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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Macki gave a long sigh but nodded, "Yes. Not long after my family got settled into Gummadoon. We had custom of celebrating The Day of the First Snow. Gummadoon does not celebrate it." She smiled faintly and stroked Sunni's golden hair. "But we settled our differences as I'm sure your Barbics will."

Sunni sighed deeply, exasperated. "I hope so, Macki."

Buddi paused, nervous. Then, gathering all his courage, he knocked,

"What do you want?"

"Ursa…it's me."

The door flew open and Buddi swallowed. Ursa's face was tight, frustrated. And her lips were pinched, in her expression of rage. She snagged the cub by the upper arm and pulled him into the room. She spoke, her voice cold.

"Sit. Down."

The cub sat on one of the chairs in the room but kept his eyes locked on hers. He had to face up to this, explain his reasoning. And maybe…just maybe…Ursa could offer him some advice. But he knew he had to sit through her ranting first. So the child sat still, listening.

"Buddi. Timba. Barbic. I cannot believe you! You _know_ our customs. You have no excuse of ignorance as Sunni does. You know what it means to take a girl onto the dance floor. You KNOW! How could you do that?!"

Buddi didn't answer as Ursa wasn't done.

"And with a _Glen_ of all bears!"

Ursa took a breath, and then sat on the bed across from Buddi. Her eyes were still burning but she willing to give the cub a chance to defend himself. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't mean it that way." The cub answered softly, his head bowed. "I figured since we were in Gummadoon, I should do as the Gummadoonians were doing. I thought that that custom only meant something if you were serious, if you had actually gone through the ritual beforehand."

To the cub's surprise, Ursa was leaning forward, taking in what he had to say. Grubbi musta said something to her. In any event, it helped. The child took another breath, locked eyes with Ursa. Large…frightened eyes. He knew he looked terrified. It wasn't punishment he feared. He feared himself.

"And…I thought Sunni could use some fun…she _is_ my friend. I like her."

Ursa groaned low in her throat. "I know-"

"No Ursa," the cub interrupted, suddenly bold and just bursting to get this out in the open, as common knowledge. He looked at Ursa, pushed some of his hair back, "I mean… I _like_ her."

Ursa blew up,

"Buddi Barbic, she's a Glen!" But before the adult could say anything else, Buddi burst into tears; tears of anger, frustration, confusion, fear. He jumped up,

"I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNEW you'd react this way! Don't you think I know that she's a glen? But she's stronger than you give her credit for. Ask Gritti if you don't believe me! I…I don't know Ursa! I don't know how I feel; I don't know what I should feel! I don't know much of anything anymore!" the cub collapsed back onto the chair, hiding his eyes. "I'm lost, alright? I'm scared. I've seen you don't wanna let me grow up-"

"Buddi-"her words had cooled, slightly. Buddi interrupted her.

"It isn't you…not totally. I don't WANNA grow up! If I could choose, I'd stay a cub the rest of my life. I know what waits for me when I grow up. I'm the last Barbic, I know it. Don't you think that's stressful? I know I'm our survival…I know that! And I'll be honest, Ursa. It scares me! I know everything we hold dear is on _my_ shoulders! I…Sweet Gum, I don't know if I can handle that! That's why I try to cling to childhood, that's why I like to cling to you. You're my strength Ursa! You're my rock! When I grow up, I won't have that anymore…I'll be on my own. It scares me!"

The cub fell from the chair, to his knees, in tears.

Ursa stared at him a moment, took in all he'd blurted out. She got up from the bed, knelt by the cub's side. She pulled him into her arms,

"Oh, Baby…"

"Ow!"

"Sorry, lad." Plucki wet the cloth in some more herbal water and brushed it over the cub's knees. Just to make sure he had cleaned them thoroughly. He had taken the cub to his own chambers. All the knights had first aid in their rooms, in case of training injuries. Plucki caught the cub's wince and blew on the scrapes lightly, to dull the sting. It had worked with Aldi…and it worked here.

Having finished with his knees, he saw to the young knight's elbows in the same fashion. The elbows weren't as bad but they still needed a good washing. He drenched the cloth a second time and ran it over the cuts, taking the blood off and cleansing it in one step.

The elder knight got to his feet and walked back into his bathroom. Taking out some light, soft cloth, he came back and wrapped the cub's knees and elbows, being careful on the particularly injured parts. He had some extra, which he wrapped around the cub's head. The cub still got dizzy when he stood, probably because of that loud smack against the floor. Plucki would have him lie down for a while, to ease it. Plucki was no medic but he had been a father. It had worked with Aldi.

"There," he smiled at the child who had a pack of ice still pressed against his eye. "Lie down here for a bit, lad. Just to ease your head."

Cubbi felt like a fool but he had to admit that he did wanna rest his throbbing head for a little bit. And Plucki's bed was pretty soft. And besides, he wasn't about to go dance some more. He nodded, immediately regretted it. Plucki chuckled, although kindly.

