Our last (long) third part of the Finale is pretty much a pure epic battle against Kwadlin.

Of course, we'd last left our player characters and their allies helpless at the hands of Kwadlin's forces, thanks to Konall's opposite version in this world, a scrawny brainy scumbag known as Konall Numberscruncher. Alongside Kwadlin stands soldiers, dark beasts, and a few traitors - Catrina, Vixen, and Lapine stand side by side with Zedika Dark, Runic, and Bandit. The heroes are held helpless as you'll see in the opening. I'll let you read what happens from there.

 
beta editing by Aleena

 
Part of Konall's mind urged him to fight on. Another part was dangerously close to giving up.

Moments earlier, he lead a well organized attack on Kwadlin, who'd brought them to this world and had them drugged in an attempt to force them to battle each other. After the trials and tribulations Konall and the others had gone through, it was time to end this with a glorious battle, the likes of which would be sung about for years, decades and possibly centuries to come. It would rank with KOKOL's battles against the Knob Goblins and Pertene, and even the great battles against the cursed Chrono Dragon's minions.

The charge against Kwadlin came to an abrupt end. Konall barely registered the sight of a rail-thin version of himself stepped into view. This skinnier version of Konall used a strange looking headpiece to bring Konall crashing to his feet, like a toddler experiencing his first sugar crash.

It wasn't like any hangover Konall was familiar with. This felt like every bone, muscle and nerve ending in his body was doused in gasoline and set afire. Konall tried to focus on moving or attacking. A nagging doubt inside of him wondered about the ramifications of both him and Kadlin dying an honorable death.

Would someone else simply find the cursed sword on their corpses and become corrupted by it?

Philosophize later, Konall told himself. Act now. Kwadlin's army offered some surprisingly familiar figures. He knew Catrina had walked out on the Kingdom of KOL to lead the Feline Empire, but now she stood, along with other familiar figures. Konall's agonized mind couldn't quite place who they were.

Would the sword be drawn into the afterlife with them and the others who would die this day?

Think LATER, fight NOW! Konall mentally yelled at himself, letting his anger over the indignity of the situation burn. With any luck, he'd be able to build up enough rage to break free of this hold. That would be no easy task, given the fact he could barely get enough focus to breathe. Konall knew he could count on his army. Despite their differences, he could trust Dash to be in this to the bitter end. Of course Aleena would fight as ferociously as any of them. Some of the others, such as the snake charmer or the three Ireaca figures, Konall didn't know well enough to rely on, but they- "ARRRGH!"

Konall's concentration was interrupted as the orange-furred foxlike Bandit slammed a baseball bat into the side of his spleen. Aleena felt helpless as she watched Konall. Aleena had been especially unprepared for the psychic attack. Sebastian Dash was able to force his eyes open.

"Dark," Dash spat weakly, spotting this world's version of himself. "Should've known.. you'd be here.."

"Yes, you should have." Dark swung his boot, catching Dash square in the jaw. "You'll pay for that mistake with your life!"

"Sebastian!" Sassy Snake cried out as the blood flew from Dash's mouth.

"There's no need to finish them off," Catrina said as she stepped over the prone body of Cyber Sunset's body and made her way to kneel over Lady Whiteclaw. "You were so smug, so assured of yourself during our last meeting. That arrogance seems to have vanished, hasn't it?"

"What has he done to you?" Lady Whiteclaw asked, desperately trying to ignore the pain coursing through her mind and body, courtesy of the psychic hold on her and the others. "You can't trust him! I know from experience!"

"Oh, I know that," Catrina whispered to her more noble self before driving Lady Whiteclaw's head into the ground.

Kadlin, Becky, Sir Fumblies, Zanther and the others tried to regain enough focus to let loose with a magic spell of some sort. Xodus tried commanding the creature inside him to attack the enemies but it wasn't responding. Could this attack actually have affected Opaque?

Sir Fumblies started laughing, softly at first. The laugh slowly got louder. Kwadlin looked confused by the odd display. Then his eyes lit up in anger. Konall silently took note of it.

Ozzie's eyes dilated as his body started shaking and trembling. He started pushing himself up although in the confusion, no one could see the crazed look in Ozzie's eyes, nor did anyone take note of the fact he started to stand in spite of the psychic attack.

"Your mind has finally snapped, hasn't it, 'lover'?" Catrina said, purring as she bent over Fumblies, pulling him up by his throat. "I think I'll make you my second slave. After Dash.."

