Within Lucki

No! The sorceress' protest was harsh, was dark and Lucki could not help a small smirk at the faint fear he felt from her. He loved to know that despite her threats, despite her shouting, that she was far from being in command. The situation was dire for her, as it was for him. Perhaps not as dire for her…though perhaps it was. In any event, they had both come to the conclusion that they had to form something of an alliance, if a horribly reluctant one, to make it out of this situation. Emi was a dangerous foe for both of them. Lucki had grown up hearing the stories of Emi around a campfire, or rather, told in whispers around the castle. The adults scarcely mentioned her but that just made her all the more interesting for the cubs. It was more than that though. Much like Corvi, he had been alive when they had captured her although the adults did everything they could do to keep him out of it. But, much like Corvi, having a father that was a knight, even a retired one, made him more involved. His father had come out of retirement to join the cause and his aunt was involved on the political side. He knew she was dangerous.

Then, there was Lady Bane's side. While Lucki could hardly see all her memories and quite frankly, he had no desire to, he could sense enough. Emi was not unknown to her. The pure fear, no, the pure terror, had felt from her when Emi made her presence known had told him that much. It was rare for Lady Bane to reveal much emotion to him but in that case, he had felt it. A strong desire to do whatever was necessary to get that demon out! Given Lady Bane's reputation, her fear of Emi only made the former's already notorious deeds even more frightening. It was a game of life and death now. Power and desire were becoming secondary and forgotten, even to someone as selfish and greedy as the sorceress currently sharing his body.

Still, Lady Bane was reluctant to give up her advantage. Despite the danger, the idea of giving in, of making herself known, was something she fought. No, I will not give in to your petty ideas, cub. I do not need your-

Look, Lucki struck back at her protests, you can sit here whining about your loss of advantage—

Watch your tongue, little bear came the snarling response.

Whatever. You're whining. Lucki replied simply. But we aren't exactly in a position where we're full of options. Let them know you're here.

Oh, I'm sure you would love that, wouldn't you, little one? She sneered. Sic your precious Auntie and Gumlittle on me.

They'll find out eventually. Lucki countered. One way or another, they'll find out. So, if you want to stick to your stubborn ways and get us both killed by Emi, fine but _I_ intend to let them know one way or another. Much as I hate it, you might be useful. He hated admitting that but it was true. She was old. She might have knowledge they could use. She knew of Emi and from a different angle than they did. She had seen different things, experienced different things. Anything that could help them from falling victim to Emi again would be worth the risk. And whether you admit it or not, we have the same enemy right now.

The sorceress was silent a moment, And how am I to believe that you will not all turn on me when it best suits you?

Lucki scoffed, would have snarled if he could have Unlike you, sorceress, we have honor. He paused; Let us confess to them what is really going on here. I'll secure your safety from my kind.

The entire inside of the mind was quiet, silent. Lady Bane did not give her captive a reply though she did not outright protest the idea as she had been at the beginning either. Lucki waited for a time before he realized that she was not going to give him an answer just yet. She did not strive to control the body either. In fact, she seemed to cave into the weariness of the body, accepting the current stillness as a time for her to rest as well. Lucki had to admit that he was just as drained. Fighting on the spiritual realm was exhausting. Fighting to expel one like Emi was completely draining. Despite her threats and yells, Lady Bane had not been exerting much force over his body either. She was worn, just as he was. She still had that air of anger, frustration, disgust about her. Yet, she did not flat out protest anything he had said or suggested, not anymore.

It was not the same as an agreement but it was something. Any step in the right direction with her was a victory. She was stuck in his body for now. She had no desire to die, just as he had no desire to die and with Emi knowing about him and her, they were both at risk. Lucki shuddered to think what Emi was planning. Why was she intervening with him? What purpose did she have? The very idea petrified him. Plus, how could they be sure she was not listening in right now? They had managed to expel her but how solid was that if she could reach out from even her prison on the metaphysical plane?!

Fine, little bear. We will make amends with your…family…for now. Lucki could practically feel the revulsion spilling off her at the idea but it seemed his thoughts on Emi, on the possibilities had finally reared triumphant over her desire for a sneak attack. He did not doubt that she had every intention of betraying him the first chance she got. He was no fool. But, currently, she was at an impasse. She could not continue with her current plan with Emi threatening them both. Likewise, she could not abandon his body, for whatever reason. So, luckily for him, she was not so stubborn that she would damn herself. She needed a way out and that included cooperating with him, at least for the moment.

