Okay... I really need to write this so I can feel better. I've been wanting to write all day today. this is one of the most IMPORTANT chapters. a lot of emotion will go into this one. this is the chapter that calls back to all previous chapters! and this is the chapter that will make Skokey take a HUGE step in life!

NOTE: anything in italics are either memories or a dream.
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Skokey spent the next day getting used to his new antlers, but mostly he visited his parents. First, he stopped by the Blue Bowl and found the tree, and went over to the side facing east. He found that lottle grasses were growing, but no signs of blueberries. He smirked, knowing that his mother's grave won't be lost in a sea of blue now.

He sat down, facing away from the slowly rising sun. It was well into the morning, but it was still fairly early. Skokey stared at the grave for several minutes, thinking back on all he said to her. Memories flooded his mind, making tears come to his eyes.

"You couldn't let me know? Why didn't you let me know, back then I didn't know you left me!"

"Sorry? Sorry won't be enough, Mother. It's too late for sorry."

"Why did you leave me?"

"So what? You leave me but you decide to keep her? What made her so special?!"

"Shut up! I already understand! I understand perfectly well!...What I said before means nothing now. Now that I've seen what you think of me. My father, my caregiver, might have been a little more forgiving, but I'm different."

A few tears came down his face as he stared at the barren spot. He sighed, "I'm so sorry, Mother... I wish I could do something... I wish I could just take back everything I said... But you hurt me, Mother... You can't blame me for being angry..."

Skokey got up, wiped the tears from his eyes with his knee, and bowed. "I guess I know now... You really don't know how to miss someone until they're gone." He turned around, looked back one last time, and left the grave. He sighed again, he was heading for the Graveyard.

***

Skokey arrived at the Ruins, where the opening showed the cage and the pit behind it. He trotted around to the other side, and found a small grave with a cross on top. He sat down infront of it.

He didn't say anything. Fenqua even came by to see how he was, but he told her to leave him be. She understood, though, and trotted back to where she was. He didn't like telling her to leave, but he did want to be alone.

There are so many memories... he thought. I can't help but wonder why I can't cry over your death... Losing you was like losing a limb, Dad. Why did you have to leave?...

He stayed there, in that same spot, for hours. I wish... I could just talk to you, for one last time... Because I never got to say goodbye... The sun slowly sunk under the ground, and darkness enveloped the forest in a lovely blackish blue. Skokey could feel his eyes grow heavy, and decided to just sleep there. He would go back to Fenqua and Fulu in the morning. He curled up in the same spot he sat in, and fell into a deep sleep.

Someone he couldn't see was standing right next to him, however. Vessel stood a distance away from Skokey in the Dream Realm. He could see a little view over his head, and knew a dream was being created. He turned his hollowed eyes to the sky, and saw an odd pattern in the stars.

He smirked faintly, "Ahh Twin Gods," he spoke, "he will surely thank you for this. But I will not watch this time. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to either." He trotted away from the sleeping deer, and seemed to disappear in the darkness.

***

"Skokey... Wake up, son."

Skokey awoke once again in a peaceful meadow. His heart quickened, remembering what happened last time he was here. He looked around, but found no other deer, except for one. He got up and looked in dismay at the stag infront of him.

The stag chuckled, "Relax, son, you aren't dead."

Skokey looked around again, then stared at the stag. He noticed two deer in the distance. One was red... The other was golden...

He smiled widely and started to laugh, which made the stag laugh as well. "Dad! Oh, Dad I can't believe it's you!" He jumped around his father in circles, but soon he calmed down.

Siki smiled, "It's good to see you, Skokey. You've grown into a fine stag."

Skokey blush and looked at his father, "You haven't changed at all..." He went up to him, and they nuzzled each other for several moments. "I miss you..."

Siki sighed, "I know, son, I know. I miss you too. But it isn't all that bad, right? You'll be here soon enough, and we'll spend the rest of eternity together." He chuckled lightly at the last comment.

Skokey smiled, "As sad as that should sound, I'm happy to hear you say that." He got closer and whispered, "So, have you told everyone about me?"

Siki let out a laugh, "Well of course! I told my parents and my older friends about you. Father and Mother really want to meet you."

