Moonlight spills into the den’s entrance, calling to Kore in his dream world. A soft voice calls him, pulling him up through the layers of sleep until he blinks open sleep-filled eyes. For a moment, he swears he sees a fire kissed form wreathed in silver light but it gone by the next blink. Sadness tugs at heart and the nebula splashed boy doesn’t understand why. Rolling onto his belly, Kore looks over at his siblings and Auntie, smiling at the tangled mass that greets him. Something tells him he should go cuddle with them but his eyes fall back to the moonlight. Silently, he pushes off the ground and stands, casting one more look at the trio before swiftly moving out of the den. Silvery moonlight greets him, offering him a comfort that no touch can give.

He moves to patch of well-trodden grass and sits in middle of the circle. Over the past serval nights, Kore has made this space, trampling the grass to make the perfect spot to view the moon. For a time, he just sits there, eyes turned upward to the silent goddess. When he speaks, his voice is barely audible, “Mommy? Are out there?” A puppy’s hope is placed in those words, a want to find and rescue his mother. He had been told she died and that meant she was never coming home. While he might not understand death, he does know the heartbreak of not being able to go home.

It scares him to think that she might be wandering out there alone and he longs to find her and offer her their den. Surely, she would want to hold them… right? What did she do wrong to not allowed home? Questions fill his head and threaten to spill out into the night air.

"Kore Regni"

It seemed like most of their little family were diurnal, asleep during the night and awake during the day. Aoede had nothing to compare normal to, but she did always feel like she should be outside when the moon came up. She wasn’t alone in that either. She was mostly asleep when she felt her brother move beside her. The three of them were usually stacked in a cuddle pile while they slept, so it was no wonder Kore woke her in his attempts to sneak out of the den. Golden gilded eyes blink open to moonlight as the girl watches her brother slip through the entrance of their den.

With her coat glittering and glowing like the night sky above her Ao lets her tiny ebony paws carry her after Kore. The moon bathes her in its soft light and a deeper part of her connects with the magnificent celestial body. Her bright gaze catches the light, and however much she wants to sit and look she has to find her brother first. Her pace slowed as she found her galactic coated sibling, just as she desires she finds him sitting atop a small knoll. The perfect place for moon gazing.

Ao can’t quite put her toe on why she feels so drawn to the moon, but as she walks slowly to her brother’s side and sits beside him in the darkness she feels almost… whole. As they grow there is a feeling of something deeper missing. Aoede held nothing but love for their Auntie, she was the best mom they had, but part of her yearned for the woman that birthed them. She didn’t hear her brother’s plea but as much as he does she can feel it in her heart. Something was stolen from them, but knowing seems impossible.

"Do you think anyone else likes the moon as much as we do, Kore?” The tiny girl questions him softly as she leans into his starry shoulder. Warmth radiates through her, and the stars over her pelt glittered a little brighter when she touched him.


Buffalo Knolls / late night / warm
"Aoede Regni"

Life is strange. In the short time Kore has been alive, he has felt the most whole at night. Somehow sitting under the silvery moon just feels… right. He has no memory of his mother, no figure to conjure up in his dreams to give him comfort and yet… sitting under the stars, watching the celestial body sit in judgement over the land, Kore finds that comfort he has been missing. His sister is quiet, her paw steps a whisper in the wind, and he welcomes her with a smile. Ao’s star-filled form gives him comfort and strength and, while they still very young, Kore feels a need to protect his star glad siblings with his life. When she speaks, Kore takes time to ponder her words, eyes still turned up toward the moon. The nebula pelted boy tries to understand and put into words exactly what he feels.

When Aoede presses into his shoulder and a small smile plays across dark lips and Kore shifts to offer her support if she wants to lean in more. After a moment, the galaxy-hued boy turns his eyes from the moon to looks over his sister, offering his starry sibling a warm smile. Her stars shine brightly in her coat and Kore to feels a little happier to see Ao sparkling brightly. His tone is soft and gentle, as if he does not want to break the fragile moment, as he says, “I don’t think so Ao. There is something… special about our connection.” His voice falters, unable to find the correct words for what he feels. But something tells Kore that Ao and Kal understand what he means so he just offers his sister another smile before turning his bright blue gaze back to the moon.

After a short pause, Kore asks, “Do you think mom liked the moon?” The boy longs to know who their mother is and what she likes in the hopes that he can get mom to come back home. Without thinking, Kore leans into the touch of his sister, finding solace in her tiny frame.