Good enough.

Gummadoon Halls

Ecri and Blastus walked, side by side down the halls, though they were hardly silent. Anyone passing by could only guess at their conversation though as it was spoken entirely in French. There was a hush to their words, spoken softly, quietly as they walked. Ecri carried a stack of notes in his hands and Blastus carried another handful of books and papers. Anyone passing by could see that their talk was serious and indeed focused on the task at hand but there was an openness between them that had been deeply missed. It was difficult to describe in words but it seemed that an aura of trust had settled upon them even as the hour became to grow late.

"So, I believe the Gummadoon Staff was a partial key." Ecri relayed to his old mentor. "If my timing calculation is correct, in any event."

Blastus gave a firm nod, "It seems to line up with everything else, Ecri." the knight gave a smile, just so relieved that his lost one was communicating with him again! Oh, what a relief it had been to hear his tears, to feel those tensed muscles give and to see one so hurting give into an accepted comfort! In a time of fear, of deep concern, this brought a smile to his heart. When Ecri had been small, he had been the shy, sensitive one, the one that usually did not reject tears or coming to Blastus with his problems. However, teenage years and a strong desire to prove himself (though there was no need) had pushed a strong pride onto him. The death of his parents had not helped and when his brother was lost, that had seemed to nail his mask shut.

Gum forgive him for not pushing sooner but the important thing was that Ecri had finally spoken to him. He had wept over lost ones. He had screeched at the unfairness of it all. He had cursed himself aloud but had gone silent and accepted Blastus' reassurances, accepted the strong shoulder to support his pain. That heavy burden of pain, of anger, of misplaced guilt had been lifted. While there were still deep scars upon Ecri's heart, they had been exposed to the air! They could now heal!

Blastus was also rightly stunned at how much his former squire had uncovered! Ecri had always been a smart one. That had not dulled over the years. "It will help us determine how much time we have at least. You may have given us the timeline we've been needing!" Blastus spoke nothing but truth in that! He had never thought about the Gummadoon Staff but when Ecri mentioned what he had uncovered, he realized the connection was too strong to merely be coincidence.

Ecri eyed his mentor, cynical of the praise and replied, softly."I could have given it to you sooner." He didn't like to admit being wrong but after speaking with his mentor, he came to the conclusion that Blastus was right. Blastus usually was so he was not surprised in the least by that development. All the same, it created a sense of frustration, of failure in his heart. All that time, while he had acquired good information, what could he have shared? Could he have cost them valuable time? "I should have- "

Blastus put his free hand on Ecri's shoulder, "Ecri, what did I always tell you about focusing on past mistakes?"

Nodding, Ecri repeated, "Focus only long enough to see the lesson, not so long that you burn your eyes."

Blastus gave an affirmative nod, "So, let's not focus on it now. We have new information, we have new leads. We should head back to the council chambers and let our comrades know!" He smiled, gently, "They will welcome any leads and you may have given us one of the best. We are discovering a lot about Emi but not nearly as much on the prison itself."

Ecri paused in his step as they walked, causing his mentor to give pause. Ecri had not responded to his latest inquiry and statement so he turned and asked, "Ecri?"

The purple knight had set his eyes up the stairwell that led to the Gummiscope "You said that Corvi stated he had seen Emi? That she had killed Gustav?"

Blastus nodded, feeling his heart ache again for his squire. The poor child. He needed to get done what needed to be done in the council chamber and as soon as he was able, he needed to speak with the boy. There was something else, something deeper. Blastus could see it in Corvi's eyes, in his body language. It made Blastus feel uneasy. Corvi was a strong kid, he had always been so but with so much hurt thrown on him, dear Gum, how much was one person capable of taking on? Corvi was prideful and tried to put up a hard face but he needed to let down that wall and grieve. It was vital. "Yes. That's what he reported to us. When I left the chamber, they were discussing investigating Lady Bane's castle for possible connections. According to what Corvi overheard, Emi frequented it."

Frowning, Ecri inquired, "Have we heard from Lady Cressi? I sent a message to her, asking to talk to her because of Morri's odd behavior. If this memory was repressed, as you say Corvi said it was, then she should be informed." He eyed his mentor. "Corvi may need his mother and frankly, Lady Cressi's knowledge of Old Gummi could be useful."

Blastus nodded, "I agree. I don't believe we've received any messages from her but frankly, I haven't had a chance to check."

