Holy ---- on a ----- sandwich with ----- on top. I uploaded a new chapter that quick? It's amazing.

I win, LV. X3

Kasu had to admit that it was nice to have someone closer to her own age and experience level in the Doom Patrol. Duskpaw was an enthusiastic addition to the team, his quickness often putting him ahead of all the others on the trail, save for Archimedes. Kasu found him always as easy to talk to as she had found him that first day. It was a welcome relief from Tenebrae and Firefang's continuous bickering and Archimedes's stoic silence, she had to admit. Definitely a step up.

The nights passed as they always had, and the days were filled with strange dreams. Over and over she woke from dreams of a huge mountain and a dark face like that of the spirit she sometimes saw. There were differences, differences that stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. This face was solemn, the result of injustices long past, young but scarred. She felt pity for that dark face and often dwelt upon it in the night hours, until at times she seemed almost as stoic as Archimedes. All of them noticed her curious silence, but she did not speak about it, and they did not ask.

Some days from the town, they finally saw their goal.

"Well, there it is," Firefang said, waving a paw expansively. "Th' King of Mountains. Queen Emeria lives somewhere on that monster, as does mah old friend Cataract."

"Is it really that close?" Duskpaw asked in wonder.

"Nah. It's still a ways off," Firefang explained. "That's how big it is. Still a few days more."

"Wow." Duskpaw stared at it in wonder. He wasn't alone; the rest of the Doom Patrol was also staring at the monstrosity that was before them. Kasu's eyes were wide - at this distance, it was hard to tell, but it looked just like the mountain from her dreams. She shook herself slightly.

"Wow." Tenebrae was definitely impressed. "Now I feel small. Eh, Archimedes?"

"Agreed." The Noctowl continued to stare. "Quite a sight."

"Yeah," Firefang said. "But it ain't gettin' any closer while we're standin' here gapin'. Let's keep movin'."

"Good point." Archimedes took off again, as always leading them onward. The others followed, Duskpaw constantly looking up at the mountain looming in the distance. Kasu hung back a little bit, then turned aside. She had spotted a small rocky hill, off to the side somewhat.

"Where you going, Kasu?" Tenebrae called suddenly. Kasu looked and saw he had just paused to look at her from further up the trail. The rest of the party had also stopped.

"I just want a better look," she called back. "Go on, I'll catch up in a minute."

"Hell no," Firefang growled. "Not again. Ah'll stay with ya, just to make sure nothing else happens."

Kasu couldn't fault her logic, and apparently neither could the others. Firefang padded back to her and the two headed for the hill together.

The view from the top of the hill, in full moonlight, was spectacular. Kasu stared down at the sloping valley before them, starting its downward slope just below her rock and going down for quite a ways before climbing back upward toward the mountain range. She saw, before the mountain, two foothills placed exactly like little sentinels on either side of the great mountain. The mountain itself rose into the sky gracefully, capped with white. The moonlight glanced off the white peak and left a sort of aurora effect on the snow.

"Wow." Kasu was stunned.

"Yeah, it's pretty," Firefang acknowledged. "But all that prettiness means rough goin'. We'll have our work cut out for us for a while."

"Yes, but for this moment it's worth it," Kasu breathed. Firefang gave her an odd look but said nothing. The two stood there for a long moment, then Firefang spoke again.

"Look - there's Archimedes. They're gettin' pretty far ahead."

"Yeah." With and effort, Kasu bought herself back to reality. "Let's go."

Firefang easily leapt down from the rock and led the way back to the trail, cutting across the valley floor without a single glance at the mountain. Kasu followed her example, but sneaked a few more covert glances at the massive peak as she ran.

Yes - it was the mountain she saw in her dreams. But why?

Daylight in the valley found the five 'mons already tucked away in a hollow. Duskpaw, Tenebrae, and Firefang slept in a big pile, with Tenebrae literally leaning against Firefang's long face and Duskpaw sprawled across her back and down her side, his hind paws drifting in the grass. Archimedes was perched on a stunted tree, feathers fluffed out and head sunken into his shoulders as he snored a counterpoint to Duskpaw's snuffling.

Kasu lay awake. Stretched out near Firefang, she remained sleepless. It wasn't for lack of trying, either. The young Eevee, no matter where she moved or how long she kept her eyes shut, could not get to sleep.

Cursed insomnia. She yawned wearily and shifted again. I hate this. I used to do this back home all the time; I'd lay awake all night and wouldn't drop off 'til near sunrise. Home... I wonder how Mahk and Cheggah are doing. And Demi and La'Shanke... I wonder if they're all okay. I miss them.

Finally she drifted off.

A great wood; a familiar wood. She'd been there only a few days ago. Kasu stood within the forest again, but it felt like a different forest. She didn't feel the wind, nor did she feel the ground beneath her paws. A dream? It had to be.

Voices. As she stood there, she became aware of two male voices, coming her way. They were familiar, but she couldn't place them. She focused on them as best she could.

"Face it, man, we're lost."

"Shut up! I know generally where we are. I just... can't pinpoint where exactly we are at the moment."

