14-year-old Klonoa’s (an anthropomorphic cabbit)
14-year-old Klonoa’s (an anthropomorphic cabbit) friends 16-year-old Guntz (an anthropomorphic wolf), 10-year-old Chipple (an anthropomorphic kangaroo), 12-year-old Popka (a small, cat-like creature), 14-year-old Lolo (a humanoid monkey), 16-year-old Leorina (a humanoid monkey), 12-year-old Tat (a small, cat-like creature) are all dealing with an emotionally distressed Klonoa. After witnessing so many horrible things that no child should have to witness or deal with, Klonoa falls into a state of emotional distress. He feels like a terrible leader and hero, like he failed to stop something that is really impossible to stop. It wasn’t his fault Lunatea was dying, but the Dream Traveler sure did feel like it was. Guntz gets pissed at him and tells him to grow the fuck up. When Guntz says this some dialog starts to play in Klonoa’s head of being told to grow up. Klonoa (lost in a state of distress) gets mad at Guntz and tackles him, clawing at his face in a fit of rage. When he realizes what he’s doing he stops, feeling guilty. He starts sobbing. They had never seen Klonoa act out in such a violent manner before.
The air hung heavy with the scent of fear and despair. Klonoa, the once vibrant Dream Traveler, was a shadow of his former self. His ears drooped, his normally cheerful eyes glazed over with an emptiness that chilled the hearts of his friends. The once-lively space in the Dream Sanctuary, usually filled with laughter and playful banter, was now shrouded in an uncomfortable silence.
Guntz, the gruff but loyal wolf, was the first to break the silence. “Klonoa, you gotta snap out of it, man,” he said, his voice laced with irritation. “It ain’t your fault Lunatea is dying. You fought your heart out, didn’t you? You can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You gotta grow the fuck up and realize that sometimes, things just happen.”
Guntz’s words hit Klonoa like a punch to the gut. A flurry of memories, of screams, of faces contorted in agony, flashed before his eyes. He could hear voices, whispering, taunting, echoing in his head, “Grow up… Grow up… You’re no hero… Grow up… You can’t save everyone…”
The whispers fueled his rage. He felt a burning fury course through his veins, the pain twisting into a hatred he couldn’t control. His ears flattened, his eyes burned with a dark fire, and he lunged at Guntz.
The sudden attack took Guntz by surprise. Klonoa, the hero, the gentle dreamer, was a blur of claws and teeth. The force of the attack sent Guntz sprawling on the ground, his face stinging from the sharp blows.
Then, as quickly as it began, the rage vanished. Klonoa froze, his claws inches away from Guntz’s face. The world around him seemed to shrink, the whispers turning into a deafening roar. He felt a crushing guilt settle upon him, as heavy as the weight of a thousand worlds. Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks like a torrent of regret.
He’d never acted like that before. His friends, Chipple, Popka, Lolo, Leorina, and Tat, watched in stunned silence, their faces pale with shock and fear. This wasn’t the Klonoa they knew. This was something else, something dark and terrifying.
The Dream Traveler, their leader, their hero, had fallen. And nobody knew how to pull him back from the edge of the abyss.
