This's a monster of a roleplay. It does an awesome job at setting the dragon's main power in the present, as you'll see. You might need to read through the finale to understand the true nature of the beast, however.

Catrina and Dash are finally reunited, although Dash's still suffering from the previously mentioned problems with his memory. He doesn't remember her! Will things get sorted out? Does the dragon strike at them before they have a chance? Well, there's a reason this classic is subtitled "Catrina and Dash confront the dragon!" after all!

There's also a little review of our story to this point.   Onwards to probably the most massive chapter of them all!

Things finally started to look up.

Getting to the island itself was a trial. Catrina Whiteclaw quickly found out exactly how dangerous the island they'd gotten to was, however. They'd come in quest of a dangerous dragon. The Chrono dragon, it was known as, due to it's ability to manipulate time, and slow down it's enemies, effectively taking away their speed.

This was it's most common attack. Yet, as Catrina would soon find out, this wasn't it's only attack. Here's the kitty-tale version of our story so far. Catrina had finally tracked down the man who'd saved her life more than on a rare occasion, down in the regions south of the Kingdom of Loathing- Sebastian Dash. He'd up and vanished on her a month before. She'd spent a lot of time tracking him, and once she did, she was determined to stick with him.

Dash was on his way to a mission that he'd told her was of the utmost danger. Catrina knew hunting any dragon was dangerous enough, much less a legendary dragon with the purported ability to control time itself.

This only meant Catrina was more determined than ever to stick by Dash's side. After a little run in with a mayonnaise shooting wasp on their way through the "Daily dungeon" of Seaside Town, they bartered their reward for a raft that was sturdy enough- barely- to get them to the island in one piece.

One wet, miserable piece which had lost most of which limited supplies fit on the raft with them on the way over. Catrina, assuming the danger was over now that they were in dry land, set out to hunt them up a real feline's meal to dine on.

Regrettably, no sooner had she caught her first of what was to be many treats, she found herself in the unfortunate position of standing next to several time displaced Dyspepsi soldiers, while still wearing Sebastian Dash's prized Cloaca Cola t-shirt.

They attacked. She tried to fight them off and failed. Catrina paid the price for that in the form of capture and severe torture. Just when it looked like all was lost, and and her life forfeit, a band of pirates decided to go against type and play the role of hero.

This was all a mere half hour before our current story starts. Catrina set out, with only her new pirate friend, a blusterous girl nicknamed "Coconuts," knowing where she'd gone, to find Dash.

Catrina's tracking ability impressed even herself this time, and before she knew it, she'd tracked down not only Dash, but a rather putrid smelling partner.

Catrina crept closer to where Dash stood. No horse time, although Catrina figured he probably couldn't scent her over the unwashed anyways- her nose wrinkled with the smell. Whoever she was, she was babbling on and on, although Dash looked to be ignoring most of what she said, only answering in one or two word sentences and only when he absolutely had to speak.

Catrina resisted the strong urge to growl. I mean, who was this bitch that was playing up to her Dash? No matter- he was probably just missing her, and that was all about to change. She gathered herself and, when she felt the moment was right, pounced at Dash with a loud "Hi!" As quick as Catrina could pounce, however, Dash spun a little faster, ducking down as he did. The unexpected reaction took Catrina by surprise, as Dash let her sail roughly through the air. The surprise wasn't enough to shake Catrina's catlike reflexes. She laughed as she flew through the air, landing on her feet as is the wont of all cats. She turned to Dash with a grin. "That was fun- can we do it again?"

Dash's response was to pull Bad Beats out of it's sheath, holding it in front of her, defensively. The dirty filthy hippie dodged behind him, eyeing Catrina with nervous awe. Dash had a serious look on his face. "Go bug someone else, kitty! I haven't got time for this island's nonsense today."

Catrina's eyes widened for a moment, seeing Sebastian draw sword on her... what was he thinking? What had that bitch done to him? She growled, part as a warning to Dash, part to the hippybitch to back off. "You do remember what happened the last time we fought, don't you, Dash?"

"Whoa, is she the . . . " the hippie girl started, a wide, confused look in her eyes. Probably the normal look for her.

