Chapter 3
"Journey to Dunwyn"
Sunni and Cubbi raced out of Ursalia in the quick cars for the quick journey to Dunwyn castle. It had been a while since they had last visited Cavin and Calla. The recent events on all of their lives were still fresh in their minds, but they knew that if the Great Gummies were to understand their relationship with Cavin and Calla, they had to come to Ursalia to meet them face to face. Arriving at the underground section of Dunwyn castle right near where Gummi Glen once stood, Sunni and Cubbi opened the secret door and once there were no humans around, they snuck into the castle courtyard, only to hide again when they saw what appeared to be a casket being carried through the courtyard. The two cubs were shocked at what they saw and both of their hearts sank in sorrow.
"Sunni," gasped Cubbi. "Do you see what I see?"
"I do, Cubbi," replied Sunni, a small tear trickling down her face. "Yet, I have never seen anything like it. Calla had never told me about a human custom quite like this. It's all so sad when you think about it."
Sunni felt like crying, but the site of King Gregor and Princess Calla soon caught her attention. Calla was wearing the same long blue dress that she had worn on the day Castle Dunwyn was attacked during the Monarch's Day parade. After all, Sunni and Cubbi along with Cavin, saw Igthorn's attack first hand and were nearly crushed to death by the falling boulders of the castle that were damaged in the attack.
"Gee, I have never King Gregor and Princess Calla look so glum," remarked Sunni. "Something dreadful must have happened to make them and all the citizens so sad."
"I wonder who is in that box," added Cubbi. Just then, a loud whisper was heard from behind them and the two cubs turned around to see Cavin behind them. Cavin was in black mourning clothes as opposed to his usual brown tunic and pants.
"Cavin!" cried Cubbi as he ran into his friends arms. "It's so good to see you." Cavin and Cubbi hugged each other tightly and then quickly broke up.
"It's good to see you to, Cubbi and Sunni," said their male human friend. "Dunwyn has never been the same since Igthorn's attack and King Gregor has launched an investigation into the matter."
"What's an investigation?" asked the pink bear.
"It means King Gregor wants to find out how Duke Igthorn and his Ogres were able to obliterate Dunwyn's defenses so easily," answered Cavin. "In other words, he is going to know about your secrets soon enough."
A small lump went into Sunni's throat as everything that the Gummies had kept secret for so many years were about to be exposed and in her mind, the time had come for the Gummi Bears to reveal themselves to King Gregor.
"Then," said Sunni. "We must reveal ourselves to him."
"Are you crazy Sunni?!" cried Cavin. "I thought you once told me when we first met that you could never reveal yourselves to other humans. You all promised me and Calla that we would never reveal your secrets."
"Cavin," said Cubbi calmly. "It's for the better. King Gregor knows about the Gummiberry Juice that Igthorn and the ogres used to attack Dunwyn. Perhaps if we join forces with King Gregor, we can finish off Duke Igthorn once and for all if he ever decides to return."
Listening to his friends words of advice, Cavin had no choice but to accept the fact that the only way to keep Duke Igthorn from ever attacking Dunwyn again was for his Gummi Bear friend to reveal himself to the man who ruled over his home for so many years.
"You're right, Cubbi," he sighed. "I think it is for the better, I suppose." So the three friends left as the funeral procession turned the corner and out of the courtyard.
Meanwhile, after the funeral and banquet, Princess Calla headed into her bedroom and sat down on the end of her bed. She took off her gold tiara and placed it next to her, thinking about the recent events that had bestowed on the lives of her and her father as well as their kingdom that had long since presided, even long after her mother, the queen, who died while giving birth to her. In fact, she was wearing the formal blue dress she wore when Dunwyn was under attack in the worst possible way. In a sense, it brought back painful memories of that awful day in the lives of everyone she knew as well as herself.
Just then, she heard a knock at the door and got up to open it. King Gregor had taught her that she must never open the door to her room unless if it was him or her servants.
"Who is it?" she called.
"It's Cavin, Princess," replied Cavin. "I brought some friends to see you." Realizing who the friends were, Calla opened the door and saw Cavin with Cubbi and Sunni at his side.
"Sunni, it's you," she cried, trying to hold back tears. Sunni was also trying to hold back tears and ran into her friends' arms and the two girls sobbed into each other, relieved to being seeing each other after a long time apart. After a while for the girls to calm down, the four friends finally faced each other with the task at hand.
"You shouldn't have come back to Dunwyn," said Calla. "Father has tightened security around the castle ever since Duke Igthorn's attack. Even worse, he is going to find out about the Gummiberry juice and the secret of the Gummi Bears."
"That's why I think we need to speak to King Gregor, Calla," said Cubbi. "It's the only way that Dunwyn can further be protected from those like Duke Igthorn."
"We need to give this a chance, Calla," added Cavin. "Your father must know about the Gummi Bears."
Calla looked uneasy about it, but at the same time, the Great Book of Gummi was revealed to both her and her father.
"I may not approve of this," she said. "But if it works for all of us, then so be it."
Later on, after Calla had changed back into her normal blue dress and shoes, the princess of Dunwyn approached her father's throne room and stood before him trying to keep her composure.
"Father," she said. "In light of the recent events, I think it is time for me to reveal something that had been not seen by anyone for over 500 years."
