AUTHORS NOTE, CHAPTER 26: It's been a while since my last update, hasn't it? Nearly a year i believe? Either way, i am so sorry for the wait on this one, readers. Personal life's been really busy and i didn't have enough energy to spare for this.
But i'm finally back and ready to go. Enjoy reading my newest chapter, and hopefully i'll soon get back to you all with another! :)
The Sorrowful Prince
~ VISION 2-9: The Pesky Cats, Part 2 ~
The sun was almost completely down, as Klonoa and Popka suddenly arose from an alleyway that lead them back to the busy streets southwest of Joilant, and almost bump into a family of Volkan residents with three kids who just passed by.
Popka: Whoawhoawhoawhoa, slow down! !
Klonoa then quickly stopped himself on his feet while pulling Popka along, but accidentally bumps into one of the children, making their ice cream fall down. The child began to cry as the father angrily glares over at them.
Volkan Father: Watch where 'yer going you moron!
Klonoa: I am so sorry for that! I... I would pay to to make up for it, but see, i have recently been robbed, so...
Popka: Stop wastin' time tryna explain 'yaself! Let's get movin' and catch that furball! !
Klonoa: Oh, r-right...
Klonoa and Popka then ran further down the road close to the southeast border as it leads towards the southcenter and further, as he waved backwards at the family while the child was still heavily crying... The mother and father of the children just stare, as the father calms a bit down and sighs.
Volkan Father: ...Crazy hooligans... Come little Bim, i'll get you another scoop.
The Volkan Father tries to console the child as they casually began walking along. Meanwhile back to Klonoa and Popka, Popka turns his head towards Klonoa as they just kept on running as hard as they could.
Klonoa: What places haven't we checked at this point?
Popka: I dunno! But i'm sure we can cross off every shady alleyway in existence at least!
Klonoa: Maybe she's on one of the main attractions... I hope.
Popka: A better plan than i can come up with, but... which one's are we gonna start with?! Too many to check y'know!
Klonoa: Hmm...
Klonoa began thinking for a bit while running, until he finally spoke up again towards Popka.
Klonoa: I got it! Let's split up and carefully check on them one by one, and later regroup at the ferris wheel around the southern district of the park.
Popka: Gotcha! I'll head up north!
Then as Popka went up the northern route at the next crossroads, Klonoa kept following the southcenter route. Eventually Klonoa looks back onto his belt and talks to the Wind Ring while running.
Klonoa: Lolo!
Lolo (Wind Ring): Oh! Y-Yes?
Klonoa: Do you know which one she could probably hide at during a time like this?
Lolo (Wind Ring): Where she could hide? Ummm... Hmmmm... Let me see...
As Lolo was still thinking during their conversation, Klonoa quickly bypassed what seemed to be a construction site for an incomplete attraction, consisting of a huge tent with two stone towers. There was a darkblue and white-skinned Joilantian man at the front of the construction site with a white mustache and darkgreen eyes. He was wearing a bright red suit with a tie, and a bright red tophat. He seemed to be heavily pondering, until Klonoa suddenly ran by... Within a glimpse of his eye, he spotted Klonoa, and tries to raise his arm towards him.
Joilant Man: Um, sir? Klonoa sir?!
Klonoa stops for a moment, but as he looks back on the busy crowd behind him, he just shrugs. He already went too far to notice him, and couldn't hear or see the joilantian man from where he stood, and turns back around. Klonoa kept on running, while the joilantian man in the distance sighed out of disappointment. Eventually Lolo spoke up from the Wind Ring again while he was running.
Lolo (Wind Ring): ...is something wrong, Klonoa?
Klonoa: Oh... It's nothing. I feel like i heard somebody call out my name, but it probably must've been my imagination from the noise of these people.
Lolo (Wind Ring): I... I see...
Klonoa: But that aside, do you know a spot where Tat would most likely hide?