"Quiet, Beam Moon," Dash answered with a low growl, warning her off about something.

"That's Moondream!" the hippie stranger protested. She started to say something, but got cut off by a pair of glares from both Dash and Catrina.

Dash wasn't kidding here. "I don't think we've fought before, and trust me, you don't want to push your luck with me right now, stranger."

Catrina could smell the fear from Beam Moon- even with her usual stench of hippy. She bared her fangs at her and growled. "Stay out of this, Bitch!"

She turned her attention back to Dash- truly puzzled "You forgotten already? You mean to tell me... after all the time we spent together... all the fighting... me tracking you... the... the MAYONAISE SPOOGE and you don't REMEMBER????"

"Whoa, man," the hippie protested. "Your girlfriend's mad."

Catrina growled at the hippy, baring her fangs and expressing her claws. "Shut up, Moon Butt!" She looked to Dash- who appeared frozen. Like he was wrestling internally with a concept he couldn't quite wrap his head around. "Well, 'boyfriend?'"

Dash still didn't answer. A look of concentration set into his face.. Just as Catrina was about to answer, he looked up. "Wait.. I'm starting to remember now . . . a little bit. What the HELL is going on here?!"

Catrina's jaw almost hit the ground- she gave a low growl, bad news to anyone she was mad at. "What the... You say all that and then ask ME waht the hell is going on?" She slapped Dash- and whether she just forgot or intended to have claws bared....

Dash held his hand to his jaw, his eyes gazing over again. He then held his hand in front of his face, not surprised to see blood on his hands. A familiar look came to his eyes. A regretful, angry look. "Oh! It's starting to make sense now, in a weird sort of way."

Catrina matched his look, wary- she hadn't meant to scratch him- truly... but it was done and she was no longer sure of the consequences. "Sorry... should have sheathed them first... How does it 'make sense'?"

Dash looked a little bit panicked, his eyes still tending to gaze over every few seconds. He was lost in thought again. Suddenly, the hippie girl put her hand on Catrina's shoulder. "Do you like, need a hug or something? I know when I get upset, I hug a tree, and then it's like nature's -"

She was intent on Dash's movements, so the action on the bitch's part surprised her. She roared ans swung her arm- this time with claws sheathed- knocking the hippy in the chest and back onto her ass. Stay away from me, bitch! I don't know what you did to him- but as soon as I do you're going to want your little Moon Butt as far away from here as possible!"

"Whoa, are you mother nature?!" The hippie suddenly fell to praise on Catrina. Neither Catrina nor Dash took notice of the darkening skies.

"No, bitch- I'm not. My name is Catrina Whiteclaw- I am this man's friend and as soon as I help him I'm going to hunt you for messing him up like this!" Catrina expresses her claws again, baring her fangs fully at the hippy

"I'm Moondream, and I think we're screwed." She pointed up into the sky. "I mean, unless I'm seeing things, or that's your dragon." Dash's head snapped up, scanning the skies.

Catrina growls at this not taking her eyes off Moodream. "Dash... I have to trust you, for old friendship's sake... has this bitch just invited her own slow death?"

Dash didn't take HIS eyes off the sky, but he did keep his voice low. "Catrina, forget her. She's not important. Look up. Tell me what you see."

Catrin growled loudly at Moondream. "Screw me and I gut you." Then turned to look in the direction Dash was looking. "Hon, what did you say he looked like- the Dragon that is?"

"Something like that. Only... it's more like an illusion.." Dash was right. The dragon was both there and not there, both in the distance and inches away. Looking at it made Catrina's face burn. It made her bones itch. She wanted to shield her eyes. Dash yelled. "I remember! Whatever you do, don't look away from it. That's how he got me last time." Catrina followed her friends advice- hearing the Dash of old again. She gazed openly at the dragon, feeling waves of intense discomfort bordering quickly into outright pain. Slowly she sank to her knees- every bruise in her battered body aflame.

She felt Dash take her hand in his, his steely gaze showing no fear, even though she could sense his terror. "Catrina, I'm sorry to put you through this- but I'm glad you're here."

Catrina felt the courage in Dash's touch, heard it in his voice. It buoyed her own sinking heart, letting her push aside the pain the Dragon brought. She rose slowly to her feet again. "I... I survived the Pits... no dumb Dragon's gonna take me without a fight... even if I am bareclawed."

