Well hello! Here's a new chapter of The Forest's Princess-fanfiction, inspired by the Bambi-wiki, The Lion King-movie, and Sofia The First-series, all of which I don't own the rights to. See you in the next chapter.
Clarice lay on the floor of her father's cave, and waited for his father to wake up while looking at the stars in the sky as the sun rise.
Clarice had just woken up, and was now thinking about his recent conversation with Thumper.
(Flashback)
Clarice stood with her friends near the Thumper family home.
The sun had just risen.
"Clarice, you know, what do some people do, when they watch shooting stars?" Thumper asked.
"What?" Clarice asked.
"Well some hope, when they watch star flights", Thumper said. "However, it is not certain, whether those wishes will come true".
"Okay", Clarice said.
(End of the flahback)
Looking up at the sky, Clarice saw a shooting star:
"I hope, that our forest will be free from hunters".
At last Gallant awoke, and then saw that Gallant had already woken up.
"Morning. I just saw something interesting", Clarice said to her father.
"Really? What was it?" Gallant asked.
"A shooting star. You know what, dad? Some people hope to see a shooting star. Thumper said so", Clarice said.
"I've heard about it. Well, did you wish for something, when you saw the shooting star?" Gallant asked.
"Yes. I was hoping, that our forest may be free from hunters", Clarice said. "Have you ever wished for anything, when you saw a shooting star?"
"I had stopped hoping for a shooting star", Gallant said.
"I see. Dad, how do you feel, when you look at the stars?" Clarice asked, looking up at the stars, and thinking of The Lion King-movie:
"Do you feel then, that all of the past, the guardians of the forest would be there, and watched us from those stars?"
"It's an interesting thought", Gallant said.
"Yes. I think I know, what do you want to say now", Clarice said seeing her father's sad expression, and assumed, that Gallant wanted to talk about Tinker Bell.
"How?" Gallant asked.
"Now I'm talking about your sad expression, dad. You always have that expression, when we're talking about my mother", Clarice said. "When you noticed me, you probably weren't prepared for the challenges of fatherhood. However, I am grateful that, what you have taught me I have to say, that soon after the meeting I started to be a little afraid to go to the meadow just in case, that the hunter would return to our forest. That's why I tried to avoid it going to the meadow, and told my mother about it. That's why we decided to be the most independent princess our forest has ever seen".
Gallant looked at his daughter.
"Father, soon after, what did that porcupine do to you, and for mom last fall, something like this happened:
(Flashback)
Clarice arrived with her mother in the forest near the meadow.
"I don't want to go to the meadow", Clarice said to her mother.
"We're not going to the meadow today", Tinker Bell said.
"Then why did we come here?" Clarice asked.
"Let's see, what an autumn meadow looks like", Tinker Bell said.
Clarice looked at the autumn meadow curiously.
"Clarice, hide!" Tinker Bell said laying like Clarice behind a nearby bush.
"What is happening?" Clarice asked.
"The hunter is back", Tinker Bell said.
Clarice looked through the gap in the bush to the meadow, and saw a hunter walking there with a rifle in his hand. The hunter was so far away, that Clarice couldn't see him properly, but Clarice stood her ground.
Suddenly, nervous chatter could be heard from the meadow.
"He is coming here!"
"Let's fly away!"
"No! Stay put!"
"I can not take it anymore!"
One pheasant flew through the grass in the meadow to escape the hunter.
Bam! The hunter shot, and the pheasant fell in the meadow. The hunter took the pheasant, and left the meadow.
After waiting a moment, Clarice looked at her mother with a chill running down her spine.
"This is what happens to animals, that people take from our forest", Tinker Bell said, as she saw Clarice shaking.
"Can we avoid going to the meadow?" Clarice asked.
"Okay", Tinker Bell said, returning with Clarice to the other deer, and they continued to wander, until they stopped to eat.