Ecri gave a jostle of the head in kind, "Let me check quickly and I'll meet you in the Council Chamber." he paused, gave his mentor a smile, a small one but a smile nonetheless, "I promise."

Blastus gave him a nod in response as the younger bear hurried up the stairs. If there had been any messages received throughout the daylight, they would still be present. As for himself, he needed to hurry back and tell his brothers about Ecri's discoveries! The Gummadoon Staff being a key was a huge step in the right direction! He could give a small bits of information prior to Ecri's arrival as well as have some good news for a change regarding his old squire! It would do well to repair their hurting heart.

The information was also invaluable. It gave them some insight to the prison that Emi was frequenting but it also told Blastus that their time was short. If the magic was wearing thin then they would need to be quick and discover how to replace the seal. If they could figure out a timeline then all the better! Timelines usually had a means of telling how something had been created. While not a lot was known on Emi's prison, there was much more known on the Gummadoon Staff. They might be able to use this information backwards to learn about the prison!

Rushing down the hall, Blastus noted the darkened sky; when had the time slipped so far away? He hoped that some success and answers had been discovered in his absence!

Ecri hurried to the Gummiscope's platform. He needed to be with Blastus when the news was given; he had to provide as much information as possible. He only hoped that his family of knights could forgive him for being so isolative and foolish. Blastus had reassured him and he admitted that such an act generated an almost forgotten sense of belonging and acceptance but all the same, he hoped his delay had not been too costly for them. Hearing what they had learned from Corvi made the young knight shudder. Dear Gum, to see one's own father killed in front of them. At that time, when little Cori was born, Corvi would have been Toni and Cubbi's age. To have that memory suddenly thrust back into the forefront of your mind…

Lady Cressi needed to return! Aside from the fact that her children needed her desperately now, the apparent use of Old Gummi had been found to be frequent in uncovering Emi Gummi's secrets. Lady Cressi was well known not only throughout Gummadoon but among a great number of the gummi cities as being one of the few remaining who were fluent in the Old Gummi tongue. Much of their elders knew the language on a scholarly level. While this was certainly to be respected, it was quite different than having someone who spoke it by heart. Those people could know all the little intricacies of the language. Case in point, almost all of Blastus' trainees grew up becoming fluent in French, picking up slang and phrases that no book could teach you. Ecri remembered well the first time he had snapped back at Blastus a phrase he had picked up from the knight. Blastus had turned swiftly to his serious tone and told him that such desrespect was not to be used towards anyone. Ecri had inquired why Blastus had used it in reference to Ramsei and that had been the end of it. Though, he had been much more careful with his wording.

The point was that Emi Gummi had spoken Old Gummi as her primary tongue. If they were to uncover what had happened, if they were to uncover what she was planning, they NEEDED Old Gummi.

Ecri was relieved to find a message awaiting him on the scope. It seemed to have been delivered a little bit ago but still recent enough that something might be done at the morning's first light. Taking a breath, the knight investigated the message only to find an odd pressure settle over his heart. It certainly was not the reply he had expected. He truthfully did not know what to make of it however. It was not bad news but it certainly contrasted with what Corvi had been telling them, at least from what Ecri could ascertain.

It read- "We have not heard or seen Lady Cressi in several weeks. Our last correspondence with her indicated she had fallen ill. Perhaps seek out nearby healers? Do keep us informed on her status."

Ecri frowned. So, Cressi was not at Ursalia and indeed, it seemed she had not been there for weeks. Ecri remembered that she had gone to Ursalia not long after Gummadoon was stable again, helping some of their librarians translating some of the old texts. She had fallen ill about a week before all this mess started. Yet, Corvi had insisted that she had gone to Ursalia. Had she gone and left? No, no, as busy as Ursalia was now, someone would have seen her and reported it as such. Everyone in Ursalia knew Lady Cressi.

This was disturbing.

Gummadoon Council Chambers

Thus far, they had gotten some things achieved.

Cubbi was still leading the meeting for the most part, enough that he did not even worry about how his reading sounded. In fact, he barely even noticed when one of the adults corrected his pronunciation and even when it was a long word, he pushed through, sounding it out. If he had not been so focused on the subject at hand, he would have caught the small half smile of pride on his mentor's face. He was not focused on how he sounded or looked though, simply on getting the information as quickly as they could. With all the adults there, those mystery words quickly became known and while they did not achieve as much as they would have wanted, they had some leads. Namely, they seemed to uncover a lot of information on the prison designed for Emi though which was a huge advantage.

