"The Stone of Broken Hearts" 
Author: Robert Brown 

Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Disney 
            (except where noted, in which case they were created and 
            copyrighted by me or by another and I have permission to use 
            them). The author hereby gives permission for this story to be 
            downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no 
            changes to the story are made without my express written(not 
            e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from 
            this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be 
            considered a violation of copyright law. 

Author's Note: Well, finally got Francis to give me some time off from writing 
the major 3(Pokémon, Sonic, and Rescue Rangers) to get this one-shot fanfic 
done. Of course, knowing my luck, it won't be a one-shot for long. :) But 
then, I really don't want Francis to kill me.  Truth is, this is probably the 
first fanfic idea ever bouncing around inside my head, so it deserves to be 
written down. Here it is; hopefully not too terrible. It's been many years 
since I've seen Gummi Bears, so if a couple facts are off, please forgive me.

               On a sadder note, my grandma passed away in the beginning of
June 2003.  She was my last surviving grandparent, and the last to fall to
cancer.  It's a hard time for me, but I'm finding my way through.  Thank you
to all the fans out there.  Take care, and till next time, Happy Reading.

Cast of characters (in order of appearance) 
Lady Bane 
Gusto Gummi
Sunni Gummi 
Princess Calla
Cavin 
Buddi Barbic
Gruffi Gummi 
Ursa Barbic 
Gritty Barbic
Cubbi Gummi
Tummi Gummi 
Grammi Gummi
Zummi Gummi 

#1 

	It was a beautiful day in the kingdom of Dunwyn. Winter had ended early 
and the trees and ground were beginning to show green once more. Birds gone 
since last autumn were returned and filled the air with their sweet song. 
Young couples were out enjoying the warmth and the first buds of new love.  
But one person was not enjoying the day; if anything, the day disgusted her. 
"Birthdays, what a joke," Lady Bane sneered, walking through the halls of her 
home.  "I can't think of a more useless excuse for a day."

	A shudder passed through her form as an unpleasant thought occurred to 
her. "Knowing that fool Igthorn, he'll try to win my heart with all those 
gifts and trinkets. While I'm deserving of everything he tries to do, he'll 
find some way to make a disaster out of it and blame it all on his stupid 
ogres. If only there were some way to end his infatuation with me."  

	Lady Bane paused and clutched the Gummi medallion she wore about her 
waist as she turned the idea over in her mind. "There must be some spell or 
enchantment to rid me of him," she decided.  Nodding to herself, she hurried 
to her study and began to search through one of her many tomes. "Let me see 
now," she muttered, "lust...lupine...lox...ah! Here we are, love."

	She scanned through the spells offered, frowning at what she saw.  Most
of these spells were for inducing love or outright forcing it, the absolute
last thing from her mind.  The only ones of mild interest were those that 
could substitute one love for another.  She toyed with the idea of making 
Igthorn infatuated with one of those wretched Gummi Bears, but decided even 
she couldn't be that cruel...to the Gummies.

	She checked her book of relics next.  After sifting through many gems 
designed to detect, increase, or protect love, she finally found something 
that could be useful.  "The Stone of Broken Hearts," she read, following the
words with her finger.  "This gem has the power to turn any lovers completely
indifferent to each other just by holding it together.  This is perfect!"  As 
she went about gathering the necessary ingredients to enchant such a stone, 
she failed to read the entire description...and find the warning contained 
therein.

	As she was preparing her spells, the artist known as Gusto Gummi was 
setting up his easel for a painting later that day.  "Glad my paints finally
defrosted," he thought.  "That's what I get for living behind a waterfall 
during winter.  Well, it's gotta be better than living at the Glen year round.
I don't think I could handle being around Gruffi that much."  He shuddered
slightly at that thought.  

	"Hey!  Anyone home?"  a familiar voice called from the mouth of his 
cave.

	"In the back, Sunni," Gusto called, checking to make sure he had enough 
sun yellow paint.  He cocked his head his as he heard more than one set of 
footprints enter.  "Brought some company?"  he asked turning around.

	"You could say that," Sunni said, giggling.  

	"Cavin!  Calla!"  Gusto exclaimed, surprised.  "What are you two doing 
here?"

	"Well, Sunni invited me along to see the painting you were going to do
of her," Calla explained.  "And because my father's been restricting my 
'travels' as he calls them since Igthorn actually took over the castle, he has
ordered that I only leave the castle with a chaperone.  And you know who I
picked."

	"Naturally," Gusto said with a chuckle.  "As if there could be anyone
else."

	"It's OK if we stay here, right Gusto?"  Cavin asked.  "I mean, we 
wouldn't want to impose or anything."

