Here we go with one of AIL's real monster length roleplays! This one also has the historical distinction of being co written by four people. Until now, two had been the limit co writing any single roleplay.

Fluffy, Dash, Catrina and Feena get together to pull off this masterpiece. I like the we way started, with the four divided into two pairs.

Lots of arguing and in fighting, a couple of preliminary fights, and then just when you think you're about to get one Elite Seven...

You get a whole new Elite Seven!

It's hard to do justice to everything going on here. It's the last roleplay of the mission and it does a good job of setting up the Finale. Our new Elite Seven is at his most dangerous for his first showing, which was a heck of a showing. We also foreshadow his allies who are in range.

The big thing is summed up in the subtitle, though: "KOL's first ever four person roleplay!" (Later fixed to properly read "AiL's first..")
It's a lot to read through, but I can assure you, it's very well written!

Language warning

The mountain was silent. Well, as silent as a mountain can be. The wind passed amongst the trees, rustling the leaves, admist typical generic background noises. A small, but high pitched voice pierced through everything, cursing: "Urgh, how high is this mountain! I can't believe you dragged me along for this, there BETTER be an extra bag of sunflower seeds when i get back! (>.>)" The cursing continued, crescendoing, beneath which the steady 'clop clop clop' sound of a horse can be heard...

"Gets better," Sebastian Dash retorted to the comrade on his shoulder, better known as The Fluffy Hamster. Although in this case, "The Hooded Hamster" might be a more apt description, as Fluffy had a cute lil hamster robe on to help him keep warm. "We'll have to dismount and continue on foot soon."

"No no no, don't get it wrong, YOU'RE gunna continue on foot," Fluffy swore. "You're not getting me to walk up this oversized mountain."

Dash faceplamed. "Do you ever walk? Anywhere? Lazy hamster!"

The hamster pouted. "Why would I need to walk when I can hitch a ride?"

Dash ignored the question. "Besides, I thought hamsters could fly, or something."

"Yeah, and so do penguins," the hamster snapped back.

"No they- oh." Dash caught himself. He suddenly swung a leg over his horse, Españolola. Fluffy dug his hamster claws in tighter, trying desperately to hang on as Dash sprung forward. landing on his feet. He turned to Españolola, and said, "Alright, get back to camp, you."

After a neigh of protest, the horse turned around, and slowly galloped off. Dash turned to Fluffy. "Alright, you say you know where to look. So.. where?"

"Aahhh..." The hamster pointed up the mountain. "Around *yawn* that way," As he settled in for a nice comfy nap.

"Wait, WHAT way?!" Dash wondered. It was a BIG mountain. "Flufy? Fluffy!"

"MmmmzzZZZZZZ that.... way." The hamster muttered, waving his hands in a general direction

Dash wondered how Fluffy was going to sleep on Dash's shoulders while Dash was rock climbing. Then Dash smiled broadly and stomped off towards the top of the hill.

Further ahead, Catrina stopped on the path, hearing the high-pitched voice carried on the wind. THE voice was familiar to her, although she had never met the person behind it. She then heard the second voice and her heart sank. She was torn between waiting for the others to come (the wise move) and fleeing the voice as quickly as she could (the move she wanted to make at the moment).

Feena stopped short, nearly walking into the feline in front of her. "What's up, Cat?" She reached for her wand, ready to throw out a few spells.

Catrina sighed. Not knowing what was up there- she didn't want to just charge in- especially with Feena in tow. She waited for the others. "Nothing badly wrong, hon. Company's coming though."

"Oh? Good or bad company?" The priestess' ear perked up, straining to hear the voice Catrina had heard. She eased back on her wand, but still kept it ready, just in case.

Catrina growled a bit at this...not sure how to answer. "We won't attack them, at any rate."

"Good company then." The priestess put the wand back at her side, and sat down on the edge of the trail, pulling her robes around her feet so as to not give a view below them. She did the same with her robes hood, not sure if she should show her ears either.

Catrina shrugged, and settled down to wait on the inevitable.

"So, Catrina, what do you think we'd find up there once the company gets here?"

"I... I don't know, hon. And that's the only reason we're waiting."

"Okay." The bunny sat still and rested, recovering more of her magical talent as the time passed.

Soon after. ..

Dash suddenly grabbed the sleeping hamster in his hands, rolling to the side and barely avoiding a rampaging goat! "Wake up, lazy!" Dash yelled. "Try to talk to that thing! Figure why it's so cheezed off!"

"...5 more minutes....zzzzzzzZZZ." The hamster rolled over and continued to sleep.

What the neighbor of Hades, Dash wondered. "Fluffy, we don't HAVE five minutes! Wake up or. . . . I'm not buying you a gingersnap cookie later!"

