Janga sighed a little, but he couldn't get that smile off of his face. Batz was off in the kitchen trying to put what little cooking skills he possessed to good use. Ever since his wife died, he was the one who ended up doing most of the cooking when he wasn't off on jobs. Not really his line of expertise, but between him and Janga, who'd spent a decent chunk of time before they met rummaging through garbage for sustenance, he was the better caterer of the two.

While he was off putting together something edible, Janga had been left with the young Guntz, who by now was nearing his second birthday. He still slept in a crib for now, but soon he'd be old enough to get a bed of his own. Guntz was quickly growing up to be a rambunctious child to say the least, and since Janga was still the introverted sort, he did chafe under a caring role a little whenever he got asked to look after him. Still, he did his best for Batz's sake, and he had to admit that the little guy was cute, a real spitting image of his father.

Picking up a toy from a variety strewn around the sitting room, Janga did his best to entertain Guntz with it until Batz returned. He had to admit, he felt a little out of his depth doing it, but he'd been entrusted with the role, and he'd see it through the best he could. At the very least, Guntz seemed to be enjoying himself.

At that moment, Batz came into the room, carrying a couple of plates of some sort of meat and greens. Feeling especially ravenous, Janga went over to the table and gratefully reached for his plate whilst Batz sat his own down while he set about giving Guntz his bottle of formula.

The meat was a little tough, a testament to Batz's lack of cooking experience, but Janga didn't mind one bit, grateful for anything the man put in front of him. The two of them chatted over the table as they ate.

"We got a couple new job offers in." Janga said between chews. "One of them is a little out of the ordinary; this museum director wants us to check out this old temple in the mountains and sweep it for artifacts."

Batz whistled with an interested air as he listened. "An odd sort of job for a pair of bounty hunters, don't you think?"

"Perhaps, but bounties have been a little slow recently, and this job paid well, so perhaps we could add "treasure hunters" to our portfolio!" Janga replied, his hands moving around as he talked to punctuate his words.

Batz let out a laugh. "I suppose you got a point. Ever since that group of raiders finally got bought down, things have been kinda quiet. Could use a change of pace to keep it all fresh."

A little time passed as the two of them finished their meal, and after clearing up returned to the couch in the living room, Guntz sleeping soundly in his crib and Batz having lit up another of his trademark cigars.

Looking over at the sleeping form of his son, Batz smiled warmly. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"

Janga nodded with a slight smile. "Perhaps some would say TOO fast."

Batz chuckled and shrugged at the comment. "Maybe so; he was the cutest thing you ever saw when he was born. But he's got his whole future coming up and I want to be around to see him grow into a man."

Janga cocked an eyebrow. "What d'you reckon he'll be when he's all grown up? A bounty hunter like yourself?"

Batz thought about it, seeming a bit reluctant to admit that the prospect of a father/son team was appealing. "I don't know. If I had the money I wouldn't mind sending him to a nice posh school so he can really make something of himself, but it's not like I could afford that. 'Sides, I don't like the idea of trying to push him one way or another. Let him come up with his own destiny and we'll see how it goes."

Janga nodded quietly. It made sense as a philosophy for sure. Batz had expressed a desire to keep Guntz away from the gorier details of their line of work, but at the same time didn't seem to want to completely hide it, as that would amount to lying. They'd just have to see how it all worked out as he grew up.

"Oh! I just remembered!" Batz suddenly chimed in as he got up, set his cigar in an ashtray and headed to an adjacent room to grab a package. "You remember how you said you preferred using blades in your line of work but couldn't find anything that really fit you?"

"Yeah…?" Janga replied, intrigued by where Batz was going with this. He'd been trying to use guns like Batz did for a while but lacked the same sort of dead-eye aim.

"Well, I went round to this blacksmith in town, and told him about what you were looking for," he set the package down on the table by the couch. "And he came up with this real unique creation that I think'll fit you like a glove!"

Growing more interested by the second, Janga reached down to unwrap the package, revealing a pair of shining three-pronged blades, looking quite like cat's claws. They were long, sharp, and designed to be fastened to the wearer's hands and wrists so they could be used in a very hack-n-slash form of combat.

Janga was almost lost for words at the sight, as he brought one of the blades up and put it on. It felt so fluid and natural, like an extension of his arm, and all he had to do was swing and it cut through the air at great force.

"Dear god, Batz, these are amazing!" Janga cried out happily. "Exactly the sort of thing I was looking for!"