Plucki raised his hand for silence and as always, he received it. He turned to his squire, "Is there anything else, Cubbi?"

The cub set his eyes on the magical book, frowning, "Uh uh. That's the end of the section on that tapestry." He sighed deeply. He had been hoping there would be more. It wasn't that what was there was not useful but he found that there still was not a lot of information on ways to reinforce the prison nor any more information on Emi in general. Cubbi hoped and strove to be able to defeat and keep his loved ones safe from Emi but he also knew deep in his bones that the chance of her escaping was becoming more and more real.

Sir Plucki nodded, "Alright, let's go over what we do know then, lad."

Cubbi nodded, turned, addressed the room, again, feeling not so much on the spot but empowered. "Okay, so the tapestry, I guess, said that prison has a lot of different exits but only the main one is locked. 'Cause she won't be able to pass through the others while there's hate in her." He eyed Plucki, "Said the prison is emp-empa—" He groaned in frustration when the word escaped his memory but Sir Gumlittle, while still looking haunted and heart broken, managed a soft chuckle of encouragement.

"Empathic?"

Cubbi nodded, "Right. So it won't let her out those other exits unless that anger and stuff is gone. So the tapestry had these pictures woven into it that showed what the other exits were. Guess they're all over the place and that their important "gummi hearts." The cub frowned, "Though I _Still_ dunno exactly what THAT means." He frowned again, deeper, "But guess you can't seal all the exits that way. So, her reachin' out and stuff means that whatever they used to seal the main exit is fading." He eyed Plucki, "I mean, that's how I understood it."

Plucki gave a smile to his squire and squeezed his shoulder, "As did I, young squire. You did well."

Despite the gravity of the situation, it felt good to hear the praise and Cubbi gave his mentor a nod. He wanted to smile but it felt so wrong right now, even if some of the adults were managing it. He did catch the proud smiles from Gruffi and Zummi when he had been reading. No time to dwell on that now. So, instead, he directed his attention to the Council, well, the remaining council. Sir Gumlittle and Wooddale had left a bit ago when Tavi came rushing in and while Sir Gumlittle had come back, Wooddale had not. Nonetheless, they had to carry on so the young squire instead sent his attention towards Councilor Berrybottom, "Can magic do that? Turn emotion into a lock or somethin'?"

Berrybottom paused a moment before he nodded in reply, "Yes, young one. It is quite complicated to actually incorporate it into a spell but emotion, in many ways, is the lifeblood of magic."

"Life…blood?"

Plucki spoke out, "Life blood is a way of saying that in some ways emotions creates magic."

Councilor Flurryfeather spoke out, "Well spoken, Captain. It is how we gummies first began to explore magic—to repeat the glorious feelings of happiness, of joy, of excitement. Emotion fuels us! It was only much later that we started to use it for defense. Before then, it was to cancel out negative with positive. Joy to replace sadness, calm to replace anger and so on. We only started to branch out into other arenas when we needed to start to defend ourselves."

Zummi spoke out, "Yes, that is where the medallions came in, to avent pbuse—er, prevent abuse."

The room seemed to nod in agreement and while Cubbi was glad for the clarification, he still had to inquire, "So, now, we're left with the big exit though. Why is it suddenly failin'?"

Before anyone could reply, Sir Blastus returned, though it was clear he was distressed and would much rather be somewhere else. Cubbi guessed that he wanted to be with Corvi. He could not blame him. Grammi still hadn't returned so he figured she was trying to help Corvi. He really hoped that Grammi managed to work her magic with him but if Blastus' stressed face was any indication, not as much progress had been made as they hoped. Still, as much as he wanted to fix that, he had to focus on what he could do right now.

"Sir Blastus-"

"Apologies, mon Capitain." Blastus responded, though he addressed only his brothers, not the room. "I believe we have made some progress. Soon as he gets here—" he turned and looked over his shoulder and sure enough, within a few minutes, who should enter but Sir Ecri! He still looked a wreck to Cubbi but there was definitely something different about him, maybe in his eyes? It was so weird to see him in the light though! Cubbi didn't really recall having seen him in the light for a while! He always stuck to the shadows, to the darkened rooms. He looked horrible! Thin, weary…sick almost.

"Sir Ecri…" Plucki took a moment to gather his breath, so stunned was he to see the knight again!

