Klonoa ran as far as he could, both children in hand, away from the temple. He knew that he couldn't let the metal goliath find its way there and compromise the refuge. He couldn't fight it head-on, not with his hands full, but he could keep it distracted long enough to allow more people to escape.
The juggernaut was still able to stay on Klonoa's tail, thanks to the latter being weighed down by the two kids he was protecting. Eventually, Klonoa noticed a pile of rocks that seemed to block off a narrow, cliffside path. It was risky, but it should hopefully let him gain some distance. He quickly, but gently, put the children back on the ground in front of him.
"Is everything ok, Mr. Klonoa?" the boy asked.
"I'm gonna need you two to be brave for me right now." Klonoa replied, pointing to a small gap in between the rocks. It was too small for him, but it was large enough for a child to get through.
"I need you two to squeeze through there," he continued, "and wait for me on the other side."
The children looked unsure and timid, especially the girl. She was trembling badly, only calming down a bit once the boy held her hand.
"We'll do our best, Mr. Klowa" the boy eventually replied - Klonoa was too focused on the approaching robot to even notice that he said his name wrong.
The boy went through the gap first. Although it was tight, he squeezed through with relative ease. Once he was on the other side, he held his hands through the space to help the girl get through. She initially hesitated, looking up at Klonoa with big, misty eyes.
"It's alright," Klonoa said to her with a soft, reassuring smile on his face. "I'll be right behind you."
Eventually, she grabbed ahold of the boy's hands and made her way to join him. Klonoa took a moment to admire the children's bond and teamwork. He never had siblings growing up, but he knew a strong bond when he saw one.
Before he could let himself space out, he directed his attention back to his ever-approaching opposition. With a slow exhale to focus his strength, Klonoa quickly and swiftly jumped over the boulders in his path, flapping his ears to get some extra height, and landed on the other side with a backflip. He quickly picked up the two kids, both of whom were in awe of his athletic skills, put them on his back, and continued forward.
Thanks to the narrow trail ahead of them, Klonoa was unable to rush without risking losing his balance and falling off. Yet he couldn't take too long either, or else his foe would catch up with him.
As he advanced onwards, Klonoa looked back and saw the red robot in the distance, behind the fallen rocks. It was clear that it could not get over them as effortlessly as Klonoa could, much to his and the two children's relief.
But as they were about to continue on their escape, the machine simply knocked the boulders down the cliff with a single swing of its fist. The three were in awe at how easily it disposed of its roadblock, like there was nothing to it.
Klonoa had no choice but to pick up the pace. Their perilous trek concluded as the path spiralled up to the top of the cliffside. The path had gradually gotten narrower and narrower, to the point where it'd be impossible for their chaser to scale. Klonoa got off the path and back onto safe ground to catch his breath. Though he outran the brute, he had a feeling that it wouldn't give up so easily.
And he was correct.
Suddenly, the robot jumped up from behind him and shook the ground below. Klonoa was able to get a better look at its face now - it wore what appeared to be a metallic red helmet modelled after an army general's cap, and a large, protruding bottom jaw. Its blue eyes pierced through Klonoa's soul. It was pissed, and Klonoa knew it. It slowly stomped towards him, causing him to back up until he was cornered at the edge of the cliff.
"Please listen to me," Klonoa said to the red robot. "If it's me you're after, take me on by yourself, leave these two alone. They shouldn't be a part of this."
"SSSILENCE, BOY!" the robot eventually spoke. "NYOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THEM HERE. NOT ME!"
His voice took Klonoa by surprise. It didn't sound like the kind of voice he expected a big, burly bot like it would have. It was a vaguely masculine voice - nasally and somewhat whiny, and a rather unusual way of talking.
He snapped his fingers, signalling more robots to surround Klonoa and the kids, their blasters at the ready. The cliffside was already pretty steep, so the troops made things all the more claustrophobic for the trio.
"MMMTHIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE, MAGGOT!" the big bot threatened, "SURRENDER YOURSELF AND COME QUIETLY, OR MY FIRING SQUAD WILL MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOU!"
Klonoa knew he was at a disadvantage. He only had one acid bomb left; if he used it on the big guy, his team would blast him and the children to kingdom come. But if he used it on the smaller troops, the big guy would steamroll the three of them. Time was running out, he had to think.
"AY, DOUCHEBOT!"
That was when a voice rang out that took all present company by surprise.
"WHOOOO SAID THAT!?" the large bot shouted back. "WHO DARE INSULT THE GREAT GENRALLAS?"
"Genrallas." Klonoa thought to himself."That must be his name."
"WWWAS IT YOOOOUUUUU?" Genrallas continued in an enraged tone, pointing at the cabbit.
Klonoa and the kids quickly shook their heads, as did the bots behind them.
"OOO WHEN I FIND OUT WHO SAID THAT, I SHA-OOF!"
Genrallas felt a powerful kick to the side of his head, causing him to stumble. Once the attacker landed back on the ground, Klonoa took a closer look at him - it was a yellow, dog-like creature with green, glasslike eyes, long claws, and a red bandanna. He could recognise those features anywhere.
"Popka!?"
"Oh, hey Klonoa!" Popka said, casually. "I'll be with ya in a sec."
He leapt at Genrallas again, but the brute was ready for him this time. Before Popka could land a hit on him, he was grabbed and restrained by the robot's fist. He struggled to try and break free, to no avail.
"MMM HM HM HM HMMM," Genrallas chuckled, "WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO NOW, YYYOOOUUUU LITTLE PEST?"
Popka stopped struggling as a sly grin appeared on his face.
"NOW, LOLO!"
