(July 18, 2024)
The mission we went on earlier that day was a big success. We were able to snag one of Neptune's lieutenants and we got ourselves a tank in the process. Not to mention we now have the phone number of someone who can potentially help us sneak into the command building; someone who makes food deliveries. We're on the right path to finding Suomi… but the cost was too much. Super Shorty was taking out the tank's crew, but she forgot about the driver… and he shot her in the stomach. She didn't get help in time, so she passed away. The evening we got back, we did a memorial for her just outside of the small town.
"I've seen this too many times." BJ said as he stood in front of the hole Super Shorty was put to rest in. "I've seen too many kids dying in battles… cut down like cannon fodder. You young ones have your whole lives ahead of you… but that got taken away from you. I wish I could put an end to this… but no matter what… war always finds its way out of the depths of hell." Lee Enfiend then walked over to the edge of the hole.
"Super Shorty… your willingness to run into danger not only saved our Shikikan, but also got us some serious firepower." Lee Enfield said. She then looked at me, and nodded determinedly. "Super Shorty, we're going to win this war, and I want you to know… you played a huge part in helping us. We're all going to miss you dearly." MDR then walked over with a pillow and laid it in the hole, underneath Super Shorty's head.
"Rest in peace, itty-bitty." MDR said in a lightheartedly mocking fashion. "I'll see you when my time comes. Shikikan, did you want to say anything?" I stepped in front of the hole, but ended up collapsing onto my knees in regret.
"I'm… sorry I lied to you." I admitted, feeling heavily burdened. Lying to Super Shorty was a wrong that I would never have a chance to right. Yu came over and helped me up.
"Don't beat yourself up." Yu told me as he patted me on the back. "When she asked you if she was going to die, what do you think the best thing to say would have been?"
"Not a lie." I said with my head hung. I stared at Super Shorty's body lying in the hole, and for a brief moment I wished it was me in the hole instead of her. AK-12 walked up to me, holding Super Shorty's shotgun.
"You did good things with UMP-45's gun, I want the tradition to continue… if you'll accept, Shikikan." AK-12 said. She handed me the gun, and I stood there looking at it… all that was left of her. The gun, like Super Shorty herself, was pretty small. It was a 12-gauge shotgun with no stock, just like the one Osmund gave me, except it had a vertical grip underneath the pump. I knew it would kick like a horse. Super Shorty handled the recoil so gracefully. Yu, BJ, Dani and 12 then got shovels and started filling the hole. I stood there the entire time, my eyes locked on Super Shorty's face, watching the dirt slowly pile on top of her. And then… I couldn't see her anymore. Everyone started heading back into the town, but I still stood there. My eyes hadn't moved from where her face was.
"You coming, Brother?" Yu asked me.
"I will… I just need a few moments." I said with my eyes still staring at the ground. I stood there trying to process everything as fast as I could. I wanted to get back to searching for Suomi, but I wasn't able to focus on anything else. I felt like Super Shorty and I ended on a bad note. I sincerely thought she would survive. Her wound was like what I suffered back in Akechi's region, and I'm still here to tell the tale. After a while, the sun had set completely. It was pitch black, but I still couldn't leave. I felt stuck. My legs gave out from exhaustion and I ended up dozing off before I hit the ground.
"Shikikan?" I heard a voice say. It was a voice that was very familiar to me… but it took me a while to recognize it. It had been so long. I turned my head to see UMP-45 walking towards me! Even though I was exhausted, I sprung off the ground and ran to her.
"UMP-45…" I uttered shakily. "I… it's so good to see you again." I stood there, not knowing whether or not I should go in for a hug, but 45 took care of that dilemma. She embraced me.
"Shikikan…" 45 whispered. "I need you to know something."
"45, I have something to tell you too." I said as tears were streaming down my face. "I am… so sorry… about what Akechi did to you." That memory was still fresh to the point of making my heart skip a beat when I thought about it.
"You don't need to apologize for another's actions… it wasn't your fault." 45 reassured me. "What happened in front of that hospital was the outcome I wanted."
"But… you suffered so much." I said holding back as many tears as I could. The urge to let everything out and start bawling at that time was one of the heaviest I had felt in my entire life. My voice started breaking. "How can… that possibly be… the best outcome?"
