No subtitles to this monster sized finale.

A fun Fluffy opening, Catrina's ex vrs Raw Hide, Catrina vrs her brother Cattaras, a stubborn button, a few laughs and a hell of a lot of action keep the beat going here. There's also a fun little reference to the game which game which inspired many of KOL's features, which I had a lot of fun writing.

There's just too much to sum up here, and a hell of a payoff I don't want to spoil so.. dig in!

Chapter title: Prelude - In the mind of a Hamster

Ahh, Fluffy Hamster, you encoragable rogue you. You've set our hearts afire the same way you set those drunken goats fur on fire in that one mission not long ago. Or skin, or whatever goats have that seems to be so readily susceptible to your magic.

You're a connaisseur of animated art from faraway lands, and your fire magic could have a frozen infernal demon sweating in discomfort in seconds. And with your ice based magic, it's a pretty good guess you were the one who froze it in the first place, weren't you?

Always the showman, Fluffy, always the showman.

And usually the show.

But you can be quite the fearless one, can't you? Pity for your parter, Feena. Something's got you wiled up today, and you're up for making a grand entrance in the tradition of your heroes. . .

Wonder what the Knobs will think of this?

=-=-=-

Hamster's entrance

Roxkra the Knob Barbarian paced ahead of the others, intently ready for battle, his sturdy fallen Spooky tree branch hanging at his side, ready to strike out with his mighty spooky and lethal damage. He was one of six in his unit, under the steady watch of Knob Goblin Semi Elite sub general Klang.

There were other cells active, for various purposes, as well. The Knob Goblin's problems with the Penguin Mafia, and the various KOL clans required more organization than usual. In fact, his exceptionally slightly-above-average hearing could pick up another nearby group, not horribly far away. Probably a strike team from the relative silence and speed at which they were moving by.

Truth told, Roxkra secretly envied them, only not really so secretly. He wanted in on the action today, but he was assigned to a team to gather information and supplies, so that was what he would put his heart and soul into.

The Knobs had thought of a great deal. They'd send ahead special parties to clear out local threats out of the path of their march. Rumor had it, they'd even hired a couple special groups of Knollish strike forces to help with that first part.

That, Roxkra thought to himself for a useful distraction, could be something to see!

For now, he put about to doing his job, which for the moment consisted of wondering around, looking bad ass and scarring off anything that would dare to threaten to the good name and reputation of the Knob Goblins.

Protecting the holy Knob, and all of that rhetoric.

Nothing would dare threaten them, either, save for.. a hamster?!

A sharp eyed Knob Hat scientist alerted Roxkra of the oversized golden hamster perched on a fallen tree limb, it's tiny arms risen up like a wizard. Indeed, it was robed. No staff with a knobbed end, though, which to a Frat Orc, would have been considered in bad taste and worthy of violence.

The fluffy squeaked loud enough to draw the attention of all those around it. (How did such a small thing make such a loud squeal? Magic, m'boy! Magic!

"Behold, infidel non believing Knob dummies! The spectacularly distracting magic of a simple, yet all powerful hamster.. for this Hamster is FLUFFY!"

Then he cackled loudly to make sure all the locals had their attention on him. Following said mad cackle, his hands lit up with a light bluish gold glow. He hopped up, suspending himself in mid air for a few precious seconds before the glow turned into pairs of powerful magic attacks. A whirlwind of blue ice lashed out at the closest set of Knob Goblins, slamming them backwards into the nearby trees, liberating them of their breath, although from their pained gasps, clearly not of their need to breath.

Before they could even fall, several tiny lightning bolts danced over their arms, faces, and chests, further disorienting and damaging the knobs. It wasn't long before small spots on their tunics and even their skin, frozen hardly two thirds of a second earlier, started to smoulder and smoke.

Fluffy was havin' fun so far! Even as the whirlwind was still forming, acting about six times as quickly, a long, silver and gold strand of lightning extended from his hands and paws, then streaked, unbroken, through a faraway Knob Goblin, before turning to slice around Roxkra the Knob Barbarian's body, and finally ended by impaling a final Knob against the tree it was lazily resting up against. It didn't slice into their skins or bodies, but the effects of the attack would be clear in about three agonizing seconds.

