If you thought the other ones were big- this's a true monster sized special!

I sorta went overboard with the recap... heh.. it stretches into years of backstory in a few cases, and would bring any reader nicely up to speed on 'the story so far.' It might have been a bit much, though...

It's seeping with various personality conflicts and signs of mistrust- which works perfectly for the 'forced to team with enemies' premise. Of course, it would be too simple if we simply got there without some complications, so expect a nice fight scene to go with it! Fighting alongside with their hated enemies gives things an interesting switch here!

The preternatural darkness around Seaside Town seemed it's most absolute, outside of the city, away from the hastily lit lamps and simple light and fire spells. Fortunately, Dash had trained to make his way through dark, dangerous situations. Not surprisingly, none of the three humanoid felines around him had much problem with it either.

The darkness started to lift almost immediately as the four figures traveled south from Seaside Town, where several of the latest twists of the story had gone down. So much chaos lately, too... Their troubles started, Dash reflected, when Prince Blahking send four of KOKOL's lesser adventurers into Hey Daze, although, Dash reflected, the roots of the situation went all the way back to Dash's early days allied with the Kingdom of KOL, when they'd started the whole scheme to convince both the Knob Goblins and Penguin Mafia that a seemingly harmless plexiglass orb, originally intended to be used as a solar converter for Konall Bearsmasher's meat engine, assuming at the time it was fairly powerless.

At some point between then and now, it got shuffled around the Kingdom, with KOKOL doing it's best to keep the Penguins and Knob Goblins fighting over it. At some point, they also came to the realization that, despite an absence of actual magic, it could be used as a focusing device under the 'right' circumstances. Dash didn't know if it always had the magical potent or not.. but they now believed it was responsible for the recent darkening skies over KOL. They'd set out to retrieve it, but of course, nothing is ever THAT simple.

Good twists and bad, and in healthy doses.

The Market Demon had recently gone missing. After discovering it's location in Hey Daze, KOKOL's Prince Blahking send the four rookies of KOKOL to get it. Sadly, nothing was heard from them, and Blahking had used a one way trick to get them into Hey Daze. Dash decided to check out Seaside Town for a clue on how to GET to Hey Daze after hearing the surprising news when, of all people, Riko tracked him down!

While telling Riko of the trouble with Hey Daze, Dash suddenly remembered one of the artifacts he'd learned of while helping her people, the RoxZan. Her people were native to Adrule, that infamous land with the surplus of billboards. Dash had known Riko by her full name as a Princess there, but she let him know that she was now going by the name Riko, having given her brother command of the Roxzan kingdom to make her way up north for adventure, having heard of Dash's own journey there.

What had she called that artifact? The Harp of Aeons? A golden harp with only four visible strings..

They rounded up Catrina, and Cat's new ally, Feena, then split up into two groups to search Seaside Town for the Harp. Dash wasn't sure why they were so sure they'd have any chance at all of finding it there, but at least it was a starting point, right? Dash and the former princess his the armory and leggory, and although they didn't find the harp, they did find trouble in the form of one of the many Adrule monsters.. "aquatic mushroomoid foes that adore spitting rocks at unwary travelers and heroes," better known as Zoombas.

Although Dash took a nasty rock attack during it, they made short work of the Zoomba army that had invaded the armory and leggory's back room. With no idea on where to head next, Dash stayed behind to meet with Catrina and Feena, while Riko hurried ahead to the place they were to use the harp at, to either meet Feena and Catrina there if they'd gone ahead, or find another way in, if possible.

Catrina met with Dash. They exchanged battle notes (Catrina had found her own fight, although she seemed to enjoy hers more than Dash enjoyed his battle), and Catrina mentioned THEY had somehow found the harp themselves! Oddly enough, the sister of the girl Catrina battled had it on her. Strange coincidences, but strange time and fate, Dash mused to himself. Feena had gone ahead to the meeting spot to get it prepared, and wait in case Dash and Riko had gone ahead.