"Of course, that's the key!" Dash's resolved seemed to double in that moment. "We don't need to beat it. We just need to survive it."

The hippie girl broke into a terrified giggle. (Yeah, you read it right. Stupid hippie.) "Is it okay, if I like totally just don't look up at all?!"

Catrina gave a playful smirk, knowing what she was saying with this tease. "Dash, honey, I know you pick some real winner companions- but what smoke cloud you get her out of?"

"Whoa!" the hippie screeched, impressed. "Do you know me?! It's like you're reading my mind, or something, but skippin' all the good parts, ya know? Like.. oh yeah, I think these things wanna kill you."

Catrina growled, but more out of frustration and sheer annoyance than any thing else. She kept her eyes on the Dragon, raising an eyebrow. "You know, you're really starting to bug me...

"Dash hon- are you carrying any extra equipment with you?"

Struggling to keep his attention, his eyes locked on the dragon, Dash pulled a katana, and pressed it into Catrina's hand. "Moon, get out of here!"

The hippie yelled out a protest, then roared. Kind of. Or maybe she'd hurt herself. She screamed in rage, "I'll protect you, Mother nature earth cat girl sword woman!"

"One'll do hon- get the other later. Moondream- do what Dash says- we will be fine." Catrina began to take the scent of the air- with even inhalation she knew more clearly the number and location of her opponents. This was both a natural and learned trick of hers, and she hoped the Goddess was watching over them as she tried it now.

"We can't afford to break contact with the dragon, remember that, Catrina! After this long, who knows how badly he could damage time?" Dash reminded her. She heard his own trademark broadsword, Bad Beats, being drawn. Then she heard laughter echo through out the forest.

"Turn your heads from yon doom, and have your memory itself cast aside like the broken bones of my pray," a strange unearthly voice echoed throughout the lands. "Or continue to try to meet my gaze as thine end is hastened at the hands of thine own past."

"Whatever your game is, you've already lost." Dash gave Catrina's hand a squeeze, to let her know it's go time. Catrina's sharp hearing picked up the sound of a veggie whirling through the air, and one of the Moblinos bodies going down with a pained grunt.

Catrina gathered herself, her wits and her muscles, reading herself for what lie ahead. "May the Goddess protect you, Sebastian Dash." She took a final read of the scents around her, then jumped high and backward, thrusting down with her katana. she felt it purchase in flesh, felt it slice through the body as she came down- then heard the first dead body hit the ground as she reversed the katana and stabbed backward- impaling a second attacker.

A booming voice cut through Catrina's head. "I KNEW I'd find you here, SLAVE! You're going HOME!"

Catrina laughed, although hearing the familiar, and vile, voice almost made her eyes veer from the Dragon before her- as he wanted it to. "So, 'Master', you survived the fire after all? Good- when I'm through with this warm up I'll take care of you for the main event, just as if we were back in the Pits!"

"Ayaaaaaaaiiiiiii peach furry of doom flurry attack!" Catrina heard the hippie girl scream. The next sound she heard let her know what else was in store, as a bunch of High Octavefocks scattering under her fruity assault. It was fruity alright. Dash hadn't dared take his eyes off the dragon in the distance, and it was starting to shimmer in and out, it's huge form withering as if in pain. It only intensified as Catrina's former slave master dove forward, only to get impaled by Dash's sword. Despite what she knew should have been a major wound, she heard the sound of the slavemaster's fist being driven across Dash's back. Catrina tried desperately to keep her attention on the dragon. The sheer numbers of skilled opponents made the battle dangerous enough. Added on top of it all, Dash's conviction that looking away from the silvery black image of the dragon in the sky meant they were fighting virtually blind, going by their other senses and what little peripheral vision they had. Despite that, Catrina knew they were doing quite well. Then she saw the slavemaster strike Dash out of the corner of her eye and growled, "Leave him for me. I've been dreaming of the day I get to gut him!"

