Stella liked the broadness of Levi's back, that much was obvious to Phae. As she watched her companion happily nesting on the grulla's withers, she snorted, noting how much broader Levi's back was that her own. Stella grabbed pieces of Levi's mane and gently pulled on them, as if it were some sort of game to which only she was privy. As Levi moved to stand closer to Phae, the little chick ran up his neck, halting in between his ears. Trilling she wrapped herself around his crown, upside down, giving him a last avian-hug. The little creature sensed the unease in her bonded and was quick to return, but not without saying goodbye to this stallion that she liked so much. Patting him on the head with her wing, just lightly leapt into the air, and glided the short distance onto Phae's back, landing in between her wings.

Phae turned and looked at Levi with an emotionless gaze. She approved and appreciated that he was now standing next to her, leaving Pluto on her own, but was it too late? Phae already felt herself hardening to him - to all men. Were they all the same? Would Levi turn against her, as Tolio had? Neither of them even knew her...not really. They were pulled in by her charms and appearance, but what would they think of her when they found out how she was, at her very core? Don't give them the chance the darker part of her mind cooed encouragingly. You have Stella, what else do you need? They are nothing. Was that true? She wasn't so sure...When she had gone to the God of the Earth to quest for Stella, she truly believed that once she had her companion, she would no longer need to seek comfort in others; Stella would be enough. But her budding love for Tolio had been like a gateway to addiction - she craved the feeling that Tolio had made her feel, and now she was looking for a substitute to fill that need. She felt damaged, not loveable. Tolio had unearthed and then shattered some new and private part of her, a part that no one else had previously seen. And now did Levi truly want that broken part of her? Why?

Is Pluto pregnant? She heard Levi ask, snapping her out of her contemplation. Phae turned to head to regard him coolly, her expression looking entirely unimpressed. "I guess you were too busy having her rub herself all over you, to notice. Or to hear me say that she was." She replied testily. This totally got out of hand. I did not actually like her... As Levi tried to smooth things over, Phae simply shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to hear it. He was only making things worse for himself. "So I guess that's just how you act around all mares you meet? That certainly explains a lot." She snapped her tail agitatedly, narrowing her eyes at him. So it really all had been a game - he didn't have feelings for Phae, and if he did, they were no different than the ones he had for every other mare, as well. If this was how he treated a mare he "didn't even like", Phae wouldn't be surprised if the thing he had to tell her, was that there were dozens of little Levi's running around. If he went this far with a mare after 5 minutes, it didn't seem like it would take him much longer to get a mare pregnant. Oh! Even better! she thought with a sarcastic glee, Maybe Pluto's baby will turn out to be Levi's! HA!

Sadly, this soap-opera drama was not to be played out, as Pluto divulged that the foal's father had disappeared. Too bad. In the back of her mind, she wondered with a dull panic what Levi could possibly want to tell her. You know... She thought with a grimace. And yes, she thought she did. Feeling her bonded's discomfort, Stella chattered angrily, pulling bits of Phae's mane around her, to burrow away. Phae ignored this, narrowing her gaze as Pluto spoke again. Why should she care? What was this, some last ditch effort to win the flirting-war? Sorry Sugar, I clearly won. Phae thought, although she was not too sure what her prize was. Complications, were all she felt had come out of this little charade. Pluto's inquiry reminded the sooty mare why she disliked females so much. Surely this was manipulation, but to what end? Clearly Pluto knew neither Levi nor Phae, so what information was she hoping to uncover?

Phae raised one of her dainty hooves, and roughly slammed it into the ground, physically displaying her frustration towards the mare. "I don't believe we ever said, sugar." Phae quipped back, raising an unimpressed brow. "Although I don't quite see how the extent to which we would say we know one another, is any of your concern." She shot a look towards Levi, Don't say anything stupid, she tried to convey, her green gaze searching his cool silver one.

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