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She glanced upward, trying to peer through the dense canopy of leaves above for anything that might help her get her bearings. She was hyper aware of her breathing as it became more and more labored, panic beginning to set in. How long had it been since she had lost her way? The darkness of the forest made it so easy to lose track of time, the sunlight held at bay by the ominous layer of leaves and branches above. Streaks of harsh light managed to break through the canopy in some places, but the starkness of it was almost as foreboding as the darkness. In the dim light of the underbrush, the bark and branches of the trees took on an almost sinister appearance, gnarled and twisted, as thought the forest itself delighted in her suffering and confusion.
Something imperceptible caused a shiver to run down her spine, causing her fur to stand on end and her tail to twitch. She cast a nervous glance over her shoulder, but only the darkness of the forest was there. She shouldered her way through the tightly packed trees, tucking her wings against her sides to keep them from snagging on the low hanging branches. She takes another few tentative steps forward, only to pause, finding herself unable to proceed. The dragoness squeezes her eyes shut, trying to force back her tears, quietly heaving as they start to run down her cheeks, matting her fur. She tries to clear her mind, she will never find her way out of this wood if she can’t focus. But the more she tries to relax, the more her anxiety, her fear, her hopelessness overtakes her. Finally able to make her limbs work again, she pushes on into a small clearing large enough to lay down. It feels like all there is to do is to give up…
She can’t even guess how much time passes. As few minutes, a few hours? The gentle stream of tears eventually stops, its become too much effort. The dragoness knows she should get up, keep looking for the way out, keep fighting… but all she can bring herself to do is lay there. A branch snaps close behind, her muscles tense and she cranes her neck to look back over her shoulder. No more than a few dozen yards away she spots the source of the noise. A curious looking canine creature unlike any she had seen before. She suddenly realized just how few other creatures she had seen in this forest. The creature's head held low and its movements cautious and exacting. Its movements and demeanor aren’t aggressive. The dragoness isn’t sure why, but she instinctually knows they aren’t. She makes no move, instead letting the canine slowly come to her. Could this creature be just as lost as she is?
The canine creature stopped a few yards away, its gaze meeting that of the dragoness. It had kind, gentle eyes. Its ears were splayed back slightly, its expression calm and reassuring. Despite the situation she found herself in, Eabha couldn’t help but smile at the canine. And the creature smiled back at her. It was strange, she had never met or even seen a creature like this canine before, but its presence was so soothing. The fog of panic slowly began to leave her. Her breathing slowed and her body stopped shaking. The canine turned and took a few steps back the way it had come, pausing to look back at the dragoness. Eabha slowly got to her feet, knowing that she should follow.
The two unlikely companions forged their way through the darkness of the forest, the smaller canine in front leading the way. To where, Eabha did not know. The canine’s coat shimmered subtly in the darkness, like tiny stars in her fur dancing in the night. They moved in silence, save for the gentle crackling of fallen leaves and twigs beneath their feet. Where before the quiet of the wood felt unnatural and unnerving, now it felt calm, serene and peaceful. The streaks of light became more frequent, illuminating more of the underbrush as the trees became more spread apart. The dragoness became aware of the gentle murmur of water in the distance, and birdsong in the air.
A gentle babbling stream appeared before them, guiding them towards a clearing ahead, towards the light. The canine and the dragoness stopped side by side at the entrance to the clearing. The canine turned towards her and smiled as she looked upon the scene before them. Light poured into the clearing, an oasis of light in the darkness. Crystal clear water poured over the cliffside and fed into the stream that ran between their feet. Flowers dotted the edge of the water, and butterflies lazily moved to and fro. She was going to make it through this. With some help, she was going to be okay.
Zhurzh was one of the first artists I hoped to one day commission when I joined the furry community. Something about their art was just so profoundly beautiful and made me hopeful. So when the time came and I had the chance to commission them, I knew it had to be for something special. And while this piece is so very beautiful in its own right, it is what it means to me that makes it something I will treasure forever.
I have struggled with depression for most of my life, before I was even old enough to understand that I was depressed. It was a long process to actually learn what it was that I felt, and longer still to come to accept that it was okay to feel that way. It isn’t something to be ashamed of, its something you have to acknowledge if you ever hope to defeat it. And I truly believe its all the more difficult to deal with alone. I have isolated myself for most of my life, always keeping people at a distance. Whether it was because I felt unworthy, like a burden, or just an outsider, I let very few people in. I felt alone, frightened, lost in the darkness. Hopeless.
Finally, I decided to put myself out there, to try and find social circles of like minded people. And out from the darkness, I found that I had friends. I had people who could help guide me, to show me that no matter how dark and hopeless things feel, there is always light. You sometimes just need someone to show you where to find it. And no matter how much you might stumble along the way, those trusted few people who truly care for you will help pick you up and show you that there is still beauty in the world, those little oases in the forest. And those people are to be treasured. I do treasure them, they are what make life more than just existing.
I commissioned this piece when Eabha was still my sona, and Fiadh just an OC, but the meaning is the same to me now. This piece is dedicated to the wonderful friends I have made in this community. The ones who have always been there for me, the ones I always want to be there for. A sincere thank you as well to anyone who took the time to read this.
Original Submission
Artist:
ZHURZHCharacters:
Fiadh and Eabha
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Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 2922 x 1261px
File Size 6.05 MB
I really admire how you transformed how you have felt into such a descriptive allegory for finding your way. There is a lot of heart, and it is reassuring to me to see you able to look back and see progress.
Such a beautiful piece, with such a subtle but strong emotional meaning.
Such a beautiful piece, with such a subtle but strong emotional meaning.
What a beautiful little story you wrote to go with this super important and personal piece!
Opening up like that to essentially strangers can be really scary, but it's great to see you take the courage and push on through the depression and come out on top! Really shows s lot about your character, you're not one to just give up <:
Glad you're doing better!
Opening up like that to essentially strangers can be really scary, but it's great to see you take the courage and push on through the depression and come out on top! Really shows s lot about your character, you're not one to just give up <:
Glad you're doing better!
I'm a firm believer that struggles with mental health should be normalized. It's a normal part of being human, and its okay to not always feel well. That's why having people you care about around for you is so important. And if my experiences can help someone else make a positive change, then I consider that a win ^^ 
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