Finally, after the beam had latched out, and the double attacks thrown, Fluffy used the magic, just as the Knob Goblins were starting to come under the idea they might be under attack. The final part of Fluffy's initial attack threw up shields of ice, and cross crossed lightning around him, and his ally, who even now appeared behind him.

FeenaMancy didn't look to be enjoying this as much as Fluffy. "I don't get why we couldn't have just avoided them. You know, snuck around them, like I suggested?"

"Awwww, where's the fun in that?!" Fluffy wondered, as he picked off a Knob Goblin Less-Than-Elite guard who was charging at the two full speed, using a barrage of miniature flame axes. It slices, it dices, it burns like hell, the Fluffy Hamster mini -axe collection! "Besides, think of it as a.." He paused, lifted up an indescribably tiny hamster paw, and a column of flame sent the Knob Goblin guard flying into the air. "warm up! Get it?!"

"I get it," she answered, arid dry voice. "Well, I guess we can at least make it quick. I don't think I'll even need to waste my magical energy on these lackeys."

Her weapon of choice, a thick wooden pasta spoon, might not have struck fear into her enemies on sight, but she was more than adapt at using it, as she proved by springing head first into the combat, eagerly entering the dance of the battle. A couple of Goblins popped up out of nowhere, surrounding her. They had her by surprise, but the slightest bit of hesitation allowed her to notice the pair of Knob Goblins just in time. She ducked under a couple wild swings, her amazingly swift reflexes reflecting her rabbit like appearance. Leaping into the air, she caught each Goblin with a powerful hind leg, sending them in opposite directions. She slammed the thick spoon across the head of the first, leaving him too dazed to even stand. A kick to his head sent him into an even deeper unconsciousness. She turned to the other, intent on doing the same.

He raised a buckler at the last possible second and despite how quickly she'd attacked, without hesitation, it just wasn't quick enough. The Knob Goblin would seem to have the advantage, as he was wielding a knife to her here wooden spoon. The whole thing about appearances being deceptive would fit this well, however, as she matched his thrusts with paries. It wasn't long before she'd maneuvered deftly behind the enemy and finished it off with a couple of solid blows to the back of the head.

Feena turned, seeing Fluffy desperately flinging out magic spell after magic spell. That should have been enough to empty the battlefield of it's contents, seeing as how they'd only seen a few Knob Goblins around. Unfortunately, several Knob Ninjas had dropped from the trees, even as a horde or Elite Knob Goblins appeared from behind the trees... The last one to make it's way into the frey had a distinctively feline appearance to it..

And Cattaras didn't look very happy for the distraction.

*****

Scents and sensibilities

Catrina watched the developing fight…and growled.

It was a growl filled with anxiety, fear and anger. As she and Vivace had followed the goblins they had treated it like any predatory hunt. They kept downwind, keeping their prey just in sight, watching the ‘herd’ for stragglers, who were quickly cut from the rest and dealt with. But keeping downwind of their prey had a cost, for Catrina had to put up with the knowledge that her brother and her so-called ‘mate’ were also with the goblins, and Catrina had to keep a tight reign on her desire to dash ahead and put her claws into the both of them!

But their being there wasn’t what scared her- well, not completely. Catrina knew what was said abut her kind, and agreed. Felines made the strongest of friends and the deadliest of enemies- because they never forgot what was done to and for them. Catrina worried for her Dash, knowing that if her brother found him he’d be out for revenge for Dash’s earlier victory.

Vivace watched the young Feline she just recently befriended with a growing concern. In their time together Catrina had been open about her past- especially events of the last few days. She had never met the men in question, but judging from Catrina’s growing agitation it was clear that the feline scents ahead of them were the two that Catrina had told her about.

Vivace sat and played her Battle Bass, letting the air around them fill with soothing, relaxing strands of music, hoping to calm the young warrior before she lost control over herself. “Dear, from what you have told me and what I have judged with my own eyes you have little need to worry. Your Sebastian Dash seems quite the cunning and resourceful one, and Vixen is no slouch in either department either. Together they should be able to keep trouble away from their tails.”

