Remember Me:

Well, it happened yet again. Apparently, her usual bravery just straight up vanished when she dealt with things that were very personal or laced with the icky stuff called 'emotions'. So much for being strong. In her hike to RiverClan a moon or two ago, something... unpleasant had manifested deep within her gut that had her scrambling off as fast as she could past the clan that had the answers she so desperately desired. She had taken refuge in the Twolegplace Farm just past the edge of RiverClan ever since. Essentially, she bailed like a coward. So unlike the Katana she had once been. It disgusted her... but she never tried to actually change. After giving her life a lot of thought and weeding out what was important and what she shouldn't really care about, she finally found the courage to do what she had set out to do in the first place. That's the reason why she was here. Why she was slowly but surley walking away -old badger pelt snuggly and securely wrapping her frame- from the place she came to call her temporary home and into RiverClan's territory, one of the few places she dreaded visiting.
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She wasn't quite sure for how long she'd been walking for but it was probably much shorter than how it felt. She didn't really know the exact layout of the territory so she allowed her paws to walk her to... anywhere in particular. She should've probably been following the river but it felt more like an adventure this way. She was aiming for either bumping into a patrol or stumbling upon the camp. Now that she was thinking about it, she should've shed her badger pelt. It probably wasn't a good idea just wandering around wearing a reminder of the group of cats that had imprisoned them a while ago. The thing was, she just... didn't really want to let it go. Despite everything that had happened, the Asylum had been the one thing consistent in her abnormal life. It was a piece of her past that she wasn't ready to let go yet.

Katana startled herself when her paws abruptly stopped moving. Her reminiscing came to a halt and she cautiously scanned her surroundings. There seemed to be nobody around, at least, it's how it seemed. Huh... She wondered why she stopped near another section of the clan's many borders. The light-furred she-cat looked down at the ground and spotted a few clumps of reeds, nothing of note at first. The more time she spent staring at the reeds, a sense of something akin to... longing became more and more prominent within her. She wasn't sure why but she was feeling a strong sense of déjà vu at that very moment. Why, though? Had she been there before? Perhaps, once upon a time in her kithood she'd been here. She wasn't so sure but something about that whole area was really messing with her emotions. She decided to stay there for a while and investigate before she'd continue her trek. It wouldn't hurt to have more of a peek, right?

(ooc: sorry this took a while! thought I had already replied)

Wisteriabloom was moping, as seemed to be usual these days. She just needed time to think things through. Even if thinking was all she ever did. Earlier, when she was hunting, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the river, and it startled her slightly. She used to always be caught up on her appearance, and now, even though she still kept her pelt clean, she didn't put nearly as much thought into it. However, what had caught her eye was the few grey hairs scattering her muzzle. Now it was all she could think about. In the grand scheme of things, and compared to someone like Carpsplash, she wasn't even that old. But her moons were catching up to her faster than she had realised.

So here she was, aimlessly strolling and wallowing in her thoughts. For now, at least.

She was nearing the border now, not too far from where she had found Snakekit. Snakekit. If Beecloud had told the truth (which he'd had no reason not to) her daughter could still be in the clans somewhere. As much as Wisteriabloom didn't want to, however, she was beginning to loose hope. 

Black and white stripes.

The distinct pelt of a badger pulled her out of her memories. It caught her off-guard, mostly due to the lack scent. Hackles raised, she let out a quiet warning hiss, and was beginning to weigh her options; she doubted she could beat a badger alone in a fight, but she wasn't really in the mood to back down. Only now, where the warrior lay in wait, did she properly get a good look at the beast. Just to find that it probably wasn't a badger. Its movements were far too cat-like, which meant one thing: Asylum. A bitter taste rose in her mouth just at the thought of it.

Clearing her throat slightly, she rose out the bushes, not longer scared or hesitant. "You should know better, Asylum cat. This territory is no longer yours, nor will it ever be again." She took a threatening step in the direction of the other cat, trying to size her opponent up. However, thanks to those star-cursed pelts, she had no idea how well her intimidation was working.

Whipping her head around to face the stranger, eyes narrowed and tail lashing in irritation. "Listen here you-" the large she-cat trailed off and refrained from snapping at the other cat further once she remembered why she was there in the first place. Oh, right. There was no need for hostility on her part. She was no longer part of the Asylum... the Asylum was gone, for goodness sake! Perhaps it'd be best if she dropped her pelt for now. She should've listened to her instincts and should've left it behind. Oh well. It was too late for that now.

