A/N: This oneshot is for the Writers Anonymous One-Word Prompt Challenge. My word is "dark."
The loud, sharp sound he heard in the snow never left Bambi's ears.
The forest was calm now, but little Bambi's mind was awhirl with fear. Fear of the future. Fear of a tomorrow without his mother. His mother was gone. The Great Prince-his father-had told him so. His mother would never again return to the thicket they called home, never to lick his fur, show him new sights and sounds on the meadow, romp around in the flowers, drink from the streams and ponds...he would never hear her voice again. Her sweet, lovely voice, soft like a bird singing its song, but still low enough that it had a subtle wisdom about it, as she had lived long before he did.
Back to the thicket Bambi went, but there was something missing. Someone missing. His mother. Suddenly, the thicket was far too big for just him. The knowledge of his mother never coming back to their beloved thicket made the tears fall. Bambi buried his nose into the grass beneath him and sobbed, yearning for his mother's love. Guilt washed over him like a stampede of his own kind leaping all over him. If only they hadn't gone to the meadow. If only he had noticed Man in the forest. If only someone had come to save his mother. The 'if onlys' kept piling up like Flower's stash of acorns. Bambi had escaped thanks to his mother, but she was gone...and he was here.
This wasn't the world Bambi wanted to wake up to.
What was Bambi to do?
Snow blanketed the forest, turning it into a sea of pure white, glistening in the sunlight. The birdsongs had died down since winter's beginning, and most of Bambi's neighbors only scuttled about when necessary, such as when they needed more food or to make sure Man wasn't around. Bambi poked his head out from the thicket. The snow was still there. There were no loud, sharp sounds cutting through the air. He didn't smell any strange scents. Was it safe…? Mother taught him to always be cautious, especially in the meadow. Even in his home, there was a need to be cautious. Who knows what could happen? Slowly, Bambi's spindly legs carried him out of his home.
Nothing changed much since that awful day. Trees still stood amongst the snow, their branches bare and leafless. The air was still frigid, biting his soft fur and hard hooves with snow. But it wasn't as cold as it was. New spring grass was growing, so spring was to come soon. Bambi looked down at his feet. Young shoots sprung up from a patch of dirt, a glow of green against the blinding snow.
Spring grass…
Bambi had been eating grass with his mother when she…
Never again would they eat grass together like before. Bambi would have to eat all alone.
One of his hooves accidentally ground some grass into the ground, dirtying it with wet mud. "Mother...why'd you have to go?" Bambi whimpered.
Gradually, he saw that the snow was glistening. Grey clouds that once blocked the sun were beginning to part. Crepuscular rays cut through the thick barriers, sunlight shining down on the wintry forest, giving it a soft, ethereal glow that Bambi couldn't possibly put into words. Then he saw something in the distance. Something moving in the snow. Bambi narrowed his large eyes to get a better look, though the glistening snow didn't help matters. Long ears flopped up and down with every move the creature made. Snow was pushed out of its way, going in all directions. Bambi crept closer, staying on guard. Was it friend or foe? He wished he had some way of knowing which one was right.
Then he caught the scent. It was familiar. Familiar in a good way. Then a rabbit came rolling down the snow, stopping right in front of Bambi. A small, grey and white rabbit with long ears, a pink nose, and big teeth.
For the first time in a while, Bambi smiled. "Thumper!"
"Bambi!" Thumper the young rabbit wrapped his arms around Bambi's spindly leg, happy to finally be with someone familiar. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"
To say Bambi felt the same would be an understatement. Goodness, having Thumper's warm, soft fur rub against his own was the loveliest feeling he had in a long while. Sure, it wasn't his mother's warmth and touch, but Thumper was his friend. His dearest friend from birth. Having him around was just as good. At the same time, Bambi was overcome with relief. Man didn't hurt Thumper! Thumper was alive and well! At least Man didn't kill him. Thumper was okay.
"Man didn't hurt you, did he?" Bambi couldn't help but ask, curious as to how Thumper managed to get away.
It was then that Thumper's normally cheery, radiant smile and happy demeanor vanished in the blink of an eye. His ears drooped, and the rabbit looked down at the snow beneath his paws. "Naw, he didn't. But...one of my sisters…" Like Bambi just minutes ago, tears fell from Thumper's eyes, becoming one with the snow. "I couldn't save her!" It was Thumper's turn to cry as he buried his face into Bambi's leg.
Relief was replaced with sorrow. Sorrow for Thumper's sister. So Thumper lost someone close to him, just like Bambi. The young deer laid down on the snow, nuzzling the crying rabbit with his nose, hoping the gesture would console him somewhat. Bambi knew it wouldn't bring his sister back, but Thumper needed someone to be there for him. Someone who knew, shared, and understood the awful pain. Bambi stroke his friend's fur ever so gently, letting Thumper cry.
"I'm so sorry, Thumper…" Bambi whimpered. "My mother's gone, too."
The deer and rabbit cried and cried, releasing their sorrows into the forest. So loud was their crying that other animals came to see what all the ruckus was about. Birds and owls perched on the branches. Quails, mice, and moles trotted over the snow-trodden ground, looking at the two sorrowful friends curiously, wondering if they were okay. All of the other animals were asleep for the winter, so they were spared the awful tragedy. Eventually, their bawling quieted down.
"Sorry about your momma," Thumper told him. "But I sure am glad you didn't get hurt."
Once again, Bambi nuzzled his friend tenderly, full of sympathy. "Me too."
"Bambi!" Suddenly, another deer came prancing toward them. A lighter furred deer with long eyelashes and blue eyes.
Bambi's eyes widened at the unexpected guest, and he found himself backing away. "Fa-Faline!"
"Oh my gosh! You're okay! Thank goodness!" The young doe, Faline, approached Bambi and nuzzled his neck, overcome with relief. "I was so sure Man had hurt you!"
Bambi was speechless. He and Faline were never really close. In fact, Bambi considered her more of an annoyance than anything, what with her constantly bugging him, getting up in his face without regard for his feelings about it, and just being way too hyper for her own good. But here she was, nuzzling him, worried for his safety, even though she had no reason to be. Maybe Faline wasn't so bad after all. The young buck returned the gesture, grateful for her kindness.
"I heard about what happened to your mom," Faline's blue eyes were soft with empathy. "I'm so sorry. If there's anything we can do, anything…"
"I'm...fine...thanks for...being here," Bambi sputtered sheepishly, not sure of how to take all of this.
"Of course!" Thumper proclaimed. "You're our friend! There's no way we'd leave you all alone! Flower's hibernatin' so he's safe as far as I know. But I know he'd be here for ya, too!"
It was then that the clouds completely parted, and sunlight bathed the entire forest in its warm glow. Not since before his mother died, had Bambi felt so good, having his friends here like this. The echoes in the dark didn't seem so scary now. Maybe he could go to sleep at night without hearing the echoes of that sharp noise that took his mother. His mother was gone, yes, but his friends were still here. He wouldn't be completely alone. No, he wasn't alone, and he never will be. He decided to push thoughts of the future without his mother to the back of his mind. Right now, his friends were here for him. As long as they were still here, everything was alright.