::TGB:: Kronk | Chio/Leto [ CH.5 Broken Memories ]

{ Leto / Northern Pheasant Woods }

The cool air was unusually refreshing to the tiny cat that plodded through the snow. Despite the chill that bit her skin, she felt oddly enough at ease. Everything was...extremely weird for the female, to say the least. She had only recently come out of her coma, which unfortunately left the lithe muscles slightly deteriorated. Her orange gaze was clear, hints of happiness lingering in them, something that was quite odd considering her situation. Apparently she had amnesia, and she wasn't really who she thought she was. Yet...what reason did the female have to believe the cats that told her that? She knew who she was now, and didn't really care about who she had been before. With an indignant huff, she continued walking through the snow, muscles relaxed.

Despite her being convinced that she knew who she was, she couldn't help the feeling of familiarity the forest offered. And the slight intimidation as well. Leto let out a light sigh, breath clouding in the cool air. Whatever familiar sense she had, she was choosing to ignore. She had no reason to have an familiarity with the forest, she mused lightly, tiny paws crunching on the leaves. Shivers wracked her slight frame, which annoyed the female slightly, but it was worth being out of the damn camp.

[ Kronk || Northern Pheasant Woods ]

Since the disappearance of the tattoos, it seems the world was thrown into turmoil, he even heard of a war getting closer… jeeze, why was every cat so idiotic? He wanted nothing to do with war, he just wasn’t interested. This being before the fight plot of course. He would just stay with Fire-Tribe and protect his family and friends. Still, the winter was a harsh one and they still needed to eat… with his sister finally moving forward from her moping around camp, he could go out and hunt peacefully, not worrying over her health like he had been for the past few weeks.

”Even the woods are covered with thick snow…” Kronk sighed softly, he was hoping some of the snow here melted after the death of Alriyel. But it just wasn’t so… He pawed at some snow which he knew covered a rabbit’s hole until he heard paw steps coming his way. He narrowed his eyes and turned his head to take in the scent… hm… wasn’t that..? The smokey tom got to his paws and he followed the scent, a black she-cat soon came into view. His eyes widen, ’Crap… I haven’t seen her since she confessed to me...’ he thought, thinking he should just turn tail and leave… but he should see if she was okay… ’Did she get into another fight…’ he noticed her new scars…

”Chio!” he called out to her, walking towards the former Orange-Air.

{ Leto || Northern Pheasant Woods }

When the voice rung out in the silence, it honestly felt like cold water had been poured down her spine. To say she was surprised would have been an understatement. To put it mildly, it had scared the hell out of her. Leto flinched violently, eyes narrowed with suspicion. Wait...what did the tom call her? Chio, was it? The sharp amber orbs narrowed further, and immediately a sense of discomfort and hesitation filled her body. Who was this cat? Talking to her with such familiarity. The tiny cats slightly tarnished muscles tightened, and the little female sank into a defensive posture; the other cat sounded distinctly friendly, but she wasn't willing to take the risk. "Who the hell are you?" Leto questioned boldly, gaze burning as if lit with coals. The dark-grey cat stepped back, watching him with both suspicion and wariness in her gaze....who was this guy?

Leto couldn't deny the odd sense of familiarity the tom gave off, but it served to further irritate and disconcert her. Who the hell was this guy to her anyway? He was just another damn stranger, right? Leto shook off her musings, flicking her eyes over him, taking in his features. Damn...he was huge. Easily twice her size. If situations turned sour, this definitely wouldn't be good for her. He didn't look particularly hostile though, especially with the look of wariness reflected in his green eyes. Leto stood back up straight, shaking out her tense limbs idly. She was no where closed to being as fit as she had been supposedly before she went into the coma, but jeez this was sad. Even this walk had left her feeling slightly fatigued, much to her unhappiness and embarrassment. With a near silent grunt, she sat down upon the snow, the cold chilling her rump uncomfortably. A shudder wracked the thin figure for a moment, but she quickly covered it up, gazing directly at the tom.

[ Kronk || Northern Pheasant Woods ]

Kronk flinched upon the hostility he received from the she-cat… it even made him stop and look at her closely… was that Chio? She smelled and looked the same so why did it look like she didn’t know him? He frowned… was she teasing him or something? She seemed to really act like she didn’t know him… she looked slightly different… less… pitiful, if that was one way to put it… ”What do you mean who am I? You know who Chio, we’re friends…” he mewed, feeling something was definitely off about her, she seemed… different.

He approached her but stopped, not getting too close, he noticed the different air between them… she must be cold too right? Chio always complained how the cold raked her body as though she was fur-less… but things can never go back to the way it used to be, where he could curl up around her, like good friends… if anything, it was awkward now. And now Chio was pretending to not know him… wasn’t she? The young tom studied her…

{ Leto || Northern Pheasant Woods }

The female probably would have felt guilt at her words had she not been so horrendously confused. Did the tom really know her...? It was possible that they had known each other but...she couldn't believe that unless there was solid proof. She swallowed, a half frown appearing on the childish and youthful face. "I don't know you." she stated with such brutal and cutting honestly, she almost flinched at her own words. "I....I don't know exactly how you know me but.." she cut herself off, fur bristling on her shoulders. This conversation felt wrong, to put it mildly. The sense of discomfort that filled her body was so oppressive she felt faintly disconnected from the conversation, as if it weren't really her having it. Who the hell was he?

