Clumsy
Gummi Bears are not mine. They belong to Disney. However this plot and any new characters I claim. I hope you enjoy this little three-parter. Please send feedback!
Part 2
* * *
The rays of bright sunlight pierced Buddi's eyes and he rubbed them before turning over and drifting back to sleep. He was tired and exhausted. But it had been because he had been up half the night wondering if he should tell Ursa about this curse. He knew that he really should but he chickened out whenever he considered approaching her with such information.
It was only when Buddi heard the sound of dishes being rattled and chattering voices that he sat up and looked outside.
"Oh Gum! I overslept!"
In half to time it took to usually get ready, the cub threw on a tunic and raced down the stairs only to bump into Ursa on the way down. The two wound up in a twisted mangle on the floor. Ursa looked at the cub with contempt.
"Buddi! It's about time!"
The cub looked at her with embarrassed and pleading eyes.
"Sorry."
Ursa rolled her eyes. "Did you sleep in today?"
The cub swallowed and said cautiously, "Am I in trouble if I did?"
"That's a yes then."
She got to her feet and pulled Buddi up, and said harshly,
"You know better. For that, you can wait until lunch to eat. You sleep in and you miss things. You know what time you're supposed to get up!"
"I'm sorry."
Ursa rolled her eyes, "Don't bother with apologies. Instead, I want you up an extra hour early tomorrow."
"Ursa!"
A raised eyebrow ended his protests.
"Go and meet Gritty for training."
"You usually train me."
"I know," she replied, "But, Gritty and Ryo are right from what they told me last night after you went to sleep.'"
"Which was?"
"You need variety. Not all enemies act the same."
"But Ursa-"
"Just go."
"I have enough trouble as it is!"
"Then perhaps this new tactic will toughen you up!"
Buddi sighed and walked off, calling, "where is Gritty?"
"The sparing room."
Buddi winced. He hated sparing with a passion. Although Ursa always restricted her strength he always walked away with several bruises and aching muscles. Gritty was even stronger than Ursa and he was not used to training him. That alone scared him.
"Go Buddi."
The cub sighed but ran off as she said.
* * *
Buddi ducked and jerked his arms up in a defense position to keep Gritty's blows from hitting him. The adult was fast but Buddi was agile. Still Buddi was struggling. He had to fight to even stay on his feet and not get clobbered. Normally it would have been simple to avoid being hurt but today he was stumbling, tripping.
"Buddi, stop just blocking and fight back."
"Me? You're twice my size. My punches'll be flies to you!"
Gritty swung his fist and Buddi dropped so that he wouldn't get hit. But as he fell, he focused on the ground for a brief moment. Gritty smacked the cub in his forehead, sending him flying onto his back.
Buddi fought tears at the pain that shot through his head. He didn't even bother to get up. Instead he rubbed his forehead trying to dull the ache. He felt someone kneel down and help him sit up.
Buddi growled at Gritty, "Did ya have to hit so hard?"
Gritty spoke simply, "I was easy. But I had to make a point."
"And what very painful point was that?"
Gritty shook his head as he gestured the cub could leave,
"Never lower your eyes to an enemy."
* * *
Buddi sat in the secret passage just looking over some of the things he kept here. Most of them were just useless things, books, including a few other instruments. Buddi could play more than the flute although the flute was his favorite. He had limited skills with the lyre and a small horn as well.
Buddi also had a few small drums; each one could fit in each palm of his hand. He'd gotten them last year on the morning after the Night of the Burning Stars, for one of his many gifts. He loved it. It was made from different types of wood and some of them provided different tones. They had different carving on them, each possessing a different meaning.
Buddi pushed them aside and just gazed through the small cracks in the wall. He could hear the adults here but they couldn't hear him. He liked to do this often when the adults thought he was asleep but one time Ursa had caught him and punished him with a lecture about obeying her rules and why he needed more sleep than they did. Also she'd taken away his snacks for a week. He hated it when she did that.
The cub listened and heard scratches of Ursa and Gritty's voices
"How did it go?"
"The cub can't focus Ursa."
"Gritty, he never does completely."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm not sure. I really don't want to be forced to…"
Gritty nodded, "I know Ursa, but it seems to me that the immense focus training may be the only way."
Buddi swallowed hard. He didn't want to think about what that was.
Ursa nodded. "I know but Buddi has trouble sitting still for anything. You know the first step of that training is being focused and still for hours on end."
Gritty nodded.
Buddi got up to leave, but as he walked off, he slipped and fell through a hidden trapdoor. Pain shot through his arms as jarred bits of rock sliced them open. Dirt fell from the ancient walls and covered him, getting into the cuts, making them sting.
Buddi landed in the hall outside the kitchen. He looked up and saw the trapdoor was in the ceiling. He started to get up and got a good look at his torn arms. He winced as he saw the deep gashes and decided to use the cold water in the kitchen to wash them off.
