Monster sized finale, anyone?

This one starts off with Cat and I pretty much co writing like normal, but at some point, I take over writing totally- partly due to wanting even Catrina to hopefully be surprised by the ending.

In addition to the pure size of the mission, I'm happy that we got the Finale done a month of the deadline! Not as fast as Equinox moved.. but not too bad, either.
(Especially compared to how long some previous mission finales took.)

So.. we're learning!

I've also taken to reading- in unhealthily large doses, the Legendary 8-bit comicstrip. My ill advised and somewhat insane plan is to read all of it, straight through, as quickly as possible. It's also inspired me to be a little more willing to talk about something other than the story in these little writeups.

Speaking of the finale... I think you'll be impressed. Along with the "Evil Managers" I introduced in part one of the mission finale, there's a couple secret enemies, with a few twists of their own. Tons of action below; dive in, please.

Even as Shamus, Cattaras, Inu, and Feena followed Raw Hide back to the 7-Eternal store, Sebastian Dash, an injured Catrina, her ex Daisuke, Vixen, and a badly dehydrated Riko had made their way to the 7-Eternal convenience store with the water, only to find the very isle itself swarming with enemy Hate cards- walking playing cards with evil images and a variety of weapons held in their wire thin arms.

Neither side had it easy. Dash and Catrina's side had taken on a dangerous, hulking blond enemy named Hunk, while Feena, Shamus and company had to deal with not only a handful of demons and infighting, but a long walk back to Hey Daze in the blistering, heck'ish underground heat.

(No cursing inside 7-Eternal, remember? Not since, in a move made specifically to annoy Vixen, the Public Announce System turned it into a PG13 zone.)

Dash deftly deflected yet another spear from one of the Hate Cards before chancing a glance behind him. "How's it going, Vixen? We need to get water in her, asap!"

Vixen growled back. "You think you can move faster, you welcome to try!" She had already taken all the water out, and Catrina was behind her nursing Riko with one of the plastic bottles. At present, she was trying to fashion some sort of seat our of the racks of the cooler- using Catrina's katana mostly..

Catrina looked up from where she lay with Riko. "We need to get this water in her faster. She looked at her body- the skin so dry as to... "Vixen, you sell wading pools?"

Vixen, to her usual frustration, immediately responded, "Aisle 302, wh.... I'll be right back!" With that she raced off, leaving Daisuke and Dash to continue battling against the cards. No matter how many they took out, two more seemed to pop up in their place, but they were hardly proving a serious threat.. At least, as long as Dash and Daisuke could avoid being surrounded by enemies.

Despite the dehydration, Riko's mind worked to assess the situation. As Catrina opened another bottle of water for her to down, Riko tried to make sense of the battle in the distance. "How well are our fair champions holding in battle, Catrina?"

"The deck had been cut several times," Catrina answered, smiled thinly. "But there's no sign of them folding."

Riko nodded, moaning in pain from the harsh lights above. This was simply going too slow to help her.

Catrina put the bottle to her lips for another desperately needed drink. "Heh.. I didn't think it was that bad of a joke."

Dash continued to fight, not sparing any time for banter. As Daisuke tore through three Cards of Hate simultaneously, he vowed, "If you mention 'shuffling them off this mortal coil,' I will brain you.."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Catrina answered with a slight smirk. There was nothing but the sounds of fighting, and Riko finishing the bottle of water, for a minute or five. Just as Catrina wondered what was keeping Vixen, she heard Vixen's familiar voice in the distance.

"Bansai! Kowabunga, dudes!" Vixen shouted as she returned quickly with a smallish pool, surfing her way through the Hate Cards while surfing on top of it. She then lifted Riko into it with Cattrina's assistance, then cut the tops off of several of the larger bottles of water and dumped their contents into the pool. Riko sighed as she was immersed and her skin began to drink in the water again.

Dash sighed in frustration, seethed his sword, and resorted to flat out punching the nearest card, sending it flying backwards. "I just hope she doesn't start craving pizza or fighting cheap ninjas."

Daisuke growled, but with a grin on his face. "Actually , if we get out of here that doesn't sound half bad...."

Dash ignored his comment and kept fighting. Vixen looked up from her task of pouring water in and smiled. "Hmm, if we do, salad for me, please. Hey, Dash, do we want salt water or fresh here?"

Dash paused to think about it, and ducked under a random attack by the cards. "Hmm.. I imagine fresh water, but if you've got salt water in there, it'll do in a pinch."

Cat called out- though she was still feeling a bit out of it. "Fresh... fresh seems to be working..."