Lolo (Wind Ring): No... not exactly, but i know the general way around this park, so we could try and cross off all attractions we went to.
Klonoa then smiled at the Wind Ring after Lolo said that.
Klonoa: Then let's try and track her down doing that! Keep track of which attractions we visit, okay?
Lolo (Wind Ring): Y-Yeah... Together we can catch her!
Klonoa kept on running until he finally made his way towards the Merry Go Round that was sitting in the middle of the river, as he looks up onto the ride.
Lolo (Wind Ring): The white Tat tried to hide on the Merry Go Round last time we chased them throughout the park. Let's check if she's hiding there first.
Klonoa: Right!
Klonoa then uses his ears to send himself flying onto the entrance platform to cut off the entire line. The next Mira-Miran up front seems to be a bit pissed about this.
Mira-Miran: Hey... what are you-
Klonoa quickly turns around to the Mira-Miran.
Klonoa: Sorry sir, i just need to check this ride for a moment.
Klonoa glares over at all the carts that went around in a circle on the Merry Go Round.
Klonoa: ...She's not here...
Lolo (Wind Ring): Hmmm... Maybe she's on another attraction then...
After a while, Klonoa spotted a Ferris Wheel further up to the northeastern direction.
Klonoa: Wait, what about that one?
Klonoa then flapped his ears to send himself flying off of the platform and headed for the ferris wheel in the distance, as the Mira-Miran just stared in confusion at Klonoa in the distance.
Mira-Miran: ...What was that?
In a quick passage of time, Popka was currently over at the chair swing ride, standing on one of the chairs and looking at the other chairs surrounding him, while the other passengers of the ride just seemed confused at what Popka was doing.
Popka: Hmm... Hard 'ta find like this...
Then Popka almost slipped off of the chair, but he barely saved himself by grabbing a hold of the bottom of the chair, as he just deeply sighed and watched over the park.
Popka: Maybe somewhere else...
While Klonoa and Lolo's pod of the ferris wheel was on the top, Klonoa and Lolo were standing on top of the pod trying to look over the entire park, as fireworks were going off in the skies nearby.
Klonoa: How can i spot her in this huge crowd of people...?
Lolo: We just have to keep looking and hope we find her. We can't give up!
Klonoa: ...I'll... I'll try...
Klonoa kept on looking as their pod slowly began to descend. Lolo began to sigh, as she grabbed her notes and crossed off the ferris wheel using a pen.
Eventually Popka flew up on the rollercoaster tracks and saw one of the trains heading right for him after coming down from a vertical loop.
Popka: Whoa! !
Popka used his arms to keep himself afloat as he checked the bypassing rollercoaster train, while the people on the ride just confusingly look back at Popka. Meanwhile Popka just groaned.
Popka: She wasn't on that one... Hrrgh... Maybe on the next train...?
Klonoa and Lolo were watching over at a Dodgem building up close, watching the Bumper Cars go at it with each other, generally having fun. Klonoa seemed a bit annoyed though.
Klonoa: She's not here either!
Lolo then crossed off the Bumper Cars from her notes, as she turned her head towards Klonoa.
Klonoa: How many have we gone off of so far?
Lolo: About... six attractions... o-out of the forty.
Klonoa: It's fine... she's got to be on one of them.
Popka was watching over a mini-golfing course, resting on one of the windmill obstacles while heavily yawning as a Joilantian hits the golf ball onto the edge of the building and off of the course, while he seemed shocked.
Popka: Dude, 'ya absolutely suck at this... I'm gettin' outta here.
Popka then jumped off and casually walked back to the exit of the golf course.
Popka: Where the hell could that stupid cat be tho?!
Within a circus tent, Klonoa was hiding underneath the seats of the audience as he peeks his head out. He sees a Joilantian performer trying to swing from bars to bars in a stylish manner, which were hanging onto the ceiling. He succeeds, as the audience begins to cheer and applaud. Klonoa looks all around to try and find Tat among them, but can't find her anywhere. He just annoyingly retreats without saying a word.
