After the performance, Bambi and his entourage returned to the palace. After changing out of his mime attire, Bambi was hailed with praise.

"Great job out there, Bambi! Really not bad for a beginner," said Florean, who was beaming with pride.

"Not bad?" Bambi asked cockily. "I thought I did better than just not bad. I think I showed real talent out there. I may take up mime as a full-time job."

Barron cleared his throat sternly, though he was smiling.

"Okay, part-time," said Bambi.

"Well, if you need an accompanist for your act, I'll be more than happy to accept the position," said Faline, walking up to him and batting her lashes.

Bambi, still feeling flirtatious after the on-stage kiss, chuckled and put an arm around her. "I'll be sure to put in a good word for you."

"Get a room!" snapped Theodore, making his sisters giggle and Bambi and Faline blush.

"Sorry," said Bambi as Faline awkwardly walked away from him.

"Anyway, back to business. You did good today, buddy," said Theodore, slapping Bambi on the shoulder. "And great job putting that one guy in his place," he added.

Bambi knew he was referring to the lone audience member who had booed him.

"Yeah, that wasn't very nice of him. I wonder who he was anyway?" Tessie said.

"I bet I know," Theodore said rather darkly.

Bambi looked at him, as though asking him to elaborate. Theodore opened his mouth to speak again. But at that moment, Barron stepped in front of him (deliberately, Bambi thought) and spoke over him.

"It doesn't matter who it was," he said, in a jovial but definitely evasive tone. "That was an excellent performance, Bambi. You should be very proud. And never mind what critics say."

"Thanks, Dad," said Bambi.

He was genuinely thankful for his father's praise, but he was also extremely curious about his interruption. But before he could give the matter more thought, Barron went on speaking.

"Alright now, we've all had our laughs. The next event is far more serious. Bambi, you'll be demonstrating your sword skills tomorrow."

"Against who? The other competitors?" Bambi asked, thinking nervously of Prince Mason.

"No. Each of you will be fighting a pre-selected opponent: a resident of your own kingdom," Barron explained.

"Oh," said Bambi, stifling a huge sigh of relief. Then he thought of something that made his relief leave as soon as it had come. "Wait. It's not... you, is it Dad?"

"Your opponent's identity is a secret," Barron said unhelpfully. "You'll find out who it is tomorrow."

Bambi wasn't sure he liked the way his father was blatantly keeping secrets from him. Why on earth was he not supposed to know whom he would be fighting against? Surely it had to be someone from his entourage. What was so secret about that? After all, Faline had accompanied him in the previous event and that hadn't been secret. Either way, Bambi accepted this possibility and quietly looked over his entourage. He came to the conclusion that his opponent would most likely be Barron, his usual opponent and mentor, or either Theodore or Florean, his backups. In which case, he would either be facing someone who was too much of a challenge or someone who was frankly no challenge at all.

"I was able to book the palace gymnasium for one hour so you can practice. After that, a high-protein dinner and then bed. You'll beed your strength tomorrow," Barron continued.

Bambi looked again at Theodore and Florean and secretly doubted it, but he agreed to his father's advice.

The next day, ten tents had been set up against the arena's wall instead of the previous day's five. Bambi assumed the extras were for the opponents' use. He, Theodore, and Florean occupied the second-to-last tent in the line and his friends helped him to get suited up. Once Bambi was fully prepared, he realized how odd it was that both of his assumed opponents were in his tent instead of the one next door.

"So which one of you am I fighting?" he asked casually. "And why do neither of you look ready to fight?"

Theodore made a strange little noise that sounded like something between a laugh and a nervous spasm. "Yeah, about that," he said, grinning broadly. "You're not gonna be fighting either of us."

"What do you - Ow!"

Something sharp and metallic seemed to have poked Bambi in the back of the neck. He instinctively rubbed the spot with which it had made contact and spun around to find the source. What he saw brought a look of anger and shock to his face.

"Good reflexes," said Ronno, who was holding up the tent flap. "That'll come in handy when you run away crying."

Bambi was to stunned and annoyed to say anything.

"He's not supposed to see you yet, ya big buffoon!" snapped Theodore to Ronno.

"What difference does it make?" said Ronno dismissively. "Is it bad luck or something?"