"Good," Dash said, headbutting a card while sidekicking another card guard behind him. "Stay with her, Cat."

Cat nodded to Dash. "Don't either of you get yourselves killed."

Dash smiled. "Not much threat of that."

Daisuke was suddenly set upon three 8 cards and two aces. They took him down hard and were pummeling him badly. Then he suddenly rose up and scattered them easily- clawing two to shreds.

Dash gave no indication of if he would have helped or not. Not having his sword to rely on left Dash back peddling against the unimpressive threat.

Vixen chuckled, pulling that new walking staff out of- somewhere- and preparing to leap into battle. "Thought you were a dead man there, Daisuke."

"Daisuke smirked at the vixen. "Those cards can't hurt me- I'm not a man..."

"Haha, I get it!" Vixen laughed as she tore into action, deftly avoiding attacks and taking the cards out in quick order. Dash silently wondered to himself if he'd get a badge for defeating five hundred of them. Nevertheless, this *was* Hey Daze, and if there was no end to the cards, or enough of them, eventually Dash, Vixen and Daisuke would all run out of energy, even with the impending assistance from Riko and Catrina due.

Daisuke growled at the sheer numbers still left to destroy. If he only had something to... He roared as he slammed open one of the cases and ripped its shelving out. In moments he had dismantled it and held two of the long supports in his hands. "Hey, DASH!" He yelled, and as Dash turned tossed one of the supports to him. "Let's see if your hands are good for more that grabbing her *bleeps*!"

Catrina glanced up. "Hush you, I like it when he grabs my *bleeps*."

"I don't know," a familiar taunting voice called out. "He's pretty good with rocks, too."

Catrina couldn't help it. "Well... I've never seen him play with his *bloops*" She growled as the store wouldn't even let her get away with that!

Hearing that familiar voice came from above, Catrina looked up to see her brother swinging from chandelier to chandelier, leaping from one to another as each snapped and crashed to land, then riding the final one down to the ground, jumping clear just before it landed amidst the Hate Cards, scattering them. Catrina saw a smaller package jump free earlier as Feena descended to land next to them. "Ew... looks like we've got a run on broken legs today," she said, setting about to fashion a cast out of flattened waterbotttles and lasagna noodles.

"Gimme something to tear apart!" another voice called out. Catrina winced at this one, watching in disbelief as Raw Hide tore through the cards with a viciousness to match even Daisuke's - albeit a different kind of rage. "Geez, this's the best you could line up to fight me? I figured I could at least tear apart a real Elite Seven!"

Daisuke turned with a growl, wielding his metal support that was now bathed in...whatever it was that Cards bleed. "You say you're eager to 'tear apart' an Elite Seven member?" He approached Raw Hide, just as tall, just as big...and looking just as BAD as him. "Now's your chance."

"I said a REAL Elite 7, loser." Raw ran his fingers over a ghost white bone necklace, then pressed his finger to the blade of an obsidian black knife, drawing a bit of his own blood. "You look more like a second or third stringer, but what the hell? I'm nothing if not an equal opportunity killer."

Daisuke growled, the two fighters in each others faces now. "Sorry, can't help you look for a loser- perhaps you should try a mirror, *bleep*hole!"

"Good idea." Raw Hide glared, ready to get the killing going. "I'll have to track one down after I finish ripping the skin from your flesh and turning your bones into a fine powder."

Daisuke roared and a paw shot out, grabbing Raw Hide by the throat. Any other opponent here the big cat would have picked up the ground- but with Raw he had to be satisfied with a choke. Raw raised his knife to attack, when both were suddenly engulfed in a vicious, unrelenting wave of golf balls! Golf balls with a few tiny anvils sprinkled in. Raw jumped aside, covering his body with his massive arms. "Alright, we get the point! Cut the *bleep* out, Feena!"

"It wasn't me!" Feena protested. "I didn't do it."

"You probably wanted to though, didn't you?" A voice noticeably similar to Feena's called out.

Everyone's attention was drawn to a rapidly dispensing cloud of black smoke around four strange individuals. One of them held Inu by the throat! They were eerily familiar.

Even Raw and Daisuke starred, speechless. They were scarred, and each of the four seemed to have shadow sticking to them like a second skin, or a first lover. Each looked, in turn, like one of their own side.. only.. twisted versions.. They looked almost confused.

Another Sebastian Dash, his broadsword distorted, with jagged edges. This "Dark Dash" seemed to have the same clothes as Dash- just in leather. Then there was the mask... Odd.

