The forest was undeniably beautiful.

The air was crisp and unbothered, flowing free in the cool wind that made the trees dance. The towering spirals of wood and leaves formed canopies with their branches, shielding the forest floor from the bright sun above. A lovely bed of green grass blanketed the ground, forming a soft landscape with an occasional loose twig or foliage. Every few moments, a gust of wind would slip through the branches, sweeping the ground and kicking up a lively cloud of leaves. Squirrels could be heard in the trees above, chewing on the wood and hopping through the branches, bustling with energy as they raced to complete their chores. The birds watched them, peacefully resting on a tree yet couldn't help but watch in fascination as the squirrels passed them by. Sometimes the woodland animals would offer the birds a nut or berry, to which they politely declined.

The grass suddenly began to move, as a group of bunnies playfully romped down the path, laughing as they jumped and dove under logs. The small, furry animals were always a sight that brought smiles to the faces of others, the endearing sight of a playful bunny could melt the heart of even the foulest skunk. All kinds of woodland animals lived in harmony with one another, the moles popping up from the ground to wave at the foxes, and the raccoons quickly rescuing any egg that fell from a nest to be returned to the mother. It was a sacred place to reside in, the forest that spanned for miles in all directions. creating a paradise for all creatures big and small.

And yet there must be one to rule them, someone to keep watch over the land to assess conflict and keep the peace. Such a job did not belong to a bear, a lion, or even a panther.

It was a deer.

Far in the deepest regions of the forest, a young buck was sitting peacefully in a sunny clearing. His eyes shut from visual distraction, and his ears opened to all the sounds and music the land would sing. He sat so still, one would think he was dead if it wasn't for the gentle flick of his small tail and faint wiggle of the little black nose. Wind and leaves brushed his brownish-orange fur, yet not the faintest twitch of a muscle came in response.

"Hey Bambi!" A white bunny jumped through the foilage, clearing an entire log as she raced in, "is it true?"

The deer opened his eyes, perking up his ears at the bunny's voice. Looking over his shoulder, he watched the bunny slow her pace, hopping up to his hoof. "What?" He asked simply, then raised an eyebrow with a bored expression, "is Ronno spreading rumors again?"

The small animal shook her head, "no, about the dogs! Thumper's telling us all about it!" She bounced, looking up into his amber-shining eyes, "did you really fall off a cliff?!"

"Oh, that." Bambi said with a chuckle, "uhh," he paused, glancing around for a moment as his social awkwardness took over, "didn't... didn't Thumper tell you this already?"

"Well yeah, but it'll sound cooler if it's coming from you!"

"Thumper tends to make things up a little," the deer moved his gaze back forward, ending his sentence with a sigh. "All I did was run away, it's not like a fought them in head-to-head combat," he muttered under his breath. "I'm just glad I led them away before they... killed anyone." He whispered the last part of the sentence, not wanting her to hear it.

The bunny was just laced with questions, an eager child craving a thrilling story, "but did you really fall off the mountain with the dog?"

"I slipped."

Lowering herself to the ground, she fixated her big eyes on Bambi's hooves, "I guess when you have paws like that, it's hard to run, right?"

The deer was growing uncomfortable by the extended conversation, "I... guess, anything else I can answer? I need to get back to this." He said apologetically, making a flicking gesture with his tail.

"What are you doing anyway?" The bunny chirped and tried to hop onto Bambi's back, but his slanted posture caused her to roll off back into the grass.

He flicked his eyes as she fell, but made no action to catch her knowing her landing was cushioned, "listening to the forest, or at least I'm trying to." Narrowing his eyes in mild agitation, he gently scratched the ground with his leg, "but I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and my dad makes it look so easy." Pushing himself up on all fours, his voice took a hint of frustration, "how am I supposed to be the Great Prince if I can't even do what I'm supposed to?"

The bunny wiggled in her overturned position, "well, my mommy says I couldn't hop until I was a month old," springing up back to her paws, she offered a comforting smile, "maybe that's it? You're not old enough yet."

"Old enough?" Bambi darted his gaze to her, unsure whether to be offended by the statement, "I just started growing up, all my spots are gone!" He said, pointing his tail at his bare back to prove the statement, "and I have antlers!" Pausing, he realized the validity of that statement, "well... small ones."

"Eh," the rabbit shrugged, "you still look like a fawn to me."