Lolo: So this one's not it either, huh... The list is getting shorter and shorter...
Klonoa then felt something near his right shoulder and reached for it... pulling out a green Dream Stone from underneath the seat. Both Klonoa and Lolo seemed a bit confused.
Klonoa: Who is letting these just lie around?
Popka snuck into the womens bathroom, noticing that someone's in one of the stalls with the door unlocked.
Popka: Heh... i knew it. Only place one'd never be found...
Popka carefully sneaks up to the door and just kicks it open, as he yelled...
Popka: I got 'ya now! !
But as he kicked the door open, he saw a Joilantian woman sitting on the toilet. They just awkwardly stared at each other for a bit.
Popka: ...Wait... 'yer not-
Then the woman began to shriek from Popka's intrusion.
Joilantian Woman: EEK! YOU PERVERT! ! !
The Joilantian woman then harshly slaps him in the face, sending Popka flying into the bathroom mirror, shattering the mirror as his left arm breaks and causing a bump on the back of his head and tons of bruises. After Popka recovers from the harsh slap and impact, carefully getting back onto his feet. The woman quickly shuts the door and locks it, as he turns back towards the stall and yelled.
Popka: Owowowow... Could've locked the door in the first place, y'know!
Popka then slowly began to limp out of the women's bathroom to get back onto the streets of Joilant while grabbing a hold of his broken left wrist.
Popka: Ngh... what a pain in the butt...
A bit of time passed... In the southern district of Joilant, Klonoa and Lolo were sitting down on one of the benches near the Merry Go Round, as they were just listening to the march of the band playing Joilant's theme in the distance... Klonoa just sighed a bit before turning back to Lolo.
Klonoa: Do you think Popka's found Tat?
Lolo just shrugged.
Lolo: I don't know... He seems to take a lot of time to track her down compared to us though... So i hope he found her.
Then after a while, they spotted Popka slowly heading for the bench they were sitting on to the left of them... Klonoa and Lolo saw the bumps and bruises on Popka's body, while they seemed confused.
Lolo: Popka! What happened?!
Popka hopped onto the bench inbetween the two, carefully crossing his arms.
Popka: Tch... Nothin'...
Then as Popka tried to lean back and sit on the bench, he hit the bump on his head against the bench and quickly reeled back from the pain, as Klonoa looked at him out of concern.
Popka: ACK! !
Lolo then quickly held her hands out at Popka.
Lolo: You're hurt all over! Let me help!
Popka grumbled a bit, as Lolo began to carefully heal Popka's broken wrist, bumps and bruises. Then Klonoa stood up from the bench and pulled out his singular Dream Stone, as he looked back at Popka and Lolo.
Klonoa: I think i'm going to grab something refreshing nearby with the pocket change... You two want anything from the stands as well?
Lolo: A drink, if that's not too much.
Popka: Just... Cotton candy.
Klonoa then walked off. After a minute or so, Lolo managed to heal up Popka's broken wrist and softened the bruises and bumps on his body. Then Klonoa returned to the bench while carrying two cans of soda and cotton candy on a stick, handing over a can of soda to Lolo and the cotton candy to Popka, before casually sitting back down onto the bench as well. Lolo began drinking from their can while Popka began deeply biting into the cotton candy. Klonoa slowly looked at his can before carefully taking sips after looking at how Lolo drank. After a while, he looks back to the others.
Klonoa: So... What exactly happened, Popka? Did you almost catch her? Because those wounds were no joke.
Popka: 'Ya wish. I don't even wanna talk 'bout it.
Lolo: So... i assume that's a no?
Popka just shrugged, as Klonoa and Lolo deeply sighed.
Klonoa: That means the only active attraction we haven't gone to check is...
Klonoa then looks on over to the haunted castle in the distance, as does Lolo and Popka. Meanwhile Lolo began to tremble a bit with a gloomy air appearing around her, as she said...
