You really are a fool.

She froze, the warm water suddenly feeling as melted snow.

You think simply blocking mirrors will keep me out? I'm not a naïve moron as you would believe. You fall into the same trap that the others did, underestimating me.

Lady Bane rose from the water though she did not exit but sat upright in the bubbles. She rubbed her arms, a subconscious attempt to ward off a chill that was not physical in nature. It did little good, save to make her acutely aware of the goose bumps that had long since taken rest on her arms, her legs, her back. Every piece of hair she possessed stood on end.

Fool. To see you operate is to laugh. You have a great weapon in your possession yet you lack the knowledge to use it. As they say, you fail to see the trees because of the forest! Directly in front of you is the weapon you can use to do far more damage than you can imagine but you understand so little, it is as if you gave a battle sword to an infant. You cannot begin to imagine how to use it!

Then, that laugh…that god awful laugh! So harsh and so close. Lady Bane looked about. Her mirrors were blocked. She grasped a handful of water in her cupped hands, to wash off her face. As she leaned in close, she froze. Reflected in the water, it looked murky, dark, as if encased in a bog. Then, that laugh again, so close to her ears and in the cupped water, those dark eyes appeared and gazed deep into her soul, making her feel utterly vulnerable and naked.

She threw the water down and leapt from the tub as if it were immersed with snakes and excrement. She grasped a nearby towel and swiftly dried herself off, even as that horrible laugh echoed throughout her ears. She shook her head, trying to ignore it. It was impossible. The laugh was all around her, like she had been dropped into the center of a well and the laugh was intent on drowning her.

She fled to her bed chambers, intent on drowning the laugh out by immersing herself in her spells.

It followed her.

Gummadoon Towers

Cubbi was disturbed. He had never heard the term Emi Gummi before now, not that he was aware of. However, one thing that kept eating at him was the statement in that book. It had stated that the Gummi Glen Gummies had pleaded for their sister's mercy. Did that mean Emi came from Gummi Glen? The thought made him feel a whole smorgasbord of emotion. He felt betrayed, angry, saddened, and a whole slew of other things that he couldn't even begin to guess at. Mostly though, he was puzzled.

Gummi Glen was his home, had been his home since he had been born. Why hadn't anyone mentioned her, even in passing? Sure, it wasn't exactly a cheery topic, but c'mon! Didn't he have a right to know? That was his home! Is that why no one went in some of those old halls? He'd been told it was because they had been closed off but no one had ever told him why.

Anger won out for the moment and the cub pulled himself up on the outer walls of Gummadoon, walking the narrow strip of rock that connected the towers. He wasn't afraid of falling. He had done worse. Besides, it made him focus on his balance instead of all the different emotions in his heart. Part of him wanted to grab any of the knights by the tunic, shake them and demand that they tell him and tell him right now!

Yet, another part of him wanted to crawl under his bed, cover his ears and try to block out those hideous things he had just heard. He frowned and leapt over a small crack in the rock. His feet never hit the stone again. He blinked, brought out of his contemplation by the realization that his feet were dangling, someone had been calling his name and now by the realization of a furry arm around his torso.

"Cubbi."

Sir Plucki. The cub turned finally and looked up at his mentor. The Gummadoon Captain didn't look happy but he didn't look angry either, though Cubbi realized abruptly that he yet to truly see Sir Plucki angry. Something told him that he did not want to press his luck on the matter. In any event, apparently, he had been calling for the boy for quite some time.

"Oh, hi Sir Plucki. Were you lookin' for me?"

The elder one set him down on his feet. "I was. I wish to speak with you on some pressing matters that have been brought to my attention."

Cubbi blinked, his ears up. What had Plucki found out? Were they found out? Had they-

"I understand your desire to learn as much as you can." Plucki began, sitting on one of the many seats they kept about the towers. Cubbi, feeling at ease, plopped down by the Gummadoon knight's feet. Oh, that got a small smile from the Captain and seemed to eliminate much of the tension. "It is an admirable trait, lad. Pursuit of knowledge is something that is vital as you grow."

Cubbi tilted his head a little, wondering where Plucki was going with this.

"However, I will not have stories of unpleasant times addressed around the fire this eve, am I clear?"

The boy blinked "Uh…okay?" he tried.

"Corvi tells me of your inquiries regarding Her." Plucki said simply, making it very clear that even her name was a forbidden topic. Cubbi didn't need to hear it to know what he was talking about.

Darn it, Corvi had told on them!

Wait, no, because Plucki wasn't scolding or anything. Somethin musta slipped. 'Sides, why would Corvi wanna get himself in trouble…

"I know not what tales the Glen has let loose to your ears—"

"let loose?" Cubbi interrupted, a bit snappy at the accusation. "They don't tell me NOTHING about her!"

"Oh, is that a fact?" Plucki asked, not accusing but rather genuinely inquiring. "Where did such dark tales find your curiosity then?"