"You prob won't buy me one anyway," Fluffy said. "Besides, the goat just toppled off that cliff, and I'm not gunna go down and get it."

"It'll be back soon enough," Dash reasoned. "Besides.. it's not him I'm worried about." He turned where another goat, and a bar starring them down. "What is a bear doing in the mountains?"

There wasn't much time for Fluffy to answer, as the goat ran at them. Dash tossed Fluffy on it's back as Dash dodged to the side.

Fluffy summed up the situation perfectly. "Oh shi----------"

The bunny's sharp hearing picked up on the sound of a very whiney curse, higher pitched than anything she was used to. She stood up and bolted in the direction of the sound, drawing her wand as she ran. "That does not sound good, Catrina."

Catrina had heard the sound, but a part of her hoped that they could deal with the problem alone. Hearing the cry of the other person, though, made her jump and follow Feena. Besides, she didn't want her friend getting into trouble, now did she?

Catrina and Feena ran through the trees, towards a clearing up ahead; when a big 'whoosh' was heard. A small fluffy object somersaulted through the air, landed with a 'ta-da!', while a goat on fire ran around comically in the back ground.

Catrina stopped short, almost running over the hamster...then did a double take. A hamster that goes 'ta da!'? "Oh..you must be a Sentient too!"

The hamster pulled out a pair of hamster sized spectacles and peered at Cat and Feena, "A cat and a rabbit...ah! you must be Catrina and Feena! I remember you from the clan rooster..."

Yes, he said rooster.

Dash squared off against the bar. An undersized bear was still a dangerous one. "Catrina. . . . glad to see you're okay. I wanted to apolo-" Dash realized Catrina wasn't listening and stopped talking to focus on the bar.

Catrina smiled at Fluffy, blushing a bit. "Yes... although I'm sorry to say I haven't had much time to meet my clanmates yet, nor study the roster..." She looked up with a growl hearing THAT voice, and moved quickly seeing the bar in the clearing. She prang forth, drawing her katana as she went, engaging the bar herself.

After all, the bear was a danger to everyone in the clearing.

"Fluffy, help the bunny!" Dash called. "Catrina, careful of it's - "

Catrina growled. "I've been bringing down bigger game than this since I was a kitten! I know what to watch..." She broke off her tirade as she dodged one of the bars paws- it's claws missing her by scant inches.

"Help the bunny?" The Hamster looked around, noticing that the goat was still charging around in the background...on fire. "But from what?"

Dash frowned. "Fast little bugger, isn't it?" Did he mean Fluffy or the bar?

Catrina roared at Dash- then stopped cold as she realized she just advertised to the bar that she was a predator- and a bigger threat than Dash. She smiled, though, as the bar turned on her and away from Dash, switching to Feline with the excitement of the fight. <That's it, bitch!> Catrina swore, <Come on and get a REAL beating!>

Feena drew close to the bar, and grinned. She raised her wand quickly and fired of a ray of magic. The ray quickly evolved into a ray of vanilla milk shakes, freezer burning the target. She had hoped this blast of magic would be enough to help Catrina out a little.

Dash swung Bad Beats, his broadsword, at the bar, who deflected the blow with it's beefy forearm, crying out in agony from the slice.

"Sigh..." The hamster extended one paw towards the bar, gestured, upon which the bar bursts into flame, spontaneous external combustion!

Catrina yelped in surprise as the bar started burning, since she was close enough to it for her own fur to singe a bit. She laid into it twice with her katana- then rolled as she was hit by a massive right paw.

"Those flames won't stay lit long," Dash explained. "Bars are totally flame retardant."

Feena yelped and dashed over to Catrina, quickly summoning pasta to bandage the wound. "Catrina, please, be careful." She then took aim and fired off another ray, this time becoming a ray of Bad Omens. The burst of magic struck the bar square in the chest.

The hamster rubbed his head. "My bad, my bad, sorry."

"Fatal Error!" The bar yelled in a mechanical voice, before exploding in a burst of plot holes.

"Weird," Dash said, seething his broadsword. "What now?"

Catrina turned to Fluffy and smiled. "Are you on your way up the mountain? Need a lift?"

"Well, I was planning on hitching a ride on Dash, but sure, why not?" The Hamster squeaked in reply.

Dash snorted. "You're just mad because we didn't have time to stop by the Market Square."

Catrina picked him up- placing him on her shoulder. "You may want t' grab onto my braid to hang on- though up high- it tends to swing abit. Sorry I don't have much else to hold onto!" She giggled as she headed back up the mountain again.

The Hamster held on tight, "Sure. I'm used to hanging on to stuff."

Dash turned to Feena, extending his hand. "So you're Feena? I'm Sebastian Dash."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sebastian." The Priestess bowed and pulled her hood away. She then bounced after Catrina, trying to stay close to her friend.

