After the show, the clowns were going in the back to wash off their make-up and have an evening drink together. Atticus, Cherry, and Atlas then went into the ringmaster's tent to talk to him about Dumbo visiting his mother. The ringmaster grinned as he counted his money. Dumbo was too humiliated and upset to go with them, besides, if they could, it would be a nice surprise.
"Excuse us, sir?" Cherry spoke up.
"What is it?" the ringmaster nearly growled as he was interrupted during his favorite pastime.
"Since Dumbo has made you so much money, could you maybe allow him to go and visit his mother?" Atticus asked.
"Hmm..." the ringmaster thought about it. "Which one's his mother?"
"Mrs. Jumbo." Cherry said.
"Sorry, I've never been good with names..." the ringmaster said then.
Atlas rolled his eyes, he hoped Cherry and Atticus would forgive him for referring to the mother elephant as this, but it was the only way for their boss to understand. "The 'Mad Elephant'."
"Ohh, well, if she can control herself during the visit, he can see her." The ringmaster said.
"I'm almost certain she will, sir..." Atlas said with a cocky smile and rolling his eyes when his boss wasn't looking.
They then left the tent to go tell Dumbo the good news. Timothy was washing off the make-up from Dumbo's face as the clowns were laughing and getting drunk. The mouse tried to convince the baby elephant that this was a good thing, even if it sounded like crude bullying to poor Dumbo who was so far spending his whole life being made fun of and his mother wasn't even there to comfort or support him. Atticus, Cherry, and Atlas then appeared just as Dumbo was being cleaned.
"See? They're drinkin' a toast to ya!" Timothy encouraged the baby elephant. "Yeah, you're a big hit! You're terrific!"
Dumbo sniffled and started to cry. "Then why don't I feel so great?" he then sobbed.
"Alley-oop," Timothy signaled. "I gotta wash behind your ears."
Dumbo sighed and lifted the mouse to so he could wash behind his large ears.
"You're a success." Timothy encouraged.
"We should tell him now." Atlas whispered.
Atticus and Cherry nodded, going for the baby elephant. Timothy kept trying to cheer up Dumbo, but nothing would work.
"Hey, Dumbo, we have good news." Atticus smiled.
"Hmm...?" Dumbo asked as he felt extremely upset, not even his best friends could cheer him up.
"Ya guys doin' what I think you're doin'?" Timothy asked eagerly, feeling like he knew where this was going.
"Yep, we got permission from the ringmaster and he's allowed Dumbo to see his mother." Atticus smiled.
"Oh, that's great!" Timothy cheered himself.
With that, they went to the wrongful placement of Mrs. Jumbo as she was chained down and looked more miserable than Dumbo did without him than he did without her. No parent should ever be separated from their child. Especially a mother and a baby.
"I promise you Dumbo, she won't be in that cage for long." Atlas assured the baby elephant.
Dumbo sighed sadly, but he had a small smile in hopes of seeing his mother again.
"Mrs. Jumbo...?" Timothy called. "I hope she's in..."
"It's us, Mrs. Jumbo." Cherry added.
"Hey, Mrs. Jumbo, you awake?" Atticus asked.
"We have someone here to see you." Atlas helped.
Mrs. Jumbo was in fact inside, but she was having trouble coming out. She saw her baby's trunk and she waned to embrace him right there and right now, but couldn't. "I'm sorry, dears... I-I'm afraid I'm stuck..." she said, miserably and unfortunately.
"Can you stretch your trunk out to feel him?" Atticus asked.
"I'm sorry, but that's all I can do..." Mrs. Jumbo expanded her trunk and waved to them.
"It's better than nothing." Cherry agreed.
Dumbo touched his mother's trunk, feeling very glad to have his mother's warmth again. Atticus helped the baby elephant up to the window of the cage. Mrs. Jumbo touched Dumbo with her trunk, filling the empty void they both have had for a long time now. Blast that ringmaster... Dumbo sniffled and started to cry, having missed his mother for oh-so long.
Mrs. Jumbo, being a mother, could sense this, she then started to sing a lullaby to soothe his tears from separation anxiety. Atticus let go of the baby elephant as soon as Mrs. Jumbo got a hold on her baby and started to cradle him. Mrs. Jumbo sang 'Baby Mine' as she gently rocked Dumbo in her trunk.
"Th-That song..." Atticus whispered. "I... I feel like I know it from somewhere..." He began to have a flashback, seeing his own mother having to sing that very same song. He could not make out the face, but he could see what appeared to be golden blonde hair. And where her voice seemed so familiar to him that tears started to form in his eyes.
He shook his head and put his hands to his eyes as tears leaked out, missing his mother very much right now. Timothy softly sighed and some tears escaped his eyes as well. Atlas began to comfort Atticus as he saw the boy start to tear up. Atticus hugged Atlas as he sniffled as he thought about his mother.
"What happened to her?" Atlas asked, assuming Atticus was crying because he thought of his mother from Mrs. Jumbo's lullaby.
"I-I don't know, I never even got to meet her or my father or sister/brother." Atticus sniffled.
"Sister/Brother?" Atlas asked, confused.
"I'm sure I had an older sibling, I can't remember for sure though, but I'm positive..." Atticus explained. "I just remember someone older than me, though around the age of a kid who usually told me stories..."
"Oh, I'm sorry, buddy..." Atlas gave Atticus a hug.
"I'm sure I'll be reunited with them someday." Atticus hugged him back.
"I hope you do, buddy." Atlas comforted.
Cherry had a smile on her face, but she was not happy or laughing, she was covering her eyes.
"Uh, is she okay?" Atlas asked, confused of the sad moment and Cherry was smiling about it.
"I think so." Atticus said.
"What's so funny?" Atlas said.
Cherry shook her head.
"Uhh...?" Atlas asked.
"Cherry, are you crying...?" Atticus asked.
"Don't look at me!" Cherry whined as her voice sounded cracked, that was a clear sign of sadness.
"She must miss her mother." Atlas said.
"Probably both her parents," Atticus guessed. "They're pretty good parents."
"So, you live with them?" Atlas asked.
"Cherry suggested it," Atticus explained. "After we found Cherry's parents, she asked them if I could stay with them since I'd have nowhere else to go."
"That was nice of them." Atlas smiled.
"Yeah..." Atticus said softly.
Timothy looked around the area, he could see other mother animals with their babies. A zebra and her foal were nuzzled together in warmth and comfort, a giraffe mother lay her head against the hay as her calf lay against her, tiger cubs huddled to their mother, a monkey swung with her babies in hold, a hippo and her baby were under the water together, three ostriches slept with their heads in the ground, a kangaroo rocked back and forth with her joey comfortably in her pouch.
"Well, it's getting late, we should all get back." Atlas whispered.
"Yeah, it is quite late." Timothy agreed.
Dumbo smiled as he rocked in his mother's trunk, too engrossed by her to notice anything else around him.
"Excuse me, I know you're enjoying this moment together, but it's getting rather late." Cherry said.
"O-Oh.." Dumbo felt hurt that this moment had to end so soon.
Cherry gently picked up Dumbo and set him on the ground so they could go. Timothy took Dumbo by his tail so they could go on which had Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo's trunks unlink from each other.
"You'll be out of there soon." Atlas assured the mother elephant.
"I certainly hope so..." Mrs. Jumbo sounded suffering, but she waved her trunk as her son was going away.
Dumbo began to do the same thing.
