It rained. It rained for quite a while. This had been the second day of the nonstop downpour, and nobody knew when it would stop. It seemed darker than usual, causing bats and owls to come about. Along with the rain, red petals fell from nowhere like somber leaves. The strange weather was a celebration, a commemoration to those who were not among the living.

A stag stood by the Pond, gazing at his reflection. His black pelt shined in the damp atmosphere, making the skeletal patterns shine even brighter. His antlers twitched. The short, black protrusions came to a hand-like shape at the end. And that's just what they were. They could move, stretch, bend, anything you wouldn't expect an antler to do. But when not in use, they stood in their rightful place, the occasional twitch catching anyone looking off guard.

His face was the same color black. Dull scarlet eyes peered at the water, looking more through the reflection rather than at it. Green strikes marked his upper eyes, and his top lip seemed to be shaded lighter than his pelt.

He didn't appear here often. Or anywhere at all, really. It was the weather that brought him out. In a normal, cloudless day in the Forest, he was a cheerful teenager. He bounced and bound with the others, without a care in the world. But the clouds hung over the Forest, blocking all possible light from reaching him. It made him a little less cheery. And soon all his emotion was gone. Nothing left but an unfeeling, logical stag, almost mechanical in his thinking. Never exaggerating his voice or actions, not one sign of feeling or emotion.

He continued to stare at the water, when something caught his bloodred eyes. A doe was not too far away. He had heard of this one before. Of course, he didn't react in any special way, he couldn't. He noted her presence, and returned to staring. But she came over to him.

She offered a smile and a greeting, expecting much more of him. He stared at her blankly, wondering how she wanted him to respond. She asked what was wrong, and he curtly alluded to the clouds. She understood, and nodded.

It seemed to disappoint her. If anything, the black stag didn't want to disappoint anyone, unemotional or not. It was something that was lodged into his mind since the day he was born. He made an impulsive decision, to see if it would work. The stag bound into the waters and disappeared for only a few seconds. He came back out as a regular old stag.

He looked at her. And she looked at him. Soon, a smile spread across his face, which made the doe laugh. They played for a while, a few times he gained his appearance again in between games. The newly striped stag bounced around with the energy he normally had. She returned his activity with her own fun.

This was the first time he actually looked at her appearance. She was coated with a beautiful arrangment of orange and red, along with a golden mask. And, oddly enough, very large antlers. He was puzzled, but soon found out that her antlers were courtousy of her father. He paid no mind to them. She was quite pretty.

Soon games of fun turned to games of flirt. As teenagers go, this was to be expected. They found themselves enjoying each other a lot more than before. At one point, they went to the Old Oak to dry. She came close to him, shivering. He gave a sly smile and a light blush, and tried his best to keep her warm.

Later, when the rain thinned, they went back to the Pond where they had met first. The striped stag took the young doe to the bridge. Two rows of tall candles were alight on the edges, their flames flickering from the tiny drops of water. The doe sat down, looking out at the Pond. He sat down. Their shoulders touching.

Hours passed. They talked, they played some more. Soon it was time for him to go. He bolted with unwanted haste to his spot, hoping it was still dry. The striped stag heard a voice in his head. He remembered, and looked at the clouds high above him. His face turned solemn, and the black pelt had appeared once more.

He managed to fight away his other side to talk to her. Now that they were separated, he could let himself look over what had happened. His disorders seemed to get in the way. They always did. But today, he was able to control them.

"Who was that?" The black stag asked with a monotone voice.

"Oh... someone special, perhaps." the cheery side replied.

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FAIL.

needed to write. and this was a little different anyway. this actually happened, you know :3

can you guess who they are?? <3