(End of the flashback)
When I saw that pheasant-case, I knew right away, what did you mean, when you said to me like this:
"Your mother can no longer be with you. The hunter has taken her. Now you must be brave, and be able to walk alone. Come, my daughter", Clarice said to her father.
"Really?" Gallant asked.
"Yes. Father, what did you do in those days, when I lived in grandpa's secret cave?" Clarice asked.
"Well I'm looking for you, and I was wondering where you are. I looked for you in your mother's cave, and I slept there for a couple of nights", Gallant said.
"What were you thinking, when you were sleeping in mom's cave?" Clarice asked. "Otherwise, dad what did you mean by saying earlier, how had your behavior changed?"
"To answer your previous question, i thought, that I couldn't protect you", Gallant said. "Well, you were very reserved".
"Hm. I think so. Dad, i know, that you miss my mother very much. I feel the same", Clarice said, thinking about her father's words.
Gallant licked his daughter's forehead.
"Dad, have you ever argued with grandpa?" Clarice asked with a smile.
"There were times when, which is when we had a really good fight", Gallant said.
"I see. Dad, I thought you were telling me that thing about the stars, which i just said, so fawns have a vivid imagination. Have you been told that, when you were a fawn?" Clarice asked.
"Well it wasn't", Gallant said.
"Well where in the woods are we going today? I hope it's not boring", Clarice said.
"Are there any boring places in our forest?" Gallant asked.
"Can we go somewhere, to a new place in our forest, where haven't you been yet?" Clarice asked.
"Well, the forest is big, so their places may take some time to find", Gallant said walking forward with Clarice.
After walking for a while, Clarice and her father arrived at a large ravine.
"Father, is this the gorge, that you jumped over that day, when the forest fire told by Friend owl happened, and after which you, and grandpa did you, and mom run away from the forest fire to the island?" Clarice asked looking at the gorge.
"It is. Never go too close to the edges of ravines, because the terrain there can be dangerously rough. When you stay well away from the edges of the ravines, then you're safe", Gallant said.
"I see," Clarice said, then walked with her father up the other side of the mountain, until they saw a rickety looking suspension bridge, where there were ugly boards.
"Dad, what is that?" Clarice asked, even though he really knew that, the bridge in question was a bridge built by people.
"It's a suspension bridge that people built. Hunters used it sometimes to get to this side of that ravine", Gallant said, stopping with Clarice in front of the bridge.
"That doesn't look very sturdy. Let's test it", Clarice said after remembering seeing a similar scene in the Aunt Adventure episode of Sofia The First. Clarice picked up a rock from the ground with her mouth, which Clarice threw on one plank of the bridge, as a result of which the planks of the bridge fell to pieces, and the ropes broke, falling into the ravine, where they were completely crushed. "Now I know, why did you warn against going too close to the edges of the ravines".
"Crazy suspension bridges are not like, like sometimes", Gallant said.
"I see. Father, I guess there's nothing in our forest, dangerous swamps?" Clarice asked.
"Heh! No need to worry. There are no such areas in our forests", Gallant said with a smile.
"Good. Dad, what is that island like, to whom you, mom, and grandpa did you escape that fire?" Clarice asked.
"The forest was big beautiful, there were more nesting grounds", Gallant said.
"I see. Dad, how mom told you, she was waiting for me, and what did you think, when you heard you were getting a baby?" Clarice asked.
"She was obvious about her pregnancy, so she didn't tell me", Gallant said.
"Well, how exactly did you find out about it?" Clarice asked.
"Her belly was growing big, and slow, and Friend owl told me", Gallant said.
"I see. It must be a new situation for you, because you weren't prepared for the challenges of fatherhood, but we've had fun, right?" Clarice asked, resting her head lightly against her father's upper body, smiling.
"Yes we have", Gallant smiled.
"Father, am I close to it yet, what is a flawless princess?" Clarice asked.
"Heh heh! You still have a long way to go in your pursuit of that", Gallant said.
"I see", Clarice said walking with her father in the forest.