For a moment, Corvi couldn't reply, trying to get his breath back after the heaving and wiping the sickness from his mouth with the back of his hand. He blinked, opened his eyes, still hunched over and quickly slammed his eyes shut again, moving a sluggish arm to cover his face from the offending light, as minor as it was. Again, he heard Blastus giving that little tsk of disapproval but he did not elaborate on it. However, the knight did reach over and lower the light though he did not extinguish it completely. All the same, he was grateful for the small gesture. "Sorry…"
"Not pleasant, n'est ce-pas?" Blastus inquired, though without venom. There was without a doubt the touch of disappointment, of sternness that one did not normally hear from the jovial knight but given the circumstances, it was expected. Underneath all of it though, there was…worry, a deep, heartfelt worry that made Corvi's heart sick. Now that his wits were catching up with him, it was quite apparent that he had no way out from this one. Corvi wondered though, should he even try? He was causing so much worry in Blastus; even through the knight's stern vocal level, he could hear it. Beyond that, he had to admit he was rather disgusted with himself. Gum, what if he had made it back to his brothers in a drunken haze? His heart ran cold at that thought! He could have hurt them, even unintentionally. Dear Gum…
He lunged forward and heaved again, bringing up more bile and water than anything else this time but the thought turned his stomach and it needed no help with that. He felt Blastus move some of his stray hairs away from his face.
If he had hurt his brothers…heck, he could have done it unintentionally. Not being aware, not being able to respond when they needed him? But…Gum, hadn't he been doing that all this time? He'd finally thought to bring them to the palace where adults ran all about. What about those past few weeks? Days? Morri was a reasonable one but he was still only seven years old! He'd been throwing the role of full time care-giver on a seven year old! Granted, he had rushed back as often as he could but who was doing most of the care for Cori? His seven year old brother.
Tears prickled in his eyes. Gum forgive him! Dear Gum, please forgive him. He was…he never meant to….he just…he didn't want to lose his brothers too! Nothing else, he could not take anything else being lost! First Father, then Mother, then Lucki…
Lucki…
He had made Lucki a promise. Lucki…who was going to pass away, again but this time with no reprieve. Gone, forever.
Corvi's head hung, his long hair falling into his eyes as his heaving gave way to tears. Pent up tears that came like a fountain, stress that flowed off his body like a spring rain. It had been a long time since he had cried so hard. Whenever he tried to stop, to cease the tears, they just continued to come, relentlessly. He felt the mattress sag after a moment and then Blastus's strong arms were around him, holding him close. And Blastus' stern but kind baritone, "Mon petit enfant, you carry so much stress on your heart. What weighs it so? What makes my responsible squire go drinking himself sick?"
"Mama…"
Blastus nodded, "You mentioned her a little in your drunken state." Blastus informed him, holding the boy tight.
"I…did?"
"Qui." The knight nodded and stroked the boy's long hair. "You said something about her sleeping like the dead and that she couldn't stroke your hair anymore."
Catching the lump in his throat, the boy sobbed, "She can't."
Not getting anywhere this way, Blastus inquired, "Corvus, we can sit here playing guessing games all day but it won't help you. You need to talk to me."
Without lifting his head, Corvi sobbed, feeling an odd sense of relief at speaking the words, "Mama can't because she's with Papa!"
Blastus stiffened a bit, stunned. Stunned enough that he did not even have time to respond before Corvi was jerking his head up, panic in his eyes, even as tears flowed down the boy's face in a steady stream. "She died, Blastus! She never got better when she got sick! I tol' her to call a healer. I tol' her to let me get help but she said no, no, no. So I listened. Gum, I should have gotten a healer anyway! I failed her! I let her die!"
"Corvi—"
"And then…then…I know little cubs get adopted really easy, I know that. My brothers are all I have left!" On this, the boy was adamant and grasped hold of Blastus' tunic so tightly that the fabric gave a little bit. "Don't let them take my brothers away, Blastus! Please!"
"Corvi!" Blastus moved his hands to clasp the boy by the cheeks and pull him back into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him, "Non, non, non, little lamb. No one is taking your brothers away."
The cub collapsed into sobs, all the sobs that had been encased in his heart since that day when he poured dirt onto his mother's still form. "I thought I was gonna lose them Blastus! I can't, I can't! Papa's gone, Mama's gone, Tori is gone! Am I cursed Blastus?"
Blastus shook his head, "Non, mon enfant, I don't think you are—"
"I must be!" Corvi cried out, "I was there when Papa died! I saw it! Papa's blood was all me Blastus!"
"Corvi—"
"And Tori! I was the one that found him! I went into his bedroom, shook him, asked him to come play and he was gone!"
"Corvi-"
"And Mama! My job was to take care of her, to help her get better and I failed her! I should have gotten a healer, I should have pushed her more!"
"Corvi-"
"And Morri and Cori are hurtin' and I dunno how to make it stop and now Lucki is dying and I can't stop that either. Make it stop Blastus! Make the pain stop!"
Blastus pulled the boy into his chest, even tighter and as odd as it might have been, he pulled the teen into his lap, saying softly, "Be at peace, little lamb. Your heart has taken on so much. Let me take some of it." Gum, what was he to do? He wasn't sure what he had been expecting but it certainly had not been that! Lady Cressi, gone? And the revelation of his buried memory of his father's death on top of that? Plus all the stress of preparation for Emi's potential danger? All of these things would be enough to make anyone break and poor Corvi had taken it all on with nary a thought…and all while having this horrific thought that his younger brothers would be wrenched from him as well? Blastus could not say that he would not have also wanted to numb such thoughts!
"That's why you went after the gummiberry brandy, mon enfant?" He inquired softly, non-accusing. "To numb some of this pain?"
Corvi nodded against Blastus' chest, shaking a bit still. "I…I thought it was gonna overwhelm me. I just wanted a few hours to not worry about it, not think about it. It's always runnin' through my head now Blastus. When Papa died…I see it now every time I close my eyes. And Tori…I still remember that day. I know I was a little shrimp but I remember. He was so cold but his eyes were open. They just…looked right through me." He shuddered at the memory and was grateful when the knight tightened his grip some. "And Mama…I was taking good care of her, Blastus but she wasn't getting' better. I tol' her to let me get a healer but she wouldn't listen. And you were sick too! I thought Mama would know if she needed more help and…" He broke down again, "And she died. I went in to check on her and she was gone. I hoped that she had fallen into a deep sleep or something but she was cold." Lowering his head, he sobbed, "When she didn't even move when I took her out to the woods, I knew for sure but I didn't want to believe it. And…I felt so bad…pouring all that dirt on her!"
Blastus stiffened, again, "Corvi, you buried her yourself?"
The cub nodded.
Gum Above! No cub should ever have to do such a thing! Ever! He eyed his young squire, "Dear Gum, Corvi! Why didn't you…"
The cub took a sharp inhale, saying, "I thought…Cori is at the ripe age to be adopted, you know that. Morri is young enough to. I thought if someone found out that both my parents were gone…I mean, I'm old enough to stay here and train still but not Morri, not Cori. I knew they'd snatched up quick." He bit his lower lip, feeling lower than he had ever felt before. "It's the most selfish thing I've ever done but I couldn't…I can't lose my brothers. Please. They're…all I have left!"
Blastus stiffened his voice, kept it caring but stiffened its tone so that there would be no doubt, no fear. He would drive that poisonous fear out of his young one!
"Corvi…my brave boy, no one is touching your brothers, I make that a promise to you, on my own life. I swear it."
Corvi locked eyes with his mentor. "You…swear…?"
Blastus took the boy's hand and pushed it against his chest, "As my heart beats, Corvi. On my heartbeat, on the breath in my chest…no one is taking your brothers from you"
The teen stared at him for just a moment, then buried his face into Blastus's shoulder, shaking with both the aftereffects of the alcoholic drink and with repressed sobs. Blastus slowly started to stroke the boy's long blond hair, softly whispering comforting words to him. How could he have let such a thing slip by him? Dear Gum…if he had intervened early? If he had spotted it, if he had…
Shaking his head, Blastus recalled what his elder brother had stated earlier, that there was nothing to be done about past events now. All he could do was repair what damage he could, repair what hurt he could, ease what heartache he could. So, he sat there, silent, letting his young squire sob until his shoulder was soaked. Never commenting except to remind the cub every so often that nothing was going to happen to his brothers, that he was there and things were going to be fine.