Lolo: T... The... Ghost... P-Palace...
Klonoa then quickly turned back towards Lolo while he quickly gestured 'no' at her with his hands.
Klonoa: H-Hey, hey... no need to worry about that. Tat's already tried to hide there before. I don't think she'll try the same trick again.
As Popka finished his cotton candy and dropped the stick onto the ground, he began to think a bit to himself. Eventually he stood up onto the bench while Klonoa was still talking to Lolo.
Klonoa: So we're not going in there. At least not until there's nothing else left.
Lolo then deeply sighed out of relief after hearing that, while the gloomy air began to vanish.
Lolo: Whew... Oh thank goodness...
Meanwhile Popka leaned in towards Klonoa, and began to sniff his nose close to his shirt. As Klonoa and Lolo both noticed this, they seemed confused.
Klonoa: ...Ummm...
Lolo: Popka, what are you doing?
Popka: Shaddup for a minute...
Popka kept sniffing a bit more, until he stopped and turned his head back towards Lolo with a smirk.
Popka: Heh... it's still there!
Klonoa: Hm? You mean my shirt? I thought that was obvio-
Popka: No, dummy. That annoyin' cat's scent! Now i can find where she's headed...
Lolo: Wait, you... you mean to tell me you could have tracked her scent down?
Popka: Damn skippy, hahaha!
Klonoa: How though?
Popka: I remembered she pounced on 'ya and touched 'ya all over, so i knew there had 'ta be some traces left! Somethin' i'm finally helpful for!
Lolo then angrily slapped Popka in the head to his own surprise.
Popka: ...Oww?!
Lolo: WHY didn't you tell us you were able to do this in the first place?!
Popka: Geez, calm down! It only crossed my mind after runnin' round half the park!
Lolo: Something this useful is not something you should just casually forget!
Klonoa: Lolo's making a good point. How come you just forgot about your nose like that?
Popka: My nose's a bit rusty, a'ight? Just gimme a break already!
Lolo then deeply sighed for a moment, and looked back at Popka.
Lolo: I'm sorry Popka. Just... I want this to be over with. To go back on our journey to get the elements, without having to deal with that pest any longer.
Klonoa: Mhm...
Popka: I'm wit'cha on that one, so enough complainin' now. Let's get that bastard asap! Hold still, Klonoa!
Popka then carefully leaned closer towards Klonoa, closing his eyes, as he began to sniff a lot from all sides. After a while, Popka's eyes widened as he opened them, and jumped off the bench.
Popka: Found 'em! !
Klonoa quickly stood up from the couch and looked right at Popka, as Lolo followed.
Klonoa: You did?!
Popka: Well, one of 'em, at least... I sense she's around a large square plaza inbetween the buildin's, away from the busy streets. It's just a few blocks north from here, surrounded by a small number 'o people... Less than 10, that's for sure...
Lolo: What about the other?
Popka: It's faint but... i'm sensin' it's around the jungle area uptop... I'll go on ahead and scout, 'ya two handle the other one!
Klonoa: R-Right!
Popka then quickly jumped up into the air, using its arms to try and fly up to the north. Klonoa turned back towards Lolo, as they both nodded towards each other, and began to run towards the nearby street up north, bypassing the narrow alleyways nearby.
After a while, Klonoa and Lolo were sneaking through a narrow alleyway, as they bypassed a small chain fence that had a sign that said 'PRIVATE PROPERTY, KEEP OUT!' to which soon after, they finally got out of the alleyway and now found themselves in a private small square plaza, with a wooden stage to the left of them. Klonoa and Lolo then quickly hid behind the dumpster nearby as they saw and heard an unknown man yell further up the plaza, not even aware of Klonoa and Lolo being there. The two carefully eavesdropped onto him as they began to whisper to each other.
"This is all pure emotional acting! About how desperate he is to know their world will be doomed! !"
Klonoa: I guess this is it...
