who do you belong to [c]

Thalia hadn’t rushed herself in her travels, instead taking the time to speak with strangers, to share the knowledge she’d gathered over her life so far and to make friends. She’d even come across cats she hadn’t expected she would ever see again.

She’d thought this part of her journey might be lonely, but it hadn’t been. She wasn’t alone at all, though her partner was currently trailing somewhere behind her. Which made sense: Thalia was the one who knew where they were going--and even then, she only sort of knew; it wasn’t like she’d been there before.

Even so, and even as part of her heart called her back to the forest and to the Clan she’d left behind, every step forward as she approached what she thought was the end of her journey felt like coming home.

(Could home be a place you'd never known?

Could it be more than one?

She still wasn't sure.)

In the distance, there was the sound of a cheerful laugh as two cats strolled through the plains. One - a smaller brown she-cat with darker markings and white spots - danced among the flowers, racing ahead a few tree-lengths before she would turn to circle back to her brother - a larger, white tom with gray and light brown splotches whose gaze was fixed straight ahead with a content smile.

"Man, you should have seen their faces, Oke! They were so surprised when you wiped the ground with them," the she-cat giggled as she brushed past her brother.

Oke tilted his head, his rounded ears following his sister with a huff - but there was a knowing smile on his face. He knew it was all that she needed as a response as she came to a halt next to him with another laugh. "Pff, their fault for underestimating you! How many times do you think it will take before they stop holding back?" she questioned, before the sound of her paws picked back up as she started to dart away - but the sound of her brother's voice caused her to halt.

"Wait, Aleda!" he called out, eyes narrowing as his mouth hung open. "...Strangers on the horizon - one closer than the other," he added, his voice low. A sigh escaped him as his sister squealed in response.

"Strangers?!? Do you think they have any good stories?" she questioned - already in a sprint towards the newcomer. Oke just sighed, picking up the pace as he confidently strolled forward, well familiar with this area that it didn't matter that his sister had ran ahead.

Though Thalia had taken to making friends on her journey, the sight of a cat racing toward her still put her on her guard. When they didn't seem to be on the offensive, though, she relaxed; the worry was more a habit from her youth than any real concerns for her own safety now.

"Um, hi! It's been a little while since we ran into someone, I wasn't expecting it just yet." She probably should have, now that she thought about it; the closer they got, the more likely it would be, right? In the meantime she gave an open, friendly smile and hoped that they would be willing to share information. "Do you know where we are? I'd like to make sure we aren't lost. The directions weren't super clear, so I've been kind of worried about that..."

Aleda came sliding to a stop as the stranger spoke up, ears perking with a sheepish grin at the apologize. "No, no, its fine - sorry its been a while since we've had guests and we aren't expecting anybody out to be returning for a while and-" she cut off, giving her head a shake. She was getting too excited - she took in a deep breath. "Sorry, sorry - rambling. Where we are? A bit of a hard thing to answer," she admitted with a shrug. "I mean, what we call this place might mean nothing to you - and I've never been away so I don't know any nearby landmarks but..."

She drifted off at the sound of pawsteps from the back, turning to see Oke approaching - a soft frown on his face. Another sheepish laugh escaped her, tail swishing back and forth. "Sorry, Oke! Don't worry - sounds like they are just travelers! Wanna know where they are but..." Her brother paused, tilting his head for a few heartbeats before he jerked it in the direction the two siblings had come from. "Oh, that would work!" she spun, turning to the stranger with a smile. "Silly me, my brother is right - you can come with us! We got people at the oasis who have been all over the place, like my parents! Or, or my big sister! They can give you better directions than we can and give you a place to rest your paws! We love swapping stories with those who travel by!" she rambled, before a paw in her haunches made her stop.

Oke had closed the distance and was giving her a firm frown before he motioned in the vague direction of the older she-cat

"Oh, you are right! That is so rude of  me, rambling like this..." she sighed, turning to look at her with a grin. "I never introduced myself! I'm Aleda and this is my brother Oke - he isn't being rude, he just doesn't like talking that much," she added quickly as Oke gave a polite nod to the stranger before she straightened up. "What about you? A-And do you have a name of where you are going? If you don't want to come with us, I get it but maybe I can remember something of what I've heard to point you in the right direction!"

The younger cat started talking, and just kept going; it reminded Thalia of her own awkward, uncertain rambling back when she was entirely unsure of herself. The words sort of blurred together, but she caught the Oasis and felt her ears perk up instantly as the stranger--Aleda--and her companion--Oke; her brother--stood before her.