For young Corvi, his heart felt like it would burst. All his sorrows, all his pain, all of the past days week (or was it two?) of agony just spilled out. He was sure he was babbling, talking in nonsense terms but he could hardly do otherwise. His mentor, dear dependable Blastus, had made him a vow and Blastus never broke a vow. His brothers were not going to be taken away from him. That relief, that reassurance broke the last nail in his dam that held in all those tears. It had been a long time since he had emptied his heart onto his mentor. Gum, it felt so good!
It took a bit of time before Corvi finally broke his sobbing to ask, "How…long was I out?"
Allowing a small smile, Blastus looked at the clock, frowned. Corvi caught onto this right away, asking, "What's wrong Blastus?"
"Too much time." The knight frowned. "Even with all that brandy in your system…it's nearly three AM!"
Corvi jerked up "What?! You let me sleep that long?"
The knight frowned, "No. I drifted off myself. Still, I should not have been so out of it that I slept for so long." Blastus blinked, sniffed the air, catching that familiar smell, "Slumber sand.." He frowned. Something was afoot. Was that why he had drifted off so easily? He turned his sights to the cub in his arms. Dear Gum, could life not cut this poor cub a break? Now, when he had finally gotten somewhere with him, given him a chance to let those repressed emotions out and they had this mystery to sort out. Slumber sand was usually kept well away from mischievous cubs and even then, it was deemed important enough not to mess with, just as the juice was not to be played with. No, this was no mere prank.
"Corv-" Blastus began but his squire silenced him with a hand, a shaky smile. He looked utterly miserable. He was pale, shaking and Gum knew that the cub would rather be doing anything but rising and standing but that was precisely what he did. Disentangled himself from Blastus' arms, the young squire forced himself to his feet, though he swayed some and Blastus was immediately up and behind him. "Take it slow, Corvi."
"Somethin's going on, Blastus." He reminded the knight. "Slumber sand doesn't just randomly slip into the vents."
Gummadoon Inner Workings
Consciousness came slowly for the gummi woman. Blinking, Karleni's eyes focused and she sat up slowly. Her reddish hair draped into her eyes and she ran her brown furred hand over her face, trying to gather her wits. Glancing about, she recognized the inner workings of Gummadoon, where their technicians and inventors would maintain their cooling and heating systems. She could not recall coming here though. She did not make a habit of venturing into areas of mechanics and the like. It was not her forte. The last thing she remembered was that she had been speaking with one of the healer's assistants, asking if her son would please come to see her. So far, her Toni had not come near her, in any shape. It tore at her heart. They had never had the greatest relationship but they had possessed something of a relationship. Though, given the recent events, it really brought to Karleni's attention her lack of effort in striking up a strong bond with her son. It had been hardly intentional but he looked so much like his father…
"Oh Anthoni…" She murmured, mainly to herself, "How did I lose our child? I…you were supposed to have come home by now." Her smart-as-a-whip husband had been selected to travel to a foreign soil to perform some experiments on gummiberry production (among other things) and he had never returned. Toni had been so young, he scarcely remembered his father. Given that he had disappeared before Gummadoon vanished out of time and space, her Anthoni was at least 500 years older now. Given all the clues, plus the time past, everyone had told her that Anthoni was gone. She refused to believe it. In some ways, she still didn't. Yet, the pain of him being gone made her reluctant to spend extended periods of time with her son. He just…he looked SO much like Anthoni that it hurt her heart. It made her miss her dear love all the more!
She ground her hands into tight fists. Oh what she had lost these past nine years. It was truly sad that it had taken her being possessed to realize what she had right in front of her. And now…now…her son would not come near her! She had plead, begged and bribed anyone that she came in contact with to 'please, please, ask my son to come see me!' Thus far, they had all returned with the same message—Toni had no interest in seeing her. Dear Gum, that witch…what damage she had done. Was it irreversible? Her heart dreaded it might be so!
Feeling her eyes watering a bit, she rubbed at them, yelping a bit at the sharp sting. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes, staring at the odd color on her fingertips. A silvery-blue substance…
"Slumber sand?" The sleeping solution was well known to the citizens of Gummadoon but all the same, Karleni scarcely ever saw it. She trailed the odd mixture of it on her fingers, to the floor and then the short distance away from her…
Jumping to her feet, she gasped in horror at the remains of one of their vials of slumber sand lay less than a foot away from her, at the entry way to one of their air ducts. Shaking with the realization, as well as the realization that she could not recall any of it…which meant that once again, she had been compromised, she collapsed in tears. "No! No! Not again!" How could she have allowed…she fallen prey once and the things she had said…the things she had done…she would be trying to make amends for that until her last breath! The things she had said and done…her only child drew away from her as if she were diseased as it were! Now, again! And why…
There had to be something she could do. If she could fall prey so easily and remember so little…what if she were to attack her son again? No, no, she could not allow that! She …it was her fault for wallowing for so long in her pity, in her grief. Toni needed her to become strong again, to be able to resist such horrific influences. Gum, she could not fall victim again! No, no, she could not, she would not! Her son…she had to get her son back and right now, she would not blame him for not wanting to come near her. She did not want to be near herself!
No! No! She could not fall into this despair. She had to win her son back! She would! She must! She had to! It WOULD happen! She would win his trust back and he would come back to her and she would at the very least get to hold him in her arms once more…
Rushing off in a huff, her skirts rushing behind her like a multicolored cloud, Karleni burst back into the main halls of Gummadoon.
Hand to her mouth in disbelief as well as in heart-wrenching grief, she could only shake and collapse against the wall at the sight of gummies slowly arousing in the hall, at the confused faces glancing back and forth, at the whispered questions. Sliding to the floor slowly, Karleni shook visibly and buried her face into her arms. Dear Gum, what had she done and why? It was not like last time. It was…and yet it was not. Before, she could recall what she had done, as much as she had wanted to forget (how she prayed even now to make it go away) but this one…she had no recollection, none at all! That was somehow even more frightening. What had she done…why had she done this…WHO and WHY were they using her? Had her dear son collapsed only to awaken frightened and unsure? She felt a strong urge to tear through Gummadoon's halls, seeking out her child, but the fear he had looked upon her with the last time she had seen him, the cry of "NO!" when they had shared sick bay upon her request to see him…
She would only terrify him.
Her actions had potentially sent her son crashing to the ground, maybe possibly injured by the fall and she knew in her heart that he would recoil from her as one recoiled from a poisonous serpent. Depression overwhelmed her and she crumbled into a pile of tears and shakes.
That was how Sarrika found her, arms folded and sobbing into her chest.
"Karleni! There you are! Gum, forgive me…we should have checked…_I_ should have checked in on you sooner." Sarrika knelt, took the poor abused gummi woman's hand. For a moment, the gummi lady did not reply but then, slowly, she lifted a tear-stained face.
"What did I do?" She inquired, with a choking voice. "I cannot recall. Please. What did I do?"
Sarrika had hoped, had prayed that things had not been as she feared. She had hoped that maybe the gummi woman had left seeking her son. That would have been better than what she had heard as she rushed through the halls, amid the awakening gummies. Everyone that had seen Karleni had reported the same thing: the gummi woman had moved mechanically, her face empty and pale, never responding to anything. Another possession? Gum, was there no escape or reprieve for this poor woman? Could she not do anything to help? She should have checked in on her more often…she had failed her patient in the worst of ways!
"It seems that all you have done is give everyone an extended nap." Sarrika tried to reassure her. "No harm done…"
"This would not have occurred if I had been stronger. How can you say there was no harm done, Sarrika?" Karleni demanded, tears of frustration and horror in her eyes. "Someone took my body for their own use, again! I know not what they wanted me to drug the city for but surely it was for some devious reason! I..I cannot fall victim again, Sarrika! I cannot! I must resist, I must be of aid, of help, not hindrance. Then…maybe my son…" She trailed off, eyed Sarrika. "Please, Sarrika. I must…do something."