Lolo: It must be... Let's take a closer look at how many people there are just to be sure...
As Klonoa and Lolo snuck up closer to the stage from one dumpster over to a huge set of cardboard boxes. When they got closer by taking cover near the boxes, they saw that the man in question was a big-boned Joilantian with darkgreen eyes, grey hair, a big grey beard who casually wore a brown fancy suit while sitting in a directors chair. On the center of the stage there was a mid-20's cat with a mixture of black and white fur, amber eyes and upright ears that have a big fuzz of hair poking out each one. He also wears a lazily ironed red t-shirt, with a yellow hoodie over it, blue shorts and red sneakers. Klonoa raised his eyebrow a bit for a moment after looking at the cat, as they carefully listened in on their conversation.
Mid-20's Cat: Do you think i could ever lie?
Big-boned Joilantian: Don't be a smartass to me about it, Stitz! Everyone else so far has been working and practicin-
Klonoa: Hey, uh... does that cat in the red t-shirt seem a bit... familiar to you?
Lolo: Huh? Erm... no... not really...
Klonoa then just shook his head for a bit.
Klonoa: ...must be my imagination... Anyway, that's two so far...
Klonoa and Lolo looked off to the right side of the stage, where they spotted some more people. An androgynous La-Lakooshan woman with blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a really short black robe with a dark blue tunic. As well as a Joilantian man with black eyes wearing a messy green and yellow suit with orange shoes and has white makeup over their face with a red nose. The La-Lakooshan woman was smoking a cigarette while the Joilantian man was drinking a beer, with neither even paying attention to what was happening around them.
Klonoa: That's another two...
Lolo nodded her head a bit, before looking back at Klonoa and pointing at the backstage.
Lolo: I don't think there's many more than that aside from the backstage... this is definitely it. Klonoa, she must be hiding in there somewhere.
Klonoa: We got her on the ropes now...
Lolo: Be careful while sneaking onto the backstage. If you're spotted, we're done for.
Klonoa: Right.
Lolo then spiritually entered the Wind Ring that was on Klonoa's belt, as Klonoa began to make it over to the side of one of the stairs that lead them up onto the stage. But just before he did, he heard somebody walking up from the backstage towards the stairs.
Klonoa: Not good-!
Klonoa quickly curled up and slided into the gap between the stairs and the ground, as he saw it was a youthful Volkan man wearing a thin, darkgreen jacket heading on over the steps. As he got down, he walked up to the big-boned Joilantian. Klonoa slightly looked on over to them while briefly listening in on their conversation.
Youthful Volkan: If i might, sir... why is it we use crayons and some bricks for set design?
Big-boned Joilantian: Grrr... because i put my entire budget, on YOU GUYS! !
Klonoa then looked a bit around from his position, noticing he wasn't anywhere in their field of sight, nor was there anyone else to see him if he were to climb onto the stage.
Youthful Volkan: But... i'm not even getting paid for this!
Klonoa: Now's my chance!
Klonoa then slid out of the gap between the stairs, and carefully snuck up onto the stage from the left side, while not making any noise. When he got on, he quickly rolled on over to the nearest stone pillar to hide behind it. Just as Klonoa was about to glare on over behind the backstage, he heard the Big-boned Joilantian yelling at the backstage. Klonoa got a bit riled up.
"You're cut! GET OUTTA HERE! NOW! ! !"
As Klonoa slowly and cautiously looked further onto the backstage, he saw the colorful Joilantian man standing up from the crate he sat on, put down the bottle of beer in his hand, and walked off. He mumbled to himself the following which Klonoa eavesdropped onto...
Colorful Joilantian Man: Sweet release, from this low-budget theatric nightmare...
Klonoa raised his eyebrow for a moment as he went back into hiding.
Klonoa: Theatric nightmare...?
The Wind Ring carefully lightened up as Lolo began to talk from it.
Lolo (Wind Ring): Hm? What are you talking about?
