This is longer than the first part of the Finale - but still not as big as the third part, amazingly enough.

Man, this was quite the epic Finale!

Vixen's mind drifted as the two freakish walking poker cards and the amalgamated robotic henchmen held her arms, keeping her forcibly motionless.

In the span of a few seconds, her mind wandered and asked itself how she'd gotten INTO this situation again?

It would be too easy to blame Dash. After all, she'd gotten into this mess when his horse had shown up unexpectedly, alone, earlier in the day. (Had it only been a few hours since she'd gotten to Hey Daze, or an eternity? At the moment, she wasn't sure.) To make a long story short, Dash showed up not long after, and the two ended up traveling to Hey Daze, with the help of the spirit of Vixen's sister.

Unfortunately, they'd ended up in, of all places, a Hey Daze convenience store! Urgh. If being there wasn't bad enough, the demonic owners quickly split up Dash and Vixen, and forced her to work for the store. Judging from his outfit, they'd done the same to Dash, who was even now just stirring after being thrown through a couple of isles of shelves by a green skinned, blond beast which referred to itself, constantly in the third person, as Hunk.

"As Hunk was saying," the blond beast said in a sadistic, confident voice. It had every reason to be confident. A couple of card looking things and some kind of silver and gray armored.. thing.. had Vixen's arms! Dash was moving, but barely. "ARRRRGH!" Hunk yelled, bringing it's fists down upon her.

Vixen responded instinctively. She kicked her legs up, allowing the momentum to carry her up and over into a backflip! The move happened so fast it took her a second to register what was going on. The Darthbot Trooper lost it's grip on her, while the two card guards were thrown helplessly into Hunk's path and promptly smashed by his attack.

An attack obviously meant for Vixen. She grabbed the golden walking staff, discarded a second ago, and faced off against him once again.

Something caught her attention in the corner of her eye as Hunk smashed the Trooper's head off and threw it into the distance.

That walking staff.. she held it up, examining it as she realized she had no idea where it had come from. It seemed to glow, even in the light, and sparkle.

Vixen starred at it, mesmerized by shadows of dancing images in the staff.. where'd it come from and . . .

Dash pushed himself to his knees, and starred, vision blurring. He tried to say something to warn Vixen, but he couldn't muster the strength to speak in time.

  =-=-=-=-=

  Sebastian Dash pushed himself to his knees, and starred, vision blurring, at the sight before him. Dash was sure Vixen's distraction would be her last when suddenly he saw a white flash. Vixen was suddenly a comfortable distance from the blow-with Catrina standing next to her!

However, instead of getting the vixen safely out of danger, Catrina turned and sped back toward the Hunk, launching into the air at full speed, flipping and landing feet first in his...

oh my...

The beast staggered forward, a stunned, confused, pained expression on it's face.

Catrina landed on her feet, immediately taking a fighter's stance. "Hello! Got a problem, big guy?"

"Hunk infer sarcasm from your statement!" The beast roared, holding up one hand and lunging at her. (The other hand was still holding his injured manhood.) "HUNK DISAPPROVE!"

Catrina growled lightly. "Hunk needs a bath too- don't see anything being done there, either." She waited for the last second then moves out of the path of the blow, only to find the sheer shock of the attack nearly threw her off balance. Fortunately, felines (even the humanoid variety) are notorious for their ability to maintain their balance. The beast merely growled at her insult, and swung at her. She ducked, barely, but the brutal beast was pressing it's advantage mercilessly.

Catrina was hard pressed for it and she knew it. She glanced over at Vixen, still locked in her trance. "*Bleep* it *bleep*! Get your *bleep*ing *bleep* over here!"

Vixen looked up and smiled. "Oh, hi Cat. Thanks for the save."

Catrina was panting heavily. "s'okay ...EEEP...no- now..Yike! No proble...a..a little payback?"

"Oh, RIGHT!" She responded without thinking by raising the staff up and pointing it at Hunk. It let loose a beam of thin energy that staggered him back. He roared ferociously in response.

