Faline ended the struggle, and soon ran away from the meadow, leaving Cassie in the meadow. It began raining, and Faline soon saw Bambi as she was coming up over the horizon.

"Hello, Bambi," she called.

"Hi, Faline," sighed Bambi. "I'm just waiting for the next report on Amber's status." He looked around. "Where's Cassie?"

"She... can't be here," Faline said quickly.

Bambi perked his ears inquisitively. "She... can't be here?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"She's at the meadow," said Faline, glancing behind her.

"Doing what?" Bambi asked.

"Sleep...ing," said Faline slowly.

"Sleeping" questioned Bambi. Then he noticed the anxious look in Faline's face.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Nothing..." Faline backed away a few steps.

"What did you do?" Bambi raised his voice slightly.

"Nothing," repeated Faline, getting angry.

"What did you do?" Bambi thundered.

"I didn't do anything!" snapped Faline.

"You're lying!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Forget it!" screeched Faline, stomping off down the woodland path. Bambi watched her, an angry look on his face. Faline looked over her shoulder at him shyly, but he snorted and turned his back to her. Faline growled and left.

Bambi sighed and lay down in the den, and waited for his father, the Great Prince, to return to the den and tell him what happened with Amber.

Faline returned to the meadow. She saw Cassie, who was still laying on her side in the same place which Faline had left her. Faline walked up to Cassie, and Cassie looked at her.

"Oh... you're back," Cassie said weakly.

"Yes," said Faline. Silence. Neither of them knew what else to say.

"Awkward," sang Cassie.

"Yeah," laughed Faline. "I guess." She looked at Cassie. "Well..." The injured fawn looked at her. "I need to... go..." said Faline, keeping her eyes on the injured fawn.

"Fine," said Cassie weakly. "Go, play all willy-nilly with Bambi."

Faline sighed and started to walk up the small hill, back into the forest. But she turned around and looked at Cassie again.

"Go," the fawn said. "Do your awesome stuff."

Faline sighed. "She was trying to steal Bambi," she told herself. "Don't turn around. Don't... turn... around..." Faline sighed and began walking up into the forest again.

She walked on up back into the forest, ate some blossoms, and yet in her heart she felt like something horribly wrong had happened, and that she was the cause of it.  She kept feeling a sense of guilt in her heart, a sense of sadness, and she, no matter what she did to distract herself of it, could not shake it from her. It stuck to her, and did not intend to fall off.

Faline made her way down to Bambi's den again, and she sighed, then called for Bambi.

Bambi, with an angry look spread onto his face, looked at her.

"Bambi," she said, "I attacked Cassie."

"What?" His ears perked straight up. He had a horrified look on his face. "Why on Earth did you do that?"

"I was jealous," said Faline, nearly sobbing. Tears came to her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Bambi."

"Why were you jealous?" screamed Bambi. He obviously did not intend to accept her apology yet.

"I thought you liked Cassie more than me," sobbed Faline. "I'm a horrible person."

"Well, you had no reason to hurt Cassie," replied Bambi.

"Why?"

"I'm not in love with Cassie," said Bambi. "I've just been her friend, and I've been tired of the way you've been treating her and Amber. Now Amber's deathly ill, and you atatcked my other friend?"

"I'm so sorry," cried Faline. "I thought you liked Cassie."

"Of course I like Cassie," snapped Bambi. "Just not in that way."

"I should have known," said Faline, looking at the ground. It was as if she was too ashamed to look at Bambi's face.

Bambi moaned and shook his head, then walked into the den. ":No, this is my fault," he said. "I was the one who thought I could have a good life here this summer. But everything's going wrong in my life. My mom's dead, my friend is possibnly going to die, and then you attack my other friend." he fell down into the bedding. "What's wrong with me?"

Faline sighed. "I knew I did something wrong." She looked at Bambi. "Think Cassie's still alive?"

"No," said Bambi crossly, not looking at her.

"I need to go say sorry, whetehr she's alive or not," said Faline, and started to run off into the forest.