"It could be for us," Theodore whispered to Florean.

"He was gonna find out anyway. Besides, I just wanted to wish him luck," Ronno continued. He looked at Bambi again and said, "Good luck out there, kid. You're gonna need it. No waving from your horsey or stupid circus acts today. Although yesterday's performance really was special. Did ya hear me showing my support?"

Bambi's nostrils flared. He suddenly knew the identify of, not only his opponent for today's event, but of the one who had booed him from the audience the day before. And they were one and the same.

"Too bad you can't just mime fighting me with an invisible sword today," Ronno continued. "I mean, feel free to if you want. But it won't make much of a show. Not when everyone out there is here to watch you take me down. But no pressure. See ya out there, Princess."

And he left the tent.

An awkward silence filled the tent. Then Bambi turned to face Theodore and Florean, who seemed to be determinately avoiding his eyes. He then grasped them both tightly by the shoulders, making them wince.

"Does one of you wanna tell me what he's doing here?" he asked them quietly.

"Honestly..." began Theodore in an uneasy voice. Bambi squeezed his shoulder a little tighter. "Okay! Okay! He's your opponent. Happy?"

"Why!?" Bambi asked.

"It wasn't our idea, it was your dad's," said Theodore, through gritted teeth. "He made us promise not to tell you."

"Well why am I finding out five minutes before the event starts?"

"You weren't supposed to," said Florean, who looked on the verge of tears. "You were supposed to find out during the event."

"The point of this thing is you're fighting a known enemy. But you're not supposed to see them until you both face off," explained Theodore. "I guess the idiot couldn't resist lettin' you in on the secret early."

"Why?" Bambi asked.

"Again, 'cause the guy's an idiot."

"No," Bambi said, giving Theodore's shoulder an impatient shake. "Why do we have to fight an enemy? And what's the point of keeping us in the dark until..."

"Guess they just wanna test your strength and fighting skills to the max. Not that you need testing," said Theodore, shaking his shoulder free from Bambi's grip and rubbing it. "They just wanna put on a good show."

"I think it's also supposed to prepare you for later life," added Florean.

"Later life?"

"I guess when you're a king, you're always gonna have the threat of mutiny or treason hanging over your head," Florean shrugged. "So maybe they wanna see how you'd react if one of your subjects turns on you."

Hearing this possibility made Bambi feel suddenly nauseous. "Thanks, Florean. You've given me so much to look forward to.

"Look, it doesn't matter," said Theodore. "You've fought the guy before and kicked his butt."

"Only because he was dragging Faline away from me. And I didn't kick his butt, no matter how much I wanted to," Bambi reminded them.

"Well... just pretend you're reliving that moment," Theodore advised. "Pretend you just saw him manhandling your girl again. No, better than that; pretend he just threatened everyone you care about. Faline, your dad, us."

"It could work. I mean you're supposed to be treating him like he's a threat to your kingdom," added Florean.

Bambi considered their words and decided it was as good a strategy as he could have hooped for.

A few minutes later, the voice of the announcer filled the arena, welcoming everyone to the event. Then the fighting officially commenced. For the next several minutes, Bambi sat and listened to the events going on outside. They didn't sound particularly pleasant. The constant clinking of two saber blades colliding, the collective gasp from hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators, even the occasional battle cry. Mason's face-off sounded especially unpleasant. His sword hit his opponent's with particular strength and anger. His battle cries were deep and seemed to fill the whole arena. Bambi did not envy whatever poor soul was facing Mason.

After Cecil, Gerard, and Finn had had their turns facing an opponent, Bambi nervously rose to his feet at the sound of his name. Theodore and Florean each gave him a thumbs up, he pushed back the tent flap, and walked out into the sunlight. He made his way to the center of the arena, where a long strip of metal that resembled a fencing piste had been placed on the ground. Bambi made for one end of the strip and stopped with his back facing the other end.

"His Highness' opponent may take his place now," came the announcer's voice.

Seconds passed and Bambi could feel his no-longer-secret opponent walking towards the other end of the strip.

"At this time, the opponents may face each other," the announcer instructed.

Bambi took a deep breath and turned to face his opponent. Sure enough, there on the opposite end of the strip stood Ronno, shooting him a characteristic smirk from several yards away.

