CHAPTER FOUR: THE MASTERMINDS

"BAM! WALLOP! SHA-BOOM!"

As the showdown supposedly raged on above them, the townspeople were still facing the threats on the ground. Popka, in particular, has resorted to bashing the bots with one of their own mallets.

The canine may have had enough energy to wipe out an entire army's worth of droids, but those that stayed behind to fight were starting to feel the burnout; they weren't exactly built for battle. Luckily, it seemed that the waves of robots were starting to slow down. Perhaps the enemy's resources were wearing thin from having to constantly replace the destroyed troops. Either that, or-

"Hey! Look up there!" One Joilantean called out, pointing to the top of the Chamber O'Horrors in the distance.

It seemed to be a round-shaped figure hanging over the side, but as Popka squinted to get a better look at the far-out blob, he recognised the figure as Leptock. Moments after, the monster could be seen falling over the side of the tower and landing at the bottom. The impact was loud enough for Popka to hear all the way from where he was.

From past experiences, the dog assumed that nothing could survive a fall that high, robot or otherwise. Nabbing his hoverboard, he made his way to the Cryo Clown's crash site, weapon in tow.

Of course, he had to smack a few bots along the way, but as he approached the tall structure, the robots in his way became fewer and fewer. This was a good sign. By the time he reached the Chamber, all that was there were a few scrapped bots, shattered ice, and one very dead-looking clown.

"Quiet." Popka thought to himself. "Too quiet…wait, that's good, right? I mean, if it's quiet, then there's no robots nearby. And they wouldn't be stupid enough to ambush me now of all times…right?"

Now second-guessing himself, Popka's grip on his hammer tightened. He had to be ready on the off chance that his fears were confirmed.

His ears then picked up something coming from inside the Chamber. Footsteps. Non-metallic footsteps to boot. Regardless, he readied his mallet for whatever was about to emerge from the shadows within. Until he could make out the approaching figures, in which case, a wave of relief came over him.

It was Klonoa, Lolo and Mamett, seemingly returning from their fight with Leptio/Leptock. But, as they got close enough for Popka to see their faces, it sent a feeling of discomfort through his entire body. They looked horrified. They had just defeated the monster terrorising the Kingdom and destroyed the Generator - the latter of which Popka figured out when he saw the Element of Joy in Klonoa's hand. Why did they look like they just witnessed a traumatic event? What the hell happened up there?

"Klonoa? Lolo? Mr Mayor?" he asked, though he dreaded the answer.

None of them responded. Klonoa and Mamett didn't even seem to acknowledge their ally. Lolo, on the other hand, took one look at her companion, seeing the mix of concern and confusion in his expression, and couldn't hold it in anymore. She bent down and pulled the canine in for a hug, quietly weeping. Popka reciprocated the embrace; he didn't know why she was so upset, but he knew that she needed this.

"Lo…what happened?"

Before she could answer him, more footsteps could be heard approaching the scene. Soon enough, a small crowd of citizens had appeared. They must have also seen Leptock fall to his doom from where they all were. One Joilantean cautiously walked towards the clown's body, poking it with the tip of her hoverboard. Nothing. Leptock was no more.

"We…we did it…" she said, almost in disbelief. "WE DID IT!"

The crowd of newly-formed soldiers soon erupted into a victorious cheer, not even noticing the mortified faces of Leptock's slayers. That was, until Popka came to a realisation.

"Wait, where's Momett?"

Mentioning the name of his brother was what caused the Mayor to somewhat snap out of his thousand-yard stare, his gaze slowly fixating on the pile of broken ice chunks next to Leptock's corpse. As he slowly made his way towards the icy mess, his eyes welling up with more and more tears with every step closer, he slowly got onto his knees and cupped a pile of fragments in his hands. It was almost like he was expecting to be able to put them back together. Put him back together.

"I'm sorry…I'm so…so…"

His words trailed off as his emotions spilled out - his whimpers becoming a pained wail, the pieces of what was once his brother fell to the ground. Slamming his fists on the ground in both anger and anguish, the sobbing turned to a scream of pure sorrow.

No words of confirmation needed to be stated for all present company to realise what they've lost in the battle. Not only did the Kingdom lose the jolly old showman that brought life to Joilant with his bubbly charm and exciting attractions, but Mamett had now officially lost the last bit of family he had left, all because he was played for a fool by the monster that murdered him.