Catrina seemed extra affectionate, and Dash couldn't resist her charms this time. The truth is, when they'd first met, Dash found the idea of a human and a .. felinoid?.. engaging in such activities.. maybe not downright wrong, but strange. This one grew on him instantly. He'd also gotten over the idea of her just toying with him and leaving him for someone more her own ilk. If there'd been any doubt about that, it'd been long since erased when she trailed him up north to the Kingdom of Loathing, and rejoined him to continue their partership in adventuring.

Flash forward to hours ago, as Catrina pushed Dash into the fountain, and began to make out with him. After all, she'd said, they were about to enter Hey Daze.. it might be their last opportunity for a while to enjoy anything pleasant. And pleasant it was! The affections of his feline ally.. the feel of her body pressed against his in the cool fountain waters... the feel of the warm sun on their bodies.

It would all change in an instant, when her ex, whom Dash knew only as Him, showed up to viciously blindside her! Dash first came to know of Him during a more recent adventure on the Mysterious Island of Mystery, where Catrina had fought and killed a shadow version of the beast, only to have it merge with the equally brutal ex boyfriend of a pirate girl, Michelle, better known as Coconuts. Dash had fought the monstrosity that resulted, a battle which still made Dash shudder months later to remember.

Anyway, He blindsided Catrina and trapped her under water, holding there til Dash was forced to battle Him in some absurd feline tradition.. a 'mating ritual' for rights to Catrina. Dash had studied the ancient tradition of fighting for your right to party, but this was ridiculous! Dash glared over at Him as the two traveled as he continued remembering the circumstances that brought them to this point, but He was too preoccupied with discussing something with Cattaras in that annoying feline language of theirs. Catrina even seemed puzzled by parts of that conversation.

An ominous event had interrupted the fight with Dash fighting for his life against Him, forcing an uneasy alliance between the four - Dash, Catrina, Catrina's Ex, and His loyal feline 'lackey,' Cattaras- Catrina's blood brother and now, her sworn enemy!

The four set out to solve this riddle, assuming for the moment that it was likely the Orb was behind it.. Thus, they made their way under the very eerie black skies that had interrupted the battle between Him and Catrina.. the eerie black skies that seemed to to absorb light, hope and love.

Dash wondered at the moment if even the Majestically Hip Disco Ball of the great and powerful diety Sneaky Pete could escape such blackness.

The darkness was more like twilight by the time they'd made their way to the one of the many smaller grooves and clusters of trees outside of the Copse of the Deep Fat Friars. It must have been the dark sky responsible for the gust of an unnatural icy wind that caught Dash as the four moved fairly silently as Dash's mind snapped back to the present. The pitch silence of nature brought by the utter black skies gave way to nervous critter chatter from beings both natural- and not.

They came upon a fairly wide clearing of trees, an area scented by the delicious scent of apples, pears and tomatoes about to bloom. (KOL can have tomato trees; who said it can't?) As the four rounded the final set of trees into the clearing with a single minded purpose, Dash caught sight of Riko and Feena in deep conversation. It took them a few minutes to notice the four. Not being familiar with Him or Cattaras, Riko simply showed mild, almost indifferent confusion as she continued to speak. Her companion's reaction was the opposite as she laid eyes on the four.

Feena's eyes went wide in shock, staring at not only her two partners in adventuring but also the very two felines she utterly loathed and wanted to kill. "CATRINA, DASH, DUCK!" Feena raised her wand in preparation to strike, charging up a rather wicked blast. Riko looked on as Feena's cry sounded, the very harp in her hands prepared to blast out a symphony of pain for them.

Catrina raised her hands quickly. "FEENA! NO!" "Not yet, anyway," Dash added.

The charged shot was yanked wild by the lapine priestess' at the last second as a sour look came across Feena's muzzle. "Y... you.... you're with THEM? Catrina, h... how could you? I... I thought you were my friends!"