	"Nah, perfectly fine Cavin.  I know you two won't get in my way."

	"Two?"  Sunni asked, turning away from the sculpture she was looking at
to look at her friends.  Seeing only Gusto and the humans, a low growl sounded
in her throat.  She stormed to the mouth of the cave and reached out, grabbing
hold of something in Gusto's elevator.

	"Ow!"  a male voice that Gusto never heard before said.  "Lay off the 
ear, will you?"

	"Not until you get in here, Buddi," Sunni answered, pulling the Barbic
in by his ear.  "You were the one who wanted to come along anyway."

	"Yeah, yeah, I know," Buddi said, gently pulling Sunni's hand off his
ear and rubbing the affected appendage gently.  

	"So," Gusto broke in, effectively stopping Buddi from saying anything
else, "this is the Buddi I've heard so much about."

	"Huh?  Who told you about me?"

	"Why Sunni, of course," Gusto answered as if it were common knowledge.
"Why, every time she comes here all she can talk about, besides my wonderful
art, is you."

	"Really?"  Buddi asked, sounding a touch more hopeful than one might 
expect.  "What does she say about me?"

	"Umm, hey!"  Sunni said suddenly, grabbing Gusto's arm and pulling him 
toward his paints.  "Why don't you get set up and tell me how you want me to 
pose.  I mean, we wouldn't want to take up more of your valuable time than we 
have to, would we?"

	Gusto couldn't help but chuckle at Sunni's rather transparent attempt to 
change the subject, and noticed that Cavin and Calla were doing the same.  Out 
of all the Glens, he had to admit he was closest to Sunni, but only in a big 
brother type way.  As such, they'd had a number of talks together, especially 
about things she felt she couldn't go to Grammi, Zummi, or Gruffi about.

	As of late, those "things" have more often than not focused on her 
developing feelings for the young Barbic.  Gusto would keep telling Sunni to 
be honest with Buddi about her feelings.  At that point, the yellow bear would 
always turn a bit orange around her cheeks and complain she lacked the 
courage, and no amount of coaxing or convincing could change that.  He 
considered telling Buddi for her, but realized if he did so he could damage 
his relationship with Sunni beyond repair.

	"Well yeah, but I wanted to hear Buddi play his flute," he said instead.
"From what you keep saying, he's almost as good a flautist as I am an artist."

	"Well, I don't know about that...."  Buddi said, turning a bit shy.  "I
don't really get to practice that much anymore since Ursa stepped up my 
training."

	"Aww, that's too bad.  Say, while you're here you can practice all you
like.  And if you ever need a place to get away for a time, you can always
come here."

	"Gee, thanks Gusto."  Buddi said, smiling for the first time since he'd
been there.

	"No problem.  After all, we artists gotta stick together you know," he 
said, nudging Buddi in his ribs playfully.  "Hey, I just got a great idea!  
Calla, would you mind posing with Sunni?  That is, if you could tear yourself
away from your boyfriend long enough."

	Calla blushed bright red and looked sidelong at Cavin to find him doing 
the same.  "It's not like that," she protested.  "We're just...good friends."

	"Yeah, that's right," Cavin said.  "Just...friends."

	Gusto heard the disappointment present in both their voices and smiled
behind his easel.  "Whatever," he said, faking an uncaring voice.  "Now then
if you two will sit like so.  Umm, Sunni, look more to the side.  Calla, can
you drape your braid over your shoulder?  No, the other one.  Perfect!  Stay
just like that."

	While Gusto was busy completing another masterpiece, Gruffi was 
performing routine maintenance on the Quickcar tunnels.  "Ahh, nothing like a 
few hours of hard work to build up a good appetite.  I hope Grammi has 
something decent today for me to snack on."

	As he was packing up his tools, he felt a breeze rush down the tunnel.
"There shouldn't be any hatches open in this section," he thought.  Then he
heard the distinctive sound of wood scraping against wood.  He dived onto the
platform just as one of the Quickcars pulled in, barely avoiding getting run
over.  "When I get my hands on that maniac," he growled, pushing himself to 
his feet and dusting himself off.

	"You'll do what?"  A hardened, but decidedly feminine voice asked with a
sneer.

	Gruffi turned around and found himself nearly nose-to-nose with Ursa, 
leader of the clan of Gummies known as the Barbics.  "Hmmph, I should've known 
it was you Barbics," he spat.  "What's the matter?  Forget how to steer 
again?"