The light-furred cat let out a huff before sighing in resignation and slowly taking the badger pelt off. "Um... uhh..." She should probably apologize and offer an explanation before anything could escalate further. As soon as she fully took off the pelt, she awkwardly shoved it to one side with a forceful paw and turned back to face the Riverclanner. She took a bit of time to smooth out her ruffled muted gold pelt before speaking, "Hey... um listen... Sorry about... all that. I'm not here for trouble at all. Even if you don't believe me, just... just hear me out okay?"

How could she begin this? She couldn't make the explanation too long, for both their sakes. Guess she had to just wing it. "Well, I ain't positively sure if you were made aware of it or somethin' but the Asylum took many kits from the clans and raised 'em as their own to fight for their side an' all that. Long story short, I was one of those kits and I'm here to... well... I guess get some closure for myself... and probably for my family... I guess..." She muttered the last part as she warily eyed the warrior, hoping she'd believe her story. She should! It was true after all.

As she awaited any sort of response, she took a good look at the she-cat. She... seemed oddly familiar? Maybe she saw her at the battle or something of that nature. She wasn't too sure but something about her was... bothering Katana.

"Do... Do I know ya from somewhere? I dunno. You just seem weirdly familiar but I can't place a claw on it."

Wisteriabloom could probably pinpoint the exact moment her heart stopped. The Asylum cat slowly removed her badger pelt, revealing a sandy-coloured she-cat, with a familiar glint in her eyes. Snakekit. Words frozen in her throat, she just listened as she explained herself. Immediately the warrior felt guilty for coming across so hostile, but after so long under rouge rule, what else was she supposed to do when she sore a pelt-wearing cat? Finally, once the other cat had finished, she managed to say one word, tears already stinging her eyes.

"S-Snakekit?"

Her little cheeky kit, all grown up. And she had missed every single part of it. It took her a few deep breaths to regain some of her composure, and went into a further explanation. "I-I found you here moons ago, in that clump of grass over there," she flicked her tail towards. She remembered that day crystal-clear, even now. "with a snakeskin on you, that's why I called you Snake. We never found your birth mother, but for those moons you were in our clan, I was enough. Until they took you." Taking a shaky breath, she tried to not collapse. This moment was probably even more important for her daughter than it was for her: she didn't want to ruin it by having a breakdown.

"What I trying to say is that... I'm your mother, Snake. And I've missed you more than words can describe." As much as she wanted to move closer, her paws stayed glued to the floor, unsure of exactly how this news would be received.

As if she had just been struck, Katana physically recoiled with a troubled expression. She... She really didn't do feelings, and there was a lot of that going on right then. To say she was a bit uncomfortable would be an understatement. The raw emotions in the strangely familiar she-cat was overwhelming to try and dissect. She might have to take a more... slower approach to this situation.

First off, Snakekit. That was striking a nerve deep within the recesses of her being, albeit not a bad one. It was... also something familiar with her. No matter how hard she thought about the 'name', she was getting almost nowhere in her memories, and it was irritating her. However, the more the she-cat explained herself, the more the feelings of recognition grew until...

Her throat suddenly felt drier, as if she had forgone water for days on end. She shakily let out a breath as she scanned the other's face for any hint of a lie to her story. After some desperate moments of searching, she found none. It was the scariest moment yet, she's never felt calmer than right there.

"W..." The she-cat's name was on the tip of her tongue but she was having immense trouble letting it go. This was... her mother. This was one of the cats she's been so desperate to find, to meet once again. She was right there! Even so, why was it so hard to fully accept? It shouldn't have been this easy, at least, not for her. She didn't deserve this ending.

After much debate, she finally decided to take this gift that was given to her. If there was repercussions to be dealt with later on, then so be it. She stared straight at her mother, eyes unwavering yet with as much compassion and love as she could muster. She's only looked at one other cat like this before and she was waiting for her in ShadowClan.

"Wisteriabloom... mother..." she whispered loud enough for only the warrior to hear. Without much warning, she padded forward with gentle yet solid steps and stopped when they were directly face to face. "Mother. I'm here now. I remember you. I've been missing you much more than I've ever imagined." She pressed her forehead to Wisteria's, a clear reminder that this was not a dream and her mother was really there. There was nothing more said by her. Only more things felt. It was true that she was never good at feelings but, she was willing to learn.