Merry Christmas, m'dear!! I wanted to draw you a picture to go with this, but I forgot my tablet at home when I went to my parents' for Christmas T__T I'll do it as soon as I'm able, though, don't think you'll get cheated! >w<

-------------edit!---------------
Fixed some rather blatantly distracting mistakes.

Also, let's play SPOT THE CAMEO! There are 3 all-in-all, though one of them is rather obvious. Have fun~



looked up into the air, a small, almost nostalgic smile on his slightly chapped lips.
Winter had taken its toll on his considerably aged body, drying out his skin and chilling his bones. He was cold and uncomfortable, but one thing made up for it all.
The snow.
It was floating down peacefully from amongst the branches, covering the forest-floor in a soft, powdery layer as fine and glittery as any starlit sky.
The smile widened as a lone snowflake landed on the bridge of ’s nose, staying for just a few seconds before starting to slowly melt into the fine fur covering his face.
He may be cold and uncomfortable, laying in the snow like that, but he was never one to complain. Winter was just a natural part of the forest and, like spring, summer and autumn, it had its advantages as well as its own special atmosphere, one that so happened to like rather a lot.
He took a deep breath of frosted air, the taste of it fresh and chilling in his mouth, reminding him of back when he had first appeared in the forest... Everything was so fresh and new to him back then, not a single experience had been uncovered, not a single sight had been seen before... Those were the days – he thought, as he got up on legs stiff from laying down too long and shook the snow out of his pelt.
That was when he noticed it – the fawn.
It was small and (for lack of a better word) almost pathetic-looking, standing around on its new-born legs, pouting in slight confusion at the great, towering ruins of the old monastery, its ears turning everywhere to pick up a sound – any sound! – in the dead-quiet forest.
smiled in knowing sympathy. Sometimes the forest could be so quiet, you’d think you were alone in the whole world. So, stretching his limbs, he decided to trot over to the newly-born, head held proudly on his strong neck, though with just enough angle to make his appearance friendly.
“Hello, little one,” He said softly, his voice almost mingling with the silent falling of the snow due to the muting effect of his mask. The fawn appeared to hear him, as its ears picked up and made it turn its head towards .
“Are you lost?” he asked, making sure to sound as friendly as he possibly could as he gracefully bent down on one leg, bowing lightly to the young creature.
Still, it frowned.
“I’m not lost, I’m Vince.” It said, a displeased tone in its voice as it directed freezing eyes at . himself didn’t much care for the manners, or lack of same, of the fawn, though he kept a friendly smile on his face. He remembered what it was like being young and impatient and he was not one to scold one of these poor, motherless fawns who were thrust so brutally into creation with no other source of comfort but the random acts of kindness given to them by strangers. He pitied these fawns. He had never felt the sting of missing his mother, since he had never had the need to do so... His generation was a simpler one, one created by the Gods themselves with no other purpose than inhabiting the forest. So, he moved closer.
“Well, nice to meet you, Vince,” He said, “I only asked because, well... something seemed to be bothering you?” this seemed to catch the fawn’s attention better than the previous question. He frowned yet again and gave a deep sigh.
“Okay, so what if I am lost?...” He finally said, sitting himself down with a pout, his rump making a few snowflakes float up from the ground in a fine but still slightly comical cloud.
Though did not smile at the comical sight. Instead, he frowned, worry shining on his aged features.
“New around here?” he asked, sitting down next to the fawn, nuzzling it gently. It felt cold and shivered lightly as he touched it... Gods know for how long he must have been wandering around.
It didn’t directly answer, only stared into the void in front of it, slight sadness in its gaze.
“...I’m cold...” It finally said, not looking at . So, naturally, he wrapped his body around it like a blanket, his fur warm and soft as always. Still nuzzling it, he smiled gently.
“Is this better?”
“...Yeah... a little...” Still, the fawn seemed sad.
“What’s wrong?”
It, apparently didn’t want to answer this question.
didn’t ask. He’d heard his share of tragic stories from the newborn in this forest.
“what’s your name?” it suddenly asked, the bratty attitude from before back in all it’s splendour. But brightened up in a warming, friendly smile.
“My name’s !”
”What?...”
“!.. didn’t you hear?”
“How do you spell that?”
“Uhm...”
“You can’t spell?...” Vince tilted his head slightly, looking confused and a little concerned.
“Well, I’m a deer, what’d you expect?...”
Vince sighed and muttered something that sounded like “generation one, alright...”, but it was a little fuzzy, so didn’t bother. Instead, he looked up once more.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?...” He sighed, enamoured by the very sight of the drifting snow.
“what?...” the fawn, Vince, looked confused.
“The snow... isn’t it beautiful?” He asked, the smile on his face spreading despite his chapped lips.
Vince frowned.
“It’s cold and wet and gets in my eyes.” He said, pouting yet again. sighed lowly as he looked at the fawn.
“But is that really so bad?...” He asked.
“You’ll have friends to keep you warm and dry, after all...” He said, a gentle smile shining at the pouting Vince, who looked less than amused to say the least.