Klonoa wasn't faring much better either, as he stumbled back until he could lean against the walls of the tower. It couldn't be seen through his fur, but his face was pale. His hands were trembling and his breathing was shaky. He looked, and felt, like he was going to puke. Something about the atrocity Leptock committed stirred something within the boy. A sensation he was familiar with. One that overtook his whole body head to toe. A sensation that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

And it terrified him.

Lolo eventually was able to get a hold of her emotions and stood back up, before looking at her companions - a worried Popka, a grieving Mamett, and an extremely panicked Klonoa. She was torn over who she should go to first. She wanted to try and calm both parties down, but didn't want to neglect the other.

That was, until she noticed some of the Joilanteans he led into battle come to his side to comfort him in his time of need, Bertram being the first to approach him. They fought together, won together, and now they would mourn together. Not just for Momett, but for all those lost in the fight.

With Mamett being supported by his people, she turned her attention to the cabbit, who was now slumped against the wall, trying to control his breathing. She, alongside Popka, decided to simply sit next to him, just so that he knew that he wasn't alone. He didn't react much to their presence besides him, but his breathing seemed to slow down and relax slightly.

After a moment of quiet, Mamett ended up joining the trio against the wall, having also regained his composure. He pulled out a lighter and a box of cigarettes, but hesitated before he could light one up.

"Heh, Momett never liked me smoking." he said, closing the top of his lighter. "I said that I could quit whenever, it just helped me keep calm. He was always looking out for me."

He let out a sigh. "I wish I could tell him how grateful I was for everything he's done for me. I wish I was able to look out for him like he did for me. Maybe if I was better, he'd…"

Mamett couldn't finish his sentence without tearing up again, but his message was clear.

"He would be so proud of you, sir." Lolo consoled him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I bet he's looking down on us right now, seeing how you managed to lead an entire Kingdom of people to freedom. They're celebrating their victory because of what you did. And I know Momett would be celebrating too."

Mamett wiped his tears away, before looking at the Priestess with a small smile.

"You're pretty good at your job, y'know? There's a reason the High Priestess spoke so highly of you."

Lolo couldn't help but blush at the compliment.

"I'm just doing what I can to help, Mr. Mayor. That's the duty of a Priestess."

As Mamett spoke with the La-Lakooshan, he noticed the troubled boy next to her.

"Hey, kid." Mamett spoke softly as to not startle him. "You did good. We wouldn't have beat him without you."

Klonoa didn't say anything, but he looked towards Mamett, who gave him a smile. The Dream Traveller gave a smile back, but it was clear that he didn't feel good about their triumph.

"Ay, where's my compliment?" Popka cut in. "I kicked so much ass back there!"

Mamett couldn't help but chuckle, but before he could give one, something caught his attention.

"What the hell is that?" he said, pointing at something in the distance.

It looked like a large, rectangular object being carried by a group of flying creatures. As they drew closer, the gang could see that they were Nagapokos. And the last time they saw Nagapokos carrying something, it was-

"Shit!" Klonoa muttered to himself, snapping out of his previous state. He, alongside his allies, jumped back up and readied themselves. Lolo and Popka had also figured out what, or who, was coming. Popka grabbed his mallet, Lolo retreated into Klonoa's ring to power it, and Mamett loaded his shotgun, despite not entirely knowing what was about to go down.

The shape eventually arrived at their location, the crowd of Joilanteans watching. It was another screen, one that turned on to static, before yet again revealing the same four-armed figure they encountered at the previous Generator.

"Well, well, well." he spoke. "Aren't we ah bunch o' persistent little lads an' lassie, aye?"

"I wouldn't sound so cocky, yo!" Popka retorted. "We've scrapped two of ya Generators now. What is there, like, two or three left to go now?"

"Correct, hairball! This is definitely a setback. Pat yerselves on the back. But, like ah said before, in the grand scheme a' things, this means nothing."

"Cut the act!" Klonoa suddenly snapped. "You can talk a big game behind the screen, why don't you actually show your damn face for once and pay for the damage you've caused?"

Everyone was surprised at Klonoa's sudden aggression, even the guy on the screen.

"Ooooh, got ah bit a' bite in ye after all, eh, Dream boy? Where was this fire before?"

The figure gave an amused chuckle, before glaring at Klonoa with a sharp-toothed grin.