"Captain," Ecri finally spoke, bowing his head, "I…apologize for not being…as involved as I should have been. My absence was…inexcusable but…I ask your forgiveness…all the same."

Cubbi stared at Plucki as the Captain stepped forward and clasped the knight's hands tight in his own, "Inexcusable, no, I would not call it such, Ecri. Understandable but worrisome, yes but not inexcusable. There is no forgiveness needed for me to extend." He smiled at Ecri, so thrilled to hear him speak again! He would have felt better to see the knight looking better but this was improvement from before! Indeed, Plucki could hear murmuring about the room, all expressing the same sentiment as him—relief at their lost one back again!

"Sir Blastus has informed me of what you have learned thus far and I believe I have discovered some things of my own regarding Emi's prison, as well as some disturbing news." He eyed Blastus in particular, "Lady Cressi has not been to Ursalia, Blastus. They have not seen her for weeks. We will need to find out what is going on from Corvi. Lady Cressi is many things but not a liar. If she was going somewhere else, she would have said such. I know young Corvi is not thought of as a liar either but there is untruth somewhere."

Blastus' face turned dark, not angry per say but there was a seriousness there that few ever saw. Ecri took that as a promise that as soon as he could, it would be addressed. As much as he wished to find out NOW, that was not an option. His best option was to share what he knew so they could come up with a plan of action so Blastus could investigate. And then, perhaps, they could allow some of the younger ones to sleep. Cubbi, despite his energy, was starting to tremble, if only slightly. He was running on pure adrenaline and despite his desire to help, his body would only hold out so long. He knew from Blastus that as it was, the cub had only managed a few hours sleep when they had informed the council of Merlinni's book. Now, it had nearly been another day! Few adults could power on that long, especially with so much emotion pouring in the atmosphere. This needed to reach a breathing point soon!

Turning back to face the whole room, Ecri spoke out, "I believe that you have uncovered there is a key locking Emi's prison."

"Yes, on the main entrance." Councilor Berrybottom remarked. He quickly informed the missing knight of what they had discovered about the additional exits, before inquiring, "You believe you have information on the key to the main exit, young knight?"

Ecri nodded firmly, "The Gummadoon Staff."

Silence literally surrounded the room. Ecri took a breath and elaborated, "Magic takes time to dissipate if interrupted unexpectedly, correct, depending on the depth of the spell?"

"…Yes," Councilor Spinwillow finally spoke out, "Yes, it can take hours to months, depending."

"Months ago, the Gummadoon Staff was destroyed. A staff that was deemed cursed for having been so tainted with negative energy. Now, mere months after its destruction, Emi's prison appears to be disintegrating. Not much was known about the staff except that it seemed to be full of negative power. If my history lessons are correct and if the research I encountered is right, then negative energy was bound into the staff. Is it possible that its existence was keeping the spell sealed and now with it gone, that seal is slowly disappearing?" Ecri spoke slowly and evenly but one could hear the doubt, the fear in his tone.

Many whispers, shouts and chants rose up, with most of them bordering on panic. Sir Plucki whistled sharply through his teeth, making the room fall still. When he spoke out, his voice was deep, commanding and one that Cubbi could not help but stare at, "Enough! Panicking will do us little good, gummies! We gathered here to receive answers and we are receiving them, in abundance. We have evidence that there is knowledge on Emi at Lady Bane's palace. We will develop teams to investigate that. We have evidence that the main entrance to her prison is of utmost importance. Magicians, you should investigate that and see what can be done to strengthen it. I suspect looking into how the Staff itself worked. Are we in agreement on those items?"

The room expressed an affirmative nod.

Councilor Berrybottom spoke out, "Alright, let us look at these one at a time. The Staff…"

Tavi's Dream

"You know where Concordia is?"

Tavi's words were rushed, scrambled and desperate. As it was, she was near tears at the ghost's feet. "I do, child and as I said, there is a journey involved. You must prove your worth for it with bravery."

Nodding firmly, "I'll do anything to help my brother!" the young girl meant that with every fiber of her being. She was going to save her brother. There was no way that he was going to die, not a second death, not an eternal death, none of that! Not while she had breath in her at any rate! No way! "Just tell me where!"

"Concordia is within the bowels of Gummi Glen." The ghost said softly, "Deep within the forbidden halls. Not far from the prison you seek to find and strengthen."

Tavi blinked, "Why put it so close to her? She could use it!"