Dark came up from behind and shoved Catrina to the ground. Removed from her grip, Fumblies fell on his face. "I told you!" Dark ordered her. "We're killing him. If you question me again, I'll..."

"No, I'm sorry!" Catrina cried out, whimpering. "I'm sorry! We'll do as you say."

"Can't even control your own troops, huh, Philler?" Konall spat. "Pathetic. No wonder you're hiding behind that wimp there. You're obviously afraid to.."

Konall was interrupted by his own mindless screaming as his scrawny counterpart turned the mind device's focus on him. For Konall, the world exploded in blind agony.

"'Afraid to face his own shadow,'" Fumblies finished the thought for him. "Or student, for that matter."

Against his better judgment, Kwadlin stalked forward. After all, the heroes were helpless under his forces. The Black Paladin marched behind him, shoving Kwadlin's own guards aside. Seeing her opportunity, Catrina suddenly moved behind Sebastian Dash. Aleena's eyes went quite wide as Catrina picked up Dash's broadsword. Acting out of instinct, Aleena let her mind slip into darkness. Within milliseconds, her cysuit began to take over, animating her body in an almost but not quite natural way. A helmet with six glowing red lights formed over her head, obscuring it.

Catrina didn't register it. Instead, she pulled Dash to his feet, pressing his sword into his hand. "Get ready. We have an enemy in common one last time today, human."

Sassy Snake's eyes lit up slightly. Okay, so she couldn't run, nor would she abandon her friends if given the opportunity. There wasn't much she could do but her friends were intent on providing a distraction. Dozens of snakes began attacking the furthest sides of the army, willing to sacrifice themselves for the honor of battling Kwadlin and Zedika Dark's evil, oppressive reign.

Kwadlin had no time to register the attacks before the Black Paladin shoved him aside to the ground. The Paladin then grasped the skinny Konall Numberscruncher from behind, lifting him off the ground and attempting to crush his body, or break it into two. Sensing her hand in the sudden betrayal, Zedika Dark turned to Catrina. Rather, he turned to where she had stood a mere moment ago along with her former lover and current enemy, Sebastian Dash.

In a burst of chi-filled speed, Catrina zipped behind Dark, leaving Dash in the perfect position. With the psychic assault gone, Dash had enough energy to bring his broadsword down across Dark's back. Dark fell to his feet. Dash nearly followed him before catching his balance.

"Now for the head of this party!" Aiming to finish Kwadlin off, Catrina used her chi to again move faster than most eyes could follow, only to be cut down mid charge by a staff to the back of her head. She crashed, rolling several feet, but somehow got to her knees. "Vixen, you traitor!"

She stood to see an angry Vixen holding the bat. "Look who's talking.. we're done with you.."

Upon the comment, Lapine blasted Catrina with a torrent of sleazy fire. To Catrina's surprise, Aleena pulled her to the side. Catrina looked at the cysuited figure, wondering if it was the woman or suit in control.

Realizing their enemies were starting to recover, Kwadlin's forces rushed into battle, joined by the dark beasts. Sassy Snake pulled up just in time to avoid having a spear put into her head. Xodus parried a knife attack with his own spear as he attempted to stand. The creature inside of Xodus darted out of Xodus at his enemy. Opaque attached itself to the soldier, quickly absorbing the soldier's armor and skin before the soldier, screaming, shook off the weakened Opaque, sending the black creature, all the more powerful, back into Xodus.

Summer and Wildfall helped each other up as Aleena threw herself into the fight, using her cysuit to lash out at the dark beasts with razor edged tentacles. She also formed bladed gauntlets that looked just as sharp but more suitable to thrusting attacks.

"What are you two doing with this scumbag?!" Dash demanded of Vixen and Lapine.

"We got our reasons," Lapine said.

"So back off!" Vixen rushed in, swinging at Dash with her staff. Dash parried it and went to punch her but stopped short. Mistake. Vixen grabbed his arm and flipped him over her back, sending him crashing to the ground. Ozzie continued to rage mindlessly. He grabbed the nearest enemy, a shadowy goat covered in snatches of darkness. Ozzie hurled the creature to the ground, then jumped on it, wrestling to twist the thing's neck to the point it could no longer move, all the while letting out primitive screams and grunts.

"I think yer friend done flipped outta the coocoo's nest," Hudson said to Sassy. Sassy's attention was on helping those who were still suffering from the psychic attack moments ago regain their bearings.