	Ursa snarled and straightened up, making a point to look down her nose 
at Gruffi.  "Better watch that tongue, short stuff," she said, a half-smile on
her muzzle.  "I might just have to rip it out of your mouth one of these 
days."

	"Go ahead and try," Gruffi said, his anger rising.  Anyone who knew
Gruffi knew that his height, or lack thereof, was a sore point with him.  It
usually only took one remark about it to get Gruffi fighting mad, something
rare in the usually levelheaded bear.

	"Now now," a male voice said from behind Ursa.  "You two are supposed to 
be adults, our leaders even, and you're fighting like a couple of cubs."

	Gruffi didn't have to move his gaze from Ursa's to know that the owner 
of that voice was Gritty, Ursa's second in command.  "Can't you keep her on a 
leash or something?"  he growled.

	Ursa grabbed hold of Gruffi's tunic and easily lifted him off the ground
so that he was face-to-face with her.  "I've had just about enough of you!"  
she nearly yelled, her face twisted in a mask of anger.  "Who do you think you 
are talking to me like that?"

	Gruffi smirked, folding his arms across his chest, over her hands.  "If
you think you're scaring me, think again."

	Ursa scowled at him a moment more before dropping him on his backside.
"Come on, Gritty," she called, stalking away.  "Let's get Buddi so we can get
back to Ursalia."

	"Buddi's not here," Gruffi said, standing up and pulling a splinter out
from where he landed.  "Hmm, gotta sand this platform later."

	"Not here?  Then where is he?"

	Gruffi shrugged, examining the platform for more splinters.  "He went 
with Sunni, Cavin, and Calla to visit Gusto.  Something about Sunni getting 
her portrait painted."

	"Hanging out with humans," she grumbled, walking into the Glen proper 
with Gritty close behind.  "What's that girl going to get Buddi to do next?"

	Gruffi watched her go until she closed the door and then went back to
gathering his tools.  "She thinks she's so intimidating," he thought, tossing
his tools back in his toolbox harder than needed.  "And why?  Just because 
she's the tallest bear I've ever seen, probably a better fighter than some of
the Knights of Gummadoon, and absolutely gorgeous...?"  

	The hammer fell from Gruffi's hand and dropped on his foot at that 
thought, but he didn't even notice.  "Gorgeous?  Where did that come from?  
OK Gruffi, maybe you need to go lay down...you're obviously delusional, 
especially since you're talking to yourself."

	If he had been paying more attention to what was going on around him, he
could have heard the sound of flesh striking stone over and over.  Ursa was 
taking her frustrations out on one of the tunnel walls while Gritty looked on,
a faintly amused expression on his face.  "That arrogant bear," she growled,
punching the wall hard enough to shake loose some dirt from the ceiling.  "How
dare he stand up to me like that?"

	"Yeah, who'd have thought he actually had it in him?"  Gritty said, 
turning the chuckle that threatened to emerge into a cough.  

	Ursa punched the wall again, nearly cracking the stones this time.  
"That self-centered," punch, "pompous," another punch, "egotistical," harder
punch, "annoying," cracked the stone that time.

	"Handsome?"  Gritty supplied with a smile.

	"Handsome," Ursa repeated without thinking, about to unleash a punch
that would bury her arm in the stone up to her elbow.  But just before her
fist made contact with the defenseless stone, she realized what she said and
stopped herself.  She looked around quickly to see if anyone heard her, a 
slight blush staining her cheeks.

	Gritty tried to hold it in, but he couldn't hold back the laugh that
echoed through the tunnel.  That is, until he felt the point of Ursa's sword
at his throat.  "That was really low Gritty," she said between clenched teeth.
"What if he had heard?"

	Gritty shoved the sword away and laughed again.  "What's the matter?
Afraid he'll find out the truth?"

	"I knew it was a mistake to tell you," she said, walking away as she
sheathed her sword.

	Gritty waited until his laughs died down to follow after her; no need
to tempt fate.  Unlike Gruffi, who stood up to her because he was just as 
stubborn and had no fear, Gritty stood up to her because he could.  They had
been best friends for a long time, since before they were both Buddi's age.  
One time, they had even tried to be more than that.

	Gritty's eye narrowed in memory.  That had been a disaster.  Oh, the 
date went all right, just as they'd both hoped.  The good night kiss, however,
had been a nightmare.  While there was nothing wrong with it exactly, they had
both agreed afterward that it had been like kissing a sibling instead of a
lover.  That knowledge had forever sealed their relationship as friends.

