"A state…" Miroku began.
"… of consciousness?" Sango finished for him.
Kaede nodded slightly.
"Being awake and asleep are not the only forms of awareness a person can be in." the old miko explained. "When one goes into a trance, for example, they are never truly awake or asleep."
"So you're saying I came here through somebody's trance?" Klonoa blinked as he looked around at the assembled group with him. "I guess that makes sense… but now the real question is… WHOSE trance did I come through?"
All in the room but the dream traveler turned their gaze toward the dog hanyou in their midst. Inu Yasha's response was a low, aggressive growl at them, his sharp fangs bared as a warning to back off.
"What are you all staring at ME FOR!?" he snarled.
"Klonoa, what did you say you saw before we found you?" Kagome's gaze did not avert from Inu Yasha.
The dream traveler huddled uncomfortably into a ball, hugging himself nervously despite Huepow's comfort. He shuddered momentarily before answering.
"Red…" Klonoa finally managed to utter timidly. "Everything was red… and hot… and all I could smell was blood everywhere…!!"
"That confirms it then." Miroku sighed, shaking his head. "Klonoa must have come through when Inu Yasha transformed earlier today."
"Transformed?" Klonoa uncurled himself slowly.
"It's… not something…" Kagome began.
"It's none of his business," Inu Yasha stood up suddenly and turned to the door. "And your theory's full of bullshit! I'm out of here!"
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome called, but by then he was gone, having nearly torn the door flap from its support in his angry, hasty exit.
"Monyo…" Klonoa twiddled his fingers, unsure of what to say. "Did I bring up something unpleasant?"
"It's not your fault." Kagome cracked a weak smile. "It's a part of him that he really hates. Whenever Inu Yasha gets backed into a corner during battle and is without his father's sword, his youkai blood takes over and he rips his way to safety…"
"But in doing so…" Sango put down her giant boomerang, which she had been wiping clean. "He loses his mind, and will kill anyone and anything in front of him, whether it's a friend or an enemy…"
"That explains a lot…" the dream traveler stared into the fire. "When I came here, I remember that everything was calm and peaceful, and then it all turned red and hot…"
"Inu Yasha has mentioned feeling his blood heating up just before shifting into that state." Miroku prodded the fire with the butt of his staff. "Perhaps you were experiencing what he was going through."
"Inu Yasha went into that youkai state during a battle last night." said Kaede. "And Kagome says you were found not far away sometime later. There must be a connection."
"I've got a question though." Klonoa fidgeted with his cap. "Inu Yasha asked if I was a youkai when I woke up. Isn't he one?"
"He's only half of a demon." Kaede replied. "His mother was a human princess, and his father was a power dog youkai lord. Full demons, like Shippo and Kirara can transform and keep their minds, but the human blood in Inu Yasha makes him too weak to keep his mind when he transforms."
"How awful!" Huepow shuddered.
"He's really scary when he does it too!" Shippo gestured. "His eyes turn red, his fangs and claws get longer, and he gets stripes on his face like his half-brother."
"His half-brother?" Klonoa blinked.
"That is Sesshoumaru." Sango pulled her sleeping pet onto her lap gently. "Unlike Inu Yasha, he's a full demon, so he keeps his mind when he transforms."
Klonoa rested his head in his hands and sighed. Demons, transformations, and now dreams that weren't really dreams. The long-eared dream traveler didn't know what to make of the real world, except that there were quite a few unpleasant things about it.
"It's really, really creepy!" Shippo covered his face as if afraid of even remembering what he was talking about. "But it's a good thing Inu Yasha's got that rosary around his neck or we'd be in big trouble!"
"I've been meaning to ask about that necklace." Klonoa ran his finger absentmindedly over the jewel of his ring. "Kagome, you said something to him, and it glowed when he fell down. What is that about?"
Kagome and the others in turn explained how the rosary worked and other aspects of their adventures, hoping to find more possible causes for Klonoa's appearance in their world. Huepow and Shippo quickly became good friends, as did others with Klonoa. After a time, though, the dream traveler could not help but glance towards the door.
"Don't worry about Inu Yasha." Miroku smiled weakly. "He'll probably come back inside after we're all asleep."
*********************
The others had gone to bed, but Klonoa remained awake, staring at the stars from where he sat on the porch. He felt a gentle breeze brush against his ears, and he absentmindedly moved to smooth any ruffles that might have resulted.
Huepow had chosen to sleep like the rest of the group and returned to the sanctuary of his ring. Klonoa briefly glanced at the reflection of starlight on the gem's surface before running a gloved finger over its cool surface. He then reached into his shirt and pulled pendant out into view. The dream traveler seemed hesitant to do so, but then opened it as though it took courage to do so.
"Lolo…" he sighed. "Jiji…"
"Aren't you going to sleep too?" came a familiar, gruff voice.
Klonoa looked up and ahead of him to spot Inu Yasha lounging in a tree. Though he seemed relaxed enough up on his perch, the hanyou's gaze was one of steadfast alertness, a testament to his nightly routine.
"I don't want to go to sleep." the dream traveler replied. "If I do, I might wind up someplace else again."
"Keh!" Inu Yasha turned away sharply, disgusted. "Better off someplace else than here! Youkai here will just as soon kill you as look at you."
Klonoa got up and approached the tree where Inu Yasha was sitting, then promptly sat down at the base of it.
"It scared you, didn't it?" Inu Yasha uttered.
"Huh?"
"The heat… and the smell of blood."
"Oh! That…" Klonoa stared off to the side and nodded. "It was terrifying, and not being able to breathe… it felt like everything was just collapsing around me…"
"Exactly." Inu Yasha's voice was serious. "When you first started babbling about that, I thought it was just some kind of cruel joke, but now I know you're not lying."
There was a moment of silence between them, and after while it seemed as though there would be no further conversation between them until tomorrow. Klonoa ran a gloved finger over the surface of the gemstone and it glistened in the moonlight. He closed the locket and tucked it into his shirt.
"Inu Yasha?"
"Hmm?"
"Every place I go, I'm there for a reason…"
"So? What's your point?"
"I wanted to ask you… why do you think I'm here?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, I'm gonna list and define as many Klonoa words as I can remember for your reference:
Wahoo - Depending on how it is spoken, it can mean a number of things, from a cheer to a simple 'yes' but is not limited to those translations.
Loopuludoo - Basically means "Let's go"
Papurikku - Not too sure on this one. In the Lunatea's Veil game, Klonoa says it when he does special jumps on the surfboard levels. Best interpretation would be "Alright!" or "Cool!"
Monyo - Simple word to express sadness. Could also be "I'm sorry" or a nervous "Excuse me"
Monya - Just plain "OUCH!"
This is Chapter 2. Where would you like to go next?
