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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Although this was costing him time, Plucki never let his knights enter battle without armor. The risk was too much. Normally, Plucki would have entered the battle and trusted Cubbi to follow but the cub had only had about one day of knight training, period. While his reflexes were fine and he was no doubt loyal and brave, he was also impetuous. He was most likely to run out, into the fray, with no protection.

And Plucki wasn't one hundred percent sure the cub even know how to put the armor on! When they'd anointed him, honoraily, Plucki and Blastus had to help the cub dress in his uniform. So, he wanted to make sure the cub had all the protection he could offer.

As Plucki strapped the cub's chest and back armor on, he smiled,

"I think you've lost some weight Sir Cubbi." He pinched some of the cub's stomach.

Cubbi didn't say anything. He just nodded. He didn't tell Plucki but he was hungry and tired. Zorlock's presence had completely wrecked his appetite so when he had been given food, he didn't eat, even after he was well. Cubbi…he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. Sleep was the same. While he had had his eyes shut and had seemed to sleep, it had hardly been peaceful. His mind had been racked with horrid scenes and images. Dreams had been haunted…sleep was impossible.

Plucki's smile faded when the cub didn't smile or laugh. Rather, the light…that spunky rambunctious youthful energy…it was gone. The cub looked at him with empty eyes. Plucki shook his head internally. Zorlock might have left the cub but he'd left a nasty scar behind. The cub wasn't the same…not completely. For the time being, Plucki could see the fear, the doubt in his eyes. He didn't know what Zorlock had planted into the cub's mind but he did know that whatever he had put in there, it had obviously made the cub scared…he was distraught.

Plucki knelt until he was level with Cubbi. He put a hand to the cub's cheek and found the cheek still damp with tears. Cubbi looked up at him and the captain was gentle in his words.

"Cubbi…you're brave. Braver than any other cub I've ever known. I led the charge against Zorlock the first time, when we trapped him. He's evil, pure and simple Cubbi-"

"And I couldn't fight him off! I tried, tried as hard as I could. But I couldn't!"

"Cubbi, many fought against Zorlock. I had ten knights under my command when we charged that wizard. Most of them died."

"So? What does this have to do with me?"

Plucki chuckled and titlted the cub's head up. "You stand before me, do you not?"

That paused the cub's faltering belief. He blinked, surprised, but nodded.

"Not many can face Zorlock and live to speak of it, lad."

Cubbi blinked again, surprised and the Captain stood, releasing the cub's chin. He smiled at the cub and asked again,

"Now, Sir Cubbi, I ask you again: can you enter the battlefield and help turn the tide? Can you take on that challenge?"

The cub closed his eyes for a moment and everything came flying back: those horrible memory twists he went through, the guilt, and the feeling of helplessness. The cub opened his eyes and they shimmered with renewed strength and anger.

"Just try to stop me."

On the Battlefield

"Sir Ecri…"

Ecri turned and met Blastus' eyes. The French knight said nothing for a moment and then said,

"Sir Yaci…is he-"

"Gone, dead."

"Mon ami, I…"

"Don't say anything Blastus." The knight's eyes were dark with anger and pain. "Just fight."

That said, the knight took off, his sights already on another target. Blastus called after him,

"Ecri!-"

But before he could say anything else, he found himself ambushed by several ogres that apparently had not gone to Igthorn's aid for one reason or another. Preoccurpied, he could not shout his warning to the younger knight. Blastus had seen Ecri overwhelmed by pain before, when his parents were killed. True, Ecri had been a squire then, only seventeen years of age and he was in his late twenties now but back then he had been bad and that was when he had a twin companion. Now, Sir Ecri was the only survivor of his family.

"Smash Gummi good!"

Blastus ducked and his eyes turned serious. Drinking down his vial of Gummiberry juice, he replied as he started to knock the ogres down,

"Not le jour, ogres!"

Ecri's sights were on a few Aerials who had been foolish enough to guide their flying machines close to the ground. Taking a leap, he grabbed ahold of one, crawling up as they rose into the air. It was difficult to keep a grip and as he struggled to do so, a jolt flung him over the edge. He immediately reached for his juice but it fell, not very far as they were not yet very high and rolled off into the woods.

Grabbing the machine with his legs, Ecri swung back up, ambushing the driver from behind, sending the machine plowing into the earth.

Ursa locked her eyes on the trees, stunned. Her face said all her questions without her even opening her mouth. One tree, young, said,

"We're here to help."

"Who-"

Ursa ducked an attack and ended her opponent's threat with a single sword swipe. The tree said, simply,

"You can thank the cub Buddi."

Ursa was stunned for a moment and stammered,

"_My_ Buddi?"

But the battle still raged on and she had no time to ask more questions. She started to help Gritti eliminate as many of the ogres as they could. But in the back of her mind, she questioned, in awe,

Buddi…my Buddi? Is he here then? Is he in danger?

Looking around at the carnage by their feet, the Barbic leader fought the fear as she asked herself,

Is he even still alive?

