"It has been a while since I've told one of my stories. I have a newer tale that many of us saw the birth of; it isn't often that happens, so this is a very special story indeed. Would you like to hear it? Ah, splendid! While you make yourself comfortable, perhaps you, my dear listeners, can tell me your names?"
One by one deer of all shapes and sizes came and sat around him just in front of De Drinkplaat's, including one solitary Magpie who called excitedly at the sight of Dag's branching antlers.
Harrak-kak-kak!
Smiling, Dag motioned with a sharp nod of the head for her to perch on them if she wished to; Magpies were his most favourite of birds, not that he ever voiced his love for them. As she settled, Dag shifted his weight to one side to show exactly how he was sitting. He had positioned himself between a cluster of the blue smoking mushrooms so that his rear end was consumed in the waterhole's magic, turning all but his front into the plain brown pelt that all the nameless wore.
"Hm, let's see if I can remember you all starting with those who are the youngest to the forest... and new faces to this old one! Now then, hopefully I won't embarrass myself:
Celeste, Kheiron, Swifttail, Yume, Pete, and not forgetting Miss Magpie. You all have such lovely pictograms! Did you know the Twin God's forged your names after the creation of the Drinkplaats? Before you were even a twinkle, the ground behind me was just another grassy place to sit."
Pausing, he turned to face his old friends and even some well-known faces he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting before.
"Those with the old names were around to witness this place being created. Hm-hm, I'll recount your names for the benefit of the second generation:
Crybaby, Virgil, Vipin, Saosin, Spyrre, Vala, Lady Red, Kylar, Toukan, and finally Kaoori and Wesker.
But one thing you both have in common is that you do not yet know the reason for its creation, and the events leading up to it...
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Deer in the forest have existed for a very long time, and our predecessors were even older than the very first tree to begin the growth of what we know as the birch forest. Back then, the few deer in existence lead very simple lives coexisting with their Lords; the Twin Gods who created them and gave them their beautiful world. They were created equally, one looking no different from the other, until a time where the growth of the herd meant that each needed its own identification - a name.
"We will give them a name." Said one, draped in the most vibrant of rose reds that existed only in the most precious of gardens.
"And in doing so, a voice." Said the other, its coat dipped in the purest of white gold; they were both the very image of grandeur - a palace to their subjects.
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"The names are pictograms, aren't they!" Vala chirruped, standing up and wagging her tiny tail. She was very small, and at standing was the head-height of those sitting down. Dag knew she had witnessed more changes to the forest than all of them put together, and it made him happy to know that she was enjoying the story already; whether it held any real truth or not. Such was the brilliance of forest stories.
"Indeed they are...
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And so, the Lords began to give each deer a name by taking shapes from what they had already created around them - and they also gave one to themselves. Bold lines of tree trunks, curves from their heavy boughs, and delicate inward swirls inspired by the flowers. The patterns could be arranged infinitely; each name was as individual as the last. Of course, the deer of the forest loved their new names very much. It was something that was theirs and theirs alone, that no-one could have or take away. They were grateful, and thanked the Lords for such beautiful gifts.
Over time, the deer's pride over their names grew and grew as they rooted themselves to their identity.
"Mine looks like a bird."
"Mine is symmetrical."
"Mine looks like a flower."
Everyone wanted to make sure that their name was of more notice, more different; special because it was crafted in such a way that made it appealing. Some deer grew to love their name more and more each day, but others grew resentful and jealous of how appealing different names looked compared to theirs. So one day, a deer approached the two Lords and spent some time looking at how beautiful their colours were.
"My Lords, you have given us a wonderful gift. But I fear there is great unrest, for now we all want to look different."
"Oh?" The Gods stooped their slender necks to examine this deer closely; something was not quite right about it.
"Why do you have flowers in your antlers, Child?" The golden one asked, casting a sideways glance to The Red. It was as clear as day - this deer had torn up one of the purple flower beds to decorate their antlers.
"Why, this is exactly what I mean my Lords." The deer replied, "Those who have become jealous of the names of others are finding ways to make themselves look different, and more interesting in comparison. Why, there are deer with poppies in their antlers!"
"How very peculiar... Are our Children not happy?" Asked The Red, sounding very concerned indeed.
"Oh no, my Lord!" The deer squeaked, not wanting to offend their creators, "It is just... how we long to be that of colour, such as you. We all admire your coats, and some day we hope to look just as beautiful as you."
"You wish to be as we are?" The Gold and Red sang in unison, intrigued by the hidden proposal of this one deer who spoke for all. It took a moment for the deer to reply, but eventually - with unwavering confidence - the deer said:
"Not as you are, for you are our Gods; we cannot wish to be like you. We only wish to be able to reflect your beauty. You are the sun, the life-giver of the forest - we only wish to be your reflection."