Catrina ran up to Feena, placing a gentle paw on her wand hand. "I'll explain later, but the situation has changed." She cast her gaze skyward, her tail still frizzed a bit. "Obviously."

"We're gonna need every bit of help we can get here," Dash said, looking suspiciously at the two.

Riko spoke for Feena at this point, "We had noticed the sky darken, it is of ill portent. Feena merely thought the worst, especially with those two here."

Him and Cattaras watched Feena, ready to fight if need be. He growled; "I would rather be wringing your scrawny neck, meat....but we have decided to work together toward this- for now."

"Not after I rip you a new tail..." Feena's threat was cut short by Riko's hand across her mouth. "Catrina, have we enough time to use the Harp to port to Hey Daze?"

Catrina grinned sheepishly. "We have the same amount of time we had before all this happened- as in I don't know how much time we DO have anyway, Dash, honey?"

Dash looked back to her, his eyes in the distance. "Thought I heard something.. Alright.. Let's do this. What's my role here?"

Catrina giggled, trying to act normal despite all that was going on around her. "Stand there and look hunky?" Dash's other ally had a more serious answer, though.

"I was wondering the very same, though if these two are here, we might need you to keep them in check." Riko mused as she looked around, still covering Feena's muzzle. Dash simply nodded, leaning back against the nearest oak tree.

Catrina sighed, not believing she was saying this. "They have both given their words as Felines not to attack us and to help us reach our mutual goal. This I can accept fully." She then looked at Feena "I have also given THEM my word- as a Feline, that no harm will come to them during this time- at least not from us."

Feena nodded silently, finally pulling her mouth free of Riko's grip. "Then that's settled, let's get our butts to Hey Daze, get the objective, and call it a day. Unless someone else has a change of plans..."

Dash's ears perked up, listening for something no one- even the felines- seemed to have noticed yet.

Riko looked over. "Sebastian? What is it?"

"Something feels.. off.. it's too quiet.. black skies or not. Something's near."

The three Felines all took the scent of the air- and all three growled immediately. Cattaras growled. "Figures."

Feena stared at him. "This can't be good, then..." Her wand snapped ready again.

He smirked. "A couple hours agio this would have been perfect. But we have a deal."

Catrina wrinkled her nose. "But...why am I also smelling... cold air?"

Dash frowned. "What do you mean.. smell cold air? It feels ominously hot here to me."

Catrina growled, and He nodded. "I smell it too... almost like someone brought an icy north wind with..."

His voice trailed off into silence as Riko looked around, drawing her shortsword from the scabbard at her side. "Let us be ready for it then." Feena nervously chittered in her stance, trying to move back and away. Dash un-sheathed his broadsword, Bad Beats, never one to take threat as anything less than serious.

Catrina nodded to Riko. "Get playing... if something shows we'll hold it off!" She drew her katana in a single fluid stroke, standing at the ready.

An ominous - yet annoying- voice rang out over the very treetops themselves. "Ohh, are you taking requests?! Because I have one... DEATH of the ENEMIES of the Goblin King!"

The Roxzan princess started to pluck a few notes, then sailed into a ballad meant to open a portal. Her voice started to resound, energy swirling into the vortex forming behind her. Further away, He roared. "NOT NOW, FOOL!"

Dash turned to face Him, sword at ready. "I knew we couldn't trust you! Back off!"

He growls and Cattaras readies to fight anyone. "You dare question our deal?" Catrina roared above them, "Both of you! Shut UP! We've got bigger problems than your cup size!"

He roared again. "Keep out of this Bitch! This is between him and me! We finish it HERE!"

On the other side of the groove, Feena looked nervous as she stood guard of Riko, her wand shaking quite visibly. "Aw.... man.... I know that voice..." Riko's singing grew ominous, the portal itself starting to form truly in the vortex of magical energy. Feena nervously chittered a few words, forming an orb in her hands now.

