pricked up his ears when he spotted them.

"Hey, yo Geno...ain't that your sister right over there?" He pointed with his antlers.

Geno turned and nearly fell over himself when he saw it. Wylee smiled.

"Damn! Big boy goin' for it, yo!"

With flattened ears, Geno surged towards them.

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"Would you think it awful of me if I decided to fight for you this season?" Rambo asked softly.

Again, Gurri giggled. "Oh, no...in fact, why fight at all?" She stepped closer to him. "I mean...it's not like you have any challengers." She turned around and looked over her shoulder at him. "Why wait?"

Rambo smiled, knowing full well what she meant. But before he could say or do anything, Geno suddenly leapt between them, shoving his sister back.

"Hey!" Geno snapped. "What's going on here??"

"GENO!" Gurri snarled.

"Who is this?" Rambo asked, looking down on Geno. "A challenger?"

"No, no..." Geno calmed his voice. "I'm her brother, the young Prince of this forest."
 

"Her brother?" Rambo repeated with a curiously raised brow.

Gurri stomped in front of Geno and pushed him back with her own antlerless head. She stopped and turned to smile and Rambo before turning her attention back to Geno. Retaining the smile, Gurri spoke through grated teeth.

"Geno...please leave now or my wrath will be terrible."

---------------

In the background, Lumi and Brook smiled devilishly.

"This should be good." Lumi whispered.

----------------------

"Gurri...I know I said I'd leave you alone this rut and let you choose your own mate because you're a big doe now. But this guy...I don't like him."

"Good." Gurri nodded. "You don't have to breed with him. I do. Now beat it!"

"Umm, excuse me..." Rambo stepped in, looking down at Geno and speaking in a low voice. "Look, I think what you're doing is commendable. Really, I do. But your sister seems old enough to make her own decisions. So why don't you get lost..." His voice became a whisper. "...Or I'll break you in half." He smiled innocently. "M'kay, pumpkin?" He finished with a wink.

Geno was shocked at this stag's arrogance. So shocked that he couldn't even respond. Feeling confident, Rambo turned back to Gurri.

"Now where were we?" His voice became seductive once again.

Starry eyed, Gurri shrugged. "We were heading into the forest...or behind that boulder over there. Wherever."

"Oh hell no!" Once again, Geno placed himself between Rambo and Gurri. "You want my sister, you have to go through me! I challenge you!!"

The deer in the immediate area gasped. Syndica cringed as though someone stabbed her in the heart. Gurri growled.

"What are you doing?!"

Rambo scoffed. "You challenge me...for breeding rights...to your own sister?"

"No." Geno shook his head. "I challenge you for the sake of fighting a big dumb moose like yourself. Do you accept, or are you going to wuss out?"
 

Holding his mighty rack high, Rambo stood tall over Geno.

"Let's rock."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


It seemed as though the battle between the Prince's son and the newcomer halted the entire rut, as all other participants lined up against either side of the meadow while the challengers circled each other. Among the spectators were Flower, Blossom, Thumper and Lola. Flower shifted uneasily.

"I hope Geno doesn't get hurt. That new guy is huge."

"Oh, he's the son of Bambi, there's nothing for you to worry about." Blossom said with a flick of her wrist.

"Oh yeah?" Flower crossed his arms. "Then why did you bet against Geno?"

Blossom rolled her eyes. "Well excuse me for betting on a sure thing. Why did you bet ON Geno, that's what I'm wondering."

"Because I have faith in him!" Flower said with a nod.

"Really?"

Flower lowered his shoulders. "And because I got a tip that Geno can't lose."

Blossom put her little paws on her hips. "Where'd you get a tip?"

Stinkweed approached his parents from behind and draped his arm around Flower's shoulders. 

"Trust me, ma." Stinkweed laughed. "Geno's gonna win."

------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Thumper and Lola watched from several yards away while Bumper silently joined them. Thumper shook his head.

"How juvenile. Why can't Geno just let Gurri rut with the guy? What's he trying to prove?"


Bumper rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? Geno just wants what's best for his sister!"

Thumper stared down blankly as Bumper continued. "Gurri is a doe in estrus, she doesn't know what she wants. And since Bambi is gone, it's up to Geno to protect his sister! And I'm gonna help!" With that, Bumper hopped away.

Thumper stood quietly for a moment before nudging his wife.

"Who was that?"


Lola rolled her eyes. "That was your daughter, you twit."


Again, Thumper remained quiet for a moment before speaking up.


"I didn't know one of our kids were black..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The two stags circled each other, snorting. Geno felt a little nervous, he'd never fought such a big stag before. Rambo didn't look nervous in the least.


"I give you one last chance, young Prince. Give up now and live another day." Rambo offered.


"You're not getting out of this, big guy. You're going to fight me. And I WILL win."


"Then you have chosen your fate." With that, Rambo lunged.

Geno quickly lowered his head, just in time to catch Rambo's mighty rack with his own slender weapons. The force of which they collided caused their antlers to lock. Which meant bad news for Geno. Rambo smiled.


"Hang on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!" And with that, Rambo lifted his thick neck and began flinging Geno every which way, slamming him into the ground only to pick him up again and thrash him in another direction.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"C'mon, Geno!" Wylee cheered from the side lines. "You got him right where you want him!" He sighed and lowered his voice. "My boy is dead meat."

"He brought it on himself." A negative-sounding voice said carelessly. "I knew it would happen because he doesn't mind his own business."

Wylee looked over and smiled at the sable-colored doe next to him. A big doe, too.


"He just tryin' to be a good brother." His voice became smooth and flirty. "You know how it is."


"I do...being he's MY brother." The doe said with a grin.


Wylee's jaw dropped in shock. "You're Geno's sister? He didn't tell me he had another one! Damn, you finer than the first one. What's your name, baby?"


"River." She smiled.


"I'm Wylee."


River smiled at the cute little buck. "Nice to meet you."


They brought their attention back to the fight, but only for a moment. River looked back at Wylee.


"I'm bored. Let's go somewhere."


His eyes bulged. He slowly turned back to River.


"Excuse me?"


"You heard me." River pushed. "This is boring. Let's go do something fun."


Wylee bit his lower lip. "Fun?"

"Yeah. Unless, of course, you want to stay here and, you know...NOT do something fun."


Knowing the implications of the invite, Wylee couldn't refuse. He turned back towards the fight, cheered Geno one more time, "You go, Boy!", and disappeared with River into the woods.


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Geno had just about had enough. He'd been tossed around like a rag doll. His body ached all over, his neck felt like rubber, and he had no idea how much longer he could endure. Rambo, meanwhile, didn't have a scratch on him. With one more slam, Geno's antlers were finally freed, and he lay crumpled and defeated at Rambo's feet. Rambo held his head up proudly.


"All of this could have been avoided. Perhaps next rut, you'll have learned to mind your own business."


With that, Rambo began to walk away. Despite the pain and agony he was in, Geno shakily got to his feet.


"Where do you think you're going? This fight is just getting started." Geno coughed a little, blood dripping from a cut on his upper lip.


Rambo rolled his eyes. "Don't be a fool. You've lost. At least walk away with dignity."


"I haven't lost. I'm still