"Prince Bambi's opponent from the kingdom of Magnolia will be Ronno, a member of the Magnolian Royal Guard," came the announcer's voice. "Fighters, you may take your positions."

Bambi and Ronno approached each other, Ronno's smirk becoming more pronounced with each step. They finally stopped at the marked center of the strip and each was given a saber sword.

"The first one to disarm their opponent wins," the announcer continued. "At the sound of the whistle, you may begin. Good luck."

Both boys raised their sabers and silence fell over the arena. After several of the longest seconds of Bambi's life, the shrill sound of a whistle filled the air. And the duel began.

It took Bambi less than a minute to realize just what he was up against. Ronno seemed to have improved drastically serving on the Royal Guard, and he had been an exceptional fighter to begin with. He was as quick as we was strong and the memory of their first fight seemed to still be burned into his memory. Bambi had to lift his saber a number of times and take several steps back in order to defend himself. He managed to take a few swings, but Ronno was relentless. After barely a minute, Ronno had come dangerously close to either disarming Bambi or making him step off the strip. The other princes had taken much longer than this in their duels. Bambi knew the audience would be expecting a much more thrilling end to the event than this. What was more, nothing would please him more than to put Ronno in his place once and for all.

Bambi envisioned what his friends had instructed him to: a much older and much more evil Ronno. Taller. Stronger. Dark, sinister clothing. Beard... On second thought, goatee - much more evil. A vivid scar over is eye. Or maybe an eyepatch?

The real Ronno swung his sword right at Bambi's head and he (Bambi) realized that he was getting too distracted. Still envisioning Ronno as a threat to his kingdom, Bambi got his head back in the game and proceeded to fight.

For the next several minutes, both boys swung, thrusted, and parried, as thought their very lives were at stake. In no time at all, there was one final thrust, a twist of the wrist, and Ronno's saber was knocked out of his hand and landed with a clank to the ground several feet away.

Ronno stared at his weapon pitifully and then slowly turned to face Bambi, who was panting very hard.

Bambi could vaguely a distant voice proclaiming him the winner followed by the shrill sound of applause. He looked around and felt a smile slowly spread across his face. He then looked back at Ronno, who was bowing to him in spite of his obvious frustration.

Bambi received no shortage of praise from his entourage after the event.

"See? I knew you could put that big brute in his place!" Theodore practically shouted.

"Yeah. And to think all it took was pretending he was some big, evil, bloodthirsty villain," Bambi said.

"So basically, Prince Mason," Ria commented.

Bambi looked at her. Then he remembered listening to the unpleasant sounds that had defined Mason's duel.

"Yes, Mason was certainly in his element today," Barron nodded.

"At least he was finally happy," said Trixie with a slight chuckle. "He could be as mean and tough as he wanted and finally be awarded for it."

"I guess he was the real champ of the day, huh?" Bambi asked uncomfortably.

"Yes... and no," Faline said. "He may be a great fighter but I don't think anyone who lives outside of Olympia enjoyed watching him."

"Yes," Barron said fondly. "You at least fought like a true prince: with a level head.. Just like I thought you."

Bambi felt better.

"So, what's tomorrow's event?" Bambi asked eagerly. Given his mood at the moment, he felt no new thrill could catch him off guard.

"Tomorrow's event is..." Barron began. Then, he chuckled. "Absolutely nothing."

Everyone except Oswald stared. They all held their breaths, waiting for Barron to say he was joking.

"What?" Bambi asked before the silence became too long.

Barron nodded, looking amused. "Tomorrow's a free day. A day of rest for the competitors and a day of extra labor for those preparing the arena for the final event."

"Those poor fellows," said Oswald sympathetically.

"What's the final event?" Bambi asked.

"I am not allowed to tell you," Barron answered slyly. "And nether is anyone else. You'll find out in two days. For now, let's concentrate on celebrating a job well done so far."

Everyone was thrilled to be able to sleep in the next morning. Breakfast was brought directly to their bedroom doors, they ate right in their rooms, and then assembled for a day of sightseeing in the kingdom. What a place Olympia was. Shops, boutiques, taverns, and bakeries as far as the eye could see, each more intriguing than the last.