Plucki left and the cub was left alone. He laid his head down and gazed around. He'd been in Plucki's room before but never for an extended period of time. The Gummi Captain had a wide window that looked down onto the courtyard. His whole room had a color scheme, like all the other rooms in Gummadoon. Buddi's he knew had a green theme, Sunni's violet, his own had a red theme. Plucki's was yellow and navy.

The cub found it was taking more and more effort to keep his eyes open. But he spied something on the side table. A small picture…or portrait…with his throbbing head, the child could not tell. He gazed close.

It was Plucki, younger. He had a young Gummi lady by his side. She was pretty, Cubbi could not deny that. Light aqua shade, with long sea green hair, in bouncy curls to her waist. She wore a dress like Cubbi had seen Sunni in that night, except it was light blue in shade, with bluebells in her hair. She had her head resting on the knight's shoulder. Squinting, the cub could see a small cub between the two. He was light salmon in shade, a little lighter than Cubbi's own shade. His hair was darker, about Cubbi's shade, and fell in curls to his chin. He had on a knight costume, like some of those Cubbi had, except obviously modeled after Gummadoon knights. He looked almost eight and had a grip on one of Plucki's hands and one on the female Gummi's.

Cubbi was tired. He turned away from the picture, not feeling up to figuring it out. He closed his eyes and sleep came swiftly.

"Dunwyn first."

Igthorn turned, "My dear…"

"You heard me. Change of plans, attack Dunwyn first. We have a way to make Gummadoon a piece of cake to take."

Lady Bane massaged the Duke's shoulder sensually and smiled, "Trust me…handsome."

That was more than enough. Duke Igthorn waved their troops in the opposite direction. Lady Bane hung behind and inquired Zorlock,

"And what is that plan, Zorlock?"

"To take Cubbi. But the blasted cub has a strong will. We have to weaken it. And perhaps weaken Plucki's will as well. You don't know of the Gummi knight's past as I do."

"And what do you-"

"Plucki had a wife and son at one point. He lost them both to an illness called Fire Plaque. So-"

"You plan to hit the cub with this same illness."

"Yes, long enough and 'deadly' enough to weaken his will and attack Plucki's spirit. Then we can take him over…he'll welcome us into Gummadoon with open arms."

Near Past

When the mist finally cleared, Ursa was greeted on all sides by relieved Barbics. Just when Zummi was about to take the Glens away, Ursa cried,

"What do you mean, my baby's gone?"

"He probably went looking for you, Ursa."

Ursa nodded her eyes full of worry. "But…he's just four. How can he survive in these woods? He only knows a few plants and he doesn't even know which ones are poisonous. He'll die out there!"

"No he won't." Grammi stepped up and looked at Ursa with firm eyes. "We'll help you look, dear. We're only four more but that is four more directions to go in."

Ursa didn't argue. Her thoughts were on her cub and her cub alone. She turned to her Barbics, "Split up. Meet back here in an hour." The Barbics were swift to obey. Ursa turned to the Glens. She pointed out four directions before she took to the canopy herself.

"Grammi!" it was Gruffi. "We've already interfered too much."

"Gruffi Gummi! I am not leaving while that poor little cub is lost out there. Period."

That said, she turned towards her direction while Gruffi let out a low moan and went in his own.

Buddi curled into the tree's trunk, laying his head against it. He was shaking with cold. The wind had picked up again. The tree's trunk shielded him from a great deal of it. But he had a feeling…a gut instinct. The cub looked up and grabbed a hold of a low branch. He swore the branches moved to give him foot and hand holds. He scrambled up until he stood on a thick upper branch and shouted,

"Mama Ursa!"

Present

Plucki was more than relieved to retire. Blastus and Gumlittle had brought little Tavi to him. Tavi had gotten into their weapons' room again. He'd let her off easy, although with a severe warning that should she be caught in the weapons' room again, his punishment would be more stern. Tavi had acknowledged that as she knew he was being generous. If he had desired, he could have brought her before the Gummadoon council.

The knight walked into his room and sat by the small cub who still slept. He shook the cub's shoulder but the lad made no reaction. Plucki chuckled and scooped the small cub up into his arms. The cub really must have been exhausted. He made no response to being handled. His eye was still black but it had not swelled anymore. Apparently, it didn't hurt anymore as the cub had taken the ice off.

Plucki walked out and down a door and opened the door to the young knight's room. He slept on, not a movement stirring. Plucki laid the cub down, covered him up, memories of his son burning in his mind. But he shook his head and walked out. But as he started to leave, he heard his son's voice again,

"Be there, Papa. Be there."

"Now, Zorlock."

Cubbi turned in his sleep, an odd feeling overcoming him. It was cold. He drew up as many of the covers as he could. But he noted that the more he covered up, the colder he got. His head was throbbing, he was dizzy. He had sat up once but had been so dizzy and nauseous that he collapsed almost immediately. The cub couldn't see the bright red patches that broke out on his skin. His eyes were glassy but the cub didn't know that. All Cubbi knew was that his throat hurt, he was dizzy and he had never been so cold in his life. Yet his temperature was probably a good four degrees over normal. The cub dug his hands into the sheets and tried to sleep, in hopes that whatever this feeling was, it would pass with the night.

If anything, it worsened and by morning the cub was too weak to rise.

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