There was a version of Raw Hide, as well. He had a loopy smile on his face, this "Darker Raw." He was slightly taller than the real thing.. Instead of the usual Raw Hide weapon, he spouted a bo staff. He didn't look nearly as angry as the real thing usually did.

There were two others - one resembled Feena. The one that had just spoken. Her wand seemed mechanical in nature, and this Dark Feena was quite tall.. almost as tall as Catrina!

Speaking of which...

Catrina stood, her leg feeling much better after Feena's ministrations. She looked at each of them, but her eyes seemed to stick on one- a bitch, but with the parts of her body that made her a bitch being horribly scarred and disfigured.

"Shit," Vixen mumbled. "Oh, sweet, I can cuss again! Ass."

"Bright Goddess, defend us all," Catrina muttered, her eyes transfixed on her distorted mirror image.

Catrina's opposite ran her hands over her breasts then made a face.. "Something's really weird, guys. Inu.. what's going ON?"

The comma chameleon looked at this "other" Catrina, too frightened or startled to respond.

"Ahh..." The distorted Raw Hide looked around, and sneered. "I think we'll have to take our confusion out on all of you."

Raw Hide stepped up, knife in hand. "Funny, I was thinkin' the exact same thing."

"Maybe we should talk about this -" The scarred version of Catrina started. Then her eyes flashed a bright, black light. "No Goddess can help you now, bitch!"

The eyes of the three other doppelgangers underwent the same eerie phenomenon, and each looked deadlier and more serious in turn for it.

With that, a shadow portal that looked eerily familiar to Riko and Dash bursted open an isle down, sending any remaining spectator demons running for a safer part of the store. They'd half expect the Scion of Adrule to walk through the portal.. but no.. this wasn't quite the portal he used. It was more.. marvelous, somehow. Almost mechanical in nature.

It laughed a sinister, mechanical laugh. "Dark Minions, Dr. Darth commands you to destroy the pathetic interlopers on his land!"

Along with him came a rotund lady in a royal blue robe, and a small mouse piloting what looked to be a combination of the Six Archetypes of Loathing. She had sour milk toned skin, and a sneer on her face to match.

The odd looking rodent was visible in a clear fishbowl substituting for a head, which sported both a helmet turtle and a disco mask. In the suit's right hand, it held a large club, suitable for bashing even the mightiest of seals. In it's left hand, it held an accordion, which vibrated as if recently stolen from a Girlscout of Loathing. A turtle tome and a bag of vicious looking spice stuck out of a pocket.

"This will be the perfect opportunity for me, I, to test out my ADVENTURER SUIT!" The mouse's voice echo'ed dramatically when he cried out "Adventurer suit."

Dark Dash snarled, holding his broadsword in front of him. "You know.. I don't think I like your FACE, you dirty so and so!"

"Well. since it matches so well the one you see in the mirror every day, I can see why." Dash raised that support Daisuke had tossed to him earlier, not willing to rely on his already damaged sword unless push came to shove. Meanwhile, Feena found herself face to face with her own taller doppelganger, who wielded that mechanical wand inexpertly at first, but seemed like she was quickly getting the hang of it.

Catrina stood more firmly facing this wretched copy of herself, growling at it- her. "Just because I call on her doesn't mean I'm gonna need her help to kick your ass, *bleep*!"

It was a surreal moment almost beyond comprehension. The four heroes squared off, each ready to tackle their doppelganger. Even the other fighters were transfixed by the conflict between the real and the dark.... Each second seemed to stretch out into eternity like an inky black oil spreading into previously un-tainted water.

With a roar, Raw Hide suddenly rushed forward, taking his own dark counterpart off balance! His monstrous power had allowed him to dominate even full grown yetis, yet this slightly bigger version of himself merely stood his ground. Raw Hide instantly changed tactics, bringing his Obsidian Knife down his counterpart's chest! The second Raw Hide leapt back, letting out a howl of agony, even as Catrina bared her fangs, taunting her shadowy reflection. "Doesn't look like your boy's doin' too well."

Catrina's sinister shadow smiled. "He's NOT my boy. I could care less if they kill each other, as long as one of them ends up dead.. like you're about to, slut!"

Their hisses and growls grew to an almost frightening crescendo, as their tails frizzed and lashed at each other until suddenly the dam broke and both Felines charged one another, then ring of four steel blades accompanying their roars as they clashed in battle. Echo'ing it was the clean ring of Dash's Bad Beats as he reluctantly pulled it from his sheath. Dash held it with one hand in a defensive position, and motioned for his opposite to 'bring the fight on.'