"Because I was the only one who died then." 45 said as she put both her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Akechi had to kill one of us back then, and I'm glad it was me, and not you. As long as you keep carrying on, my suffering and dying is worth it. That's how I feel, and that's how she feels." 45 pointed at Super Shorty's grave. "That's what all of our deaths have been about; keeping our Shikikan alive. P90 died pushing you out of the MG's sight in the train station, IDW got killed by the guard waiting near the door in the garage of the estate so you would know where he was, and AN-94 died to buy you a few seconds after the building you were on collapsed." I stared at 45, still feeling horrible, but slightly less burdened. I slowly and gently patted 45's head. I could tell she was trying her hardest not to squeal out of joy, but she ended up cracking a smile.
"I… I will keep going." I said shakily, but still confidently. "If that's what it takes to make sure none of you died in vain." 45 smiled at me.
"I know it's not easy, Shikikan, but you've made it this far. Don't let yourself stop anytime soon." 45 said as she turned and started walking into the distance. I knew that moment wouldn't last forever. It was only a dream. I woke up to see Yu sitting next to me in the sand with his M14.
"How long have you been here?" I asked Yu.
"I came out here to check on you an hour ago and saw you asleep, so I stayed out here to make sure you didn't get kidnapped or something." Yu said as he stood up and held out his hand and helped me up. We then walked back into town together. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, I am." I said whilst very drowsy. "I… I had a dream. UMP-45 came over to me."
"Really? What did she say to you?" Yu asked.
"She told me that as long as I survive, none of the girls we've lost died in vain." I informed Yu. "Super Shorty's death still hurts, but I now have more of a reason to keep fighting."
"Klonoa… you need to know that it's not your fault when someone dies." Yu said.
"I feel like it is." I said. "I didn't think being some sort of leader would come with these feelings."
"I can tell it's hard for you, but the truth is not every single battle can be won with everyone's lives intact." Yu reasoned. He was right, but it didn't make that truth any easier to bear. Once we got back to Dew's shop, I tried falling asleep, but I laid there awake the rest of the night. Despite feeling better after Yu's words of wisdom, I still felt something pressing at me.
(July 19, 2024)-
After a few more hours of being driven crazy by my own mind, the mental fog turned into a storm. I lost Super Shorty, and one of my best friends was still out there, somewhere in enemy hands, suffering… maybe even dead. I had to find her! Eventually, my mind wandered back to when 404 and I were in Akechi's prison. All I did at night was sit in that dark lifeless cell and hope Yu and Suomi would come for me. That was all I could do at night when I was there. Suomi was probably thinking the exact same thing from wherever she was. I finally stood up and woke Yu up. I had to take some sort of action.
"Yu, where's Lukas?" I whispered. Yu slowly turned his head towards me with his eyes half open.
"He's chained to a bed in the empty house just down the street." Yu slurred his words. "I think… MP5 and MDR… are guarding…" Yu fell back to sleep, but I got the answer I needed. I quietly went upstairs and borrowed a knife from Dew's cutlery drawer, then headed to the house where Lukas was being kept. MDR was sitting outside keeping watch, but she wasn't doing a good job. She had fallen asleep. When I got close she snapped awake.
"Huh I'm not asleep I'm awake I didn't fall 'sleep…" MDR trailed off and wiped her eyes.
"Go get some sleep." I grumbled. I felt nothing but determination to get Suomi back at that point. She had been in enemy hands long enough. MDR stood up, handed me the key to the door and headed back to the inn where the girls were staying. I went in to see MP5 sitting in a chair next to the empty bed frame Lukas was handcuffed to. Unlike MDR, MP5 was vigilantly guarding Lukas. Her face lit up when she saw me.
"Hi, Shikikan!" MP5 said excitedly and also quietly.
"I need to talk to Lukas." I grumbled once again. "Stay or leave, the choice is yours." Looking back, I wish I had been far less abrasive. MP5 got a sudden look of fear and indecisiveness on her face. She scooched her chair away from the bed and sat back down. "Hey Lukas! Wake up!" I yelled as I slapped the wall right above his head. Lukas slowly opened his eyes and just grinned when he saw me.
"Was Mr. Narukami too insulted by my mere presence to come chat with me?" Lukas snied. I punched his stomach, which knocked all the air out of Lukas.
"I don't want to talk, Lukas." I snarled. "I want to ask you to answer a single question, then I want you to keep your trap shut." I paced around Lukas and slowly brandished the knife I borrowed from Dew. "Now… eight days ago, your guys captured one of my friends. I want to know where she is." I said, expecting Lukas to know who I was talking about.
"One of your 'friends?' Lukas teased. "How much are you paying her to be your friend? You seem like the kind of creature who would pay the extra charge for the stress relief."