	Ursa had never even considered anyone else that way...until they had met
the Glens.  From the first moment she met Gruffi, those two together were as
volatile as a torch and oil.  But since that first argument, Gritty had 
noticed a spark in Ursa's eyes, one he hadn't seen since the days before the
humans had driven them out of Barbic Woods, one only he used to be able to 
bring to her eyes.  It had been even more obvious when, while tearing apart
that horn, Gruffi had actually made Ursa smile.  Not a cruel smile either, a
smile from her heart.

	It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening: Ursa was 
falling for Gruffi and falling hard.  Whenever he caught her deep in thought,
Gritty would always tease her that she was thinking about "that bear from the 
Glen."  Granted, Ursa did try to deny it at first, but she never could keep a 
secret long from him.  The final straw, however, came when Dunwyn Castle had 
been taken over by that band of ogres and their human leader Igthorn.  When 
Gruffi had gotten her to agree to help the humans, something she'd sworn to 
never do, Gritty knew he was wrong.  She wasn't falling for Gruffi anymore; 
she had fallen for him.

	Now the only problem which presented itself was how to get her to tell
Gruffi.  Gritty knew that while Ursa could be brave in a lot of things, 
matters of the heart were not among them.  Even with Buddi, a cub she had 
raised as her own, she found it hard to express her true feelings.  But that
was another matter, he told himself as he finally caught up to Ursa in the
Glen proper.

	The afternoon soon passed to early evening, and then to just before 
sunset.  In that time, Lady Bane had finished her incantations and was riding
to Drekmore.  "I can't believe I'm willingly going there," she thought, 
looking at the perfectly round, crystal clear stone in her hands.  "But if 
everything goes as planned, I'll never have to see that place again."

	So lost was she in her thoughts of a life without Igthorn, she was 
nearly thrown from her seat in the carriage when it suddenly stopped.  "What
is the meaning of this?"  she demanded of the troggle driving the carriage.

	The troggle chattered nervously, pointing ahead to a cart that was stuck
in the middle of the road.  Three men were working to free it while two women 
were standing off to the side.  "Get out of my way this instant!"  Lady Bane 
demanded.

	"Beggin' your pardon, your ladyship," one of the men said, looking over
his shoulder to talk to her.  "We'll be out of your way as soon as we can get
our cart free from this mud."

	"Enough of this," Lady Bane snarled, grasping hold of the Gummi 
medallion that hung at her waist.  With a curse, she hurled a bolt of magic at
the cart, reducing it to splinters and throwing the peasants to the ground.
"That will teach you not to obey me," she said, lifting her nose to look down 
at them.  When the men got up and looked like they were going to attack, she
simply laughed.  "Fools," she thought, calling up her magic once more, "do 
they really think they can defeat me?"

	In a nearby part of the forest, a crimson clad figure stood on top of a
high branch, keeping lookout over his forest.  "I really hope there'll be some
action tonight," he thought, adjusting the hat he wore so that the pink 
feather wasn't in his face.  "Maybe I should patrol another area."

	He grabbed hold of a nearby vine and set himself to swing away when he 
heard a woman scream.  "Finally, some action," he thought, resetting himself
to swing toward the scream.  "Time to make evil pay for being evil in this
forest."

	As he swung closer, he could hear a group of people running, as well as
a laugh that he could only describe properly as a cackle.  "I know that laugh
from somewhere," he thought, coming to stop on a branch of a tree that lined
the path.  

	The sight before him was gruesome.  Trees charred by magical blasts lay 
across the path, slowly burning to ash.  Broken farm tools, possibly used to
defend their owners, lay scattered in so many pieces you couldn't tell what 
part came from what tool.  Ripped and tattered clothing, spattered with drying
blood, fluttered in the wind from where they lay.  And amidst it all stood a
woman laughing at the destruction, her back to him.  "That will teach them," 
she snarled, wiping her hands.

	His eyes hardened and he drew his wooden sword.  "Stop right there," he 
called out, startling the woman into turning around and looking at him, which 
in turn startled him.  "Lady Bane!"  he gasped.

	"Well, I'm glad to see my reputation precedes me," she said, composing
herself with a smirk.  "But I'm afraid I don't know who you are."

	"Why me, I'm the Crimson Avenger," he said, pointing his sword at her, 
"and I'm sworn to protect the forest from evildoers like you."

	"Ah yes, the Crimson Avenger.  I have indeed heard of you.  Forgive me
if I'm underwhelmed.  Troggles!"  she yelled, causing the one who was driving 
the carriage to show up with a couple of his brethren.  "Get him!"

	Cubbi, in his guise as the Crimson Avenger, had anticipated this.  He 
jumped down from the branch, drinking a bottle of Gummiberry juice as he fell.
As soon as the troggles reached for him the juice took effect and he bounced
off their heads, getting all three to fall down in a heap.