Klonoa: That man right there just said something like 'release from this theatric nightmare'. What does that imply?
Lolo (Wind Ring): Hrm... Must be an exaggeration about how awful this play is turning out to be... it does not involve actual nightmares.
Klonoa: Ohh... i see...
Klonoa then carefully looks on towards the direction of the androgynous La-Lakooshan woman, who seemed to be looking over to a completely different direction. Klonoa then crouched down and slowly walked over to a nearby crate to hide behind, with Lolo carefully exiting the Wind Ring to look with her own eyes.
Lolo: She must be here somewhere...
Klonoa and Lolo carefully look over all the objects that were hiding behind the curtain next to him. In the distance there was a singular sound system box, an old bicycle, a singular red orange and blue taiko drum, a vehicle mover, a classical dusty piano with a closed lid, a couple road cases, some wooden crates and an old broom. Eventually Lolo turns her head towards Klonoa as they carefully began discussing with each other.
Lolo: If she would hide in a drum, there would be some traces of tearings left... But i don't see any...
Klonoa: Hrm... hiding behind a bicycle wouldn't do either... maybe within the piano?
Lolo: It's possible, but very unlikely... Hiding yourself within the lid means you would have to keep yourself very quiet.
Klonoa: Ohhhh... That makes sense. I'm honestly amazed you know all these kinds of things from the top of your mind!
As Klonoa genuinely seemed amazed, Lolo began to blush with a smile, as she rubbed her head against her head for a bit.
Lolo: W-Well... you just kind of pick up on little facts like this throughout your years-
Then all of a sudden, the big-boned Joilantian man yelled out from beyond the curtains.
"Stitz! Flauren! Scene 81! Get ready! ! ACTION! !"
Klonoa and Lolo quickly kept their heads down to hide behind the crate, with a bunch of noises being heard from the front of the curtain. Slowly they picked back up onto their conversation again.
Lolo: Whew... Anyway... if she were to hide in there, she would have to keep her body as quiet as possible. Even small breaths would be a risk of making noise.
Klonoa: Wait... breaths...? Hmm...
Klonoa then got lost in thought with himself for a bit, with the commotion of an acted scene being heard behind the curtains. Lolo just seemed confused listening to it.
"SAY SOMETHING! You are tearing me apart from the inside, Hendrid! !"
Eventually Klonoa snapped back to it, as he snapped his finger with a grin.
Klonoa: I got it!
Lolo: Hm?
Klonoa: Lolo, you didn't hear that man back there, just before he left... Right?
Lolo: You mean the one with the beer bottle? No, i didn't...
Klonoa: Well... i figured something out...
Klonoa then carefully leaned towards Lolo and whispered into her ear.
Klonoa: I think i can hear where she's hiding... if i carefully keep my ear on the crate.
Lolo: Wow... That is actually a clever idea!
Klonoa just closed his eyes and grinned, while scratching his back with one arm.
Klonoa: Haha... well... let's see if such an idea even works, heh...
Lolo: Mm... even if she's not in there, we need to stay alert and be ready for her to pop out at any moment. Let's do this.
Lolo then spiritually entered the Wind Ring as Klonoa grabbed a hold of his Wind Ring, while slowly walking on over to the nearby road case. He carefully kept his head and ear onto the thing while he kept quiet. After 10 seconds he got his head off of the case and shrugged.
Klonoa: This one's not it...
Klonoa then walked up to the one further to the left, in the center of the curtains. He put his head and ear onto the case as carefully as he could, kept quiet for 10 seconds... he still could hear nothing.
Klonoa: Not this one either...
Then Klonoa walked on over to the one on the right in the middle, just in front of the curtains. Klonoa carefully kept his head and ear onto the case again, for a few seconds... then he head some faint sounds of a girl breathing. He slowly raised his eyebrow for a moment, backed off for a minute, and and held up his right arm with the Wind Ring while nodding towards it in complete silence... then he quickly pulled on the latches and opened the case. But as soon as he did, Klonoa gets scratched in the face, causing him to harshly flinch and step back for a minute as a bit of blood came out, using his hand to cover it.
