She began blasting away at the fire, trying to put it all out. But because of her blunder, it was proving difficult. The fire was spreading as fast as Cleo was fighting it, if not faster. She was beginning to think that this was a lost battle when all of the Drabokos suddenly appeared. With buckets in hand, they joined the fight, they were helping her out. With everyone working together, they were able to put an end to the forest fire.
This whole volcano disaster had been the final trial of proving Cleo's innocence after the whole dreadful accusation she was forced to endure. It was my conclusion to create some sort of epic trigger that causes the Drabokos to decide to help out Cleo when she's been trying so hard to save everyone, so she's suddenly not alone. Scientific studies showed that people are capable of altruism during a major crisis instead of just trying to save their own skins, despite humanity's imperfect morals.
"Feast yer eyes on this!" Scervo pointed with his hook and Cleo gaped at what she saw. There was another Mirror of Twilight, opened and surrounded by the giant insects. Then a beetle was spat out of the mirror. It stood up and joined its fellows.
"So that's where they're coming from! I knew they couldn't be from the Twilight Realm!"
"But that portal... Where does that portal lead?" asked Jack.
"I doubt it goes to Hyrule, there's no way they came from there. It's got to be some other world."
"I say we blast that mirror ter kingdom come!" Scervo suggested.
Cleo shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about! Only the true ruler of the Twilight Realm can utterly destroy it and that's Midna. But we don't have time to fetch her!"
"It is strange... I think I have seen this portal before... ...but I thought it was..." Jack trailed off.
"Are you alright, Jack?"
"... ...It is nothing... not important now."
And here is the portal briefly mentioned by the group of gossiping Subrosians. Jack was about to mention what happened the last time he came across it, how he once thought it to be a time portal, but because his memory isn't fully recovered yet, he wasn't able to. The last memory coming after the Eclipse Ring reveals it. The fact about the true ruler of the Twilight Realm being able to destroy the mirror is an official fact. Zant, being a false ruler could only break it into fragments in TP and it can easily be repaired, if you can find all the pieces.
It took Finn forever to get to the Arbiter's Grounds. The Oasis Flight was canceled due to the cannon being out of order, so he had to take the long way. It was worthwhile if he could rescue Cleo, he just hoped that he would never have to rock climb again as long as he lived.
Normally in TP, the Oasis Flight is the only way to get to the Gerudo Desert (besides the Twilit Portal) after you give Auru's Memo to Fyer. I had to have Finn take the hard way so he doesn't come to the Mirror of Twilight too soon. It was important to have him come near the very end when Midna is in trouble and needed help from someone without Okam's knowledge.
He ran inside the building, hurrying to the throne room. "Princess Midna!" He called out when he reached it, but there was no Midna on the throne. There was someone else. "What the-?"
A strange short old Twili was sitting in her place. He seemed surprised by Finn's sudden appearance. "Hm?... What's this? An unexpected guest?"
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I? I am Okam, the new King of Twilight."
"New Ki-Well, where's Midna?"
"Midna, unfortunately has retired and therefore placed me as her successor to the throne." Finn was flabbergasted by this news, leaving him speechless. "Now do you care to explain why you're barging into my palace, uninvited?"
It took a few seconds for Finn to get his voice working again and to remember what he came here for. "...Well... you see sir... I'm looking for my sister. Her name is Cleo Hayster."
"...Cleo?"
"Yeah, she's about yay high, blond hair, wears a green uniform."
"Mm... ...Never heard of her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to deal with."
"Hey! Now wait a second! I don't know what's going on, but something just ain't right here! I need to talk to Midna right now!"
"Well, too bad, 'cuz you're not going to get an audience with Midna... ever. Now get lost before I lose my temper."
"Now look old man! I'm trying to find my sister!"
"Then you're just gonna have to look somewhere else." Finn heard a weird mechanical scuttling and he was unexpectedly grabbed by skinny stick legs. "Bye-bye!" Okam waved with a smug grin.
Finn was cursing non-stop as he was carried to the exit. Then he was lifted up. "Not agAAAAAAAIIIIIIN!" Finn was thrown out.
This scene where Finn gets an unexpected meeting with Okam was also planned ahead. Before Midna could call him for help, Finn had to meet Okam first so he gets the idea that something's up. I thought his personal experience with the pretender helps Finn become more aware of the possible danger he was oblivious of before than if he was just told about him. And of course Okam acts like a jerk and refuses to help him, throwing him out instead, because he knew Finn was going to get in the way. Poor Finn just can't get a break.