"That's the definition of lost, numbnuts!"

"Who're you calling numbnuts, blockhead?!"

"You of course, rocks-for-brains!"

She recognized them now. Mahk and Cheggah, locked in a familiar argument. She drew back into the shadow of a tree as they appeared, trading insults back and forth with heat. Mahk had little to no sense of direction, Kasu remembered with fondness. Cheggah wasn't taking it as well as she was at the moment, though; he looked ready to spit fire at his best friend.

Mahk looked around the clearing and deflated.

"Cheggah?"

"What?!"

"I admit it. We're lost."

"Oh, now you admit it." Cheggah was obviously in a very bad mood. There were burrs in his fire-yellow mane and tail, his headtuft was an absolute disaster, and his normally glossy red fur was dusty and dull. Mahk wasn't in much better shape. Kasu felt a pang of pity for both of them.

"I know, I know." Mahk sat down. "Cheggah, what made me think I could find her?"

"That rock you have in place of a brain?"

"You're repeating yourself."

"Whatever." Cheggah sighed, deflating slightly. "Sorry, man. But this hasn't gone well at all. We're lost, we have no idea where Kasu is, and we're woefully unequipped to survive out here. Hell, man, I don't know the woods, and neither do you!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"He's right, they're dead meat out here."

Kasu looked to the side and saw the spirit from so many other dreams.

"Think so?"

"Know so. Perhaps you'd better give them some help?" The spirit faded. Kasu grimaced. So it wasn't a dream, persay. It was something weirder.

I wonder if I can find a good 'mon therapist after this is all over.

She stepped into the light before the pair of dejected 'mons. For a long moment, they didn't notice her.

Then Mahk's head came up, his eyes incredibly wide. Cheggah followed suit. Both stared at her in shock.

Let's see... sun sets... that way. She lifted a paw and pointed west, staring at them pointedly. She could only imagine what they were thinking.

Then they faded from her view, and she fell into a deep sleep.

"Yo. Yo, Archy. Wake up. Ah wanna talk to ya."

"Huh-wa?" Archimedes woke up and opened one grouchy eye. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk. About Kasu." The stare was pointed.

"Huh? Oh, fine." Archimedes stretched his wings and shifted on his tree branch, staring down at Firefang, who wasn't really very far below him. Off to the side, he noticed that Tenebrae and Duskpaw remained asleep, but now they were sleeping back-to-back in the area of crushed grass made by Firefang's body.

"Awright, listen." Firefang glanced at them as well. "Have ya noticed her acting... peculiar?"

"Somewhat." Archimedes was fully awake now.

"Quiet, introspective... she's gettin' kinda mystic and angsty on us, ya know?" Firefang shook her head. "Somethin' botherin' her, but she won't come out and talk about it."

"If she doesn't want to talk then there's not much we can do," Archimedes pointed out.

"Except keep an eye on her, ta make sure she's gonna be okay." Firefang heaved a sigh. "Ah love that little cub, and Ah know ya do too. We all do. Ah just wanted ta make ya aware of it, so ya can help me keep an eye on her."

"I see." Archimedes thought for a minute, looking over at the sleeping form of the little silver Eevee. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye on her. If something's wrong, we'll want to be ready for whatever happens."

"Mah thoughts exactly." Firefang stretched. "Sorry fer wakin' ya up, but Ah wanted to get that said while they're all asleep."

"I understand. Get some more rest, we've a long way to go tonight." Archimedes assumed his sleeping posture again as Firefang returned to her sleeping companions.

Kasu came to full wakefulness as suddenly as she'd fallen asleep.

Okay, yeah. She got up and stretched, knowing she'd never get back to sleep again. If I'm going to have dreams like that all the time, I need to get myself a good therapist. Soon. Preferably before I crack. Then again, I could easily have cracked already and not know it. Oh, what the hell. I'm hungry.

With that thought in mind she searched the immediate surroundings. Nope, no berry trees around here, a pity. There was one a few minutes' walk away, she remembered; they'd eaten their fill last night at that tree. She smiled a little at the memory. Duskpaw had been so stuffed Firefang had to carry him to their hollow on her back. She smirked at his sleeping form and set out under the fading light to find the tree.

She had no problem finding it, for once; it wasn't far and it was one of the few berry trees for quite a distance. Once there, she quite cheerfully grabbed at one of the low-hanging berries and began munching.

"Well, well, well, this is a rare sight indeed."

Kasu choked and spun around in shock, going instinctively into a battle stance. The 'mon before her chuckled.

"Quit that. I'm not going to hurt you."

"After the last fifteen times that's been said to me, I'm not inclined to believe you," Kasu growled. "Something ALWAYS happens to me when someone says that."

"Sucks to be you, then." The other 'mon tossed her golden head. "But I mean it. You're running with Archimedes and Tenebrae, I saw you."

"You know them?" Kasu relaxed a little, staring at the golden canine before her.

"Sure. My name's Nimahri. Nimahri the Ninetales. I'm a member of the Doom Patrol."

"Wha -" Kasu wasn't sure what to say to that.