Hold Your Head High

At last, the day of the funeral has arrived…

I found myself walking towards a small stage in front of Breezegale's Claire Temple. At the foot of the stage stood Lolo's coffin – the lid was open, and the sides were now adorned with the crest of the Lunatean priestesses.

Inside, Lolo was as still as ever, holding her hat to her chest. Her bracelets were on her wrists again, and her eyes and mouth were now glued shut – the latter was part of a process the village elder called "embalming", though I didn't ask for more details.

I made my way onto the stage and towards a podium downstage center. I looked out at the crowd; not only did the villagers I knew show up – including Balue, Chipple, Popka, and Grandpa – but Guntz and Pango were there too (I knew they'd keep their promises!), as were Boris, Ren, and Angi.

The latter two, as well as the villagers I interviewed, had already given their eulogies, telling the same stories about Lolo that they already told me. Once again, Popka was especially somber when he delivered his story, and while tears still crept from his eyes, he didn't fall to the ground sobbing this time.

I looked to my sides to see who else had come. To my left stood the High Priestess, and many of the priestesses from the Sky Temple. To my right stood the village elder and his subordinates.

As soon as I stood near the podium, all eyes fell upon me. I already ended my interviews with each of them by promising "her compassion… her will… we'll make sure it hasn't been wasted." And each and every person here was now somberly waiting.

Waiting to hear how I would immortalize my long-time friend. Waiting to hear what kind of guidance I can bestow to the village, to help them through.

I already thought through said guidance, though I planned on incorporating some of the villager's stories into the beginning. Since they told their stories now, though, I'd have to modify that part of my eulogy.

Looking back on it now, however, I worried that it wouldn't be adequate. That the villagers would think I half-hearted it… that they'd believe I didn't really care for Lolo after all…

And as those thoughts floated around, they eventually merged into one singular thought, drowning out everything else in my mind:

What have I gotten myself into?

Once again, as if in response to my question, a familiar voice seemed to echo in my head, overpowering that one thought.

Except it wasn't Lolo's voice this time. It was Pango's.

We both need to build our strength. But first, Klonoa, there's something we need to do first. Knowing you, you'll probably have no trouble doing it.

Where did he say that before…?

Oh… back at the Sky Temple! After Joka beat us, Pango gave me some advice that I'd hold onto. Advice that defined me for the rest of my journey. Advice Guntz reaffirmed to me back at the Sakura tree. And perhaps, advice that would help me right now.

I kept listening:

First, stand straight.

I did so.

Then, hold your head high.

I did so.

Even if it hurts, hold your head up!

I kept it there.

And, as always, keep moving forward!

With that last statement, I stepped onto the podium, and addressed the crowd:

Denizens of Breezegale. Over the past few days, I have spoken with each and every one of you regarding your interactions and history with Lolo. Now, as we pay our respects to her, I'd like to ask you two things.

First, when you relayed your stories to the rest of the village… and when you listened to the stories of your neighbors… have you noticed something they had in common?

It may've been slight, but in each one of those interactions, she showed a willingness to help. She showed a strong determination in doing the right thing. She showed that even through small actions, one can help improve the lives of others in their community.

…Okay, now that I said that out loud, I realized it may've sounded childish. (I heard a few chuckles from the crowd.) But still, the reason I bring that up leads into my second question.

When you were trapped in your nightmares… just before you woke up… did you feel anything peculiar?

Well, I did, and as I held Lolo in my arms, Guntz over there… (he looked up at me) …gave a rather sensible explanation for what we felt. He said "Her will to keep the world's dreams away from Nahatomb… it felt stronger than the rest of ours combined."

And he was right. For when she sent her dreams towards the beast… her will… her determination… her drive… it reached its peak just before her demise.

And I think it was at that point… when she gave her life to protect our dreams… to ensure we didn't lose our lives doing the same… that she showed true heroism.

Now, as she lay here before us, before we lay her to rest, I'd like you to ask yourselves these questions in her memory… questions that she probably would've asked you if she were still alive… questions that I'm still asking myself even now:

"Do I have the will, to help others when they need it most?"

"Do I have the determination, to do what I believe is right, even if it may be difficult?"

"Do I have the drive, to keep going forward, no matter what kinds of trials I may face?"