"Nice sword," Dark Dash mocked, rushing at Dash! Truth told the acid had taken it's toll on Dash's longtime weapon of choice. Dash worried it might shatter. Dash reluctantly came to the conclusion, however, he'd rather the sword be shattered than Dash's own bones. Dash rushed forward, drawing the Darker Dash into a counterattack. Dash dropped back, flinging the support at him! Dash's demonic 'shadow' ducked, leaving an opening for Dash to simply drive his knee into his double's jaw! Dash followed up with a simple jab to the face, as Feena's dusky double barrelrolled out of the way of her minor ray of noodles, then bunny jumped over a lesser ray of snowcones, which barely melted by the time they hit the ground.

Thanks possibly to the air conditioning of 7-Eternal.

Vixen looked up, seeing Daisuke and Cattaras looking just as confused as she was. "Guys, I have NO idea what to do."

"Do what we're doin," Cattaras answered. "Just kind of stare, confused."

"I'm kinda rootin' for the 'new and improved' Raw Hide here," Daisuke admitted without hesitation.

"Or you could help Riko instead of standing there like a brick," Catrina chastised, even as she overwhelmed her scarred second, although the 'other' Catrina was JUST skilled enough to continue avoiding anything close to a killing blow - so far.

"That works!" Vixen admitted. Cattaras went to help.

"I think I better keep an eye on our new 'friends' here." Daisuke's attention turned from the fights towards the other set of managers.

The fight continued at a fever pitch, with Dash able to back the distorted version of himself into a corner. With a fierce growl, Catrina disarmed the scarred Catrina both of her swords in short order. Her counterpart sighed, and avoided Catrina's inevitable charge, letting her crash into the wall behind her. Catrina turned, only to be viciously kicked in her injured leg!

Dash's attention was taken briefly off his enemy. Did Catrina's 'other self' really resort to such a cheap shot? As he moved to help, his rival.. this darker version of Dash.. blinded Dash with a handful of spice! Dash winced, realizing this was very powerful, potent spice. Maybe Tabasco flavored, the way it burnt Dash's eyes!

Either way, he was in trouble.

Although Catrina and Dash were in trouble, Feena was battling Other Feena to a standstill in their spell slinging, while Raw Hide stood, victoriously, over his rival, ready to deliver a lethal finishing blow. That is, until Dark Feena suddenly turned and lashed out with a spell of burning spaghetti, which staggered the real deal Raw Hide and sent him stumbling backwards! Inu had enough! She'd have to inject some sanity into these silly humans herself. "Hey!" Still in the relative helpless lizard form, she ran up towards the familiar one.. Dark Catrina. Light glistened over the real Catrina's twin katanas. Vixen looked up and moved to intercept Dark Catrina, only to be attacked by the rat in his Adventure Suit! Cattaras's attention was still on reviving Riko, and the whole thing happening at a frightful speed, very frightful, indeed. Dark Catrina kicked at Inu when Inu tried to say more, sending Inu scampering. Dark Catrina snatched the twin katanas from the wounded (real) Catrina. Dark Catrina lifted the twin katanas above her head...

... glanced over at Inu...

.. and seemed to freeze solid. Her form shivered and shimmied like an illusion in the night.

"It would seem you're in a most frightful position of losing control over your newly converted soldiers," The Queen of Hate coo'ed.

Dr. Darth hissed. "Dr. Darth's control DEFIES resistance, woman!" With that, his eyes glowed a sinister red. Then a sinister silver, and finally the evil red again. The twisted version of Catrina raised her sword up high..

... then glanced over at Inu and stopped. A look of confusion or remorse again crossed the 'other' Catrina's eyes. The armor suited Dr. G Darth raised his hands above his head dramatically, spreading his legs as far as he possibly could without falling over. Stan Lee would approve.

The color faded from the evil Catrina's eyes as she went for the killing blow. With a roar loud enough to shake the shelves, Daisuke rushed towards her, determined to protect his "mate" at all costs. "Fight someone who ISN'T injured!" He roared, but for naught. At the Queen of Hate's command, several Cards of Hate and a pair of Doombots rushed at Daisuke, slamming him into the nearest sturdy shelf and pinning him there!

Dr Darth himself had turned his attention to Feena, who had overcome her taller shadow as soon as "Dark Feena" took her attention off her fight to help out the evil Raw. Feena quickly entangled Evil Feena in noodles even as Raw Hide found himself on the defensive. The giant twisted version of Raw picked the original up overhead and threw him face first into the nearest shelf of peanut butter! Eww messy.