"That Uka or whatever his name is... I don't think he's a king!" He rubbed his sore shoulder. "Now what am I gonna do?"
"Finn... Finn..." Finn quickly looked around him, but there seemed to be no one here. "Finn, can you hear me?"
"Yeah... I'm definitely hearing things!"
"Listen to me, Finn! I need your help, the Twilight Realm is in danger."
"Wait, I know that voice! Midna, is that you? What's going on? Where's Cleo? How are you talkin-"
"Will you slow down already?! There's not much time, so I'm going to be quick about it. First off, I'm trapped in a dungeon, with a seal that prevents me from teleporting out."
But it doesn't stop her from talking to Finn telepathically, as you can most likely tell from the italics in her dialogue (if you're reading it in Fanfic dot net, they don't appear in Deviant Art, the method there is stupidly ridiculous). If you're wondering how she knew Finn was there, she probably heard him from downstairs with her long pointy ears or sensed him in some other way.
"What?! That Okam guy said you're retired!"
"That is a lie! Okam is the one who trapped me here. He has overthrown me and taken over the palace."
"Oh great! That's just Zant all over again!"
One of the Deviants from DA actually thought it was Zant who was behind the Okam guise. Never seen SJ, she was a bit taken aback when she found out it wasn't.
She looked back, expecting to see someone coming, but no one was there. "I do not think Scervo will be coming with us, Cleo."
"But Jack, he-"
"Knows how to handle himself," Jack finished. "He is quite wily, I will admit. He reminds me of a friend of mine."
He was referring to the hilarious Scotsman he once fought and then befriended. I'll admit Cleo's adventuring is similar to Jack's.
"He's cuckoo, that's what he is!" Cleo said rotating her hand next to her ear.
"Um... does that mean he has a clock in his head?"
Cleo gave him an exasperated look. "Oh, really?"
A reference to Freakazoid (1995-1997). Lol!
Then she met some Subrosians who were working as blacksmiths. They told her that the big key to the crater was broken and a new one was yet to be made.
I didn't put it in, but this is most likely the best source for a stronger shield. There's always shield upgrades in pretty much every Zelda game, but the reason I didn't write it in was because it's not necessarily important to waste reading time on.
They gave her the Rune of Pele that had the power to control lava.
Pele: Hawaiian. Pele is the goddess of volcanoes, one of many sibling deities of nature. She's mostly known for her passion and capriciousness and dwells in the crater of Kilauea. The Hibiscus, which she wears as a lei, symbolizes romantic relationships in Hawaii and is traditionally worn by women behind the ears and the kukui nuts worn as bracelets are about protection and peace on Maui. There are many different story versions behind Pele. People often leave gifts to the goddess at or in the volcano so as to appease her and avoid an eruption.
The Blue Crater Volcano lived up to its name, the bottom of the crater in which the duo was standing was surrounded by a ring of glowing blue lava.
In scientific terms, blue fire is hotter than regular red fire. It's probably not possible for lava to be blue, no matter how hot it gets. But this is a magical realm so the logic doesn't have to apply.
"Who are you working for?" Cleo asked suddenly.
"...What are you talking about?"
"I'm not stupid you know. You're not the mastermind behind this whole invasion. I saw the other portal where the bugs are coming from. They came from somewhere, you couldn't have just stumbled upon them. Someone provided you this army and helped you invade this realm!"
Cleo, the smart girl that she is, just now realizes there's a bigger bad she'll have to deal with after she defeats Veran. She just didn't yet know it's Okam.
Sorceress of Shadows:
Veran
I planned from the beginning to have Veran to be the second to last boss, what I didn't plan is she would possess Scervo. There was another idea that Scervo would ask for a proper, more rival-friendly rematch with Cleo before she entered the volcano. But it didn't serve any purpose to the plot and readers would want to get on with the story itself. The idea of the sorceress taking control of the pirate and forcing Cleo to fight him was a sudden and better idea.
"Cleo, I think I know what to do now. I have heard tales of floating spirits being able to possess people. I am one, so I may be able to."
That is pretty much the common legends in Japan. Another hint to Jack's past.
