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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"Stomach hurts, huh? Lemme have a look." Grubbi gestured for the cub to open his mouth. He took a sniff. Didn't smell sour. The healer barbic

frowned a bit, then his expression softened. "Been eatin' bricklberries again?"

"No."

"Hmm... Been playing too hard?"

"Definitely not..."

"Ah. Then it can be only one thing." He crossed his arms and tsked ominously.

Buddi looked scared. "What?"

"Your brain's overheated again. Yer worried about something. I'm right, aren't I?" Grubbi knew he was, but to get the cub to say it... That's the

medicinal remedy for such a case.

Buddi looked at his feet. Anywhere but at Grubbi.

"C'mere. It's time I took you to see something."

"What is it? I'm pretty busy right now." Ursa complained as Grammi approached.

"Too busy for Buddi?"

Ursa froze a moment. She automatically assumed the worst, but no call had gone up. Just Grammi shouting her name. Still, Ursa was well used to

the role of 'mother' and so she worried. "What about Buddi?"

"Why, the poor cub's lonesome!"

The barbic leader sighed gustily, her puff of air blowing dust in the air from her work on the Ursalia quick cars. They needed a LOT of work if they

were going to get working, and she was having a bit of a race with that OTHER bear. If Gruffi repaired his before she did... Well, she just couldn't let that

happen. "Yes. I know. He wants to play. Gets on the nerves sometimes. He hasn't been bothering you, too, has he?"

"Bothering me? Ursa Barbic! I'm surprised at you! The cub's still a bit young to be tossin' his affection and energy aside, dontcha think?"

"Don't speak to me that way, Glen." Ursa started, putting her tools down. She never backed down from a fight,and this sounded like a verbal attack to her. "And DON'T tell me how to raise a Barbic, which you know NOTHING about!"

Similarly, for a good cause, Grammi would also not back down. "He's not just a Barbic. He's a gummi. I've raised kids time and again. If you neglect them, one day you'll want to play, to talk, to spend time with 'em and they'll all be gone or too busy. Yer pushing the boy away, Ursa! Can't ya see that?"

"I only see a meddling Glen trying to tell me how to raise my cub!"

Grammi's teeth ground as she held back harsh words. Still, she should really let loose on her for that. "Your cub... Your cub, huh? Bet you'd be surprised where your cub is. What if he decides you neglect him and don't love him and decides to run away? What if, right now, because of you he was cryin' somewhere, wanting you, needing you? How's that make you feel about a meddling bear now?"

Ursa growled low. "Makes me feel he's been spending too much time around Glens!" And she pushed past Grammi.

The Glen lady sighed. Well, at least she'd had her say.

Ursa was fuming but determined. She went up to Buddi's room. He wasn't there... She went to a window, scanned the courtyard. Empty, save for Mardi and Lundi on patrol. She moved on to her room, Gritti's room, even the weapons room where Buddi wasn't allowed. She checked the kitchen. Quiet and still.

"Buddi?" she called quietly, not wanting to fall for the Glen gummi's baiting her, but the fear was beginning to brew. Ursa raced out into the courtyard, to the very gates of Ursalia. She stood there for a good moment, taking in the scents, the sights. Fresh snow on the way. The mountains were large and ominous. The trees far away. And no sight or scent of her Buddi...

:::Gummadoon Battlefield:::

The Gummadoon council, minus Wooddale, hadn't any real hope of sneaking up on the possessed Toffi. Zorlock, possessing her eyes and ears and

all of her other olfactory senses, knew they were coming instantly. They made no secret of it. But if they could only ring him in...

Zorlock foced Wooddale's hand to tap the staff on the ground. Everything shook, even the air! Such power! Zorlock was near giddy inexcitement.

Especially as the councilbears crumbled to their knees before him. He wondered slightly if they'd been hurt—

The ancient wizard paused at the unwarranted thought. He had no need for concern, pity, mercy. Only power. Why should he let them go? ... Ah...

It was the old sorceress he inhabited. It was her doing. Trying to influence him quietly, eh?

"It won't work, you. You don't control this body anymore."

Spinwillow and Berrybottom crawled closer to the possessed Wooddale. If they could only get close enough...

"And you'll watch as your little friends all perish at your own hands. Ahahahahahahahaha!!!!" Chortled the evil wizard.

Cubbi, Sir Plucki backing him, was scared at that voice. That voice... It wasn't Wooddale's. It sounded like hers to most gummies but Cubbi heard

deeper. His horrible experience with Zorlock had fixed his ears to catch that sound. He could hear Zorlock under any borrowed voice now. And he'd heard enough. Steeling his legs to remain marching on and not turning into berrijam or making him run in sheer terror, he knew the council would need him. He knew what was really in Zorlock's head, and the only thing that Zorlock had ever feared in his entire life. The one thing that might just push him over enough for them to take him, or at least the staff. Cubbi knew what had provoked the wizard to do nothing but evil, to gain nothing but power. Not only was his father abusive with words about his son's small size and odd appearance, Zorlock had early on sought enchantments from very nasty sources. Gifted with such power, he was not without his own scars, his own demons. Cubbi didn't know how, but he felt he could defeat Zorlock if he could show him those demons again. He had to try!

Sunni and Buddi tumbled with Lady Bane, her frail body popping and breaking as they rolled, and they thought they had her but good when the

rolling stopped. Dizzy, the two cubs stood, grabbing each other for support.

"We did it... We did it!" Buddi whooped at the felled Lady Bane.

"Oohhhh... you did it alright!" Lady Bane's aged voice said. An arm straighted from a nasty break and seemed to heal itself. The rest of her was

similarly healing. "You've caused more pain than you know, but not to me, dearies. To yourselves! I'll--"

"Got it! Buddi, let's go!" Sunni had snagged the gummi medallion from around her waist, yanked it off the ribbon, and was already running up the hill

again.

Waving cheekily, Buddi followed Sunni up the ridge, the old sorceress sputtering and trying to fling lightning at them to stop them. But as they

crested the ridge... The battlefield... They'd never thought it would look this bad.

"Sunni, can you use it?" He had no idea about magic.

"No... I'm not a wizard. I don't think anybody can use it unless they do magic studies."

Paused as they were at the carnage, Lady Bane tackled Sunni full on, a dagger drawn from somewhere on her person.

"I'll kill you all for the load of disgraces piled on me!" she cried, striking hand raised.

Before Buddi could dive on the hand, a small zap of magic smacked the knife flying harmlessly away. Breath held, all three turned to the source.

Little Tavi, dried tears marring her pink fur, pointed a smoking finger at Lady Bane.

"Don't make me hurt you..." she said. To Sunni, "Gimme the medallion. I can use it."

"And let me handle the witch..." Sir Ecri, gleaming mad as he topped the ridge, had his eyes for Lady Bane only.

The decrepit sorceress stood shakily and backed up, quickly.

"You'll not escape me. Not for my brother's death on your head!" And he charged!