"I'll help him when this clears up if he doesn't calm down," Sassy Snake said. She then sent out a 'thank you' to the snakes who'd come to help, finding out that several of them knew of Serpentina and Mama Mamba, two of the snakes who'd helped Sassy far to the south when she'd found herself in trouble. Sassy didn't have time to dwell on the how's and why's of the story. When this battle was finally ended, if she survived, she'd be sure to find out.

Zanther Wolf took to the skies to attack from above with his ice based abilities. He quickly found himself under attack from both Kwadlin's archers and dark beast birds.

Cattaras and Catrina found themselves fighting alongside this world's versions of them.

"I'm surprised to see you fighting on our side," Lady Whiteclaw commented as she put her trademark swords, a Wakizashi and a Tanto, to just as much deadly effect as Catrina's twin katana.

"I fight for my own side," Catrina said, ending the discussion. The twin versions of Cattaras looked at each other, shrugged, continuing the battle. Not even ten feet away, Kadlin did her best to help Zanther, blasting the shadowy birds with ranged magic. After helping a couple of Konall's guards to their feet, Becky turned to aid Wolf. Unfortunately, she suddenly found herself under the magic attacks of Runic!

Moments later, Summer, Wildfall, Todd Blackpaws and Fahari quickly surrounded Bandit and Lapine who stood back to back. "Aw, come on, this isn't fair.." Lapine said.

Not a second later, several guards and dark beasts threw themselves at Summer, Wildfall and Todd, leaving Fahari to face down the two alone.

"Now this, I could get into," said Bandit. She brandished her bat with an evil grin. Unimpressed, Fahari made a 'bring it' motion. As the two furires engaged her in battle, Xodus and Cyber Sunset teleported mere feet away from Kwadlin, whose guards were keeping the Black Paladin and Jester King of Beasts engaged in battle.

"Time to string up the beastie, don't you think?" Cyber Sunset said, swords at the ready as he prepared to strike Kwadlin down. "When I first heard of you, 'Philler,' I hoped I'd be lucky enough to be a part of the crew that takes you down. Looks like I'm going to get my wish today."

Xodus, weary of this dimension, merely rushed in with his spear, intent on ending Kwadlin's life at the end of his spear, the way so many others had. Xodus had come for swift justice, not endless chatter about the righteousness of his action. Despite his uncanny speed, Kwadlin dodged, grabbing the spear and jumping off it for added height. He devastated Xodus with a kick which sent him crashing into Cyber Sunset before the duel swordsman had time to teleport away.

Kwadlin simply laughed. To their side, Konall Numberscruncher recovered from the earlier beating from Black Paladin. "Numbs," as his associates often called him in mockery, went to pick up the psychic attack device from earlier, but Becky froze it solid from a distance. The accountant turned psycho smashed the device into two, shattering it, and threw himself at "Numbs," who screamed in terror, fleeing from Ozzie.

Bandit and Lapine were doing pretty well until Konall grabbed them from behind and slammed their heads together. He then turned and charged into the battle against Kwadlin, rushing by Ozzie. Ozzie was running full tilt after Konall Numberscruncher. Despite the lack of sunlight from the clouds overhead, Konall caught a view of a shadow in his peripheral vision- a sword coming at the back of his head. Konall ducked and swung his haxxor blindly at his attacker.

Zedika Dark was able to dodge hit easily. Dark sneered at the sight of Konall. Behind them, Xodus and Cyber Sunset continued teleporting around Kwadlin, throwing attacks at him. Showing uncanny reflexes, Kwalin grabbed Sunset as soon as he teleported behind Kwadlin. Kwadlin took Sunset by the throat, and threw him full force into Xodus. Cyber Sunset got to his feet just in time to avoid being blasted by magic. Xodus didn't.

"Big, dumb brute," Dark said with a sneer. "This should be a quick fight."

"Yeah, runt like you should be no problem at all," Konall said confidently. "My forces are obliterating your animals and hired thugs. Before long, we'll have you outnumbered."

"If your side lasts that long," Zedika Dark replied. He gestured towards behind him. Lady Whiteclaw, Catrina, the two Cattarases, and Catrina's four guards lay among a pile of slaughtered dark beasts. Konall called for his guards to defend the fallen, knowing the tides were starting to turn in his favor. Before he could act further, Dark swung wildly at him. The two continued to engage, haxxor against ninja sword.

"Hang in there!" Wildfall called to Summer, who was battling behind him. The two battled against an oversized tiger and an even bigger bear. Both had the same shadowy themes as Kwadlin's other dark beasts.