"Hey, glad to hear it!" Batz said, glad that Janga appreciated the gift. "And if we're gonna do that treasure hunting job, it'll be a great opportunity to test them-OOF!"

But Batz was cut off when Janga suddenly came in for a hug, overcome with gratitude (though luckily having taken off the blades first). Batz was surprised at first, but over time began to lean into his embrace. It felt oddly… comforting, in a way he had not felt in quite some time.

Janga pulled away after a moment, seeming embarrassed that he'd shown such affection. "Th…thank you, Batz…" he mumbled quietly.

Batz, however, said nothing, his mind going off with sensations that he had forgotten all about since his wife died… almost like feelings of adoration and attachment… he and Janga had been living together for a while now, and had grown quite close, but it was only in this moment that it came to Batz just how close they'd gotten. He still loved the memory of his wife as much as he always had, but now those same feelings of love were being associated in his mind with Janga as well…

Oh god… did he… LOVE Janga?

Janga cocked his head, a worried expression coming onto his face as he looked at Batz. "Um… Batz? You alright?"

Still unable to bring himself to say a word, Batz simply pulled Janga close and, in a single impulsive move, brought him in for a kiss on the lips.

Janga seized up at first in surprise, never having expected such affection from the incredibly manly Batz. But that quickly turned into a lovestruck expression as he began to return the kiss, too scared to pull away in case he was dreaming.

He loved it so much, and he finally felt that he could admit the truth after finding his feelings for Batz bought out like this…

He… loved Batz…

…

"So, let me see if I've got this right…"

The High Priestess sat on her throne in the Claire Moa Temple, frowning as she thought hard about the news she had been bought. Klonoa, Guntz, Janga and Leorina had requested her immediate audience in an awful hurry, but with the severity of what they had to say, she understood why they had been so urgent.

"Garlen has returned, he knows that the Aeternus has been rediscovered by us… and he intends to use it to become immortal?"

"That's basically the long and the short of it." Leorina replied, providing most of the correspondence between their group and the High Priestess. With how close the two of them had grown, it was only natural; they both trusted each other's judgment.

The High Priestess scratched her chin as she thought about a potential solution. "The Aeternus is closely guarded by some of Lunatea's finest soldiers, and I'm sure that others can be supplied where needed. Surely we could repel any offensive Garlen brings upon us?"

"No, you couldn't." Janga cut in, his brash side still present but tempered by his newfound sobriety, which had provided him with a little more tact than he once had. Blunt, but only to get to the point. "Garlen already knows all of this. He knows the artifact's exact location, the movements and number of soldiers stationed there, and has drafted dozens of counterattacks to any defense you attempt to put up against him. If you increase your numbers, he'll increase his tenfold. If it stays where it is now, he will eventually obtain it, and much sooner than you could hope to counter his attacks."

"He's right." Leorina agreed. "I've reviewed the intelligence report Janga obtained from Joka on their plan. They must have spies running around; they know every detail about our defenses and how to counteract them. If we fought them head on, we WOULD lose."

The High Priestess made a frustrated face. The return of the Aeternus was supposed to be a joyous occasion in the rediscovery of one of Claire's sacred artifacts, and already it was being sullied by malicious intent. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"Get it out of Lunatea!" Klonoa piped up. "If it's not safe here, then our best bet is to quietly have it moved somewhere else, where they can't find it."

Janga shook his head. "I'm afraid that is doubtful. Garlen is resourceful; he has eyes and ears everywhere. It matters not where the Aeternus is sent, eventually he'll find where it is. What matters is finding somewhere protected enough that it could be kept safe, at least until a plan can be made to track him down and defeat him once and for all."

"Perhaps the Empire of Jillius." Leorina suggested. "They have the largest standing army in the world, and their defense capabilities eclipse Lunatea's many times over. It would be the safest place the Aeternus could be protected to prevent Garlen from obtaining it."

The High Priestess thought about this for a moment, before nodding. "It is a sound idea. Lunatea's relations with the Empire of Jillius have been quite friendly as of recent, I am sure they would agree to such a plan."

Then, she frowned. "You have been awfully quiet, Guntz." She said, gesturing to the canine who had been standing near the back of the hall since they had arrived. "What do you think about this plan?"

"What do I think?" Guntz replied, uncrossing his arms as he walked forward, his expression turning dark. "What I think is that we shouldn't be trusting a word that comes out of THAT MAN'S MOUTH!" He yelled out those last few words as he pointed accusingly at Janga.

"Guntz, please, such anger is not becoming in this hall." The High Priestess said, looking down at him with a scolding expression.

