The cartoon critters were gathered around Catnap now, the sickly feline laying on a bed, decorated in the manner of a grave.

They didn't want to bury him alive, obviously, but they still wanted to honor his loss the best way they could. The eight of them were gathered around the feline, doing what they could to make his passing a bit easier.

They mainly gave him water, or occasionally let him snack on something sweet. They haven't experienced such occurrences often, so they were by no means experts at this.

Still...their efforts meant the world to the feline, but he still had one major worry on his mine.

Would his old friends accept him?

After everything he's done since their passing? The good, and the bad?

Well...he knew that he'd find out soon enough. He couldn't put forth the effort to keep his eyes open, opting to close them.

The eight realized the cat's time was dreadfully near now, taking the time to say their goodbyes.

Crafty was the first.

"I know we didn't get to spend much time together, but..um...your drawings were great. And...I wish you the best, Catnap."

Next was Hoppy.

"No matter what happens in the future, Catnap, keep pushing forward! For yourself...and your Dogday."

Then Picky.

"You're sweet as a pie, Catnap. I'm sure that your friends will welcome you back with open arms! If not, they'll come around eventually, once they see how you've changed!"

Then Kickin.

"Catnap, you're...you're uh..."

The others began to stare at Kickin, the chicken beginning to stumble on his words as, to their surprise, tears began to come out of his eyes.

"I'll...I'll miss you Catnap!"

The chicken cried out suddenly. To the others, this seemed to be a little out of character to the chicken. However, a select few knew the reason why. Dogday, Bubba, and Hoppy in particular.

The chicken had a fear of death, as well as losing those he loved. As a result, witnessing the cat pass before him had overwhelmed him.

Bubba wrapped his arm around the Kickin, hoping to be a source of a comfort. He decided that it was his cue to start, not wanting Catnap to dwell on the chicken's tears.

"If...you ever feel alone up there, especially if the others...don't come around, just know that we'll miss you. Every single day. And so will your Dogday."

And now it was Bobby's turn, the bear's face saddening as she stared at the feline. She could practically see the life fading from his body.

"When you're up there, Catnap...give your friends a big hug for me...alright? Especially Dogday...whenever his time comes."

The bear then gave Catnap a quick, final hug, the cat's tail weakly moving to wrap around the bear, barely keeping the tiniest grip around her. Soon, the bear let go, the tail practically losing its grip the moment she pulled away.

And now...the final two were left.

Catnap began first.

"Catnap...the uh...other me. I...don't know what happened to you, but...there's one thing I know for sure."

"If...your Dogday is anything like mine, and he liked you, despite everything..."

"...I'm sure that the others will do the same. He is their leader, after all."

"Sleep well, Catnap. Your friends are waiting for you."

The cat's heartfelt statement brought a small, weak smile to fading feline's face, managing to hang on for one final send off, from the dog himself.

"Catnap..."

"...Make sure to wear a smile on your face. Everyday if you can...alright? And if you see someone without one...give them yours."

'Sounds like Dogday...'

The feline thought to himself, thinking back to his partner. He wondered how was he doing now, rebelling against The Prototype.

He hoped that the minis weren't a big issue for him.

The cat slowly nodded, feeling his consciousness fade as he felt his mind drift into a daze, unable to form coherent thoughts.

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"I'm...sorry you had to see that, Angel."

The dog gently placed his large hand on the human's shoulder. Despite the sight the human had seen, their saddened, terrified look turned to one of the determination.

Dogday got the sense that, after seeing the atrocities The Prototype encouraged and caused first hand, the human was more determined than ever to stop The Prototype.

A determination the dog could relate to. Speaking of...

"Angel, Poppy. I'll...hang back, if that's alright. I...need to visit an old friend. I'll...catch up soon."

Poppy turned towards the human, admittedly a little iffy on the idea of having the dog wander alone. Despite her hesitation, the human nodded, giving the canine the 'go ahead' to do so.

And so...the dog walked alone. Heading through the factory, seeing the occasional group minis scattered throughout the place.

Navigating through the place had been a tad easier, due to The Prototype's most faithful ally being...

Well...in another dimension...of sorts.

But now? With Angel, Poppy, and Kissy here...the dog felt that the four of them finally had a real chance.

The Prototype didn't have many left to turn to, and he'll have to act soon to stop the four.

And maybe...just maybe...

The four of them will pull through.

Although...the dog didn't know what his plans for the future would be.

He just wanted to see his cat and beloved friends again. To rest. To finally have some peace after everything that's happened.

But before he could do that...he had to fulfill his promise to the feline.

To stop The Prototype.

No matter what it takes.

Finally, the dog reached the segment of Playcare, in which the feline had attempted to kill the dog, prior to their cartoon misadventures.

