He listened in absolute awe as Phaedra spoke of how she had obtained Stella, the beautiful secretary bird. The Earth God himself had done it? Remarkable. The said bird seemed strangely content in cascading herself with Phaedra’s beautiful, creamy mane, and that alone caused the stag to chuckle under his breath. As the mare went on and informed him of just what, exactly, she had to do to obtain the bird, the stallion felt his spirits drop. Phaedra had been required to either fall in love, or cause two people to fall in love in order to receive her Companion…

A helpless feeling of defeat swelled within the Unicorn’s chest. It was almost physically painful to think of Phaedra falling in love with another stallion, giving her heart and soul to an individual that wasn’t him. If she had fallen in love, it was probably with another Pegasus, a gentleman, a fighter, someone filled with confidence… That was far from who Apollo was. He was shy, soft-spoken, and gentle, and would only fight if provoked. Why would she ever want someone like him? Doing his best to keep the self-depreciating thoughts from showing in his expression, the stallion tuned in to what Phaedra was saying next.

The previous helpless feeling soon left him, but not completely, at her reassuring words. So, was she not taken, then? He forced another smile, this one less brilliant than the one before, and when he spoke next he chose his words carefully. “They must be very luck that you came along when you did, then…”

There were so many things that Apollo found himself attracted to when it came to Phaedra. He loved her laugh, and her eyes, and the sooty, earthly beauty that decorated her hide. Her bird catcher spots were, forgive his pun, simply eye catching. There were those in Helovia who were almost too beautiful, majestic and oddly colored, but it was the natural hues that drew him in the most. Her personality, while almost too flirtatious for his level of comfort, simply drew him in, causing him to be compelled to discover more and more about the secrets that the mare contained. She was like a complex puzzle that the Unicorn desperately wanted to solve, but at the same time… The pure mystery that surrounded Phae was also something that he liked about her.

Honey-brown eyes watched as the sooty palomino tossed her mane dramatically over her neck, something that nearly stole his breath, and then began taking small steps towards him. The closer she grew, the more apprehensive he became, but never once did his gaze drift from her beautiful green eyes. Nostrils flaring due to his surprise, he took in the wonderful smell that was her scent, letting out a soft breath on the exhale. It was strangely comforting, her scent, and one he would lock away in his mind and remember until the end of his days. “Drama’s never fun,” he murmured then, making a face and shaking his head, forelock draping over the base of his crystalline horn, “I’m sorry that you have to go through it right now. But if there’s anything I can do, please, just… Let me know, Phae.” For her, Apollo had a feeling that he’d do anything. If she asked him to jump, he’d jump. If she wanted him to kill, well… He’d probably do that, too.

Briefly he pondered what kind of drama she was going though, but before he could inquire more, she cut him off. It must be pretty bad indeed if she didn’t want to speak of it, but once more, he’d respect her privacy. Still Phaedra approached, and just when he expected her to press herself against his muscled frame, she stopped. Instead, with a toss of her beautiful head, she was off, the whispered words of ’Catch me!’ echoing in his ears. It took a moment for him to realize just what she meant, honeyed eyes watching with curiosity as the Pegasus darted into the waves, and with a nicker and a toss of his own head, the stallion moved to follow, haunches pushing off the sandy beach to barrel into the water. He tore after her through the shallow waves, a laugh bubbling from the deep confines of this throat. Oh, how glorious this was! His eyes stayed on Phaedra’s majestic form, taking in the sight of her wings spreading to help her find purchase and balance.

The deeper that he got in the water, however, the slower his pace became, his legs trembling now in slight trepidation. Where she stood, the water was up to Phaedra’s chest, and Apollo was unsure if he’d be alright going in that deep. Currently the water sloshed past his forelegs, occasionally grazing his underbelly, and he looked almost helpless as the realization that he was in the water plagued him. Looking to Phaedra, honey-brown eyes dipped in slight fear, he swallowed, but carried on. Heaving himself over the waves, the salty water splashed around them, and he finally caught up to the sooty mare, a somewhat unsure grin crossing his maw.

Lifting his leg, he pawed at the air towards her in a timid effort to tease, tossing his head and letting out a whinny of joy. Despite his fear, Apollo was surprised to find himself having fun. If he simply focused completely on Phae, then his fear was swept away and out of his mind. Turning on his haunches then with another whinny, the overo pushed onwards, leaving Phaedra behind to continue their game of chase.

“Come on, Phae! Catch me if you can!”

[OOC: Dear God, Aud, I’m sorry… That post royally sucks. XD]

I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill."