I asked Quad about something. "What is the meaning of Christmas Spirit?"

Quad smiled and replied, "Well, what do you think it means?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, since everyone buys presents, I guess it's about receiving gifts from people."

The blackbuck shook his head.

"No? Then it's about giving gifts?"

The blackbuck shook his head again.

"Is it even about the gifts?"

The blackbuck shook his head a third time.

"Then what is it about? What is the meaning of Christmas Spirit?"

Quad walked over to me, and spoke one word into my ear. "Family."

And with that, he walked away. The word sunk into my mind. It made sense. It wasn't just about presents and decorations, holiday music and seasonal food. The meaning of Christmas Spirit is family.

And with those words, I present 12 stories to you, the Endless Forest community.

Because you're not just friends, you're family too.

Okay guys, I know you have seen me vent on this site since Dad and Mason died. I was using this place to escape, and from now on I won't vent here anymore. I'm going to take Ocean and Pega's advice, and when I need to vent, I'll type it onto a word document so I can delete it instead of posting it here. I've also set aside a bunch of CDs to listen to when I'm getting in a bad mood.

I deleted my updates page because it was where I was venting the most, so please retrack it if you need to.

But I need one more thing, and please read this below:

Please accept my apology.

I'm sorry for everything I've done on here that I shouldn't have. I'm sorry that I have been venting on this community, it wasn't right for me to do so. I'm sorry for asking for so much artwork, and also being jealous of people's art skills. I'm sorry that I shove my characters into everyone's face and talk about them so much. I'm sorry that I have been degrading myself and constantly telling myself that I'm worthless. I'm sorry if I ever said anything in the chatrooms that offended anyone or wasn't appropriate. I forget sometimes who I am talking to. I'm sorry that I come off as being pompous or snobby, I really don't ever intend to sound like it. I'm sorry for all the drama I caused on here.

And from this moment on, I won't let it happen again.

Any time I ever start to fall apart, I have my resources to take my sadness and frustration elsewhere. From this moment on, it will no longer be posted here.

I love each and every one of you. So please accept my apology.

A pianist in Toronto, Canada, plays his heart out, recording an album that he titles Seascapes. The album is produced on cassette, CD, and LP, the cover art that of crystal blue waters. The album is given five tracks, each one his own inspiration and creation. The album is published and soon available for all to hear.

This man does not look for fame, or fortune...but just to share his music to the world.

Twenty-six years later, a young man and his mother walked into a shabby thrift store. The place is filled with a variety of things, and as he walks around, he notices a shelf with old CDs on it in the corner of the store. He eagerly walks over and thumbs through the CDs, passing Christmas albums, old computer games, and 90's pop bands. As he looks, one CD catches his eye, titled Seascapes. He pulls it from the shelf, reading "Michael Jones, Piano Solos" on the old cover.

He brings the CD to the front desk and pays for it, his mother buying a few things of her own. The CD is placed in a bag with his mother's items, and the two leave the old store and drive home.

That day, the man puts the CD into a CD player, pressing "play". He doesn't know what to expect, or even if the CD will work.

And for the next seven minutes, the song entitled Mexican Memories plays into his ears. A pianist plays his heart out, and the man envisions himself in a front-row seat of a piano hall, listening to this man from 1984 create beautiful music.

And the next part is unexpected, the young man then sees grass grow around the piano and pianist, the theater becoming entangled in vines and trees. Whitetail deer frolic nearby, and for a moment, he catches a glimpse of a blackbuck antelope running by.

The day has ended
High above my head
Each of the clouds
Change from orange to grey
Remembering my father
In the transformation before me
Missing his warmth and love
Soon darkness will cover
On the land where I stand
Now upon the crimson sky
Stars have pierced through
Kindling the warmth I yearn for
Yielding his presence once again

You have spent your life searching for something. You do not know what it physically is, but you do know that it is the key to unlocking something special. A hidden ability, a useful skill, maybe even some kind of superpower. You've heard the legend before, and upon your arrival to a land far from where you live, you ask the locals where to go to find the treasure you seek.

They point to the highest peak of a forested mountain, and as you squint, you can see a strange sliver of stone jut out from the ground. An obelisk awaits you, and according to legend, it grants a new skill to every traveler who climbs the peak to reach it.

You are prepared as instructed - you do not bring anything with you but the comfortable clothes you are wearing. The journey is short so there is no need for extensive gear or food. A simple water bottle is all you bring.

You begin the hike by walking underneath a man-made wooden arch. It is oriental in nature, but could have been built here by anyone. You walk on the path that slants upward, stone cobbles provide stairs to ascend the mountain. All around you are a variety of trees, all different shades of green. You see many colorful birds fly beneath the treetops, going about their daily routines, singing to one another, and so on. On the ground, you notice squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits constantly cross the path. Some stand off the trail, nibbling away at nuts and acorns they have found. Their eyes watch you as you continue on. In the distance, you see a stag and doe grazing. They pay no mind to you, eating the grasses from the forest and bathing their brown fur in the rays of sunlight that penetrate through the trees.

