"DeathClaw! You doofus!" Queen Gaia stormed into the royal gardens. "That is in no way my daughter. I won't trust you anymore. Don't you want to keep peace, not start another war? What are you doing towards the peace of KittydogTopia? Kidnap innocent citizens? Do you wish KittydogTopia to declare war?" Gaia tried her best to look threatening, but deep down, she knew that KittydogTopia wouldn't stand a chance against DeathClaw's Catlandia if a war did start.

The aqua remover Kittydog was hauled in by cat and dog soldiers clad in black, a million ropes strangling her like snakes. They struggled, squirming like a worm, tossing and turning through the dirt, the rag stuffed in their mouth smushing all their words into an endless stream of ear-splitting whimpers. As the black cat Prince appeared and flicked his claws the soldiers grabbed the longest ropes and tied the screaming Kittydog onto the tallest tree in the garden, the ropes crossing out the heart carved out in the bark, near the roots, saying In arms, entwined.

As DeathClaw's soldiers did their work, Queen Gaia cannot help but watch in heartbreak. That tree was her mate King Arbos' last gift to her. She remembered that before he left to battle in the war, he carved those words in the tree, and told her that no matter how far they are separated, their love will always be entwined together like the roots of a tree.

And now the enemy that killed Arbos... tied a maniacal prisoner to that very tree. A humiliation to Gaia. But she cannot take it personally, and if she did she can do nothing about it. Everything was reminding her how weak her nation KittydogTopia was after the fight, how all the KittydogTopians must live under oppression from Catlandia, humiliated and tortured. Even herself, the Queen, had to forgo her most sacred altair just for a negotiation with Catlandia's Prince. 

DeathClaw's personal army, separate from the Catlandian military, were the best scouts and killers in the entire Kittydog planet. And when Linphea, Queen Gaia's eldest princess goes missing, she can only resort to asking her enemy for help, because of what she promised them as part of the war. DeathClaw's commissions charge a terrible price, even more terrible if unfulfilled. So this is why she needed Linphea - Linphea was part of this trade.

DeathClaw sneered, then looked down at the quiet Kittydog, who was worn out by all their struggling, their head hanging limp between the ropes. "No, my Queen," he explained in a fake sweet voice, pointing at the Kittydog, leaning against the tall tree in a relaxed, reclined position. "Their little guards call them Cassini. And they are much, much more valuable than Linphea."

With one quick swipe of his claws he tore a pair of small green wings off the kittydog's back, and recieved no response. Assuming that Cassini has passed out, DeathClaw raised his voice and smashed the worn wings onto the ground in front of him. "Linphea's wings..." Gaia gasped at the sight of this verdant green. "Yes, and what civillian Kittydog would get their paws on a pair of Linphea's wings? Well, well, well, if our predictions are correct, this is..." From that surpressing of emotions on the Queen's face, DeathClaw knew that both of them understood.

"So you want Cassini, rather than Linphea now?" Gaia demanded. At least taking away a normal kittydog was much better than taking her own daughter away. Even though Queen Gaia despises Linphea, losing her own child would still be a heartache. She does what is best for her children, and getting Linphea a broken heart is still better than leaving Linphea to live or die in DeathClaw's custody.

"No, you don't get that point. Cassini for finding Linphea, and Linphea for the truce..." DeathClaw leaned over and whispered into Gaia's ear. "..."

"What a splendid plan!" Gaia's frown quickly turned into a smile, though deep down she knew that she was being sarcastic. DeathClaw's plans were brutal and terrible to her. "That way, we'll have both Linphea and her lover dead." She can only hope it was better than the outcome she envisioned.

"No, no, no, not dead," DeathClaw interrupted quickly. "Did you forget the trade?"

Suddenly the wiry shape of Princess Fern appeared at the gates of the garden, her mouth split wide open. "Why do you want to kill my sister, mom?" She clung onto the metal bars, trying to force herself through the iron door towards Gaia and DeathClaw, tears glowing in her eyes. Then her childish eyes caught sight of Cassini burdened with rope, tied around the tree, and her arm reached through the bars to point at them. "And who's this blue Kittydog, and why do you also want to kill them?"

"None of your buisness!" Queen Gaia said haughtingly, grabbed a nearby tree branch and desperately flung it in Fern's direction. After the screams turned into wails and running footsteps and then faded away, she put on another smile and turned back to DeathClaw. "As we were saying, tomorrow...we kill that Kittydog and give you Linphea."

Meanwhile...

"Linphea, something's not right," Comet grabbed the small Kittydog's paw. "DeathClaw took Cassini, not you. But that day in the gazebo, when Cassie came to us, they warned us about DeathClaw. So that means, it's you that he wants. He took Cassini, to lure you, because he knows they're your weak spot."

"Cassini... my Cassie... how do I heal this broken heart?" Linphea crumpled in the corner where two walls met and buried her head in her paws. "It's all my fault! I shouldn't leave you, shouldn't leave you to die! I shouldn't have escaped in the first place, shouldn't let you in, shouldn't play..." her cries soon turned into muffled, indistinguishable sounds.

"This is such a good time to have an emotional breakdown," Lynx glanced around and whispered to Skipper, who tugged him and stopped him from saying any more.

"It's not entirely your fault. It's not your fault. It's that evil DeathClaw's." Crystal added, trying to change the topic as the group gathered around Linphea.

"Everyone has their own ups and downs, we'll just have to stick together through it, and go with the flow," Fluffi joined them, stepping closer to Comet and Linphea, and holding out her paw.

Even Skipper, who was standing at the edge of the group, moved in closer next to Alwu. She appeared to be in deep thought, her mouth opened but failed to speak out anything, then turned to Alwu and handed this responsibility to her. Lynx patted Skipper's head, as if reading her mind, reassuring her that "Kuzushi is gone, forever".

Alwu shook her head, then turned to Linphea. "You know what? If DeathClaw wants us there, we're going there. Everything for Cassini." It sounded stupid, very stupid. But it was the only way as all the Kittydogs and Lynx nodded, except for Linphea, her head hung low, features unreadable.

Linphea stayed in that position for a while, then her eyes lit up. "Okay, so, we're in!"