Gummadoon Guest Chambers
Waking up put Gruffi in even more of a foul mood, if that was possible. Well, it was not so much he was in a bad mood before, it was more of a stressed mood. The words exchanged within the Council Chamber carried a lot of weight and what he had learned from Grammi and Zummi carried even more weight. He'd grown up like most any other cub, knowing the story of Emi only as a frightening tale that one would utilize to spook a friend. Oh, he had guessed there to be some truth to it (as Zummi said, most, if not all, of gummi legends and stories were based in fact) but the extent of truth that there was both shocked and frightened him.
Gruffi Gummi despised both of these.
Sleep was simply not possible. While he and Grammi had tried to persuade Sunni and Tummi to rest, the two of them were not having it. Thus, the entire group of the Glen, including Gusto, had ended up in Gruffi's chamber. It was plenty large enough. Oh, the questions that Sunni and Tummi had thrown at him, Zummi and Grammi. Demands for explanation, requests for "truth" and all sorts of other emotion-fueled requests. Most of them asked the same thing—why had they not been told about such an atrocious thing in the Glen's history? The short answer had been simple enough: it had fallen away to simple story for a great deal of them. Gruffi had grown up without any knowledge of the blasted entryway until the incident with Kashimi and Merri.
Grammi had been quick to tell Sunni and Tummi that they had "just been tryin' to protect you." That was her answer to a lot of things but in this case, it made a lot of sense, more so than usual for the overprotective maternal gummi. After all, what good would it do to frighten cubs when you didn't even know enough about what you were tryin' to protect them from? It hadn't made a lot sense to Gruffi or the others to really elaborate on it. When the cubs had been young, a simple "you're not allowed down there" had been enough. Now it seemed that such dark times were not to be pushed aside so easily.
Folding her arms, Sunni glared at the threesome of adults, "And you never thought it might be good to let us know all this?"
Grammi sighed, ran a hand through her hair, "Sweetie, there wasn't a whole lot to tell. I mean, sure, we knew somethin' nasty was down there but we didn't bother to look into it."
Zummi adjusted his glasses, "You have to sundersand unni—er, understand Sunni: Grammi and I didn't see any of this. We just heard the legends. Most we got was venturing near that hallway and hearing whispers of bad luck being from Emi. Nothin' else."
Tummi frowned, spoke out, "Still. You could have told us some of it. Once we were old enough."
Grammi answered him honestly, taking hold of his hand with a gentle but firm grip, as if wanting to convey all her emotions in that simple grasp, "Tummi, dear, the things that are in those stories…I still don't think I'm old enough to handle them. I didn't want to put them on you."
Sunni frowned but quite frankly, how could she argue that type of point? The few things she had heard in the meeting were enough to make her weak in the knees. The very idea of a gummi killing people was one thing but it seemed that this gummi had not just killed some, but lots. And lots. And lots of people. As much as she had wished she had been informed about these things beforehand, she could also see why the adults opted not to tell them. If she had grown up never knowing about Emi, she was pretty sure that would have suited her fine.
Then…that ignorance was also why they were in the situation they were: grasping for answers from anywhere. They had failed to preserve the facts and now they had so many holes. Frowning, in deep concentration, she addressed Gusto, who was oddly quiet, "Gusto, did you know about any of this?"
The sky blue artist had hardly said anything since their group had gathered, "I heard stories. My warren used to say not to even mention her name, just called her things like 'lost one.'" Gusto shrugged "I know about as much as you guys though. Knew she did lots of bad stuff, knew she was eventually caught and imprisoned. Beyond that…I got nothing."He scoffed, almost laughed "dismissed it as a fairy tale to be honest, Sunners."
Silence again and Zummi sighed aloud "If only it was…"
Gruffi groaned, "Look. No point wishin'. That ain't going to help. Thinkin' and remembering is. There's gotta be somethin' else. Something we're missing."
Silence. That blasted deafening silence.
Zummi took a deep breath finally, asking, "You said you sealed up that tunnel, Gruffi?" Much as he did not want to address those old days, Gruffi was right. It did not help to fret over wishes and if-onlys. The best thing they could do was dig into their combined knowledge as much as possible. Surely, with the stories and experiences of all of them, there had to be something! That entrance seemed to be the best place to start. Zummi shuddered at the mere memory of it but perhaps Gruffi had come to know more than he thought over the years.
Snorting, the handibear replied, "Tight as anything. Wasn't much left to sort through anyway. When you two blasted it, you did good. Kashimi just got unlucky. She tried to wiggle underneath some of the fallen beams and the walls gave way. Not much else to say about it." Gruffi didn't want to say anything else about it. Truthfully, he'd never forget that day. He'd been younger but he'd rushed down there all the same when that horrible crash rumbled through the Glen. Actually gave him a start; they never went near that ol' crumblin' tunnel entrance. Didn't even know what was beyond it. Leave it to curious Kashimi and Merri to seek it out. He knew there was a lower level of the Glen where there used to more rooms and such. Just never saw a reason to question why it was closed off. He was told the Great Gummies deemed it 'lost' and that was enough for him.
Until that day.
Not until he found Kashimi's crushed body. The older ones murmured about the 'dark curse' claiming another one. Gruffi never put much stock in that. It was…a feeling. Gruffi had learned to trust his instincts and when he and the others removed Kashimi from that horrific wreckage, he heard haunting crying, sobbing, yelling. He could never pinpoint where it came from but he knew he never wanted to see that tunnel again. The faint gaps in the fallen beams had only shown pitch blackness. Not like anything Gruffi had ever seen or had seen since. The light from their lamps and candles seemed to be swallowed up. It made no sense. None at all.
Gruffi cleared his throat, addressed Zummi's question finally, "Yeah. Couldn't do much about the beams without renovating the whole hallway so we just put a thick door in front of it. Locked it tight." That much he had made certain of. He had calculated how thick they needed to make the door and then tripled it. He didn't want any speck of that hallway invading out. Not a speck. The idea of venturing down the hall, even just a bit to reinforce the walls…no, no, that could not and would not be done.
"So…we've…" Sunni paused, yawned. "sealed off her…prison…but…"
Grammi smiled, was about to suggest that Sunni get to bed when she found herself yawning. Not once, not twice but three times.
Gruffi was pretty sure that was when everything went black.
That was all they'd accomplished that Gruffi could remember. He knew for Gum sure though that his clan had not just all decided to collapse where they were and sleep. Not when he had been ready to comment on what Solei had said. He should have thought of it earlier! One of the elders had commented that Solei had been fond of saying "the hallway's a reflection. Not all reflections are pleasant." Gruffi had not pondered much on it at the time, just wanted to seal that hallway up. Once that final nail had been put into the wooden barrier, the false wall, the noises had gone silent.
Now though, thinking back on it—Solei was Lumina's daughter, Sunni's mom. Apparently Lumina had designed the prison. Had she tol' her daughter something? Was Solei tryin' to tell them something?
No time to worry about it now though. As Gruffi went from Sunni to Tummi,to Grammi, Zummi and even to Gusto, he narrowed his eyes, "I don't like this. Somethin' is up."
That was all the warning they got before they heard a cub's shouting in the hall. Throwing open the door, Grammi briefly spotted the cub they'd be introduced to earlier, called Toni. He was dashin through the halls, clutching that magical book to his chest, calling, "Hello! Anyone? Come on! Where is everyone?! Cubbi and Tavi are in trouble!"
The group of Glens rushed after the rapid-paced cub like fire.
Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers
Within his mind, Lucki found that a conversation with Lady Bane had hardly gotten any easier. The woman had agreed to help and to share what she knew but she was being very picky about what she revealed. It seemed that she HAD kept tabs on the motions and actions of Emi Gummi. Truthfully, it was hard for Lucki to sort through it. The things that Lady Bane had observed were horrific and yet the woman never seemed to be bothered by it. When she uncovered a memory of Emi's attack on Bera, she had laughed, outright laughed.
Lucki on the other hand, had felt sick.