Strangely enough...the thought felt weirdly foreign to him now. Dogday could no longer fathom the feline doing such a thing to him. He thought that it emphasized the hold The Prototype held on the cat.

Soon enough...he'll avenge the feline. And his friends.

The dog approached the cat's limping body, kneeling down in front of it. He pressed his hand on the cat's chest, wondering if there'd be a faint pulse, like before...

...only to find none. Not a single heartbeat.

The dog sighed, deciding to talk to the feline's corpse regardless. In some part of his mind, he hoped that the feline would hear his worlds somehow, although he knew that the possibility was unlikely, if not impossible.

"Catnap...I think we're finally getting somewhere. We're so close to finally ending this, once and for all. I can feel it.:

The canine gently placed his hand on the cat's cold cheek, a couple of tears beginning to escape his eyes, his voice breaking up a bit.

"I...I'm going to fulfill my promise Catnap. I swear. God...I've missed you so much, and it's only been a few days..."

The dog quietly whimpered, a soft sobbing heard as he felt a lump in his throat, he sniffed, wiping his eyes.

"But...what about you Catnap? I see you've...finally passed on. Are you...with the others? Are you happy there?"

"I...I hope they're treating you right. If they aren't then...I'm sure they'll come around. And...even if they never do.."

The dog pulled the cat's corpse into a hug, wishing he could have one back, but he knew that the cat's dead body was unable to do such a thing.

"I'll always be by your side moon...you...you know that...right?"

The dog pulled away from the hug, staring into the cat's empty, lifeless eyes. More tears poured out from his eyes, dampening the cat's limp body.

"...I hope you do...moonlight. I'll be with you soon...I promise. Just stay happy...for me."

The dog then laid the cat's body down, leaving it to finally rest and rot within the factory.

The dog stood up, looking back at the cat's body for a moment as he wiped his tears, marching forward to reunite with the other three, with one goal in mind.

To kill The Prototype.

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Catnap could hear a familiar, cheerful voice call out to him. It felt as if his consciousness was returning to him, in a way.

"Wait...is that...is that who I think it is?!"

Bobby.

The cat could hear a group of light footsteps rush over to him, hearing Bobby's voice draw near, the bear gently shaking the cat's body.

"Catnap! Catnap! Are you there?!"

The bear called out, a hint of worry and desperation in her voice. The feline attempted to open his eyes, finding that he had the strength to do so, somehow.

He opened his eyes, only to find Bobby, Bubba, and Kickin, the three staring at him with concerned looks on their faces.

Especially Bobby and Bubba's.

Catnap gasped, at a loss for words. He had a feeling that the other critters, except Dogday of course, were nearby to.

What should he say to them?

What could he say to them?

"Bobby, Bubba, Kickin, I- I'm so sorry, I understand if you couldn't begin to-"

Bobby gently pat the cat's head, the feline flinching for a moment, having excepted a scratch or punch to the head. He eased up once he felt the patting, involuntarily letting out a small purr.

"It's okay Catnap. We...understand now. We...saw what happened."

...What happened?

As in...his and Dogday's time in the Cartoon World?

But how?

Seeing the look of confusion on the feline's face, Bubba decided to answer the cat's question.

"We all sorta hung out here after we...you know. Met our demise. At first things were...dysfunctional. Kickin was paranoid, barely able to go outside. Bobby, Picky, and I were the most stable out of anyone. Crafty was afraid to draw, and Hoppy was obsessed with breaking her limits."

"...However...things sort of eased up overtime. We helped each other get over...what happened...for the most part, anyways. And one day...a cartoon of us came up on the TV screen."

"At first, we thought it was just some weird remnant from our world, only to discover that you and Dogday appeared to be acting strange in it. A bit of watching later, we saw the drawings you made and put two and two together."

The elephant explained, a small punch of guilt hitting the feline's stomach as the feline mentioned both the critters demises, and how they suffered from the memory of them.

Now the cat wished he could've done something to magically wish their troubles away, or at the very least, stop his past self.

But it was too late now, and the feline of course didn't have the ability to do such a thing.

"...That's also how we found out about...you know. How you really felt."

The cat was...conflicted on Bobby's wording to say the least.

Did he really deserve to have it described in such a way? Sure, they were his real feelings.

But it was still the feline's choice to join The Prototype. To kill the others.

In fact, he would have killed ALL 7 of them if it weren't for the cartoon world allowing him to see things clearly.

Without The Prototype's influence.

"Bobby...I don't know if I'd put it like that. I'm still the one who decided to act. I'm still the one who killed you. Who killed all of you. And I would've killed Dogday too if-"

Bobby hushed Catnap with a sudden 'shhh', putting her finger to the feline's lips.

"And you didn't. You changed, and broke away from The Prototype's influence. And proved that you were better than that."

Bubba chimmed in, placing a hoof on the cat's shoulder.

