Growing Up

The Barbics, Glens and any other Disney characters are copyrighted to Disney and we claim no ownership. However, any new characters are copyrighted to Ulisa, Silver Fox and Cheetah the Furry. This plot is a collaboration of Ulisa, Silver Fox, and Cheetah the Furry.

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Present

Buddi struggled to get away from Sunni, no longer feeling anything but her crushing embrace and lip-lock. He had to kick her to get her to let go! Gasping for breath, he backed away. "S-sunni? Wha.. What's the matter ... with you??"

"Nothing, sweetie." She turned tail and dashed into her tent.

Buddi hit the ground, harder than it felt. Anything to jar him back to reality. This wasn't a dream. The ground was too wet, the confusion too intense, and Sunni. Gum, she looked too beautiful...

The young Barbic shook his head. "Snap out of it, Buddi!" Though he did wonder if Glens went through any emotional leaps like Barbics did...

"What are you doing up?" Sir Ramsei said, startling the cub to a stand.

"N-nothing!" He ran back to Ursa's tent, flipped open the flap, and ducked inside.

And stopped. He blinked, not sure what he felt at the sight of Ursa holding Gritti, and he holding HER back! She... she musta thought Gritti was him in his absence and... Well, it _could_ happen!

A bit uncomfortable, Buddi climbed in on the other side of Ursa, facing away from them. The last thing he wanted to see when he woke up was Gritti's face! A sudden spurt of anger rose up but he clamped it down. Why anger? He looked up to Gritti. Even if the Barbic looked to be stealing his Ursa! Not able to contain all of his fuming, Buddi didn't calm into sleep again for some time.

Far Past

Gruffi huffed at the pair as they wandered off, chatting like a pair of hens. "Just what we need. Another attempt to confound the past."

"Oh, Gruffi, hush up. They'll never see another opportunity like this. And besides, she's gotta get a feel for her descendant. She's gotta know who's tellin' the full truth here." Grammi indicated the loose ring of guards around the three future Barbics. Pittori and Nevi weren't in the group of guards.

"So..." Kuriani started, "Are all Barbic leaders female?"

Ursa chuckled. "No." She regarded her ancestress in open fascination.

"You can tell me where this came from, can't you." She pointed to her helmet. "We've only a few stories about it. Mother said it was a prize from some battle, and a sign of a great warrior."

Kuriani's face fell. "It was no prize." Gritting her teeth against the still-fresh pain, it didn't help to have the Glens' reminder of her part in the fall of Gummeria, nor of the losses they'd all suffered.

Ursa could clearly see the hurt in the full expression of Kuriani's tense body. "I'm sorry..."

"..It's okay. We're tough. By the looks of you, Barbics are what I'd hoped they'd be. Never to fall at the hands of treacherous humans ever again."

Ursa stared at her. "What did you say?"

"You. We're just learning here. Barbic is being defined and redefined as we make our way in the forest. I can see by your skills earlier that the trees'll be just fine. We'll be out of harm's way, and by your strength, I see there's fine bloodlines in this group. We've survived. I'm proud to be your ancestress."

"...Thank you, koy-asco-ny-fycan." Ursa bit her tongue, at odds with herself. Should she say anything about the attacks in these very woods in who knows how many centuries? The temptation was great. And what was wrong with trying to warn Kuriani? The future Barbics would be spared horrible deaths. Maybe another female would be alive when she returned as a result, and there'd be more cubs. Cubs _she_ could not give her clan... A lump in her throat at what nature denied her; Ursa cast her eyes to the ground. She couldn't let such feelings linger, nor pass up the chance.

"Kuriani,"

"Sissy!" A five year old Malachi came running to his sister, arms out and tears in his eyes.

Ursa stared, again, for she recognized the fur of the cub. On an older version. The one who tried to steal her Buddi away!

But the cub was aimed solely at Kuriani, who scooped up the sobbing child.

"I dreamed that you went away! Went away like Sachi! Don't leave me!" he wailed, putting a chokehold on the past Barbic leader.

"Malachi, I'm fine! I'm not going anywhere. Tan'cha."

So this was him as a cub... Ursa wondered, if he were so much like Buddi-- for she'd seen him this clingy before-- what had happened to reduce a Barbic cub to hysteria, and what had changed this cub from now to the ruthless one who'd tried to take Buddi from her?

Present

Sunni crept closer to Grubbi, feeling very mischievous. The voices in her head said it wouldn't hurt the ole' Barbic anyway, so she sprinkled a root they'd told her to nab into his canteen. She barely held her chuckles. Stupid doter. SHE didn't need him as a mother hen.

The Glen girl lay back down, chuckling and fitfully trying to find sleep but she kept thinking about tomorrow and the FUN she'd have then!

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