"Just don't break eye contact, yet." Dash said, trying to suck the air back into his lungs. He pulled her katana from the bag, using it to parry the seemingly unending wave of enemies. "No matter what! Not until I .." He paused. Catrina heard the sounds of steel on steel coming from Dash's general direction. "Until I tell you it's safe!"

Then the air sparkled with electricity and the dragon roared defiantly in the skies, even as Catrina caught the sound of her second katana. The dragon cried out, "You will die before then!"

Catrina roared at the dragon as she struck down yet another foe. "I'm tired of your games! You want a piece of pussy- come get it!"

The fighting continued for several minutes. Despite being the toughest enemy, Catrina successfully- and mortally- wounded the Slavemaster within the first few minutes, although he'd extracted revenge for the death on her before hand. The hippie girl screamed out in agony several times, yet she never seemed to stop fighting along their side. That surprised Catrina. It truly did.

Fighting blind was taking it's toll. Even though both Catrina and Dash were able to parry or avoid most of the attacks, some of them got through. The frantic nature of the battle, combined with the awkward concept of fighting enemies on the ground while constantly looking up, hardly able to even blink, wore the two down. Catrina's injuries from her earlier run ins with Dyspepsi's soldiers weren't helping an iota. The battling seemed to go on forever, as they kept fighting off groups of enemies drawn from either their minds or the very past itself- Catrina wasn't quite sure which. All the time, as grueling minutes of fighting stacked up, the evil smile on the silvery, black image of the dragon which clouded the skies never ceased it's evil smile and malicious glare.

Then, before Catrina knew what happened, the dragon blinked out of exitance for several seconds. Dash yelled at her to keep her eyes on the sky, regardless. It reappeared, as a hazy outline, which Catrina might not have even noticed if she hadn't been looking specifically for the dragon's image. Then.. it looked away.

Dash cried out in agony. Catrina didn't dare let her eyes leave the sky. She'd hoped Dash was able to do the same thing. Dash then cried out, "Now! Forget the dragon! Take out all it's minions as fast as possible!"

Catrina reacted instantly to Dash's words, growling and leaping at the first minion she say, easily slicing through it with the katana. However, the two that attacked her next were good, and she only had the one sword. "Dash! A little help would be nice- or... my other sword!"

The hippie took the sword from Dash, too terrified to actually attack any more, but still focused on her duty enough to act. A large monster, lost to shadows which clung to it like newborn kittens to their mother's teets, swung it's weapon at Moondream. The hippie bridged backwards, letting the axe sail over her. She crawled, almost helplessly towards Catrina with the sword in her mouth, and laid it at Catrina's feet. Moondream screamed, the rush of adrenaline totally overtaking her. "Thank goodness for limbo classes, but who the HELL are they?!"

Catrina actually smiled as she took the katana from Moondream. "Yeah- but your supposed to be on your back- makes it harder!" She then winked at the girl before blocking two swords that were coming her way.

Moondream looked at Catrina, ducking and screaming as the sword came close "What,, the limbo?"

Catrina laughed "That too!"

Dash wasn't holding back this time. He was a lethal flurry of movements, seemingly able to get into the mind of every one of his enemies, plotting the moves they made before they made them, desperately avoiding attack after attack and firing off his own, often deadly responses. There were still hordes of enemies, however, and some of them were extremely talented. Catrina dully recognized most of them as monsters and enemies she, or Dash, had had more than their share fair of run ins against. Still, something seemed off. Catrina wasn't quite sure what it was at first. Dash ducked under another enemy, dressed mostly in leather and blood red bones. His head snapped back as Dash's boot sailed across it's jaw. Before he could recover, Dash was in front of Catrina and Moondream, in a defensive posture. "How much longer do you think it can keep this up?"

Catrina panted- taking another two minions out. every muscle in her body ached. She just hadn't had enough time to recover from the last battle, and several times she almost let her guard drop from exhaustion. "Prop... probably longer than I can hold...."

"Not if I can help it!" Dash dove head first into a band of CráneoPaz who were floating above the land, eerily surrounded by what must have been more slavedrivers from Catrina's past. They didn't last long. Dash's impulsiveness got the better of him, though, as a Woodenknuckles caught him in the ribs with a direct shot. Dash cried out in agony with the force of a dozen redwoods being driven into the side of his body.

