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

"Milady…"

Sunni jerked her head up. Sir Plucki was looking at her. She bowed her head. Plucki lifted her head, gently, saying,

"I know you worry for Sir Cubbi, Sunni. As do I. We'll do all we can. I promise you that."

Sunni nodded, firmly, saying, "I know…but-"

Plucki nodded, understanding. The girl seemed to recover her wits and asked,

"Sarrika…what's she look like?"

Sir Plucki was glad for the change of subject. He did not like being reminded of how serious this illness was. He had lived through its intensity…his family had not. If Cubbi succumbed….no! That was NOT an option. Cubbi…he was a little younger than Aldi had been. Plucki had lost his son to this sickness. He would _not_ lose his youngest knight, his friend. Aldi had been robbed of his future but the Gummi Captain would not allow history to repeat itself. Cubbi would live! Cubbi would grow, mature, get married, have children…he would live! He would!

"Sarrika is our best healer. She's an authority figure in the kitchen. A little shorter than me, I believe." The knight continued. "Snow white fur, dark violet hair. Chances are you'll find her in an apron making something. She's about…oh…Grammi's age, if I remember right."

Sunni gave a firm nod and headed off, down the stairs. Plucki watched her run off and then turned to the small cub he sat by. The young child moaned, turning over under the covers. He pulled the quilts up as tight as he could, trembling like a leaf, teeth chattering.

"Shh," the captain laid a hand on the child's forehead. Shook his head…the cub was so _hot_! How could he feel so cold when he was burning up? Cubbi turned over, so he was facing Plucki, had his eyes been open. The Gummi knight stroked the child's face, pushed some loose hairs back from his sweat drenched forehead. Unable to stand it, he rose and went into the cub's private bath chambers.

Drenching the cloth in cold water, the Gummi captain came back and started to gently wipe the cub's face. Cubbi trembled a little more but Plucki knew that no matter how cold Cubbi was, he simply _had_ to bring that fever down!

"Stay with me, lad." He said softly, folding the cloth and laying it on the child's forehead. "Stay with me."

"Ecri! Are you coming?"

The knight jogged to catch up with his brother. The others had pulled ahead but Ecri had somehow fallen behind. As he always did, Yaci stopped and waited. Ecri caught up to his twin quickly. Yaci chuckled and said.

"Do I gotta carry you…little brother?"

Ecri growled, "Don't call me that! You're just older by five minutes, Yaci."

Yaci smiled faintly. "I sometimes wonder if that's five minutes or five years, Ecri!"

Ecri narrowed his eyes and pushed by his brother, in a huff. He'd never forget that. Yaci had told him and their parents…so long ago…that he wanted to be a knight. So he went to train under one of the lower knights (then anyway) Sir Gumlittle. Not about to be parted from his twin, Ecri decided to do the same thing except he was not allowed to train with the same mentor so he was appointed to Sir Blastus.

That was a long time ago. He still remembered distinctly that in his first major battle, one of the pre-war battles with the humans…he'd fallen, been hurt. Yaci had had to both hold off their enemy until they got help and protect him. Since then, he'd always been extremely sensitive when it came to dependence. Probably one reason that he looked down on children a bit…they were dependent.

Yaci was coming up behind him. He could hear remorse in his sibling's voice, "Ecri…I didn't--"

"Shut up, Yaci. Just….shut up."

Near Past

Gruffi kept an eye on the Barbic in front of him. She was female, tall but not much taller than he was. Apparently, this was unusual for a Barbic. She had long light blond hair, so blond it was nearly white. She wore a dark violet tunic, with lighter violet slacks. She had on black knee high boots, which was something else not a lot of Barbics had.

This Barbic had been kind enough to give them a bite to eat; nothing big or particularly filling but it was more than they had been given. Now, she stood watching them and then directed her gaze overhead. She bit her lip a moment, considering her options. Finally, she growled,

"Come with me."

"Why?" Gruffi asked, immediately on guard. "You haven't given us any reason to trust you."

