Bambi's POV
Jeanette and I stayed where we were and waited for my father. After several minutes, I sighed with sadness. Jeanette looked at me with sympathy and said, "It's okay, Bambi. Your father is just… busy, I guess. But at least you have me!"
"I know," I mumbled as I walked away from her. I started feeling tired, so I found a fallen log to rest in the snow by. I then knelt down and began feeling sleepier.
"Are you okay, Bambi?" Jeanette asked as she rejoined me.
"Yeah," I said with a yawn, "Just tired. I… I miss my mother." My eyes started to get moist at that part when I thought of how I would never see my mother again.
"Me too," Jeanette added as she put her paw on my side to comfort me, "But like I said, you have me by your side. I have nowhere else to go, but at least your parents… let me stay with you and your mom." She sighed with sadness at the last part, but she shook the feeling away as she looked at me with a small smile.
Jeanette's POV
I looked at Bambi, thinking of a perfect way to cheer him up or give him comfort. "I think I know what'll help," I said to him. I cleared my throat, and then I began singing softly:
Come stop your crying, it'll be alright
Just take my paw, hold it tight
I will protect you from all around you
I will be here, don't you cry
Bambi yawned again, and then rested his head upon a pile of snow on the fallen log. I looked at him with a sad smile as I kept singing softly:
For one so small, you seem so strong
My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm
This bond between us can't be broken
I will be here, don't you cry
'Cause you'll be in my heart
You'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forevermore
Yes, you'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be in my heart
Always
"Always," I whispered as I watched Bambi fall fast asleep. I saw him smile a bit, so he appeared to be contented as he slept. Either he liked my lullaby, or he was dreaming a happy dream…
Third Person POV
Bambi, was indeed, having a happy dream. In it, he laughed and jumped in a golden field of grains and grass, chasing butterflies as he played. One butterfly landed on his tongue, but the young fawn just simply held his tongue out and let the butterfly go. Just then, a gentle female voice was heard calling, "Bambi!"
Bambi turned and looked over to see a huge flock of butterflies heading for a figure shaped like a doe. The fawn got a closer look and gasped, "Mother?" Then, he formed a smile and began running for his long-lost mother, Willow. When he reached his mother atop a hill, Bambi let his mother nuzzle him lovingly as he softly said, "I missed you so much!"
"Shhh, there, there," Willow softly said her fawn, "It's going to be alright – you'll see."
"Why'd you have to go?" Bambi asked.
"Everything in the forest has its season," Willow answered as she looked up at the sky, "When one thing falls, another grows. Maybe nothing was before, but something new and wonderful all the same."
"But I feel so alone," Bambi said to his mother as he looked up at her.
"I'm always with you, even when you can't see me," Willow softly said, "I'm here. I'm here."
Back in reality, Jeanette was sleeping beside Bambi, who was still dreaming as he nuzzled his head against the log. Willow's voice echoed through Bambi's mind, "I'm here."
But soon, Bambi's ears perked up when he heard a female voice say, "I'm here!" He opened his eyes and looked around as the voice said, "Hello!"
Bambi looked down at Jeanette and asked, "Jeanette, did you say something?"
Jeanette didn't answer; she just kept on sleeping.
As the snow began to fall, Bambi got onto his feet and called out, "Hello?"
As the fawn looked at some trees ahead of him, he heard the voice repeat, "I'm here!"
"Mother?" Bambi asked.
"It's me!" the voice said.
Bambi smiled and then darted into the forest to follow the source of the voice, leaving Jeanette behind.
Jeanette's POV
I slept on until I felt something cold and went gently fall upon my fur. That's when I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky. "Oh, great," I mumbled to myself, "More snow." As I began to stretch, I saw something wasn't right, so I looked around with concern.
That's when I realized Bambi was missing! "Bambi!" I softly called as I began to walk around with fear and concern, "Bambi, where are you?" I searched in all my surroundings, but I couldn't see the fawn anywhere!
"BABMI!" I called out loud.
"Here I am!" I heard a strange voice call in the forest.
"Who's there?" I called into the forest.
"I am here!" the voice called again, "Hello? It's me!"
I then felt my stomach tying in knots as I remembered this scene from Bambi II. It was a trick played by Man, wasn't it? "Oh no!" I gasped with fear, "This is not good! I have to find the Great Prince!" I turned to the opposite direction Bambi may have gone, and then I ran off to find the Great Prince.
As I ran through the forest, I called out loud, "Great Prince! Great Prince, where are you?! Bambi's in trouble!" I looked around for him, but he was nowhere in sight. Then, I heard the sound of some crows cawing up in the sky. I began breathing heavily, and my heart skipped a beat or two as I feared for my fawn friend's life. I ran off again and called at the top of my lungs, "GREAT PRINCE! WHERE ARE YOU?! BAMBI NEEDS YOU!"
I kept running until I ran into a familiar pair of front legs. I looked up and saw the Great Prince looking down at me with a stern look that had a few hints of concern. "Jeanette!" he barked, "You should be in hiding! Man is nearby!"
"I know!" I breathed as I tried looking up at him, "But…"
"Where is Bambi?" he asked me.
"Bambi?" I breathed, "He… he ran… towards the meadow! He… he heard a… voice… calling for him!"
The Great Prince gasped with shock when he realized his son was falling for one of Man's tricks, so he lowered his head before me and ordered, "Climb onto my back! We've got to find my son!"
So, I climbed onto his back just as we heard the mysterious voice call out, "I'm here!"
Then, the Great Prince and I darted off into the forest in the direction where Bambi may have gone. As I clung onto the big buck's back and neck, I just prayed to myself, hoping that Bambi would be okay…
Author's Note: The song "You'll Be in My Heart" is from Disney's Tarzan. ((c) Disney)