Feena growled meekly at the three felines, though it was cut short by a rather shortened 'oof.' Blindsided, Feena fell facefirst to the ground.

Cattaras saw the bunny fall and pounced.... the one doing the attacking. Jester King of Beast seemed ready for the attack, pivoting on one foot, and slamming a hard boot into Cattaras's midsection as he pounced.

Off on the other side of the groove, the others still too preoccupied with infighting to notice the battle. Catrina's eyes were afire as she stood between the two, growling at her ex. "Do you think he has any reason to trust you? After all he's had to put up out of the two of you I don't blame him for expecting you to pull some crap! Listen buster...if you louse this mission up I will personally take it out of your hide! You've always had the better of me because I've been to scared to fight! But I AM NOT SCARED OF YOU ANYMORE! Got it?" She whirled on hearing Dash's chuckle behind her. "And YOU! I TOLD you that they could be trusted! That they gave their word to ME and that one Feline CANNOT lie to another? And still your ready to go at it with him at the first provocation?"

The two adversaries- Dash and He- kept their eyes locked- making it unclear if they were listening to her or not.. although it would be hard to imagine they didn't hear her.

As she was dressing down the two men, she roared- as she was suddenly hit by a flying ball of fur- her brother! They rolled a bit aways Cattaras quickly filled her in. Riko's song was cut short as she leapt towards the ugly jester lich-thing, lashing out with her sword. "Would you all just focus, please?" Feena started to rise in a daze, her magic orb still yet in hand somehow.

Cattaras rose from the ground and charged the Jester King of Beasts again, roaring fearsome enough to curdle blood. Catrina rose just after him. casting glances at both her men. "WELL?" She dashed off into the fray. With Catrina out of the way, Dash jumped forward, taking the lead with several thrusts of Bad Beats. Like before, Jester King's agility was more than a match for any adversaries, and Dash found himself hitting nothing but mid air until the Jester King leaped, slamming his foot into Dash's neck and sending Dash crashing into the nearest oak tree.

"Wait, who's side are you wicked felines on NOW?!" The Jester King of Beasts cried out, falling back. "We don't have time for this- URGH!" Catrina's ex followed, chagrined, taking out his frustrations on his enemy of the moment, not careing if he was in phase or not. He caught Jester King unaware enough to do damage.

Feena yelled to the others, "I HAVE AN IDEA! FORM A PENTAGON! LET ME FOCUS ON HIM!"

Meanwhile, He picked the Jester up easily, holding him in a death grip such as he had applied to Dash just hours earlier. "The situation has changed, clown. Look around you- what is going on is more than the runt king or the pussy they have on the throne! I made a deal...and I intend to keep it!" He didn't care that the Jester King of Beasts faded through his grip, he'd had his say.

Feena pitched her orb at the Jester, growling at him futily.

Dash's attention was still on something in the distance. "We need to get this going.. Jester King... were you followed or is that your backup?"

Feena's gaze followed Sebastian's, as did Riko's. "Sebastian, Catrina, Feena, perhaps we should be going..."

He growls, smiling at the Jesting King. "Call your friends. I missed lunch anyway."

Jester King coughed, then stood up, looking like a man defeated. "Those bothersome creatures are NOT my allies.. they're simply the cold hand of death.. literally."

Cattaras too a position between the Jester King and Feena and Riko. "Get it up. I'll protect you."

Riko nodded and started the ballad again, pulling the vortex together again. The magical energy started to gather as her lyrics filled the air again. Feena looked on, her wand still quivering.

Cattaras growled, speaking low, perhaps to no one in particular. "Is her spell supposed to make it cold here?"

Catrina and Him nodded at each other, growling a bit as they took up positions on either side of the Jester King. Feena stared at the scenario, unsure what to do exactly.