Feena fired a shot of scorching oil at the Darth villain, who tangled it with his dark magic, instantly repelled it at Feena! Feena dropped out of the way, allowing the overpowered beam to miss her and strike Dark Catrina in the side!

With a growl, Vixen leapt at the dazed evil Catrina, sending her stumbling back with a flying kick! Like one of those karate movies which don't yet exist in the Kingdom.

Several soft but loud strums of a harp came from the distance... Though still a little weak kneed, Riko allowed her music to announce her presence and return to the fight to the others.

"This music displeases me... OFF with her HEAD!" The Queen of Hate called out at the top of her lungs.

"Little BUSY," the mouse, I, complained, keeping a two pronged attack on Cattaras with both the seal abusing club and his 'hot merchandise' accordion. Still, Cattaras was on the offense and it wouldn't take long for him to cut down I.

Until a pair of queen cards grabbed Cattaras's arm from either side, allowing the disco masked fishbowl headed Adventurer suited I to get a solid shot in against Cattaras.

"Cattaras!" Catrina called out the name of her brother, and snatched up her fallen katanas, abandoned by the fake Catrina during the latter's fight with Vixen.

"Sorry, ladies, not my type!" Cattaras quipped, swinging his massive arms to get free, then slicing each card to ribbons. "You just don't cut it. Er.. no pun intended."

"Head's up!" Dash called out, using Bad Beats to defend Catrina against a DarthBot which zoomed in upon some kind of rocketboots. Dash's deflection sent it crashing into the ground.

"Where's your 'uglier half?'" Catrina asked, twirling her swords as she prepared to lash out at the closest enemy. "And thanks."

Dash smiled slyly. "Taking a nap after having a thirty pound jar of 'I can't Believe it's not Jalapeno Radish' smashed over his head."

"Nice," Cat called out. "That one. With the metal and bad fashion sense. We focus on him, Dash."

"Why?" Dash asked even as he prepared to help.

"One, he's threatening Feena," Catrina replied with a growl to let Dash know she took *that* bit seriously. Indeed, the two were squared off already. "Two, call it a hunch, but I think he's the key to us solving this problem once and for all."

"You DARE challenge Dr. Darth?!" he cried out, summoning the dark forces within himself as he turned his attention from Feena to Catrina. Lightning and purpleness lit the air up around him.

"I dare," Catrina responded, twin swords at the ready. She had her left katana armed in a defensive position, and the right raised to attack without notice or hesitation. She crouched over, as one might expect, like a lioness ready to defend her den. As she did, she subtly snatched up one of Dark Catrina's blades with her tail, giving her a possible third way of attacking or defending. "I know what you're up to."

She glanced over at the other Catrina, whom Inu was tending to and trying to talk some sense into. Catrina looked back and smiled knowingly. "And I'm going to put a stop to it."

With a single gesture, Darth used the force of his darkness to lift Catrina into the air, while simultaneously choking her! Catrina's response was instant and calculated; she simply used her tail to flung the extra sword at Dr Darth's head as the battle raged around her! The others had gotten involved, as well. Dash snuck up from behind Dr Darth and launched his own attack, only to be repelled by more dark force, as he'd done to the sword Catrina had slung at him.

Catrina winced as Dash's body slammed into a wall several feet away. Dash fell to his knees, already trying to force himself up.

"My power is unstoppable!" Dr. Darth cried out. Most of the other adventurers were engaged in battle, but that suddenly changed as Darth reached out with his dark force tentacles, one by one snatching up the forces of KOKOL and their allies. Soon, Daisuke, Cattaras, Vixen, and all their allies (except Inu) were held by the tentacles, although it was clearly taking it's toll on Darth's concentration.

The four "Dark versions" of Catrina, Dash, Feena and Raw Hide shimmered again, like shadows reflected in a murky pond. Dark, sinister music seemed to be playing over the PA system. It reminded Dash of Doomed Rock from Adrule, for reasons he wasn't quite sure of.

His power seemed un-defiable, although the heroes struggled. Raw Hide and Daisuke tested his dark grasp with the most force, so Darth turned up the pressure on them, determined to crush the fight out of them. He started to laugh.

A glowing Shuriken streaked through the air, followed at a blinding speed by three more. Dr. G Darth noticed it and fortified the force shields in front of him but to no avail. The 'ninja stars' hit his chest plate, causing him to yell out in pain and release his force on the heroes!

