The Beginning of the End// Castle Cats

Hope won't save us now...

A warm grey tom paced around. A white she-cat and a orangish brown fluffy tom watched in concern. "Conan, you need to-" the white cat begun, but was cut off by Conan.

"Can't. If I slack off, the Pugomancer could destroy Catania!"

The Persian butted into the conversation. "Catniss is right Conan, you haven't rested well ever since-"

"-Ever since we- I helped the evil Pugomancer..." he sighed. "I need to stop her..."

"You will, we will, but it takes time," Catniss told him gently.

"No Catniss! No! Do you think the Pugomancer will just give us the time we need? No, she won't. Whenever she gets the chance, she'll destroy us all."

The Persian flinched. "She won't destroy us!" he protested.

"How do you know that?" Conan hissed. "How Francis?"

Francis frowned. "I... I don't know..."

"Exactly," Conan growled. "This is the beginning of the end..." Catniss and Francis stared at Conan hopelessly as he stalked away, away from hope and away from his friends. What if he was right...?

"Of course not!" a high-pitched voice shrieked. A light cream tom sighed in frustration, along with other cats. "He's never right!"

A little grey she-cat with paint on her fur spoke softly. "Edward is smart, he's always right." For once in his life, Edward smiled, but Pipsqueak wasn't having it.

"He is not! I'm the smartest here!" she bragged.

A black tom with rainbow colors, large wings, and embers floating around him laughed. "You? The smartest? Pipsqueak, you're about as smart as a rock!"

Pipsqueak giggled. "Of course I am!" the cats sighed. It took some time, but Pipsqueak eventually realized. "Hey!" they all laughed and scattered. Pipsqueak huffed and strutted off. "Jerks!" she yelled. Purrcilla snickered and went over to try to calm her down.

Kattja sighed. "Pipsqueak is hopeless!" she groaned.

Kittysticks nodded. "Tell me about it!" he grumbled and walked away.

Matilda smiled softly. "She isn't that bad. She's just...uhh..." she trailed off. Cats surrounding her laughed. "Pipsqueak is...unique!" they laughed even more.

"She's picky!" Dash snickered.

"And she brags 24/7!" Kai smirked.

"She's beautiful," Molotov smiled and sighed dreamingly. "I-I mean- she's fancy- no- uhh...stupid?" he smiled nervously, hoping they would believe his lie.

The cats stared at him. "Yeah she is!" they agreed.

"Stop being so mean!" Bob hissed and bristled up, looking like a pinecone. The cats snickered. "I mean it! Pipsqueak is perfect just the way she is!"

Curio smiled. "Yeah! What he said!" she nodded and puffed put her chest.

Rocket smiled. "You guys sure are brave!" The kittens smiled happily and bounced away, squealing over the compliment. The older cats smiled and went back to what they were doing.

Stark and Stitch raced into the guild, terror on their usual cheery faces. "Help! The Pugomancer- sh-she ambushed us when we were out picking b-b-berries!" they wailed. Conan flinched and hurried out. Cats looked around at each other in uneasiness. Conan whined and thought of what to do and what to say. Catniss and Francis stared at him, many of the cats did. Conan had no clue what to do...