As if a single unit the pair began to attack, His big paws aiming for the Jester King's head while Catrina aimed her twin katana at his midsection, weaving across his form as he phased out, deciding to abandon this fight to the others.

Cattaras watched the attack, then noticed the bunny watching as well. "We had better be alert in case more trouble shows up."

Feena agreed. "Sounds good. I don't like the looks of that incoming dust storm."

Dash turned, unsure of where to focus, and suddenly found himself slammed into a nearby Red Oaks tree, stunned by a snowy forearm. Dash let out a gasp of pain..

Ninja snowmen!

Cattaras sprang forward, roaring again as he pounced on the back of the snowy figure. "Mrowl! He's like ICE!"

The snow ninja nearly chuckled- nearly- almost- as he reached for Cattaras to try to flip him over.

Feena smiled, and threw out a gatling storm of hot soup. "Then I'm in my element!"

In that very same split second, Cattaras saw the arm and flipped off the monster's back. He then flipped off the monster as the soup flew towards it's destination. The ninja was too fast for the soup to find home. He leapt over it, and seemed to suspend himself midair by latching into a nearby tree.

Cattaras was there, avoiding the stream of soup and aiming for his snowballls as he punched upwards. It had quite the effect on the snow ninja.

"Oh, you did not just dodge that!" Feena growled angrily, pulling the still firing rays up towards her foe; the snow ninja let out the loudest silent scream possible.

"Yikes!" Cattaras rantingly lept aside, narrowly missing a cold shower, only to be hit from behind by a second attacker.

Dash squared off against the next snow ninja, a weapons master. While it fumbled it's attack, Dash turned towards Feena. "Any chance we could get another of those mega explosive spells from you?"

"Working on it, Dash!" Her magic started to swirl, trying to conjure up a big bang for her buddy.

Cattaras caught the sight of Feena's power up and looked at Dash. "Should I duck?"

Dash ruefully smiled. "Do you want the honest answer, or the one I'd rather give?"

He smirked in return. "For someone who says he trusts her- you're sure not trusting her."

"Not trusting you. Watch out!" Dash dove just past Cattaras, taking out a snow janitor. "They've brought their most dangerous members, I see."

Feena chirpped as her magic arced from hand to wand. "DUCK!"

Feena's spell lashed out, thrashing several snowmen in the process. It was an awesome, awe inspiring sight as strands and balls of flame lashed out everywhere. Cattaras whirled, then took on a second janitor- in time to watch it melt before him. "Actually...I've heard rumors they have a special brigade even more dangerous than these..."

Dash took several heavy breaths, starring down another snow master who'd appeared from nowhere. Dash took several swipes at it, but the thing blocked each with it's forearm. Dash finally succeeded in slicing a snow arm off. "Maybe if the felines and I hold him off, you two can get through the portal! Unleash a blast of fire from INSIDE Hey Daze and . . ."

Riko eventually sounded out, her song finished and the portal wide open. "The portal to Hey Daze is open! Anyone going should get through it now!"

"You two first!" Dash parried another attack. "I'll cover.. Cattaras.. er.. and You.. help me guard them!"

Riko shook her head, "I can't, I have to stay and hold it open. If I cross that portal, it closes"

Catrina and Him broke off their attack on the Jester king, who sank to the ground exhausted. The ran for the portal, grabbing Feena and Riko as they went and dragging them through. Dash and Cattaras nodded to each other, finishing off the last ninja and headed for the portal. As they ran, Cattaras heard a high pitched squawl from behind them. "Oh , CRAP- RUN!"

Dash parried off an attack from two snow ninjas, although both were missing their stick like limbs. "Ahh.. screw it." Dash took a running charge at the snow ninjas who'd appeared between him and Cattaras and the portal! Dash jumped high, leaping off their heads and landing with a loud grunt next to Catrina. "Uurrrgh!! Bad idea, there." Dash swung his sword wildly, showing an immediately limp, and lashed out with an oversized fire based flash paper. Too late! He felt the cold body pounce him, felt its curves, it's driving need to smother another life form... a male life form

Catrina gasped from the other side- seeing what transpired through the still open portal. "What are those..." She plainly wanted to call them what they looked like, bitches, but she knew they were not. He growled. "Snow bunnies.... never thought I'd witness an attack."

