Timothy shuffled his feet, kicking at a mound of dirt. The sun was out now and the four weary animals were resting next to the two fallen trees. Timothy looked up at Dumbo, his eyes full of sorrow. "Gee Dumbo; I'm…I'm sorry about everything that's happened; I didn't mean for you to crash into the pyramid that night; I only want good things for you. But…it was all my fault. I never should have convinced the ringmaster to put you in that position." He attempted a weak smile. "Forgive me?" Dumbo smiled gently, lifting Timothy up with his trunk, putting him in his hat. Timothy smiled. "Back to the circus then?"
Dumbo nodded, turning to walk away when he remembered something. He turned back around, watching as Lambert affectionately rubbed against his mother's side. He walked over to the lion cub, gently wrapping his trunk around the cub's belly.
Lambert turned, wrapping both paws around the grey trunk, gently patting Dumbo's face once more. The two friends stayed that way for awhile, until both gently let go. Dumbo wiped a tear from his eye, turning around to head back to the circus.
"Aw, don't worry Dumbo; I'm sure Lambert will think of you often." Timothy idly hung his arm over the side of Dumbo's hat, then straightened up, remembering something. "Oh, uh…Dumbo? Look, I know you don't want to do the clown fire brigade, but…I'm afraid you're kind of stuck. The clowns wanted you to sign a six week contract. I'm really sorry; I hope that's okay." Dumbo signed resignedly; maybe one day, his life would get better. But for now…he took Timothy off the top of his head, looking at him, nodding slowly; there was no going back now; might as well face it. He was about to be a big clown baby.
Lambert sat on his haunches, a tear trickling down his cheek as he watched Dumbo get smaller and smaller on the horizon, until he finally disappeared beyond a hill. He started as his mother gently licked his head, causing curls to form in his mane. She gently nudged him to stand up, trotting slowly back to the flock.
He stood there, staring at the horizon, imagining that somewhere, way off in the distance, a small, grey elephant was staring back at him. And somewhere, over that same hill, a grey elephant was staring back at him.
With one final good-bye and one final wave, the two parted ways, off to join their separate worlds.
They never saw each other again after that fateful meeting, but when times got rough, when the lamb's teasing became to great to bear; when the big ears just seemed to be to much, they snuck away, one sitting outside the circus tent, the other sitting up while the flock slept, watching that same hill, that same horizon. For they knew, that even when things got bad, there was someone else in the world who understood how they felt. And for one, fleeting moment, the world was a little less lonely.
