Conflicts create the fire of affects and emotions; and like every fire it has two aspects: that of burning and that of giving light.

- CG Jung

CatNap sat in front of the shrine. He usually came her to worship and pray. Only this time, he sat there and stared. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know how to feel. What he was feeling was utter confusion. He hated to say it, but he also felt gratitude towards that… 'false prophet' he reminded himself. Gratitude for healing his voice box. For fixing his wounds. For not killing him.

He shook his head, angry at himself. He should hate that false prophet. She was trespassing! She's a murderer! She was a threat to their peace! She freed that heretic! She tampered with his god's shrine!

He growled… then stopped. He paused at the feeling in his throat. No pain. No straining. His throat and voice box really did feel so much better.

"This should prove I am not like them. I would never condone what they have done… If I really had malicious intent, I would have killed you when I had the opportunity. I would not have healed you." Her words repeated in his head.

But she attacked him! She healed him after she injured him!

"I know you have no reason to believe or trust me, but understand, everything I've done since I got here was self defense… I will do what is necessary to stay alive and to protect myself and DogDay, CatNap. And you know I can." Her words sounded again. "I would've left DogDay in the Playhouse. I would not have healed him from what you did to him!"

He growled louder, then let out a frustrated roar. He stood up and ran towards the wall of the cavern, and started scratching the wall, as if he were mauling some large beast, roaring as he did. Finally, after a few minutes, CatNap stopped clawing the wall, slumped to the floor, and panted in frustrated exhaustion.

"That wall… must have done… something pretty…. awful to earn… such a… mauling," different voices sounded behind him, causing CatNap to tense up.

He spun around and saw the Prototype there in the caverns. CatNap adjusted his posture and knelt in submissive worship towards the Prototype.

"The Prototype," he whispered, trying to add strain to his voice, though he failed miserably. His god did not fail to notice.

"What is this now?" He questioned rhetorically. "Your voice…"

CatNap flinched. He changed his position to a submissive and apologetic bow with his face to the floor.

"Forgive me," CatNap spoke with a normal voice. "I let my guard down. She ambushed me. She freed that heretic," he hissed the word as if it were poison, "and she attacked me while I was teaching him a lesson. But then she healed me from the wounds she inflicted upon me."

"Hmmm," the Prototype hummed in garbled noises.

CatNap tried to restrain himself from flinching further as he felt the Prototype's fingers on his bandaged shoulder. After a few minutes, the Prototype removed his hand. CatNap mentally sighed in relief, but then caught himself.

Since when did he fear the Prototype's touch?

"Quite a… tactic… I see," the Prototype said with recorded voices.

"'Tactic,' my savior?" CatNap questioned.

"First she… injures you. Then she… heals you. She no doubt… did this to confuse you. And I can see… she did a good job," the Prototype elaborated.

'I knew it! She's trying to fool me!'

"I had you at my mercy, and I let you live," her words ran through his head again.

CatNap growled once again in frustration. And the Prototype noticed.

"She's messing with your head," the Prototype stated. He didn't need to question it.

"Yes, my savior," CatNap admitted. He slowly lifted his head up to face the Prototype, and pleaded, "help me. Save me from her lies!"

"Oh my friend..." the Prototype purred, placing a hand on CatNap's uninjured shoulder, "you don't need saving. Not from her words."

"But…" CatNap was about to beg, but his words caught in his throat. What did he mean by him not needing saving? That certainly caught his attention.

"She is… no different… than the others. She is a liar. A thief. A murderer. She did this… to turn you against me," the Prototype said. The Prototype then tried to add a seductive tone to the voices he was forced to copy, "I promised… you freedom. I promised… you salvation. I promised… no more… cages. No more… pain. No more… suffering."

CatNap listened to the Prototype's words. But then flinched when the Prototype questioned in a melancholic tone, "have I… not kept those… promises?"

"NO! I-I mean, YES! Yes, you have! The Hour of Joy was your promises come to life. Your - OUR dream come true! You've never failed us!"

