OOC: I had real trouble thinking up placements for certain characters, but I've done my best. x_x I hope it doesn't come out too short or too lame. And I'm still looking for characters in the upcoming end to the story. But for now we're just past the half-way mark of the series, I would say.

Oh, and Tabitha in this chapter is written before she had a crush on Quamar.. methinks.

BUMPING. For people who haven't read it yet.

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"Hey.. Hey! Wake up already!"

A short pain rudely dragged Twenty-One from her sleep. Unwilling to rouse from the pleasant peace she had been lingering in, the doe merely grumbled and shifted her head slightly. ".. Five more minutes, Walter.."

"Walterrr?"



The voice that questioned Twenty-One's words were hardly masculine in tone, causing the sleepy female to peel open one eye. Standing over her with a raised hoof was another doe, looking seemingly surprised and bemused beneath her deer mask and stubby antlers. "You've been dreaming again!" Tabitha's sing-song voice rang out as she skipped upon the spot, her mahogany and amber fur bouncing with her excited movements. "Get up already! Quamar told me that Vipin had told him that you had told him you were telling Quamar you were staying with him!" She giggled at Twenty-One's blank look. "But you didn't show up! I found you though, I did! So get up already!"

With a yawn, the chocolate-brown doe stood up and glanced around. It was late morning, but curiously enough she was laying on the bank of the pond. She'd fallen asleep here, yes.. But yesterday.. Wasn't that just a dream?

"Come on! Come on!" Tabi hopped in a circle around Twenty-One. "Wipe away that silly look! I was told that Vipin-Whippin' wanted to see you!" Her prancing carried her off down the hill along the water's edge, down towards the shallows. Twenty-One slowly followed, her mind still half-asleep but confused nevertheless. Leading the way, Tabitha hopped and skipped down into the shallows with a loud 'splash', calling out happily to another pair of deer already there. Both were stags: one as dark as the night sky, and the other as grey as a thickening mist. Goat-like in appearance and with as much energy as any mountain-climber, Scape replied with enthusiasm and returned to speaking with the other stag, who seemed rather reluctant to greet the doe.

"I.. I don't know, Scape.." Taiko replied eyed the swarm of purple dragonflies as they buzzed around the water's surface from within his skull-like mask. ".. I mean.. What if they don't like me? I'm just a boring nobody..". His sad gaze lingered on the insects. "Don't be silly! They like anyone! Watch!" Scapegoat proudly presented himself before the gathering of dragonflies and with a flourish he bowed gracefully. The only reply was the buzzing of several pairs of wings. "See? They like me! Now you try!"

As the two stags took turns to befriend the insects, both does paused for a morning drink. Twenty-One, slowly gaining her senses from the refreshing drink, looked down at her reflection. No bruises, no cuts, nothing! Hadn't that.. Creature hurt her last night? She had been sure that it attacked her side whilst she was running.. Alas, there was no mark nor pain to confirm the doe's thoughts, and a little while later, both does wandered away again to find Vipin. They spent the remainder of the morning searching, but when it came to finding something to eat later on, Tabitha stopped them. "Hey! I know we're not having much luck finding Vippy.." The mahogany female turned to face Twenty-One, looking around briefly before leaning in to speak. "But I totally heard that there's this hot new stag wandering around! Wanna go find him instead?" With the typical girlish giggle, Tabi raised her head again to make sure noone had heard her. "Oooh! Hiya Quaddykins!" Twenty-One rolled her eyes. Typical Tabitha. Raising her head too, she joined in watching her adoptive son approach.

Quad was built well with his shared black and white pelt, muscles showing easily as he trotted towards the two females. Even with worry showing beneath his dark brown deer mask, the two fan-like red antlers atop his head were carried with pride in his strength. As he approached, he called out, "Tabitha! Vipin was wondering where you are!" The butterfly-patterned doe looked guilty for a moment, but with a sly grin she replied, "Oh! So sorry! Tell Vipin that something came up!" With a passed wink to Twenty-One she giggled softly and turned around, hopping off away between the trees in search.

When Quad reached the remaining female, he shook his head. "She's a weird one. Anyway, come on. I actually know where Vipin is, unlike her.."

As the pair made back the way that the two does had originally came, Twenty-One found herself explaining the past night events to the stag. He listened intently as she spoke of the tormented Walter attacking her, and then how she had awoken to birdsong and a young Walter that could hear and see. "I don't know, Quad.." She sighed as they went, ".. Could it really have been a dream?" The stag honestly had no idea. To him, it did sound like a dream but he doubted that his foster mother would really lie to him. She and his father had always looked out for him, even as a fawn.

Pausing in speech to cross the small river by the idol, Quad waited as Twenty-One leaped easily over the water, and then they continued with few words to one another. As they both entered a section of birch forest, the doe noticed Tabitha in the distance. She had been about to call out to her, when the sight of another deer not too far off caught her eye. "Quad.." She stopped in her tracks, looking closely at the stag Tabitha seemed to have been following. ".. Who's that?" Quad blinked. He observed the dark stag in the distance, eyes squinted. "That.. Is Darcy, I believe. Why do you ask?" He seemed surprised at Twenty-One's curiosity, but his own question was soon answered. The pair watched as Tabitha danced between the trees towards Darcy, who simply seemed to be standing there, unsure whether to run or stay put. Usually it was -him- impressing the ladies. Oh well.

"Oh hey!" Tabitha giggled loudly as her prancing ceased, and she stood before Darcy, giggling and pawing the ground like an adolescent doe. "I totally didn't see you there! I'm sorry!" Darcy blinked, bewildered. "Uh.. But you were just-.. I mean." He coughed and cleared his throat. "I mean. I didn't see you there either.. I'm Darcy." Tabitha seemed to squeal with delight at his name. "I'm Tabitha! Or Tabbykins, or Tabi!" She looked him up and down, admiring the fact that such a manly stag seemed to be sporting a good choice of pelt. With those spiky-fan antlers of his too, it only added to the effect of being utterly handsome. "You must be a strong stag to wear those antlers!". Darcy blinked, and proudly he stood taller. "uh.. Of course! I'm strong alright! One time, I knocked a tree down with these antlers and didn't even break a sweat!"

Nothing of the two butterfly deer's conversation reached Quad or Twenty-One's ears, but regardless they decided it were best if they let them be. Again they continued onwards to find Vipin, the only thing that they could hear from Tabitha and Darcy's conversation was her loud, girly giggling.