The tired light grey stallion wandered away from the Basin. He was sad, almost too sad. What had happened? What had he done wrong? It was as if he had failed to water all of the plants that had been his favorites, and they wilted away before his eyes. He felt like crying again, but his body was all out of tears. His body was shaking from his anger at Psyche, but his soul was out of anger, and was crying instead. He was heartbroken, and didn’t realize this was the feeling. He felt knives in his heart, the love of his once self ache. He replayed the first moments of her in his mind over and over. He sighed, knowing that would never come back. What could he do to fix this? He didn’t know if it could be fixed. He had done something terrible, he knew that, and he felt it was impossible to fix now. Suddenly he felt his chest full of pain. He thought it was just from the emotional toll on his body, so he ignored it. He lay down, and he rested his head in the snow. He felt so bad, not only for himself, but also for her. How could she live like that, being so alone? He remembered how it felt, and he soon grew to hate it. He sighed, melting the snow around his muzzle. The Steppe was blank of faces and bodies, so it was only he alone lying in the snow covered grass. He hadn’t remembered the last time he had eaten, but he didn’t feel like it. His stomach growled, and sharp pains in his chest made him whinny. He didn’t move to get grass, or to get up. He just laid there, his mind drowning itself in sorrow and regret.
"talk talk talk"
"think think think"

Follow the trail of blood…
You'll find me at the end.

Returning to the scene of the crime. The crime being her broken heart, but who was really to blame? Faelene? Tolio? You? her mind probed. She hadn't meant to reallu manipulate Tolio, merely pull at his heartstrings a little. Make him feel bad that his baby sister had been wounded. How had things gone so wrong, so quickly? Faelene. Yes, that much was her fault. Faelen was the gasoline on a match that was precariously close to kindling, but not quite touching. She was the one who cast Phaedra out, but nonetheless, it was Tolio who remained silent on the subject.

Still, here she was. She knew that Tolio had been apart of the Edge, and that many of the ex-edger's had followed a new mare, Psyche, into the Basin. The Steppe was the closest that she dare go to their territory. She had only been there once, on Grey business, and she would not risk damaging a possibly business partner, just for her foolishness. Still, maybe she would see him...? Walking through the frozen land, Phae pulled her wings closer to her body trying to rid herself of the air's chill. Although it was BirdSong, some areas of Helovia never really warmed up. Although Phae's heart was heavy, there was one good thing in her life - and that thing was currently flying over her head. Stella. Stella was a secretary bird - a beautiful black and white bird, with a vibrant orangey-yellow face. Although she was still just a chick, her flight feathers had all grown in, and she had taken to the skies immediately. The God of the Earth had warned her that their telekinetic bond would be silent for a time, but Phae hardly cared. Stella was hers.

As she walked, and Stella glided, Phae picked up a strange scent on the breeze. Definitely masculine, but she could see no-one ahead. Picking up the pace she unfurled her wings, in the event that she needed to make a quick get away. As she came closer, she noticed a pale gray stallion laying on the frigid ground. Knitting her brows together, her green gaze narrowed as she observed Val for a moment. Trap? Her mind wondered. But why? Carefully, she flanked him on the right, extending her muzzle out to peer down at him from a safe 5ft distance. "Are you alright?" She asked, her voice soft, but without emotion. Looking to the skies, she motioned for Stella to stay back; the chick was too young to defend itself, if this was a trap.

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Valentine laid there, still feeling the pain of his heart, and of his tired, exhausted body. It felt better for him to lie down, but every now and then, he felt his chest contract in pain. He ignored it, mixing the pain together, pushing it down inside of him in order for him to feel numb. That was the only pain he wanted to feel right now, the pain of feeling empty, like his soul was in oblivion. He mostly hated himself, but he hated her as well. He knew it was something he would regret, but it was all behind him now. What could he do about it, go back and apologize? That wouldn’t fix anything, especially not his heart. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a mare. She was a pegasus, and in that moment all he could think about that there was someone else here. Not that she was a featherbrain, hornless, or whatever you wanted to call her. She was just there, as an equal, in that moment in time. Valentine was unsure if he wanted company or to be alone, and he thought if he just ignored her she would go away. However, she made that decision for him.
“Are you alright?”
The words made him choke. Alright? He was far from alright. He almost wanted to reprimand her for asking such a stupid question, but he held his tongue. He didn’t know this mare, and even if he wasn’t feeling good, he shouldn’t good around starting things with random strangers. Plus, she had asked a valid question. He knew also that he was in no position to make any movement, as he wasn’t feeling good, and he didn’t want to over extend himself. So he just looked at her instead, and answered her question.
“No, I’m not. You’ve seemed to catch me at a bad time I’m afraid." He moved, trying to stand up, but the pain in his chest was too much. He grimaced, lying back down. “I’m sorry I can’t stand up to greet you. My name is Valentine, and who are you darling?”
"talk talk talk"
"think think think"

Follow the trail of blood…
You'll find me at the end.

She watched the large grey stallion stir at her words, although not very enthusiastically. No, I’m not. You’ve seemed to catch me at a bad time I’m afraid. he replied as he moved to stand. She watched as pain etched across his face, and having been unable to conquer it, laid back down. But he didn't look injured, at least externally she could see no wounds. Curious.. she thought, feeling more confident that this was not a trap, but still wary nonetheless. I’m sorry I can’t stand up to greet you. My name is Valentine, and who are you darling.