Even if he was slowly growing up, Bambi was still on the small side, nowhere near the usual height of a full-grown stag. His legs were thin and his body scrawny, his straw-colored chest puffing up at the bunny's words. Although his tail remained fluffier than ever, a feature he despised and made him pray his antlers would grow more impressive by the next week. It was rather easy to pin him for another fawn without taking a closer look at his missing spots.

"Well, I'll get older," Bambi leaned down, giving the grass a good sniff as he searched for an ideal place to eat.

The rabbit watched him for a while, keeping herself quiet and still as she sat on a rock. Bambi soon even forgot she was there, letting his mind wander off as he pulled up blades of grass and quietly chewed them. The forest had gone so quiet it was almost possible to hear him chewing his meal, crunching away and flicking dirt off his snout. The grass was not an ideal diet for deer, but it wasn't too bad to stop for a bite every now and then. At the very least, Bambi preferred biting into legumes and browsing plants he had to forage for.

"Can I hear it again?" The rabbit asked innocently after a while.

"Hear what?"

"The story."

Bambi whipped his head around, and a flake of grass fell from his mouth, "I just told you."

Gaining starstruck eyes, the infant bounced up and down, "but Thumper made it sound so awesome!"

"What exactly has Thumper been saying?"

The rabbit wasted no time listing off the main detail that had stuck into her mind like a tick, "that you fought a thousand dogs!"

"A thou-" Bambi stuttered in disbelief, his ears and tail shooting up, "what? Okay, no." He approached the child with an annoyed expression, "where is he?"

Innocent to the prince's frustrations, the bunny beckoned with her ears for him to follow. She turned and hopped off the rock, already gaining distance as she sped away. A giggle at the bunny briefly passed through his agitation as he walked after her, then quickly sped up into a trot, "hey, wait!" He called, completely breaking into a run, realizing he underestimated the speed of a baby rabbit.

It was always a lovely experience to take a good run through the forest, although usually Bambi had to run with his herd, mainly consisting of his father. Keeping up with his dad was a tiresome feat, as they usually reached the sunny plains when he was already breathing and collapsing in exhaustion. Running alone was becoming Bambi's new favorite hobby, as there was no one beside him he was forced to keep pace. He could prance if he wanted, trot peacefully, or break into a sprint if he desired, the freedom of the forest before him. Keeping the bunny in his sights, the young buck sped down the forest path and skillfully hopped over logs and rivers. Even if he couldn't run or jump like his father, his agility was still far out of the league of most animals in the forest, and nothing was more fun than bouncing through the forest with nothing obstructing you.

His ran came to an end as he dove into a bush, reaching a slightly denser part of the forest. Breathing slightly heavily from the exertion, Bambi shook off the exercise and raised an ear. Sure enough, he could hear talking, an avid adventurous voice belonging to only that of his best friend.

"... and then he jumped on their backs, hopping over each one like a bridge!" They said, getting explosively immersed in their own story.

Rolling his eyes with a sly grin, Bambi crept forward a little to listen. Gently pushing his nose through the bush he caught sight of a small clearing beside a flowing river. Lowering himself, he watched the bunny rejoin the large semi-circle of rabbits listening to the storyteller. Standing on top of a large rock, a grey rabbit excessively bounced in place rattling off an entertaining story about Bambi befalling an entire army of Man and dogs, complete with his own sound effects made with his mouth.

He had an old compulsion to just sit and listen, slightly preferring more to stay on the down-low. When he was younger, he found great difficulty speaking which was tough to get over. Even though he could talk perfectly now, he had a tendency to avoid conversation whenever he could get the chance to.

"And then, and then-" Thumper stuttered over himself, "they- they all went over the falls! Fighting and tussling the whole way down!" He punched the air with his tiny paws to pantomime a scuffle.

"I thought he kicked the last dog, and then he fell," a skunk spoke up with a soft, shy voice. Hearing the discrepancy, a cream-colored doe who had been listening in stifled a giggle. Bambi recognized her as Faline, a close friend he grew up with, and one of few deer in the forest he was actually okay talking to.

"Uh yeah," the rabbit froze for a half-second, then turned to the long line of bunnies listening to him, "but what you don't realize, is that-"

Daring to get closer, Bambi crept forward just a little when his antlers suddenly clipped a low branch, producing a loud rustling noise that turned the heads of every animal in the clearing. His heart skipped a beat as his cover was blown, Bambi tried to get up when an entire pile of leaves crashed on top of him, dislodged from hitting the branch.