The Barbic narrowed her eyes, "Nor have you. But I'm not going to leave you out in the rain. If you want to be here when the storm hits, that's your affair. But I'm offering your sanctuary from it."

"In the trees?"

"Barbic wood has no attraction to lightning." She started up, "coming or not?"

Grammi nodded and pulled Zummi along behind her. Gruffi sighed but followed. Tummi shoved the rest of the fruit into his mouth before trotting after them.

"Sister!"

The Glens, even Gruffi, were ready to collapse by the time this Barbic led them to a hut. Gruffi and the others sat down and started to breathe deeply. But Grammi looked up, to see where she was.

"Hello Mindi."

"Can you mind these visitors? I know that-"

"Of course. It isn't a problem. Warrio isn't letting me do anything. I'm surprised he left me to go and see about these humans. Let me guess…that's where you're going? To catch up with your mate?"

"Chi." She smiled, "If I see my brother, I'll tell him to lay off of you."

"Bigato."

Mindi smiled and said, "How is my little niece or nephew, Una?"

Una smiled and sat down heavily. Unbuttoning a bit of her shirt, she let her sister-in-law feel. Smiling, she said,

"Anxious. She or he doesn't wanna hold still."

Mindi laughed and laid her cheek on her sister's belly. She felt a kick and chuckled,

"Come on out, little one. I'm anxious to see you."

Mindi got up and ran out. Una rebuttoned her shirt and turned to her _guests_. True, they were strangers but Una believed them. She could see in their eyes that they were not a threat, even in her condition. If they were to attack her, even as she was, that would not be a problem. She felt that if they were lost, which she believed by their exhaustion and fear, then she owed them something. That did not require letting her guard down but she could afford to be kind. Besides, she was giddy. Every time she felt a contraction, she wished for more.

She turned to her guests and said, "Sit down."

Too tired to argue, everyone, even Gruffi, flopped down in a chair. Una sat down herself but before she could say a thing, she heard,

"Auntie 'na!"

Una leapt up faster than a bear of her condition should have been able. She ran and knelt, scooping a cub up. She scolded,

"Gritti! How did you get here?"

"Walked."

"Your father is probably having a heart attack. Especially after…your mother."

"Mama'll come home."

Una groaned out loud and shook her head. But she sighed and said, "I'm surprised your father even talks to his best friend anymore" she said, rolling her eyes in reference to her best friend's quick temper. Setting the cub down, she walked outside,

"URNRI!"

Present

"Sir Plucki!"

The knight turned and sighed in relief as Sunni ran in, followed by Sarrika. She swiftly shooed Sunni out and ran to the small knight's bedside. She winced,

"Fire Plaque, eh?" she gently helped the cub sit up. Cubbi turned, tried to lay back down. Sarrika smiled a motherly grin, "Sorry, little one. Let me see and then you can rest." Cubbi was only half conscious so he made a low grunt in reply. Sarrika took the cub's pulse, found it a bit fast. Prying one of the child's eyelids up, she moved her finger by his eye but the glassy pupil did not follow. She released the child and felt his forehead with the back of wrist. She nodded and got up, ran into the bathroom. Plucki heard water being poured in soon after. Sunni came back in and handed her some more water.

Sunni came out and ran into the hall. This time, she came back with small leather pouches and a container of ice. She spoke to Plucki.

"Sarrika says to fill these with ice. Said she'll put them around Cubbi to help fight the fever when she isn't here. Cold packs."

Plucki nodded as Sarrika came in, briefly. She was still pouring water. To the Gummi Captain, she said,

"I'm gonna try an ice bath. He's just half aware, Plucki. Get his clothes off and then carry him here."

Plucki swallowed, hard, and turned to Sunni. The girl was already filling the sacks. He turned to the shaking cub. Taking a breath, he set about the task.

Hardly a trivial matter. Although not fully aware, the cub still protested with, "Cold…s-s-so…c-c-c-cold!"

