Below the cut, with an appearance by Eventide.

Long legs curled up beneath a slender, wraith-like body. Feathers ruffled as the being raised her slender neck to peer in to the depths of the world around her. Her eyes, they blinked, shedding some coal-like dust to coat her lashes. A slight sneeze accompanied the inhalement of that dust. Spider-thin limbs brought the being to her hooves, feathers fluffing as she stretched. Popping sounds accompanied the rapture of her stretch, with an appreciative, almost sensual moan. This day was the first she had not been captive to the fever that ravaged anyone who endured the change from fawn to stag or doe. She felt like... well... an entirely new deer.

Her mind began to cogitate the change's feelings, but then abruptly halted due to the more painful memories of the time. She instead focussed on trying to walk. Her legs were a lot more gangly that those of her fawn-body, and more difficult to control. One, way high, then step, then lock your knee... then lift another, way high.. then step, then lock your knee. Soon she had herself moving steadily on. The forest, it seemed different today.

She then noticed her eyes.

A puddle showed the doe what the day and nights of crying had done to her face. She could not believe the change. Two strips of blood red ran down her cheeks, and her eyes were faded and coated in charred dust from where they had been burned by her tears. She felt her heart sink. Gold framed the face of a demon, an angelic pelt and deep-colored feathers adorning the same face and form as this? Tears threatened to spill, and the light brought through her beautiful green eyes beneath the dust. It was a relief to see that she was not as much of a monster as she thought. She still had little green orbs in there.

Phion traipsed through the forest on her thin legs, finally arriving at the pond. Clouds and blue sky reflected in its depths, along with soaring birds that seemed to be swimming with the koi beneath the water's surface. This gave the doe a chuckle. Her ears became erect, eyes widening at the sound. Oh! was all she could get out of her mouth before violently snapping it shut. Her voice was terrifyingly beautiful, and she decided then that it would only be used when she needed to. Peering in to the water before inhaling a drink, the doe realized something: This was the Gods' doing. They made her like this. She should get used to it.

And maybe wash her eyes.

Dipping her entire face in the water, the doe opened her optics. A couple blinks had her satisfied, and she raised her face free from the cooling liquid. it dripped from her chin and steamed from her perpetually hot eyes. Oh bother. Her thought rang free as she shook her head to rid it of the steam and stepped back. Stomping, the doe realized the film was permanent to her corneas, as was the redness to her cheeks. Another bother.

Freeing her final hoof from the water, the doe took off again, this time at a breakneck pace. Testing her speed was the most wonderful feeling. It was very reminiscent of the dream-vision of her future...well now present...self. Now, though, Phion could really fly over the land.

She almost flew over Eventide, too, almost missing him in sight.

A smile to die for spread across her face as she lay in the patch of hyacinths with him and absorbed herself in his peaceful mood. Butterflies passed through the air like small ghosts past their noses. The sun warmed their bodies, golden pressed firmly against white and black. Both let their eyelids drift closed in the heaviness of the relaxation. The golden pollen of the forest settled on the soft down of deer fur, creating little pinpoints of golden light there. Phion's feathers seemed to mirror the sky as they absorbed and strobed at a snail-like pace with the rays of sunlight. Eventide's candle-wicks blew gently in the breeze, unlit. Their pictograms breathed in unison, creating a rapturous, calm moment in the midst of the bustling forest.

Phion lay next to Eventide and slept. She was grateful for the bubble of space they inhabited, in the ocean of flowers, floating there.

Stop once in a while, to smell the flowers, you may come nose-to-nose with a friend there.