Drats. He coulda just stuck with the my-clan-told-me excuse but nope. His mind started to reel a thousand miles a minute and he finally replied "Just heard bits and pieces here and there.' Well, that wasn't a complete lie.

Plucki looked a trifle disturbed. Truthfully, he was. The idea that his own people would spill stories on her was heart-wrenching. Corvi was not even supposed to know about her so how had the tales reached Cubbi? In addition, if they had made their way to Cubbi's ears, then what other cubs had heard of those dark times? He shuddered to think of any of the pages hearing even little bits of it.

"I see." Plucki finally responded "Well, regardless, I want you to push those tales from your mind. They are not to be addressed, either here or around the fire this night. They are not tales for cubs' ears."

No kidding. Cubbi thought silently but he replied, despite his understanding "When?"

Plucki blinked at the cub, taken by surprise.

"When can they be addressed then?" Cubbi asked again. "I mean, I understand if ya don't want us talkin' bout it but it's important too, Plucki. It's not a happy piece of history—"

"it is the darkest of the dark, lad, for gummi and human alike, that is all you need know."

"So when can I know more?" Cubbi asked simply, his ears up and his eyes shimmering. "I mean, you don't want us not knowing and repeating whatever it was that made those times so dark do you?"

Despite himself, Sir Plucki smiled and leaned his weight against a propped knee as he eyed the child. "And this is from the child who claims to not be taken with scholarly pursuits?"

Cubbi shook his head "Never said I didn't like scho-schwho—never said I didn't like learning" he told the Captain. "Just not reading."

"Fair enough." He said gently. "However, you continue to improve, don't you?" he asked the child, pleased to see that the topic had shifted to a brighter subject. He may not have gotten a definite answer from the boy but he had at least acknowledged that he was not to address it around the fire and for now, that would suffice.

Cubbi shrugged "I guess so, if you say so."

"Oh, you doubt it?" Plucki said with a smile as he stood and took the cub by the hand.

"Well, it's still hard." Cubbi replied. "Words and my mind don't like each other."

"Then all the more reason to constantly reintroduce them." The Captain remarked, as they made their way down the tower steps together. "Eventually, they will learn to embrace one another at meeting." He winked at the boy. "Already, they have started to recognize one another."

Cubbi wrinkled his nose but as they walked, he found himself content to forget about the dark gummi deeds he had just heard about. For now, could he not just enjoy time with Plucki? That was what this week was supposed to be about anyway! He would have plenty of time tonight to wallow in that dark book.

Thinking as they emerged into the hall, he inquired "Sir Plucki?"

The Captain turned, raising a brow at the inquiry "Hmm?"

"Well, since this is my week to spend time with you, does that mean I can ask you anything?"

Plucki chuckled. "You are always free to ask lad and I will respond, in kind, if I can."

The cub nodded and considering all the possibilities at hand, he met the Gummadoon knight with his wide shimmering eyes. He trotted, speeding up to keep up with his mentor's large strides. "Can I see your sword, please?" he pleaded, clinging to the knight's left arm. "Pleeeeasse?"

Corvi's Home

"Co'vi!"

Despite being unnerved, Corvi beamed widely at his littlest brother's greeting. He fell to his knees and caught Cori in a deep embrace, picking him up. Morri was not far behind him, clinging to his sibling's leg tightly. Corvi allowed himself a small laugh and hugged his younger brother tightly with his free arm. "Hey guys, sorry took me a bit."

Morri eyed him "We're okay, Corv but we miss you."

Guilt hit Corvi's like a dagger. "I know.."

"Why we not go with you?" Cori inquired, looking his sibling in the eye. "We go 'fore."

Corvi sighed deeply. That much was true. When his mother was alive, sometimes his little brothers would come into the palace with him. Usually, it was when they wanted to see the knights or something like that. Before cori was born, Morri would come sometimes to see his father. Being a knight, he didn't get to see his children as often as he wanted. When Corvi entered training, he saw him more.

Now Morri cut in, "yeah, Corv. Can't we do that again?"

Oh Gum, now this?! Morri wouldn't be an issue but what if Cori slipped up? What if he said his Mama was sleeping and wasn't waking up? He knew that while most of what little kids said could be dismissed as simply them being that, little kids, every time he had visited his brothers, Cori had questions. He was morbidly obsessed with the subject: where did Mama go? Is she still asleep? Is she with Papa? Will they be coming back? When? So many questions and apparently from Morri's reports, it was all the time.

Corvi understood why; it was a reasonable question of a cub Cori's age.

Didn't mean it made it any easier.

He eyed his brothers "I can't right now."

Morri's face fell. "But we miss you, it's lonely here."

"I know Morri, I know." Corvi told him, tightening his grip on him. "I think I can let you guys come to the palace with me, soon. Just not yet."

Morri eyed her, cautiously, seeking his brother's eyes for any sign of a lie. "You promise me?"