Destini shook her head, "Why do you believe she has not yet broken free? Concordia frightens even her but your brother's need of it is dire. As it stands, your comrades are close to sealing her permanently."

"How do I get there?" she demanded. "Tell me!" While she was concerned about Emi, she was not of the utmost importance right now. All she needed to know what that Concordia was near so she would need to be careful. Fine. Now how to get to it. She needed to know. She would grab her things and go right now!

"Hush. You must go beyond the library, to where the walls seem to end. There, you will find an entrance, hidden in the wood. Follow it. Concordia calls out to those in need of it. You shall know when you are near."

Tavi awoke with a start, panting. She felt groggy; like her legs were heavy but her heart was wide awake. Thank Gum for Destini! Her brother wasn't going to die! No. There was an answer and now she knew how to get to it. Well, partially anyway. She knew the Glen was big but she would search it top and bottom if she had to. Jumping up, she pulled on some shoes, not even bothering to change out of the night gown she was in (her aunt's doing she was sure) and rushed out of the room, pausing only to look at her still brother. "Don't worry Lucki. Your little sister is gonna save you."

Now…how to get to Gummi Glen…

Gummadoon Kitchen

Corvi padded down Gummadoon's halls with not much expression on his face. He really didn't feel like showing any emotion, good or bad. What was the point? As it stood, he was so emotionally drained, he doubted that he could have expressed anger if he wanted to. He just wanted…he wanted this to be over. He wanted it done. He wanted to crawl into a dark hole and never come out. He wanted to sob and cry and wail until his throat tore. He could not. Despite everything falling apart around him, he could not.

On his way to the kitchen, he had stopped by his brothers' room for the time being. Morri looked so tired and scared. He told him how his play dates with Panni were going and it scared Corvi. No cub should play like that, no cub should request stories like that and yet his little brother was. Then, he heard how all Cori's toys were "sad" now. That also wasn't right. No three year old's toys should be sad. They should be mischievous and playful and joyful! Then, then on top of all that, Morri asked about Mother. And Father. His questions were innocent enough but Gum, why now?

Was Mother in pain anymore? Of course not, he told him.

Was she with Father? Definitely, Corvi had reassured him.

What about Bigger Brother? Tori, right? Corvi had told Morri that yes, their eldest brother was with them for certain.

Could they see us? Feel us? Would he see them in his dreams sometimes? What was Tori like? How did he die? Did he look like Mother when he died? Was he in pain? Did he get sick like Mother? Was Corvi or Cori going to get sick too?

Corvi answered them all as best he could, including holding his brother close when he started to whine and cry about missing Mother. But, Gum, it was so hard. He just wanted to sob himself but he couldn't. He had to stay strong for Morri. What would it do to Morri if he suddenly broke down into tears? What about Cori? No, he had no choice but to answer those questions, one after another until his brother wore himself out and went back to bed, though not after requesting another question be answered, asking "Where do our souls go? Do they die too?"

That one hit hard and Corvi had only managed a "No, they don't die" and thankfully, Morri accepted that. But as he laid his brother down, tucked him in and checked on his youngest brother, the image of his best friend came back to his mind. Dying. Again. Not like before though, an eternal death. He would never…ever…see him again. His personality, that gentle spirit…just gone forever. Then, there was the nature of his mother. She was gone and despite how he tried, he was not his mother. He was doing what he could but he could not undo death for his little brothers. So much death they'd seen. So much death…

He couldn't make his mother come back. Nor his father, nor his eldest brother. Just like he could not save Lucki. He was so useless. All he could do was stand by and watch death pick off his loved ones, one by one. He was always there, to watch them die and be useless and helpless to stop it. First, Tori, when he had been only a little younger than Morri himself. He had come in to check on him, not understood why Tori did not move. Shook him, found him cold and hard. Stood there when his mother collapsed in tears and cursed the healers. Watched his father's hard outer wall melt and the knight crumble.

Then, when Father…he had laid there, in the cornfields like a coward. Never mind that Father told him to. Never mind that he had lost against the worst threat imaginable to any gummi. The fact remained that he had not tried to help. He had laid there when his father's blood splattered all over his face. He had seen his father's chest stop rising and falling. Surely, he could have done something! Worse yet, when that horrible gummi woman had vanished, he had ran. He had not tried to help his father nor protect his body but ran. He ran like a coward.

