He was also worried about his brothers and mother. His two brothers were starting to show up more, saying Mama needed more help lately. He could understand why. She had to run their small farm and raise two boys on her own, since his father was dead. His youngest brother, Cori, was going through the toddler years full force. No wonder she was at her wits' end. And judging by Morri's reports, she had a cold or something.

Just great.

Lady Bane growled under her breath. She should have figured they would have some way to counter magic with magic. Still, she supposed this gave her another chance to try a different spell. Perhaps one more subtle. She had many options. One thing she had always envied on Zorlock was his ability of possession. Perhaps, with this book of ancient spells, that was open to her as well.

Flipping through her pages, she discovered with delight that indeed it was! She was nearly giddy with excitement. But, who to try it out on? None of the important figures, too obvious. She thought over the gummies she had available before deciding to simply let the spell decide upon the one more vulnerable. Spells that did that would search one's soul. She would just have to figure out how she could use the gummi to her advantage later…

Cubbi's fingers ached but he kept it up. He'd finished brushing Sharpsight and had moved onto Sir Gumlittle and Sir Blastus' unicorns, Shadowspeed and Vite specifically. He wondered how much longer his hands would last. All he knew now was to brush back, brush back, brush back. He had to stand on his tiptoes to get near Shadowspeed's neck and the stretching was starting to get to his muscles but he didn't care.

By the time he finished with the last unicorn, he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He hadn't just done the main knights; he'd done all the unicorns he could. He'd had little trouble with them, it was just time consuming. He'd stopped briefly, at Sir Ramsei's insistence to get something to eat and drink. Now, as night fell the small pink cub wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He wasn't done yet though. The unicorns needed fresh water and grain for the night so Cubbi set out to the nearby aqueduct, where the knights gathered water for the stallions and mares and, if need be, refilled their canteens.

Filling up the bucket was like pulling teeth. He dropped it several times in the process and he stumbled when he carried it and filled the trough. Luckily, the knights had a big trough that they pumped into each individual stall. The boy nearly got there on his fifth trip only to lose his balance, spilling the water all over the ground. He growled through his teeth,

"Stupid, stupid gravity."

Yelling at the dark isn't going to make it turn into day.

Cavin had told him that. Cubbi remembered that. Cavin had been telling him a little about being a page and then a squire. Whenever Cubbi had gotten frustrated at something, Cavin had remarked that comment to him. He'd said that his grandfather had taught him that. Cubbi had never really understood the phrase but rather than ask, he'd acted as if he did. However, now he was beginning to understand, a little. He had meant that Cubbi could complain all he wanted but it wouldn't change anything.

:Flashback:

Two Years Ago

"Cavin, are you done yet?"

"Not yet."

The boy pouted but sat by the fence, waiting. Cavin finished shoveling hay into a stall and then lifted his friend off the fence by the scruff of his neck. In the gummi culture that would usually mean that he was in trouble but among the two boys, it had become a gesture of brotherhood and affection. Similar to when Cubbi would climb onto Cavin's shoulders. Cubbi playfully laughed and Cavin set him up on one of his shoulders.

"Better?"

Cubbi smirked "Yeah…I can actually see things now."

Cavin walked out to the well and dipped the bucket down into the cool water at the bottom. Cubbi kept a firm grip on Cavin's shoulder. Had it been any earlier, he couldn't have because of the threat of being seen. However, with the day late, not many people were outside so Cavin figured it was safe to have the little gummi cub in view. In fact, the two friends had been getting ready to turn in for the night when Cavin had remembered he had to get a bucket of water for the next morning.

"Cavin, you carry the bucket different than Grammi."

The human boy smiled "Well, I'll carry it by the handle sometimes" He adjusted his hands so that he carried the bucket by the bottom. "This way is easier. I use the handle if I only have a little bit or I only have to go a little ways."

"Why?"

"Well, look Cubbi…" the boy moved the bucket to hold it by its handle. Water sloshed out as he walked. Cubbi nodded, feeling a little foolish. Cavin just smiled at him though. Cubbi shook his head, laughing. What was it about Cavin that always put him at ease? The human did. Cubbi used to think it was because that human boy was the first real friend he'd ever had but it was more than that.