Klonoa: MAGYA! ! !
The black Tat arose from the open case, as she devilishly grinned while holding up her left hand that she just scratched Klonoa with.
Black Tat: Nyahaha! !
Lolo (Wind Ring): Klonoa! Are you okay?!
Klonoa: Nrgh... I'm... i'm fine...
Klonoa slowly pulled away his hand from his face to look right back at the black Tat. Meanwhile she jumped out of the case, next to the taiko drum, and fiercely kicked it right at Klonoa's direction while making a run for it towards the other direction. As this happened, the red orange and blue taiko drum awoke, suddenly opening its hidden beady eyes and cat-like mouth, as it screamed in a cute high-pitched voice due to suddenly being kicked around...
"DONGYAAAA?!"
Klonoa: WHAT THE-?!
Klonoa seemed really shocked and surprised, as he caught the sentient taiko drum with both hands and still standing on his feet, despite the impact sliding him a few meters back. He quickly put the taiko drum down, as it began to yawn and rub its right eye while softly mumbling to itself. Klonoa just seemed completely stumped by this.
Taiko Drum: Mmmm... Ba dum... ka... ba... dum...
Klonoa: I...Is that... a sentient drum...?! Geez... I almost thought that was a Moo being thrown in my face...
Meanwhile the black Tat jumped up on the upper side of the stage, as she knocked down one of the large pillars supporting it by using the sledgehammer right near it. Only as the pillar began to fall, Klonoa noticed what was going on. The pillar came falling down into the direction of where Klonoa stood, as well as the curtain close by.
Klonoa: Whoa! !
Klonoa then quickly jumped back to avoid the pillar, as the pillar came crashing down and took down the entire curtain along with it. Meanwhile the taiko drum kept looking at the action with a cat-like smile... finally as the smoke cleared, Klonoa noticed the mid-20's cat and the big-boned Joilantian staring right back at Klonoa with widened eyes. As he just looked back and his eyes began to widen a bit as well, he awkwardly waved back at the two.
Klonoa: S...Sorry for that! !
Meanwhile the black Tat smugly grinned while looking back at Klonoa with a slight tilt of her head... before running towards the upper edge of the stage, and taking it to the rooftops of Joilant. Klonoa then noticed Tat making a run for it while she grinned, before he also began to run towards the upper side of the stage. Klonoa jumped onto the upper side by flapping with his ears once, and quickly running towards the edge, to leap onto the nearby rooftop, following the black Tat's trail as fast as he could. It went quiet in the plaza as the mid-20's cat and the big-boned Joilantian just looked up to the nearby rooftop with their eyes still widened.
Mid-20's Cat: The hell was that...?
As the black Tat was running across the rooftops, she was approaching a large gap inbetween the buildings and the street down below. She looked down on all the people passing by, and then made a huge reckless leap, before harshly landing onto the next rooftop.
Black Tat: Oomph! N...Nya...
The black Tat carefully got back up, and then kept on running, passing on the tiny gaps inbetween the rooftop of the buildings. She began to grin a bit to herself.
Black Tat: Heh. No way he's gonna catch me from here...
Suddenly, she heard a huge flapping noise from behind her in the distance. As she looked back, she saw Klonoa who just landed onto the rooftop that she made a leap for. Klonoa just directly looked at the black Tat with a serious and determined look, as some blood was still dripping from the scratches on his face. The black Tat seemed a bit nervous.
Black Tat: H... How did he make that jump...? I mean... how did he already get he-
The black Tat quickly shrugged off her nerves and looked on forward, as she seemed more focussed.
Black Tat: Purrrr... No need for doubts... That doofus may have gotten smarter, but it doesn't matter! Just come and get me, i say! !