Catrina saw Hunk staggered by the ray and acted quickly to take advantage of it. She raced toward his hulking form, leaping up as high as she could with claws outstretched. But it was not to attack, although he might have thought so. She let her claws sink into his skin, then began to scramble up his body, moving quickly from claw hold to claw hold until she was at his neck. She then applied a leg lock to the beast, then spun around and flipped backwards... he didn't move.

"*BLEEP!*"

The beast simply reached up to grab at her, but she was able to simply shift her body to avoid it grabbing her. "Thong cat GET OFF HUNK! Hunk smash Thong cat!"

Catrina swayed on his back, her legs locked around his neck as hard as she could. In a normal fight he'd be out on the floor by now. But Cat realized this was no ordinary opponent- especially when he finally grabbed her by the leg and pulled her easily off, swinging her around like a rag doll. She SCREAMED as she felt something crack- seeing a flash of Vixen just... staring. "*Bleep* get moving or I'll rip your *bleep*s off!"

"One minute, geez!" she answered, aiming the walking stick at Hunk. "I was trying to figure how to fire this thing.. I think I got it."

She pointed the strange, now glowing walking stick at Hunk.

Nothing.

Hunk yawned. "Is Hunk's turn to attack yet? Hunk bored waiting on Sewer Fox and Thong Cat Girl."

"Just... just HIT the *bleep*ing *bleep*hole!" Catrina cried out as the Hunk swung her again. "DASH! DAISUKE! GET ME THE *BLEEP* OUTTA THIS!"

"Yeah... coming," Dash staggered forward, still obviously suffering from Hunk's earlier attack on him. Bad Beats was drawn. He was limping to the side slightly.

Dash had a pissed off look on his face. "I think it's my turn."

She SCREAMED again at Vixen. "Get.. MOVING, *beep*!"

"Fine!" Vixen stormed up to Hunk and started slamming her staff into his gut. "Dash, get Catrina way from this pscyho and I'll .. HEY! Talking here!"

She ducked under a tree sized forearm swung at her. "Go down, ugly. We're on an escape schedule here!"

Catrina was near blacking out from both the pain of her leg and being swung around like this in the first place. She thought she heard a gasp and a roar...

  =-=-=-

  Riko gasped as she saw the trouble Catrina had gotten herself into while Daisuke put her down gently and then charged the beast that was hurting her, leaping high, all of his claws at the ready. as his weight impacted with the monster. Daisuke dug in with fang and claws, drawing first blood.

The beast roared, although Sebastian wasn't quite sure if it was from pain or annoyance. No time to worry.. at least He .. was Daisuke the name they'd given Him now? Daisuke had Hunk distracted. Sebastian's eyes refused to clear up, and his head was spinning, meaning the two Hate cards in front of him were proving to be a challenge. Dash wasn't sure where the replacement Hate cards had come from..

Dash slashed at Bad Beats, using offensively styled paries to force it into the corner. Without warning, Sebastian suddenly shifted his attention, slicing through both cards of hate, and then barrelrolling into position to strike at the clawmarks Catrina's evil ex had left on Hunk. It let out a blood chilling roar, well beyond that of mortal kin in it's ferocity.

Dash looked up and saw that in his pain, Hunk had released his grasp on Catrina and the poor kitten was dropping limply to the floor. Dash was unable to do anything to help her, and feared what would happen when suddenly a tan blur collided with the falling Cat as Daisuke caught her in mid air, rolling as he landed on the ground - then laying her down with loving care before locking eyes with Dash in an expression that spoke volumes as he growled to him. "He dies."

"Assuming he isn't already dead," Dash mused. He leapt forward with a small leap, bringing his sword up overhead. Just as Hunk brought his arms up to defend himself, Dash shifted his weight back midair, drawing the sword in a small semi circle, bringing it horizontally across the beast's ribs. Dash was rewarded with a gasp of pain from the beast, and some smokey, brownish blood on his sword.

The sword hissed slightly. Acidic blood, Dash reckoned.

Daisuke growled as he leapt back into the fray. "Don't let the blood get on you- hurts like a son of a *bleep*!" He growled and let off a couple more *bleeps* about the *bleepin* *bleeps*

*Bleep,* Dash thought, *That's a lot of cursing.* (He also found it somewhat disturbing his thoughts were being bleeped as well.) He glanced from the fight over at Catrina, and noticed that Riko looked in terrible shape. Her voice cracked and wavered but she sang nonetheless and Cat's pained tremblings grew less. Dash smiled ever so slightly, turning his attention back to Hunk, who'd happily finish the job if he could get to Catrina before Riko had a time to work her empathic magic.