"Hey there he is!" Thumper pointed right at him, permanently fixing at least a dozen stares on the young buck. Frozen in place, Bambi let a nervous laugh out, standing up from the bush and walking out. He was absolutely not happy with how many animals were looking at him right now, let alone the giggles and laughter already springing up at his disheveled state.

"It's the Great Prince!" The skunk pointed, eyes lighting up in admiration.

"Uh-" he stuttered, shaking the leaves off his face in a flustered motion, "sorry, I was just-"

"Well well well," a soft voice peaked from overhead, the owl above speaking up and fluffing its feathers happily, "looks like those antlers are coming in."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Bambi waved off his embarrassment, flashing a nervous smile to the animals in the clearing.

"Thumper's been telling us quite a story," came the voice of Faline, the doe carefully stepping over the line of bunnies. The sight of the Great Prince made her smile in amusement, although Bambi didn't return the gesture.

"Yes yes, the one with thousands of dogs," Friend Owl added, trying to sound sarcastic although his voice was glowing with endearment. The old elder always enjoyed a good tall tale, even if it was completely ridiculous.

Raising an eyebrow at the wording, Bambi looked right at Thumper with a confused expression, "thousands? What're you spreading about me?"

All eyes in the clearing shifted at once, averting to Thumper and putting him on the spot. The bunny went red slightly and turned away, "okay... so I'm a vast storyteller." Right away Bambi was grateful the spotlight was off him for once, perhaps now he could slip away.

"I bet it seemed like a thousand dogs," Faline popped up at Bambi's side, making him jump in surprise.

"Uh- no," the prince quickly backed from her presence, "it... why are you..?" Nervous at her close proximity, he quickly trotted across the clearing to the other side, sitting down by the edge of the river. "Just four, Thumper," he tried to laugh off his discomfort, "just four." Faline stood in place, blinking her eyes looking slightly confused.

It felt rude to evade her like that, Bambi turned his head away and prayed she wouldn't take it personally. Trying to look occupied while the bunnies bickered about how many dogs had fallen over the falls, he closed his eyes and breathed in the scents of the forest. He could smell utterly nothing, but he hoped looking busy would negate anyone trying to talk to him. But wouldn't looking busy be ruder than just walking off? The deer snapped his eyes open at the thought, weighing his options in his head.

While he thought it over, a familiar scent brushed his nose and instantly made him scrunch up in disgust. It wasn't the delectable sweetness of a flower or the sharp tang of a berry, it was something severely worse. A dreaded feeling rose within him, as Bambi knew exactly what was coming.

"Well well well," a leering, boastful voice drifted in from the foliage. Thumper and the bunnies all snapped shut as their ears perked up. Faline was seen rolling her eyes, and the skunk quickly fled from the river.

Scrunching up his voice in annoyance, Bambi knew exactly who was behind him. "Ugh," he muttered, lowering his head a little.

He emerged from the bushes like a predator, rather uncharacteristic for a deer. The animals in the clearing quickly fled, but Bambi grimaced as he turned to face him, "hello Ronno."

"Hello?" The darker deer growled, walking onto the log that hung over the river, "that's what you say to me after this? Hello?"

"I was being polite..."

"Heh, as if!" Ronno snarled, stomping his hoof on the log, "you think you're a hero now? Just because you ran like a dirty coward?"

His profanity made Bambi flinch, even though is nothing he hadn't heard before. He never really understood why Ronno hated him so severely, as they weren't so different after all in the grand scheme of things. They were both barely fawns and looked incredibly similar, although Ronno was a darker brown with lighter fur on his mouth and underbelly. He was nearly the exact same height as Bambi, yet loved to approach him either puffing his chest or standing on something to make him look bigger.

Yet for all their similarities, ever since day one Ronno would always wake up and choose violence.

"I never said I was a hero, sheesh," the prince muttered, trying to wave him off, "what are you even doing here?"

"Checking what the noise was," Ronno said, walking further out on the log, "you know, keeping my ears open." He perked both ears as if it was supposed to prove something, "it's called listening to the forest. Didn't your dad teach you this?"

"He did," Bambi pressed, flattening his ears as he grew agitated, "but you can't just-"

The darker deer cut him off, "oh right, he gave you up." Ronno giggled, "can't say I blame him. You know if I had a son like you," he paused, thinking it over, "I'd probably abandon him too."

That stung.

"Are you just jealous everyone actually likes me?" Bambi shot back, trying to hide the mountain of hurt he was feeling, "and I'm not some-"

"What?" Ronno snapped his gaze to him, glaring his green eyes, "a what? Finish your sentence."