Klonoa's eyes widened as soon as he heard that name. But before he could think any further, a figure landed behind him, facing the robot fleet. She had long, ginger hair, a pink hat with a green feather on the side, a pink dress that formed into a skirt, and a long, ginger tail.
She turned her head and gave a reaffirming smile, before putting her hands together. A green aura formed around her palms as her hair started to elevate slightly. With a yell, she clapped, and a large, green wave of energy knocked Genrallas' troops away, causing them to fall off the cliff to their demise.
"Lolo?" Klonoa called to her, quietly.
Lolo turned around to face him, her eyes misty from emotion, and a big smile spanning from cheek to cheek. Before Klonoa could say anything else, she embraced him in a strong hug.
"Welcome back, Klonoa!"
Though Klonoa was taken aback by the hug, as well as her grip, he slowly, but warmly, reciprocated it. The children looked confused as to who these two strangers were, but they weren't ones to complain considering they saved their lives.
"I was so worried about you and Popka." Klonoa said to Lolo, "Are you two okay?"
But before she could answer, the ground shook beneath them as Genrallas hurried to the edge of the cliff, Popka still captive within his clutch. He looked down and saw each of his soldiers, broken, with bits and pieces scattered from the impact of the fall.
"OOOOOO YOU'RE MAKING ME VEEERY ANGRY!" he exclaimed, slowly turning to face the heroes. "YOUR TOWN NOW BELONGS TO OUR GLORIOUS LEADER! YOU WILL EITHER SUBMIT AND FALL IN LINE, OR YOUR LITTLE MUTT GETS PUT OUT OF HIS MISERY!"
Popka looked at Genrallas with an impatient expression.
"Oh yeah, tough guy?" he said, confidently, before baring his fangs and biting down on the brute's hand. Only to instantly recoil in pain and agony as he also forgot that the goliath was made of metal in the heat of the moment.
"You too?" Klonoa said, almost sarcastically. Lolo held her face in her hand. Even Genrallas looked mildly concerned at Popka's hasty action.
"TRY ALL YOU WANT, PRINCESS," Genrallas continued, "BUT THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE ME LET GO."
"Then how about this?" another voice rang out. Before anyone could process who the voice was, the ground started rumbling again. But this time, it wasn't Genrallas' doing.
Klonoa, Lolo, and the children looked behind them and noticed a large, spherical, boulder-like object rolling towards them at high speed. Genrallas was helpless to do anything as the fast-approaching ball charged straight into his chest. The recoil caused him to lose his balance, as well as his grip on Popka, as he fell over the cliffside and into the abyss below. The 'boulder' suddenly sprouted an arm to grab Popka so that he didn't meet the same fate.
That was when Klonoa noticed what, or more specifically, who they were. It wasn't something, it was someone.
"Pango!" Klonoa joyfully exclaimed, walking up to greet him. Lolo and the kids quickly followed.
"Hey there, kid!" Pango said back to him, "Sorry I took so long, but I saw you running away from that big guy on the cliff path and figured I'd come lend a hand."
"Wait," Klonoa felt a sense of worry, "If you're here, then the village-"
"-is fully evacuated." Pango answered, setting Popka down. "Everyone is safe, as far as I know, and on their way to the Temple."
Klonoa couldn't help but think about the charred body he saw buried in the rubble.
"Not everyone…"
Lolo, noticing his unease, gently placed her hand on his shoulder to try and calm his nerves. Klonoa didn't react, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to ground himself.
"We need to get back to the village," he declared. "Even if everyone is evacuated, we still need to stop the robots from causing any more damage."
"Right!" Pango responded in agreement.
Klonoa was ready to go, but suddenly remembered the two children he's been protecting.
"Err… first, we still need to find a way to get these two to safety."
"I have an idea!" Lolo intervened, "Popka, take the children to the temple, please. Pango, you need to come with Klonoa and me to help fight the invaders. I can use my Priestess magic to help."
"Can do!" Pango responded.
"Aww what?" Popka whined. "Why can't I join the fun? I'm not a damn babysitter!"
Lolo shot him an annoyed and piercing glance. He averted his gaze and let out a disgruntled sigh.
"Ugh…fine." he eventually muttered, defeated, "Come on, ya runts. We gotta go."
As they turned around to head towards the temple, Klonoa suddenly realised something.
"Wait!" he called out, "I, erm…I never got your names. What are they, if you don't mind me asking?"
The two children turned to face him.
"My name is Cove, Mr. Klowa!" the boy answered.
"...Paige." the girl followed up, sheepishly bowing her head to look polite.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Cove and Paige." Klonoa warmly replied, "I hope to see you two again soon! Take care."
The kids quickly ran up to Klonoa and hugged his legs, causing him and Lolo to chuckle a bit.
"Thank you, Mr. Klowa." Cove said, looking up to Klonoa.
"T-thank you." Paige said quietly, slightly muffled thanks to her burying her face in Klonoa's leg.
After they released Klonoa from their embrace, they ran back to Popka, who waved goodbye to the other heroes as he and the kids made their way towards the Temple.
"Care to do the honours?" Klonoa asked, jokingly, to Lolo, as he unholstered his Wind Ring from his belt.
Lolo blushed slightly, before she gave out a small snicker in amusement.
"The pleasure's all mine." she responded, giving him a curtsy.
Lolo closed her eyes as a green aura surrounded her body. After briefly floating in the air, she transformed into a small green ball of energy and retreated into the gem on Klonoa's ring. He now had a chance to fight back.
With that, Klonoa, Lolo, and Pango headed back to the village to take it back from the machines, once and for all!