He felt sick at his own disappointment when it was a sleek feline that moved in the shadows and not his mother. But the disappointment did not last long when the voice began to speak into his mind and he heard once more the self-righteous voice of his mother speaking through this feline.

‘You should understand tough love better than most..’ the words caused him to bristle, his ears laying flat against his head and tail flicking behind him as manifestations of his irritation. Tough love? Yes, he had known it - both from his mother and others - but attempting to mask murder by calling it love for all of creation. He had to wonder whether the black feline was talking about the same Goddess that he was. Did she not speak of mortals with intense disdain? He did not think there was any love in her for any that were not useful to her, and he had often wondered if he would end up being her pawn in the end. The cold light of the moon was nothing but an echo of the warmth of the sun.

But he could no longer hold his silence when the feline said he might have had answers if he had only given his mother more of his time. He shook his head, willing himself not to be angry with this strange creature. These were words he could see his mother saying, placing the blame on him rather than on her for the tattered remains of their relationship. Must he always play the faithful dog, trailing after her and waiting for the moments when she deemed him worthy of her attentions? He spoke his answer verbally, not knowing whether the silver-eyed creature before him could read his mind as well as speak into it. “If I had given her more of my time? I seem to recall her not having the time for me. I do not accept that the murder of anyone, including a child, is the best option to create balance.” Whatever anger there was in his voice was softened by the sadness as his eyes shifted away from his company and to the distance for a moment before shifting back. “That excuse sounds like nothing more than the easiest way to justify her actions.”

No matter how many times he heard the word balance he could not believe that what his mother had done was the only way to right whatever wrong she believed had existed. “Is all that has happened since what she wanted to achieve? Did her great plan even work?” Aside from uniting many under the hate for the Moon Goddess, he wondered what she had meant to happen. Did she mean to get banished to the Edge? Were they still playing her game?