Chapter Four: Deeper and Darker

            Tavi clutched Sir Blastus tightly and cried into his shoulder. For all her boasted maturity and toughness, she was still very much a cub and a frightened one at that. Cubbi was her best friend. The knight held her tightly and tried to calm her down but to no avail.

            Blastus thought that the two had what they called 'puppy love' going on. It was just that stage before love. Where a gummi's best friend became more like a brother or sister in the trust department. But there no true 'feeling' beyond friendship yet.

            Blastus stole a glance at his leader.

            Plucki shifted his youngest knight's weight, so his head was supported against the older gummi's arm. He made no reply, not even a sigh. Plucki found a wave of guilt was rising in his gut. He knew Tavi was right. He shouldn't have been so stern. He hadn't even listened to Cubbi's story. Granted, if one of hoist older knights had released Celina, they would have been reprimanded, but plucky would have allowed them to explain themselves. Because Cubbi was a cub he'd ignored the child's attempts to explain. He had deliberately treated him differently because of his age even though he had proven he was worthy of his knight status.

            Plucki could have kicked himself.

            Gumlittle and Blastus were well aware of Plucki's feelings. They felt very similar. Truthfully, they had never really given Sir Cubbi a chance when it came to explanation. When he had freed Cavin, he had not been given much of a chance to explain. Yet when a battle came, they didn't question his ability. They merely assumed he was guilty when trouble arouse because he was child.

            They were not being fair.

            Plucki glanced down at Cubbi. The boy had been still when they'd gotten to him. No movement, absolutely none….

Flashback

            "Cubbi!"

            The three knights were jerked from their trance by Tavi's hysterical shout. They jerked their heads from where Emi had once been and ran towards the female cub.

            "Cubbi! Wake up!"

            Tears were threatening to spill down the girl's cheeks. She shook Cubbi hard. She got no reply. She growled and hissed,

            "Cubbi Gummi! Wake up or I'll never talk to you again!"

            Hands gently pried her away. It was Sir Blastus. The gummi said to her in his French accent,

            "Non, ma amie."

            Tavi turned to Cubbi as Plucki and Gumlittle approached. Blastus kept her back and kept his hands on her shoulder, supportably.

            'Sir Cubbi!"

            Plucki's heart felt heavy in his chest. Granted, he had been born after Emi was trapped but the events of her were still quite plain while he was growing up. Whenever a child mentioned her name, the entire room fell silent a moment before an adult would snap,

            "Never say that name!"

            Plucki remembered once when he'd been a mere six year old, foolish. Blastus and Gumlittle were his playmates and they were always getting into mischief. He had asked about her and had been told to hush. Blastus and Gumlittle had joined in. The 'grandmother' of the city, Leilani had raised her voice for the first time and last time in her life. That had stunned them so that they never asked again but found out form the ancients who she was. One, an elder female named Anni, always burst out crying whenever she was mentioned. One day Plucki had asked her why. She had replied,

            "Emi…was my niece. And she killed my only daughter, Naomi."

Present

            Plucki glanced down at the boy in his arms again. He had picked the boy up and started back towards the Glen. Perhaps they would take the boy to Gummadoon, he would be better protected there.

            Cubbi didn't say anything didn't move, but Plucki felt the boy's fur turn clammy and cold under his hands.

            He was scared.

            Plucki didn't blame him in the least, he didn't underestimate Emi. She was cold, ruthless. He just prayed that his youngest knight would survive.

            Cubbi felt alone and cold. He didn't know where he was, whether he was alive or dead. All he knew was that he was surrounded by terrible images, images that made him long to cry only to discover he had no tears, images that made him want to scream only to realize he had no voice and that he longed for anyone to comfort him.

            Emi hadn't killed him. A death by power was much too fast. She wanted her victims to suffer. As Cubbi lay there, trapped in a prison of his own mind, he realized what her plan was. She wanted to scare him to death.

            So she copied her memories and flung them into the child's mind.

            That was why he collapsed; over nine centuries of memories were suddenly forced into a mind used to eight years. Cubbi was petrified. The memories were like seeing a book played out, with Cubbi as the observer but still, they were so…cold.

            But the young knight realized that if he could remain calm he could very well earn a huge advantage if he had all her memories. Fear circulating through his blood, he let his thoughts seep deep into the well of dark and cold memories….