"With all due respect, miss…" Guntz seethed, seeming barely able to hold back the words 'you're completely clueless' from coming out of his mouth, "You have no idea how many times this man has lied, cheated and betrayed people to save his own skin. We shouldn't just take what he says at face value!"

"I dunno, he did say he wanted to keep it away from Garlen so that he can be allowed to die." Leorina said, an eyebrow raised. "I'd be inclined to take that as an honest conviction at least."

Klonoa piped up. "I'm afraid I think so too, Guntz. Telling us their evil plan upfront isn't exactly a great strategy."

"But that could be a lie as well!" Guntz cried out, exasperated that he seemed to be the only one skeptical of Janga's claims. "This could all be a trap; he could still be in cahoots with Garlen, and this is all a plan to get this amulet out in the open so they can steal it!"

"Garlen couldn't care less about me." Janga spoke matter of factly, managing to cut into the conversation easily against Guntz's anger. "He's made me effectively immortal out of spite, and him finding the Aeternus is as much about him being able to make my punishment for failing him more severe as it is for him creating his own utopia in his image. And he'll surely do the same to many others that have crossed him if he obtains it. Everyone in this room, for instance."

He paced around the room as he spoke, agitated but his conviction strong. "That's why I approached you all. I know I cannot defeat him myself, but if we move the Aeternus to a secure location, it will allow us ample time to find Garlen and defeat him in combat, as you all did once before. Then, when he is finally dead, I may finally be allowed to leave this world. A selfish reason, true, but surely you cannot deny that it is in character for me, and this world would be better without me to torment it further?"

He finally turned to the High Priestess, looking her in the eyes as he did so. "You may imprison me if you wish for all I have done; that would be your right. But I have known Garlen for a long time, and I will provide any help I can in making sure he is no longer a threat to this world. All I ask is that you take what I have said into account, and act before it is too late."

The High Priestess processed his testimony for a time. She was sorely tempted to lock Janga up, as he had done plenty to deserve it. And yet… did she want to risk what he was saying being true? And did she want to risk throwing his help away for the sake of her own convictions?

Ultimately she decided no. She didn't want to call his bluff.

"I believe Mr. Janga's plan has merit." She said finally. "I will order the Aeternus moved in a clandestine fashion to the Kingdom Of Jillius at the earliest opportunity."

She looked at Janga. "Furthermore, I believe that it would be a prudent course of action to have Janga accompany us. If we imprison him, Garlen could discover him in any of Lunatea's prisons, have him extracted and then wring him of everything he knows, leaving our plan compromised. At least under our watchful eye, we can ensure that he is earnest in what he has promised us."

Guntz looked affronted by the news and yelled out in protest. "You can't be fucking serious—"

"Guntz, that's enough!" The High Priestess barked out, a commanding tone reverberating throughout the hall which made everyone's hairs stand on end, her eyes alight with authority. It was a tone that demanded the recipient fall into line, and although he was still seething, Guntz reluctantly quieted down, and she continued.

"As for myself, me and a few of my aides will accompany you, Klonoa and Janga personally under disguise" she continued, "I wish to ensure the safety of the Aeternus on the transit to the Empire of Jillius. It may not be as effective as a full army at our disposal, but whatever defense we can provide in the worst case scenario would put me at ease. Once we arrive under Emperor Jillius' jurisdiction, we may begin preparations for a counter-assault so that Garlen may be eliminated once and for all."

The High Priestess stood up and observed the group before her. "Does this plan please you all?"

Both Klonoa and Leorina nodded in reply. Janga gave a little bow and thanked her for the trust she was putting in him. Guntz stayed silent at first, but finally let out a frustrated sigh as he realized he was being outvoted.

"Yeah, sure, fine, whatever."

…

"Do you suppose this plan is misguided?" The High Priestess asked Leorina as they walked through the temple together.

"The way I see it, there are plenty of things that could go wrong" Leorina replied "But truthfully, I can't think of any better way forward. Our best bet is to try and keep it out of his hands for as long as possible."

"Agreed."

The two of them passed numerous priestesses working on jobs throughout the temple, keeping things running smoothly. Such was the way the Claire Moa Temple had lingered for many generations, and if they played their cards right in this affair, it would go on for many more.

"If it would be alright," The High Priestess said after a short pause. "I would like you to accompany me on this journey."

Leorina looked round in surprise. "You sure? I mean, I'm still a priestess in training, and there are plenty of higher ranking women here who would be happy to…"

The High Priestess raised a hand to quiet her with a patient smile. "They can easily keep the temple safe while I am gone. Besides, I trust that you can be a great help to me if we need it."