Dash focused his moxie through the sword, hoping to ignite it's magic for defensive measures against such acidic attacks. There wasn't much time to focus; he had to go on the attack! A roundhouse attack with the sword seemed to literally bounce off Hunk's side, although he grunted in pain. "Where's the others?" Dash asked without looking away from Hunk.

Dash heard a strained growl. "Saw... something...checkin it out..." Dash looked over. The mighty cat was fighting the Hunk hard as ever but was trembling in pain- his entire chest dripping with Hunk's acidic blood!

"Guess it's up to me, then." Dash scanned the surroundings quickly, noticing most of the demons, ghosts, ghouls, and general Hey Daze types had jumped back to a safe distance... oh.. and there were an endless sea of cards in the distance.. slowly making their way to the battle. Dash quickly, discreetly circled around the beast... but.. how could Dash attack it without bathing himself in acid?

Dash sighed in registration and leapt full force from behind Hunk. This time, Hunk was too busy dealing with Him, er, with Daisuke to do anything about it! Dash's sword came down directly in the creature's spine! As soon as Dash struck him from behind, Vixen choose to strike with her knife, attempting to sever his knee with that knife of hers.

Even as he desperately flipped out of the way of the acidic spray that resulted, Dash heard a roar and looked first to Daisuke, then over to Catrina, and gasped. Riko was out of it, but her healings had been for good- barely. Cat stood on one leg, barely able to rest weight on the other paw. "Freak... You've hurt me.. but worse - you're hurting my friends and loved ones!" She begin to hobble forward, barely able to walk but as Dash watched she began to muster all her Chi together and channel it into her weapons- beginning to glow somewhat. "Good thing we're in *Bleep.* Because that means you got a short trip ahead of you!" With that she roared and charged a burning spear that suddenly leapt and plunged her twin katana deep into the Hunk.

Dash and Daisuke both tried to grab for Cat to get her out of the way of what they knew to be coming as twin geysers of acidic blood spurted from the Hunk's soon to be inert form- but the sprays hit against a shield of Cat's Chi and were deflected away from the trio. Soon however they saw Cat's chi- and Cat herself fade as cat passed out and started to fall again.

"Yaaahooo!" Vixen called out from above!

Dash watched as Vixen rode a giant chandelier down from somewhere above them. Vixen jumped off the falling chandelier midair, landing on all fours as it crashed into the giant Hunk's body, effectively dealing the killing blow.

Hopefully.

Dash turned to help Catrina, but Daisuke was already on it, so Dash turned away from the others, slicing through a six pack of lemon juice in a futile attempt to get some of the acidic blood off his sword. "How is she?"

Daisuke growled. "She is weak...but she will survive." He looked over at Riko and his scowl deepened. We have to get them out of here, now... We left our packs at the door- Rico is dehydrated badly." He started to move quickly for the exit, still carrying Catrina. His visage alone was enough to turn several demons.

"Water, isle 240!" Dash and Vixen both called out. Vixen looked at him funny, but Dash was preoccupied with his sword.

"How'd we even KNOW that?" she wondered aloud.

Daisuke growled. "Can we trust it?"

"As much as we can trust anything down here," Dash answered, not looking away from his sword. "We've tried some of the food.. no adverse effects, yet."

Daisuke stook in thought for a moment. "Snacks- High energy foods?"

"Isle 540, 542 and -" Vixen's eyes glowed for a second. "Alright, that's really starting to creep me out."

Daisuke chuckled. "Yeah- but we need it; can you take us there? Dash, grab Riko."

"In a sec," Dash answered, distracted. He'd found a shimmy from.. somewhere, and was using it to clean Bad Beats off.

Daisuke growled, and it reminded Dash of the growls of old. "Which comes first, meat? The pigsticker or your dying friends?"