It broke the knight's heart to see such pain but in a way, it was good he was only half aware. Had he been fully awake, he would have died of embarrassment, Plucki knew it. That was just the way Cubbi was. He was always trying to impress him. Such a 'degrading' experience would have killed his pride.

Getting the clothes off was not physically that hard as Plucki was much stronger than Cubbi, even usually so when Cubbi was sick, it was easy. It was the cub's emotional cries that were so hard. He kept screaming,

"It's cold! It's cold!"

"Hush! Hush." Plucki held the cub close, alarmed again at how hot he was. But he cradled him and walked into the bath chambers. Sarrika was swift and laid the child in the bath, setting to work immediately. Feeling he would be more hazard than help, Plucki retreated to the room and helped Sunni with the ice packs.

Cubbi panicked. He was not completely conscious but what he did know was that he felt reassured whenever he could smell Plucki's scent. That scent was gone. He felt alien hands making him colder with ice water. He started to swat with his hands as best he could but that wasn't working. He was too dizzy to aim.

Sarrika had expected this. She restrained the cub's hands and called,

"Sir Plucki! How are the ice packs?"

"Done, Milady. I thought it best to send Sunni out."

"Yes…bring the extra ice in here, Plucki."

She did not have to wait long. He was very swift and caught on quickly, adding the ice cubes to the water. Plucki had always respected healers, especially her. Even if it intervened with battle plans or such like that, a healer's word overrode everything else in the Gummi Captain's mind. For that, the healer was grateful. Maybe he could help her here too. Sarrika said,

"Tell him I'm helping him, Plucki. He doesn't know who I am and he only trusts you."

Plucki knelt by the tub side and grabbed Cubbi's face. "Lad, listen to me." Cubbi tried to look at him but if he opened his eyes, he got so dizzy that he felt sure he'd throw up. So, the cub instead gave a small nod to show he was listening. He couldn't hear everything Plucki said but he heard that this was a healer and she wasn't gonna hurt him. That was enough; he stopped struggling. Sarrika kept up the rub down and bathing a while longer and then let the cub lay against the tub's side.

Sarrika rose, "I'm going to see what herbs I have. I wish I could give him an herb for this fever but this ice bath is the best I can do."

Plucki nodded, "You do your best, Milady. You're giving him a chance. May Gum do the rest."

A nod, "Let him soak a bit."

"Yes, Milady."

Sarrika ran out and Plucki watched her go. Sweet Gum, why Cubbi? Of all bears, why Cubbi? Why? Plucki could not understand that. If anyone deserved to get Fire Plaque, it wasn't Cubbi. Cubbi was still a child, a cub. Brave and resourceful but nonetheless a cub. He was a knight, one of Plucki's better knights but one reason he was such a wonderful persona was because he knew when to ease up. Plucki had seen Cubbi play, be a child for a while and then immediately be a clever and resourceful knight the next moment.

Cubbi turned his head, weakly. Everything…everything hurt. He shook like a leaf and he could hear the chatter that came from his teeth. But more than that…Cubbi swore he heard someone…Lady Bane…and someone else. No…that was impossible! They were—

Right in front of him! Cubbi opened his eyes, caught those sorcerers' eyes. They laughed but only Cubbi heard them. They were right there, right in the room! No! No!

Plucki jerked around as he heard a loud crash.

"Cubbi!"

The cub had fallen from the tub, was backing up. He screamed, hysterically. Grabbing whatever he could get his hands on, he threw it…at nothing. There was nothing but Cubbi had a specific aim. He flung a small cabinet down in front of him, as if blocking a path way. Glass shattered and the cub scooted backwards, cutting his hands in it.

"Cubbi!" Plucki ran to the cub, snatched him up. Restraining his arms, the cub's eyes were glassy, wild, terrified.

"Don't let them near me!"

"Cubbi-"

"Go away! Make them leave me alone!" he tried to pull away and run but he could barely stand; he was so dizzy. He tripped, would have fallen had Plucki not had a firm grip. Cubbi turned, caught the captain's scent. He attached himself to the knight, shaking,

"Don't let them get me!"

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