"So- You're Fluffy? I hear you all the time in the clan hall- but I never see you... and now I know why!" Catrina giggled- occasionally checking her passenger to make sure he was alright.

"Mmm, i don't really go around much...i prefer to relax...and...sleep....zzzzZZZ"

Dash caught Fluffy as he fell asleep- and off Catrina's shoulders. "Lazy Hamster."

Feena giggled hearing the hamster fall asleep. She then tapped Catrina's shoulder. "How are those bandages holding up, Cat?"

Catrina smiled at Feena. "The fire only got my fur, hon. But thank you anyway." With this she gave the bunny a peck on the cheek.

"I was more worried about that smack you took." She prodded the bandage of Lasagna on the feline's chest.

Catrina grinned again. "Like I told him," she jerked a thumb at Dash, "I've been taking down dinner for years- I know when to roll with the punches."

"Eat bear often, do you?" Dash wondered sarcastically, keeping Fluffy in his hands.

The priestess sighed and walked next to Catrina. "So, what are we going to do?"

Catrina growled, her hackles raising just at the sound of Dash's question. "If you listened to me before you know my kind hunts. Course, you weren't very interested in most of what I was saying at the time..."

"I wasn't even talking about THAT!" Dash shot back. "And I'm sorry for not listening to you, okay? Give it a rest."

"I.. I thought you had more important things to do?"

"Hey, I'm sorry!" Dash threw his arms up.. keeping a grip on the sleeping hamster. "The dragon stirred up some bad memories for me, too. You have any idea what it's like to wonder if someone you used to care for might be totally corrupted by the one person whom you hated more than anything?"

Catrina snorted. "OHHH... so you were running back to an old girlfriend?"

"No!" Dash spat back. "I wanted to know if she was safe or not. She's out of my life. The only person I'm interested in is. .. ."

"Heh... sound pretty interested in her to me? Think she'd be safer for you than some crazy bitch kitty?"

"Hey hey, keep it down, I AM trying to sleep here," the Hamster grumbled, having been woken up by the bickering.

"Lazy hamster! Take him, Catrina!" Dash tossed Fluffy to her.

"Eep! Dash! You Idiot!" She caught Fluffy easily and checked to make sure he was alright- then giggled and gave him the most comfortable seat she had- in her cleavage.

"Geez, hamsters can glide, anyway, you know?" Dash retorted.

The Hamster zapped Dash with a small electric shock, "thats S-Q-U-I-R-R-E-L-S" and then proceeded to curl up and sleep... again.

Dash sidestepped the small shock. He'd gotten enough of those carrying Fluffy up during the last mountain mission.

"You know- if you hadn't shown yourself this could be you right now..."

Feena watched the passing of the hamster with interest. "I wasn't aware you two were such good friends. Maybe I shouldn't help out here."

Catrina growled- then stopped- this was her friend. " Hon....this is the guy I was telling you about. The one that ran out on me?"

"She kicks in her sleep," Dash warned Feena.

"Oooh." Feena nodded and stuck her tongue at at Dash. "I don't remember her kicking last night."

"You never let me in your bed!" Catrina hissed at Dash.

"I OFFERED to let you have it and sleep on the floor!" Dash answered, with a frown.

Catrina giggled, ignoring Dash again knowing how Feena's statement sounded.. She then couldn't help herself but tease Dash. "Well, after where I had my nose when I pounced you..."

Dash ignored her.. ears perked. He quickened his pace til he was near Catrina and Feena, and by proxy, the sleeping hamster. "Fluffy, wake up. Now. Something's very wrong here. I can hear it in the wind."

The Hamster poked his head out, "Oh? I didn't know you were the paranoid type, never would have guessed..."

Feena spun her wand, ready to throw a few spells as necessary. "Bring it on, I think."

Catrina stopped, and as their deliberations fades she could hear it too, and she growled, taking the scent of the air. "Getting too many scents here... Gobs... Oh Goddess!"

Her eyes went wide.

"AHHHHhhhh NO no no NO NO nooo NOOoo NO no! You're not even READY for him!" A voice called out of nowhere. A soundless burst of lightning light the background, simultaneous to an explosion of black smoke. From it, stepped a surreal looking being. It looked like a collection of bones and nothing under grey skin and a jester's cap and outfit. Catrina couldn't smell anything on it's body other than the rapidly fading scent of the smoke which had accompanied it's invasion. The entire outfit was nearly mindblindingly bright, with obnoxious, bright colors only adding to the illusion. It had claws instead of hands, holding a playing card in each hand. "Or should I say Him! Allow me to introduce myself, for I am. . . "

Catrina growled at the beast- taking Fluffy out of her cleavage and placing him in Feena's hands. "Where is he, you little toad? WHERE IS HE?"