Bambi, who felt vastly more generous than usual, bought each of his friends something special as meager thanks for being such a great entourage. A silver and topaz necklace for Faline. A chess set for Theodore. A shining set of gardening tools for Florean and his father. A small toy wagon for Trixie (for her stuffed horse to pull). An entire book series for Ria. A book of songs for Daisy. A stuffed turtle for Tessie - it reminded her so much of her new pet, Flo. In almost no time at all, his money bag was feeling considerably lighter. Everyone, especially Faline, thanked Bambi and Barron commended him for his princely generosity.

Shortly after noon, everyone was beginning to feel a bit peckish. So they decided to break from sightseeing and sit down for a quick bite. Daisy immediately pointed out a decent-sized and well-attended tavern.

"Can we eat here!? Can we? Can we, please? I, uh... hear the food's to die for!" she exclaimed.

Whatever words she used, everyone could tell that it had been the word "Cabaret" painted on the wooden sign above the front door that had caught Daisy's eye.

Inside, Bambi was sought out and praised by at least a dozen residents of Magnolia who had come to support him in the Challenge. Some he recognized, others not so much. They congratulated him on everything from his outfit at the opening ceremony to his fight against Ronno, who Bambi was glad to hear was universally unpopular throughout the kingdom. Bambi privately wished they would leave him in peace, but he accepted their praise all the same.

After the group had been seated, each was served a healthy sized turkey leg and some vegetables. As they ate, they watched various singers, local and visiting, perform on the tavern's small stage. Daisy's eyes were glued to the stage all the while. Halfway through their meals, yet another resident of their home kingdom came up to their table. Only it was not Bambi they had come to seak out, but Faline. It was her friend Ramona. The two girls hugged and exchanged a few words of greeting. Then Ramona congratulated Bambi on a job well done in the Challenge, though she completely ignored Theodore, who was grinning at her and striking a ridiculous pose. The fact that his face was smeared with sauce from his turkey leg seemed to especially repulse her and she changed the subject at once.

"Well, that was an... unusual performance," she said, indicating the stage where a young man and woman from Prince Gerard's kingdom had just finished singing.

"It sure was," said Faline with something like disgust in her voice. "Why don't you go up there and do your mime routine, Bambi?" she asked with a smile.

Bambi hid his face as everyone laughed.

"Well if he won't, why don't we?" suggested Ramona, indicating herself and Faline.

"Now?" Faline asked, looking at her half-finished meal.

"It'll still be here when you're done. Go on," Bambi assured her.

Faline thought for a moment and then smiled. "Oh, alright."

"Oh! Can I go with you, Faline? Can I? Can I? Please?" Daisy asked, beaming from ear to ear.

Faline and Ramona agreed and the three of them made for the stage. Faline whispered something to a man seated at the piano, he nodded, and she joined the other two on stage. The three girls sang a tune Bambi remembered from the Girls' Chorus' spring concert: Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song.

"Oh, not that song," Oswald objected, covering his ears with his hands.

The rest of the diners enjoyed the song very much. But somehow, watching Faline singing didn't please Bambi as much as it usually did. He suddenly felt detached - as though he was in a completely different environment than the one that surrounded him. Much though he wanted to enjoy the music, as well as watch the girl he loved providing it, he somehow couldn't. The music reminded him of something, but he didn't know what.

"Somethin' wrong, buddy?" a voice said.

"What?" Bambi asked, looking up.

Theodore had noticed his expression.

"Oh, no. I'm fine," Bambi asked.

"You are not. It's the turkey leg, isn't it?" Theodore asked.

"No, it's..."

"C'mon. I know the look of someone not enjoying their food. That's it. Point me to the kitchen. I wanna have a word with the chef."

"It's not the turkey leg," Bambi insisted. "It's... I don't know what it is. I just feel like something's wrong. But I can't put my finger on it. It's like I'm... forgetting something."

"You're probably just thinkin' too hard about tomorrow's event?" Theodore suggested.

Bambi somehow doubted this, but nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, it's probably just that. I'll be okay."

He knew deep down that that wasn't what had been bothering him. But the reminder of facing the unknown the very next day brought on an entire new feeling that pushed all other concerns out of his mind for the rest of the day.