"I guess not seeing anyone for a while would make anyone excited," she acknowledged, not entirely sure how to respond to the rest of that barrage of information. It wasn't like she had context for any of it. "Those are nice names, though. Mine's Thalia. Oh--my partner will probably take her time catching up, but she can probably introduce herself to you once she does."

Her tail curled lightly around her side, head tilted as she posed her question:

"Before, you mentioned... 'The Oasis'?"

There was a long pause at the mention of names - even after Thalia pressed for more information at the Oasis. Finally, Aleda turned to look at her brother. "You...Don't think?" she questioned as if Thalia wasn't even there - what she was referring to being left unsaid as Oke turned his head to glance in his sister's general direction. Aleda straightened up at the silent expression. "I know its a lot to be a coincidence!" she defended, tail puffed up. "But what is even the chance o-"

She was cut off as Oke raised a paw to her muzzle - his head swiveling to look behind them. "Our answer is here," he breathed as another figure crested over the nearby hill.

"Oke, Aleda - there you two are!" came a voice - a familiar voice for Thalia, even if their encounter had been brief among the marshes. Crossing the field was Theron - eyes focused entirely on her siblings as she let out a playful huff. "I swear, you two are venturing further every sunrise - you guys don't gotta compete with me for who goes the furthest from home," she teased - before her eyes flickered up to glance at Thalia. "Sorry about my siblings, they-" she paused, voice catching as who was standing in front of her clicked in her head.

"Oh! Thalia, you...! You're here!" she breathed, a shaky but relieved smile crossing her muzzle. "I mean, I know you told me you were going to but I was scared that...The Clans can be so dangerous, I was afraid you would..." A long pause, before a kit-ish squeal escaped her. "Dad is going to be so happy - he never lost hope that you would see him again! And you gotta meet my siblings! The rest of them, that is! And mom! Oh I don't know if you know my mom! Everybody is going to be so excited to meet you!"

"Theron!" Thalia's awkward smile grew more genuine as Theron arrived, confirming that she had successfully followed the directions she was given. "It's good to see you. Not just because it means I could follow your directions, of course..."

The lingering apprehension she'd had about this journey coming to an end seemed to slip away in an instant, as the younger she-cat kept talking.

"I'm not sure if I'd know her, either," she admitted. "Even if I might... It's been a long time."

Her tail flicked once, an old nervous gesture.

"The forest is dangerous, but I managed to stay safe. Though... Not everyone could do the same." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. There would be time to remember lost friends later. "Still, I didn't come alone. I already explained that my partner is taking her time--she'll catch up."

Theron gave a sheepish smile, sitting on her haunches as Thalia nervously admitted that she likely wouldn't know their mom. "Yeah, that's fair! I-I honestly would be surprised if you did remember her, she was..." she drifted off, grimacing. She had heard her fair share of how her parents had fallen in love - how happy they had been when Asylum had been destroyed as in the end, it meant that they could be together with no shame. But it still made her angry every time it was spoken about how her wonderful mother had been treated like dirt for no reason other than she wasn't much of a fighter. "Ah...Mom was a Pelt-ward so..."

She shook her head, before she registered what Thalia had said. 'Partner.' She straightened up, eyes brightening with an excited lash of her tail. "Oh, you got a mate?" she meowed as she leaned slightly to the side to gaze past Thalia for any sign of this partner - and spotted the approaching shape, even if she was still a bit off. "Oh congrats! That's awesome - more paws are always appreciated," she added with a purr.

Aleda was gawking from where she was standing - before her was the Thalia. She had heard so many stories from her dad - he had wanted the painful truth of their history to be known. What Asylum had been, the wrongs they had committed and what had led to their downfall - and that Thalia and the other taken kits had been his awakening to the truth. Of how he felt his entire current happiness was in, some way, only because of them and dreamed of the day where he could show Thalia what she had brought, even if all she had done was be herself.

Her silent gawking was brought to an end as a paw whacked her shoulder - Oke having picked up her stunned silence despite his blindness. She jolted at the strike, glaring with a pout at her brother but he simply waved a paw in Thalia's general direction before shoving his sister forward - a clear push to actually talk instead of just watching. She took a step forward, taking in a deep breath with a smile. "It-its great to actually get to meet you! We've all heard so much about you - dad speaks so fondly of you and the other kits," she meowed, trying to keep herself from being overwhelmed by how star-struck she was to be in the presence of one of the kits that her dad pointed towards being an unexpected catalyst to the end of Asylum and rebirth of the Oasis. Her tail swished as she perked up with a smile. "A-And I know I am free to talk for him when I say...Welcome home, Thalia!"