Mad Rat Dead - 5-1 - Pawsitive Interaction (S+ Rank)

At the end of Chapter 4 of Mad Rat Dead, Mad Rat has the cat at his complete mercy, having shoved the cat into some water and on the verge of drowning. Heart makes his leave, figuring business is done here, but Mad Rat has a change of heart. Putting his revenge on hold, he turns back the clock to before the water starts rising, and he convinces the cat that they both need to escape or they're both going to die if they ever fight again. I'm not entirely clear on how Mad Rat's time abilities work, but it seems the black cat is completely aware of their duel that had just occurred and, taking Mad Rat's advice to heart, will now help him escape the sewers. Considering the initial rewind back in 1-1 did not have anybody aware of it except Mad Rat and Rat God (and possibly Heart), my guess is that only Mad Rat and the characters who are conscious and immediately interacted with Mad Rat prior to the rewind are aware of it. Stage: Pawsitive Interaction Song: Passion in Blue by a_hisa (140 BPM) Starting Timer: 620 As we begin the stage, you'll see the cat peek out of holes in the wall, but he'll perform a more active role shortly afterwards. You see, Mad Rat has decided to take yet another unfamiliar path through the sewers, except this time there are large gaps devoid of Nightmares that he cannot cross on his own. Rather, in this stage, the black cat will pop out of holes in the wall and either stick a paw out or stick his neck out to allow Mad Rat to cross. Presumably, Mad Rat is leading the way as the black cat allows him to get across. Sure enough though, the water level rises aggressively in this stage making it the toughest sewers stage in the game, even with the cat's assistance. The stage also has a general upwards path, which is fitting, considering not once does the water level go down. The water got me a few times, particularly near the end when it's at its most aggressive. (Also the large swarms of the flaming skull enemies found across large chasms in the last quarter of this stage.) Once Mad Rat makes it out, Heart gives thanks to Mad Rat for saving the cat by showing him the way, though Mad Rat denies needing thanks. Heart is so nice... Since all of the other songs from a_hisa in this game have some reference to cheese, most likely, "Passion in Blue" refers to blue cheese in general, cheese with Penecillium mold in it. Penecillium spores are mixed in with the cheese while it's still liquid, then left to cure as the mold makes its way around the cheese. Stilton, which Stage 3-2's music is named after, is one of the most famous examples of blue cheese and is made in England. Other examples and their countries are Gorgonzola (Italy), Roquefort (France), Maytag (United States), Cabrales (Spain), Danish (Denmark), Aura (Finland), and Dragon's Breath (Canada). I personally love blue cheese, but it is definitely not for everybody.