Dash glared at Him, obviously ready to press the issue. Dash then looked towards Riko, who was obviously not faring well. Sebastian frowned, and tossed the sword to Vixen. "Mind taking care of that?"

"Sure thing!" Vixen answered, catching it as Sebastian gently picked up Riko. "Hang in there.. we'll have enough water for you to host a game of aquasoccer in, if you felt like it, before you know it."

Daisuke nodded and made ready to follow Vixen. "So tell me...Dash...When did my mate start to glow?"

"Wouldn't know," Dash answered coldly. "Never met your 'mate.'"

Daisuke gave a deep growl. "You know what, I... forget it."

"Forgotten." Dash turned his attention to Riko. Vixen was leading them now, having some sixth sense of which way to go.. or maybe she was just wondering aimlessly. "Riko, how're you holding?"

Riko moanrd and croaked. "I.. I will be fine, Sebastian."

"Good," Dash answered. "We got a long way to go on this one..."

"Well...here's the aisle with the wa-" Vixen stopped as she saw that the aisle not only contained water, but was currently teeming with Hate Cards! Vixen sighed. "Urgh.. guess we gotta cut the deck first."

Catrina weakly struggled in Daisuke's arms. "G-gimme a sec... I'll help ya.." Daisuke and Dash shared a knowing look. Dash smiled thinly in response. "The day Vixen, your EX, and I can't handle a walking pack of playing cards is the day I hang up Bad Beats for good."

That answer seemed to satisfy Catrina, so Dash didn't mention the very real possibility that day might be coming soon, anyway. Daisuke laid Catrina down as Dash did the same with Riko. <Besides, I need you to stay here and protect Riko, my mate. Do you understand? You need to protect her?>

Catrina nodded in a way that suggested her head was still swimming in a confused agony, as Dash, Daisuke and Vixen squared off for the next battle. . .

  ---------D----------

  Interlude

Dairy of the Devil, most recent entry
(Some parts edited for relevance and explanation)

  Well, I *was* going to write some more about the latest scandal in the political race for Mayor of South South Central Southwest Hey Daze, but it just gets me too upset! It really gets my fingers in a frenzy, and I don't like to ylog when I'm angry.

(Note: ylog is short for diary log. But you probably knew that.)

Oh, I could go scream at my kitten right now, I'm so mad thinking of it! Oops.. let me relax and meditate.

Happy thoughts.. screaming souls in agony.. cute kittens.. chaos on the seven underworlds...

So, it was a lovely day yesterday. All stormy and gloomy, like the gates to here could open up and swallow the world. It looked like we might be getting acid rain, which as you know, dear and beloved reader, is my sixth favorite KIND of rain!

So, anyway, remember that nice Scruffy Delivery Boy, with the strange chameleon? Oh, he was so nice, offering to bring me souls! I looked it up and it turns out his chameleon is a 'comma chameleon,' or something. It thrives, or at least enjoys, sentences like this, this sentence, the one which I'm writing.

Ohh, I love doing that, it makes me feel so mischievous!!

I've found that he's in serious trouble, but that's okay because my devil-sense is telling a solution will present it soon!

Update: 12 minutes later, here's a glowing portal in my bed chamber! I'll write more, but I must properly greet our guests.. oh, WHERE are those party favors at?!

Lub, Devil
PS - quick grocery list! Milk, eggs, salad, dead rat's tail, candy

  =-=-=-=-

  Inuyaustin's spurs slashed out, slicing one of the demons nicely. Trouble was, it only made him madder and there were two of them to deal with.

They weren't actual chocolate spurs, of course. Inu had eaten those. As a comma chameleon, you see, she has the ability to, quite frankly, emulate any familiar out there, and she can do it, simply, easily, by simply digesting the trademark equipment of that familiar.

Right now, Inu had swallowed the equipment of a cocoabo, thus taking that form. Since Shamus XTreme was still injured, broken leg and all, it was up to Inu to battle the demons who wished to utterly destroy and disintegrate Shamus before doing something *really* horrible to him.

Inuy pawed the ground an charged one of the demons. She bounced off harmlessly and shook her head, looking at Shamus. "Remind me never to do that again."

"Why?" Shamus moaned in pain, but still managed to smile. "You didn't seem to remember the last four times I mentioned it."

