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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"Cubbi! Oh, Cubbi! Thank the stars!"

Plucki held him close. Like a ... a father? He'd never known his father. He couldn't feel returning Sir Plucki's embrace.

"I-... We thought we'd lost you, Cubbi."

Plucki released him. He saw unashamed tears on the knight's face. But for some reason, Cubbi felt... nothing.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. He felt awful. Like some of Grammi's gray-bean taffy. Pulled every which way and no good for the stomach. He didn't think he could eat for a week.

"I'll be okay." he managed, pushing to a stand. He saw the destroyed staff, and shut his eyes tight. Zorlock...

He was gone. Not a trace, not a whisper or tickle or prick. He'd gone wherever the power of the staff went. Cubbi hoped it to be an oblivion he couldn't escape again.

"Cubbi?"

"'M okay." With a stern frown, he threw open his eyes. And saw and heard the cleaning of the battlefield. And the removal of the dead. He shut his eyes again, so hard that tears leaked out.

"Plucki?"

"I'm here, Cubbi."

"Take me inside. Please?" Now came the grief, the horrible thoughts. If he'd only been stronger, none of this would ever have happened.

Plucki sensed this, scooped him up, and brought Cubbi within Gummadoon's walls without a word.

Buddi wanted to show Ursa he was strong, he was gonna be fine, but he just couldn't open his eyes faster. They parted, bare slits, too slowly. He thought for sure they even creaked.

"Buddi..." Ursa smiled, squeezed his hand.

"Demi..., and Yuki?"

"We're in better shape than you, kid." Demi chuckled.

Buddi managed a weak grin.

Tavi... The same Tavi that Cubbi was engaged to in the future? Gruffi's head swam slightly at the first waves of time catching up. More like drowning him in huge waves. Big changes, everywhere. Just what in the name of fur went on around here?! Dead humans and... and gummies. Preparations for burial or burning or... whatever. But also, humans and gummies side by side, helping to restore order, care for wounded. Most, he didn't recognize. New faces everywhere and all seemed friendly.

"A battle?... No, a war... Tavi, what happened here?" Zummi asked of their quiet procession.

"Where have you _been_?" Trying to hold a calm face after passing through the outskirts of the battlefield, she broke down slightly. "N-never mind. Cubbi'll wanna see you first."

There were several tents erected to host medical teams and treat wounded. One such had a cluster of Barbics, Tummi saw. No, not just a cluster but _all_ the Barbics.

"Grammi, Gruffi, Zummi. Look." He pointed, feeling for the second time in his life a lack of hunger. Signs of death lay everywhere, if not actual bodies... Were they all okay? The thought of anyone he knew killed in battle turned even his stomach.

Grammi broke from their group and ran to the Barbics, Gruffi and Zummi in pursuit.

"...so you'll be up and about soon, Buddi. Training again in no time." Grubbi was saying.

The Barbics caught their approach and, for once, didn't hinder the Glens from entering their group.

"Ursa? What happened?" Grammi demanded upon being let through. To see Buddi all bandaged up like that...

"Where _were_ you all this time? I'd thought you'd come as soon as my clan was called into battle." Ursa threw back, accusing.

"We... Uh..." Zummi stammered.

"We had a different mission." Gruffi answered, eyeing Ryo Barbic in particular, daring him to challenge. Ryo had caused them to run off to begin with and go _through_ all that stupid time travel mess, just to figure out Barbics more. Ryo remained silent but kept a wary eye on the Glens, and Gruffi knew it was because Ryo feared what Ursa might do if she knew what he'd planned. Finally, some leverage!

"Grammi? Gruffi, Zummi, Tummi! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Sunni rushed them in a hug, despite being on crutches and bandaged herself.

"Land sakes, Sunni! What happened?"

"Grammi, it's a looong story." Summing it up for starters, with a brief description of the alliance between Zorlock/Lady Bane and Igthorn, plus all the other villains of the era, the Glen girl finally broke down in Grammi's arms. "Oh, Grammi, it was horrible!"