Cavin was feeling more and more frustrated. He could hear and see the battle and here he was: stuck. Most of the ogres had fled to aid Igthorn but Cavin was bound hand and foot as well as gagged. But after many ideas, he saw a savior.

In the battle with an aerial, one of the gummi knights had dropped his vial of juice. Cavin flung himself onto his belly and crawled towards the place when the juice lay. It was painful because the ground was a bit cold…it was growing late in the year. And the twigs and stones cut into his belly. His tunic was tearing but he squirmed over until he grasped the vial with his bound hands.

Forcing himself to chew through the gag, he pried the cork out with his teeth and drank the juice down as quickly as he could.

"Ready Buddi?"

The Barbic cub nodded, his eyes fixed on the aged sorceress. The archers were moving into position but they had to make _sure_ Lady Bane was out of the battle. She was obviously preparing to unleash some of her magic on the fighters. Buddi looked to Sunni. She had yet to move and she said to Buddi,

"She's lost her youth."

"She's _really_ that old?"

"Uh huh. She steals once a century. Almost got me once…"

"What?"

Sunni nodded, "Don't let her get anything yours. Not yer fur, not yer hair, clothing, nothing."

Buddi nodded. The two cub nodded at each other and racing together for momentum, they slammed into the sorceress' back, causing all threee to roll down the side of the slope, away from the battle…and on their own.

Near Past

"Grammi?"

The glen smiled at the cub. She knew Gruffi would hate her for getting off task but she was not about to ignore a cub who was as miserable as Buddi was. The cub's face was so sad. She knelt to his level and smiled,

"What is it, pumpkin?"

Again, Buddi paused. He wasn't used to such affectionate nicknames…not for at least a few years anyway. The last time Ursa'd used his nicknames had been when the cub was eight. But he was desperate and asked,

"Uh…well…can…would you…ya know, play with me?" quickly, the cub added, "If ya don't want to, I understand but-"

Grammi cut him off, smiling. "I'd love to, sweetie. What did you have in mind?"

That paused the cub and for a moment, he was indecisive. What _could_ he play with her? If Ursa had been playing with him, he would have play wrestled or challenged her to a strategy game. Then, those choice few times he…

"I know!"

He ran inside a side room and then emerged with two small paddles and a ball. The game was common among cubs his age and he loved to play it with Ursa and the others. The idea was to keep the ball in the air by having the two players constantly bat it back and forth between each other. Ursa and the others usually played it with him because they said it improved hand-eye coordination.

Not about to take the chance of being seen by the other Barbics and being reprimanded for playing with a Glen, Buddi led Grammi out of the city and towards the edge of Gordian Gulch. He explained the concept to her and then served the ball. She hit it back and he returned it. However, after about five hits, she began to falter and miss.

Buddi sighed but didn't say anything. He should have been glad she agreed to play with him. But it wasn't the same. She wasn't barbic and that's what bugged him. It wasn't so much the game as it was a desire to be around his clan. Grammi wasn't his clan.

The cub caught the ball and sighed. Grammi walked over to him.

"I'm sorry Grammi isn't fast enough sweetie…"

"no…it isn't you."

That surprised Grammi. Her eyebrows arched, "No?"

"No…it's…" the cub's voice choked he said fiercely, "Why can't my clan take the time to play with me?! I know they're busy but I'm not asking them to abandon their jobs. Fifteen minutes! That's all I want! Fifteen minutes! Is that so hard for them to give up? They have each other to play…be friends with! They're never alone! I'm the only cub! If they…if they don't care enough to make time for me then who will? I don't wanna be alone!"

He took the paddle from Grammi and brushed past her, hiding his eyes with his hand to try and block the appearance of tears. Grammi stared after him as he ran inside and then her eyes narrowed. She marched into the city, calling Ursa's name.

Buddi didn't know how long he'd been in his room, crying. He knew it was later in day and he was also becoming acutely aware of a sting in his belly. He clutched his pillow, letting tears stream down his cheeks. He was afraid. He had lost Barbic Woods, where his playmates had been. Was he to lose his clan too? The thought haunted him. He felt alone now and yet they all were all over the city. What if something else happened and he…he was _truly_ alone?

More tears slipped from his eyes and he forced himself to sit up. But he slouched. His stomach hurt for some reason. He got an idea, leapt up and wiped at his eyes before leaving and walking down the hall. Ursa had said to stay out of their way but now he had a reason to go find Grubbi. The cub checked his room, found it empty, as was sick bay.

That old fear came back. Had his worst fear come true? Was his clan now lost as his woods had been? Biting down more tears, the cub ran down stairs, his eyes leaking a few spare tears. Darting into the kitchen, he calmed and put his hand to his heart.

"Hi Grubbi."

"Hey kiddo." He replied without turning around. "What is it?"

"My stomach hurts."

Turning, the healer saw a disheveled cub with long red tears stains on his cheeks and bloodshot eyes, staring at him so desperately.

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