CatNap started to tremble in fear, hoping beyond hope he answered his god correctly.

"Please, forgive me," CatNap then begged, facing the cavern floors again in apologetic submission. "That false prophet just caught me off guard."

"They always do," The Prototype said in an admitting tone.

"It won't happen again," CatNap promised.

"I certainly… hope… not," the Prototype hissed.

CatNap gulped. "She… she will pay dearly for what she has done," CatNap said trembling. "I will tear her and that heretic apart!"

"Oh, I'm sure… you will," The Prototype said with pleasure in his amalgamated voices. "But… I have something… else in mind."

That caught CatNap's attention.

"I actually have… my own plans…. For that trespasser. She may be… known as… 'Poppy's angel'… but I think I can make her… presence work… to my advantage," the Prototype said, his voiced spiked with pleasure.

"My savior?" CatNap asked.

He knew of The Prototype's plans for the other mascots of the factory. But they were too elusive for the Prototype to kill on his own. They always slipped away, or the Prototype couldn't find a reason to kill them since they were so obedient.

"The others… are dead. Huggy. Mommy. What is left… of them… are now… mine!" The Prototype chuckled. "That trespasser being here may be… better than… I thought. She is giving me what… I need. She is doing my hard work… for me! I need the strength… and parts… of those toys… to become unstoppable," The Prototype growled seductively, then threateningly. "And I cannot have you… getting in the way of that."

CatNap winced. "Please, forgive me! I didn't know that-"

"Enough," The Prototype interrupted. "I don't want to hear… your excuses. You have already… failed me once. I cannot… have you… failing me again."

CatNap whimpered. The Prototype had never spoken to him like that. Not even before he became what he is now. The Prototype had always been so supportive. Caring. Promising.

"I need you… to get her out… of Playcare," the Prototype continued in a demanding tone, snapping CatNap out of his thoughts. "I need her alive! But… she is just as much as threat… as she is an ally," he added reluctantly. "Only if… she refuses… to leave… may you kill her."

"How exactly should I do that, my savior?" CatNap questioned, but then immediately flinched. The Prototype was already angry. He didn't want to think of what would happen if he angered him further.

"She has a weakness… you can exploit," the Prototype said with excitement in his tone. "That treacherous mutt… DogDay."

CatNap felt sadist excitement of his own building inside him. He hated DogDay for what he had done to him. He thought ripping him in half and stringing him up to rot like a piece of meat was the perfect punishment.

But no. Using him against his precious 'angle' was a better fitting punishment.

Seeing CatNap's reaction, The Prototype continued in a seductive tone. "Use his safety… and life… against her. Promise his life… in exchange… for her departure. If she refuses… tear him apart again… right in front of her. Spill his guts at her feet. Spray his blood across her face! Then… when she is overcome… with grief… tear her apart."

CatNap couldn't help but chuckle in excitement. Feeling confident in the presence of his god again, he shifted from the floor to his knees again, and brought his paws up in worship.

"I will not fail you, my savior. Your orders will come to pass!"

"Good," the Prototype purred. "I am glad to hear that." However, his tone then took a turn, his amalgamated voices becoming a threatening and overpowering growl, "because you know… what happens to those… who fail me."

CatNap shuddered, but held his worshipping posture. "I understand."

The Prototype said nothing more. He turned and left the caverns, leaving CatNap alone. Once the Prototype was gone, CatNap released a huge sigh of relief, releasing the tension he didn't even realize he was holding in.

Once he was calm enough, he returned to stand in front of his shrine and brought his paws up in prayer.

"I will do what is necessary to stay alive and to protect myself and DogDay, CatNap. And you know I can. If you try to touch DogDay again, if you come at me again, I will kill you! That is a promise!" The final words of the false prophet's voice ran through his head again.

CatNap hated to admit it, but this human was not like the others who worked here. She knew how to fight. She knew how to defend herself. She knew how to turn strengths into weaknesses.

This was going to be harder than it sounded.

There is no greater evil than for a heart to be happy in idolatry.

- Charles Spurgeon