There was a loyalty between them that Cubbi loved. He never doubted that Cavin would help him, never. Cavin had proved that a thousand times over, a million times over. In fact, the two had even made a pact with one another to never abandon each other. So far, nothing had ever come up where that was even tested but if it did come up, Cubbi had no doubts about what would happen.

In fact, the one thing that greatly disturbed the gummi boy was the realization that if it ever came to revealing their secrets, Cavin would rather die for treason than betray their word. That scared him. Cavin meant a great deal to him, like the big brother he'd never had. Laying his head against the human boy's, Cubbi just relaxed in the comfort. Before long, the late hour and relaxing scent of his best friend caused the gummi cub to drift off.

Cavin looked up at his best friend who'd leaned against his head. The boy looked pretty comfortable and relaxed so the human page let him be. He snuck up the stairs, being careful not to be seen. He poured the bucket into his bedside bowl, for washing his face and hands in the morning or for a drink in the night and gently picked Cubbi off his neck. The cub never moved. He laid the boy down in his bed before he pulled his boots off and laid down by the boy. Cavin loved this as much as Cubbi; Cavin had never had many friends, if any. His grandfather had raised him because his mother had died in labor and the first wave of the Black Plague killed his father. But as a result, he'd never really had any really close friends, not until Cubbi.

Curling up against the tiny gummi cub, he closed his eyes and savored it.

:Present:

Cubbi blinked away his homesickness and dipped the bucket into the water again, this time adjusting it so he carried it by the bottom. Some water still spilled out, most of it back on him, soaking his tunic front but the majority remained in the bucket. He had to stretch up on his tiptoes to pour it into the trough but the trough was slowly but assuredly filling up.

Back and forth, back and forth. His arms were starting to ache by the time he finally got it filled and climbed up to release it into the individual troughs. Luckily, that went without a hitch. It was getting down that required a little thinking. Cubbi finally just jumped, although he was a good ways up. He'd jumped out of trees higher but that was always into a swimming hole.

"Watch it shrimp."

Cubbi blinked when he found himself caught. A younger knight, yellow level, with wild black hair and dark green fur, was holding him and slowly lowered him to the ground. Age wise, the knight was young, probably in his early twenties, and had only recently been moved up from green to yellow ranking. He had a dark forest green patch on his chin, an old burn that was still healing. Cubbi couldn't recall his name though…

"Timothi, kiddo."

Cubbi blinked, "huh?"

"My name's Sir Timothi."

"I…I knew that."

"Sure you did." Came the casual reply. "You still working ,shrimp? Last I checked, the squires were to be heading home and to bed."

"I can't go home. It's too far to come back for training. And don't call me shrimp!"

"Okay, squirt. So, shouldn't you be heading into bed?"

Cubbi sighed "Yeah…I just wanted to get the grain out to the unicorns first."

Timothi eyed the boy curiously. When he'd been a squire, he'd have avoided work like the plague. Yet, this little one, and a new squire at that, was pouring himself into it. He eyed the boy's armband, on his left wrist and caught Plucki's seal. So…this was the Captain's new squire? Spunky one! He smiled at the lad though and offered him his canteen. "Least drink something."

Cubbi accepted it graciously; he was hot! Not to mention achy but he wasn't about to tell Timothi that. However, he did drain the canteen almost completely. Handing it back to Timothi, he wiped his mouth on his arm "Thanks, Sir Timothi."

"No problem. A word of advice, kid, next time you decide to work like Plucki, bring water."

Cubbi had to laugh at that. "Plucki works like this?"

"Heck yeah. You'd think were always in the middle of a war by the way he works. You're definitely his squire. Maybe they shoulda named you Spunki!"

"Ew, that's a GIRL'S name!"

Timothi just smirked at the lad, "Won't Sir Ramsei be a little irked you aren't in bed?"

Cubbi folded his arms, "He'll live. I told him I'd come in when I finished the work I was doing and I will."