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"This character doesn't sound manipulative at all." Wesker remarked, his voice thick with sarcasm. Kaoori looked up at him with a very damning stare, the base of her tail bristling.
"Wesker." She scolded in a harsh whisper, "Don't interrupt."
Dag was obviously trying to contain a bought of laughter; the sight of something so sweet and delicate telling off something much larger and more threatening tickled him.
"It's quite alright," he chuckled, "but as much as anyone denies it, flattery does get you places. And without this deer, we wouldn't be as colourful as we are today. Now...
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... The Gods thought long and hard about what to do. They didn't quite understand why their creations wanted to look different from each other, but they themselves had always looked different. They were bigger - much bigger - and each with their own colour that they were happy with. Perhaps their children were jealous? Then again, the frogs were content; as were the birds, bats and squirrels.
The Red spoke first,
"We do not want our Children to be unhappy with what we have given them, and we do not want them to be unhappy with themselves."
And then The Gold,
"No, we do not. Perhaps we should give them colours they can wear - different from ours - to settle them once again."
The Gods turned to the deer who was still standing before them, waiting patiently.
"Very well," they bellowed in agreement so all could hear, "we shall give you all colour, so that you may be content and happy once again."
A great cheer rippled through the forest, and deer came in great numbers to bow and give thanks for their decision. But the Gods didn't want to just give them a new colour each, oh no. They wanted them to earn their colour, to share it with each other and help everyone find the colour they desire.
And all of a sudden, the names of the Gods began to glow, brighter and brighter until a great shaft of light flashed in the blink of an eye. It was over so fast that the deer were still recoiling from the light even after the deed was done, and then the Gods spoke.
"We have shared some of our divine magic between all of you. But in order for this magic to be awakened, you must keep your fellow deer company as they sleep. Only then will you be able to use it, but never on yourself; you will give another their colour, and this is how it always shall be."
Another cheer rose, and all bowed to thank them. The deer were so excited, but they had to wait until some of them slept. When they did, the awake deer danced and played for hours, casting colours on their friends and reveling in the anticipation of not knowing what colour could appear. Then of course, when their energy ran out and they wanted to sleep, the newly awakened deer had their turn. The greatest surprise came when they fell asleep unknowingly within a circle of mushrooms. For when they tried to cast a spell, their friend turned into one of the other four animals the Gods had created; a vain attempt to show them that even the smallest creatures are content with looking the same. However, the deer did not like staying small for long, so that particular magic became a game to them which worked just as well; the Gods did so love watching their children play.
So, all was well for a very long time... that is, until...?
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Dag trailed off with an inflection, looking around at his audience and inviting them to guess.
"Until they wanted... something else? To make them look different?" A small black and white doe replied. It was Celeste, and she was sitting close in front so her view wasn't blocked by the larger listeners.
"Because they'd still be sharing the same pelt colour with someone else, wouldn't they." She smiled, knowing she was right.
"Correct! Once you have something that everyone else can have, it is only natural to want something else...
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The same deer was appointed to approach the Gods again, but this time clothed in a different colour from before, and armed with a different request. The deer asked,
"My Lords, you recall how I and other deer were putting flowers in our antlers before?"
The Gods thought for a moment, both nodding when they remembered.
"Yes, we do."
"Well," the deer continued, "although we are most happy about our colours, we would like to ask if we could be given different crowns. They cause some deer a great sorrow, and some wish to have smaller ones that do not get stuck in trees or accidentally hurt others. Some wish for none at all and be free of their weight."
The Red and Gold both scrunched their noses,
"To not have crowns? But you have the same as we, surely you wish to be our reflection?"
"We do very much," the deer retorted, "but we want to be a symbol of your greatness, a symbol of what variety of creature you can create."
The Gods were intrigued by this. Perhaps it would be good to show how different their Children could be.
"Very well." They bellowed, for all to hear, and that flash of light appeared once again.
"We have shared some of our divine magic between the trees. The magic lies dormant in the fruit they bare, within their pine-cones. To awaken the magic, you must eat their fruit, and only then will you be able to use it to cast new antlers, but never on yourself; you will give another their antlers, and this is how it always shall be."
Hm-hm, and I'm sure you can guess how that went.
So the deer now had different colours, and a variety of antlers. But as time went on, the same thing happened; the deer soon wanted more, to look even more different. And of course, the same deer was the one to ask for it. Can you guess what he asked for?
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"Oh that one's easy." Kylar chimed in, who was sat on the outer rim of the semi-circle leaning against Toukan, splaying his legs out in the space next to him.
"Masks." He answered matter-of-factly.