"DASH!" Catrina saw him fall, and forgot all pain as she dived between him and his attacker, blocking a potential kill-shot. She then dispatched the minion with a quick thrust of her katana, growling protectively. "You okay, hon?"

Dash spit out blood, forcing himself to his feet although Catrina could tell it took an agonizing effort. "Fine.. for now, but . . . " He and Catrina dodged a large monster's attack, each taking to one side. As each lashed out at it from either side with lethal results, Dash continued. "But we need to come up with something, and fast. I don't think Moonbreath over there is doing too good."

She wasn't, but she was surviving, mostly by skirting around the attacks. "That's Moonbutt! I mean, Moondream!"

Catrina nodded as she blocked two more blows, then dispatched another attacker. "I made some friends today- they love a good fight! Wonder where they are?"

The air suddenly filled itself with the rough battle cry of a band of pirates! "Oh, good! That must be them n...." Catrina suddenly found herself hit by a massive fist- sending her flying back into the trunk of a nearby palm. Her body crumpled to the ground. "...ow." She passed out before hitting the ground.

Dash cried out to her as she was hit, but was too busy with foes of his own to help her. The battlecry of the Pirates send a chill through his body, the Dragon had called them too? Or were they attacking on their own?

Dash didn't have much time to think on it though. His foes seemed to take heart n a new combatant, and pressed their attacks on Moondream and himself. He was finding himself drawing close to the point where he would be overwhelmed by them, when suddenly a large cutlass ripped through one of his foes!

Moondream screamed as she saw the Pirate swing his sword- and let loose with a barrage of mixed fruit, intending to disorient him while, Dash dealt with him, but then she saw that Dash wasn't dealing with them as she expected, so she held up her barrage, returning to harassing the other enemies until she knew what to do.

Morgan found himself ducking a stream of thrown fruit before he could get a clear shot at his foe. He had to admit, the lass with this Dash fellow had spunk! He grinned broadly at them while he took on another of the Lieutenants. "Aye, You must be the Dash that Catrina was speakin so highly about! Cap'n John Morgan, at yer service!" He looked st Moondream, who was hiding a bit, putting Dash between Morgan and herself. "And who might this beauty ye brung with ye be?"

Dash found himself unable to keep from smiling. "Captain Morgan, meet Moodream. We met while I was searching for Catrina. So, Catrina's friends are Pirates? Good- glad to have you along!" Indeed, things were letting up quickly as Morgan's men mad the sides more evenly matched.

"Arr...Aye, been noticin her talent with fruit...especially keen to her melons, as it were." Morgan chuckled, and Moondream blushed, not knowing how to take a compliment from a Pirate.

Mere moments before. . .

Coconuts saw Catrina hit the tree even as they rushed into battle, and she broke off, headin immediately toward her. She dispatched two Woodenknuckles that were menacing her, then kneeling by her, takin a vial and holding it under her nose. She smiled as Catrina fought the odor, the contents of the vial clearing her head and bringing her around. " We have to quit meetin under trees like this, you know!" She quipped, and gave Catrina another drink of healin' elixir.

Catrina grinned weakly/ "I'm doing the best I- LOOK OUT!" She threw herself into Coconuts, knocking her out of the way of a huge Woodenknuckle fist that was about to deal a telling blow. Before it could recover, Catrina had her katanas in hand and both she and Coconuts dispatched it easily.

With the added strength of Morgan's men,. Dash and the others soon finished off the last of the lot, and all relaxed for the moment. Catrina looked to Dash hopefully. "The Dragon left? Does this mean we won?"

Dash shook his head. "No kitten, he's still around, and he'll be back once he gathers new strength." This made Catrina's tail drop, and her expression was not the usual happy one. She was tired, and really didn't know if she could go through another battle like the one they just went through. The trio gasped in astonishment as the bodies of the fallen began to fade from view, and although there were no gasps, there were plenty of mutters and shaking heads from the Pirates.

"Aye, lass, " chimed in Morgan. "The Curse t'weren't lifted yet! We need to plan our next move, and be ready the next time we sees this Dragon- so we can make it the last time!" He then incited all to return with him to the camp. where they could rest, eat, drink--and talk of what to do next.