"Alright then…"

The screen quickly went blank. The silhouette was gone. Before anyone could wonder where he went, a figure jumped out from behind the display, somersaulting over everyone's head, before landing in front of Klonoa. With a curved beak, four mechanical arms, horns, and a pair of purple glasses, it was clear who this stranger was.

"Let's see what yer've got, wee man."

Klonoa couldn't get the chance to land the first blow before the avian socked him straight in the stomach. The impact was so strong that it knocked all the air out of his lungs in a second, before sending him tumbling backwards. The attacker didn't let up after the first blow, swiftly dashing towards the cabbit and grabbing him by the collar of his hoodie with two hands, using his other two to land some punches to the face, before throwing the weakened boy against the chamber wall.

Seeing her friend winded and coughing up blood from within the Ring, Lolo jumped back out and placed herself between him and his opponent, forming a green energy in her palms. It was here that everyone was able to get a clearer look at the mysterious foe. He wore a futuristic-looking, light purple lab coat, with dark purple shoulder pads, and four differently coloured buttons connected by black wires to form an X-shape across his chest. His glasses had a similar X-shape on them as well, that seemed to move wherever his pupils looked. He seemingly had no legs, with his body hovering above a pair of metallic, pointed boots.

The figure hesitated, but instead of stepping back, he quickly grabbed the Priestess by her sides and picked her up.

"LOLO!" Klonoa, Popka and Mamett yelled out, fearing the worst.

They expected the cyborg to either throw her aside, or even attack her in a similar manner to what he did to Klonoa. But instead, he simply carried her to the crowd of townspeople and placed her amongst them. Lolo was understandably confused by this act.

"Stay put, lass. This is between me an' him."

However, as he turned around to continue his assault, he was met with a shotgun pointed directly at his beak, courtesy of Mamett.

"You better explain to me what the hell is going on here, before I decide to put down another cyborg."

This was soon followed by Popka and the other citizens also aiming their weapons at the stranger. Now that he was surrounded and supposedly outmatched, Lolo used this chance to rush back to Klonoa's aid to heal his wounds.

"Fine." the cyborg sighed. "Ye got me fair an' square, ay suppose."

Jumping away from the pointed weapons, he landed in front of the panel.

"The name's Lidoc, an' ah've travelled far and wide to get reach this place. And now that ah'm here, ay have but one simple request."

"...And that would be?" Mamett prompted Lidoc to continue.

"To kill HIM, AN' HIM ALONE!" The cyborg angrily pointed at Klonoa, who was still reeling from his beatdown.

"What the…why!?" the Priestess worriedly asked.

"That is classified. Again, this is between me an' him. Not you."

"Yeah, but I don't know why you want to kill me." Klonoa eventually got his breath back to speak up. "Hell, I-I don't even know who you are!"

Lidoc walked up to the injured cabbit, getting up close to his face.

"Ooooo ho ho hoo, you'll see soon enough."

The cyborg then stood back up to face everybody else, pulled out a remote and pointed to the screen behind him.

"But first, ah word from our sponsor!"

As he pressed a button on his device, the display went static, but was quickly cleared up to reveal another silhouette. This one had a more rounded shape, with short, droopy ears, rigid shoulders, a large collar and a militaristic cap. As the resolution became clearer, more facial features could be identified. The figure had yellow skin, a large, pink spherical nose and an eyepatch, with their other eye having a bright red iris.

Once Klonoa, Lolo and Popka saw who Lidoc was aligned with, it all made sense. The robots, the G-shaped emblem on a green flag, the complete lack of regard for living beings. The mastermind was literally staring them right in the face whenever they encountered his troops.

"GARLEN!"

The trio of heroes had previously encountered Garlen when he warped them to his world a few years ago, entering them into a tournament to decide who would be rewarded the title of 'Greatest Hero', alongside a generous cash prize. However, it was all a ruse, as he had been turning all the participants into gears to power his machines, including Lolo, with the plan to expand his mechanical empire worldwide. When Klonoa defeated him and his 'Garlenator' mecha, the tyrant was swiftly arrested by the native authorities, his plans were thwarted and everyone was turned back to normal and sent home to their respective worlds.

They had never expected to see him again after, especially not in Lunatea of all places. Yet, here he was.

"Greetings, citizens of Lunatea! Do not worry, I bear you no harm here."

The heroes' old enemy initially didn't pay attention to his previous opponents, not even the one who defeated him before, instead focusing on addressing the confused crowd.