Despite her mood Catrina could not help but giggle. “Yeah… but Dash’s is so short! " Both women laughed, and Catrina’s mood lifted a little, though her worries remained. She sighed, trying to keep her tail from resuming its agitated flick. “I’m sorry hon, I know that Dash is an excellent fighter and all, but then- I know both my brother and that monster that’s with him are too- and right now I have no trouble questioning their honor in a fight.”

Vivace nodded. An honorable one on one fight was desirable, but if the men decided to gang up on Dash…. Worse yet- if the pair got Vixen into a bad spot… Vivace had to stifle her own growl at that thought.

Catrina stretched, trying to work out the kinks her anxiety put in her muscles, inhaling deeply. As she did she stopped, her eyes widening, a look of sheer dismay on her face. “Oh GODDESS!” she cried and then rushed away- heading toward the thickest part of the battle.

Vivace watched this action with a curious look on her face, then gathered her bass and followed her friend. She did not understand, but something told her she would be needed soon.

But that was a strange way to react to lunch

-=-=-=-=-

Brawl Buddies

While the distraction might not have left him happy, Cattaras had to admit, he was itching for a challenge. He just wasn't sure these two would provide it.

He shoved aside his own men, a sadistic smile on his face. "So we meet again, huh, bunny?" He said through a sneer. "Do yourself a favor; run. Leave this Kingdom to the Knob Goblins, and *never* look back."

"I- I'm not afraid! You just got lu.. lucky last time!" Feena spit out, with Fluffy Hamster perched protectively on her shoulder. She couldn't shake the memory of what had happened during their last encounter, however. She'd trained hard since then in preparation for this day, but she hadn't quite realized it would come so soon, or how it would affect her when it did come.

Deep inside her, the power ached for release.

Deeper still, however, the feeling of her limp body being tossed around, remembered through a haze of half consciousness and abject, terrifying pain tugged at her consciousness. Dash had saved her then. She didn't intend to need saving this time.

"You pathetic little insect! I'll enjoy ripping your limbs apart, now that you're no longer needed for bait!" Cattaras roared with a ferocity that defied description. Ferocious would be that description it defied.

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the annual super villain wannabe get-together!" Fluffy whined in a high pitched squeak, leaping off of Feena's shoulders. As he did, he fired a bolt of fire, inversely proportioned to his body, at the feline in front of him. Seeing as Fluffy's tiny, the bolt was, of course, huge!

Cattaras leaped out of it's wide path effortlessly, although the Elite Guards behind him were hardly able to avoid the flame, and all of them ended up rather crispy from the edges of it. The flame continued, unabated, until he struck a rather spooky, sappy tree, and dissipated into thin air.

Hot thin air.

Cattaras continued forward, determined to slice through Feena before Fluffy could shoot any type of magic in response. Once he'd cut the competition in half, he was sure Fluffy's magic wouldn't pose much of a threat to him and his "men." If these Knob failures could be considered 'men.' Unfortunately for the oversized feline, however, Feena was ready for this. She'd already pulled a handful of thick walnuts and dangerously dry and sharp strands of wheat from her pocket. Her stench proof weapons pocket. Cattaras was mid air when the dangerous mix of hippie handled "food" struck him hard in the head, dropping him mid flight. As soon as he hit the ground, landing on his paws, the ground around him began turning cold. by the time he even realized what was going on, his legs and arms were thick with heavy frost, courtesy of Fluffy Hamster.

A small bolt of lightning struck Cattaras in the face, blinding and even injuring the feline, and leaving Feena, with her spoon, and Fluffy, with his magic, to deal with the other Knob Goblins while he recovered. The two showed an instinct almost born of desperation and instinct. As Feena dove into them, Fluffy kept a stream of elements swirling around her, stopping just in time to allow her to dodge out of the way of a counter attack, before the two renewed their efforts with passion anew.

Nevertheless, the Knob Goblins proved tougher than they expected. Several times, Feena would connect with her most powerful spoon shot to the head, expecting them to drop, only to find herself dodging, or occasionally falling to an instantaneous countershot from a Goblin Elite guard who was bruised and stunned, but clearly not out of the fight.

On top of that, Cattaras had vanished. Feena could only wonder where he'd taken off to, or who he'd decided to go after next. No doubt, he'd decided to take on somethimg more of a challenge and leave the dubious honor of destroying the humanoid hamster, or the same of falling to them, to the faceless Knob Goblins.