"She does relieve my stress, actually." I said, not knowing he was talking about… you know… 'it.' "She's been there for me since the day I met her, and I haven't seen her at all for over a week, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd tell me where she is before I decide to start cutting off your limbs with this knife!" lukas wouldn't talk, so I held my knife to his no-no part. I remembered it working when HK416 did that to a guard back in the Girls' region. "Tell me where she is, and I'll let you keep your no-no part!"
"Sh-Shikikan, calm down!" MP5 yelled as she got out of her chair and ran towards me.
"MP5 SIT BACK DOWN AND LET ME DEAL WITH THIS!" I roared. I had never seen a look of fear like what was on MP5's face. I feel terrible to this day for yelling at her like that. She slowly sat back in her chair.
"Joke's on you, sexist cat, I don't have a, what your weak butt would call, a 'no-no part.'" Lukas snied. Also, he didn't really say 'butt.' I regret doing this as well, but I stabbed his upper leg with the knife out of anger. Lukas screamed in immense pain, and the smug look on his face disappeared in an instant, never to be seen again. I then started twisting the knife slowly, all the while Lukas was screaming even more. I saw MP5 out of the corner of my eye, watching in horror.
"YOU WANT THE PAIN TO STOP?" I yelled at Lukas. "TELL ME WHERE SUOMI IS!" Lukas ended up blacking out from the pain and sudden blood loss. I finally got a glimpse of what I had become; the same thing I became back at Osmund's… a monster. I pulled the knife out slowly and just stood there staring at my hands. I had unleashed a force of nature that was hiding inside of me. The moment that the blinding rage left, I felt the guilt of everything I had done within those two or so minutes. I turned to MP5. "MP5, go get some bandages, quickly please!" I applied pressure on Lukas's leg as MP5 left the house and came back hastily with bandages. I put them on Lukas's leg quickly and made sure the bleeding stopped. I stood there for a few moments, then I hugged MP5, who still had a fearful look in her eyes. "MP5… I'm so sorry. The way I talked to you was unacceptable. I don't know what came over me… but that's no excuse." MP5 stood there silently for a moment.
"Shikikan… it's ok." MP5 said softly as she gently put her arms around me. "I know you didn't really mean to." I ended my embrace with MP5, but not after giving her a head pat. The fear in her eyes instantly turned to gratification. I also couldn't help but notice she had slight dark circles under her eyes.
"Have you been up all night?" I asked her.
"Yeah..." MP5 said with a slight groan.
"Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll stay here with Lukas until he wakes up." I offered. MP5 nodded while smiling.
"I'll come back later to see how things are going later." MP5 said on her way out of the house. I brought the chair MP5 was sitting in previously back over to the bed Lukas was handcuffed to and sat down. As much as I want to say some monster took control of me earlier… that wasn't a monster.
That was me.
—-
Five hours passed, and Lukas finally woke up. I sat there silently and watched him slowly wake up. He tried rubbing his eyes but couldn't. He seemed to forget he was handcuffed to an empty bed frame. His head turned in my direction and his eyes locked onto me.
"G'morning." I said monotonously while I sat there with my AK between my legs. "I owe you an apology for what I did before."
"Yes… yes you do." Lukas said with that smirk back on his face. "Why not get on your knees and show me how sorry you are?"
"I wrapped up the wound I gave you and cleaned it out while you were asleep, I figure that's at least a start." I informed Lukas. By the way, I did put some soapy water on his wound and re-apply his bandage a bit earlier. I know that wounds like that can get infected. Lukas slowly turned his head towards the ceiling and scoffed.
"You might want to give me a proper apology, considering you're about to ask me where your friend… what is her name… 'Soomy…' is."
"Lukas… I'm truly sorry." I said while looking Lukas in the eyes. "I just want to know… why are you working for Chris-Chan? Are you seeing all the horrible stuff he's doing?"
"I don't mind it at all…" Lukas started. "Being on Chris's good side… It's what keeps me alive. It kept both me and Devil alive… until Yu Narukami intervened. Now it is you who is losing friends… I can see it in your eyes and your actions. Chris just brings loss. Everywhere he goes. It affected us both, even though we are on different sides of the same coin; for Chris and against him."
"Chris started a war." I said through clenched teeth.
"No… you did." Lukas said. "Life could have been a little bit simpler if Chris wasn't being opposed, but now his friends and his enemies are being pulled into what you created."