"You don't know me, but my name is Garlen. I'm sure you're all probably confused, frightened and wary as to what is happening to your world right now, but rest assured, I will explain everything. You all deserve to know."

His tone was authoritative, but deceptively friendly. Very clearly a facade.

"I have arrived in your world thanks to a partnership with a brilliant scientist with an equally brilliant mind for machinery- one that matches my own. Some of you may have already met him. And I have arrived with one simple goal. You may think that I'm here to conquer your world, and that is simply not the case. I am here to save it!"

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd.

"Save?"

"Is that bird guy the 'scientist'?"

"My ass! Has he seen the state of Joilant!?"

"You see, every world has a potential that it can reach to achieve true perfection. But there are always limitations holding them back. Restraining them like shackles and chains. Conflict, poverty, illness, greed and temptations - these are the shackles that inhibit our true power. Through years and years of gruelling research, tests and experiments, I have finally figured out a way to achieve this potential.

And so, I have come to spread my knowledge and findings across all worlds, and you're the lucky ones to be chosen first. With technology, we can rid mankind of all flaws. All diseases? Gone. Death and mortality? Gone. All negative emotions that hinder our progression? All gone. As we speak, our troops are working out the best way to introduce these enhancements to the public. I apologise for the hassle some of my men have caused to some of you. We did try and get set up a bit too hastily. But I must stress that our troops are here to serve and protect. Please do not provoke them, as they will also not hesitate to show force if they deem one a threat. So just sit back, relax and await further instructions, as we make way for your new home, your new bodies, and your new paradise, courtesy of your new ruler: Garlen!"

Klonoa and Lolo looked at each other, fearfully. Behind the empty promises and false persona, they knew his true intentions. He was a conqueror, a tyrannical dictator who wanted to rule a world of soulless machinery, and would not hesitate to lie, cheat and backstab anyone and everyone to get what he wanted. He had to be stopped.

"Oh, and one more thing, before I forget…"

Originally believing this was a prerecorded message being broadcast, Klonoa was not expecting Garlen to suddenly look directly at him.

"Don't try and get in the way, Dream Traveller. You've done enough damage as it is. But no matter how many of my Elites you dispatch, or how many Generators you destroy, or how many lives you ruin in your pursuit of 'justice', you cannot stop progress…"

Garlen glared at Klonoa, a threatening aura permeating across the area. His 'friendly' face he put on for the crowd had morphed into a cold, intimidating frown.

"…and you cannot stop us."

Lidoc then started walking towards Klonoa, grinning from horn-to-horn and cracking his cybernetic knuckles. But before the cabbit could put up his fists for a rematch-

"Lidoc, I need you back at headquarters. We have much to discuss."

"AW COME ON!" the fellow scientist threw his hands up in protest. "HE'S RIGHT THERE!"

"That's an order! Patience, my friend. He'll answer for what he did soon enough."

Lidoc wanted to argue further, but he knew it'd be pointless. He looked back at Klonoa with an aggressive snarl.

"Ye got lucky this time, lad. But before this week is up, you'll be dead by my hands! An' that is ah bloody promise."

He still had no idea why Lidoc hated him so much, but after the thrashing he just took from the cyborg, Klonoa didn't need to know him to feel a pit in his stomach from the violent threat.

"For now, I bid you farewell, Lunatea. For the future, remember this. My name is Garlen! And I will be the one to lead this world into a new era!"

Lidoc then swiftly jumped up onto the top of the screen and motioned for the Nagapokos to take off.

"Toodles, Dream Traveller! HAAA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAA!"

With that, Lidoc, Garlen and the Nagapokos flew off, presumably back to their base of operation, leaving the crowds to discuss amongst each other over the events that had just unfolded.

"Y'know," Mamett said, walking up to the other heroes, "I asked for some answers, not more damn questions! Who was that guy?"

Klonoa sighed, getting back up now that his wounds were healed.

"An old enemy we faced a couple years back."

"Yeah!" Popka chipped in. "Don't listen to his crap!"

"Trust me, kid." replied Mamett. "I'm a politician. I know empty promises and lies when I see 'em."

He solemly looked at his brothers' remains.

"And after everything that I've seen today, I refuse to believe that fella has anything close to good intentions for us."

"We have to stop him, as soon as possible." Lolo told Klonoa.

The cabbit boy nodded in agreement. "So where to next, Lolo?"

"Hmmm. The closest Kingdom to where we are right now is Volk. There will most likely be another Generator there, powered by the Element of Discord."