Feena spun as she attacked, so even as she finally got one target to drop, the next was already in her line of sight. The cost of this was, as mentioned, she left herself open to counter attacks, but keeping the battle at as quick a pace as possible not only kept the fight to her liking, but it kept them from effectively trying to double team them.

Of course, Fluffy was able to do that with a barrage of ice cubes, or ice clubs, or flaming fire imps of flaming doomfire.

Ya know, anything he could think of. He also had to watch his own back, but he got careless once they started whittling down the enemy numbers.

"Ahhh," he mused, with only three Knob Goblins to go, "I might need a nice lil backpack nap after this one.

"Stay focused!" Feena insisted, starting to tire of the fight.. But at least it was almost over.. She'd enhanced her spoon with just enough magic to up it's battle efficiency, and it just connected with yet another skull. The final two Knob Goblins rushed at her. She ducked, and they collided skull on skull, knocking each other out.

"Allright, NOW you can celebrate, Fluffy!" She turned around, surprised not to hear a snippy response.

She turned around to see a Knob Goblin drop Fluffy from behind with a Fluffy Hamster sized steel chair shot to the head. She just kind of starred for a second in concern.. and from the absurdity of a full sized Knob Goblin wielding a six inch steel chair to drop an oversized golden hamster.

Then her befuddlement turned to anger, and she dove for the Knob Goblin, intending to do it an extra bit of harm for hurting her friend.

Unfortunately, she was cut down mid air, and before she knew her, the air was forced out of her body as Cattaras, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, landed on top of her, stratteling her, with his claws raised high in the air, the moonlight reflecting off of his razor sharp fangs as he reared his head into the skies, and roared in triumphant victory. . .

Feena felt the edges of her vision going black . . .

****

Sibling Rivalry

As Catrina rushed forward one thought raced through her head. How in the Dark did SHE get down here? The last she had heard, Dash had told her that Feena had gone back to Seaside Town to recuperate after her ordeal. How had she goten back down here so quickly?

No matter, Catrina knew she could not live with herself if something happened to the little bunny who was her friend. She raced forward, goblin and penguin alike falling back before her rage, her eyes burning as one thought struk her. "By the Goddess, if he hurts ONE HAIR on her...."

She saw them, her sprawled on the ground with him atop her, roaring to the heaviens in seeming victory and she exploded inside, roaring her own challenge as she launched herself, pouncing him, ramming her shoulder into his side just under his upstretched arm, knocking him clear of Feena with Catrina now straddling him, clawing him savagely, roaring in sheer battle rage. <It's time you felt what it's like to be on the recieving end 'dear brother'!>

But this was no mere Goblin- or even a Penguin. This was a male Feline in top health, trained to fight, and trained to endure punishment. He gave Catrina as good as he got- both comatants quickly bloodied from numerous claw marks. He roared in defiance to her challenges. <I'm glad you attacked me, bitch! Now I can tell my Master I killed you in self defense! Then I'll have my fun with that tasty morsel as well!>

He hit her hard- knocking her off him. Both rolled up into a crouch, their growls and challenging roars quietig the din around them as they faced off. <When I get through with your ass you won't be able to chew on any 'tasty morsels'!> The both sprang forward, meeting in a horrendous clash of fang and claw,each roaring at the other, each forgetting all but the most primal battle urges as they each tried to kill the other.

Catrina fought the pain and blood loss along with her brother, unwilling to let herself be defeated by her own body's weaknesses. But lack of blood was having an efffect on her fighting, and soon Cattaras was able to land a hard right paw that knocked her down, dazed. He took advantage of the moment, diving on her, straddling her and clawing the stuffing out of her. Catrina fought to block wnat she could- but many blows got through unchallenged, and she felt her senses beginning to fail her. She lifted a silent prayer to the Goddess for deliverance....

KA-BONNNNG!

At the unusal noise her senses snapped back for a second- to see Cattaras fall to the side- out of it... with Vivace behind him wielding her Battle Bass like a club! Even knowing what her situation was, a part of her still growled at this interferance with a proper battle.