The cub had only been washing them for a good five minutes when he heard Ursa.
"Buddi!"
He turned and saw her by the doorway, her mouth hung open. He swallowed,
"I just fell down a passageway-"
"Buddi, come here." Buddi obeyed and Ursa took his hand saying,
"I'm glad you tried to handle this yourself Buddi but those cuts need medical attention. They're too deep." She pressed around one and saw Buddi wince. "And they hurt."
She pulled Buddi by his hand as his arms had long, perhaps foot long cuts down their sides. As she walked up the stairs she called,
"Grubbi? Are you in sick bay?"
"Yes."
Ursa pulled Buddi along behind her and walked into the room to find Grubbi studying some books. She called,
"Here's a little patient for you."
Grubbi turned and said,
"Well, well, well, did you have a fight with glass, Buddi?"
Buddi pouted, "Not funny."
Grubbi scooped the cub up and sat him on his table and turned around. He found the fruit he was looking for swiftly.
Buddi watched, nervous. He knew that fruit. It worked but it stung like fire. Ursa did not miss his worried look. She sighed deeply.
"Buddi, just hold still, you aren't going to make me chase after you are you?"
Buddi glared at her, "Ursa, I haven't done that since I was eight."
Ursa chuckled, "three years. Buddi, you have to realize, three years is not that long."
Buddi looked at Grubbi, who walked over, bowl in hand. Buddi just held his arms out and Grubbi chuckled. He held the fruit over the first wound and gently squeezed the juice out into the gorges.
Buddi let out a yelp of pain. Grubbi smiled. He gestured to Ursa who held the cub's arm still as Grubbi applied the medication to all the cub's cuts. Buddi couldn't help but cry. It burned like a fire in his arms.
Grubbi brought over some bandages. Wrapping the cub's arms swiftly, he said, "That should do it. Just be more careful Buddi."
The cub nodded and ran out swiftly.
* * *
Buddi wandered off, looking for Gritty. He wasn't about to tell Ursa about the curse but he decided he needed to tell somebody. Gritty seemed the best choice to Buddi. That Barbic rarely ever lost his temper and Buddi had never been the victim of it. The victim of scoldings yes but never a lost temper.
Buddi decided to check the older Barbic's room first. Gritty was known to go back to his room after training to stretch or just relax. When Buddi last checked he'd been near the end of his training for the day.
Buddi found the adult's room empty but decided to wait. He was welcome in any of the adults' room although some he simply avoided. He liked to loaf in Gritty, Grubbi or Ursa's rooms though.
Buddi winced. Definitely not Grubbi's today. Trying to make amends the cub had attempted to help with lunch's dishes. He'd broken ten of them. Grubbi had snapped at him, although not very harshly and told him to go and do something else.
Buddi sat on Gritty's bed and glanced around the room. He saw that like most of the other adults, Gritty kept some weapons hanging on the wall, mostly for decoration. But Gritty's prized treasure was an ancient sword that he had managed to save from Barbic Woods. Buddi suspected that he'd had it as a backup sword in the worst of circumstances.
Buddi looked it over. The hilt had been carved from the wood of their forest and then coated with steel. The blade was very old and corroded. It looked pretty fragile to Buddi. Ursa had told him numerous times that it was pretty important to Gritty, because it had been Gritty's great-grandfather's and that he was not to touch it.
Buddi made every attempt to avoid it. He was actually about to leave when he heard Gritty's familiar footsteps. He leapt up, anxious to greet the adult and maybe get some help with this 'clumsy' dilemma.
But then his clumsiness struck again. He caught his foot on the frame of the bed and went tumbling head over heels in a kind of somersault. He slammed into the wall and then yelped as he dove to catch the ancient sword before it fell, knowing for a fact that he was no where near strong enough to lift it and that it would most likely slice his hand open if he were to touch it.
But that unfortunately was not as issue as the fragile blade slammed into the hard stone floor and shattered on contact. Buddi got to his knees and jerked his head around as the door opened and gritty walked in.
For a brief moment, Gritty said nothing, just stared at Buddi and the remaining fragments of the forgotten sword, which oddly enough he still found some strength and power in. Barbics were very proud of their heritage and rare weapons such as that one carried great weight.
Gritty finally spoke and his voice was cold, angry. It was the first time Buddi had heard anger from the black Barbic, directed at him.
"Buddi. Barbic. Get. Out. Now."
Buddi stumbled to his feet and said, "it..it was an accident…"
"An accident? How can you accidentally knock down a sword and shatter it?"
"The blade is…was…fragile."
"Fragile? Is that all you can say, cub?"
Buddi swallowed, Gritty never called him cub. Buddi backed up and when he saw the anger in Gritty's eye, the cub took no chances. He ran.
Gritty took off after him, for once in a rage and unable to control his temper.
