Get ready for, as our voter called it, "a little ribbon to the arc Cattaras and Jen had over this mission."

I sure do quote that guy a lot, don't I?

 
Catt couldn't sleep.

Not for any lack of his lover's trying to wear him out, but the big tiger had too much on his mind at the moment. Right now the big tiger might not have bit your head off for pointing out that he didn't have much mind for things to be on as it was.

Maybe.

Right now he was standing at the entrance to a heavily guarded tent, watching the unconscious lion inside, while questions raged. Too preoccupied to even dress, his cysuit had formed into a kind of loincloth to provide him some modesty- or to keep others from fainting at the sight.

Whatever. He didn't care, all he could think of were the Goddess' parting words. About Daisuke- and about Jen…

She wrapped her arms around him, holding her cat from behind. "Hey," whispered Jen softly. She nibbled on the nape of Cat's neck.

"Is it really over? I mean, She said so, but…"

"Our knights are in the process of hurling that mask into a black hole. Like the glaive, it will be gone forever, my love. Never to hurt you, or anyone, ever again."

Catt chuckled, letting his tail tease her a little. But his eyes remained stern- and fixed on the lion. "There was more to Daisuke's evil than the mask, love. Yet She said that he was 'ready for the Light.'"

He shook his head. "After all he's done; all he's been. Is he truly changed?"

The red-headed elf smiled and squeezed her tiger. "Was his actions his fault, or was he merely a passenger? I admit, I do not know much about the nature or history of the mask."

"You could ask Konall about the mask. If he was still around. He seemed to go back to what passed for normal for him after he got it off."

"Until he passed. Almost as honorable as you, love."

Catt hung his head for a moment. "He was a hell of a fighter. Even for a…" He stopped, chuckling. He knew better than that now!

"Even for a man," Jen joked. This got a laugh out of Catt as he turned to Jen, embracing her.

"Yeah," he purred. "We both know that men are only good for one thing, right?"

Jen jumped up and wrapped her legs around Cattaras' hips and her arms around his shoulders. She gently bounced herself against his loincloth. "Mmmm. Don't think I'm done with you."

"Of course not." Catt held her, his cysuit shifting just slightly. "I haven't made you fat with kittens yet!"

Jen laughed softly, tapping her tiger's nose. She adjusted Cat's cysuit to harness her, to cradle her against him. "I'm not convinced that's even possible. We grew up on completely different worlds, not to mention being completely different species. But … ."

She was interrupted as Catt kissed her, melting and returning the kiss for a long moment before they came up for air.

"But I'm going to enjoy doing everything I can to make it so!"

Their flirting play was interrupted as Daisuke roared, struggling against the guards that rushed to restrain him.

Catt rushed over as the men were thrown back, but he did not attack. Both beastmen stood there, eyeing each other for the moment. What had Catrina once called it? A measuring contest?

"You took a chance back there. I could have killed you. I wanted to kill you." The big tiger growled, to which the lion nodded.

"I know. I needed that rage. I needed you to be willing to break my body to break the mask's hold on me. Besides." Daisuke looked away. "If it had failed I wanted to die by your hands, not some prey's sword."

Catt was somewhat taken aback by his words, but on some primal level he understood. If it had been him in that mask? He didn't like to think about it!

Daisuke chuckled. "Besides, I hoped that She'd stop you before it went that far."

Catt nodded. No more need to be said there, except. "She says you are ready for the Light. Are you?"

Daisuke was quiet for a moment. "Those allied with the Darkness have the son and woman I love. I may not walk in the Light yet, but I face the Dawn, at least."

"We will find them -- Aleena, Dash, Catrina and her cub. Hopefully either Aleena or Dash can get a signal out to us, but when we locate them, we will make our enemies pay," Jen said. "Jester King, Muri-dan and those others have a lot to answer for."

Daisuke looked at Jen before turning to Cattaras. "She speaks like a warrior."

Cattaras purred with pride. "She is one. You should see her in… On second thought."

Both men laughed.

A really nice and fresh new take on Daisuke here, which I loved reading. It's been very well set up, dating back to the last few missions of Season 2.

You can see the respect Cattaras has earned from the lion since they debut, with Cattaras playing a role strictly as his lackey. . . and it looks like Jen's starting to earn Daisuke's respect as well.

And we see the romance with Catt and Jen continuing as well.

Our final piece goes back to the classic combination of Todd and Wildfall. Then it's off to the Finale!!