Leorina nodded, appreciating the gesture, before a thought came to her head. "What if we took Lolo with us as well?"

The High Priestess raised an eyebrow. "Lolo? Why her?"

"Well, she's Klonoa's friend, so they've been on a few outings together in the past, and she has shown herself to be a brave and resourceful girl." Leorina explained. "Plus, she's been going on for a while about how she wants to prove herself and really show how much she has to offer as a priestess."

The High Priestess considered this, then nodded. "Very well. Once we have finished some business, then you can let her know that she can join us."

Leorina raised an eyebrow. "Business? What business are you referring to?"

As she said this, they arrived at The High Priestess' private quarters, and the High Priestess herself stopped in the doorway and faced Leorina with a slightly coy smile.

"Well, we haven't seen each other too much lately, you've been so busy with your duties." She said, her voice dropping slightly as a flirty undertone undertook her. "I thought before we set off we could catch up a little in private."

"O…Ōmiko!" Leorina gasped, blushing red as she blurted out the High Priestess' birth name, which not many in the temple knew, let alone felt brave enough to refer to her as. "Are… are you sure there's time? I mean, we don't know how long we have before…"

"Oh, don't worry, I already have some orderlies making the necessary preparations, we'll be ready when they are. Now c'mon in, I've missed you…"

"O…Om… Ōmiko…" Leorina mumbled quietly, her blush getting even worse as the High Priestess pulled her into an embrace and led her into her room, closing and locking the door behind her.

A while later, Lolo was in the temple gardens pruning a few of the flowers, which had become something of a hobby of hers as of recent. As she was crouched down over a particularly beautiful specimen, a set of footsteps came up behind her and Leorina's voice rang out.

"Hey Lolo, how would you like to accompany me and the High Priestess on an important mission?"

Lolo jumped a little at the unexpected voice, but when she registered the offer being put forward, she jumped up in excitement. "Oh, of course, I would love to!"

Then, as she turned to face Leorina, she frowned in confusion. Leorina looked oddly unkempt, her uniform scuffled, and she had a dazed expression on her face which was covered in telltale traces of what looked like… kiss-marks?

"Um... Leo? What have you been up to?"

Leorina responded in a bit of a dreamy tone: "Oh, nothing…"

…

Meanwhile, Klonoa had decided to visit an old friend of his to get some advice about how to proceed. He hadn't seen them enough lately, and he felt bad for that; he needed to reconnect more with all of his friends.

Heading up to the door of their house, he politely knocked and waited for a moment, footsteps coming barrelling to the door before it was opened to reveal the massive Pangolin-esque form of Pango, a talented Pyrotechnician who had met and teamed up with Klonoa when Nahatomb had threatened their world. He wasn't a career hero like Klonoa and Guntz were, but he had proved to be an invaluable addition to their group as they helped save the world.

"Klonoa!" Pango cried out happily. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise! Please, come on in!"

A few minutes later, Klonoa was sitting in Pango's living room, a soft drink in his hand courtesy of his host as the two discussed the situation Klonoa had found himself in. In a nearby room, Pango's son Boris was busy tinkering with something or another. His sleeping sickness had long since cleared up and he was now happier and healthier than he had ever been.

"Hmm, that is a difficult situation." Pango said with a frown as Klonoa finished bringing him up to speed. "After everything Janga's done, I might be inclined not to believe him either… you're sure he's being truthful?"

"I'm positive." Klonoa said as he took a sip of his drink. "I may like to see the best in people, but I can usually tell when someone's trying to be deceitful, and Janga used to be one of the most transparent of them all. Now, though… It's like he's a completely different person. He doesn't drink, he's softer spoken, and something about what he says just doesn't have that same… dishonest streak…"

"What does Guntz think about this?" Pango asked.

"Oh, he doesn't trust Janga as far as he can throw him." Klonoa replied. "He doesn't care about any changes, or how honest he's being, he doesn't want to believe that he could want to help us. He ran off after the meeting with the High Priestess and he hasn't returned home, so he's clearly upset by all this… I just wish I knew if what we were doing was the right way to go."

Panga nodded as he considered what he could tell Klonoa that could help him with this conundrum. Finally, he seemed to come to a conclusion. "Well, the best thing I can tell you is to keep a close eye on him, but if your gut is telling you he can be trusted, then I'd go with what your gut believes. Sometimes that's all you can do."