"What am I supposed to do?" I said with an increase in volume. "Just let Chris do whatever he wants? Let him harm everyone who he thinks isn't fit to live? Let those grudges he holds turn to violence?"
"It doesn't matter." Lukas said in a downtrodden way. "The world will never go back to the way it was before March 17. The world belongs to Chris now, and nobody is going to change that… not even you." That last part made me feel both anger and pity for just how hopeless Lukas was feeling. I walked over and put my face just inches away from his.
"Let me try." I said with my teeth everso clenched. "If you let this world belong to Chris, it will belong to Chris forever. I'm trying to get the world back… but I need my best friends with me while I fight. So Lukas… I'm gonna ask you one last time… where is Suomi?" Lukas's eyes suddenly had a small glint of hope. It was small, but he was, at that moment, no longer devoid of hope.
"Lowee." Lukas admitted. "She was assigned to the mall building laborers… but you'll never get into that camp. There are watchtowers all over the place. You'll get shredded up so badly that there will be nothing left of you to bury." I didn't mind that last part he said. I left the house Lukas was in and locked the door. It turned out PPK was sitting in front of the house standing guard.
"Did you get what you need from him, Shikikan?" PPK asked me. I simply nodded. "Excellent! I'll go put him down then." PPK said excitedly as she racked her gun. I put my hand out to stop her.
"Lukas will help us more, don't kill him." I said sternly. I started back to Dew's shop without another word. If Suomi's still alive, she's about to be a free girl again.
—-
Lukas said there were watchtowers all over the labor camp Suomi was in. Going over there during the day would have been a horrible mistake, so the only chance we had was going in at night. Yu and I spent a good amount of that day securing outposts and anti-air guns in Neptune's region. We also brought most of the girls with us. I had been looking forward to when the sun finally set all the way, because the moment it got dark, we headed to the labor camp. AK-12, Yu, BJ, MDR, Jason and I drove around Lowee until we found the mall that was being built by the laborers. It wasn't hard to find at all. There were walls surrounding the mall, and guard towers on each corner. There was nothing around the camp but a giant field with a few dilapidated houses. As we were driving by, the guard towers shined their spotlights on our car, so we had to drive until we were out of sight. When we were far enough away, we got out of the car. We all started making our way towards the hastily constructed wall that surrounded the camp, keeping our eyes on the searchlights sweeping the wide open field. We were able to use the dilapidated houses as cover occasionally. They were kind of spread out.
"That searchlight is getting pretty close…" MDR warned.
"If that thing spots us, it'll probably shoot without any thought." Jason pointed out. "The buttholes we're fighting don't care about anything except Neptunes…" Well, I'm not gonna write exactly what he said. I'll just gloss over the fact that Jason didn't really say 'butthole.'
"Get down! Now!" Yu said suddenly. I jumped to my belly. "Keep your head still, they'll think we're dead bodies." The searchlight shined just a few inches in front of me. I know I keep talking about my heart beating out of my chest, but this time didn't even compare to the others thus far. The searchlights moved past us, so we got up and kept moving. We avoided the spotlights as best we could, which kind of got in the way of us getting to the camp quickly. I briefly considered creating some sort of diversion at a different side of the camp, but we couldn't let our presence be known to Neptune's Lieutenants at all. We were outgunned and they had prisoners they could start killing, including Suomi. As I was running towards the walls, I tripped on something. It smelled of death. I looked back as I was getting myself up and saw that it was a dead body! From the looks of it, that body had been lying there for weeks, maybe even months. I then realized… right in front of us was a mass grave. All the bodies looked like they had been starved and beaten.
"Quite unfortunate…" AK-12 muttered. It was neither a sight nor a stench to behold. I felt sick to my tummy and my vision started going even darker… but then the thought hit me… Suomi could end up in this pile if we don't save her.
"Let's… keep moving." I said, struggling to keep my dinner down. There were lots of bodies I had to make sure not to step on. MDR suddenly fell to her hands and knees and threw up. "MDR… c'mon, get up. We have to keep moving." I said as I lightly forced her back onto her feet. "I can't have you get caught in a spotlight."
"Yes… Shikikan…" MDR said as I helped her back to her feet, then we ran over to the wall surrounding the camp. We walked around it until we found an opening. There was a gate on one end, but it was about as high as the other walls, which by the way were too high to simply climb over.
"So… what do we do now?" MDR asked, still sounding slightly queasy.
"Hold up… I think I know another way in." BJ said, in a gruff manner as always. "Follow me, I remember seeing a point of interest." We followed BJ to a section of the wall that had bullet holes in it. We started picking away at the concrete wall.