Timothi smiled "So, you just have to do the grain?"

Cubbi nodded. Timothi took the boy by the arm and led him to a storage room, unlocking it with his key "You'll need someone to unlock it, spunky."

Cubbi blushed red in the cheeks "Oh…"

Timothi just ruffled his hair and said with a laugh "Have at it Spunky. I'll tell Ramsei where you are at least."

Cubbi was already caught up in the work and didn't hear a word he said.

"Any better?"

Gumlittle shook his head when he greeted Plucki. The Captain had gone to sick bay's wash room for a quick bath and came back out in shorts. Gumlittle greeted him with a sad, depressed face and just shook his head. "No, nothing. He hasn't had any dreams from what I can tell but he's in pain." As if to prove it, Blastus moaned and curled up deeper into ball.

Plucki stroked the knight's hair, "Don't you leave us Blastus, hear me?"

He got no answer.

The door was knocked on at that point. Little Tavi walked in, in her nightdress and a cloak. She looked nervous but determined. "Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle. How's Blastus?"

"Bad, lass."

Fidgeting, Tavi replied "The Council found out it's magic-born."

"Magic?"

She nodded. "Auntie said that we can try a spell to counteract it but there's no guarantee that it'll work. Said it was the Spell of Argus the Great, whoever he was."

Plucki and Gumlittle exchanged glances. They'd learned about that spell in tutoring and the boys would be coming upon the topic pretty soon. From what they knew of it, it was a spell to rid cubhood illness from a body but it was extremely complicated. Required a lot of chanting and concentration as well as six wizards, as some gummi cities had. However, Gummadoon had only five so how could they possibly cast it?

The door opened and the Gummadoon Council padded in, one at a time, Wooddale and Berrybottom being last. Wooddale waked over to her niece for a moment and smiled to her, giving her a few words of encouragement. Flurryfeather approached the ill Sir Blastus and touched his forehead, muttering a few words. A bright flash followed, one that made Gumlittle and Plucki shield their eyes. When the glow faded and they could see again, they recognized the spell: an age regression spell. Of course, if that was used then the spell of removal could be cast…but how with only five wizards? They watched the council for answers.

Wooddale held her hand out to Berrybottom who took it. Flurryfeather clasped his. Tosslewind took that hand and Spinwillow clasped that one. Shw paused and then turned to Wooddale's young niece. She stretched her older hand out and clasped the little hand of the seven year old sorceress-in-training. The little girl grabbed hold of her aunt's hand with her other hand.

If Plucki and Gumlittle weren't shocked before, they were now.

Toni pushed his way into his mother's house, half pouting. He hated the fact he had to go home. He hated going home. His mother fed him and clothed him but he got more affection from bugs than he did from her. She didn't even try. She hadn't wanted him and he knew it. She tried the best she could but it was hard when she never wanted children in the first place. Gumlittle was much more fun. Gumlittle would tell him stories, read to him, play with him…his mother did none of that.

"Mother, I'm home for a few days."

"Fine Antonius."

Toni sighed and trudged upstairs into his bedroom. It was bare as always. Toni pulled his stuffed fish from his knapsack and hugged it tight. Gumlittle had given it to him when he became his page and Toni clung to it. It was the only toy he had. He didn't dare tell the knights that though. His mother tried but she didn't want this or him and that wasn't her fault. There was nothing wrong with that. Not every gummi wanted children.

Still….Toni's father was never home. He'd been an unwanted surprise and his father only came home to see his mother. He would acknowledge him but there was no love between them and Toni knew it. Never would be. He sighed, dreading these next few days of boredom. He would help with the chores but that was about it. He and his mother wouldn't talk.

However, if Toni knew what was going to happen the next three days, he would have welcomed boredom but a certain spell saw evil potential in Toni's neglectful mother and meant to take full advantage of it. As Toni took his evening bath, Toni's mother left her eyes and Lady Bane looked out through her eyes. She spied Toni's armband, Gumlittle's seal imprinted on it thrown atop his squire uniform and she smirked…oh yes, this had MUCH potential.