The sorceress leapt at her, but Cleo dodged and countered, disarming the electric sword. Cleo got the sword before Veran could and stunned her with it.
"Jack, now's your chance!" The lost spirit made his move an zipped into Scervo.
This is from ST (Spirit Tracks) where Zelda, as a ghost, can possess (instakiller) phantom armor, after you stun them by hitting them from behind, and can use their abilities to aid the player through the Tower of Spirits.
From within, Veran was now face to face with a man in white robes. "Wha-?! Who are you?!"
If you have a good memory for little details, you'll recall one of the gossiping Subrosians talk about a man in white robes before. And we see now that it's really Jack.
Veran raised her arms and another quake started, steadily getting more and more violent. Cleo lost her balance and toppled to the ground, looking up to see cracks forming on the walls through which she could see a fiery glow. Any second, the entire crater would blow. This was it... it was all over. Cleo threw her arms over her head and braced herself for the blast.
Then suddenly, unexpectedly, a voice called out. A voice that was louder and more terrifying than the rumbling earthquake... "VERAN... ENOUGH!" The voice was acidly demonic, echoing throughout the rocky chamber.
The quake instantly stopped. Veran looked up in shock and, quite possibly, fear. "M-master!? Master, what is it?"
"LEAVE THE CHILD BE... GIVE HER WHAT SHE CAME FOR!"
"What?! But master-"
"DO NOT QUESTION ME, SORCERESS!" Veran flinched, she looked terrified.
"That-that voice... I know that voice..." Jack whispered in a tone of fear. Cleo looked at him and opened her mouth, but decided not to ask about this now. She also found the voice familiar, she was sure she'd heard it somewhere.
"YOU HAVE FAILED ME VERAN AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE FAILURE! GIVE CLEO HAYSTER THE LAST ESSENCE OF LIGHT AND RETURN TO ME AT ONCE!"
Veran again looked at Cleo. She was undoubtedly reluctant to obey. "This isn't over... I'll have you know."
I'll admit, my ideas are getting kinda cheap, because this is similar to a scene in Star Fox Adventures (GC, 2002) where Andross tells General Scales to give the last Krazoa spirit to Fox. The only difference is Fox never got to fight Scales and the general dies after giving the spirit up. But this is such an incredibly intense foreshadowing scene of what evil is to come, that I had to sorta rewrite that scene in my fanfic (in my own way). This is the first real time Cleo experienced an encounter with Aku (as his true self, not as Okam), even though she only heard his skin piercing voice.
She got the Eclipse Ring. The moon blocks the sun to form a ring of fire and revive the lost with its burning embers so life begins anew!
In the cartoon, an eclipse revived Aku from his petrified tree form in the very first ever scene. I thought this is kinda karmaic for the lost spirit Jack to be revived (if just his memory) the same way with the last essence.
...No... no! This time portal... I feel darkness from within this time portal!
FOOOOL! THAT IS NO TIME PORTAL, IT IS A GATEWAY TO THE SHADOW WORLD WHERE ALL WHO ENTER WILL BE LOST FOREVER! YOU HAVE BEEN TRICKED!
I-I cannot move!... What is happening?!
YOU ARE BEING PULLED IN! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE! FINALLY, I WILL BE RID OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!
You have not won villain!
WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
If I am to be trapped forever, I am taking you with me!
LET GO YOU IDIOT! NO NOOOO!
...
...
...I... I feel... ...strange... ...empty... oh... ... ...
IT SEEMS I HAVE THE LAST LAUGH AFTER ALL! YOU FADE AWAY WHILE I REMAIN IN THIS DARK REALM! AND NOW, THANKS TO YOU, I HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW WORLD TO ENSLAVE! GOODBYE... ...SAMURAI JACK! HAAA HAA HA HA HA HA AH AH AH!
And here's the big revealing plot twist! Da da DAAAAAAA! I decided, in the last memory, not to hold back the big secret about Jack's identity any longer as this is a good time to unveil it. I was gonna reveal it at the final battle, but I realized that would be kinda stingy to readers. Here we finally find out how Jack got here and that he dragged the big bad into it.
"Uh... Cleo... I... remember... everything now... All of my memories have returned..." He suddenly gasped out. "Cleo, that voice! There is something I need to tell you-"
"Jack, I don't mean to interrupt. I know it's something important, but Scervo's still unconscious. We need to get him out of the volcano."