And once you've asked yourselves those questions…

If you find yourselves answering "yes" to each of them…

…Then you can be a hero at any time.

After the remaining eulogies had been delivered, the priestesses gathered around the coffin, kneeling in prayer. While the rest of the crowd spoke indistinctly amongst themselves, I approached Lolo's parents, their faces pensive.

"So, um…" I began, a bit of apprehensiveness in my voice. "H-how did I do? I'm still worried the first part was too childish…"

Before I could get another word out, Angi suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me into an embrace.

"Thank you…" she muttered. "Thank you for helping to immortalize our daughter."

"Yes… thank you." Ren added, joining in the embrace. "Lolo couldn't've asked for a better group of friends – you especially – to help us keep her memory alive…"

"Thanks…" I muttered back, wrapping my arms around the two.

We continued to hug in silence for about a minute, before I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I looked over, expecting to see Pango or Guntz.

Instead, I saw Boris, a nervous look on his face.

"Klonoa…" he said. "I-is it alright if I… if I ask you something?"

"Of course." I looked back at Ren and Angi. "You mind if I…?"

"Not at all." Angi cut in. "We should… go see our daughter off, anyway…"

With that, she and her husband slowly pulled out of the embrace, before heading back over to Lolo's coffin.

Now, it was just Boris and me.

"S-so…" he began again. "You… you think I can be a hero?"

"Well…" I felt my expression lighten up a bit. "Of course. Have you asked yourself…"

"I did. And I answered yes… to each of them."

"Great. But…" My expression fell back. "I still want to warn you, being a hero… well…" I pointed at the coffin, Ren and Angi kneeling by their daughter's side in prayer. "You saw where it can lead if you're not careful. Are you sure you're…"

"I'm sure." He looked at Pango, who was watching from a few yards away, alongside Guntz. "I want to show Daddy that I can do just as much good as he did. He risked his life to save mine… I'd like to return that favor one day. I mean, you heard me cheer him on in the Darkness, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. But, if I want to be recognized as a hero… do I need one of those medals like Daddy has?"

Actually, he brought up a good point. I took off my hat, looking at my own hero medal pinned to it. Though I thought it became a Star Medal for a brief moment, it was still gold.

"I mean," I told Boris pensively, "I… don't really believe so… at least, not anymore. Like I said about Lolo, you can show your heroic spirit through the actions you take in your daily life. Your dad did tell me the medal's just there to show your enthusiasm, after all.

"But if you still want one, he can get you an introduction with the High Priestess, since he holds his own medal."

"I see. Though, can anyone with a medal get me an introduction?"

"I think so."

He perked up. "Great! In that case… would you like to introduce me?"

I looked at Pango, seeing whether or not he'd approve of it. He nodded.

"Sure thing."

I brought Boris over to the High Priestess, and she took him off to the side – presumably to ask him the same question she asked me, back at the Sky Temple:

What do you believe a hero is?

Though I already found my answer – someone who has the drive to keep going forward – I'm not sure if that completely applies to me anymore. Like Guntz said, Lolo's drive seemed to be stronger than mine… stronger than all of ours combined…

…Now that I think about it, if Lolo was asked that question, what would she have said? Would she have been as unsure as I was? Or would she have said something about her drive as well?

And had the High Priestess given her a hero medal… what rank would she be at now?

I glanced at her coffin as I thought it over. Ren, Angi, and the other priestesses have finished their prayers, and were preparing to close the lid.

"Wait!" I told them. "There's… something I wanna say to her first."

Without saying a word, they all stepped to the side. I approached Lolo pensively, holding my hat to my chest.

"You know, Lolo…" I told her. "What I said about you, regarding your deeds… that was no lie. You really did have a strong will… persevering determination… I mean, your drive had to be pretty strong for you to beat back Nahatomb mostly by yourself. Stronger than mine, apparently…"

I unpinned the hero medal from my hat, holding it in contemplation. If her drive was stronger than mine…

"In fact, you know what I think about you right now? I think… that even in your final moments… you were more heroic than I ever could be. Moreso, in fact, that you probably deserve this more than me."

With that final statement… I pinned my medal to Lolo's hat.

Perhaps there was more truth in my statement than I thought… for almost as soon as I let go of the medal, it once again shone as bright as the stars themselves.

…

…

…

…

And this time…

…It stayed that way.