"Don't worry," Summer said. "There's no way a couple of beasts are giving us any trouble, not if we work together." And indeed, they were able to finish off the beasts, only to fall pray to a double blast of stench and sleaze magic from Lapine and Runic.

"See, we do make a good team," Runic said, forcing a kiss on Lapine.

"How could you turn on us?" Todd Blackpaws wondered.

"No, I'm not, I can.. I can explain!" Lapine said, backing off and stalling for time.

"So, explain." Todd demanded. Despite an occasional wandering eye, the bard still loved her very much. The distraction blinded him to an attempt by one of Kwadlin's guards to ambush him from behind. Fortunately, Zanther swept in, attacking the guard, sending it crashing to the ground. Zanther knocked him out with a wing attack, removing yet another of Kwadlin's lackies from the battle.

Todd glanced over but then turned back to Lapine. "So it was a set-up." Runic fire blasted Todd, sending him crashing to the ground. Fahari pounced at the two mages but was cut by a dark flame blast from the side.

"About time you showed up!" Bandit complained as Skullion Chick joined the two. Zanther Wolf tried to take all three out with a chilly breath attack, but they of them overwhelmed him with fire. Terrified of the flames, Wolf was easy pray to the attack.

"Who's next?" Lapine called out.

"Me." Before Lapine could react to Dash's voice, a blinding flash caught her and the others, dazzling them. Thankful he'd managed to craft a few scraps of flash paper at the encampment, Dash took Lapine out with a straight right. Dash then dropped Vixen and Skullion chick in a single leg trip. The two crashed to the ground in a heap.

Bandit swung her bat at Dash but was stopped midswing by a crossbolt which caught the top of her shoulder. Similar non lethal attacks followed, taking the others down. It left them easy pray for Dash to take out of the fight. Dash turned to give Sassy Snake a nod. They'd still need medical treatment, but Sassy would handle that after the fight was over.

"Found it on one of the enemies," Sassy said. "Good thing I know how to handle a crossbow, huh? Oh, Dash, what are we going to do?! The smell of blood and all this violence is making me ill."

"The only thing we can do," Dash said. "Fight until they give up or we can't go on. There's too much at stake to run. This's the only way we'll ever get back to our own world."

Sassy looked into his eyes, drawing strength from his confidence. Dash could see it in her snake-like emerald eyes as she nodded. "On the upside, it looks like every snake in ten miles wants to help us out. We have to end this fight before they - or our other friends- pay the ultimate price for the battle."

Kadlin grabbed Dash's arm. She didn't even react when Dash nearly lashed out at her before registering who it was. "The helmet's the key," Kadlin said. "I can sense it. That's why I didn't shift to my bear avatar. I need self control. If I can get to it, we can end this fight by sending us all home."

"We'll have to get by Kwadlin and the rest of his guards to get to it," Kadlin said as she parried attacks from a combination of dark beasts and guards. "On the upside, he's nearly down to his last guards."

"Brutes, Goblins," Fumblies commanded. "If Kwadlin doesn't give us the answers we want, rip him apart!" Fumblies lead the charge at Kwadlin, who retracted a blade from Cyber Sunset's gut, letting the hero of Honorburg fall.

"Oh, good, I was getting tired of testing the limits of his healing factor, anyway," Kwadlin said, turning to face down his student.

Meanwhile, Konall neatly dodged a killing blow from Zedika Dark's ninja blade, though it still nicked Konall's cheek, leaving a razor thin cut. Konall wiped the blood away, and swung at Dark, bellowing loudly. Showing agility similar to Sebastian Dash, Dark back flipped out of the attack, throwing down several smoke bombs as he did. Konall started choking on the thick smoke.

"You might have made a decent challenge," Dark said, darting behind Konall, looking for an opportunity. "But you're clearly not used to fighting blind."

Seeing a figure seeming to move in front of him, Konall swung. He dropped the wrong figure. As the smoke cleared a little, he realized he'd knocked the accountant, whazzis name, out. Ozzie something. He didn't see Zedika Dark standing behind him.

"Maybe I'll have a little fun with -" Konall swung full force, dropping Zedika Dark midsentence with an haxxor attack to the face. Dark fell back, landing in his face. A pool of blood started forming below his face.

"You talk too much," Konall quipped. Konall turned to see Aleena, who almost instantly collapsed into his arms. "Aleena!"

"I'm.. what's going on? I'm back," she said.. "Had.. had to let the cysuit take over."

"You need rest."

"I'm fine."

"We'll finish this."

"I said I'm fine," Aleena insisted.