And Cattaras and Daisuke.

And Raw Hide.

"The heroes are never alone under my guidance." The shimmering visage of the feline Goddess appeared in the background of Hey Daze, casting it in a beautiful, blindingly spectacular light. Catrina nodded a thank you to the Goddess, but it went unnoticed.

"Though I may not be able to be directly involved," she explained, "Your realm and your evil have given me rights to invoke a champion of my own, to help the 'fallen heroes' fight your control on them."

Catrina forced herself to her feet, realizing she was right, as Vixen rushed over to hug their 'champion.'

Vex happily accepted the hug! The last Vixen and Vex had seen of each other was when Vex's spirit helped Vixen and Dash cross to Hey Daze. Now, though still a spirit, Vex felt almost like flesh and blood. As much as she had to say to Vixen, once more, there wasn't time.. never any time despite her presumably having an eternity now...

"Alright, sis, no time for the warm and fuzzy reunion. I've only got a bit of time to help you, so let's get this fight on the road!"

"Looks like they already have, Aria." Vixen smiled as she used her sister's real name. The fake Dash had pushed his way up, only to find himself face to face with Cattaras. Dash starred down the evil Catrina, who was poised to attack.. maybe.. while Riko faced off with the dark version of Feena. Finally, Dark Raw Hide found himself smiling oddly at Daisuke, who looked ready to rip his head off for the smile.

"Forget them! They're NOT the enemies!" Catrina called out. "Darth is! Break his control and we'll free them."

"I don't CARE! He's DEAD!" Daisuke found himself lost to battle-lust, throwing himself at the even more evil version of Raw Hide!

"He's MINE, dammit!" Raw Hide himself yelled out as he jumped into the fight, turning it into a three way brawl. Riko started to say something, then noticed the evil Feena looked to be casting a spell. Riko reluctantly moved to prevent her from casting it. Cattaras continued starring down the dark Dash, sure if he turned his back, he'd find that jagged blade sticking out of his chest.

The original Dash, however, had spent enough time with Catrina to know better than to doubt her. "What, then?"

Catrina's response was to simply pounce at Dr. Darth, who was still recovering from the mysterious Shuriken attack. Dash turned, throwing himself and a badly damaged Bad Beats into the action! Though unprepared to use his force, Darth wasn't powerless; the Sabre of Elders, a glowing blade, appeared in his gauntlet. His skill was immediately obvious as he parried attacks from both Dash and Catrina, fighting off three blades with just his Sabre!

Vixen, with her glowing walking stick, noticed Vex had a stick just like it! "Like them? Our little gifts from a certain God whom I won't mention." Vex teased her sister.

"Fine, be that way, but how did.."

"Not now, incoming!" Vex called out. The sisters turned to face I in his Adventurer suit. The two dodged a club attack that shattered the tile below where they'd been standing and immediately attacked in unison, as Cattaras continued to brawl with the fake Dash. Riko was still starring down the shadow version of Feena, who seemed to ready to lash out any second. The wicked Queen of Hearts stood behind her, ready to throw out a command and screaming about who's head she wanted off'ed. Which was pretty much everyone not on her side, and a few people who were.

Dash and Catrina, now joined in their fight by the real Feena, ignored everything going on around them! They had Dr. Darth surrounded, though far from helpless.

"It all makes sense," Catrina cried out, even as Dr. Darth parried both of her attacks while ducking under Dash's own attempts at an attack from behind.

"What does?" Dash asked, barrel rolling to avoid a dark blast from Darth. Feena countered his attacks by slinging her own spells, which Darth repelled, seemingly effortlessly. Catrina didn't answer Dash, instead choosing to keep on the offense against Darth. Dash didn't mind; the middle of a battle was a horrible place to hold a conversation. He didn't notice Dark Catrina approaching him from behind due to the intensity of the battle.

Parry, thrust, spell, counter.. the battle raged on at a fever pitch! Catrina and Dash forced Darth backwards, straight into a powerful gatling ray of frozen Salisbury Steak! Darth let out a roar of pain and anger, followed by a powerful burst of pure darkness shield that physically forced the three heroes away from him! Even the fake Catrina was taken aback by it.

Catrina landed in her injured leg and immediately collapsed! Dash and Feena, however, were better able to roll with the blow and came up in fighting positions. "You can only delay the inevitable so long!" Darth bitterly proclaimed, turning towards Dash and grabbing him in that same force grip he had on Catrina earlier. "You would never have been a match for me; now my power has been elevated to levels beyond moral understanding."