Valentine...What a suiting name She thought, looking over his duo-toned mane and tail. Is he a member of the basin? - The steppe was close to the Aurora Basin, and he was a unicorn. It was entirely likely that he was, except that his greeting was so...un-hostile? her mind offered. Yes, that was it. She had sensed the hostility from the unicorns when she had led a party of Grey members there, weeks earlier. Hostility towards the non-horned members of their group. But perhaps the Basin members were only outwardly hostile when they were together? Or on their own land? Either way, the idea of flirting with the enemy seemed quite appealing.

Gently she moved closer to him, unfurling the wing closest to him, and letting her downy feathers brush the surface of his dappled coat. She brought her wing-tip up towards his shoulder, tracing the lines of his muscles as she did so, with just enough pressure to likely cause a pleasurable shiver. "I am Phaedra" She cooed, her voice soft and inviting. She gazed down at him, her eyes filling with feigned concern for his well-being. "What's got you down, sugar?" She asked smoothly, arching her neck as if to get a better look at him, but really, it was to emphasize the sleek lines of her lithe body, and to allow her mane to fall in pretty waves to her shoulder.

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

This pegasus mare was strange. He looked at her as she talked, and something interested happened to him. She drew a fragile wing from her body, and traced his muscles. He shivered for a split second as she did this, and felt a strange feeling inside of him. What…what’s happening? These emotions were similar to him, and it had almost been lost to him completely. This mare was flirting with him. She was actually flirting…with him?He felt shock, and it was something that he hadn’t ever experienced before. Psyche was a fake being, as she would always be, but this was something genuine. Something real. He looked at her, hearing her call him sugar. Her eyes filled with concerned, and that image would be with him forever. She moved her head, making her hair fall into luscious waves around her head. She looked beautiful to him, and he almost didn’t know what to say. Almost. He quickly came up with a smooth response. He knew how to flirt; at least he thought he did.
“How nice of you to be concerned for me. I have recently been heartbroken…is there a chance your nurse? I could really use someone to patch me up.” He smiled at her, hoping she would take this as a hint that he was flirting back. He took it a step further, adding another compliment. “Has anyone told you how big and beautiful your wings are?” What the hell am I thinking? “Um…that came out wrong.”

"talk talk talk"
"think think think"

Follow the trail of blood…
You'll find me at the end.

Phae watched a different emotion overcome the stallion as he reacted to her words. She chuckled inwardly, ever grateful at her abilities when it came to enticing the emotions of others. Is there a chance you're a nurse? He inquired, also revealing that he wasn't recently heartbroken. A look of genuine understanding briefly flickered in her green gaze - she knew that feeling all too well. Perhaps she and Valentine were more alike than either of them knew - both were brokenhearted by those who had never returned their love. The look didn't last long however, as it was quickly replaced by a mischievious smirk. "I'm not a nurse, sugar. But I bet I can think of a few ways to make you feel all better."

She took a step towards him, depleting the distance between their bodies, and positioning herself intimately at his side. Pausing only for a moment, she continued to circle around him, gently crazing his side every few steps to keep him physically aware of her presence. Has anyone told you how big and beautiful your wings are?....Uh. That came out wrong Phae laughed - a sound light and silvery, as she raised one of her tawny wings, moving to drape it over his back - in a gentle sweeping motion as she passed behind him. As she pulled it off, she let one of her longest flight feathers pause on his heart-marking. She cast a flirtatious look his way, tossing her head prettily. "I might have heard that before...But never from such a handsome stallion before." She cooed to him, fully circling him and halting just in front of him. "Whoever she is honey, she isn't worth it."

Join the waves in the ocean?
Or let my soul fade away in the dark?
Because i've gone astray,
& all my flowers turned to dandelions.

The mare sauntered around him, moving her wings on his body as she had did before. He looked at her eyes when they came to his face. The first look she gave him was one of understanding, and he knew she had suffered from heartbreak as well.
"I'm not a nurse, sugar. But I bet I can think of a few ways to make you feel all better."
Her words appealed to him, making him feel better. It was interesting to him that his heart had decided to open itself up again so quickly, but he couldn’t resist. He needed something else to distract him, someone else, and maybe he was just acting like a typical stallion. What else could he do? She was beautiful, alluring…he couldn’t help himself. Her wings draped over him, the feeling of comfort filling his insides, feeling like his old self again. He shivered as one of her feathers left on his heart marking, feeling a rush of excitement and pleasure when she noticed it. It was a strange marking of his, but he didn’t mind it, and it was apart of him.
“Can you make me fee all better? I’m quite interested to know. I’ve been hurt in more than one place, and some places are more damaged then one.” He replied to her first comment after she was done talking, having a look of mischief on his face. Handsome? He laughed at that, feeling like he was. He wasn’t sure how he looked to other mares, so he decided to play along with it. “Am I handsome? I’m afraid I’m unaware…but I’m sure others now how much of a beauty you are, my dear.”Her next words burned him, knowing that she was wrong. Or at least, he thought so at that moment. Psyche had been worth it, and she was a mare he would never be able to get out of his heart. It was something about her that kept him believing in her, and it was weird for him to let himself into the situation. He fell for her without knowing, and then by the time he figured it out it was too late for him.
“I wish you were right…she was a mistake, a filthy witch that destroyed me.”

"talk talk talk"
"think think think"

Follow the trail of blood…
You'll find me at the end.