"THAT NOT GAUCHO'S FAULT." He suddenly yelled. His voice was a boom as powerful as any thunder that rolled overhead, but wracked with pain and heartache. It was the one thing that he couldn't account for, the one time he had let his family down in a monumental way. But he had been tricked and drugged. He had returned without his memories and it was only because of the Sun God's grace that he was replenished and restored at all.  For a moment he looked at Sohalia with wide, wounded eyes, and again the urge to attack her right then and there was unmistakably bright beneath the surface of his water-soaked features. That she would use that against him? It sting more than he cared to admit, but the wound spread out across his features. Yes, he had literally forgotten about her, but that was far, far out of his control.

And at least he had come to find her, memories or not.

You were gone, and I managed to wait for you.

The pain disappeared and a sneer reappeared, which he was thankful for. It was always so much easier to be angry than injured, for despite how cutting Soh's words were, there was of course an element of truth in all of it. He and Ampere had been together how many times? But still, he saw it as being different.

"Managed." He spat out. "You seem to almost be managing with Note, day Gaucho find you in cave. Not finding Zenobia, but find stallion who say to Gaucho she is my mate."  It might not have been exactly the same, but let her not forget that her history wasn't as unblemished as she kept her coat.

"How long Gaucho supposed to wait, Soh?" Not Sohalia, but Soh. Familiarity was too easy to fall into. "Gaucho look for you, but you gone without a word. No where to start, no trail to follow. But Gaucho look. Soh gone for months. So. How long Gaucho supposed to wait?" Even in his simple mind, he thought he had a point. He hadn't promised to love her forever, but not wait forever. Hadn't he done his due diligence?

I didn't want to make things difficult for you when you were clearly so happy without me.

That stung too, and not for the first time the bitterness on Gaucho's face was replaced instantly with pain. What would Ivezho have known about it? He had always had a boyish mind and a love for his mother, of course he would see his father and his traitorous motives as just that. But as happy as he had been with Ampere, she had never replaced Sohalia. The dun would have welcomed the drama and chaos of having to deal with both Ampere and Sohalia at the same time. Better that, than the lies and deceit that separation had caused.

"Wrong." He finally said, his voice quiet and overshadowed by the roars of thunder overhead. He had always wanted her. Did she expect him to abandon their home to scour the world for her? THat was like asking him to sing her poetry. It wasn't who he was. But he had loved her, from the first day until now. He always had. She was wrong.

There are some who would say that murdering your mate's children from before you is unforgivable. Again, that disbelieving look crossed Gaucho's face. Archibald had held a grudge for what the Moon Goddess had made Gaucho do for seasons and seasons, though the rest had all seemingly allowed that he was a mere instrument in all of it. Not for the second time, Gaucho was shocked that the pale mare would accuse him of such as this. Something clearly out of his control, but so petty and hurtful. He felt a wrack of pain roll through him as lightning flashed overhead, and was temporarily grateful that the rain disguised the tears that gushed from his dark eyes. He had carried the darkness of all the souls he had been party to murder in his heart. Not a day went by that the weight of the Moon Goddess' treachery didn't pull down his strides. But the victim that weakened him the most had been the brownish filly, Skysong. He still recalled how the words burned leaving his lips when he told Sohalia what had happened.

In that she was right. It was unforgivable, it just wasn't Gaucho who was in need of that forgiveness. "Gaucho tell you what happened to Skysong himself." He said in a low voice, through clenched teeth that tried to hold in a sob. "That the Moon Goddess' fault. Not Gaucho."

I know I have made mistakes, but you refuse to acknowledge yours.

Perhaps unfairly, Gaucho raised his bone pierced muzzle again slightly, as if wanted to remove any intimacy that their close proximity might have suggested. "Right now this not about Gaucho. Gaucho ask Sohalia how she could do this. But all you have to say is that it Gaucho's fault? You not blame Kaj for your actions, but you happy to blame Gaucho."