"...You are right... This will have to wait..."
After he got his memories back, I knew I had to find some good reasonable excuse for him to not tell Cleo who's behind the invasion right away. Besides which, she's smart enough to figure it out on her own, especially since she admits to her partner she had already guessed correctly about Jack being a samurai.
"Looks like we're even now..." Cleo now knew for sure that it was Scervo who saved her from the fall at the Tempis Mine. She suddenly thought of something. "You know that seed you gave me? I think I know the perfect place for it."
Ah, now I remember where Scervo's rescue is brought up. Also, the seed was supposed to be planted after Cleo was pardoned by the Drabokos, but I completely forgot about it. I thankfully remembered it before it was too late in the story for her to fulfill Sparklette's final wish. Man, my memory is out of wack.
"Jack, I have this one question I wanted to ask you, but not until I was sure you had all of your memories... Are you a samurai?"
"...Yes... I am. So you have heard of me."
My mom told me I should've had him ask Cleo how she knew who he his, but my excuse says he's the world's most wanted man (by Aku) and is therefore world famous, so he wouldn't be surprised that she knows him before they meet.
"I don't know what it is... But I have a feeling that something very beastly awaits her, methinks. I don't have the strength ter aid her, so it has ter be ye, lad."
"But Cleo told me to keep these safe."
"Then give them ter me so ya can help yer dear sister." Normally Finn wouldn't give something valuable to a pirate, but he knew it was better they were in the hands of a pirate than a madman. He nodded.
The old synopsis idea was for Finn to come aid her anyway while still carrying the rest of the Essences of Light and Okam ended up taking them from him by force. But I realized that it's very out-of-character of Finn to do something that stupid, Finn's actually smarter than that. So Scervo ends up being the bearer instead at his persuasion. Now there comes the problem of how Okam learns where they are and targets the pirate (which I will mention later).
She cautiously walked forward and the beetles actually stepped aside, so she went by them without a fight. Cleo found this unnerving. What if... but she couldn't bring herself to think of who might be waiting for her. She felt scared...
Already, Cleo is coming to the conclusion that Aku himself might actually be in the Twilight Realm, waiting in the palace itself (and she ended up being right).
Cleo pulled out her sword in a quick flash. "Now really, do you intend to challenge me?" he laughed. The laugh sounded familiar. "Tell you what, I'll give you an open shot. I'll even expose my back." Okam turned around, Cleo glared at him. "Well go on, this is your perfect chance. You know you have to kill me if you are ever to save Midna or the Twilight Realm. So what are you waiting for?" Cleo's sword hand shook, her knuckles white. "What's the matter? Can't attack an old man while he's vulnerable?" Cleo still didn't move. "Tell me... besides a few bugs... have you ever killed anyone?" he asked in morbid curiosity. She could see a mocking smirk forming on his lips.
Then, with an angry cry, she finally charged at him, sword raised, about to strike him down... she stopped... the blade just an inch from his head... she fell to her knees. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill him.
I knew Cleo would never kill anyone, not even Okam (she still hasn't caught on to his identity yet). For a child her age, killing is not a mentally and psychologically healthy thing to do, because of the very negative way it can effect her or any other child who did. Aku, the cunning mastermind that he is, uses that against her, always understanding how human psychology works in order to manipulate them. Cleo's problem increases in BT when she finds out Ghirahim had murdered her mother and wanted revenge.
Then they heard rushing footsteps and, before Cleo could react, someone else came, grabbed the Skribal Sword right out of her hand, and ran Okam through. "At least I'm not afraid to do what it takes, bastard."
"Finn?!... You... you..." Cleo stared wide-eyed at her brother and then at Okam, whose shocked look became frozen... and then he fell on the floor. "Finn, you've never killed anyone either!"
"I know... I-I gotta protect you, somehow." His voice was shaking. He had been dreading that action too. "Someone's gotta do it."
"I know it was not easy... you did the right thing for your sister."
I also know killing isn't good for seventeen year olds either. However Finn, being much older than Cleo, and the son of a police officer who properly trained him with firearms, is mentally more prepared to this type of action. Still, you could see the experience shook him greatly, being his first time (at least he thinks is his first time). I tried to keep these things believable.
"Where are the essences?" Cleo asked.
"I gave them to that pirate, Scervo. They're safe with him."