"Details, details," Inu cried out, as she charged between the demons, circling them madly. Time for a different strategy - or maybe she was going on instinct alone.

"You're gonna pay for breakin' Satan's favorite lamp!" one of the demons cried out as he charged.

"Yeah, yeah, we get the point, you said that, already!" Inuyaustin charged through his legs, and jammed her spurs into his ankle, hoping to cause a little bit of permanent damage. "AHA!" Inu squawked as loudly as she could, twice, and started running around both demons in an 'eight' pattern.

Shamus held his ears from the loud squawk, trying to figure how to stand up with a broken leg. "Well, THAT was loud. What're you trying to do, annoy them into submission?"

"Pretty much, Einstein." One of the demons swung at Inu, who easily avoided it. However, it found the jaw of the other demon who stumbled back, nearly tripping over Inu as she ran. Unfortunately, nearly being tripped over send Inuya spiraling head first into the closest well.

Inuya panicked as the two advanced on her, picturing her bones hanging over the entrance to the Hey Daze'ian Museum of Natural History. She thought about surrendering, but took the far more logical option of squawking and moving out of the way.

The idiot demon lead with it's head, which created a big crack in the wall. Inuya squawked, and thought about using the old "That's using your head" joke, but decided against it. "*Squark!* Need an Aspirin?"

The demon who'd gotten punched a second ago held his jaw, then glared at her. "You, die now!" He rushed towards her, bringing a fist into the ground. Inu took off with a frightened squark!

"Ow," the demon yelled as it's fist found nothing but cold, hard, demonic ground. It seemed to piss him off more than hurt, although it sure looked like it hurt, too.

The other demon rushed at her! She moved and the demons smacked skulls. She kept moving as they chased her down.. or futilely tried to chase her down.

"If you could hurry.." Shamus moaned in pain. "I could use one of those heals."

"Lil' busy trying to keep them from breaking your OTHER leg," Inu scolded him. "Now stop whining and HUSH! *SQUARK!*"

Inu ducked as he slammed into one of the walls of the colosseum. He staggered back, dazed. "Aha.. that's how I'll topple these two idiots.."

"Hey MORONS! Why don't you come try to hit me while I stand in front of this thick wall?"

"Ahh, I don't think that's going to..." Shamus started, but was interrupted by the skull of two demon skulls hitting the wall as Inuyaustin deftly ducked out of the way. "Nevermind."

The demons staggered up. One pushed the other out of the way, and bumrushed Inuya! The bum! No problem, she thought to herself! Just dodge out of the way with her cocoabo-like speed! He crashed into the wall full force. It was actually enough force that the wall collapsed onto him upon impact!

"One down," Inuya cheered, "One.. to.. go?"

Inuya sighed as she saw four much bigger demons step through the fresh hole in the wall!

"Great, that was Satan's favorite wall!" One of the demons yelled.

"Let's get it!" The other exclaimed!

"Good job with that demon," Shamus said, frowning. "Now you've got FIVE to take care of instead of two! Good going."

"Thank you, Captain math! Hey, hold them while I go do something."

"WHAT?"! Shamus's face paled a bit. "What're you .. HEY don't bail on me!"

"Not bailing," Inu said, although she sped off into the distance as she yelled out, "Evening the odds!"

Shamus sighed, still in agony. He looked up as the five demons turned towards him, in unison. "Ca- can't we talk about this, guys?"

Not terribly far away and outside the building, Inu spotted the ones she'd, er, magically sensed a moment ago.

Cattaras and Feena!

They had decided to split the party up so that Cattaras and herself could go investigate the lights while Daisuke (she still had trouble thinking of him with a name) and Catrina took Riko to see if they could rescue their friends.

Feena kept looking back toward the building. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

Cattaras snorted as he ran. "Yeah. Remember, these are my sister and her mate we're talking about here. Not much that can best either of them from what I've seen."

Feena's bunny eyes could not see anything of note in this wide expanse of Hey Daze, but soon her bunny ears began to detect something. She pointed in a direction just off their present course. "Let's check out over there- I'm hearing battle noise."