Hesitating, Bambi froze in place, his eyes widening while his ears cowered low. "Uh-"

"Finish. Your sentence." The buck crawled forward on the log, standing on its end with a faint wobble. Leaning his head over the edge, he stared down at the prince with narrowed eyes and gritted teeth, "finish it so I can have a reason to carve you into pieces."

A flat threat, that was new. "Oh really?" Bambi felt brave all of the sudden, and he laughed with a glaring expression. "I don't think you will!"

"Excuse me?"

"You won't," the deer poked him, "at the first sight of dogs you ran screaming. Do I-" he hesitated, his tongue on autopilot, "do I need to humiliate you further?"

Ronno was turning red under his fur, his voice fell to a threatening growl, "I'll make you regret saying that-"

"You won't," the prince chuckled, voice rising in volume as all his self-control completely left him, "because you're just a sad little coward who runs for his momma whenever a tiny turtle bites his nose!" He shouted that last part, thrusting his neck forward and meeting Ronno's gaze with inches between them. It wasn't like him to yell, and the bunnies hiding behind the plants stood in awe.

"You're dead-" Ronno attempted to shout, trying to step forward when his hoof met empty air. He leaned too far over the log and careened face-first into the river. Bambi had to jump back to avoid the splash, turning his head away as the entire young buck became fish food.

An explosion of laughter erupted from the bushes at the sight, the bunnies rolling over and flooding tears as they fell into hysterics. Bambi had to draw his leg over his mouth to stifle his own laughter, knowing his rival was probably already drawing plans to skewer him.

Emerging from the river was a dripping wet, spluttering deer as he angrily shook the water off his face. The droplets flew and hit Bambi, but he was too amused to care. Humiliated and emotionally destroyed, Ronno attempted to scramble to his footing but only tripped into the water again, producing another impressive splash.

"Ha! The water looks good on you," Bambi joked, fiercely trying to hold himself back from uncontrollable laughter, "makes your coat all shiny."

Jerking his head above water, Ronno slowly rose up clearly about to explode in rage. Gravel was caught in his tail and river algae strung up his antlers, with a live turtle on his face to complete the look. "You-" he hissed, smacking the turtle off with his hoof.

"Me what? What am I?"

Flustered, Ronno opened his snout but nothing came out. He went completely red under his fur, clearly trying to shout obscenities but he was too stunned to say anything. Shrugging in satisfaction, Bambi turned his back on him and began walking off, happily going to strut his way out if it shove dirt in his rival's wounds.

"This isn't over!" Ronno shouted, his voice cracking. He whipped around and sped off, but not without tripping in the river a whole third time. Flying through the bushes in brilliant escape he tried hard to keep the tears in his eyes, he'd never forgive himself again if someone else saw him in such a state.

Disregarding his heated words, Bambi smiled and rejoined his friends, "I've always wanted to do that," he said with a giggle.

"That was hilarious!" Chirped Thumper, jumping onto the deer's back, "no one's ever stood up to him before!"

Making her way to Bambi's side, Faline met his gaze. "Hopefully he'll stop being a pain, yet I somewhat doubt it," she admitted, "so what are you doing after this?"

"I'm supposed to be practicing my listening, or whatever my dad called it," the buck finally remembered, tilting his body so Thumper could jump off.

"That's no fun," Faline rolled her eyes, "wanna hang out with me at the falls?"

Once again a sick feeling of anxiety rolled into Bambi's stomach, "uh, no. It's actually super important," he backed up a little, trying to hit an excuse on the fly, "I mean, maybe- later? Is later possible?"

"How later?"

"Not sure, uh..." he looked back, "hey I gotta go, my dad's calling me," he said desperately, trying to flee the uncomfortable conversation. "Um... bye." He uttered quickly, turning away and jumping back through the bushes. The bunnies merely went along their way, but Faline stood still as if he was still in front of her, squinting her eyes in confusion and hurt.

A long distance away, Ronno shamefully walked back home. His eyes were fixated on the ground, refusing to make eye contact with any other animal he passed by. With shattered pride he dripped river water the whole way there, still with algae in his antlers and dirty tail. Traversing the dirt path and stomping over flowers, a feeling of malice ran over him, "great prince, huh?" He spat, "just cause you're the kid of a real prince?" It was unnerving just leaving his mouth, it wasn't fair, nothing was.

Tomorrow would be different.

Tomorrow he'd show them all just how unfit Bambi truly was.