Seeing the corpses of the dead gummi city, even in Lady Bane's memory, was sickening. He could see all kinds of gummies, young and old, just sprawled about, dying and bleeding out. It was like seeing the remains of a huge battle laid out before you. Yet Lady Bane never faltered, never changed her sick joy at it. In fact, it was halfway through this memory that Lucki come to the conclusion that this was not going to work. It was quite apparent she was choosing what to reveal to him. Of course she meant to turn on them; Lucki had no doubts on that. However, it was vital that he break her, that he get to her, that he make her be cooperative. Time was short. The slumber sand would wear off soon enough and then, they had to make progress. It was essential.
She was afraid of Emi. Oh, Lucki knew that to be fact. Her emotions when they both realized that Emi had invaded their mind, the way she had joined forces with him to shove that entity out. That was what he needed to focus on. That fear. Emotions always led to memories. Lady Bane, like a lot of the enemies they encountered, did not put much stock in emotions. In fact, she tried as much as possible to cast all and any emotions out of her, save for the emotions of greed and longing for conquest. Hence, while she put up a fierce guard on her memories…
There was no barrier on her emotions.
Such a fact did not mean it was any less frightening though. Shifting through her emotions meant he had to part through her emotions of anger, of desire. He had to see all the horrific things she wanted to do, all the things she longed and planned to do to his family. It made a deep fear rush through his heart but it was also a strong motivator. He would not let the things he saw come to pass. He refused. He had people he cared about and people who were close to his heart. He would not lose them!
So, when Lady Bane realized what he was doing, when she began to curse at him, when she thrust her will to try and block him, forgive him if he gave a smirk, even as he slipped into emotions rooted in dark memories. To block someone, you had to have knowledge and recognition of the emotion. Lady Bane had been denying her fear for a long time…
"Why do you help me?" A young girl, long black hair bound back in a low ponytail accused the much older man in front of her. They were obviously related in some fashion, having similar dark tresses though the man before her had light green eyes, very different from the dark brown eyes the girl possessed. Her tone was curious, inquiring. She was young, perhaps seven years of age, yet with a dark look to her eyes, the look of one that has already had much of their hope torn from them. "Mother doesn't bother."
"I know, little Bane." The man replied, kneeling to her level. "She didn't with me either. I still don't know how I made it to adulthood. Maybe she doesn't get a kick out of it until you can process what's happening."
The young girl frowned. "Brother—"
"Use my name, little Bane." He interrupted her. "Titles like that just get you attached. That gets you killed."
Snorting, she went on, "Mother wouldn't kill me. I'm her only daughter."
"You think she cares?" He pulled her close, locked eyes with her. "You were a by-product of getting more magic, nothing more. Same with me. Soon as she gets a chance, she'll cast you off unless you're useful." He stood, pushed her a bit, "So be useful, little Bane."
The young girl bit her lower lip, obviously bothered by this but she quickly squashed that emotion down. Her brother was right. Everyone in the palace had a purpose. Hers seemed to be a punching bag for her mother's frustrations. Though, there was a small part of her that said if she became good enough, Mother would appreciate her, notice her. Brother just had not pursued the right path. He'd learned how to read and play music and stuff, things that relaxed Mother from time to time but magic…THAT was Mother's passion. And she would show her what she could do!
Lucki frowned; little Bane, that was the term that Emi had thrown at her when she'd invaded his mind. But…how did she know it? Lady Bane had mentioned admiring Emi but how close had they been? Was Lady Bane around Emi at all? Had she actually interacted with her? She had to have been. There was way too much fear for it to just be a happenstance meeting or passing through. There had been some interaction, some form of link between the two. What was it? He had to admit that he loathed to dig deeper into these emotions…
But he had to.
"Celina!"
Bane whimpered and dared to open one eye. Her left eye had been swollen completely shut. Being cut of the same cloth of stubbornness as her mother, she had been quick to jump at the chance to show off a spell she had been working on only for it to backfire horrifically, nearly scarring her mother's face. Celina, in response, had struck her, fiercely, with a sudden burst of fire magic and followed that up with a blow to the face. Needless to say, Bane's desire to prove herself, to show her capabilities, had backfired considerably. She had hoped her brother had been wrong, had even told herself many times that brother had been wrong. She had dove into studying magic, certain that she would impress her mother with her skill.
Now, it seemed her mother's rage had been halted.
Blinking in surprise, she called out, "Jason" for indeed, it was her elder brother who had intervened on her behalf! He gave her a dark look and turned his attention back to the fury-driven woman who seemed ready to rip his little sister apart with her bare hands. "Celina," he stated again, then added, "Or Medea. What name are you going by now, Mother?"
"You're lucky I allow you to address me at all." The woman's dark tone shot back though she did admit, the fact that he was willing to risk her anger was amusing. For his little sister at that! The girl, the only daughter she had borne, was a waste of her time and space though she seemed to have inherited her intelligence, of sorts. Regardless, she had settled on the name of Bane for her as that was all she was—a bane to her existence. The elder boy, Jason, had been born when she was much younger and truthfully, while the idea of dispatching him at birth had been tempting, her lover had promised more magical knowledge if she allowed the boy to live. So she had. By the time her partner had outlived his usefulness (and been appropriately extinguished) the boy had proven to be quite good at creating beautiful clothes and music, all of which did appeal to her on some level. Hence, she allowed him to live.
This intervention stretched her patience and she had every intention of snapping his neck right there but…no, there was something intriguing going on here. The little brat had gotten to her feet and rushed to cling to his leg, insisting that she was 'getting better' and would 'prove her skill next time.' Celina was a sorceress of limited patience and she did not care whether Bane had any skill or not, so long as she did not get in her way. She was quite long lived, having acquired an increased life span and magical knowledge from many opponents, ranging from sorcerers to the Fey-folk. Dealing with a small child that had nearly destroyed her latest acquisition to her magical collection was beyond her usual tolerance. Normally.
But this odd thing…this strange connection that seemed to have formed between her son and daughter might prove useful. Relationships existed in all things. They dictated many things, nearly all things. She made it a goal of hers to learn and utilize them where she could. She had acquired many of her magical trinkets in that manner and learning more each chance she received would continue to benefit her. So, if her children could be a learning opportunity, she would use it. She withdrew her magic, eyed her son. She would not allow his intervention to go unpunished.
"Celina, you know as well as I do that Bane is too young to do much right. She might be useful later on though. She's stubborn like you."
The sorceress, with hair very much like her younger counterpart, snarled at the girl, "She is. It'll be amusing to watch her fail." To her son, she struck out with a fire spell, a quick one. It seared his left shut, the eye she had been aiming for on her daughter. "Your own usefulness is thinning, Jason."
Bane did not move until the sorceress had fled the room and ran to her brother, "Jason…"
"Stop being stupid, little Bane." He snorted at her. "It's going to get you killed."
"I…I could try again…" She started but Jason interrupted her.
"Stay alive, that's all you need to be tryin' at." He glared at her through his good eye, clutching his injured one tight.
Stay out, little bear. Lady Bane's threat was quite clear and had Lucki not the motivation of his family's safety at stake, the way Lady Bane had threatened him would have made him withdraw. There was a darkness to her tone, a warning that he had yet to hear as of it. It made him feel weak in the knees, as if the woman would not hesitate in the next few moments to snuff his life from existence, even if threatened her position, even if it gave away her advantage. His soul felt the dark tendrils of hers.
Am I hitting a nerve? Lucki questioned.
Stay. Out.
The cub ignored her dark rantings and dove deeper. He didn't have a lot of time. He felt his body slowly stirring to as the effects of the slumber sand began to weaken. No. No I won't. he snarled at her in response. My family needs to beat this sorceress and we're going to. I don't care if you don't want to address it. What you know WE need to know. And we WILL
"Of all things, you choose magic?"
The nine year old scoffed at her brother as he wrapped her hand with an ointment. "Of course. I'm good at it."
Jason tapped her burned hand and she winced, "Really?"
"Well…I WILL be. Mot—Celina can't be the only one good at it. I've seen her do all kinds of stuff with it!"
Jason tied the cloth tight. "Not all good things."
The small girl locked sights with her brother, "But Celina can't stay good forever. She'll mess up eventually. You watch me, I'll learn all she knows and MORE!" She eyed her damaged form in the nearby mirror. "I'll be BETTER than her, PRETTIER than her, RICHER than her, more POWERFUL than her!"