Bambi sighed and lowered his head, moaning. "My life is bad," he moaned. Then he fell into a sad sleep.

Faline ran down to the meadow. Cassie was laying there, her eyes closed. "Cassie!" cried Faline.

Cassie opened her eyes very slowly, and only a little bit.

"I'm sorry," said Faline. Cassie looked confused.

"I was wrong," cried Faline. "You're a friend, not a foe. A FRIEND!" Faline was sobbing.

"What made you realize you were wrong?" Cassie asked slowly and quietly.

"Bambi," said Faline. "I was wrong, so so wrong. Please come back to the forest! Be all right!"

Cassie sighed and lowered her head.

"Come back!" screamed Faline. "You can't go! Bambi needs you!"

"Why did you even do this to me?" Cassie asked. "Why don't you like me, Faline? I thought we could... be... friends... but... I was wrong. You don't even like me."

"No!" cried Faline. "I do like you! That was before I knew you really weren't trying to steal Bambi from me!"

Cassie lowered her head. "I would never try to steal Bambi from you," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry!" cried Faline. "Don't make me say it again!"

Cassie lowered her head and didn't look at Faline.

"Don't you forgive me?" bawled Faline.

"Yes," said Cassie weakly. "But I can't move."

Faline sighed and walked around in a circle, bawling and crying. "Come baaack!"

"I would, Faline," said Cassie, the weakest yet, "but I can't."

Faline galloped off to the forest. "I'll go get help!" she shouted. "The Great Prince!"

Faline raced into the forest, panting and panting endlessly. At last, she spotted the Great Prince walking around the forest.

"Help!" Faline shouted. The Great Prince looked at her. "Faline?" he asked.

Faline ran up to him. "Attack! Me! Cassie! Hurt! Come on!" panted Faline. She ran off the way she came.

"Cassie's hurt?" exclaimed the Great Prince, following her.

Faline led the Great Prince down to the meadow. "Over there," Faline cried. The Great Prince moved swiftly and quietly out into the meadow, with Faline moving along right behind him.

The Great Prince found Cassie. "What happened?" he asked Faline.

"I attacked her, I regret to say," said Faline, her ears flattened guiltily. "I falsely accused her of trying to steal Bambi's heart."

The Great Prince looked away from her and scooped the injured fawn up into his antlers. He then ran back to the forest with Faline behind him. The two deer ran until they reached a quiet place in the woods. The Great Prince dropped Cassie.

"Cassie?" Faline asked.

Cassie opened her eyes weakly. "Hello," she said. Her gaze traveled to the Great Prince. "Hi, Great Prince," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Faline told me you were hurt, and I came to check it out," said the Great Prince.

Cassie looked a bit suprised. "Really?" she asked.

Faline nodded. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have attacked you; it was for no reason at all."

Cassie smiled slightly. "Thanks, Faline," she sasid weakly.

"Faline, why don't you, uh... go see Bambi or something?" the Great Prince suggested.

Faline nodded and left.

Cassie sighed and closed her eyes. The Great Prince knew that there wasn't much hope for her. Faline had injured her greatly, he knew Faline was greatly ashamed of her deed now, but taht didn't change the fact that, now, Cassie was also deathly ill.

Faline returned to Bambi's den. "Bambi?" she called.

Bambi approached from in the den, and looked sadly at Faline. "Was Cassie alive?"

"Believe it or not," said Faline, smiling slightly, "she was."

Bambi's ears perked. "Really?"

Faline nodded. "The Great Prince is going to take care of her now."

"Think she'll survive?" Bambi wasn't as happy and perky as he was seconds before.

"I don't know," said Faline hesitantly; Bambi frowned. Faline blushed and sighed.

"Now both of my friends could die.... and one is because of you," said Bambi. "That is unforgivable."

Faline looked terrified. "You mean..."

"Yes. Go away, Faline. We're done." He walked slowly into the den. His feelings were so hurt that he looked injured and looked like he was limping.

Faline watched and stood there in silence. She at last lowered her ears, and sighed. She

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