She kept on running as fast as possible, easily jumping over from obstruction to obstruction on the rooftops that approached her due to her light body. Meanwhile Klonoa was still giving chase, running as fast as he could.
Lolo (Wind Ring): We can't lose her here! Not now! !
Klonoa: I'm right with you on that one. I won't let her get out of my sight again!
Klonoa then also approached the obstructions on the rooftops, using some parkour to bypass them all without losing too much speed. As he bypassed the obstacles, he began to run again as fast as he could. Meanwhile Tat looked back, noticing he was getting closer on her tail.
Black Tat: You gotta be kidding me! ! How?! What do i-
The black Tat in a panick quickly looked on forward, noticing the rooftops were about to end further up ahead, with nothing but the rollercoaster tracks in the distance. Then she looked over to the right in the distance... there was the gigantic haunted mansion. The black Tat dropped quiet for a bit, and then began to smugly grin.
Black Tat: ...Heh... They'll never find me in there... Especially with that scaredy-cat.
Klonoa was getting really close... Then, just as Tat reached the end, she leaped suddenly off from to the right side of the rooftop, where there was a tent beneath them. The black Tat then uses the tent to launch herself with a bounce, onto the rollercoaster tracks.
Black Tat: Just gotta throw off their senses for a bit...
Meanwhile Klonoa stops right at the edge of the rooftops and then confusingly looked at the black Tat who began recklessly running on the tracks.
Klonoa: W...What is she doing...?
Lolo (Wind Ring): Don't just stand still! Follow her! !
Klonoa: Oh! R-Right!
Klonoa then leaped off of the rooftop and lands back onto the path nearby, running nearby the rollercoaster tracks and following Tat. Tat then jumped off the tracks as the next car was approaching, as she was twenty of meters away from him, and still running. Tat just stuck her tongue out and pulled down her left eyelid to taunt at him, which began to annoy Klonoa at this point.
Klonoa: Nrgh! That Tat is getting on my nerves...!
Lolo (Wind Ring): K...Klonoa! ! ! LOOK! ! ! !
Klonoa: Hm?
As Klonoa looked on further ahead to where the black Tat was running, he saw that she was approaching a bridge that crossed the river... next to the haunted mansion. Klonoa began to frustratingly clench his teeth upon noticing this, as Lolo began to tremble a bit from within the Wind Ring, causing it to shake. The black Tat began to cross the bridge as fast as she could.
Klonoa: Krgh... of course she would try to do this...
Lolo (Wind Ring): I-I don't want to go in there... I don't, i don't, I DON'T! !
Klonoa, slowly held up the Wind Ring and closed his eyes, as began to feel it in his heart.
Klonoa: She wants us to go in... But...
The Wind Ring's green crystal then began to glow on its own as Lolo seemed shocked.
Lolo (Wind Ring): W...What is this? Klonoa, what is-
Klonoa then fiercely opened his eyes, and stared with at the bridge that the black Tat was crossing, before coming to a halt.
Klonoa: Not if i can help it! ! Tornado...
Then finally, Klonoa swung the Wind Ring as hard as he could, causing the bridge to get caught up in a tornado.
Klonoa: ATTACK! ! ! ! !
The black Tat immediately stopped as she found herself in the middle of the tornado to her own surpise, as it kept growing stronger and stronger.
Black Tat: M-Meow?! Me- MYAAAAAAAA?!
The black Tat and the bridge then got sucked up in the tornado, sending them both skyward. Passerby's just looked in confusion, as they saw the black Tat and the bridge flying a few hundred meters in the air... Klonoa began to ran up to the broken bridge as the black Tat came falling down, right for the river. Within what seemed like just a few second, Klonoa took a huge leap, flung his ears to send himself flying into the air right for the black Tat, and then caught her by the back of her head before she could hit the river. The black Tat dropped quiet for a moment as her eyes widened, while Klonoa just grinned, and said...
Klonoa: ...Caught you!