"Grampa and Gramma? Really?"

Siki nodded. "So, how have you been holding up? I haven't seen you in more than a year. Tell me everything!"

Skokey's smile disappeared, which made Siki's fade a little. "Well... I gotta say, not all of it has been great. There's a lot to say..."

Siki nodded. "I see... Well, let's sit down, shall we? I want to know what happened."

The two of them sat down. Skokey told his father about meeting his mother, and the depression he sunk into afterwards. He told him about his sister, but also told him about the bond they share. Siki seemed to smile at the thought of his sister. She sounded like a little sweetheart. Skokey also told him about Fenqua.

"Ah! So you found yourself a girl! Ahhh, I'm proud of you son. She sounds like a very kind doe."

Skokey chuckled, "Yeah, I like her a lot, but I don't know if she likes me back. Now that everything is done and overwith, I feel like this is the last thing I have to face. And I don't know what to do..."

Siki shifted and got closer to him, "Well, I was never very good with girls, but me advice? Just tell her how you feel. You're both such good friends, I'm sure she'll understand either way. But trust me, I know it's easier said than done. If she doesn't like you back, well then, you can still be friends, right? And if she likes you back, hey, then you've got it made!"

Skokey smiled and nodded, "I guess, yeah... Well, I could give it a shot... I think I'll do it sometime this week."

"Take all the time you need. But not too long, otherwise you might lose her to someone else."

Skokey frowned, but then nodded. He looked at the sky, and new that morning was already here. They both got up. "I never got to say goodbye to you back then..."

Siki smiled, in a way that only a father could, "Well, here's your chance, son."

Skokey and Siki embraced each other, and Skokey whispered, "Good bye..."

"Goodbye son..."

He looked at his father, "I love you..."

Siki nodded, "I do too... And I always will..."

The meadow faded into a darkness, and soon Skokey's eyes opened. He found himself in the same spot, infront of his father's grave. He smiled, and immediately sprinted over to the Twin Gods statue. He bowed, and he prayed.

***

Dusk was approaching fast. He had asked Fenqua to meet him by the Pond that day. He felt it might have been too soon, but he wanted to do it right away. Tonight was the night he was going to tell her.

He stood in the shallows, facing the sunset. Memories of that horrid day seemed to come back to him. The grey skies, the piercing rain, and the terrible mistake he almost made. He was standing in that exact spot. He wondered if it was the appropriate place to tell her. He thought it would be clever, and stayed there.

Fenqua skidded to a stop right on the shore, her heart seemed to sink. Oh no, not again... she thought. But her heart rose back up as he turned around and smiled. He invited her to join him, and she happily trotted into the water.

Skokey smiled, "You remember this place?"

"Yeah... I do." She nodded, thinking on that day.

He chuckled, "This is where you started shoving me back to shore... After I told you I was gonna kill myself."

Fenqua nodded, not saying anything. She was worried, she didn't know what was going on.

He turned to her, "You made me realize that that would be the worst mistake I would ever make. You saved me that day, Fen." She smiled at him, looking into his deep hazel eyes. "Not only that, but all those months later you stuck by me. You made me healthy and happy again. You gave me a gift that I'll cherish forever." Fenqua took notice of his mask, with one of the wings broken off by a gunshot. "And you patched me up after that scuff with the humans. You've stuck with me through the worst moments of my life, and always helped me come on top."

Fenqua saw his eyes glitter, but he turned away and looked at the reddening water. "And... now I realize... that there's something I've always wanted to tell you..." His heart began to race, and his stomach turned over. His knees started to shake, causing little fish to dash away. "Something... that'll take all the courage I can muster to say..."

He turned his head, and looked into her brilliant blue eyes. Looking at those glittering pools of water, it made his blood rush, causing him to blush heavily. He took a deep breath, "Fenqua..." he started, and she looked on him with eager eyes.

"... I love you..."

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HAHAHAHAHA! FEAR THE AWESOME POWER OF THE CLIFFHANGER ONCE AGAIN!

and im NOT writing the next chapter until Fenqua catches up with her story.

SO EAT IT. in the time spent to wait for the final chapter, i shall start writing Fluttering Feathers <3