"Risky path, little Bane," he advised but left it at that.
"Fortune favors the bold," She reminded him; it was a phrase she had heard repeated in the few times she ventured to nearby villages and towns. While she did not completely understand it, she knew that it meant you had to take risks for what you wanted. She would take all the risks she needed. She would pursue magic, in its entirely. She would find any books she could, any trinket she could. Mother had lots of power and it had not all been obtained overnight. She had gotten it from this place and then another. She would take the same route and over time, she WOULD surpass her mother. Then, she would push HER around for once! "You watch me, Jason. I'll do it!" She stood on her tiptoes "Then you and I will kick Mother out and WE'LL be in charge! Other people will do what WE want, no matter what they feel like, like we've had to do for years! It'll be OUR game then, Jason!"
You cared about him, huh? Lucki mused. He had to admit, uncovering this piece was unexpected. Feeling Lady Bane's emotions over these memories certainly told him where the longing for magic came from, where the longing for power came from, and to some extent, where her vanity originated but he had NOT expected to feel emotions of 'devotion' and 'caring' from such a dark sorceress. Indeed, when he began to sift through these memories, Lady Bane had gone quiet and he realized she was trying to bar herself from feeling these emotions again.
Well, it did make sense. Lady Bane had some idea of the relationships between him and his family, though she did not understand it on the most important level. She did have some knowledge of how it functioned. Why else would she choose to use him if not because she was aware of the hard situation it generated for his loved ones? One could not simply understand relationships without FEELING them on some level. He poked at Lady Bane's spirit and he got no response, except that she was trying so hard to keep from feeling any of this. What happened to Jason?
As soon as Lucki prompted, he felt a strong wave of emotion: dark pain, anger…
And a near pleading from Lady Bane Not again...
Lady Bane folded her arms and stared her mother down. They looked like two mirror images staring one another down. While Lady Bane had grown up, she was still a bit shorter than her mother but her spirit had not dampened any. She had been quick to learn simple spells and loving the power it gave her, she sought out more. That was the issue on their latest tiff. Lady Bane had intervened while her mother was speaking with representatives of some odd bear-like race. Lady Bane had noticed the magical aura about them instantly. While her mother wasted time with niceties, Lady Bane had been in no mood to wait. She had charged the startled guests, demanding what powers they held until a sharp pain from her mother had sealed her throat shut until she nearly passed out.
That led them to where they were now. Arguing about the best course of action to take against these creatures. There was one thing the two of them agreed on and that was that magical power was something to be sought. The issues had begun to grow as Lady Bane had grown. Two sorceresses seeking the same thing led to problems always. However, now, it boiled down to Lady Bane actively striking out against her mother, though in small ways. She dare not openly oppose her, not yet. Not yet. She was not strong enough. Oh, she had a plan though. She was gathering strength, power. Jason, patient as always, stayed by her side, trying to keep Mother calm and occupied while she did most of her research. She could not wait until she would conquer her mother. Then, finally, she and Jason would be free of her and oh, the wonderful things she would do then. The power that she would rule with! The things she would obtain!
"You realize what you have cost me?" Mother's voice was dark, like crumbling stone. A dangerous tone that was only usually spoken before she attacked.
"You should have wretched the information from him!"
The black haired sorceress glared at her younger one, saying, "That is why you will fail, Bane. You are too impulsive." Despite her anger, she found herself smiling. Oh, her daughter's incompetence was a sight to behold. While her meeting with the gummi had gone sour due to her daughter's interference, it could be repaired. Seeing her daughter's false hope was much more satisfying. "Oh, you gain so much more with honey than vinegar. So, please, by all means, plan your attacks, plan your overthrowing strategies. I will relish in seeing you fail and burn." She withdrew slightly, her anger seemingly passed as quickly as it came, "You think you know so much, think you have learned so much. Yet you have learned nothing."
Anger clouding her vision, Lady Bane turned on her heels, snarling at her mother, "I will show you, Mother! While you sit here and play nice, I'll gain every speck of magic from those creatures. THEN we'll see who threatens who." Without another delay, she swept from the room, her anger seeming to follow her like a cloud. Celina merely observed her daughter's tantrum, pondering her options. As much amusement as Lady Bane gave her, she was gathering more confidence. She was probably the most ambitious of Celina's children. She could very well prove useful but that spirit would need to be checked. It needed to be controlled and the young woman needed a reminder of who was the real mastermind of this castle.
Musing over the many hints her daughter had displayed over the years, Celina's lips twisted into a sick grin. Not only would this allow her to regain control back from her spirited daughter, but it would be a good lesson in the strength of relationships. If the interaction of her gummi guests had been any indication, this was something she could not fail to gain more knowledge in.
"Little Bane—"
"Jason, stop calling me that, I'm not so little anymore." The sorceress pushed her long black hair behind her. "I'm not going to sit around here anymore. I am NOT going to be her tool anymore."
The young man stood, grasped her by the shoulders, "Stop being an idiot!" He chastised her, with a good shake of the shoulders for emphasis. "Yes, you've learned a lot! Yes, you've gotten good at magic! But damn it, sister, you're playing with a tiger here!" He looked nearly begging.
Lady Bane narrowed her eyes, "So what do you suggest? We stay her puppets our whole lives? No. I'm better than that Jason! I'm better than her! I'm better than any sorceresses she's encountered!"
"Little Bane, she's been alive since the Republic reigned in Rome! Do you have any idea the type of creatures she's learned from? The magical trinkets she's stolen?" He shook his head, "You're still young. She'll bury you."
"I'm not meant for this!" She argued back. "I will NOT be a slave for my entire life. Those creatures she had here today. They have means to conquer her, I'm sure of it. I'll take it. I will not linger here any longer. I AM stronger than her."
"Are you?"
The twosome turned at the sudden inquiry, finding their mother standing in the doorway. As relaxed as always, swinging about the belt of her dress in amusement. She looked at each of them in turn but set her sights on her daughter. "So, you're better than me, are you? Stronger than me? More powerful than me?"
Jason swallowed and backed up but Lady Bane refused. She stood tall, "I am."
Her brother stepped to her side, "Celina, she's being stubborn, like you are. She—"
Celina said nothing else but raised her hand to her son. The young man stiffened and his fingers coiled tightly on his sister's arm. The younger girl turned and horror registered on her face.
"Jason!"
Her brother's normally light skin had paled considerably, his tight and strong face sagged, bags appeared under his eyes and those eyes sank backward. Wrinkles spread like fever over his skin, claiming every section of his body. The bones in his entire body became more protruded as he sank to his knees. Lady Bane sank next to him, her attention off her mother and now focused on her brother. It didn't take long, maybe a minute before she was on her knees with Jason's limp and rapidly decomposing body cradled in her arms. "Jason!"
His gurglely response came out as rattle as his lungs failed and the light faded out of his eyes. As Lady Bane struggled to think, to focus, to try and remember a youth spell of any kind, her mother flat out laughed. "Is this the kind of power you mean to challenge me with?" She inquired simply. "Power that you cannot even summon to save your own brother?"
A wetness in her eyes that she was unfamiliar with and the sharp pain in her heart that made it hard to breathe kept her silent. Jason, of all people, had been kind to her. He had no reason to and yet had made himself her protector as she grew. It had done nothing for him but cause him pain and now…now…it had killed him. Lady Bane was no fool. She knew her mother had targeted Jason because of their argument a few moments ago. She was his murderer. Her mother was making an example of her.
And damn it, despite wanting to strike back, to make her pay for this horrific crime, she was unable to move. All she could do was stare at her brother's lifeless face as the wrinkly skin gave way to bone and muscles and then to ash and dust that slipped away through her fingers like sand. Before she knew it, all that was left of her brother, her protector…her…friend…was a pile of dust within her skirts. She stared at it for a long time. Finally, she gathered her strength and looked up to find her mother less than an inch from her face.