The motherly gummi let her cry. "It's over now, Sunni. There, there."

"Grammi? Gruffi?" Tavi came near. "About Cubbi..."

"Oh my, yes. Let's go. Fe's hine... er I mean, he's fine, right?"

"Er... Sort of, Zummi. He'll really wanna see you all before you hear everything."

That said, the Glens followed young Tavi inside Gummadoon, where more wounded filled the courtyard.

"Sunni? Comin', darlin'?"

"In a minute, Grammi." With a shy smile, Sunni received one of understanding from Grammi.

"Aw, Ursa, do I _really_ hafta jump back into training the second I'm well enough to stand?" Buddi groaned, and not just from hurting.

The Barbic leader grinned at her adopted cub's usual response, looked at the faces of the others in her clan. "First, let me ask one thing. There are some pretty smart trees out there that tell me _you_ came up with the attack plan that drove our victory."

Buddi sagged. "Yes, Ursa... I know you would've come up with a better one. Maybe _you_ should have. Less people woulda died..."

"Buddi Barbic, I'm shocked! You _saved_ everyone! What's the first lesson of war, hm?"

"Try to save the most at the least cost."

"And didn't you?"

He paused.

"Let me rephrase that. Buddi, we're all very proud of you. To think, all this time, we've had a war strategist for a cub!" And Ursa smiled. Proud, happy, relieved. And all could see!

Buddi, shocked, gave pause again. But, despite everything-- the pain, any childish behavior-- he threw his hand out to her. Needing her, the feel of her hand in his, was more important than anything else right then.

Ursa embraced it without hesitation, noted privately that his grip was pretty strong for an invalid, and... his muscles were starting to grow. Her fear at her baby growing up faded at seeing him like this. Still her baby, even as he changed and grew up, he still needed her, wanted her. Yes, even as she pushed him onward, she longed to hold him back. And she needn't. He wasn't even looking at that Glen girl crying tears of joy at seeing her and Buddi share a rare moment. Perhaps he wasn't lost to them after all...

Cubbi felt the walls around him. A comfort, the closed-in. He could open his eyes. He did just as Plucki set him down on a bed.

"How do you feel, lad? Hungry?"

Cubbi shook his head, in no mood to eat.

Plucki saw the blank look on his face and knew that Cubbi's battle wasn't over yet. If only...

"Sir Cubbi?"

"Don't call me that."

Taken aback slightly, Plucki frowned. "Why not?"

Cubbi lay down and curled into a ball. "I don't deserve that title. Not when I coulda done more. So much more..."

"Sir Cubbi, let me ask you something." Plucki started, a tentative hand seeking to comfort the cub by rubbing his back. "What more could you, could ANY of us have done? You defeated the greatest foe of any era, boy. You have shown us so much, and allowed Gummadoon's peace to continue. Don't close off to us. Please. We need you still. I'm... I'm sorry you had to find out about Illsi and Aldi in such a hard way. I never meant to keep them from you. It's just that their memory... my failure... I can't look at it sometimes. But I never forget them. Never." On this, the gummi captain was most adamant. "And I want to tell you about them. I'd like to tell you many things... Cubbi, I'd be honored if you would remain here. Not as my ward. I won't take you away from Grammi, Gruffi, and the others. But I know you did have the great desire to be a knight. I would accept you with open arms, lad, as my squire. That is... if you still wish to be a knight."

Plucki feared that, given the recent events, that awesome fortitude may have been extinguished. That spirit which sustained Cubbi through many an adventure... Had it been lost as the price for destroying Zorlock? Cubbi... He was so quiet.

"Cubbi?" Plucki inquired gently, leaning over to peek at the cub's face. He should not have been, but he was surprised to see Cubbi fast asleep. Absolutely exhausted from his ordeal still. With a slight paternal smile, he pulled the covers over the pink cub's shoulders and pulled a chair by the bedside. A light nap would do himself some good as well.