The elder stag walked through the forest at an unhurried, solemn pace. His head was held high, but within he could feel his heart melting. Tired eyes gazed upon the bountiful trees and grass. In the distance the cooling babble of the stream could be heard, frogs singing a lullaby in the lush pond waters. For a moment the stag paused, his ears twitching to listen for any sign of life. But there was only silence, just as he had expected.

Grimly, he began upon his slow pace again, letting his mind wander down long forgotten paths of memories. There had been parties once, grand affairs with laughter and joy. There had been quiet times for him, as well. The faces of friends lost or rarely seen struck a chord in him, causing his steady steps to falter. Or maybe it was simply his age starting to catch up to him, perhaps he was going the way of grumpy old Walter. A choked laugh escaped at the thought.

The sound of other's laughter broke the deer's contemplation. His head swiveled to catch the sight of two young deer playing with each other. The melody of their spells sounded through the still forest, but Sqish couldn't decide if it made the place livelier, or more empty feeling. For him it seemed to echo as if there was no life around him, but he had to take his own observations with a grain of salt. Even he had to admit his tendencies to choose the the most depressing option.
Letting a smile flicker on his face for a moment, he grazed his eyes hopefully across the pond before he continued on his way. He had hoped to see one of the Dragonfly Deer sleeping among the buzz of their favorite insects today, but there was nothing but any empty hole in the water reeds.

The Oak tree rose as a solemn figure before Sqish, it's shadowy depths inviting him to enter. He paused before the entrance, gazing upwards at the sun-splashed bark. His memories wandered to the sunny meadow beside the pond, remembering the long hours he had spent laying in the warmth. His mind traveled further, to the trees beside the Idol. He couldn't quite remember all the places he had been with Echo, but for some reason, that particular place had cemented itself in his mind. That is where he had said goodbye to her the day they met. Maybe that said something about him, the fact he could only remember their goodbye, but not their hello.

For a long, long time Sqish stood outside of the tree's shadows, his face subtly reaction to the myriad of thoughts and memories running like a movie through his mind. His first Abio, Sluggs' many glitching sessions, spell-spamming parties, Divine Pelt Tag, chasing RD, sitting with Esll... They were all replayed in his mind. He savored both the warm and sad feelings they brought him. Joy at having remembered the moments, sadness that they were only memories.

Sqish allowed the skull mask he had taken to wear slip from his face. He nudged it into the roots of the Oak before turning around to take one last look at the forest. Once he entered the shadows, once he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, he wasn't sure he would ever see this world again. There was a nagging feeling inside of him that told him he would not wake up from this sleep. That is why his steps had been so heavy, that is why there he had felt almost desperate to find a friendly face in the forest. But the longer he stayed the more he realized there was no longer room for an old stag like him in the forest. It was meant for those with energy and passion, those who could take those long runs around the pond, who could climb to the tops of the ruins and keep up with the gods during Abios. Sqish had once had that vigor in him, but life had taken it's toll.

He couldn't quite pull himself away from the world of the forest. He lingered longer, soaking in the subtle sounds ans smells. Perhaps if he thought hard enough about it, his dreams would take him to a similar place; a place where he had that same energy and passion. A place with familiar faces.

He had to stop delaying the inevitable. Squeezing shut his eyes, he turned to the shadows and walked within the the Oak. There he laid down, curling around himself. Slowly sleep came to him, blackness engulfing his vision and taking him into dreams. His form evaporated into a vapor, leaving behind no sign that the old, sorrowful stag had ever existed.
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I listened to depressing music today. I really shouldn't do that, it makes me write super emo stories like this.

Is this the end of Sqish? I don't really know. I haven't been in the Forest in ages, so it might as well be. I suppose this is a kind of leaving post, but -shrugs-. I don't really think anyone would much care if I said I was leaving, anyway, so we'll just call this a story for now and see if I can ever find the time to spend on here.