Klonoa stood on the walkway outside of Claire Moa Temple, looking out through the hanging ivy at the Sea of Tears. The storm had passed, and the waters lay flat and serene all the way out to the jagged shape of the island Kingdom of Sorrow. Then he noticed Lolo, approaching quietly from the temple, and turned to face her. "How did it go? What did the High Priestess decide?"
Lolo looked down at her feet. "Mm... Leorina, and Tat if she ever shows up, are to be banished to the Kingdom of Sorrow. It's what she wanted, kinda... maybe they'll make something out of it. We have the Elements again, so they'll all go back to the Temples where they belong."
"Even Sorrow?"
The priestess-in-training nodded. "Yes. It's where it's meant to be. We'd just forgotten."
Klonoa grinned. "So I guess my work here is done!"
"Oh!" Lolo fidgeted, wringing her hands. "But shouldn't you rest up before you go? I mean... it's so late, and you've been fighting so hard. We could put you up in one of the empty acolyte rooms until morning, I'm sure the High Priestess wouldn't mind."
"Well..." He started to stretch, then winced as his injured arm protested the motion. "I guess I am kinda beat up. It'd be nice."
Lolo brightened. "I'll get everything ready then!" She turned around and dashed back to the Temple before Klonoa could get in another word.
* * *
As the Dream Traveler, Klonoa was already asleep, somewhere far away and unknown to the Lunateans. But he could rest, and the soft bed in the spare room quickly pulled him into a deep oblivious state of mind. He could not dream, but the night passed swiftly all the same.
* * *
Klonoa strolled out into the bright morning feeling refreshed. A new beginning for Lunatea, and time for him to at last return home. He saw Popka dozing under a tree, and grinned. Yeah, things were going to be all right. And there was Lolo, come to see him off! He reached for his ring...
...it wasn't there.
Klonoa's eyes widened. "The ring! It's gone! I lay down with it on my belt as always, but now..." He frantically patted around his waist and looked over his shoulders, but it was nowhere to be found.
"Oh no... you can't go home without it, can you?" said Lolo.
"No, I can't! This is terrible! Somebody must have taken it while I dozed..." He had a flash of realization, and slammed a fist into his palm, scowling. "Tat! That little scoundrel, she must have made her way up here and snatched it. When I catch her, I'm gonna--"
Then he paused. He thought back a moment in his memory, and looked at Lolo. She hadn't sounded dismayed at all. More like... hopeful. Klonoa sighed and looked at her with a wan smile. "Oh, Lolo... where did you put it?"
She bowed her head for a moment, then produced the ring from her pocket, holding on to it with both hands. Klonoa reached out, palm up to receive it, and Lolo started to give it back, but hesitated, her eyes sad. "Would it really be 'terrible'? To have to stay here? ...With me?"
Klonoa blinked, taken aback. "Well, no. I didn't mean it like that, but... Lolo, you know I can't stay. Lunatea isn't my home, it's not even my world."
"But you can come back, right? To visit?"
The cat looked down and away, scratching the base of his ear. "Lo... I'm the Dream Traveler. I don't choose to go places, I just show up where I'm needed. If I were to come back to Lunatea, it'd mean your world got broken again. And I don't think that's gonna happen."
Lolo trembled. "Why not?"
Klonoa looked up again, and put his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Because of you, Lolo. You're going to be strong. With Popka, and the High Priestess, maybe even Leorina if she gets her act together. You're going to be strong and keep Lunatea in harmony."
At last Lolo broke down. The ring fell from her hands, and she threw her arms around Klonoa, sobbing. "But how can I be strong? Klonoa, it all came from you. I was a failure before I met you, and then I could be a priestess and fight for Lunatea... without you I don't know how I'd do it!"
"Ssh..." Klonoa held her a while, eyes closed, waiting for her sobs to slow. He nuzzled her shoulder. "Lolo, I'm a simple guy. I just want to have fun and help people. But... I'll try to explain." With his head resting against her, he looked out over the Sea of Tears, catching sight of the Kingdom of Sorrow once again. "What were the Elements, Lolo? The Bells, the feelings that went with each Kingdom?"
Even on the surfboard she hadn't held him as tight as this. "Sorrow. Indecision. Discord. Joy. And Tranquility."
"Yeah. You're going to need all of those. You'll be sad for a while. You'll keep wondering how to get by, you won't know what to do next. You'll be angry at me for leaving. But then... it'll be behind you. You'll find something new to make you happy, maybe someone else--"
"Never!" She buried her face in him.
He wanted to dispute that further, but let it go. "Maybe you'll be the next High Priestess or something! I don't know, but it'll be great. And you'll be at peace. You won't need a Dream Traveler to come put things right anymore."
Lolo turned her head, resting on Klonoa's shoulder for as long as she could make the moment stay. Her eyes fell on one of the roadside statues of Claire that had been waypoints of solace in their adventure, and another tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't know where to start."
Klonoa took a deep breath. "Just two simple things. Let me go... and say farewell."
She closed her eyes a little while longer, then slowly peeled free her arms. She took one of Klonoa's big fluffy ears and blotted away her tears. Then she took one step back, bent down and picked up the fallen ring. Holding it out, she met Klonoa's eyes at last. "Farewell, Klonoa of the Wind. May Claire bless you on your way home."
The Dream Traveler smiled broadly and took back his ring. "Goodbye, Priestess Lolo."
With that, he walked away, fading from view even before he turned the corner of the path down to La-Lakoosha.
[So, what do you think? ^.^
This chapter is really the whole point of my writing this thing; I wanted to build upon the poignant ending of Lunatea's Veil in a way that (a) gave the characters a little more conversational breathing room, and (b) took away the emotional cop-out of Klonoa's "we'll always be together" line. For as much as the thing was about appreciating the value of sorrow, the resolution proposed by the canonical ending seems to advocate a Mira-Miran attitude: miring oneself in the past. It's harsh, but Lolo needs to forget Klonoa, not dwell eternally on having lost him, if she's to realize her character arc. And I really do want to see her grow into some greater self-esteem!
Agree? Disagree? Praise? Flame? Let me know!]