Feena yelped in surprise, cuddling the hamster close to her chest. "Is this such a good idea?"

"Catrina, no!" Dash yelled. Too late.

Catrina ignored her friend, and Dash, intent on the monster before her. "I was told he'd be coming and I know his reek! WHERE IS THAT ASSHOLE?" With this she took a swipe a the monster's chest- and watched in surprise as her claws passed through with no effect!

The monster grinned and reformed in one piece again. He then spoke, imitating the voice of the one she hated so much it made her hackles stand on end. "Tsk tsk.. BAD Kitty!" With that he forme a staff out of one of the playing cards in his hand and swung- hitting Catrina squarely and hard- sending her flying off to the side of the path. As she skid along the snow, the creature laughed in a loud, high pitched tone.

Dash cried out and rushed to her. "Catrina!"

Feena yelped in horror, shielding Fluffy's eyes from the sight. She stood in horror, having dropped her wand as Catrina went flying. "CATRINA!"

The Hamster just yawned..

The ghosting figure cleared his throat. "If you're all quite done with this noise, may I continue? Thank you. I am, the unquestioned king of Knob flamboyance. The neverending source of terror. The hammer of the Goblin King HIMSELF! I AAAAMMMMM. . . . The Jester King of Beasts!"

Dash backed away, seeing Catrina's glaring at him, and turned to face the new threat. "What? Was the name 'Idiot in Tights' already taken?"

Catrina rose- slowly, but she rose. For a second Dash could see her eyes, and shuddered for they shone with a deep fire. A fire of anger and hate for this thing and for all it represented to her! "We through with the warm up yet?"

Dash turned to Catrina, undergoing a dark realization. "HE's here, isn't He?"

Catrina nodded. "He is...His reek was all over the gobs, it's strong right here. Like I said- Chonos hinted this day would come."

"I won't let him hurt you," Dash assured her. "He'll die first."

"AHEM?!" The strange enemy called out. "Are you two quite done? Because I'd hate to interrupt, but I'm QUITE anxious to KILL you all!" It's voice seemed to go from infuriatingly high, to beastishly deep.

Catrina shook her head. "Then there would be two of us dead. Or three..or four. No- once we finish the Court Nutcase off and check on the Oriole, I must leave you. This is something I need to face myself."

"Fluffy," Dash called out, annoyed. "DO something about this annoyance, would you?"

"Must I do everything?" With another arcane gesture, the Hamster sent a fireball, inversely proportionate to his body, towards the Jester King thing. He might as well have shot the blast into the wind. As soon as it reached the Jester's body, it turned into a ball in front of him. The Jester King laughed, the fire swirling where his body USED to be. As he reformed, he sent the searing fire blast BACK towards Fluffy! Fluffy cried out, "Eep!" took a deep breath, and exhaled enough ice to freeze his own fire blast solid.

Unfortunately, the power of Jester's magic was enough through the ice. Fluffy realized as the flames warmed his face he wouldn't be able to dodge.

He suddenly found himself yanked down, saved by the lightning like, totally instinctive reflexes of the FSM priestess as she rolled to the side, cupping Fluffy to keep him safe. The fire flew over the two, passing into the distance.

Feena whimpered as she dodge the blast, curling herself around Fluffy to protect them both. She lay on the ground, terrified beyond rational thought. Catrina roared and sprang forward, drawing her katana in one fluid motion, cutting downward in two arcs, her blades passing through the smoke of his body. She did not care that she missed- she swung again, and again. Quickly, continually with all her might, not letting him reform.

"Good idea," Dash realized what she was doing, and attacked right along side her, swinging his broadsword at every point the creature tried to reform at.

They heard the clang of steel against steel as Bad Beats hit Catrina's katana- blocking them. "Hey! Watch what you're doing, idiot!" Catrina screeched at Dash.

"Forget that! Keep attack- urgh." Too late. It had reformed, inches away from them, and blasted Catrina and Dash with a small area electric attack. The Jester King panted with effort.

"Shaaaame on you," he cried out. "I think that's cheating! To the penalty box with you. The penalty coffin!" it raised it's staff, ready to finish them off.

Feena quietly prayed for protection, too scared to even attempt to rise to fight. She was clearly beyond her means, especially if Catrina and Dash both were defeated.

Catrina raised her head- seeing the monster prepared to strike her and the others down. She felt weak- unable to fight- unable to reach her scattered weapons even is she wanted. She looked at the Monster again- then closed her eyes as she waited for the end. "Bright Goddess, protect us in our need!"

Dash had his broadsword, but not the strength to push himself to his feet. Not yet. He could barely hear Fluffy asking, "Uh, Dash, I can have your stuff if you die, right?" Then blackness overtook him.