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

Sunni glanced up as she saw Sarrika run by, some herbs in her hands. Sunni had been specifically told to keep away from Cubbi's room, simply due to her age (at least that's what they told her.) Sunni suspected that they didn't want her to see Cubbi as he was.

That in itself was almost enough to send her running to him. She knew Plucki stayed by his side but she wanted to see him. She wanted Grammi here, even Gruffi here. Someone to comfort her, to assure her that Cubbi would live, would pull through.

There was no one to do that. She was alone, more alone than she'd ever felt.

With a low sigh, the girl got up and headed towards her room. She felt alone but there was nothing to be done about it. She thought she might find Macki and talk with her. Over the past day, Sunni had grown to be very attached to the girl, looked to her as a confidant.

Sunni was about to enter her room when she heard,

"Hey Sunni!"

Turning, the girl's face lit up. "Buddi!" she yelped in glee and ran. Tears sprung from her eyes and made trails down her cheeks. She flung her arms about the Barbic's neck, locking him into her embrace.

Buddi was stunned, but did not withdraw his arms, nor push her away. He felt her crying and tightened his arms, to try and provide as much comfort as he possibly could. When she kept up the crying, he guided her into his own chambers and sat her on his bed. Running into the bathroom, he returned quickly with a lukewarm cloth and began to stroke her tear-stained cheeks.

Sunni smiled at him in return…how did he know what to do? He seemed to calm a little at her smile and then asked,

"What's wrong?"

Sunni wiped her eyes, saying, "How did you know to do that?" she answered, not feeling like telling why she was so upset yet. Buddi didn't push the subject but sat down by her side and said,

"Ursa. She used to do that when I was younger."

Sunni could not help but laugh. She looked at Buddi, "_Ursa_ did that?"

Buddi chuckled, but nodded, "Yeah, she can be nice. But she'd probably kill me if she found out I told you that."

Sunni merely nodded. She was still a little angry at Ursa but she knew that Buddi probably saw a side of her that the Glens had never seen and probably never would see. And aside from that, she knew that despite their differences, Ursa meant a lot to Buddi. She didn't want to insult him.

"So…" Buddi began slowly, "Why…why were you crying?" he rubbed the back of his neck and his cheeks turned red, "I mean, if you don't mind telling me."

Sunni smiled a sad smile; he looked so _cute_ when he was nervous! Then, her reason for crying came running back and her ears fell. Tears slipped from her eyes and she, without even thinking, laid her head into Buddi's lap. If Buddi was stunned, he didn't reveal it but rather started to rub her hair, gently. Sunni closed her eyes, let his slender fingers massage the fear away, at least a bit. As Buddi kept this up, she spoke softly,

"Cubbi," she said, with tears in her throat. "he's sick…so sick. High fever, delirious…and…and it's the same sickness that…that…" she choked and rephrased it, "all who've had it…died."

"Cubbi's a fighter; he'll survive."

Looking up, Sunni and Buddi were surprised to see Ursa standing in the doorway. Ursa obviously didn't like the way Sunni and Buddi were but after hearing Sunni's reason, Buddi knew that she wouldn't say anything. If anything, she looked at Sunni with pity. The girl sat up and faced the Barbic leader.

"And if I guess right, they won't let you see him, right?"

Sunni nodded. "Plucki said that their healers are trying everything but…they say the killer's the fever…they can't lower it."

Buddi looked at Ursa and then as he held Sunni tightly he asked,

"Ursa, I know that we Barbics keep to ourselves but…if they cannot heal him…"

"Are you asking what I think?"

"Yes, I am. Sunni told me about Glen and Gummadoon medicine. They have no herbs for fever, no technique aside from ice baths and pouches. Ursa…we _do_! Grubbi broke my fever when I was little!"

"I know."

"Please, let me ask Grubbi to help…please, Ursa. We can't stand by and do nothing if we have the ability to help, can we? Cubbi's only eight. He's my friend. And he…he's got so much potential. I care about him Ursa. As do you. I know you don't care for Glens in particular but you don't hate them-"

"I know. But Gummadoon has not been incredibly accepting of our ways, Buddi."

"Can't you try, Ursa?" He looked down at Sunni, tightened his grip and then said softly, "Please."

Ursa looked at Sunni. She didn't hate the girl. She saw the way she felt, as much as the girl tried to disguise it. She loved Buddi which was not something Ursa approved of. Yet, Ursa told herself that that was not the issue at the moment. When she had first seen the two, her immediate reply had been to scream. It had been a day since Buddi had told her of his own feelings. She still did not like it but as she heard Sunni's reason, she had heard fear in her voice. The same fear she had heard in Buddi's after Barbic Woods had been destroyed. Fear of more loss. Fear of being alone, of losing what one had left.

Ursa knew that one only had that fear when death and disaster were very well imminent. And she had not seen the Gummi captain much. When she had seen him, fear had clouded his face, fear of losing one he held close to his heart. Ursa was not naïve to that feeling.

The Barbic leader's heart went out to the girl. She faced Buddi, her cub. She took a breath,

"I'll see what I can do. You go get Grubbi. At the very least, he can give Cubbi a look over."

Buddi gave her a gentle smile, "Thank you, Ursa-na."

Ursa could not hold her smile at the Barbic cub's use of the endearment suffix. She nodded and headed for Cubbi's room. Buddi turned to Sunni, who still cried.