"Kore Regni"

Aoede shared her brother’s feeling when it came to the moon, it was like the world was different at night. Like she belonged in the moonlight somehow. Maybe Kore was right, maybe it had to do with their mysterious mother. A woman who they had never seen, who had never gotten a chance to hold them or know who they were. A faceless figure hat locked their true origins in mystery. Their father knew little about the woman, and pops knew even less. Part of her worried she wouldn’t ever know who her mother was, but looking up at the moon now she felt close to her. Even if she was gone.

The two siblings gaze quietly at the celestial body for a long time, Ao leaning heavily on her larger sibling’s shoulder. He answered her just as quietly as she asked him about the moon and their place in the world. The connection and draw they felt was very likely unique to them, she hadn’t ever seen any of the other pups out like this. Not that they had been out for very long.

Kore went on to asked her a soft question about their mother, and her attachment to the bright sphere. Aoede tilted her own moon-like features, uncertain of the answer. None of them knew her so it was impossible to say. Had dad told them about being born during the full moon? Maybe it all did have to do with who Ballad was. "She did,” Ao replied confidently. There was little chance she was wrong no matter who their mom had been. There weren’t many wolves who disliked the moon. Aoede found herself easily believing there was a special connection between their dam and the lunar light above.

"Aoede Regni"

They sit under the shining stars, the celestial ruler of the night sky staring back silently at the galaxy and moon hued siblings. Their birth is shrouded in mystery but there has been one constant in the siblings lives... each other. No matter what happens in their lives, Kore knows he will always be there for his siblings… and they will be there for him. The moon seems to have a special meaning to all three siblings and, looking at his starry sister, he feels that Ao has an even more unique connection with it. Crickets sing in the grass around the pair, weaving a symphony for the siblings and a content sigh escapes as the purple pup realizes that right now, everything feels right in the world. Something inside the boy tells him that his mother is still watching over them and that, if he wants to feel closer to her, all he needs to do is look at his siblings. Bright cyan eyes trail down his sister’s moon-like features, her own stars shining brightly.

Aoede replies with confidence that their mother liked the moon too and a Kore gives his sister a smile as he allows his eyes to look out over the grassy area, ears listening to the sounds the night offers. The world around them is filled with life and yet… his eyes make their back up to the moon, feeling a sense of belonging in the silent sentinel that the earth does not give him. He voices his feelings to Ao, “I… I feel like we have a special connection to the moon. Maybe it’s because of mom. I’m not sure why but I feel the most alive at night.” A shrug of galaxy hued shoulders reveals that Kore is uncertain of why he feels this way. Casting a glance back down to Ao, he adds, “The night is prettier anyways.” Tossing his sibling a wink, Kore shifts to his sister to press into his side further. He falls silent, content to watch the heavenly body with Aoede.


"Kore Regni"

Young puppies did not often sit still for very long, but Ao was certain that she could sit next to Kore under the moon forever. Physically their mother was no longer with them, and really she was almost a complete mystery. Their father knew her name, but there wasn’t much else he could really tell her. Sometimes she was jealous of her half siblings and how much time they had with their mom. They knew her name, they knew her voice, but Aoede and her brothers knew nothing about Ballad. She had given her life to bring them into the world. That was a fact Ao struggled to truly comprehend. All she could really feel about it was the injustice of it all.

The beautiful night and the soothing light of the moon above them was enough to ease those feelings. Like the moon’s rays were just a hint of a mother’s hug that they would never feel. She knew they were connected to her through the celestial body but she just didn’t know quite how. A soft sigh left the tiny girl’s lips as she let the peace of the night relax her tension away. Even if they didn’t have their mother and never knew her Aoede could feel her missing presence.

Still, as Kore shifted slightly to look at her she could feel her. She was with them, she had to be. Ao gazed up at her brother with golden eyes when he spoke. "I think that you’re right.” She whispered in return as she basked in the moonlight there with him. "I wish… I wish she was here.” She didn’t know who Ballad was, but she felt like the woman would have been there if she could have. Their mother’s love transcended death, and Ao knew she was missing something very important.

Motif was a great nanny, she did love their surrogate deeply, but she wasn’t her mom. Everyone made that point strictly clear. Ao sighed softly as Kore did and the two of them sunk into each other. Sorrow and longing tingled her senses but she felt whole with her brother beside her.

"Aoede Regni"