Vivace heard Catrina's growl- but dismissed it with a wave of her hand. 'I saw who he attacked first. Such does not deserve honor in battle.'

Catrina started, then nodded at the older vixen. She stood slowly- feeling as if her body wanted to lie back down again for a little nap, but knowing they weren't out of this yet. She looked at Vivace- only to see her friends visage turn to one of alarm as she tried to dodge- something behind her? Catrina spun around, just in time to see one of the larger trees in the forest falling right for her! She dodged- but the tree hit her. It was a glancing blow- but enough in her condition to knock her loopy for a while.

The monster...the Beast of the Darkness stood wher the tree ad once been firmly rooted, a smug grin on his face. "KA-BONNNG!"

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Drunken dungeon refugees

Before Catrina's ex could commence with either killing or further bragging, He was cut down by three paunchy yet oddly nimble ninja warriors. The three plowed into him, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. P'wned.

HIS response was simple and feral. A mighty roar sent shivers down their ninja spines, but they stood their ground. Their nametags gave an instant identity to each, or they might have, were He able to read. He's not, but since you're reading this, you must be, thus we know their identities.

HE sprung to his feet, roaring at the three, aided by the sudden and typical appearance of a couple of Knob Goblin Elite Guards. Malice danced in his eyes, and whisps of unwashed boots danced at the guard's armpits. Hung Lo, the smallest of the three ninjas, immediately set forth to squaring off against one of the Elite guards, using his quickness to avoid being grabbed and yanked out of his element. Large Wang tackled the other Elite guard, leaving Enormous Genitals to throw his mighty size down on the fallen He and start beating on Him viciously.

Around him, Catrina and Vivace were still too near unconsciousness to do much good. Fluffy was busy tending to Feena, who'd taken the brunt of Cattaras's attack earlier.

"Come on, Feena! Get with it! We're gonna miss the big fight scene!" Fluffy whined. Er,, said in a whiney voice.

Feena's eyes opened...and she instantly regretted it. If anything, the pain she was in now made the first beating feel like a mere headache!"ooohh...wha? Feena finally pushed herself to all fours, noticing the battle raging around her. "Okay.. I hate to say this, but I can't really tell who we're supposed to fight."

All around her, the battle, indeed, raged. A drunken crossdressing Gnollish sailor swung drunkenly at a Knob Goblin scientist, who apparanetly had a glass jaw, cause he got taken out on the first punch that connected. A lethargic loudmouthed loud mouthed Bugear bodyguard regaled a group of Knob Goblin Redshirts with tales of that one time him and his bugbear girl and their guards all got together to redo their campsites to make them "less texty." This was right before Lucky Surprise Eggs started getting popular, and they publicly announced the winner of the Yeti naming contest.

He also rampaged as he regaled, sending helpless and occasionally hapless Knob Goblins flying everywhere.

"If I had to guess," Fluffy squeaked.. er.. said with a high pitched squeak, "I'd say we keep fighting the Goblins."

"Uhh, yeah, that makes sense." Feena pushed herself to her feet and readied a spell. "I guess we better break out the heavy material."

So she grabbed a nearby heavy spooky stick and started bashing Knob heads with it.

Fluffy did likewise, but blasting enemies with a medium sized twig wasn't doing any good, so he used lightning blasts instead.

Meanwhile, the Hyrulian guards fell to Enormous's smaller allies, only to be mauled into submission by Him, who'd already shown Enormous that size wasn't everything, especially compared to claws and savagery.

"Who SENT you?!" He demanded of the next group of old, drunken adventurers to step up. They cowered and pointed towards a hulking figure of a man.

"That would be me."

The voice sent chills down Fluffy's spine, as he recognized the cold, calculating voice behind it. This could be a battle worth seeing, if they didn't have more immediate concerns.

He stood face to face with Raw Hide. As massive as Raw was, standing at six and a half feet, HE only stood a shade shorter. Raw Hide held his sword and a shiny new wooden shield, whereas he only had his natural weapons, his unsheaved claws ready to attack.

He licked his lips even as he snarled, and snarled even as he spoke. "You'll make at least a few night's meal for me and my slaves."

Raw roared with laughter, then roared with violent potential. "Better beasts than you have tried. They all failed, and most of 'em made for pretty disgusting meals."