Klonoa smiled. Pango did have a way of dropping a pearl of wisdom when needed. "You sure I can't persuade you to come with us? It'd be great to have the gang back together again."

Pango smiled as he shook his head. "I'd love to, but my place is here. I have a son to support, and I wouldn't want to go off risking my life when he needs me there in his. You understand, don't you?"

Klonoa's smile wavered a little with emotion as he nodded, knowing what Pango meant. He didn't remember his parents, and he had lived with his Grandpa for as long as he could remember, so he knew better than to try and separate Boris from his dad when he's still growing up and needs his support. Not to mention what he knew about Guntz's past with his own father…

Klonoa wiped a tear from his eye as he smiled warmly. "Yeah, of course…"

…

Janga looked round his apartment. It still wasn't super well kept, but it was better looking than it had been just a short time before. Many days and nights had been wasted in a drunken stupor within these walls.

He was almost glad to be leaving, knowing in his heart of hearts that this would probably be the last time he would stand here. The memories of this place were tainted from everything he had done, so being able to leave it behind was freeing in its own way.

Still, he felt compelled to take a few different items with him, since he probably would not be returning for them. Picking up a small backpack, he put his coat and scarf into it. He may not enjoy wearing them anymore, but they had been with him since before he had met Batz, being mended and altered along the way, and he couldn't quite bring himself to part with them.

As he picked up his hat though, a twinge of pain went through his hand as it ran over something sharp. The wound healed up quickly, but his attention quickly fell to the object in question. It was a small piece of metallic shrapnel from a blade, which he immediately recognised as being from his now destroyed claws. But… it was no longer tinged purple with poison, having instead reverted back to its original silver metal finish, as they had looked on the day Batz had gifted them to him…

The significance of this did not go unnoticed, and Janga had to quickly put it back in the hat for safekeeping before stuffing it into the backpack, so he didn't start crying right then and there.

He spent a bit more time going through his home and finding a few different items that he wanted to take with him. Mostly small knick-knacks that he had collected over the years and had an affection for. Opening one of his cupboards, he found a small bottle of high-end liquor he had missed when clearing out all the alcohol. He remembered he had been saving it for a special occasion… when… he came back…

He shook his head and picked up the bottle to pack away. Just in case.

As the sun slowly set, he looked under his bed for anything he might have missed, and his hand came to rest on a broken picture frame, the glass shattered from having been thrown there long ago. Picking it up, he saw it was a picture of him and Batz, both of them with their arms round each other's shoulders, and Batz holding up his son Guntz with a grin.

Happier times…

Unable to stop the tears from coming this time, he slowly removed the picture from the frame and folded it up to put in his breast pocket. His work done, he picked up his backpack, and gave one last glance around the room before leaving for the last time.

He was going to try to make things right again…

…

"Sir! Sir!"

One of Garlen's robotic minions burst into the cyborg's main office, holding numerous papers in a mad panic.

"What is it now?" Garlen growled, clearly not appreciating being interrupted. "This had better be important."

"It is!" the robotic minion cried out. "It's the Aeternus, sir! It's been moved!"

"MOVED?!" Garlen yelled out as he stood up from his chair. "Where has it been moved to?!"

"That's the thing, we don't know! All we know is it was moved from its previous location by some of the temple orderlies, and since then we've lost track of it, it's like they're taking extra steps to hide it from us!"

Trying to calm himself down, Garlen began to pace around, deep in thought. "They must have found out what I'm planning. Joka's gone into hiding, could he have done it?"

"Doubtful, sir." The robotic minion said as they flipped through their intelligence reports. "As far as we know he left Lunatea a few days ago and hasn't been seen since. At the speed the Aeternus has been removed, it seems unlikely he had the time to do it without us noticing."

Garlen thought harder about how they could have found out, and then suddenly…

"Janga…" he snarled, getting to his feet as he moved towards a computer screen. "I should have known he wouldn't just crawl into a hole forever. Is the tracker operational?"

"I believe so, sir."

"Get it up on screen."

Running over to a computer console and pressing some buttons, the robotic minion pulled up an electronic map of Lunatea, which included the location of their listening posts they used to keep tabs on the Aeternus. Another few button presses later, and a particular red dot was brought to the foreground, marked "Janga". And it was moving.

"There you are…" Garlen grinned as he looked at the dot on the map. He turned to his minion.

"Get an insurgency force ready and keep tabs on his location. If he told them of our plans, then it's likely he will be near the Aeternus wherever they plan to take it. And if that's the case…"

He approached the screen with anticipation.

"He's going to lead me right to my ultimate prize…"