"What are you saying, Calla?" asked King Gregor. "Is it the Gummi Bears? Are they real?"
After an enormous gulp, Calla plucked up courage and said what needed to be said to her father.
"They are father," she answered and waved Cavin to bring Sunni and Cubbi forward. As the two cubs approached him, King Gregor was stunned by what he saw. The fairy tales that he had heard all his life were now standing before him.
"I can't believe this," he gasped. "They do exist, Calla. How do you both know them?"
"We are friends with them, father," said Calla. "We have taken part in several adventures with them. This is my friend, Sunni Gummi and this is Cavin's friend, Cubbi Gummi."
"Well, I must say that I am pleased to meet the both of you," gasped King Gregor. "Although, I have heard for over 500 years, Gummi Bears were only fairy tales and yet, here you stand before me."
Sunni curtseyed and Cubbi bowed before King Gregor, who was still wide struck at what he was seeing.
"We are real, your majesty," said Sunni. "We have come from Gummi Glen, which was destroyed by Duke Igthorn and his ogres."
"Because of what Duke Igthorn has done," added Cubbi. "We can no longer live in Gummi Glen and as a result we have relocated to the capitol, Ursalia, where we now live with another group of Gummi Bears called the Barbics and where we await the arrival of the Great Gummies."
"Who are the Great Gummies?" asked King Gregor. "Are they Gummi Bears that are ancestors of you?"
"They are the descendants of our ancestors," answered Sunni. "The Gummi Bears who declared that all humans cannot be trusted and yet, we need to join forces in case Duke Igthorn strikes again."
"Well, I understand what you are saying," said King Gregor. "But, I don't understand as to why you stand before me now."
"Your majesty," said Sunni. "The Great Gummies are on their way to Ursalia, even as we speak. With your permission, we would like Cavin and Princess Calla to accompany us to Ursalia and meet the Great Gummies. Only then, can we work on peace between Gummi Bears and humans."
King Gregor sat in his throne for a moment, taken in by what was spoken to him. He had become overprotective of Calla in the days since his former knight and his ogres attacked Dunwyn, nearly overthrowing him and his daughter and nearly bringing his kingdom to its knees.
"If it was up to me," said King Gregor. "I would not allow Calla to go."
A loud gasp from Sunni was heard and King Gregor raised his hand to silence her. He knew that he was not finished with what he had to say to all of them.
"However," he continued. "I have witnessed my daughter prove herself to being able to protect herself in the face of danger. This was evidenced during the squires tournament a year ago, when you disguised yourself, Calla, to prove to me that you were able to defend yourself without the help of squires. If what you say is true, my friends, then the only way to keep Dunwyn safe from Duke Igthorn for good, are to join forces with these Great Gummies."
Overjoyed by her father's decision, Calla ran up to her father and hugged him tightly, realizing now that he was willing to let his daughter go on this quest to Ursalia. However, King Gregor had one more thing to say.
"But," he finished. "When you arrive at Ursalia, Calla, tell the Great Gummies that they must come to Dunwyn and we must discuss plans to bring Duke Igthorn to justice for all the crimes he has committed against Dunwyn castle. It will go for anyone whether they were associated with Duke Igthorn or not."
"Very well, father," said Calla. "We will leave tonight at nightfall."
With a pair of bows and curtseys, the four friends left the throne room to prepare for the journey back to Ursalia. As Cavin and Calla had finished packing their things for the journey, Sunni and Cubbi still had one more question for their friends.
"There is one more thing I forgot to ask you both," said Sunni. "Who was in the box that was being carried through the streets of Dunwyn today?"
Cavin turned towards the two cubs with a somber expression like he knew the person that had died.
"I don't know how to tell you this, Sunni and Cubbi," said Cavin sadly. "But the person we buried today was Sir Tuxford."
A loud silence was heard throughout the room they were all in. Cavin had looked up to Sir Tuxford greatly and considered him a father figure.
"What happened, Cavin?" asked Cubbi sadly. "How did he die?"
"It was right after I had freed Sir Tuxford and the knights from the dungeons during Igthorn's take over," explained Cavin. "They had managed to drive off Toadie and several of Igthorn's strongest ogres from the kingdom, but, just when it seemed like they were going to do just that, a platoon of ogres hiding in a barn emerged and ambushed the knights. I wanted to stay and fight, but Sir Tuxford told me to hide and later the next day, I came out of hiding right after Igthorn had retreated and King Gregor had recovered his crown. I saw that he had been mortally injured, stabbed in the stomach, but didn't realize it until later. I and several of his knights managed to drag him back into the castle, with King Gregor and Calla watching where he fought for his life and right afterwards, he died in the early hours of this morning from blood loss."
"Cavin, I'm so sorry," said Sunni sadly. "If there is anything we can do…"
"You've done enough, Sunni," he replied. "I want Duke Igthorn captured and brought to Dunwyn to face justice for everything he did to all of us."
"Cavin," said Calla as she placed her hands on his own. "We will avenge Sir Tuxford's death and all those who died defending Dunwyn during Igthorn's greatest attack. But, we must first build the relationship between the Gummies and us. Don't you see that?"
After a moment, Cavin looked up to his girlfriend with a slight reassurance.
"I do," he said and the four friends left the Kingdom of Dunwyn behind and made their way in the Quick Car back to Ursalia.