"Let's make some snow bunny stew, and get out of this flippin' dimension!" Dash cried out, taking the rabbit ear of the closest bunny off with a slice attack.

Feena whimpered and hid behind Catrina, not wanting to even see her kind harmed.

Catrina comforted Feena. "it is alright, hon...they aren't real bunnies. They just take this form to better entice their prey."

"Uh... weren't these just... you know... guys?" Cattaras wondered as he valiantly fought the snow bunnies, blushing at where he found his paw on occasion, then realizing it was not real. "G-go...I will hold them back for you." Even as he said this is was plain that he was losing the fight.

Dash realized more and more they were fighting to keep the snow bunnies - and remaining snow ninja reinforcements - from entering the path to Hey Daze.. they couldn't allow them such easy access to the orb, yet.. there was no way for Dash and Cattaras to both get through without totally dropping their guard, especially with the solid liquid fire pain shooting through Dash's knee from landing wrong moments earlier.. "Can't.. leg.. you go. She's your sister, believe it or not. It's up to you to protect her now.." Dash shoved him towards the portal for emphasis.

Cattaras looked at Dash, then nodded. "I will watch over her like I should have before. No harm shall befall her if I can help it!" With that and a burst of strength , Cattaras fought his way out of the snow bunnies and dove for the portal

Dash wanted to go after, but had to fight off the other snow bunnies from jumping through.. A flash wizzed by his eye, like something darting past.. maybe the Jester King of Beasts.. then, in a snap, the portal was gone. Dash was surrounded.. but only momentarily. With the sound of a silent tornado, as one, all of the remaining enemies turned, vanishing into the quickly blackening night. Dash stood for a few minutes, desperately hoping the portal would know to reopen now that it was safe. When that didn't happen, he turned south, and limped off, no words spoken.

Determined to get the help he needed, Dash didn't notice the subtle flash of light in the distance, exactly where the portal had been. The ghostly outline of a human formed feline, just a little taller, more powerful looking, sexier and lustier than Catrina formed, her tail in an ever hiked position.. No traces of clothes showed on her ghostlike, nearly transparent body as she chuckled delightfully. With a whim, she was joined by a second, much shorter figure. This new feminine shape stood in a pose that mirrored the feline form, although the second, shorter figure was clearly dressed more like a tomboyish lush. Foxlike in form, the ghostly figure stood with one foot planted in front of her, in a pose that was somehow both carefree and battleready at once, as she twirled a small bladed staff over her shoulder - or at least the ghostly form of one.

The raw sexuality of the two radiated and sparked between them as the larger feline figure seemed to silently give the smaller foxlike figure instructions. Then, with a sudden bright flash that caught the attention of the already faraway Dash, the ghostlike visage of the Goddeess of the Felines was gone, leaving the mysterious second figure behind for a few seconds, before it, too, was gone.

Dash peaked around the trees, a few seconds later, but there was nothing to be seen. Chastising himself for wasting a few precious seconds to backtrack for a desperate hope that it was a new portal, Dash pressed onwards south...

He knew exactly who he needed to look for if he was to have a chance at getting to his kitten and the others in Hey Daze.... if she had finally returned.

Quite a fight, huh?! And poor Dash ends up getting left behind! What's ahead for Sebastian? Who's that mysterious ghostly figure with the vision of the Feline goddess? Well.. we'll get to that in a bit, but next up are a couple of pieces featuring Catrina- who's about to go through hell in Hey Daze!!

Everything's turned up a level, the stakes are high as can be, and chaos is breaking out everywhere... How could ya *not* love it?!