Suddenly, Inu, still in her cocoabo form, rushed into their vision. "Yeah, no kiddin, follow me, please; keep your hands inside the tour bus, no dilly dallying!"

She rushed off back towards the fight.

Cattaras grumbled but followed Inyu. "This day get's better and better. First I'm a bunny's horse- now I'm following a chockolate bird."

A loud *SQUARK* of protest came from the distance!

Cattaras yelled back even as he ran. "We're coming! Keep you pants on!"

Inu nuzzled against Shamus's leg as the other two came into view of the fight.

"Oooww! Weirdo!" Shamus protested. "Hey.. that actually feels better."

"Shut up, I can't help it," Inuya protested. She turned and rushed back towards the enemies.. only to get swatted away by one of the remaining five demons.

Feena jumped off Cattaras' back and rushed to Shamus' side, quickly summoning some lasagna to bandage his leg with while Cattaras pounced headlong into the fray with a roar.

"Come on, Catrina! Let's go!" Inuya cheered.

"Ahh, much better." Shamus sighed, and looked up at Inu. "Ah, Inu? I don't think that's.."

"Not now!" she protected. "Can't you see Catrina and I are fighting?"

"But.."

"Hush!" Inu scolded!

Cattaras grabbed the cocoabo by the neck and pulled it face to face, hissing at it. "Listen, bird. My name is CATTARAS, and I am Catrina's BROTHER! And in case you need more proof than my word..."

She slipped out of his gasp. "Okay, OKAY Geez! All of your humans, and cat humans especially, sorta look alike, y'know?"

"Am I wearing a bra- stoopid?"

Inu squinted. "I dunno, what's a br- Uhho! About to change back!"

Cattaras smirked. "Believe me- when you see Catrina you'll have no doubt what a bra is- or where is should be right now..."

"Uh, excuse us, us fight more now?" one of the demons asked. "Us still working out anger issues."

"No, you have to leave now," Feena said, in a sudden burst of inspiration.

They hung their heads sadly and walked off.

Cattaras watched them leave, growling a bit. "Aww... what about my anger issues?" He then smirked at Feena and mussed her fur abit. "Nice call."

Inu starred. "Okay, I thought Cattaras was the name of a bad guy.. Or do you both got the same name?"

Feena swatted Cattaras' paw away. "Hey! Watch the static, catboy!" She grinned though, then turned to Inu. "Complicated story. For now just take it he's with us... for now."

"Sounds pretty confusing, but at least I can stand.. kind of.. Thanks Feena.. and Inu, I guess." Shamus forced himself to a standing position, and took a ginger step. "I thought I had the globe.. er.. orb.. but it was just a lamp.. I did meet the devil, though. Surprisingly well mannered. Which's strange, you know, with him being the lord of darkness and all that."

"Darkness often is of fair face. It gets you close so they can pounce." Cattaras stated matter of factly.

Inu raised an eyebrow.. er.. Cocoabos have eyebrows, right? "Speaking from experience there, slick?"

Cattaras growled, nearly turning on the bird in anger. "I have NEVER knowingly turned to the Dark ones!" He calmed himself. "No, merely the teaching of my elders."

Feena was looking around frantically. "Um...Guys? Can we save the metaphysical debate for later? I think somthing's coming!"

"Hmm, evil looking, ugly, smelly.. probably short tempered.." Inu reasoned. "Gotta be Raw Hide!"

Cattaras laughed. "I was actually thinking someone else...."

Shamus pondered. "Hmm.. I'll put 20 meat on the Spirit of Boris if I can get 4-1 odds."

Cattaras chuckled at that. "heh...no bet- If it were him he's have the rest of them with him. Wait- this Raw Hide, is he the crazy one that always seems to show up at the last possible minute with some scheme?"

Inu chuckled, not really believing it. "I'm sure he's not THAT bad..."

Raw Hide suddenly walked onto the scene. "Hey, morons, been looking for you! I came up with the craziest scheme just now!"

Before any could stop him Cattaras roared and pounced Raw headlong, knocking him to the ground and beginning to maul him. "You know what a moron is, Jerk? It's someone who pisses off a TIGER!"

Raw Hide's uncanny power meant he wasn't much impressed. He grabbed Cattaras's throat and flipped him over, punching with sinister force. "Awww, did I make da poor kitty cat mad?!"