"Let us cut the pleasantries shall we?" Her mother sneered. Lady Bane gaped in shock as she saw the same horrific wrinkles spreading on her own skin. But her mother had not said a word! Nothing at all! "Let this serve as a warning to you. I have no qualms about ending your pathetic life. So, you may choose to be of aid to me or to end up as dust on the floor." She spat into the remains and swiped some of it aside with her foot as she stood. When her daughter did not move nor strike out at her verbally, she remarked, "Know that there is much I know you've yet to see, and that you shall never see." The wrinkles faded away from Lady Bane's skin, leaving her just as she was before, save for the very real fear that [umped through her heart. "For now, clean up that filth. I have visitors coming soon…Little Bane."
Lucki was silent. He wanted to stop right there. He had no desire to see anymore. Yet, he must. While this certainly gave him knowledge of Lady Bane, of her history, of her origins….he needed to know her connection to Emi, what she knew. He had to know. So, gathering what nerve he could, he delved right back into the dark memories. Though what was more disturbing than anything else was Lady Bane's silence. Her spirit was still just as awake as before but she had stopped cursing, stopped yelling. As much as Lucki would have longed for this before, the sudden silence was deafening.
As for the adversary within his mind, Lady Bane had nearly forgotten that kind of pain. As much as she wanted to wring the filthy cub's neck for dragging out these memories, she hadn't the strength. She had tried to block that memory, to not be drawn into it but…her emotion was so closely linked with that memory that it proved impossible. She had felt all that fear again, that belief that she was going to be extinguished from this world with no victory to her name and shaking in terror. A terrible, embarrassing and humiliating end!
Worse than that though, the emotion about her brother…
She vowed to NEVER become so weak again! To never be so incapacitated again! After her mother had left, she had been unable to make herself move for a long while, simply staring at the dust at her feet and gathering cups of it in her hands. She remembered burying her face into it, that unusual wetness slipping to her cheeks. Rocking back and forth as the idea of seeking out resurrection spells, abandoning her task to outdo her mother to find the spell that could undo death, spells to prolong youth, spells to delay the Grim Reaper. That became her focus…for oh, so long! Then…when she saw this Emi Gummi…and her mother…
STOP! She screeched at the cub that shared her mind. Stop! No more digging…I will…I will tell your wretched family what you want to know…but dig no more.
She had already felt that horrific pain, that pain that ripped at her heart. If he forced the memory of Emi to her forefront…
She never wanted to be that afraid again.
Gummi Glen
Cubbi jumped off the unicorn's back and gave Tavi a hand as she leapt down as well. They'd borrowed her brother's unicorn, Sleet, and the journey had been fairly short. A bit odd to be traveling so late at night but Tavi's emotions were not swayed and Cubbi was hardly about to leave her on her own. All the same, something in Cubbi's gut felt a bit odd. He hoped that Toni would tell the adults soon so that no one would worry but he also hoped that some of the adults would follow and maybe calm her down. Oh, it wasn't that he doubted her words nor Destini. Not in the least! There was just…something…that felt off.
Must be because I'm tired. He pondered as they leapt down the nearest entrance and into the old familiar hallways.
Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers
Waking seemed to occur more or less the same time for most of the room. Plucki sat up, slowly, rubbed the back of his neck and glanced about the room. It took a moment for him to get his orientation back, which was normal. Slumber sand was supposed to make you uneasy, off balance, easier to apprehend without resulting to violence. In this case though, the fact that it had been somehow planted into their vents was twisting his stomach. It had cost them time. He didn't know how long exactly but even the smallest amount of slumber sand would put you out for at least two hours. That had not been a small amount. They had lost hours!
His eyes narrowed at small Lucki as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Lady Bane!" He addressed the dark sorceress that secretly had hijacked their poor squire. It was not enough for her to have taken their squire…she had ripped him from death, from peace, and so far had damned his very soul. Now, what crude scheme had she plotted? This smelled of a plot! His eyes reflected every bit of his anger, of his buried fear, of all kinds of emotions. The time for playing diplomat was over! If they needed to find a way to wretch her from Lucki's body then they would but something was afoot! "What have you done?"
The cub's body twitched a bit and then gentle Lucki's face spoke out, with his own soft voice, "She didn't do…this."
Clammouring and shouting surrounded the room until Wooddale demanded quiet. She addressed her nephew, again, wishing she could simply free him and banish this evil witch away but she could not. At the moment, their hands were tied and there was little to be done about it. She stayed the other councilors with a raised hand. "Then who did?"
"And why?" Spinwillow chimed in.
A twisted smile that looked so out of place on Lucki's face. "I think you are all aware of whom. Just say it." Oh, she enjoyed rubbing in their fear, much as she tried to hide her own. But the blasted cub within her saw right through this charade.
Her twisted smile fell away as Lucki fought with her "No…more…games. TELL them."
Silence for a moment and then the boy's voice cracked with emotion a bit but it was Lady Bane who spoke out, "Very well, brat." Lucki's eyes darted about the room, focused on the large knight of Sir Gumlittle a moment before speaking, "No, I did not work with Emi. She was…intriguing, with all kinds of powers. She achieved much against your supposedly advanced race." Lucki snarled a bit and then the face paled. Something was obviously being communicated on the subconscious level. "Mother worked with her some. Exchanging ideas, spells, but it was not a partnership meant to last."
Wooddale narrowed her eyes, "Then you mean you did not harbor her in your palace near the end of the war?"
Lucki felt Lady Bane's spirit jerk, with fear. Tons and tons of fear that Emi had been in her home. Had she left anything there? How long had she been there? She had not been in the palace since Mother had left with her on a quest towards Gummi Glen and Gummerset. Before the sorceress could take over, Lucki cried out, "She's scared of her! Her mother slaughtered her own brother, in front of her. Didn't have to say anything. Just…pointed at him. And her mother died working with Emi! The only person Lady Bane is scared of was killed by Emi—"
"Shut. Up…brat." The voice changed tone but the very apparent fear on Lucki's body told more than her words.
Gumlittle spoke out, "Your mother worked with her and died because of it?" He wanted answers. He needed clarification. Lucki's shouted words made him weak in the knees. Something he had learned over time was that something your enemies feared was something to be greatly examined. He could see the fear, even through his Lucki's borrowed body. When he asked if her mother had died with Emi, he saw that fear. It was a kind of fear that one could not easily forget, the kind that claims the heart.
"Answer." Flurryfeather demanded.
"…Yes." Came the halted answer. "Mother's magic was developed over time. From sorcerers, from magical creatures like fairies and fey. Mother never hesitated to take a life if it would suit her purpose." The pause took some time but then she continued, pacing back and forth with Lucki's body. "She left with Emi to claim one of your Great Books." She snarled here. "So much could have been avoided if you relented and—"
"Finish." Lucki's tone interrupted.
"Mother ventured into one of your hidden tunnels with her. Only Emi emerged." That was the truth and while Lady Bane had rejoiced with relief upon feeling her mother's absence from her life, Emi's appearance had made her fall to her knees. It would have been easy to say it was some kind of magic spell. But no…it had been her look, a simple look that sent her to her knees. The gummi had walked towards her, stated simply, 'Stay out of my way.' That voice had dulled Lady Bane's memory enough that a simple light spell escaped her.
"All I know is that…apparently; Emi…took all Mother's knowledge." Lady Bane eyed the entire room. "I do not know how she accomplished it but Mother was centuries old. Emi took what she wanted from Mother and I never saw her again. You say she was…utilizing my palace?"
Plucki nodded, "We've a confession of it that we do not doubt."
Lady Bane's spirit shook, visibly on the spiritual plan and physically in the real world. The room went quiet for a long moment before Lucki spoke out,
"You were spared by her twice. Why?"
"I don't know you foolish bear!" she cursed the boy's knowledge of her memories. "Why would I? I did not associate with her!"
Berrybottom frowned but what he was about to say was interrupted by the sound of rushing feet in the hallway and Toni shouting for someone. Gumlittle broke his gaze on Lucki and ran to the door, opening it as Toni skidded to a stop, still clutching that magic book to his chest. Wait, had they not entrusted that to Cubbi? "Ton—" he began and the cub rushed the room, hugging his mentor tightly.
"Gummie, you gotta help!"
Kneeling to the cub's level, Gumlittle shut out the clamoring in the room, "Toni, what's wrong?"
