. Klonoa didn't move, possibly unconscious, as his thick wet fur hid his face.
Seeing that Joka wasn't looking at him, Guntz made a move to snap at him. "Watch out, mister Joka!" someone from the audience yelled. Without turning around, Joka snapped his fingers and disappeared into a puff of smoke just as Guntz' fangs clicked together. He immediately opened his mouth again as a dove flew out. "Geh! Enough games, Joka!" he spat, looking round.
"You are right," Joka agreed from above. Everyone looked up to see him standing on a ledge of a pole that had been holding up Klonoa's rope. He raised one of his hands and the lights suddenly shut off. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It is now time for the moment you've all been waiting for," Joka announced as colors lights flashed around the tent.
Klonoa groaned as he slowly lifted his sopping wet head. "Ah, you're awake! And just in time for… the grand finale!!" Joka yelled. A rumbling then started in the tent. The ground shook as it sounded like something huge was slowly stomping closer.
"I'm sure you remember my faithful monster," Joka said to Klonoa. He looked at Pango and Guntz. "But let me introduce to you the awesome, the terrified, the enormous Rongo Lango!" He raised his hands and a spotlight shone on a huge creature just below him. Klonoa wobbled to his knees as the monster roared. The audience stared with ignorant interest.
"Where the hell did that thing come from?!" Guntz yelled, backing up. Not good... What is Joka planning? With all these people here... Klonoa thought as he looked over his shoulder at the beast, still on his knees. He quickly ripped a stubborn piranha off his ear before staggering to his feet.
"Is that thing real?!" Nikki asked, now freed. She and Chris were hiding behind the standings the audience was on, on the dirt arena. They were behind the huge monster, out of its sight but still in danger of being stepped on if it decided to back up for any reason. Chris wasn't looking at it. He was staring at a nearby box of fireworks. "C'mon. I have an idea," he whispered.
The Rongo Lango stood obediently under Joka, staring at the three hungrily with its beady red eyes. It had no legs, but huge arms. Its long tail curled and kept to the ground, supporting itself as a substitute for its missing legs. Its long head looked like a huge beak and seemed too big for its body.
"Now, my dear Rongo, sic 'em!" Joka commanded, pointing ahead. The monster roared before rearing back on its tail and using it to jump high up and over the three. Klonoa stared at its red back thoughtfully. I beat this thing once before, but... how? The Rongo Lango quickly turned around and raised one of its huge claws. Guntz and Pango, who was still struggling with the bombs, scattered as the claw slammed into the ground inches away from them.
The audience cheered, feeling no threat toward themselves. Pango staggered near the side of the tent. "Big armadillo dude!" someone whispered. "His name is Pango!" someone else corrected sharply. Pango looked behind him at Nikki and Chris. "Throw one of those bombs over here!" Chris said, holding a box.
"But—"
"Just do it!"
Confused, Pango reluctantly threw a bomb toward Chris. Chris held up the box, catching the bomb inside, and immediately threw the box forward into the air. "Hmm? Wazzat?" Joka asked himself when the box landed in the arena near the Rongo Lango. It was the box of fireworks. The bomb soon fizzed out and there was a short silence.
"Uh-oh…"
Suddenly the box exploded, several lights shooting out of it. Alarmed, the monster roared and reared up. As it did so, a firework slammed into its back. Guntz and Klonoa ran out of the way as it fell forward. "Now I remember!" Klonoa suddenly yelled. "What?" Guntz asked. "We have to hit its back! That's its weak point," Klonoa replied.
"How do you know?" Guntz asked almost challengingly. "I just do!" Klonoa answered quickly. But I still need my ring, he thought. "Guys!" Nikki yelled from a distance behind them. When they turned around they quickly caught items that were thrown at them. "Now we're in business," Guntz grinned as he clicked his gun.
Klonoa looked back at the recovering Rongo Lango, his ring tight in his grip. "Get up, you fool!" Joka demanded. Klonoa looked around quickly, then saw Pango. "Pango! Throw one of those bombs at me!" he yelled as he started running past the monster to its back.
"Not again," Pango muttered in dismay, not enjoying throwing weapons at his friends. But he obeyed and threw a bomb toward Klonoa when he stopped. Klonoa held up his ring and shot a green light at it just before it hit him. The bomb then suddenly enlarged, as if inflated. The audience ooed with interest.
Klonoa shot the ring again and the bomb was suddenly thrown at the Rongo Lang's back. It exploded just as it hit, sending the monster falling forward all over again. "Ooh! This isn't right. You weren't supposed to get your weapons back!" Joka snapped, his hands clenched. He jumped with a start when something suddenly loudly clanked at the pole he was on.
"Now it's our turn!" Guntz said, pointing his gun up at the clown. The Rongo Lango was slowly getting up again when Pango threw the last of his bombs at it. They exploded and the monster fell, not getting up again. "Damn! You guys ruined everything," Joka scowled.
"You're not gonna get away this time, Joka," Guntz said. "On the contrar'," Joka replied, suddenly calm. He turned to the audience. "You've been a great audience, but now I must bid you adieu!" he said. He looked back at the three with an evil glint it his black eyes. "Don't think this is the last of me. I'm gonna use these creatures' stupidity to my advantage and eliminate this pathetic city," he chuckled, before snapping his fingers and disappearing. The Rongo Lango disappeared, as well, along with everything else. The tent, the stand, the huge cage; everything disappeared.
Was it all an illusion to begin with? Klonoa wondered. The performers looked around, confused, as if just waking up. "Joka's gotten stronger," Pango frowned. "Yeah. And he's learned a few new tricks, too," Gruntz growled. "Explanation, please?" Nikki asked as she and Chris walked over.
"How 'bout after we get outta here. People are gonna start to notice," Chris suggested. Quickly, the five snuck out of the crowd and made their way for Nikki's apartment.
'bout time, eh? I finally got to finishing this chapter. Only my time and imagination knows when I'll upload the next one. Legend of Rebirth is a big project and I'm always working on that instead of this. It's kinda hard to write two stories at once... Annyway, stay tuned for chapter 8... whenever I finish it...