"Who are Minty and Floss?" Tino dared to ask.

Both cats turned a glance to the new cat, Smokey with pure horror, and Leichi with fear along with beginning to wonder who this guy was, as if he just realized Tino was standing there.

"They're two sisters around here. They joined our little group but they act like they can boss everyone around and they're reeaally scary!" Smokey said in a frightful meow. "Floss clawed me right across the nose once."

Tino flattened his ears in worry. They sounded bad. Something in the back of his head told him to leave and never run into those two for as long as he lived, but another part of himself said to go forth. Go forth my child! That half won. How? "I'm sure all they need is a little Christmas spirit," Tino meowed lightly.

"Christmas? Bu—"

"Smokey! Hide me! They're going to get me!"

"Why?"

"I-I… I kind of…Stepped on Minty's tail… But it was an accident!"

"Leichi, what have you done?! They're going to murder you! With blood and everything!"

"I know! Pleeaase hide meee!"

Tino watched them not quite sure what to do besides stand there worryingly but hopeful. Smokey looked around desperate to find a place to hide the small brown tabby. "Leichi, you remember my home? With the butterflies you liked?" The smaller cat nodded. "Good. Go hide there. Tino and I will come back for you later."

Leichi nodded and quickly ran off, not even waving them farewell or asking for their own safety. Smokey turned to Tino.

"Okay, I guess… I should introduce you…"

Tino nodded. "We already came all this way for me to meet them."

Smokey nodded hesitantly. "But I wasn't expecting those two to be here…" He took the lead and led Tino into the playground. There weren't any kids running around it so it was safe for them to walk without being trampled. Smokey leapt onto the step and climbed onto the higher floor near where the slide started. Tino followed a little more nervous now.

He had a right to be. As soon as he caught up with Smokey the world suddenly flew by him and next thing he knew he was on his side on the ground. A huge white tom cat with black paws loomed over him.

"Who are you," he asked without any hostility, but still threatening somehow.

Tino opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out, he only felt like yelling and calling for help. Even Berwald would be better to come at a time like this.

"Jack, get off him! …Please?" It was Smokey's voice. "He's a new friend of mine, I came to introduce him to you all."

Tino looked up and saw the bigger cat blink with a new look in his eyes, he was unsure what it was though. The cat stepped back giving room for Tino to sit up again. "Sorry," he meowed. "It's a habit I've gotten into to attack anyone I don't know… Bad past experiences."

The cream and white cat nodded, light hazel eyes wide with a slowly relaxing fear. Now that he wasn't being mauled he could clearly see who this cat was. He was a large tom cat, not very heavy coated, but a large body. His muscles were visible under his pelt, which was grazed with scars. He was mostly white, but with black paws and blue eyes and a pink nose. So this was Jack,

"Where are the others?" Smokey asked.

Jack looked at the gray tom with an almost scowl, reminding Tino of a certain someone he knew. (Hint*Berwald*Hint) "Leichi ran off a while ago, the sisters went after him but they should be back soon. Fallen is… In a tree."

Smokey laughed. "Well I could have guessed."

The two continued talking but Tino was looking at the branches overhead now. Among the mass of wood and leaves he could make out a small white and brown pelt. The cat met his eyes momentarily before bristling and moving further into the branched so Tino couldn't see her anymore. Eye contact really was her greatest weakness…

Berwald's POV

The stone gray tom heard the cat beside him let out a breath.

"My feet—er… paws hurt," he complained. Berwald flicked his ear refusing to answer. Emil was silent as well. "Seriously, when can we stop? It's getting dark and I'm hungry. I also want beer."

"Will you quit complaining?" Emil asked slightly annoyed now. "We have to focus on finding Finland and Mr. Puffin."

Matthias let out another load moan. Berwald paid no attention and stopped when he saw a small brown form run across the street. First clue they had all day. "Wait," Berwald called to him but the cat didn't stop. The other two noticed too.

"Maybe he knows where Tino is? Let's get him." Berwald sighed as Matthias took off after the younger cat.

"Don't run off like that!" Emil called after the large white and orange cat before chasing after him. Berwald followed more slowly.

When he caught up to the two the sun was barely up over the distance. The two cats had cornered what appeared to be a kitten, in an alley way which was, unfortunately, a dead end. What a cliché.

"We were wondering if you've seen a friend of ours. He's about this high." Matthias held up a paw.

"What kind of description is that?" Emil said ever so slightly annoyed. The small brown tabby just stared at the two trembling, with wide green eyes.

Berwald padded up to them and pushed passed the two before confronting the kitten. "Hello, I'm Sveden. We're looking for a friend of ours named Tino." He couldn't really explain what his 'wife' looked like since they've never seen his 'cat form.' He was missing when they all woke up as furry felines.

The cat shivered even more under Berwald's stoic expression. "I-I don't know…" He whimpered.

Emil sighed. "So that was just a wild goose chase? We'll never find Tino or Mr. Puffin at this rate."

"It would help it I could have a beer break."

"How would that help?"

Berwald paid no attention to the two behind him and continued his "lovely" conversation with the tabby. "What's your name?"

"L-leichi…"

"Are you lost?"

"N-no… I mean I wasn't, but then you guys chased me and I panicked… So yes, I am…" There was a moment of silence before the small cat spoke up again. "You said you were looking for someone. I met someone new today. Maybe he could be your friend?"

The two bickering cats both perked at this but Berwald just simply nodded.

"H-he was a small cat with creamy and white colors… and light hazel eyes, and his voice sounded a bit weird… I-I saw him at the park when he c-came with a friend of m-mine."

That could have been any cat, and the two were doubting it, but Berwald had a strange feeling rise up in his chest. He couldn't explain it, but he knew it meant something. "Do you know where the park is?"

Leichi shook his head. "I got lost remember."

Berwald nodded again. "Alright." He leaned over and picked the small cat up by the scruff of his neck. Matthias and Emil stared as Berwald made his way back out of the alley with Leichi is his mouth, but they said nothing and followed.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I really enjoyed writing this chapter! :D