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I've wondered many things throughout my short life.

What will the future be like?

Will anyone remember the past?

I often find myself stuck in a rut; sure, it'd be nice to move on, to jump into tomorrow, not giving a damn about yesterday.

It's not until I'm reminded that the past can catch up to anyone, that I sit down and remember that it's better to be chained to it.

Sure, I could bore you with all the trivial things that have happened within my life, and I can assure you that some events are interesting; but I know that by the end, you'll be screaming for that precious, treasured silence.

And so, these lips remain taught; no matter how much I would like to spill, the mess to be cleaned up would only cause ceaseless bickering, and plenty of regrets.

I sit away from them all. I watch them dance and play, not a care in the world. I'd like nothing more than to join them; but I remain frozen to the ground.

Do they remember yesterday?

Do they remember the past?

By now, I am nothing more than a mirror of my former self, feeling the loneliness of an unwilling outcast. All's I can do is sit and watch, waiting for someone I don't know to dash into the fray. Perhaps then, I can slink into the crowd, unnoticed.

Sure, the logic behind it is rather idiotic at best, seeing as how this Zombie pelt and broken antlers stick out like a sore thumb; but in a moment of mental instability, I feel it's the only way to go.

While I try to love everyone, and avoid thrusting myself into a pit of warriors, I often find myself right in the middle of the action, my temper flared, my hooves stamping the ground, my patience breached. Even the most trivial of matters can escalate into a frenzied mosh pit, bodies colliding, bones cracking, squeals ringing throughout.

It's music I'd rather not hear.

Yet I hear it every other day.

And I, unfortunately, am but one of the many instruments playing, notes sharp and biting, painful on the ears.

I bicker and argue, I complain and snivel; despite my best attempt not to, it's unavoidable for me.

I am nothing more than a magnet for trouble, it seems.

And of course, we all get hurt from it.

We cry, we yell, we rampage. Sometimes, we manage to sort things out, nuzzling each other, and laying beside each other as if nothing ever happened.

But...I wonder.

Surely they remember everything that happens within this endless forest; how can they be so forgiving like this? This isn't normal. Such forgiveness is unheard of.

....

I watch her.

She comes towards me, smiling as if nothing ever happened. While I don't stand and proceed to chase her off, I glance away, not sure what the purpose of this facade is. But instead of altering herself last minute, she nuzzles me, only to turn back to the group.

And the purpose of that was...?

She turns to me, tapping the ground with her hoof.

Come here? What for?

Lazily, annoyingly, I rise to my feet, being in no mood to argue after the day before.

Stretching, I watch her watch me, her gaze soft, gentle. I still think it's fake, but nonetheless, I follow her to where everyone is.

The noise is a bit much at first; I was far enough away from it before that it merely sounded like birds quietly chirping in the morning. Everyone is jumping around, dancing and frolicking without a care in the world. I stop, backing up slightly, only to feel a push from behind.

Another deer is standing behind me, trying to push me further into the crowd. Paranoid, I wheel around, pawing the ground, as a warning to stay away. He cowers back, only to approach again, his head low, perhaps in apology. But I don't stand for it, backing away from him, only to feel another bump to my side.

Of course, now I'm directly in the middle of the crowd, and the dancing deer brush bodies with each other, and with me. I recognize a good number of them, their pictos as memorable as my fondest childhood memory. One chances a glance at me, then taps the ground, returning to their dance.

I do not know why I was dragged into the middle of this. I would have preferred to remain on the sidelines, lamenting yesterday, wishing for a chance to change the past. Yet instead, here I am in today, tap dancing with those I quarreled with just the previous day.

The air doesn't seem to choke me though; with each step, with each tap, the air seems light, crisp, carrying the scent of blossoms and sweet fured deer. It's a mix of sedatives I could actually afford, and before long, I'm lost within the spirit of the dance, regret surrendering to a sense of...joy.

Turning a blind eye to the past, if only for a brief moment. Forgetting what happened before, and living in the now. Nuzzling, playing, loving, knowing that, at the end of the day, you will always be together. Through thick and thin. No matter what divides you.

Yes, this is what it means to be alive.

This is what it means to forgive and forget.

This is what it means...

To live in this Endless Forest.