Amid all the strong emotions in the room, Flurryfeather had the wits to go off and collect Healer Sarrika, someone brought the poor lad some food because he looked a bit starved from being in Lady Bane's keep, and not a one of them dared bring up the suggestion of telling Tavi or Wooddale. None were capable yet of even formulating a query, a statement, without bursting into tears. Plucki might have, or Gumlittle or Blastus, but no one was about to tell them to leave Lucki for such a mentally taxing chore and Plucki ran out. Let it settle, give it a moment, let it sink in, and surely someone would rush off to fetch them.

Gummadoon Outer Hallways

No one they passed seemed to think it odd, Cubbi screaming as he ran down the hall. So much had been going on of late; it was starting to feel like just one of those things. Seeing Sir Plucki charging after the cub certainly got a few startled looks.

"HOLD, SIR CUBBI!" Plucki bellowed, for even though he was still a spry knight, chasing after a young cub was still strenuous work.

That title, that commanding voice caused the pink-furred lad to halt in his tracks but he was locked up from neck to toes. He turned, wooden, and the fear in his eyes was very apparent.

"S-sir Plucki? Why were you talkin' to that g-g-ghost?" he managed to get out.

The gummi knight captain sighed and stepped forward, a bit of a patient smile on his face. "That was no ghost. It's Lucki. Somehow. We're still looking into that."

"Then... he's a ghoul! Or... or... a zombie?"

"No. He's not dead. I saw him bleed myself."

Cubbi frowned, not convinced. "Illusion? Possession? Golem?"

Sir Plucki shook his head. "No. That gummi in there truly is Lucki. Councilor Spinwillow and the others all confirm he is not possessed, nor his body a fake. You... saw the bruising?"

Cubbi nodded quickly, swallowing in a dry throat. "... Yeah. So... What's he said for himself then? Can he talk?"

A nod. "Said Lady Bane resurrected him for some unknown but surely devious plan." At this, the knight captain's teeth ground and he looked away.

Cubbi approached, saw the far look in his eyes, wondered what Plucki might be thinking, and realized it prob'ly had something to do with his dead wife and son. "Sir Plucki? If he really is back... Um... Can we do that?"

The pain in his mentor's eyes at that suggestion... It about broke Cubbi's heart and he kicked himself mentally for even saying it. The silence was painful. He just wanted to hug Sir Plucki, but it felt wrong, especially when he just reminded the gummi captain of his dead wife and cub!

It took a moment to reschool his emotions but Plucki finally replied, "No. We can't. When one's life is extinguished, it is gone. Which makes it even harder for us to know that witch had a hand in bringing him back. Are there repercussions, a price to pay for this unnatural occurrence? Is it permanent? Is Lucki on borrowed time? Is Lady Bane someone still working something beneath the veil of his shocking return? We... We don't know, lad. We just don't know."

Only one other thought took Cubbi. "How's Tavi taking it?" he asked cautiously.

Plucki shook his head. "We've not told her, nor Councilor Wooddale. We had to be sure."

"And now you are?"

Sir Plucki gave a nod. "As far as we are able to tell, Lucki has somehow returned."

One Of The Communal Fire Hearths Of Gummadoon

Ivori had found old Sir Gori at the fire, as usual. His bones protested much movement these days but his wit was as sharp as ever and she definitely caught the swivel of one torn ear at the cacophonous sound of three boisterous approaching cubs. She chuckled as they tried to clamor onto his gnarled knees and he grunted in mock hurt. He was such a grand storyteller and started in right away with one of his fantastic tales. Oh, she knew it well. As a cub not much older than Cori, she recalled listening to the retelling of how Sir Gori lost a chunk of his ear to a gryphon he'd accidentally stumbled into. In the end, they'd parted ways peaceably but not before a bit of rough-and-tumble. Oh, she could nearly recite the tale by heart. Sighing wistfully, Ivori missed those days.

"Again! 'Nother!" Shouted little Cori, bouncing on the old knight.

"Oof! Not so rough, young one! Let's see..." Knight Gori glanced her way. "Lady Ivori, could I trouble you for a hot tea? This one will leave my throat a bit dry."

"Sure. No trouble at all. If these two get out of line, Morri will help you wrangle them, won't you?"

"Yes'm." Morri said dutifully.

Ivori stood from her chair and slipped around the corner. She felt no twinge of leaving the four because, really, the spare kitchen inlet really was just around the corner. She heard the children asking for all sorts of tales of heroism and monsters and daring deeds. Hm. Not all of the children. As the tea kettle began to whistle, she heard Sir Gori ask little Morri what kind of story he wanted to hear. The twiny pitch of sound crescendoed and she missed his response but the room had gone very quiet. It wasn't until the herbs were steeping that the talking started up again.