"I..dunno exactly. The book tol' me that Cubbi and Tavi were in trouble."
The door was crashed in again as the Glen guests, who had been pursuing the running cub came to a sudden stop. Gruffi was the first to speak out, "What do you mean they're in trouble?"
Plucki, hiding his fear with his stone-cold war face, advanced on Toni, "What happened Toni?"
"Well, Tavi woke up and said that Destini came to her in a dream. Said she knew where Concordia was." Toni felt that odd fear rush his heart again.
Wooddale paled. "But…that's impossible! No sorcerer was told the location of Concordia."
Toni blinked, "They…weren't?"
"No. It was a secret given only to a select few and all we know is that it was no sorcerer." Wooddale eyed Toni frantically. "Where did they go, Toni?"
Feeling sick to his stomach, the blue furred cub eyed the paled Glen guests a moment then turned to his Captain, "Gummi Glen. Cubbi went with her to help"
Grammi interrupted the talk, "If it wasn't Destini than who was –"
"Go after them!"
Lucki's frantic voice cut through the room like glass and he advanced on his aunt, grabbing her tunic. Lady Bane's will was pushed aside like it was nothing and there was an odd strength to his grip that she had not yet seen from him. "It's Emi, Aunt Toffi! It has to be! Think! We know she's locked in Gummi Glen somewhere. We know her prison is weakening, we know it was sealed with emotional magic! What emotion's stronger than a love to save a family member? Emi's using my sister to free herself! Aunt Toffi, Gumlittle, DO something!"
Gummi Glen
Venturing into the old forgotten halls had been a task in itself. Even knowing the Glen, Cubbi found that it was hard to find the ancient pathways, even when he knew where they were! For one thing, the Glen was much more packed than it used to be and that included a lot of adults. He'd met some of them before he had gone to train in Gummadoon but overall, they were new faces. It was hard not to get distracted, even knowing the weight of their goal. They'd run into Bonni once. She was one that Cubbi knew the best out of their returned relatives. Apparently, she was Grammi's _actual_ cousin, at least on some level. Luckily, Bonni did not pursue them much, though she did ask why they had ventured to Gummi Glen so late at night. Cubbi had quickly said they were retrieving some information for the knights that couldn't wait and that was that.
He didn't know if she had just opted not to press or if their body language did most of the talking. Tavi's eyes were focused, narrowed and she still had dried tears on her face. As for himself, he was tired. Extremely so, but he had to stick with Tavi. He could narrow in on something important if he had to. He had to right now…THEY had to right now.
The fact of the matter remained they were on a mission.
They were. A spiritually vital one.
It took some doing to keep the adults from intervening, though Cubbi felt a bit sick doing it. They were trying to do the right thing, trying to save not only Tavi's brother but if what they had overheard was to believed, potentially his very soul. They could hardly wait around. There may be no time to wait. If Destini took the time to warn them...
Cubbi hoped that the knights would understand. That Plucki would understand.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Cubbi had led them past the library, past all the rooms he knew and to a long corridor. At the end was a large door, much like the doors that would lead one towards the large sitting rooms or the library. It was old, with the gummi head reminiscent of all gummi warrens still present in the center, though time had worn it down. That was surprising.
Gruffi always kept everything in tip top order, even if it didn't need any maintenance at all, the gummi was there, finding something to patch, something to repair.
The fact that the door did not look _too_ old was disconcerting. It was a newly erected door. Well, new by gummi standards anyway. What kind of tales about these old tunnels caused so much fear? Well, aside from Emi's prison being here. Had they just sealed off all the tunnels, not just the one? Had she caused so much fear? They had to be careful here…they had a talisman they were going after but Emi's prison was down here too. Maybe they could solve two mysteries at once! Though why would they put such a magical talisman so close to the one gummi who could manipulate it like it was nothing? Didn't seem like a great plan to him. Unless it was done purposely that way so the talisman was not misused?
It was confusing and Cubbi hated having no answers. Plus...what would the knights say when they found out he had just taken off, even if they'd told Toni? Even if technically it was Tavi that took off and he followed. Still...
Tavi frowned, eyed him, breaking him out his thoughts, trailing the broken down wood grain with a finger "Does this lead to the locked off tunnels?"
Cubbi nodded, "Yep, must be. Never been in them but this is it. Has to be. First time I've actually been down this hall so far actually."
That made him nervous, more nervous than he felt comfortable expressing. It didn't seem right, being here in the place where he had been born and not knowing anything about where they were venturing. He almost wished he knew the tales and stories about it. That would have been a lot better than not knowing anything! Gum, he hated being in the dark!
Maybe they should have waited for the knights...ran and got the knights…
Tavi took another breath to steady her excitement and nerve, touched her fingers to the door and thick walling behind it. After a moment, the wooden pieces fell like snow around them. Cubbi shielded his head as first wood then stone broke away. Sheesh, this was walled up good! Wiping the dust from his eyes, Cubbi set his sights ahead, nearly gagging at the horrible stale air that invaded his lungs. The dust that tumbled from the doorframe didn't help either but he at least had enough sense to avoid the large beam he saw blocking half the entry way.
Well, not going to stop the smallest squire of Gummadoon, that was for sure! There were advantages to being small he was finding. Slipping through easily, he held a hand out to Tavi and pulled her along. She conjured a small light in her hand. Lifting her head up with her flame as soon as she could stand upright, she shuddered involuntarily.
The hallway spanned out before them, the same as any other hallway in the Glen but this one had obviously not been traveled in centuries. A thick layer of dust covered everything and spiders had made their homes all over the corridor. Looking up, there was a large nest of them that had weaved a rather elaborate web directly over their heads. A few of the large legged creatures scurried in and out of the holes on the wooden walls.
Tavi drew her light down and darkness took the area over their heads. Cubbi took a firm step next to her and she lifted her hand again, illuminating a small area before them. Cubbi could see the openings of doors as they walked. It looked just like the corridors where all their bedrooms were...except not. The light from Tavi's flame (which was wavering due to it being fire) made the shadows of the cracked doors stretch out, like some many little crooked fingers stretching into the darkness at the end of the hall where the doors gave way to blackness.
Cubbi grasped Tavi's free hand as they wandered down the way, turning every so often to keep an eye on the area around him, the area that he could not see. As the shadows before them seemed to stretch longer and longer, new ones took their place in the corridor behind them. Risking a glance back, Cubbi winced. He couldn't even see the light where they had entered these halls. That wasn't right.
It was a task to keep his eyes fixated ahead but otherwise the shadows would merely grow longer and far more frightening. As it was, he swore he heard singing, very faint singing. It was old Gummi, he recognized that. Too bad he could not recognize more than that. If he had, indeed, if he and Tavi had known half of the words, then they would not have continued henceforth.
"You hear that too?" he inquired of his companion.
"Yeah," she admitted. "Dunno what it means though. You?"
Cubbi shook his head, "I just asked Corvi to teach me a few words. No clue."
They continued forward as the echoing Old Gummi seemed to grow louder yet still never seemed to penetrate much further than a few feet in front of them. It echoed, like a mist that seeped through and around everything. Quite the cold feeling it left in its wake. To Cubbi, it seemed like it was more...urgent the further they walked.
In a sense, he was right.
The sound got louder. It was no longer a faint whispering but a clear singing, a clear tone that echoed in the hallway. Glancing about, he heard a large crash, making him scream involuntarily even as Tavi grasped onto his left arm tightly. The two of them followed the sound with their eyes, finding it had originated from a cracked door. The door itself was nearly closed and honestly would have been locked if time had no eroded away the metal and wood.
Exchanging looks, it was Cubbi who took the step forward, though he didn't want to. He was the boy though! The knight in training! It was his job to protect the damsel!
Slowly turning the handle, cobwebs nearly blocked the entire view of the room. It was a simple one, with a bed long since rotted away to piles of dust and wooden chips, bug ridden sheets and blankets, a broken down side table with broken bowls and mirrors. More than that though, there were clothes, what little remained, tossed on the ground, a plate cracked in half with a fork long forgotten.
It looked like a person had just run out.
Cubbi withdrew, looked at Tavi, saw that she had opened the room next to it.
