Why are they forced to stay apart? It tears at his heart with every passing moment and he doubts that there is much left in his chest cavity to even resemble the same shape it once held. Tolio knows Phaedra always jumps to the end of every spectrum, something that exasperates him at every turn. He knows her, has been inside her very core and left his mark there out of love. Every thought, every breath, every beat of her heart he has known. Has tasted each, sucked them in deep into his being until they are two perfect entities converged into one. That is why it hurts to be the one to pry them apart, for there are sure to be parts missing once they have been separated. It is a process he despises, wishes to avoid. Is it the right choice? He had told Faelene that he didn’t want to keep slinking after Phaedra with his tail between his legs, always ready to beg for forgiveness once more. It seemed that those two girls were the only ones to make his heart pump. Any other time, it was frozen and cold. It hurt too much to let it bleed, so he cauterized it with the agony of his own experiences. Standing there looking down upon her dilapidated state, he felt as if his insides were being slowly burned, and they were melting down around the contours of his body. She was swollen with life, and yet her eyes looked as if she were dead and unwilling to try and revive herself. They both felt, clearly, that there was nothing they could do. Tolio hated it, hated the helplessness. He wished at times that their problems and barriers could manifest into an actual body, something he could fight.

Dull coat leaned towards him and he did the same, gravitating towards her in a way he could not control. They were opposite sides of a magnet, always returning to find their mate despite all obstacles. Maybe it wasn’t safe, or the best of decisions, but they always ended up meeting together in situations like this. However when she spoke, it did not make sense, and his face crinkled in obvious confusion. Jealousy? What? ”Phaedra, jealousy? I don’t understand. The Goddess is Immortal, and likely beautiful if she exceeds mortals. Why would she be jealous?” He spoke slowly, softly, not wanting Phaedra to be offended. He really didn’t want to get in a fight with her at that moment. Even so he brushed his muzzle over her, touching every withered part of her that seemed so impossibly aged. Yet the Moon Goddess couldn’t hide what he had found so attractive in her when they’d first met. It was true that he didn’t have much patience for some of her antics, but he loved her, and her appearance couldn’t make him withdraw. She could be the ugliest mare in Helovia and he would still be hopelessly horn over heels for her.

Yet that didn’t stop him from jerking back in surprise when she spoke. So little love lingered in her tone, and it shocked him how indifferent she seemed towards their child. Would it remain once she had birthed? Or would the natural love of a mother for their child take place? ”If it is born without a horn…I will trust you to keep it safe in the Grey, but I will come as often as possible to see my child. If that isn’t possible then…then I will speak with Ktulu and try to see if she will allow it, since I will likely be a hole in your neutrality…” Alabaster face turned heavenward, eyes blinking quickly as he tried to focus his thoughts. He wanted to be a part of raising his child. ”If you are willing to let me take our child to the Basin…that is your decision, but I will if you will let me. The herd is a natural barrier to others, with strength and numbers the Grey doesn’t have. I may not like it, but I can protect them there. We have a God patron, it has benefits certainly…we can think of things, Phaedra, we can do this,” encouraging her softly, bringing her close to his chest and enjoying having her in his grasp once more. It felt wrong, not to hold her, and she seemed so impossibly fragile in that moment that he couldn’t help but bring her in towards his heart. It was where she belonged after all.