"Why, lad, would you ask that?"

"... No reason."

"Well, frankly, I'm not going to oblige that request." she heard the knight say kindly though he sounded a bit shaken. "Go on now. Play a bit by the rug there. See if you can picture the dragons and witches from my stories in the patterns and shapes, eh?"

Ivori returned with the hot tea, a look of concern on her face. She waited until the children were playing as instructed before she asked the old knight, "What did Morri ask you?"

Old Rori turned to her and leaned closer to close in the response to a hushed whisper. "He asked me to tell a tale in which a gummi died."

Gummadoon Council Chambers

Coming out of the mental torture was a slow process for Lucki. Even though he'd endured reliving his death more than ten times already, it still held quite an impact. He could hear the witch's snarly mental smirk as the thought made him shudder yet again. She was fully in control but he had full awareness again and took whatever comfort he could knowing that Gumlittle held him very tightly still. Couldn't feel it... Lady Bane was not allowing him the full sensory of his body at present so he just remembered what it felt like to be in their loving embrace once more. Without a father or mother, Gumlittle and Aunt Toffi were all he had to fill those important roles. He'd both feared and greatly wished to see them most of all while trudging up to the gates of Gummadoon. His homecoming so far had been better than he could have dreamed. And seeing Corvi again! Now if only Aunt Toffi and Tavi could come in and see him. He could imagine feeling their arms around him again, holding him, feeling that profound love and-

The black-purple wind of choking presence which pronounced Lady Bane's metaphysical attention and wrath surrounded his soul, pressed it keenly and forcibly into any recess she could access to try and bury him.

Shut up, you! You sicken me more than I can ever express! I can't wait to be rid of you disgusting bears!

She'd shut out Lucki completely from awareness or control of his body but sudden voices hit their shared ears and then faded to nothing. Sight and sound faded completely from her control. Lady Bane's inner voice to gasp. She'd neglected the body for just a moment in her insane rage. Without anyone to command it, it had gone slack. Not dead, not a ceasing of breath or heart. Just... mostly unconscious. Well, it was inevitable. It was a living thing and currently stressed and pressed. Even if it was only a meat suit - a donkey with which to courier her - it, too, needed rest. No getting around that.

And while the two entities in the green furry body were left unawares of the outside world, Gumlittle tried to calm a horrified Sarrika when she was brought in.

"No. No!"

"Be still, Healer. It really is him."

She shook her head, adamant. "No. It's impossible. Gum would never allow..."

"Be that as it may," Gumlittle sighed. "It's Lady Bane's doing, so he says. However it's been done, could you look him over? See? He's unconscious now. Wore himself out no doubt."

Sarrika edged closer, clear revulsion on her face. She did not want to touch what she considered to be an abomination but she had a duty to uphold and, truly, if this really were a fellow gummi and he were in distress or had need of her... She sucked up her great disgust and hesitation and proceeded to examine the young gummi.

It was both shock and dismay she felt after straightening and looking over the expectant faces of knight and councilor alike. "Yes, he appears fine. Healthy enough. I... I don't know what to make of it, and honestly it troubles me."

"Yer not the only one. But... It's truly possible, right? Dark magic can bring back the dead?" Gumlittle asked, his eyes falling again to the unconscious form in his arms.

Sarrika looked to the councilors to confirm it before replying. "Yes. It's been heard of but never like this. Mind you, I've only heard rumors but... It never ends well. When one is brought back after being deceased, the soul and body have already separated. They do not wish to join back up, having felt that separation before. I don't know what Lady Bane has done but if what you say is true and Lucki sounds sane... I... I just don't know. I don't understand." She shook her head and had to leave the room, unable to do or say more or to even be in the same area as... well, she supposed she had to admit it was Lucki. At least for now.

With all the commotion and high emotion, Corvi fainting wasn't forgotten necessarily but no one had their proper wits about them or they'd have stopped Healer Sarrika leaving and asked her to have a look at him, too. Not that he wouldn't have been embarrassed enough to know he'd passed out but, yeesh!, what a goose-egg he had when he came to.

Sitting up slowly, the room swimming a bit, the first person to catch his eyes was Sir Blastus. His mentor had been sitting with him, waiting for him to awaken.

"Are you alright?" Blastus asked him in French.

"Oui." He winced as his probing fingers touched the tender raised bump. Then he glanced furtively at Sir Blastus. "It's not a dream? Lucki...?"

"Non. Not a dream."

Corvi sighed. "Was afraid of that... Okay. You gotta tell me everything. Please."