"Besides...I've kinda thought about the whole thing, and I theorize that The Prototype had a stronger hold on you than we thought. I mean...think about it. Isn't it kiiind of convenient that you suddenly changed, less than a day after arriving in that world?"

The cat thought to himself. Well...he had thought about that a little himself, but he concluded that it was just an odd coincidence. That having some time alone with the dog played a part in his swift change of heart.

...Well it did, but you get the point.

"I'm not saying that he mind controlled you or anything, but I feel that he had a stronger influence that perhaps...had a similar effect? Sort of like an indirect mind control, perhaps more a psychological influence, in a way."

"...Of course, I don't have full confirmation, or any way to test this, but...seeing how you changed in that cartoon world...it makes me believe that The Prototype is the one at fault."

"...Although...I doubt that I could make you believe that you don't carry your own part of the blame...can I?"

The cat shook his head, sitting up as a small frown made its way onto his face. The cat stared down at the grass, avoiding eye contact with the two.

Bubba and Bobby frowned, the bear letting out a soft sigh.

Well...it was worth a try at least.

The cat's ears perked up once he heard Kickin speaked, an unusual shyness in his voice.

"H-Hey um...Catnap? Can I....Can I try something...please? It'll...it'll really help."

Kickin seemed...a bit afraid. He was shaking a little, staring at the feline.

The cat felt bad for the chicken. Normally, he'd be mostly fearless. But now? It was as if he were a different person entirely, only a small hint of his usual attitude remaining in his voice.

The cat, more than willing to help the chicken out nodded. Kickin smiled a little, although it looked a little crooked, trembling slightly.

"R-Right! Good! Just...don't make a sudden move...please."

Catnap raised an eyebrow, but nodded, sitting as still as he possibly could for the chicken.

Kickin turned his head away, slowly bringing a shaking, feathered hand to the cat's face. The cat was a little confused, but remained still for the chicken.

Soon enough, after a painful half a minute, the chicken's hand finally met the cat's cheek.

The chicken closed his eyes, fear flowing throughout his body. He worked up the courage to open one eye, only to find the feline leaning into his hand, a gentle smile on his face as he quietly purred.

Kickin felt the fear leave his body, slowly scratching the cat's cheek with his hand. The cat clearly loved it, his tail swaying as he let out a loud purr this time.

Bobby and Bubba smiled at the small interaction, happy to see the chicken working through his fears...including his fear of the cat himself.

Kickin slowly brought his hand away from the feline, chuckling nervously as he smiled.

"Heh...t...thanks Catnap. I really...appreciate it."

The cat smiled warmly, but his eyes widened once he observed something on the chicken's body.

He didn't have a pendant. Instead, there was a large star on his stomach. It seemed to be a pattern on his feathers, seeming to be a lighter variation of yellow.

The cat then looked at the other's bodies, noting that Crafty, Hoppy, and Picky weren't there.

He'll have to give them his apologies later.

One thing at a time.

The cat noticed that Bobby and Bubba retained similar patterns.

Bubba had a blue light bulb, in the form of a pattern on his stomach.

And Bobby of course had a red heart in the middle of her stomach, in the form of a fur pattern.

The cat then looked down at himself.

So he should have...

...A sun...?

That's...strange.

The feline himself appeared to have a purple sun in the middle of chest, of course, in the form of a fur pattern, like Bobby and the others.

Now that the cat was looking at it, the strange difference in the cat's fur pattern drew the attention of the other three.

"Wow...um...dude, yours is like...what I imagined...Dogday's would be. But purple."

"Yeah, I was going to say the same thing! Yet...I'd say that it fits you well!"

"...Fascinating..."

The three observed, the cat letting out a soft chuckle, seeing it as a reminder of his favorite canine- no, person in the whole world.

"Dogday must've meant a lot to you...huh, Catnap?"

The feline blushed, wondering if the Bobby and the others had seen the intimate moments he shared with the dog. There was no shame in it, it was just...embarrassing, is all.

"Well...while you wait for his return..."

Bobby grabbed the feline's hand, standing up as the cat nearly jumped up to his feet, feeling as if the bear was about to drag him.

"How about we show you around? And help you adjust. I think there's a house for you somewhere here, too!"

The feline raised an eyebrow, the four walking alongside each other as the bear gave a short explanation.

"When we arrived, there were eight houses. One of the remaining two should be yours."

The cat nodded, finding the idea of each of them having houses rather intruiging. It reminded him of their time in Home Sweet Home, although this time with houses rather than rooms.

Still...although the cat had some worries in his mind, such as how some of the others may adjust to his presence here.

He had a feeling that things would turn out well. After all, it was as the dog said.

He has to be happy.

For him.

Fun fact: This Chapter was originally going to be called 'For Him'. I decided that Sleep Well fits better, and served as a nice reference!