“But I don’t have any friends.” He complained, sounding just as bratty as ever.
“That’s not true, you’ve got me so far!” Answered , honestly getting just a little tired of the fawn’s attitude-problem. But he wasn’t one to scold a cold, confused and abandoned fawn.
“you?” Vince asked incredulously, frowning once again.
“I don’t even know you.”
This fawn... it just wouldn’t give up, huh?
“But isn’t that just the beginning?” asked, still keeping up his smile. It was December and his spirit would not be crushed.
“And besides, I’m sure you’ll find lots of friends out here, just wait and see.” He smiled, a tiny tilt of his head as he nudged the fawn gently. He just felt like bringing cheer to this poor creature... nobody should be lonely and sad in December, after all.
“I don’t think so.” Said Vince.
“people are cruel and selfish.”
This made frown.
“No, they aren’t...” He said, getting up, a determined look on his kind face.
“And I’m going to show you.”
The fawn stared. Then it blinked. Then it sighed and despondently got up too.
“Alright, if you insist...”
Then, half an hour of walking through the woods commenced. The first stop was the old oak, where two deer were laying side by side, sleeping deeply.
smiled.
”Ah, see here’s a good example.” He said, beaming down at the fawn... who frowned. This did not amuse . How could anyone frown at such a peaceful and warming scenario?
“What do you see?”, asked .
The fawn stared for a while, as if pondering the right answer to this question, as if it were a test he had to think about.
“Two selfish deer...” Came the answer, “stealing the body heat of each other.”
But just gave a small sigh, eyes warm and soft as he beheld the two.
“I see a couple of very close deer, keeping each other warm.” He said, just as the tinier one of them stirred against the skeletal body of her companion.
Vince did not look convinced.
Moving along, the next stop was the pond, where one very antelope-like deer was scratching at the ice covering it in a thick surface.
Once again, smiled as he saw the attempts of the stag.
“What about this?” He asked, looking down at his little follower.
“a desperate deer, searching for water where none is.” It gloomed.
Yet, ’s smile never faltered.
“Look closer...” He said, directing the tiny one’s head to look just beyond the nearby tree, where an old, withered doe was laying in a patch of uncovered grass, two fawns keeping her warm and free from snow.
“Can’t you see?” said .
“He’s collecting water for her.” He went on, just as the rather heavy-set stag broke a piece of ice loose, which he gently carried to the old one’s side, joining the two fawns in keeping her warm with a smile. The very sight of it warmed ’s heart. The same could not be said about Vince. The tiny fawn would just not let a single smile shine through on his young features.
“They’re wasting time and energy. She’ll soon die.” He said, a hard tone in his voice and a stern look in his dark eyes.
“Hey, that’s not very nice!” said, finally having had it with this attitude, yet the fawn shrugged.
“What? You asked me what I saw, I simply answered.”
sighed.
”Is there nothing I can do to convince you of the goodness of these people?..” he asked, heart sinking just a little for the hopeless fawn.
No answer came as Vince just frowned, looking completely dejected.
But would not let the fawn’s problem, whatever it was, get to him.
So, he took another step.
“well, we’ve still got a few places to see, I won’t give up just yet.” He smiled.
He had no idea why he said this, but bringing cheer to the fawn had more or less become somewhat of a mission for him. And surprisingly, it made the fawn give a small, amused smile!
“you won’t give up?...” He said, a small chuckle in his voice.
“well, then... lead the way.” He said, a glint starting to shine in his dark eyes, eyes that suddenly stroke as looking just a little... odd. Not a lot, just a little... then again, he had never gotten used to the look of these fawns.
So, he shrugged it off with a smile.
“follow me!”
A few minutes later the two of them were trotting through the forest yet again, the snow whirling all around them, indeed getting in their eyes as the fawn said, but didn’t care. They were where they wanted to be.
So, he stopped with a smile.
“This is it.” He said, slight excitement in his voice as he looked around at the great birch trees surrounding them and the slight blue tint, which was shining through the snow below.
Vince frowned again, not convinced.
“what is? A bunch of trees?...” he said, ears low as he looked around, hardly seeing anything at all.
But just chuckled. He’d witnessed this three years in a row now and every time it seemed new and wonderful.
“No, wait a second...” He said, just as it happened.
Out from amongst the trees, two shapes appeared, tall, proud and walking slowly through the snow, hardly leaving a mark in the fine, white dust.
“Watch...” whispered in awe as the two neared each other in the middle of the blue bowl, smiles appearing behind their neatly decorated masks. There was something endlessly serene and graceful about their features, something immaterial, something undefinable... but whatever it was, it brought joy to the very core of ’s heart.
As they approached each other, one of them bowed deeply, so deeply that his antlers even sank down into the snow slightly. It was a bow of deepest respect and warmth, one only matched by the one the doe in front of him performed next, though hers was considerably more graceful.
They took a while, then, sniffing each other and exchanging nuzzles, the warmth and joy on their faces so radiant, it almost melted the snow around them.