(July 20, 2024)—-
I'd say it was about midnight by the time we actually gained entry to the camp. I got myself through the hole in the wall, and my feet landed in a puddle of blood. That must have been the wall the non-compliant prisoners were lined up and shot against. I was disgusted at everything I saw. I motioned everyone behind a half-built brick wall.
"We need to shut this place down." I whispered to everyone. "We must save everyone."
"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" Yu said with a smile.
"Those guard towers are going to be of great use to us." I whispered as I was hatching a plan. "Yu and Jason, you both have long range rifles and proven track records when it comes to sniping, so I need you both to get on top of the two towers along this wall, then silently take out the snipers in the adjacent towers. Once you've done that, use them to watch our backs. We need to take out every guard here. BJ, MDR and AK-12, stay with me." Yu held his hand out for a bro hug. I gripped his hand and he pulled me in.
"Let's take this camp and find our friend." Yu said. He and Jason took off in opposite directions to take the sniper towers. MDR, BJ, AK-12 and I all headed through the camp taking out any guards we saw with our suppressed weapons. We got to what looked like a trailer home, so BJ opened the door slowly and cautiously. The inside was lined with cheap-looking metal bunk beds, full of people who looked malnourished.
"We need to sneak these people out of here." I whispered.
"That won't be easy…" AK-12 replied. "I'm not sure everyone in here can walk."
"Then our only option is to liberate this camp first." BJ reasoned. "That's the only way we can guarantee everyone's safety." With that, the four of us left the trailer and continued sweeping the camp, taking out guards wherever we saw them. As we were moving… I found something lying on the ground that made a knot instantly appear in my stomach; a blue coat… Suomi's coat. I struggled to continue standing after I bent over and picked it up.
"Shikikan…" AK-12 started. She was at a loss for words, just like I was.
"It… we need to… I… Let's still… take the camp." I said, barely able to get any words out. We continued liberating the camp, but I felt the rage inside of me reaching the boiling point. As we were about to turn a corner, a burst of blood came from around said corner, which scared me half to death. I peeked around the corner and peered at the sniper tower. I saw Jason up there giving me the thumbs up. We kept weaving around the trailers, taking out any guard and lieutenant we saw. Then all of the sudden, we heard an alarm going off! The guards had found the hole in the wall we made!
"Oh no!" MDR whispered. "Those evil guys on the message board know we're here!"
"'Message board?'" BJ pondered out loud. "More importantly, we need to get as many prisoners as we can out of here! The bombers could be here any moment!"
"Go loud!" I yelled. "Defend the trailers where the prisoners are!" A bunch of Lieutenants ran away from us, and past the CWC honor guards running towards us! Yu and Jason were taking the guards out as best they could, but the guards were still pushing us back. BJ put his suppressed SMG away and took out both of his shotguns and ran towards the guards guns blazing. I noticed a few shots fly right through BJ, but he didn't stop!
"Stay close!" BJ instructed. MDR and I ran over to support BJ, but then I noticed AK-12 wasn't there. I was torn between making sure she was ok and fighting for the lives that we still had. I saw a flare fly upwards from behind one of the trailers.
"They're signaling the bombers!" Jason yelled as loudly as he could.
"Keep fighting!" I yelled. "We need to save all the prisoners we can!" BJ ran across an open area towards two guards barracks while MDR and I covered him. Suddenly a group of CWC honor guards came at MDR and I from behind, but they all got shot just in the nick of time from across the way. It was AK-12. She had flanked the enemies. She gave me a quick thumbs up, and I returned the gesture with a nod.
"BJ, I found vehicles we can use to get the prisoners out of here!" AK-12 called out. Jason hastily made his way down and joined AK-12 and BJ towards the garage to steal the trucks. MDR and I cleared out the rest of the camp with Yu giving us fire from the top of the sniper tower. We were able to clear the camp out, but we still had to get all the prisoners out before the bombers came and flattened the camp. Once all the action was over, the realization that Suomi was most likely dead flooded back into my mind. I had to think straight none the less… at least we could still save lives. Yu came down from the tower to help us save prisoners.
"There are three trailers here… let's each take one." I said, trying to sound like I still had will power left. "We need to get the prisoners out, and fast." Yu walked past me, giving me a pat on the shoulder as he passed. It made me feel better for a few moments. I walked into one of the trailers to see a bunch of scared and very skinny prisoners standing there. "It's safe now." I said. "Come, we have trucks ready to get you all out of here." The prisoners started making their way out of the trailer. A few of them were too weak to walk, so a few of the stronger prisoners helped the weaker ones walk out of the trailer.