Without another word, the two charged each other full speed, intent on killing one another with an intensity rarely seen even in the Kingdom of Loathing. Each seemed evenly matched. Raw Hide lunged with what would have been a killing blow on most creatures, only to have Him respond by forcing it aside with His arm, ignoring the deep cuts inflicted, even as He lashed out with swipe after swipe at his slightly larger adversary. Most of the slices of His claw found nothing but the shield, sending large chunks of wood flying. Still, some found their way to slicing deep through the skin of Raw Hide's bare upper body, causing him to roar in violent pain and nearly inhuman anger.

Again and again, they clashed. Raw Hide threw Him into the tree, only to watch the feline-oid scurry up the tree and launch itself from a branch at Raw Hide faster than Raw Hide could draw his sword to impale the creature. It swiped a claw across Raw Hide's face, drawing blood with every swipe. Raw was in trouble..

Raw with pissed. With a massive grunt, he gave an equally massive heave and sent the creature flying off of him. Raw scurried to his feet. He did the same, only quicker. HE threw Himself at Raw Hide in what was meant to be a killing pounce, only to find His very Own midsection rammed by Raw Hide's massive shoulders, as Raw Hide literally took him out of mid air in some kind of futuristic looking combination of a spear tackle and a spinebuster KWE martial arts takedown.

Raw bashed Him with his hard wooden shield, inflicting several splinters in His furry face, and also hitting the Nameless Beast with several points of damage. Alas, fighting fair wasn't a concept to be seen in this fight, and Raw Hide soon found himself dislodged by another human shaped feline.

"Back off, ugly!" Cattaras now stood, woozy from his earlier fight but still thirsty for blood, over his "mentor," who was forcing his way to his feet.

He shoved Cattaras out of his way, and wiped a bit of blood off a snarling face. Then, he pointed towards Raw Hide, and as one, both felines rushed. A body as large as Cattaras's rammed into him from behind, sending him soaring past Raw Hide and into the closest mysterious tree.

Raw grunted. "Bout time you showed up, Dash."

Sebastian drew his broadsword, Bad Beats, as he stalked Cattaras down. He noticed the chaos going around. "Friends of yours?"

"Yup!" Raw boasted with pride, turning to see the ninjas, old adventurers, drunken young nobodies, and Some Enchanted Elder Fashion Mage, the most powerful one of them all, valiantly fighting off the Knob Goblin forces. "I was hangin' out at the Tarven, and I figured, 'Hey, why not organize an army and come free that loser bird?! So I did. Pretty effective, huh?"

"Eh," Dash replied, charging into battle with Cattaras, "I'll decide that later, if we live."

"No chance!" He screamed, as he charged in for a rematch with Raw Hide. . .

***

Good Things, Small Packages- you know the drill

The Toot Oriole surveyed the battle from above, looking for a particular player in this game. He finally spotted her from the air, and swept down, landing beside her after nearly avoiding her swung spooky stick. "No time for this, Adventurer! We need to take care of business here!"

Feena cried out to the bird, even as she dispatched another Goblin with her stick. "I AM taking care of business! I'm killing these Goblins!"

Toot shook his head. "A waste of good energy, Pastamancer! Why do you not just blast them, like your little fuzzy friend?"

Fluffy lookd over at the pair sharply in between blasts. "That's Fluffy!"

Feena smirked at the hamster's reply. "But He's so much more powerful than I am! I'll tire out too quickly and be in trouble!"

Toot ruffled his feathers. "You are cofusing your inner store of energy with the ability to tap into that energy. Surely you have felt the energy within? I know for a fact that you have called upon it once."

Feena nodded, her mind now only half on the fight. FOrtunately half of her mind was more than a match for these Gobs. "I remember, but I also remember being exausted afterward...and that nearly got me killed!"

Toot nodded. "Yes, but that is because you do not cast ENOUGH magic! COnsider you friend, Catrina. Or her friend Sebastiann Dash. Or for that matter, consider the feline who attacked you twice now. All good fighters, right? All able to fight for some time without tiring?"

Feena almost stopped fighting altogether as this thought hit her. "Are...are you saying I need to...exercise my magic?"