"Though, it's a bit of a weird thing to ask for, don't you think?" Toukan asked, "I know I wouldn't think of masks as a thing to ask for. More pelt colours would surely have been better."
"Hm-hm, neither would I if faced with the choice, but the deer did indeed ask for masks to hide their faces...
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...The Gods were naturally very confused by this, and asked,
"Why do our children want to conceal their faces?"
To which the deer replied, now in a different colour and with different antlers than before,
"My Lords, we wish to be your reflection, but now we are able to have different colour hides and different crowns, we feel foolish for asking so much of you while you have stayed the same; pure in every way. In respect for all you have given us, we wish to hide the faces we share with you in order to preserve your beauty. Will you grant us this last wish?"
The Gods stood wide-eyed and this seemingly greed-less request,
"You do not wish for us to look upon the faces of those we have created?"
The deers ears fell, suddenly feeling like they had done something very wrong.
"N-No, my Lords." He stammered, bowing, "we only wish to be a symbol of your greatness, for you to be proud of our beauty as we are proud of yours. To become living statues you have sculpted, each as precious as the last."
The unchanged Red and Gold looked across the land at all their children, only ever wanting them to be happy. If that is what they wanted, then they shall receive it.
"It shall be so." They bellowed, for all to hear, their speech twinned with the dazzling blast of light.
"We have shared some of our divine magic between the bark of the trees. The magic will grow in the fungi it provides. To awaken the magic, you must eat them, and only then will you be able to use it to cast a new face-"
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"-But never on yourself; you will give another their face, and this is how it always shall be." Kheiron sang, bobbing his head from side to side to the chant and laughing. Swifttail and Yume were sat either side of him and had to lower their heads in order to dodge his antlers.
"Haha, sorry Dag, I couldn't resist." He winked, poking his tongue out cheekily before glancing at the raised brows of the two does.
"Ehe..." A sheepish, apologetic smile hid under his mask.
"Haha, you remembered!" Dag laughed, watching him squirm and now making very sure not to move his head to much.
"So what happened after that?" Yume asked, taking her attention away from Kheiron and his... weaponry.
"They asked for pelts, antlers, masks... And that's all the Gods ever gave, wasn't it?"
"Hm, yes, but that isn't quite the end of the deer and their wishes...
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... So, needless to say all the deer were happy and loved their Gods even more, and had endless fun changing their masks and throwing their altered voice through the forest. And for a long time, everyone - including the Gods - were content with themselves and their lives, and the forest prospered as they grew in numbers. However, as more and more deer came into existence, the God's could not keep up. It became harder and harder for them to answer everyone's questions, listen to everyone's wishes, and more importantly play with them; some of you can recall how infrequent Abiogenesis celebrations became. So would you know it... the forest began to loose faith, thinking their Lords were too busy for them anymore - that they had perhaps been pushed to the back, been forgotten about. In their sadness, the deer tried to ask for things to satisfy the lack of their presence. Perhaps a new coat colour? New masks, new antlers, the ability to keep the pelts gained from the Crying Idol and the Twin Statues?
"What about a darker coat, with speckles?"
"New flowers to put in our antlers!"
"A mask that howls like the wolves on Halloween?"
But sadly, even the God's did not have power to grant everyone's wishes; there were too many of them. They felt a great sorrow; it was not their fault, and they were hurt by the greed of their ever growing kingdom.
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"I-I don't like this part..." Crybaby sniffed, edging closer to Dag's side and burying his cheek in his fur to mop up the tears, "T-The God's weren't angry... were they?"
"Oh, of course the God's weren't angry. They are merciful, and would never do anything to hurt their creations. Don't be upset, this story has a happy ending - I promise."
Crybaby sniffed once more, then nodded his head slowly, letting Dag carry on.
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The Gods sat atop their statues side-by-side, and there they sat for many days and many nights trying to find a solution to their predicament.
"We need to remind our Children that they were once Nameless, and without the aesthetic choices of self that we gave them." They said,
"That they played and existed in just the same way."
The Red and The Gold could not grant them any more pelts, antlers, or masks for their faces. They could not undo the changes they had made so long ago, nor could they force the will of their subjects to not wish or dream of other things to have.
Eventually, they both came to a decision.
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"... The Drinkplaats?" Lady Red said sweetly, her red hood falling as she tilted her ears forward. She smiled, knowing Dag would see it as a 'hello', having not seen her for a very long time.
Vipin, who was sat next to her rather neatly, opened his mouth to speak,
"I... don't ever remember them telling us about it." He said curiously, his voice calm and inviting, "It was all a bit of a surprise."
"You are quite right Lady Red. But as Vipin has pointed out, they did not announce their intention at all, and instead wove their magic in secrecy...