"UUUURRRRSSSSAAAA!!!"
The Barbic leader turned as someone called her name. It was Buddi, running as if a whole army of humans were after him. He saw her, ran behind her and grasped her around the waist, pleading,
"Save me!"
Ursa rolled her eyes, "Buddi Barbic, what did you do?"
"I…I…it was an accident."
"Buddi, you know for a fact that is never a good way to win my favor."
"But it's true. I didn't mean to break the stupid sword…"
"What sword?"
"Gr…Gritty's old sword on the wall…"
"You WHAT?"
Buddi looked up at her, knowing if she turned against him he was toast. He started to speak as fast as he could, knowing Gritty was closing in on him.
"It was an accident! Honest it was! I was waiting for Gritty cause I wanted to talk to him. I heard him coming so I got up but I tripped and slammed into the wall. The sword fell off the wall. I tried to catch it. I did! I did! I didn't mean to break it Ursa!"
"Whoa, Buddi, slow down!" she looked at the cub with concern, "if it was an accident why are you coming pleading to me?"
"Gritty's gonna kill me!"
"Buddi, don't be-"
"BUDDI!"
Ursa jerked her head up as her best friend stormed through the doorway. Ursa had never seen him lose his temper but it was definitely lost here. Buddi tightened his grip on her waist and started to tremble. Ursa turned to gritty.
"Gritty, calm down!"
"Calm down? Ursa, that sword was part of my heritage. You know what we Barbics think of that."
Ursa nodded, "yes I do know. However, I also know what we are not supposed to support. Acting towards one of our own in a fit of anger. You've lost your temper Gritty. I will send Buddi to talk to you but not now. Go cool off."
"Ursa," he was practically livid. "Where's the cub?"
"Gritty Barbic, I said go cool off! That's an order!"
Gritty stormed off and Ursa turned to the cub clutching her waist. His hands were sweaty and he was shaking. She rubbed his hair.
"Buddi,"
The cub opened his eyes, looked up at her and said,
"I love you."
Ursa rolled her eyes, "Buddi, I will be sending you to talk to him but not while he's that angry. Understood?"
Buddi nodded. Ursa smiled and said, "Good boy. Now, come with me, I want you to tell me exactly what happened…
* * *
"…And that's how it broke."
Gritty sat listening and nodded. He was much calmer although still upset. However, he was relieved he had listened to Ursa and cooled off or he may very well have hurt Buddi in a way that he later would have never forgiven himself for.
Gritty took a breath, "Okay Buddi, I believe that you didn't do it on purpose-"
'Thank you."
"-But," he went on. "The fact remains that the sword's broken. I can't repair that sword and I can't replace it either. It was an heirloom."
Buddi lowered his eyes, "are you trying to make me feel guilty? If you are, it's working."
"No, I'm not. I know you didn't mean it and that's why I'm not gonna punish you."
Buddi looked up, Gritty stated, "I just want you to stay away from my things from now on."
Buddi nodded, deeply hurt. Gritty had always let him fetch his weapons or trinkets. But he had more sense than to protest and rose without a word and walked out.
Buddi felt terrible. It had been an accident but he still felt terrible. He wandered through the halls and stopped by the weapons' room. He knew he was only allowed in there if an adult was with him but he just wanted to gaze by the window.
The cub wandered in, feeling very much alone. He spied the window and an empty rank under it. The temptation was too great, even with the luck the cub had been having. He raced towards it and scrambled up the side, until he was sitting on the top.
The cub sat still, just watching the outside. However, the cub suddenly was aware that he was falling backward. He turned and saw the rack was falling. He leapt off but that only succeeded in knocking down the rack with more force.
Buddi hit the ground hard and was suddenly aware of a horrid crash. He yelped.
The rack had caught another rack which in turn knocked down yet another and so forth. Buddi was stunned, too stunned to move. Before the cub knew it, every rack in the room was lying on the ground.
"Oh Gum, why me? I am cursed!"
The small cub tried in vain to fix some of the room but his strength could not even budge most of the weapons. He was staring, not sure what to do when he heard a familiar tapping. The cub turned reluctantly to find Ursa standing in the doorway, her face a mask of anger.
Ursa tapped her fingers on her arm and one of her feet against the floor. Her anger was blinding her. She was not angry only because of the mask but because Buddi knew he was not allowed in the weapons' room alone.
"Young man, come here."
Buddi reluctantly obeyed and Ursa snatched his bandaged arm and began to drag him down towards his room, "Buddi, I have to handle possible attacks and you knock down all our weapons?"
"I…"
"You aren't even supposed to be in there!"
"But Ursa, I was just-'
He froze for one specific reason.
Ursa was taking off her belt.
"Ursa! No! Please no! Not the belt!"
She made no response except,
"You deserve it. I've told you over and over!"
Buddi just started to say, "I am cursed, I am cursed, I am cursed."