Then, Lucki…poor Lucki. He had looked so petrified, even with his eyes brushed shut when they carried him in from the battlefield. He had tried to claw his way over, screaming it was a lie, that it was not true. Blastus had pulled him back, held him firm. He had screamed, cursed, yelled, threatened, tried to kick and push his way over, screaming all the while about how his best friend could not be dead. And now…now, he was back but…not to stay. He would die, again. But this time with no peace awaiting him.

And Mother…dear Gum, forgive him! He should have pressed. He should have forced a healer on her. He should have stayed by her side. If he had been in the room, he would have noticed her breathing. Maybe he could have stopped her death. All his family, all he ever did was watch them die or find them dead! He was cursed, it seemed. To bring death to those he cared about. He didn't want to see it anymore. Just, please, someone make it stop. Make the pain stop, make the pounding in his head stop, make his stomach stop.

Corvi pushed his way into Gummadoon's side kitchen, blinking slightly when a weary Toni sat up. "Corv? Didn't you go into the meeting?"

"Yes," Corvi's tone was mechanical as he walked past Toni and into the pantry. The young cub followed him, quietly. "Why are you still up? If you aren't in the meeting, Gumlittle would want you sleeping, like Martinni and Flynn."

Toni scoffed, watching the teen look through the shelves of baskets and bottles. "I wanna find out as soon as they come out. I'd just go in there if I had anythin' to add." He frowned, watching the blond teen carefully. The older cub took a bottle off the shelf studied it intently, like he'd never seen it before. Toni had. It was Gummiberry brandy. The adults sometimes drank it when they were celebrating but it had weird effects on cubs. Said it made them super sick or something because their bodies couldn't process it right or something. Said it was something you got on your eighteenth year because your body could handle it now. But Toni had only seen Gumlittle drink a cup of it once.

"Corv? That's gummiberry brandy."

The teen took a second and third bottle of it and just sank to the floor, like he was out of energy. Then, then he just popped the cork and drank it! Obedient Corvi was drinking gummiberry brandy! No, not just drinking it, downing it! Like, gulping it! He drank half of the bottle before he said, "Yep." His eyes never met Toni's but the blue cub was officially freaked out. Since when did Corvi act like this? This was something even HE wouldn't have tried and there was not a lot that went into that category.

As for Corvi, the brandy burned going down, like gulping fire a bit but it worked fast. It made him feel a little giddy, a bit weird but it was dulling that emotional ache. He knew Toni was there, asking him something but he was barely listening. No point. No point in listening. No point. Just make the pain stop. That was all he wanted. Nothing he did ever fixed anything and he could not handle this. He could not. He wanted to, wanted to so badly but he could not. There was nothing he could…

"Corvi!"

He turned then, seeing Toni still standing there, mouth open like a fish. Corvi looked to the bottle in his hand, took another swig, forcing the last of it down. Setting the empty bottle down, he grasped the second bottle, repeating the process. He was sure Toni was yelling at him but right at that point, he was feeling his senses continue to dull. The more he drank, the more they dulled. He thought he felt Toni try to yank at him, to get him off the floor but he pushed the boy away, winding up face first for his efforts but he didn't drop the bottle. Just down a little more and then the pain won't be there. Yep, just…

Toni, feeling frightened and in an odd way, left the teen there, face down on the floor of the pantry and ran for the council chamber.

Corvi uncorked the third. Just a little more. That was all. He had gotten three because that was all he needed. Truth be told, one probably would have done it but he wanted to be sure. No more pain, just for a little bit. He was sure he was going to regret this later when the side effects hit but…

Wait, did Toni just run out?

He was going to tell the adults, wasn't he? Gum, what was he thinking? He could shooed Toni out or waited or…

Corvi set the half empty bottle down, buried his face in the ground and murmured, "Blastus is gonna…kill…me…"

Toni experienced some difficulty getting into the council chamber because he was not one of the ones invited in. He had not been well informed enough and while that had initially irritated him, he had finally settled for the fact he was going to have to wait. The kitchen was tedious but it was also the closest so he would have answers the soonest from there. It was mind numbingly boring but then Corvi had come in and well, then it had been anything but boring. In fact, it scared him. The look in Corvi's eyes, his tone…all of it!

Finally fed up with the guard patrolling the door, Toni delivered a well-placed kick to the center of the shin and ducked under the knight's grip and pushed through the doors. The guards on the inside swiftly protested his entry but stopped swiftly, when he announced his reasoning, "Blastus, you better come quick. I dunno what's wrong with Corvi but he's freakin' me out!"