"Are they?..." Both Finn and Cleo slowly turned to Okam's limp form. The old Twili lifted his head and his eyes lit up. As though walloped by a giant invisible hammer, a shockwave sent the whole team flying. They crashed on the walls and floor, and when they tried to get back up, they saw Okam standing once again, with the sword still stuck through his body, grinning like a madman. "Thanks for the info, fool!"
Of course, you saw that coming a mile away if you've been following the story without skimming and reading spoilers ahead of time. This solved the first half of the problem of how Okam will find and steal the Essences of Light Scervo has (as I mentioned above).
He pulled out the Skribal Sword. "You won't be needing this anymore." He held each end in a tight grip and, in a horrifying instant, snapped it in two. Cleo felt numb as she watched the two broken pieces clatter to the floor.
Another one of the few scenes I planned ahead of time, followed by the Silent Realm and Oni scene. This is another major hitch Cleo would get that would add to the difficulty of her situation. And I mean MAJOR, it was literally the only weapon she had, with no items in her inventory except runes which cannot work without it. So now she's totally vulnerable, especially against a near invincible, S-class demon entity.
"H-how... What the hell are you?!" Finn moaned.
"I am the true king of the Twilight Realm. The master and ruler of all!"
"It was you..." Cleo gasped. Okam turned his intimidating gaze on her. "It was your voice at the volcano! You're not a Twili at all! You're... you're..."
"... ...Aku!" Jack finished.
"WHAT?!" Finn burst out in a higher voice.
Okam threw back his head and let out the terrible cackle Cleo knew was Aku's. "Finally caught on, have you?"
At last, the story comes to reveal Okam's real identity. A not so surprising reveal if you've watched SJ.
"How did you get here in the first place?" she interrogated the Twili pretender.
"It was chance really. I actually would never have discovered the Twilight Realm if it weren't for the samurai and his fruitless quest to return to his own time in the past."
"That's a total lie!" Finn assumed.
"Oh really? Well why don't you ask him? He'll tell you, if he has got his memories back, that is."
Cleo looked at Jack. "Is it true?... You brought him here?"
There was a sigh of defeat from the lost spirit. "Yes... what he says is true..."
Just like in MTG, the whole entire problem they're forced to face was caused by a noble person's blunder. In MTG, Finn accidentally freed Ganondorf, causing the two siblings to go on a difficult quest to stop him from gaining the Majora's Mask and bring an end to Hyrule (the whole multiverse in the worst case scenario). And although the very last memory showed to readers that Jack purposefully dragged Aku into the shadow realm in hopes to stop him, not knowing there's a peaceful civilization there, this scene reveals to Cleo that her partner was the reason the Twilight Realm was under an invasion in the first place.
Finn tried to drag her out of the room, but Okam (his eyes glowing again) raised his hand and the teen's body was lifted in the air, shaken wildly and tossed like a ragdoll into a corner.
"FINN!" Cleo ran to her brother and crouched next to him.
Finn couldn't get up. "Cleo run, RUN!"
"I'm not leaving you Finn!"
"Cleo, look out!" she heard Jack cry. She turned around and saw a massive black shadow slithering over the walls and floor, heading right toward them. Should she move out of the way, it would be Finn who would suffer. She used the only equipment she had left and held her shield steady, braced for the impact as the shadow fast approached.
What happened next, she could barely remember any of it. All she remembered was pain, pain in every part of her body as if from blunt hits, sharp stabs, and tight twisting of limbs. All else was blackness. She screamed out in agony...
She was lying on the ground, bruised, battered, and lightly bloodied.
This scene is from OoT right before Link learns the Nocturn of Shadow from Sheik. Link and Sheik suffered the same way as Cleo and Finn respectively when Kakariko Village was under attack by an evil shadow that escaped from the well. You should look up a YouTube video of that scene.
She was falling... falling... falling... Memories were fading... She no longer knew anything... All was nothing to her... she felt lost... alone... ...Then she heard a voice... calling her name... She looked up and saw someone falling with her... But all she could see was his silhouette... A man in robes was coming closer... reaching out his hand to her...
This time, it's not a premonition like at the beginning, it was actually happening.