"You're best finding an alternate route." Mamett chimed in. "The city is dangerous to just waltz right into. And, from what I've heard, all the main entrances are blocked off to the citizens."

Lolo took a moment to think. "Is there any other way of getting into the City?"

"What about the underground route we went last time Klo was here?" Popka suggested.

"Hmm, that could work."

"Yeah." Klonoa agreed. "Besides, if there are bots guarding it, we can make quick work of them."

"I suggest going the long way around." Mamett chimed in. "Either the back or the side underground entrances. I have a hunch the main one will be guarded heavier than the others. Maybe cut through the forest to avoid being out in the open too long."

"We'll do our best, sir." Lolo bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you."

"Anytime. I'd come with you, but I got some…business to take care of."

The Joilantean looked back at his people.

"We got a lot of people who deserve a proper burial, and it is my duty to protect this city with my life."

"We understand. We best be on our way." Lolo said. "Thank you for all you've done here, sir."

"I should be the one thanking you. I doubt we'd have saved as many people as we did had you three not come along. I don't know when we'll next meet, but all of Joilant is in your debt! Take care."

As the three heroes bid farewell to the Mayor, they departed the Kingdom to a round of applause from all the citizens they had helped liberate. Once they were out of sight, Mamett turned back to his people.

"Alright everyone, the fight may be over, but we got a lotta work to do! We should once again split into groups, cover more ground and try to rebuild what that Garlen fella broke. We should also gather up and identify as many of our fallen brethren as possible, then contact their families. It's the least they deserve before we give them a proper sendoff. Any questions?"

Bertram raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"With Momett…"

Bertram felt ill trying to state the showman's fate.

"...w-what do we do about these fellas?"

After finishing his question, a small, humanoid girl with pink hair, a pink dress and a large, golden bell around her neck, walked up. It was one of Momett's Memory Dolls, having returned from their hiding place once the fighting ended.

"Sorry sir, I tried to tell her to go back, but she refused."

The Doll waddled up to Mamett, looking up at him with a confused expression.

"Papa…where's Papa?" she asked the mayor.

The Joilantean was trying his best not to break down again. All of Momett's children had no idea that they were now orphans. How is he supposed to break this to them?

He knelt down and gently picked up the girl, before holding her close to his chest in a sorrowful embrace.

"Where's Papa?"

The doll sounded more scared, as if she knew something was wrong, but didn't know what.

"I'm so sorry…" Mamett was just barely holding back tears at this point. "I…Momett is…he's…"

"SIR, LOOK OUT!"

The mayor was so focused on trying to find a way to comfort his brother's child, that he failed to notice a large claw above him, ready to slam the two into the ground. Luckily, he was able to dive out of the way just as it smashed at the ground. It wasn't strong enough to have left an impact, but it still would've hurt had he not dodged.

Looking to where the attack came from, it was none other than a still somehow functional Leptock. Even with the large, shotgun blast-shaped hole in his face, he was still determined to add one more kill to his name.

"Catch!" Bertram shouted out, tossing Mamett his shotgun.

The clown's movements were slow enough for him to be able to send the Doll back to his accomplice and load up his shotgun. This time, he'd fill Leptock with so many holes until there was nothing left to shoot.

As the monster roared at the mayor, raising his claw for a second strike, Mamett took aim with his weapon, and-

-BANG!-

Leptock froze, as if the second hole in its head hadn't fully sunk in yet, before falling limp once again.

Except, Mamett never pulled the trigger. Something else shot the clown down. No, someone. All those present turned to the source of the bullet. Behind where the mayor stood, holding a smoking pistol, was a tall, slender woman with dark skin, blue eyes, large ears, and short, red hair. Just from her facial features and hair colour alone, everyone there knew who she was.

As she walked towards her kill, everyone was silent, not sure whether to feel happy or anxious at her presence, only for them to decide on the latter when Leptock was still not dead yet.

"I am so sick of seeing your face, Leptio." she sighed, pointing her weapon at the clown's cranium. "Even for you, this is a low point."

The suffering monster slowly looked up at the woman. His facial features were unrecognisable at this point, yet she could tell he wore a face of intense anger and extreme agony.

"L-L-Leeeeoo-oo-o-o-rrrriiinnnaa-a-a-a-a-aaaaa…" he sputtered out in a hateful tone.

"Goodbye, you pathetic excuse for a monster."

-BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!-