The tom approached her further, causing the already tense muscles to tighten even more. The female, at this point, looked like she was on the edge of a cliff, between fire that would scorch her and spikes below that would impale her.  With sound deep in her throat, she scooted back slightly, feeling as if she were being scrutinized under his gaze. Another shiver wracked her body, this time a mix of uncertainty and the cold. "How....how did you know me? I mean...it's possible you knew me before I....'fell asleep'." she admitted, looking away from him. Her voice was slightly harsh, as if she hadn't spoken in awhile, the annoyance she felt within her sharpening the words to angry points. Damn...was this another cat that supposedly knew her before? She wrinkled her muzzle, regarding him with eyes that were both cool and heated at the same time.

[ Kronk || Northern Pheasant Woods ]

Lost Memories… Kronk realized his friend had gone through another tragedy in her life, the new scars made sense, something bad must have happened just after they went their separate ways a moon ago… but maybe this was for the best… the cat in front of him now, she was different, hostile, and determined to keep away from him… does she not even want to remember? The young tom sighed… fell asleep… the way she said it meant she had slept for a long time… maybe that’s why she didn’t try finding him even when he was avoiding her.

”My mistake,” Kronk mewed, almost coldly… it hurt him to treat his friend in such a manner, but it was for the best. ”You looked like someone I once knew, but I realized she was taller, not a shrimp like you…” I’m sorry Chio… ”It seems like you lost your memories though… its better this way, that you don’t remember…” his words didn’t make sense in a whole, was he panicking? He turned his back to her, ”You can move on now and I can go back to my simple life…” yes, it was fine like this, to remain strangers… he hoped Chio would never remember him, she would be happier that way, not remembering everything that made her sad… he would eventually forget her too and he would be free of his worries over the small Air Triber. He waited if she had anything to say…

{ Leto || Northern Pheasant Woods }

The feeling she felt.....what was this? Why did his words distress her and pain her so much? The confusion she felt was becoming immense and almost unbearable, creating a churning sick feeling deep in her gut. "W-well that's fine!" she spat, her voice cold but her eyes displayed her internal panic, clear as a crystal, "I-I don't understand who you are! Y-you...why does being around you make me so fucking confused?!" her voice was rising into something akin to panic, voice tight with anger and anxiety. "And don't fucking call me short! You're just really, really big." she grit out, yet the words felt oddly familiar and calming to the female. She scrambled back slightly, limbs quaking as if her own earthquake was shaking them. She stumbled slightly, sinking to her side in the snow, balance lost on her.

"W-why do you make me feel sadness and warmth..and happiness?? Who are you...?" she rasped, as if primarily to herself but audible enough for him to hear. The emotions he made her feel were conflicting and painful. Her body was now wracked with shivers, chest tight with panic. "W-were we friends before I drowne-" she suddenly broke off, expression becoming blank. She shook her head before staring up at him, "I....Please answer my question, t-then I'll leave you alone." her anger had faded completely, leaving her confused. Her eyes narrowed, staring at the pure white of the snow. This didn't seem fair in anyway; why did she have to run into a cat she was apparently close to? Her teeth were digging so hard into her lip at this point that blood had begun to bead it, before gathering in drops and plopping into the snow. The crimson splashes were stark against the white, something that unfortunately felt even more familiar to the female. Why did all of this have to happen to her...?

[ Kronk || Northern Pheasant Woods ]

Kronk sighed, he supposed some things never change… but he could not answer her. Chio’s words would only hurt them both and being her friend again? He couldn’t do that, he would hurt her again if she fell in love with him as a different cat and he couldn’t go through that another time… if someday she did remember, he hoped she would hate him for doing this…he took a deep breath… this was it.

The big tom turned his head slightly so she could only see half his face, his eyes were dark and cold, as though he couldn’t recognize her… ”I got the wrong cat… we don’t know each other and even If I did…” he paused… no, he couldn’t bare going that far. ”You’re just overthinking it… we’re strangers…” he mewed as he looked down, sadness gripped his heart for a lost of a precious friend… if she had never fallen for him, if she never confessed… maybe this could have worked out and he would have helped her… but he couldn’t answer her feelings, he had to think about her and about himself too… ”Bye…” he mewed and walked away…

{ Leto || Northern Pheasant Woods }

She couldn't breathe. No, why did this hurt? Why, why, why? It shouldn't have hurt her, no, but no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, the icicle that she felt had been stabbed through her heart was telling her otherwise. She didn't know him, no she must have not, how could she have known a tom like this? Yet....the feelings and agony that were surging through her stopped that train off thought with a cruel claw. "Good bye..." she whispered, the word becoming strangled and choked, as if her throat were closing on her. Her amber gaze watched as he walked away, and as soon as she felt the distance was fair, allowed soft sobs to escape her throat, tears running down the childish face.

If she didn't care...then why did it feel like there was something lost?

[ Kronk || Neutral Lands ]

The smokey tom had to get out of the forest, he couldn’t believe what he just did… what would Chio do once she remembered? No… it was better this way, he had to convince himself he was doing the right thing… friends meant so much to him… that’s why he tried not to fall in love… it ruins friendships like this… maybe he was still a kit at heart, immature…

His heart ached… he wanted to be comforted, he headed home to fire-tribe then stopped...maybe seeing his sister right now was a bad idea… she herself just got her heart broken, she might think of him as cruel for what he did… he turned tail and headed towards Water-Tribe instead...