You continue walking, taking sips of your water when you need it. You stop when the ground evens out, hearing the gentle sounds of water. As you walk on, you see a small river has cut through the path. Stepping stones have been placed for those on the trail to cross.

Warning, contains a little graphic content


He held his breath, watching the stag appear from the treeline. The deer kept walking, having other things on his mind, not at all aware that he was being watched. He stopped and bent down to eat a nice patch of grass, enjoying the subtle chirps from the birds and the gentle breeze.

The hunter drew back his bow.

As he did, the spotter who was right by him made a sound, just slightly, from a deer call. The stag heard a doe speak, "Hey...", in an odd voice. He raised his head to look for them, and at that moment, the arrow was released.

The stag ran, his heart rate elevated wildly. He had to get away, ignoring the pain. He just had to get away.

The hunters waited. They'd find him later. They were patient.

The stag's strength was failing him. His body was dripping with blood, the arrow had pierced him straight through. He didn't want to look at it. He knew what was happening, but he didn't want it to be his last moment.

He loved this forest, and never wanted to leave.

The stag fell onto the ground, crying out to the Forest, "Don't let them take me! Don't let me leave! I want to be a part of you forever!"

The breath was his very last, his body curled and he felt himself drift away.

I have heard your wish..., Nature spoke to him, and will grant you life as part of my forest.

At that moment, a great tree grew rapidly, engulfing his body within. The tree grew very tall, the very same as the other trees. There were very little traces of the stag's body, which rested as part of the tree.

The hunters came, following the blood trail that ended at the tree.

This is just a little something I need to post, because I've been pretty upset lately, and I just need something to look at when I get into another one of those situations.

As you guys probably know, this year has been pretty bad for me. I lost my Dad to cancer in July, and then in August my 22 year old cousin died of heart failure. Since then, I have literally felt like I've been going insane, little by little. I have been having bad nightmares as well as bad hallucinations before I sleep, I've been losing interest in things I used to love, and small things have been making me angry.

I've been losing sight of my dreams and goals, being more concerned lately with comparing myself to others and seeing myself as a complete failure. I know this is wrong to do, but it's hard for me not to. I see these beautiful artworks that you guys make on this community, and feel so ashamed with myself that I can't make anything that beautiful on my own. I write stories but I've convinced myself that they're utter crap compared to the artwork done on this community.

I need help.

I need this topic so that I can refer to it when I've become depressed again. When I lose hope, when I can't think straight.

Anything you'd want to tell me is very appreciated. Anything at all.

---------------------

To myself from Quad:



"Never forget who you are. Never lose sight of what you want to do.

LIST IS CLOSED!! However if you have a character with ** on the list, let me know if you do or do not want them included in this.

I want to make sure I have included everyone important on this:

One of the Christmas Stories I will be writing is a christmas party for the evil characters of the Endless Forest. I want to make sure I got everyone anyway (don't want to make anyone mad if I don't include their characters).

I enjoy the Endless Forest because it's my people. This isn't some tribal-marking wolf community, or some high-school modern vampire community, but a community about deer, my favorite animal. It's a community of people who enjoy doing artwork, writing, roleplaying, and actually playing as a deer in a forest.

If I had never found the Endless Forest, I really don't know what I would be like. I probably would have still been hooked on first-person shooter games and stuff like that. I probably would not have had the same views on environmentalism as I do now. I might not have even liked deer at all.

Look, I know this is going to come off as some kind of pompous speech, but it's really not. It's coming from the heart - I don't want to lose the Endless Forest. I don't want this to share the same fate as Impressive Title, where the creators got so fed up with all the hacking, bickering, and drama that they shut it down. There is no other community like this, I have found nowhere else where a 24-year old guy can write stories, enjoy artwork, and play a game where I am a deer.

Where I live, the kind of person I am is looked down upon. I'm supposed to be a man that enjoys NASCAR, killing deer, and staring at women. But I'm not, that isn't me. This is where I belong.

So please guys, the fighting and bickering needs to stop. It's like watching two family members argue, one may be right and one may be wrong but you still love them both equally. I understand that we as human beings don't always agree on things, but does that mean we have to wage war against each other about it?

[center]

In celebration of the Christmas Spirit, I wanted to write 12 stories for the community. I asked for ideas for stories, and got some great responses! I made sure to include a deer from the person that came up with each idea, and I put guest appearances in them too.

In addition, you can write your own stories or do Christmas artwork and I'll list them here.
Just provide me a link to it and I'll add it to the list!

This is my way of saying 'Thank You' for being a wonderful and supportive community for the past 3 years.