i dont think ill turn this into something huge. i just needed to write. i have no inspiration for Fluttering Feathers as of yet. too many personal things going on :<

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The sun shone through a huge canopy of orange and gold. The leaves of the Eternal Autumn forest in their natural colors glimmered with fresh dew, and a little frost. Natural Autumn was right around the corner, leaving the warm Summer days behind. Few fallen leaves littered the forest floor, making an odd contrast. The reds and golds of the trees firmly digressed from the green undergrowth of the ground.

A familiar stag wondered through this forest. His blue and green pelt stood out from the dull, warm colors of the leaves. His giant red antlers awkwardly menuevered around the lower branches. He furrowed his bushy eyebrows at the familiar scents and sights. This was his home. The home of Hobward.

Of course, he never wanted anyone to call him that. Not after the tragic mishaps of his past. His one taste of true love, crashed to the ground in a bloody feast, and the massacre that happened shortly after. A massacre so taboo to his kind, he had to leave alltogether. It pained him so, to leave his family, his friends.

But of course, he could not have memory alone. An eternal crown of hatred was forever planted in his skull. Giant, towering red antlers, never to be shed, and constantly straining his neck. The thorns sticking out snagged onto low branches, often leaving him stuck for a few minutes. He thoroughly hated his antlers, but they were his curse, and his punishment.

Hobward carefully stepped through the Eternal Autumn, frequent blows of nostalgia smacking against his heart. He lowered his antlers to scratch an itch. It seemed to be the only useful thing they could do. It wasn't before long that he came across another familiar stag. His pelt was orange, blending in almost perfectly with the leaves. His antlers were tall and elegant, showing many tines gathered throughout the year. But his face resembled Hobward's. The same red shade, animalistic, yet somewhat human, shape, and big bushy brows.

"Good morrow." Greeted the stag. "I see you must be familiar with this land. You do bear the resemblance of the Autumn Deer. What is your name?"

"I am..." Hobward hesitated. They knew his name well. He was one of their elders for a time. He recalled his alias and sighed. "I am called Q."

"My name is Suka. You say you are Q? I have not heard of you." He looked at Hobward's dazzling peacock pelt. "My word... You are blessed! You must come to the herd at once!"

"I.. I.. uhh..." Hobward stammered and backed away a little. "I'm... afraid I cannot. I must be home soon.. I, uh.."

"Nonsense, you are home. You have our face, and your pelt is definately divine. Although..." He looked up at the giant, thorned crown. "Your antlers... Say otherwise..."

"Suka... I knew you well..." Hobward lowered his head. "You were a fine stag when I knew you." He looked up to see the other staring in confusion. "Yes, you know me. I am Hobward, the Head Elder. Or... at least I was..."

"H-Hobward? Where... How..." Suka flustered for words, and soon said, "Why?"

"Yes, I am indeed blessed. My pelt was a gift of the Twin Gods. However, my transactions have cursed me as well... I have stained this sacred pelt with the blood of another. And so my crown had turned from pearl to bloodred, and shall forever stay. It will be my reminder of my terrible deeds. That is why I left. I knew I would be banished anyway..." He lowered his head.

"Hobward... While it was wise to flee, it was not to return." Suka lowered his large, pearly antlers. "You must leave at once. Your cursed hooves are not meant to tred this forest any more." Hobward stared as the stag remained lowered. "Your mate and child... They were killed, yes?" Hobward nodded. "Yes... I understand, and I am sorry for your loss. We found their remains some time after you went missing. But soon we found more remains, the remains of wolves. And we also found hoofprints. We knew it was you. You are not permitted to come again... Why?"

"Why... I came to see my homeland once again. At maybe the shred of a chance that I was never banished in the first place. But I see I was wrong. I am shunned by the very ones who praised me. While I once agreed and accepted the ways of the Autumn Deer, I do not anymore. Your ways no longer make sense to me. I have found a place where all kinds of deer are granted freedom, cursed or perfect. I have seen true kindness and freedom there. My home is not here. And I do not plan to return to such a coldhearted kind. But I shall keep your memory alive, for my mate and child are still in my heart. The rest of you... You are no longer in my memory. Only those who have shown me true love shall I remember."

Hobward turned away from Suka, leaving the other stag to nod sadly. He stumbled as best he could through the lower branches. Some early snow started to fall, even though it was only the end of Summer. Suka growled angrily and shouted, "Damn you, Hobward! Your heart has grown cold and black! Those antlers have infected your soul!"

Hobward turned his head to glare back at the orange stag. "It is your soul that has become infected, Suka. You are too attached to your rituals to realize how heartless you really are." He turned again, inevitably cracking his neck under the tremendous weight. He left the stag behind, and went to return to the Endless Forest.

Suka turned and dashed back to the herd. He told the current Head Elder of what the Peacock stag said to him. The Head Elder burrowed his brows and nodded, his shaggy, silver pelt swaying with his head, shaking slightly under his giant white antlers. What Hobward said made him rethink about their ways and lifestyle. It made him realize why Hobward was Head Elder, while he was still a small fawn.

Hobward found the same tree. A giant tree, just on the border between the Eternal Autumn forest and the Endless Forest. Half the leaves were green, and half were orange. Hobward rubbed his antlers and pelt against the tree, causing a few leaves to fall. His pelt let out a fine, blue mist, and slowly changed to the same orange fur of his kind. His antlers also changed, becoming thinner and whiter. Soon he looked like any other Autumn Deer, and entered the Endless Forest.

A few fawns jumped up to him. One of them greeted him happily, "Hi, Q! Whatcha doing?"

Hobward smiled, "Oh, nothing. Nothing right now, anyway."

The fawn tilted his head, "Why do you look different? What happened to your peacock pelt?"

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know... Perhaps I just wanted to be a little different today. Come now," His neck cracked again, and he winced slightly, but returned to his smile. "Let's go to the Pond, shall we?"

The fawns nodded and pranced about him as he trotted in the direction of the Pond. He smiled at them, but his mind still strayed back to his home. He thought about his mate, and his daughter. But soon, he shook them off for the moment, and went to enjoy himself.

Hobward could see one of the trees across the Pond. A few of the leaves were turning brownish-orange.

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i realize Q talks. A LOT. thats kind of how the Autumn Deer are. they like to talk a lot. so yeah XD i just felt like writing about Q. he doesnt seem to get a lot of attention from me.