... ... ...Cleo opened her heavy eyelids. The first thing she saw was an arctic blue sky. She was lying on the ground still, but she was no longer in pain. She rolled over on her hands and knees to get herself up and the second thing she saw was what she had been lying on. It was a glowing spell circle, but it was different than the ones she had used in the past, the one she was on was in the shape of a flower surrounded by ancient Hylian text. She stood up without difficulty and looked around.
The place was familiar, a town looking a lot like the Twilight Castle Town where she had used the various warps... in fact it looked exactly like that town. Then she realized it is the same town. Yet there were noticeable differences. Once, it was bathed in a twilight that was alien in nature, now it was covered in a calm peaceful blue atmosphere like that of an early dawn. Dotted around the area were suits of white armor with three-eyed masks.
"What happened here?..." She looked at herself. Her body was no longer damaged in any way and was edged with what appeared to be reflected light from water. And she noticed her backpack was missing. "Is this what it's like to be a lost spirit?" Cleo looked around some more. "Where's Jack? Shouldn't he be here too?" But there was no visible sign of him, in spirit or human form. "JACK?... JAAACK!... ...FINN?... ... ...IS ANYONE HERE?"
"... ... ...Cleo... Hayster," answered a new voice. She gave a faint gasp, her heart pounding. It was soft and gentle yet booming and powerful, a voice that seemed to belong to a divine being.
"W-who are you?"
"You will know soon enough... What you see before you is not the Twilight Realm, but a mirrored dimension where only the spirit can enter... the Silent Realm..."
I knew, when Cleo is bound to an Essence of Light that keeps her from becoming a lost spirit, that Aku would deprive her of that anchor once he had no more use for her and she starts to turn on him (something that was plot-wise inevitable). This is yet another major hitch she somehow had to overcome and the idea of the Silent Realm trials from Skyward Sword came to mind really early in the synopsis draft.
"So I'm a lost spirit now?"
"Not quite..."
"But... how-"
"You have a friend to thank... because of his fearless actions to save you Cleo, you have been spared from a terrible fate."
"I still don't understand. What happened to Jack?"
"He is within you. His spirit has become a part of you now."
Cleo's eyes widened. "Jack is... inside me?"
"Yes... and he will remain so until you can pass the trial."
This is a little difficult to decide whether or not Jack would be accompanying Cleo during her trial in the Silent Realm. Although since being in the SR and being a lost spirit are two different things altogether, I had to come up with a reason why she hasn't become one. So Jack ends up being sort of an Essence of Light substitute.
"If you are to return to the Twilight Realm, you must gain spiritual growth. To complete the trial set before you, fill your Spirit Vessel by collecting Sacred Tears. I shall be guiding you." Then a soft glow came out of her chest and took on the form of a white flower with fifteen berries on its long stem. It looked a lot like the Vessel of Light.
She was actually thinking about the tasks in TP with the shadow insects. As of the story's timeline in her life (that is Oct 31, 2009), Skyward Sword hasn't been released yet. So the trial given to her here is like a totally Blind Let's Play.
She started her hunt for them. It wasn't very hard, she found some light fruit that summoned beams of light on the horizon, pointing straight up into the sky, which acted like beacons, leading her to the tears.
I originally wrote that there were beacons, with absolutely no mention about light fruit, and left it at that. I still didn't know what the light fruit does until I looked it up on the Zelda Wiki and I realized that I was making the wrong assumption that these beacons were just there and the fruit served as pausing wilting time temporarily (I only watched a LP of Skyward Sword, that's why I somehow misunderstood it). Not wanting to seem stupid to readers, I rewrote this part.
"I ain't your buddy, go away!"
This line was from Falco Lombardi from Star Fox 64 (N64, 1997).
They stared each other down like two gunmen waiting for high noon... She needed to be fast... if she didn't make it... ... ...Cleo shot forward and the guardian began to bear down upon her... ...It swung down its blades... about to make a hit... ... ...
... ... ...Cleo looked up and could see the guardian back on his post. She had done it, she got all fifteen Sacred Tears.
"Well done Cleo... now return to the Trial Gate."
"Finally!" Cleo looked at the still guardian and pulled a few funny faces at it. Laughing, she turned around... and stepped into a tiny, unnoticeable, puddle. Everything went to hell again. "CRAP!"
And, of course, Cleo ends up dropping the ball there! Even though the petals won't wilt anymore after getting all the tears, it's still possible to wake up the guardians before you could reach the circle.