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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"What goes, lad? One minute you're dancing and the next, full of bruises and scrapes." Plucki put on a grin as he helped Cubbi up.

"N-nuthin."

"It doesn't look like nothing. It also doesn't look like you merely fell."

"C'mon, Plucki. Leave it. Just this once?"

"All right... But you should know that it is a crime in Gummadoon to strike a knight."

"No!"

"Come, lad. Please tell me." Plucki knelt by the cub, eyes filled with concern. Even if Cubbi couldn't see, he could hear it. Couldn't he?

The cub had been through so much, and just when he thought things were getting better, THIS embarrassment happens! His throat squeezed shut. It was hard but he really wanted to say, despite what he told the knight. "He... He didn't mean to hit me. I _know_ it!"

"Hm. I've a feeling I know who. Those Barbics have been starting things all evening, what with chewing out Sunni for no reason at all, in front of everyone!" Plucki's eyes narrowed.

"No! You don't understand! Please, Plucki, don't do anything. Sunni tol' me Buddi is... Well, as a Barbic grows up, they kinda... change."

Plucki chuckled. "Everyone goes through that."

"No. I mean, he didn't mean to hit me. He's... going through a lot of stress. He mighta lashed out because... because it's hard for Gummadoon gummies to understand Barbics. Someone else... some others started it. See?"

That paused the knight's building anger. Misunderstandings, eh? And he thought his people were beyond that. Still, he wasn't going to discount the probability that the brunt of blame fell on the Barbic's rude mannerisms. "I'll heed your advice, young knight, unless I see other evidence against it. Now, let's get you cleaned up. Looks like he popped you quite a good one."

"Yeah." Cubbi regretted it but managed a shaky smile. "Barbic tempers aren't the only thing that grows with age."

"Ursa, I understand but this is a bit extreme."

"No, Gritti. I'm not staying here another minute with these ethnocentric gummies! They call themselves civilized but they won't listen to _our_ rules!"

"It's _their_ home we've been invited to!" Grubbi interrupted, watching her dash around to pick up her few belongings in the room. She'd already thrown down the dress. Nearly ripped it to shreds taking the thing off.

She whirled on the healer. "Yes. I know! And what about Buddi? HE knows our customs. How could he DO that??! Dancing with that... that... Glen girl!"

Gritti threw his hands into the air, growling loudly. "I can't believe you'd leave in the middle of a battle that needs to be well-thought-out and not even consider the consequences! Grubbi, YOU deal with her!" The big Barbic stormed out, leaving a fuming Ursa and a sighing Grubbi.

"Ursa?"

"WHAT??"

"Stop shouting. I know what's bothering you."

"Nothing. I'm going to take my cub and get out of here before they corrupt us all. Did you _hear_ the way Gritti spoke to me??"

"Ursa! Stop it! Everybody saw your face turn red when you were asked to dance with Gritti. The interrupted haiana wasn't just about letting Buddi go, which you're failing at. There's something else you have to come to grips with and I'm afraid I can't help you at all with that problem."

He pushed off from his recline against the wall and left the room.

Gritti went storming down the halls, adding to the further growing reputation of Barbic attitude, when he came across the sound of crying. He would have passed without a second thought, but he knew who was crying.

He peeked into the room, saw Sunni in that beautiful dress crying her eyes out, and was oddly touched. He didn't hate Glens. He looked down on them a bit, sure, but nobody deserved to be miserable.

"Hey..." he started, wandering in slowly.

"What!" Sunni yelled fiercely. "Come to yell at me some more? Think crying is weak when yer feelings have been crushed? Huh??"

"Hey, I didn't do any yellin'. And Ursa had every right to yell at seeing you and Buddi dancing. But she shoulda been yellin' at him. HE knows what it means to us to dance with a girl."

"Get out! I hate you! Just leave me alone! All you adult Barbics are alike! Get OUT!!"

The words escaped her mouth before she could think, the voices in her head causing her knowledge of right and wrong to swerve slightly. Did she really want to say that? Or...

Didn't matter. Gritti left her like that, anger in her eyes and nostrils flaring with rage. Looked a bit like Ursa.

Far Past

Malachi followed Randi to Kuriani's side but she wasn't conscious.

"Sissy... I'm so sorry. You were right. You were..." her little brother sobbed quietly, tears splattering on her fur. To Randi, he asked for pity and forgiveness with his eyes. "She'll be fine. The cubs will be fine. I've seen them. If what Zummi says is true, I haven't changed anything. I can't. I can't change the past. Only myself, now."

Malachi rose, Randi with him in case the Barbic tried anything. He didn't he walked purposefully over to Grammi, Zummi, Gruffi, and Tummi. "Please, take me back home, to whence I came. I need to talk to my sister."

The Glens exchanged looks, and then went in search of Ursa.

In order to drop Malachi, Nevi, and Pittori off in their own time, Zummi had to analyze the stars for a bit but he came to a pretty good estimation.

Ursa was reluctant to leave, but wanted to get back to her cub. With the words of a spell, the eight gummies disappeared.

Reappearing outside a much greener and built-up Barbic establishment, the three pre-Barbics said their goodbyes, their apologies, and hung their heads for the march home.

"So? What are you waiting for, Zummi?" Ursa said. "Say the spell again to take me back to my own time."

"Oh, oh... Of course, Ursa." Flustered, it took a second to remember where he put the spell.

Amid his patting down, three pre-Barbic faces peered out of the bushes. They whispered amongst themselves.

"A wizard!"

"He's jumping he and his companions through time? But that--"

"No. Not impossible, Nevi. A miracle. We can act now and force him to take us back to... to before!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Deadly serious, Nevi."

"I'm with Malachi. Are you or not, Nev?"

Ursa's ears caught the snap of twig a second too late as the three launched themselves from the bushes.

"Zummi! No, wait!!"

Ursa's warning came too late, as the last words of the spell came out, eight, again, were transported forward in time.

Near Past

Little Buddi was all but blubbering his mama's name as the woods closed in around him. All creeping, crawling, slithering, flapping, barking, biting, yowling, hooting, screeching sounds made his heart race and tears seep out through his eyes. The trees! The trees were the only safe place.

The little cub tried climbing several of them but they were all too tall! The wind kicked up and made a low howling sound through the forest that frightened him into running farther. He found himself suddenly in a clearing, where a lone tree stood. The moonlight cast from above centered on that one tree, Buddi was mesmerized by the sight. His tears calmed, he stepped forward without fear. The wind was all but dead now, so the sounds he heard from the silence must be coming from the tree. Trees could talk? His head tilted slightly, to try and hear better. He put his ear right on the trunk and listened.

"Hush... shh... ssshhhh.... " it seemed to say. A tree limb ever so slowly creaked down a foot to touch his shoulder. "Hssshhhhh....."

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