He eyed his younger sibling but gave him a firm nod as he squeezed his youngest brother tighter to his chest. "I promise Mor." He assured him "As soon as I can, we will."

He eyed his brothers a moment longer, a sudden fear pecking at his heart. If Emi was as close to being released as he thought she was. If that risk was there…well, what if she sought them out? She seemed to like weaker victims. His brothers fit that category to a T. They had no adult with them, nothing like that. He eyed them both, swallowing hard. Cori was receptive to the tightening of his eldest brother;s grip but Morri blinked, a little surprised before looking up at his sibling.

"Corv?"

Jerking himself out of the horrible images that had started to erupt through his mind, he turned his attention down to Morri. "Hmm?"

The younger gummi prided himself on being able to recognize pretty much anything that crossed his path. His eye for detail was truly something to be envied by most. So, when his brother's grip had suddenly tightened with nothing to justify it and when he felt the cold sweat even through the boy's tunic, he was bothered. "Are you okay?"

Corvi eyed his little brothers, first his older little one then the youngest. He knew very little on Emi but the little that he had heard had already imprinted into his mind that their age would not exactly dissuade her from attacking them. Yes, he could see it right now, burning in his heart. Their limp bodies on the ground, pumping blood out on the ground. Dead, just like Papa. Cold, just like…Mama.

No, not acceptable! Not acceptable!

"Cori?"

His youngest sibling lifted his head to look at him. "Yea'?"

"I need you to do something really, really important for me, okay?" he locked eyes with his brother.

Always eager to please his siblings, especially Corvi, he nodded "'kay, what?"

"Big Brother _is_ gonna take you to the palace, okay—"

Morri screeched "Yes! We get to see Blastie and them again?!"

"—BUT" Corvi stressed. "We're playing out a family game, okay?" he said, looking at Cori. "So, we're playing a big game of pretend, okay?"

Cori beamed "Like that game!"

Corvi heaved a big sigh of relief. "Good…well, part of the game is that Mama is helping the Ursalians in Ursalia, okay? Cause you know how good Mama was at languages, right? So she's helping."

Cori blinked, tilting his head "Mama in Ursalia and me be a page?" he asked.

"Sure…sure…" Corvi agreed. "But remember the rules. Cause every game has rules."

Cori grinned "I'm the bestest, speciliest page and Morri spy from 'nother gummi city teaming up with me and we gonna save the world."

Morri turned to his brother and still holding Cori on his hip, Corvi took him by the hand and opened the door, heading for the palace.

Gummadoon Sitting Hall

Cubbi was in the sitting hall before any of the others. He lay on his belly, thinking. He was really in a dilemma. On the one hand, he was not about to break his promise to Plucki and it was beginning to look like he would not answer his questions anyway. However, there had to be something else he could do. Some other question he could ask. There was something Plucki had said earlier that kept bugging him.

It is the darkest of the dark, lad, for gummi and human alike, that is all you need know

Yes, he had said for human and gummi alike. So, did that mean that Emi had waged an attack on humans too? He frowned. Sure, the trial notes would tell them a lot, when they finally got to them. That book was BIG. However, now it had been cut into his mind that humans had lived through her hell too. Did that mean that maybe some legends were with the human cities? Did maybe Cavin know some or maybe Calla?

As he sat, he kicked his legs back and forth, thinking. What about Cavin's grandfather? That old guy knew lots of gummi tales and he sure seemed to know a lot of old gummi folk tales and legends so…well, if there was any history of a gummi attack on humans, he would sure know about it right?

Cubbi bit his lip. So he needed to talk to some of the humans too…probably Cavin and his grandfather would be the best place to start. He lay his head down, groaning. His head hurt, throbbed like it weighed a thousand pounds. He was scared, nervous, angry, frustrated, and any number of other emotions. He felt like he had run a thousand miles when all he had been doing was wandering around Gummadoon. Could emotions wear you out like activities could?

In any event, Cubbi reasoned that he still had a good hour before they met for their evening round of stories, no harm in just kicking back and relaxing a little bit. He laid his head on the arm of the chair, swinging his feet over the other arm. It wasn't exactly comfortable but he had been told lots of times to not put his boots on the furniture and he didn't feel like taking them off. So, he reasoned, with them hanging off the chair, he was still abiding by the rules.

It made his neck cramp up a little because he had to curl up but it was quiet and he didn't have to think about anything. He didn't have to think on Emi, on questions, on nothing like that. It was kind of nice to just not think about anything. Maybe that would cool the pounding headache too. He closed his eyes a moment, just to stop the light from making the headache worse.

When Blastus and Gumlittle came in the ready the fire for the boys that night, about an hour and half later, it was that same scene they stumbled upon: Cubbi, curled up in one of the arm chairs, head resting on arm, his legs draped over the other, his face buried into his arms and sound asleep.