"It'll be okay, Sunni."

"That's what I keep telling myself Buddi. But you didn't see Cubbi…what if he dies?! Sweet Gum…"

Buddi lifted her head and said gently,

"Mortia kulion rea, mortia sasdo ceasa, mortia linen qas lea sycans."

Before Sunni could ask, Buddi led her to the window, where night had fallen. He whispered,

"Lyui erasc yie tu sygan, nicsa, yie quian."

Buddi pointed to the bright stars that came out and smiled as Sunni tried to repeat what he had said. It took several tries but she finally said it. Buddi clarified,

"An old Barbic saying. Ursa told it to me when Barbic Woods fell…"

He looked out to the stars and said softly,

"Every battle ends, every sorrow fades, every night has its stars…but only if you fight, trust, and believe."

Past

Una gritted her teeth as she laid back on the pillow Zummi had brought her. Her red hair was sweaty, her hands were clenched and every moment was agony. She had been like this for a good two hours so far. Warrio had not come at her call which told her that he was either too far to hear her or unable to come.

Neither excuse suited her at the moment, given the amount of pain she felt. Grammi had brought her a towel to lay on, to perhaps help the discomfort but it was only a mild help. The pain was still intense. She had not laughed for some time. With every sound, she wished it was her mate coming through the door.

Grammi was not deaf and blind to this wish. This was going to be a difficult birth, she could tell. But for the moment, as she could do was help anyway possible.

Zummi had managed to wake Gruffi up and Tummi was trying to keep Gritti busy. But the cub wanted to know what was the matter with his 'Auntie.' Tummi could not very well answer that. But it turned out that he should have.

Before Tummi could even blink, the Barbic cub tore from him, was out the door, and into the branches.

Present

Calla was glad when she came to the campsite where more knights were. Maybe then, this knight would take his staff from her back.

"Ecri, who is this human?" Gumlittle all but demanded. Calla looked to the knight. He was obviously above Ecri. Whether or not he was kinder, Calla could not yet tell. Ecri answered,

"She claims to be from Dunwyn…"

"Dunwyn…" he looked at Calla. She did not look the part of a spy but one could never tell anymore. He looked at her closer.

Her eyes were sorrow-stricken. Something burdened her. He could tell. He had seen that look in his Captain's eyes once too often lately. In any event, she was not armed. He motioned Ecri to lower his staff.

Reluctantly, he did so. The human immediately reached behind her. The knights put their hands to their weapons but then relaxed when they saw her arch her back, stretching no doubt. She turned to Gumlittle and spoke,

"Thank you." She took a breath, "Now, what's-"

Yaci's eyes burned, "We should ask the questions to _you_!"

Gumlittle gave the younger knight a stern look. Yaci merely narrowed his eyes. Both he and his brother had made it clear that they would rather be tortured to death before they ever trusted a human again. Humans had killed their parents, during one of the pre-human war battles. Yaci and Ecri had been seventeen.

Blastus and Gumlittle kept their guard up, for caution but they did not draw their weapons. But before they could say a word, a new voice said,

"Yeah, ease up, Yaci! Sheesh!"

Jerking their heads up, the knights spied the last thing they expected to see.

Little Tavi Gummi, in the tree above them, dressed in one of her older brother's tunics, kicking her feet back and forth.

Plucki carried the delusional cub back to his bed, taking him from Cubbi's room and into his own chambers, urging him to calm, to please be well again. Cubbi clung to him, trembling. He was dark red in the face, flushed and feverish. But Plucki's fear was embedded in his delusions. That was…that was the last symptom Aldi had displayed before his fever had shot up, his heart had stopped and he left this world.

Was it happening again? Was it?

Sarrika was waiting for the captain. She had changed the sheets, providing the young knight with some soft pillows and sheets. Plucki laid the cub down, still unclothed, and Sarrika began to position the ice packs, slipping them by his neck and knees. The cub shook and she laid a cloth upon his forehead.

Someone knocked and Sarrika rose to answer it, as Plucki remained by the cub's side. He took the cub's limp hand in his own, rubbed it gently,

"Stay with me, little one." He begged, almost desperate. "I don't think I can take another loss."

That turned out to be the wrong thing to say. Cubbi's eyes flew open, panic shining in them. He gasped, gulped for air. Plucki grasped his face,

"NO! Don't you dare die! That's an order, Sir Cubbi! AN ORDER!"

The cub's eyes clouded, closed.

"NO! NO! I said 'don't die!'"

"Plucki!" Sarrika pushed her way through, grabbed the cub's limp form. She had…she had been Aldi's healer…she had failed…no, she could _not_ fail again! She could not!

Yet, it appeared she had. The cub's pulse was gone. He did not breathe. She had failed. Because of that Barbic who-

The Barbic who now pushed her way through the room. She pulled Sarrika from Cubbi, her eyes locked on a task. Before Plucki or Sarrika could voice a protest, the Barbic had forced the child's mouth open, put her own lips to it and breathed in four puffs of air. That done, she put her hands in the center of his chest, pushed down eight times, forcefully. She gave him air again then repeated the pressure to his chest.

"What's she doing?" Plucki inquired of the healer. Sarrika shrugged,

"I don't know. I've never heard of such a-"

A low gasp. Ursa ceased her procedure.

Cubbi coughed, gasped for air and then breathed on his own.

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