Then, as observed with a tightening in his chest from excitement, the marvel of the gift-exchange happened.
Out from the ground rose a single flower on the doe’s side. It was clear white and almost transparent, nearly invisible from such a distance in the gentle flurry of snow whipped up by the energy of the creation of the fragile plant.
It slowly grew taller and taller, its petals unfolding slowly but gracefully, the snow catching on them and melting, melting into it, as she created it from the very ice and cold itself.
A flower made of snow and ice.
As it stood finished, the snowflakes settling around it, the doe looking almost smug in self-satisfaction as she raised her gaze to the stag, who gave her an impressed nod.
But not for long, as his brow furrowed in concentration.
Then out of thin air started forming another small shape, this one suspended in mid-air.
It started out as a small, glittering ball, enveloped in snow just as the flower had been upon creation and soon it started to shape itself. It grew tiny, little limbs, a head, a long, pointy tail, and soon it stood completed, a living, breathing sparrow made of snow. It whirred its head, slightly confused-looking, then flew up to settle on the doe’s antlers, twittering about with a voice like tiny, little bells.
The doe laughed, charmed and impressed, a sort of childish joy in her motherly eyes as the bird shook the snow off of its shape and surfaced as a small, delicate creature out of flesh and blood, white as snow with a long, black tail. She then bend her head down, picking up her ivory rose and as a brilliant, white light appeared, the rose had tangled itself in the stag’s antlers, adorning him with glittering petals and myriades of tiny, white roses.
He too gave an amused and joyous laugh as he looked upon it, reaching out to nuzzle the doe gently, just as the snow whirled up around them and suddenly... they were gone. There was no sign of flower, bird or the two mysterious deer who had shown their love in such a simple yet elaborately beautiful way.
Finally, dared to let out a breath he’d been holding in, eyes full of light and joy as he looked upon the fawn.
“Did you see it?” He asked, though the expression of the fawn told it all.
He was speechless. Absolutely speechless.
“What...” He said, wetting his dried lips.
“What just happened?...”
smiled at this question.
“A simple exchange of gifts.” He said, feeling slightly triumphant to have brought the fawn to such a state of impressed shock. This had to have had an impact.
Surprisingly, though, the fawn simply huffed!
“Selfish bragging was all it was...” He pouted, looking away yet again.
This was it.
had had it.
And with a frown and a sigh he stomped his hoof into the snow, making a rather big cloud of white dust burst up around it.
“That’s it. Is it simply impossible for you to see warmth in anything?” He burst out, already feeling guilty for loosing his temper, but it couldn’t be helped. Someone had to put this fawn straight.
“This wasn’t just bragging or simple showing off, this was... Something deep, something significant... Something only they could do for each other. You see, it’s not about what they give each other, it’s the fact that they’re the ones giving it. When you love someone... It doesn’t matter what you give them, as long as it comes straight from your heart, it’ll matter much more than just any random, stupid gift.” He said, taking over the fawn’s habit of pouting.
Vince looked shocked for a moment. It looked like nobody had ever spoken to him like this before and it made his eyes wide and his mouth hang open just a little.
But then... he smiled.
It started out as a small, sad smile, but soon it grew wider and wider, a small drop of water collecting at his eyes as if a couple of snowflakes had been caught in them yet again.
But when it looked up, there was something horribly wrong.
Not only were his dark eyes even darker than before, it looked like he didn’t have any eyes at all!
took a startled step backwards, a gasp caught in his throat, but then Vince spoke, his voice somehow different from before, though he couldn’t quite place it.
“Oh, don’t fret, ... I won’t hurt you.”
Strange... how would a fawn be able to hurt him? Even if it was missing a pair of eyes.
Still, the fawn continues to smile.
“Y’know, I came here to see what they were all on about, what with this... season of giving and caring and whatnot and I gotta say... I don’t get it at all.” He said with a shrug, looking rather indifferent. But the smile quickly returned.
“But you seem to get it... and, heh... I guess that’s something significant.” He said, looking at the astounded with those empty eyes, who was slowly realising who exactly he’d been dragging around the forest for this last half hour.
“So, uhm... Well, before I leave, I just want to do one last thing. Call it a present, if you want.” He said with another shrug, the peculiar but familiar hum of forest magic sounding as got enveloped in a soft light.
And just then, as the light reached the peak of its glow, the fawn slowly dissolved, a slow transparency crawling from his hoofs up his legs, ending with his face, young yet old at the same time, the last thing to go his peculiar smile, which seemed endlessly more warm than anything had witnessed in a long while.
And as the light disappeared, so had the fawn, leaving only some strange scribbles in the snow, which assumed were letters.
And as he looked around, he slowly realised that his legs weren’t as stiff as they used to, his eyes seemed somehow less clouded and his body was lighter, much lighter than it had been in ages.
Suddenly overcome by an enormous burst of energy he could not help but bound away through the snow, the whole world seeming so much bigger, brighter and exciting than it had done for years.