"Then we've got a job to do." He turned towards the last half dozen enemies, whom Kadlin and Becky were taking down with powerful magic. Unfortunately, the last beast- a large viper- was able to sneak up behind Becky. It was able to squeeze her into unconsciousness before Kadlin ended the creature's life with a powerful magic bolt.

"Just the five of us," Konall said as the others came together. Somehow, all of Kwadlin's guests or beasts either fled or been taken out of the right. Of course, most of Konall's side was unconscious or too injured from the fight as well. Sassy turned to the wounded, but realized instinctively that they had to fight this last battle together.

Kwadlin smiled. Several corpses began rising. A skeletal hand grabbed Konall's leg, but he broke free. The others turned to fight this new threat, but Konall shouted, "No! Focus on Kwadlin. Nothing else matters."

"Right!" Dash said, dodging through a couple skeletons. He threw a flash paper at Kwadlin, but had to deal with a set of corpses shambling up to protect Kwadlin. Konall was the next to break through, with Aleena, Sassy and Kadlin fighting off the corpses.

Dash and Konall didn't have to look at each other to know what the other was going to do. Problems or not, they'd worked together too often in the past to need to. They charged as one. Dash swung his broadsword low, while Konall aimed for a deathstrike to Kwadlin's chest. Kwadlin stayed motionless.

The weapons passed through him with no effect. Turning from the battle, Kadlin fired a bolt of lightning at Kwadlin's head. Kwadlin pulled his hand in front of his face. A glowing energy disc materialized in his hand, absorbing Kadlin's lightning and sending it back at her, nearly frying her. Konall called out as his sister fell to the ground, twitching, obviously still alive although the others could smell the singed flesh and hair.

Kwadlin spread the rest of the lightning into the area around him, frying Dash and Konall and dropping both.

Sassy and Aleena looked to the fallen heroes. The distraction was enough for two remaining zombies to attack them from behind. Although Aleena killed them both, Kwadlin took the ladies out with a massive dark blast of magic.

"And thus ends the game," Kwadlin said, standing over the fallen Kadlin. "Haven't you wondered about the similarities in our names, you foolish girl?" Kwadlin asked the unconscious pastamancer. "It was the 'you' of this world, Kaylin, who helped craft me. I know your magic better than you do."

Kwadlin looked from Fumblies to the unconscious body of the Jester King. "You never figured it out, did you? How he ties into the source of my powers."

Kwadlin shrugged, then held his arms high in the air. "There's only one thing left to do - send you all to the underlife and use your bodies and abilities to start a new reign over this world... and your own."

"We're not done yet," a voiced called out from being Kwadlin. For the first time since he set this plan into motion, Kwadlin was truly surprised. He turned around to face Konall, who was barely standing, resting on his haxxor for support.

"Do you really think you alone stand a chance?" Kwadlin tried to summon more demons as Konall answered- but Konall's answer was to charge forward, slamming his shoulder into Kwadlin. Kwadlin flew backwards. The two zombies rushed forward, but Konall cleared them out in a single attack with his haxxor, splitting the creatures in two.

Konall's armor began to glow. Kwadlin threw a flameball at Konall, but Konall dodged under it and again nailed Kwadlin. "Berserkers, if you weren't aware.." Konall pulled Kwadlin over his head and slammed him into the ground. ".. are masters of emotion. Vikings don't scare easily. We're not prone to give into despair. And we don't give up just because the odds are momentarily against us."

He swung his haxxor at Kwadlin's head, but Kwadlin phased through the ground, much like Jester King of Beasts would have done in a similar situation. He phased up through the ground, with Konall's relentless attacks going through him. To Konall's surprise and Kwadlin's shock, the glowing haxxor crackled with spiritual energy every time it passed through Kwadlin's body. It soon forced him to rematerialize, leaving him easy pray for Konall's haxxor to lift him off his feet.

Kwadlin crashed nearly twenty feet away. Konall figured he was dead. Before he checked to be sure, he had one thing to do. One directive of the gods themselves.

Konall walked over the dark blade, still being clutched by his sister. Glowing more brightly than ever, Konall picked up the sword.

An eerie blue and white light surrounded all the figures on the field, enveloping them. For several seconds, it seemed to Konall as if the entire world had turned a bright bluish light. It was perfectly silent until he heard a familiar voice.

To be continued in the upcoming mission, The Third Faction...

It's rare we end a Finale on a cliffhanger but this's definitely one. Some great action, and it sets up the action for the next mission, which debuts the Third Faction.