"K…Klonoa?" I heard a familiar voice say as I was on my way out. I turned around slowly and went back into the trailer. It was Suomi! She was struggling to walk over to me and almost collapsed, but I was able to catch her. Suomi was so skinny, her arms went from being somewhat toned to little more than skin and bones. Her face was completely colorless and her eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by gray circles. She looked like she hadn't eaten or slept in days. Not to mention she had a very dirty wound on her right collarbone that needed to be treated ASAP. I held her close. "You… came… for me." Happy tears were falling out of my eyes.
"You… lost your coat." I said as I put Suomi's coat on her. I swear, I always say the stupidest things during those kinds of moments.
"Please… get everyone out… of here…" Suomi said weakly. "Make sure… everyone gets out…"
"We have trucks ready, but we don't have much time." I said as I put Suomi's arm around me. The two of us made it over to the trucks where the prisoners were being helped into the backs of the trucks. Yu happened to glance in my direction after he helped a dangerously skinny prisoner into one of the trucks. He stood there smiling.
"I knew you'd hold out long enough for us to find you." Yu said to Suomi. I heard the humming of bomber engines coming towards us, but I wasn't worried.
"Let's make sure to keep the headlights off." AK-12 suggested. "We'll use the darkness to evacuate." We quickly got everyone in the trucks before the bombers got too close, then we drove far enough away to not be hit by the bombs. The labor camp got flattened. All of the prisoners that stayed alive were freed, and every one of us that went in are still here to tell the tale.
—-
We got back to the town in the early morning after a slightly cramped ride and went around the town seeing if anyone had any spare beds we could let the freed prisoners sleep on. Once all the prisoners were situated, Yu and I brought Suomi into Dew's cellar. The poor girl was hallucinating, so she kept seeing prison guards everywhere. I hoped feeding her would make her less worried, but it didn't. She needed sleep more than anything.
"K…Klonoa… they're everywhere… We have to get back to work… it's the only way we survive…" Suomi whispered to me as she was tightening her grip on me out of fear. Yu and I carefully laid her on her mattress.
"Suomi… you're safe now." I whispered. Her grip on me started loosening even though she still looked terrified. She was looking around the room, almost as if we were surrounded. It was understandable that she'd be a bit paranoid.
"Don't worry, Suomi." Yu said. "You're back home now."
"This is a safe place for you to sleep, Maavoimat Maiden." Soldier said from behind us in an unusually calming demeanor. "There are no guards here."
"What if they come?" Suomi asked me as I was helping her onto her mattress. "What if they… take you, Klonoa?"
"If they come, we'll be able to fight them off." I reassured Suomi. "Now go to sleep." As Suomi calmed down a little bit, her eyelids started closing, giving those poor crusty bloodshot eyes of hers a chance to finally relax. She laid there increasingly peacefully as her breathing slowed down to normal levels. Once she was safely asleep, that was when the feeling of relief finally sunk in. My other best friend was safe. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as all the worry I endured left my mind.
"You kids did good." Woods said to us from his mattress on the other side of the cellar. Yu turned his head towards me.
"I assume you were able to make Lukas talk?" Yu asked me. "I hope you hurt him like heck." Yu actually did say 'heck' that time. I appear to be rubbing off on him.
"I stabbed him in the leg out of anger…" I started. "I regret it though. Lukas was just so devoid of hope, that's why he was doing what he's been doing." Yu looked to the floor as his brow furrowed.
"That's still no excuse for taking someone's little sister captive… as well as everything else he's been a part of." Yu said. "I told myself over and over while I was searching for Nanako, 'I will find Lukas and kill him.' I was so blinded by fury."
"It happens to all of us, Brother." I said as I patted Yu's shoulder.
"Will you go-go gadget go to sleep now?" Inspector Gadget said from across the cellar. "I was having a dream about brown bricks in minecrap."
"I'm sorry… we'll go to bed now." I whispered loudly enough so Inspector Gadget could hear me.
"It feels good to have the family back together." Yu said as he moved towards his mattress. "Get some sleep, Klonoa. It's been quite a long day." Right when my head hit the pillow, I was out. I couldn't sleep soundly while Suomi was out there, but now that she's on the mattress right next to me once again, I feel like everything is okay now. This war torn world is a scary place, but having my family close to me is a constant relief I simply can't live without.