As he moved forward, the sounds of Dash choking and fighting against the invisible grip stood in sharp contrast to the mechanical, rhythmic beating of Darth's black and gray metallic suit. Feena fired off a minor ray of obscure pornstar images, but it was reflected with an unnerving ease by Dr. Darth's gauntlet. Feena struggled in vain to pull up another spell. Their other allies, temporary or otherwise, were all kept busy by not only the enemies, but also by a sudden influx of both Darthtrooper Bots and Cards of Hate.

Catrina did her best to ignore the pain, but it was like trying to ignore ignited oil in her veins...

She forced her way up, suppressing the urge to tremble from the pain. "It's the Orb of the Sun, isn't it?"

Dash stood by her, sword ready to defend her, to the final breath, if required. "How would- oh! I'd figured our arrival here- when your Goddess and her emissary ported us here. To this specific store. It wasn't just luck."

"Emissary?" Catrina looked briefly at Dash, confused.

"You FINALLY figured it out!" Vex announced, stepping besides the two. "Yup, emissary. That'd be me. I'm sure Arc will sort this all out for you after this is all over with."

Vixen joined her .. er.. the spirit of her sister. "Yeah. Sorry we're late! Little Mr. Mouse was tougher than we expected. I'd emphasize 'was' there.. Ready, sis?"

"Ready," responded the spirit given physical form.

".... alright," Catrina answered, disoriented briefly by confusion. She refocused herself on the task at hand. "Where is it? Where is the Orb of the Sun?"

Darth laughed, pulling it out of the orb. Black energy seeped from it. "No 'divine intervention' shall save you this time."

"Release our friends!" Catrina demanded. As if on cue, around them, the four dark versions froze, stopping mid battle as their very forms shined as if bathed in sunlight.

"Fight it SHAMUS, FIGHT IT!" Inu yelled at the Dark Catrina.

"So be it, I release their forms," Darth preached, confidently, an evil twist to his voice. "Though their spirits shall never break my gasp."

With that, Dark Catrina morphed and twisted, obviously in agony, before returning to his original form.

Shamus XTreme!!

Likewise, the other forms changed, though where Shamus stayed kneeling, each of the others fell to the ground, lost of their fight.

Dark Raw Hide morphed into the insane moonman Thepanokon Chaderpetski, slightly better known best as TheChad. Dash was painfully warped into Mister Kookalamanza, a fellow disco bandit known as "TheGimp." Dark Feena, meanwhile, painfully warped into Fenninarnos Stormblazer in a blaze of pure agony.

"Get up, Shamus, GET UP you lazy goof!" Inu pleaded, her.. uh.. chameleon senses obviously tingling or something. Shamus mumbled something about 'another five seconds' but she kept on his case, pretty much getting up in his grill.

"Even if we can't beat you.." Catrina smiled thinly and gestured to the extensive damage done to his store. "We can still bring your world around you, and we will, if you keep it up. This section, this store, this. . . "

"BAH!" Dr. G Darth answered. "You mean nothing! Behold as the tentacles of dark force once again ensnare you, this time to choke the very life out of you!"

Same tricks rarely work twice. Especially in the same post, as Inu might point out if she were here. (Which she is, but you get the point.) At once, as Darth tried to once again extend the lethal force choke, a combination of Feena's and Riko's magic, and several of those ninja stars from earlier, found Darth. This time, they were cast aside and disintegrated in a wave of darkness.

Same tricks rarely work twice...

"Begone from my realm! I cast thee out, FOR ETERNITY!" Darth proclaimed in face of his seemingly inevitable victory.

Catrina and the others looked around this time, trying to tell where the Shuriken had come from.. but to no avail. They'd simply seemed to appear out of nowhere!

"No, you FOOL! If you do that we'll never..." The Queen of Hate started, her face literally turning red in anger. She stopped mid section, realizing it was too late.. "But.. if we.. how do we know it's safe.. to."

Dr. Darth ignored her as her voice trailed off in uncertainty. Vex screamed. "You're being pulled back! I must.. go."

"Vex, I'm sorry we didn't get to talk but I lo-" Vixen stopped midsentance, frowning. Her sister's spirit was already gone, recalled to... Vixen didn't know where, but for the first time in a while, she began to believe there was somewhere... more.

Dash tried to fight his way forward.

He felt like he was frozen in a vat of honey. Or at least, that's how hard it felt to move. It wasn't sticky or honey smelling.. or cold. But that was the metaphor that came to mind and he was sticking to it. "Need to get that Orb, Catrina! Feena! Before we're sucked back into the real world!"