Same thing.
This one had been a child's room. Blankets rotted into the ground, a tattered pile of wooden building blocks turned to dust, a doll just lying amid the dying rug pieces as if expected its owner to return at any moment.
Room after room was like this and still, no sign of the mysterious noise maker.
And that singing was getting louder.
The two walked slowly, arm in arm until they reached the dead end of the hall. Frowning, Tavi began to look along the wall, seeking out a panel or something. This couldn't be all there was! There was something here, she could feel it in the pits of her very soul. Cubbi glanced to the right then the left and finally saw it.
The outline of a doorframe, nearly vanished under a veil of dust.
Nudging his companion, he pointed, "Tavi, there."
Blinking, she approached, Cubbi following. Her hand enclosed around the hidden door handle, sneezing as she did so, her hands shaking. Cubbi put his own hand on hers, though he was shaking nearly as badly. "Together?"
She nodded "Together."
The door creaked and moaned and protested but the old wood gave and the forgotten door swung open. This room was different. Everything was neatly packed away, the blankets folded at the end of the mattress. The dresser drawers closed. The chairs neatly pushed in.
And all preserved, as if they were brand new.
Creepy.
Then came the wind, the mist. Mist? Mist inside? You had to have water for mist, right? But they were inside and nowhere near a bathroom with running water. Yet, that was what it felt like, a cold, dark mist pushing against their faces, brushing their hair back as delicately as fingers.
FELT like fingers!
Cubbi shook his head, rubbed his face, Ew, ew, ew, get that feeling OFF!
As for Tavi, she followed the wind, stopping in front of a long floor length mirror. As weird as it sounded, it was as if the mist and wind was coming through the glass. Frowning, she put her hands to the frame, turned to Cubbi. "Help me move this, Cubbi."
Reluctantly, the pink furred cub approached, grasped the old ironwork and pushed. It awarded a creaking sound but the mirror moved slightly on the wall only to fall to the ground with a horrible crash and shattering of glass when they released.
In its space was a dark opening, that barely illuminated even when Tavi held out her flame. Though they could make out some stairs.
Then that singing again, but in common this time and Destini's voice! "Come, brave children. You are near."
Tavi's eyes lit up and Cubbi had to rush to keep up with her, even as they darted into the unknown dark. Had they been more focused, they would have noticed the opening they stepped through sealed once they cleared the threshold, the mirror covering back in place, with nary a sign it had been shattered moment prior. They would have noticed the light produced no shadows on the walls. They would have felt the nearly tangible souls tugging at their bodies, pleading for them to stop.
But magic is fueled by emotion and there is no emotion more powerful than love.
Tavi continued on, Cubbi tailing just behind. He had heard Destini, clear as could be but there was something else, something in his gut that said it wasn't right. He didn't know what and certainly had nothing to back up the feeling, aside from that-a feeling.
But there was that Old Gummi singing again. It echoed now.
He wished more than ever now that he knew what they were saying. What would Corvi had told them they were saying?
Well, unbeknownst to the brave children, the voices were indeed invaluable. Had they been able to understand them, they would have heard-
"Step not into the cavern, children!"
"Begone from this corridor of Death!"
"Treachery wears love's cloak! Step not close!"
"Beware the reflection!"
But they knew not what they warned, nor that it was spirits of the lost ones to her rage that tried in vain to prevent another travesty. Tavi kept walking, Cubbi following, though slowing. After they had traveled about ten minutes down a simple hallway, with no portraits, no rugs, nothing but bare walls of stone and dirt, Cubbi froze, touched her arm,
"This doesn't feel right, Tavi."
The pinked furred girl frowned, "Destini said we were close, Cubbi! My brother doesn't have time for this!"
"I know but ...it just feels wrong." Plucki had said that a knight's greatest aspect was his heart, for a heart could not be taught. You either had the heart of a knight or you didn't. Everything else could be taught but if you didn't have the heart of the fighter of Gummadoon, no amount of teaching could grant it to you. So, trust it.
Cubbi's heart was screaming at him.
"Well, then stay here." Tavi snapped. "I'm not stopping now!"
Then she took off at a dead run.
Taking the light with her.
Cubbi blinked a moment, realizing that not a shred of light penetrated these halls. Nothing. It suddenly felt suffocating, crushing. He had never felt so alone. More than ever, he wanted Plucki right there with him, even if he would scold, even if he would punish, heck, Gum, even if the Captain would thrash his behind like Gruffi had once or twice, he would have gladly taken it to just not be so alone!
But he was. Alone, cold, frightened and standing in a pitch black hallway, unable to turn back, too frightened to go ahead.
Looking to his right, he shoved his hand into his mouth to stop the scream.
Pale, translucent forms of gummies, of all ages and genders, decorated the walls, faces frozen in terror, bodies construed in ways that no body should turn.
Jerking to his left, he met the same thing only now, they reached out to him, ghostly arms that clawed at him, cut into his fur. Then one reached further and he found himself staring at what looked like a girl version of himself! Her lips blue and blood running everywhere, everywhere! She was on him, right there and -
"The mirror, do not touch the mirror or she shall get you too."
Cubbi tore from the spirit, screaming visibly now, feet pounding as he ran after Tavi, his breath screeching out, "It's a trick, Tavi!"
The room was small when Tavi emerged into it, at least in width. Height wise, it rivaled the Great Library. In fact, perhaps this used to be Gummi Glen's Great Library! After all, the center of learning of the gummies obviously had the largest library, forgotten to the ages! Yes, yes, as she glanced about, that seemed the case. Books upon books upon books lined the walls.
But her attention was drawn to the center of the room where a small pedestal stood. It looked like a Great Book had once sat there but now, there was a rounded golden mirror, forever turning with no base. As she approached, she could feel the power that reeked off of it. When she took the first step up, the mirror froze and Destini's face appeared. Then, the mirror grew until it was well larger than Tavi and she could see all of Destini, her gentle smile bidding her closer.
"Congratulations loyal child."
"This is it?" She inquired, her body quivering. "This'll save my brother?"
"Indeed, brave one. The mirror has no fancy name as it needs none. It repairs or separates, whichever be needed, even in spirit." The elderly lady smiled. "You need only touch the glass, think of your dear one and wish his release." The elderly gummi laid a hand on the glass herself, saying, "I shall aid you, little one. Remember, 'release.'"
Nodding firmly, the gummi girl reached out, her hands shaking, "Release...release..."
"TAVI!"
Though she did not turn her hand away, she did turn her head, to see a bruised Cubbi (she supposed leaving him with no light HAD been cruel) tear at her, screeching at the top of his lungs "IT'S A TRICK! IT'S EMI!"
"Emi?"
Even as the girl formed the question, her fingers brushed the glass surface and the power came.
It was the most...violating experience she ever recalled. All at once, even as Cubbi grasped her arm a half second too late, an energy tore through her body, to the depths of her bones, boiled in her blood and ripped a chunk of power from her that made the room swim as she grew so weak she felt certain she would pass out.
Then, the glass beneath her hands faded away and she felt a furry hand clasp her forearm and Cubbi's hand.
Horror registering, the image of wise Destini faded to that of dark violet furred gummi with midnight hair that moved like serpents and a darkened grin that made her knees give out and she saw Cubbi pale to pure white. And eyes...oh Gum. Eyes so dark and black that one could be sucked into them and suffocate in their weight.
Then a second furry hand grasped Cubbi's arm and as she moved forward, she pulled them inward. Like two spirits meeting on a plane, they passed through her (or did she pass through them) and she and Cubbi found themselves suddenly falling, falling into a dark abyss with no visible side or bottom nor any end. Glancing up, they could see her, standing silently, like one standing on a cliff out of reach. Her long hair flowing and a dark smirk on her face as they tumbled out of reach, out of sight, out of mind as Emi Gummi stepped over the mirror frame like a doorframe.
Leaving them alone.
No escape, no way to even tell up from down. Tavi didn't know when she started to scream for her aunt, nor when Cubbi pleaded for the Captain.
And all with her voice, a deep and horrible cackle, echoing…a tone that froze her heart, saying, "Much obliged, little sorceress, little knight. Much obliged."