"Exactly! Just try to do more evey day. More little spells, stronger spells...soon you'll be as robust as your little furry friend!

Fluffy glared over again. "It's FLUFFY! And if class is out, do you have some way of getting us out of this?"

Toot smiled, as well as can be expected for a bird. "Of course...Pastamancer, if you would kindly remove this band from my leg- I will help you, this time, to channel the energy you control into a spell I will show you."

Feena picked the bird up. leaving the Goblins for the others while her nimble fingers untwisted a band from around one of Toot's legs. He then perched on her shoulder and whispered in her ear- soon she began her casting, and light brighter than the noon sun surounded her- then moved out explosively across the battle field.Then the light dissipated- leaving everything exactly as before.

Well, not exactly as before. All fighting had stopped as the combatants on all sides looked around for the source of the light, wondering what it had been for. Feena waited as her vision slowly sleared- and found in her hand a small box. On top of this box was a big, red button with the words 'DO NOT PRESS' on it. She looked quizically at Toot.

"Go on! Press it!"

She looked at the button. "But it says not to!'

"Never mind that! Do it!"

So she pressed it. Nothing happened, except for the button now saying '*ahem* I SAID "Do Not PRESS"!' She gave Toot a nervous look, but he just nodded. "Again."

She pressed it again. Still nothing, except for the button now saying 'Who are you going to listen to, me or that grouchy old bird?' "Again!"

*PUSH* 'Please stop pushing me'

*PUSH* 'Please?'

*PUSH* 'I'm asking nicely...'

*PUSH* 'I'm not looking for any trouble here...'

*PUSH* 'You know, you're really getting annoying...'

*PUSH* 'Pissing me off, actually...'

*PUSH* 'I don't have to put up with tiis- I got friends! I got a mole with a pickaxe!'

*PUSH* 'ALL RIGHT! I'M WARNING YOU! Push me ONE MORE TIME and so help me I'll...'

Feena pushed in one more time, and every enemy on the field winked out of existance. She looked down, and saw the button say 'THERE! SATISFIED?' before it, too winked out.

She looked over at Toot, who was smiling... again, best he could. "No, they are not dead, that was a reset button. It merely reset all your opponenets to their oiginal locations- then reset itself. Kind of like THIS one...." With that he pulled out a similar button,, pressed it several times, and disappeared in a flash of light.

Feena shook herself, and went to find the others. She found Dash and Raw Hide helping Catrina and Vivace up, with Catrina giving Raw more than just her usual look of scorn. She smiled, feeling Fluffy climbing up to her shoulder. They watched as Catrina bopped Dash up side the head with a grin- after he had said with his usual flair "See? Told you everything would go fine!"

"So- what now?" Feena asked.

Dash chuckled. "After all that I'd vote for a month off at the Tree! That is, if Raw Hide left anything for us to eat or drink!"

Raw actualy smiled at this. "Yeah...I left a bit. Might get me another sammich though- they make goood sammiches!"

Fluffy spoke up then. "As for me, I plan to make my report to Prince Blahking about this whole affair. I also plan on reccomending Dash and Feena for commendation for their actions." Feena blushed to her ears.

Feena suddenly felt a nose in the small of her back, and spun, almost dislodging her passinger. She ignored Fluffy's cry of 'Hey! Watch it!' as she stared up in to the face of Dash's horse Españolola.

Dash saw his old friend and laughed. "So you finally decided to show up?"

Españolola didn't seem to pay any mind to Dash, too busy with the bunny petting his nose. "He was smarter thatn any of us, Dash. HE stayed out of it!" He nickered in a suspiciosly laughy kind of way.

Dash laughed, and lifted Feena and Fluffy up on the horse's back, giving his neck a stroke. They then all set off together for the Weeping Tree, with Vivace starting a tune on her Battle Bass designed to heal the worst of their hurts and take the lead from their legs for the journey ahead.

***---***

Epilogue: Housecleaning

The Toot Oriole wandered around his mountainop home, picking up and replacing all the scatterd items from his kidnapping, musing at the thuroughness of the Penguins in taking one small bird!

He thought about those who had rescued him- thought about the things he had seen them do, and the things he knew they did without seeing. All in all, his ordeal had had one bright point.

He now knew they were ready for what was to come....