Cattaras bared fang at Raw Hide, unimpressed with his power. He had fought more powerful opponents in his life, and there were always ways to even the playing field. He went to rake Raw's eyes with his claws. Without thinking or having to, Raw Hide simply grabbed Cattaras's paws with one hand and forcibly pinned them to the ground, over Cattaras's head.

Cattaras roared, finding his paws pinned to the ground- unable to get at Raw's throat with his fangs- he did what he had to do, ramming his knee into his opponents groin with all the force he could muster. Raw Hide's eyes went wide and he rolled off, somewhat in pain.. but ready to fight if push came to shove. "Cheater!"

Cattaras got to his feet easily and began to stalk his prey. "Obviously you' fight by more civilized rules than I have. Where I come from...well- I''m sure you've seen the results before?"

Raw was still grimacing in pain, but remained defiant. "Yeah, you usually get hit in the head."

Suddenly both combatants were hit by streams of water that had begun life as Ray of Snowballs from Feena's wand. "Knock it off you two or I'll find something that won't thaw out!"

"He started it!" Raw protested.

"I don't care who started it, I'm finish-" Feena started without thinking. "Geez, you two are turning me into my mother!"

Raw glared with hatred. "Well, I am reminded of the sage words of Charles Dickens, who recently spoke of, as he called it, 'an uncertain temper -- a phrase which being interpreted signifies a temper tolerably certain to make everybody more or less uncomfortable.'"

The others starred, more than a little surprised to hear that coming from Raw Hide's lips. "What?!"

"I said, 'He sucks!' Pay attention, geez."

Cattaras looked at the big man in disbelief. "Oh... so this is why my sister obviously wants to scratch your eyes out."

Raw shrugged. "She's obviously got the hots for me."

Cattaras would have pounced Raw again for such an insult to his family. but he glanced at Feena who waggled her wand at him. He let his ire go cold then, calculating, growling nonetheless, getting in Raw's face. "I have heard that my sister has had the 'hots' for only two men. One is and was her mate- the other is this meatpackage named Dash. What I have seen her carry for YOU is the strong desire to take you down like a piece of prey!"

"Geez, chill out," Raw answered.

"'When you're in the right, you can afford to keep your temper,'" Inu mused. "'When in the wrong, you can't afford to lose it.'"

"Stop DOING that!" Shamus moaned, his leg still in agony. "I'll probably hate myself for saying this but let's hear Raw Hide's 'scheme.' At least it should be vaguely on topic."

"Huh, almost forgot the idea," Raw Hide stood up, still limping slightly from the low blow. "I convinced Devil to track down our 'sun orb' or whatever.. that he needed it, so I figure, after we track it down and give it to the devil.. we gotta convince him to let us 'borrow' it.. so we'll need to take over the Kingdom for a while to get on his good side, and possibly parts of Hey Daze.. then we summon a gigantic... What're YOU looking at?"

"Idiot," Cattaras spat at him. "That is an idiotic plan. Idiot. Why don't we just beat up this 'devil' and take the Orb back by force?"

Feena almost growled herself. "You're both idiots. Just don't give the Orb back to him in the first place? Like, DUH?"

"Is just going home and saying we lost the orb an option, yet?" Shamus wondered aloud.

Raw turned and stalked off. "Alright, off to steal the orb at 7-Eternal, don't wait up!"

Feena and Cattaras shared a glance then she got back on his back as he moved out, following Raw. "Catt? Don't tell Daisuke what an asshole Raw is. If we're lucky, he won't notice."

Cattaras chuckled. "No, they'll notice each other right off. It's always that way with like minded people."

Meanwhile, Inu spot out a small glob of chocolate and metal. "Ahh, finally back to normal, which's a good thing, too, cause I was starting to get the serious urge to stand around in a pixilated forest, or something."

Feena looked ahead as they raced back towards the 7-Eternal. "I hope they aren't in too much trouble."

Heh.. lots of luck on that one!

( That was just a flat out *fun* read! We're actually bringing the team together for the last part, and I'm throwing a ton of enemies at our heroes.. pretty snazzy huh? )