Shadowy tentacles wrapped around the bodies of the fallen - TheChad, Shamus, Fenni and Gimp. Shamus immediately started fighting and cutting at the shadows themselves. Inu tried to help.. "Inu! Forget me.. there's a .. URGH.." He was clearly in agony from the shadows' hold on him. He felt like he'd pass out if not for sheer will. "Potato sprout.. Use it.. help.. friends.." Shamus tried to stand, but the very tentacles of shadow around him forced him to his knees. At least he had some fight left, unlike the other three who had originally accompanied him to Hey Daze.....

"How'm I.. I got it! Good idea!" Inu called out, using her lizard like tongue to snatch the piece of the 'legendary' Levitating Potato! As Catrina continued to use her built up Chi to fight the effects of the dark teleport from sending her and her friends back before they'd had the orb, Levitating Potato Inuyaustin sent several vines out! Dash, Feena and even Shamus grabbed a hold, trying to pull their way towards Darth to make one final grab.

Catrina continued to meditate, eyes closed. Dash was surprised. He tried calling out to her, but found silence had overtaken.. everything.

They were lost.. Maybe they could make another attempt to get back to Hey Daze. If he'd somehow banned them, they could each find a champion.. the worlds shifted, as Dash saw first Hey Daze, then the Corpse of the Deep Friars...

They'd failed.

On the last flicker between worlds, before they found themselves permanently back in their own world, Dash thought he saw a flicker.... a blur in the other world...

Dash looked around.. sighing as he fell to his knees in defeat.. The others were there.. Catrina's back turned to him, as she seemed still in meditation.. Feena.. Vixen looked like her heart had been torn out. Even Cattaras and Daisuke, with big, stupid confused looks on their face.

Dash sighed, preparing himself for that fight.. They'd be fighting short handed, too. After all.. Four were missing. Thepanokon.. .. XTreme... Kookalamanza.. Stormblazer... KOKOL had lost and the sky was... back to normal?

Dash heard a voice triumphantly call out, "I did it! WE did it! We won!"

  Somewhere in Seaside Town, on the wrong side of the tracks, Shamus looked at his hands in confusion.. "We're.. back? I thought for sure we were a goner."

"Of course not, we rp'ed twice!" Potato Inu cried out in victory.

"INU! Stop doing that!" Shamus scolded her. "Hey, how to you even talk with potato lips? Do potatoes even have lips?"

Inu shrugged, as if realizing she was a potato had left her unable to speak.... Shamus made his way towards a safer part of town, only to notice a pair a familiar face!

Prince Blahking was making his way towards the Council of Loathing... his shoulders slumped, indicating a less than pleasant frame of mine. Shamus cried out after him, but the Prince didn't seem to hear...

  Despite her assurances, Dash couldn't muster up the strength to get excited. He'd realized in a heartbeat - or two, he was a lil slower than usual from the drawn out fight- that the blur he'd seen was Catrina moving along Inu's potato vines.. poor Inu.. how would Dash get her and the others out of Hey Daze now?

"Chi," Catrina let out a long breath, as if it had been harder than it looked. Most likely, it was. Especially with her knee. "Used it to make a last ditch save thanks to.." Catrina paused, and looked around to thank Inu. Inu wasn't there. She assumed the worst, and frowned. "Thanks to Inu's vines."

Vixen just sighed. Feena and Riko moved to console her. Catrina and Dash quickly brought their three swords to a ready. Dash realized through Goddess's blessing or just a plot hole, his sword looked better.. back to normal!

"Ya know, I realize we're supposed to go at it now," Daisuke challenged on behalf of Cattaras and himself. "Right fight and all that... but we talked and.. we're just too tired."

Dash and Catrina looked at each other, smiled, and decided to take them for their word. They were back.. Catrina had the Orb of the Sun, which she quickly put into her bag. She turned.. and hugged her brother, then Daisuke both! Dash didn't object. His ribs were still aching, anyway.

Then, without a word, they turned to make their way out of the Deep Friar's Copse, and make their way back towards.. Dash figured the Knob Goblins.. Dash and Catrina turned to get their party, so they could head back to the clan headquarters... Catrina's tail swished in the air as she wondered who they could thank for the two mysterious Shuriken attacks that seemed to come from nowhere...

Of the three, only Cattaras and Daisuke had noticed the actions of a little pickpocket.. and they weren't about to share that information with their now former 'allies..'

( So how early did YOU pick up on their identities? )