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... On dark, twilight nights not so long ago, the Gods could been seen at the highest point in the Birch forest, floating but inches off the ground. The forest twittered and gossiped about what they could possibly be doing, for any attempt at greeting them was seemingly ignored. Then, one fine winter morning, they revealed their creation.
A fountain now stood in the birch forest, flowing gently into a small pool that had a flickering blue sheen unlike the water at the Pond. Surrounding it sat new creatures - rabbits and ravens of all different sizes - and at its borders a magnificent circle of large mushrooms. The deer knew instantly that these mushrooms could not be eaten, and were very special indeed, for they took it in turns to puff plumes of cyan smoke from their caps continually. They were enchanted, this much was certain, but they eagerly awaited for their Gods to tell them what the cause was for this beautiful watering hole.
Suddenly, two deer appeared within the center of it, ankle deep in the strange new water. They were very plain; no mask, dull hazel coats, and light brown antlers. However, floating above their heads were the names of The Red and The Gold. The deer were taken aback by their appearance - why were they this way? Their question was soon answered as both their voices were heard,
"The ring of mushrooms you see is a magical barrier, protecting this which is now the purest area of the forest. Stepping through this ring removes you of all the magic we have given you while you are within, and returns it to you when you cross it once again. To exist here will mean becoming the image of your ancestors; the one image of our creation."
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"Nameless!" Cried Harakka, bouncing from tine to tine in excitement.
"Were you frightened?" Pete looked across to the older deer, wide eyed, "About loosing all the magic you collected if you stepped through?" A purple flower fell from his bright blue antlers in a serendipitous moment.
"Of course not." Virgil replied, "The Gods would have no reason to lie. You... do lose the crying idol pelt if you cross through it, though." He shot a mocking sneer at Saosin, who replied with just a flick of his ear and a low growl of displeasure. His small companion Spyrre giggled and nudged him playfully,
"I'd lose my pelt too."
"Hm-hm, well such a big change had not happened in the forest for a very long time, and everyone were nothing but excited to drink from this new, mystical pool. When they did, they were pleasantly surprised to be turned into all the different animals of the forest as well, who through all their changed had remained very much the same.
But then...
BOOM!"
Though none of them would admit it, Dag's sudden loud outburst made them all jump, especially Crybaby who went so far as to try and hide in Dag's fur,
"There was a crack of thunder...
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... A great flash of lightening! Then, a rainbow! Idols falling from the sky! Giant fish swimming above their heads! All the things the Gods could summon, yet, The Red and The Gold were stood completely still, watching everyone else at play.
"You scared us!" One shouted, feeling exhilarated and laughing as the result of their fright.
"Oh?" Said the Gods, "We did not summon those things."
All the deer playing within the waterhole stopped, looking at each other and then to their Lords with dumbfounded expressions.
The Gods stepped back out of the circle, returning to their great and glorious forms as they crossed the wall of mushroom smoke. They said just one last thing before their figures twinkled and dissipated into the breeze,
"If deer gather here in numbers to play just as days long gone by, the magic we have imparted into this sacred place will reward you with the power to conjure that of The Gods. We may have created you, and we may have given you all you've asked for in the past, but the power of this forest has never really belonged to us; regardless of what we have given to make you happy."
"We created the forest, but it you - what you are underneath the magic - that make it."
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"And that is why the Drinkplaat's was created; to remind us all that what we look like has never mattered, and to feel privileged for what the Gods have given us. After all, things were not always this way, but for every change something is always gained."
"So... When the Gods gave them names, they gained the want to have our own sense of self, and be an individual?" The plainer looking doe Switfttail sounded very pleased with the story, not knowing it has taken so much for the Drinkplaats to exist.
"Ah, very good!" Dag encouraged, "But for every gain there is also a loss. What was lost that the Gods wanted to remind them of?"
"Erm... That appearance and magic aren't everything." Kaoori nodded.
"That we can play and have fun with or without all those things?" Spyrre's bright green eyes seemed ever larger behind her mask as she leaned forward expectantly.
A voice far away sounded to round off the story's conclusion; Queze had been intrigued by the gathering and had cleverly hid behind one of the trees. He poked his head around the corner and gave half a bow to pardon his intrusion, even though he had been there all along.
"You can change all you want on the outside, but not on the inside."
"Hm-hm... you are all exactly right."
One last thing: Is it okay if
Of course you can (: ♥
Quote:I only wish I could
Hey now - you're an amazing writer. I could never have the gusto to write something this long, and have it come out this awesome you know ;;
Don't ever stop writing, got it? -Rolls up newspaper- 8C
You portrayed her perfectly~
I'm gonna make commercial for you in the magpie's profile..? C: ♥