	He looked back over his shoulder to make sure the troggles weren't 
chasing him when he got stopped short by someone yanking on his cape.  "When
you want something done right," Lady Bane began, lifting Cubbi up in the air.

	But Cubbi was also ready for this.  He'd been the Crimson Avenger for 
some time now, and more than one varlot had grabbed hold of his cape.  He 
kicked Lady Bane in the shin, getting her to drop him even though she still 
held onto the cape.  As soon as he hit the ground he sprang up and around, 
flipping over Lady Bane's head.  But because Lady Bane was still holding the 
cape, he had effectively wrapped it around her head.  

	Lady Bane struggled to get free, one of her arms pinned by the cape and
therefore unable to cast any spells.  Cubbi quickly bounced up and kicked her
in her posterior, making her stumble forward, landing hard in her carriage.
The troggles, seeing their mistress in trouble, acted quickly to get her out 
of there.  They hopped on the carriage and snapped the horses' reins, causing
them to gallop away at full speed.

	"No, stop!"  Lady Bane ordered, though with her voice muffled the
troggles could not hear her.

	"And don't bring your evil here ever again!"  Cubbi called after the 
retreating carriage.  He bounced once, preparing to take to the trees when a
glint of light caught his eye.  He walked over and saw it was a gem, seeming
to be high quality at that.  "This must have dropped out of Lady Bane's 
carriage," he realized.  "I'd better get Zummi to take a look at it."

	Cubbi bounced over to a nearby stump just as the Juice wore off.  He 
stomped on a small knot of wood and the stump opened, revealing a tunnel into
the Glen.  He jumped down into the tunnel and it closed up behind him, looking
to all the world like it was just an ordinary stump once more.

	But Cubbi had made a critical mistake.  The entrance tunnels he wanted 
led directly to his room, a necessity for a secret identity.  But the tunnel 
he used led to the central room in the Glen under the lake.  Even with the 
mistake, he figured he'd be able to slip through it and into his room without 
anyone seeing him with how late it was.  What he didn't realize, however, was 
that a pair of Gummies and a pair of humans had just recently returned to the 
Glen...and were being yelled at for coming back so late.

	"Gruffi, if you would please just listen to me," Sunni pleaded.

	"There's no excuse for being out this late," Gruffi said, arms folded
across his chest.  "By Gum!  You know how dangerous the forest can be this 
time of night.  You had all of us here worried sick about you."

	"But you knew I was with Gusto."

	"Precisely why I was so worried."

	"Oh, go easy on her Gruffi," Grammi said calmly, trying to soothe 
everyone's frayed nerves.  "You know she didn't mean any harm."

	"I will do no such thing.  Sunni has got to learn to respect the rules
better.  They are here for a reason you know."

	"And you," Ursa said, advancing on Buddi as Gruffi and Grammi continued
to argue.  "You promised me we'd be back in Ursalia by sunset.  Instead, I 
come here to find out you're with humans!  I thought I taught you better than 
that."

	"Ease up, Ursa," Buddi said, then gulped as he got glared at.  "I just
meant that....  Well...."

	"Go ahead, tell me what you meant," Ursa said, folding her own arms 
under her chest.  

	"Not all humans are bad Ursa," Buddi said after a moment.  "And being
with Cavin is like being with another Barbic."

	"Yeah Ursa, I passed your 'Test of Bearhood', remember?"  Cavin brought
up.  "By your own laws, I'm as much a Barbic as Buddi here."

	Ursa gnashed her teeth but stayed quiet.  After all, they were telling 
the truth.  Once Cavin passed the Test, he became part of their clan, whether
he was human or not.  That day, for the first time ever, Ursa had gained a 
measure of true respect for a human.  And whether she liked it or not, it had
begun to change her.

	Any further thoughts were interrupted when one of the tunnel exits 
opened and the smallest Gummi tumbled out into the room.  "I gotta stop doing
that," he muttered, getting to his feet and dusting himself off.  

	"Cubbi!"  

	The voice caused Cubbi to jump in shock and whirl around, realizing for 
the first time that he was not alone.  "Umm, hi everyone," he said, pulling 
off his hat and mask and hiding them behind his back.

	"I thought I told you to get rid of that stupid Crimson Avenger 
costume," Gruffi said heatedly, his bad mood just getting worse.  "You can't
keep playing at things like this.  You're going to get yourself hurt one of
these days."

	"Gruffi!"  Cubbi whined.  "I already told you.  I am the Crimson Avenger
for real!  I swear I'm not joking around."

	"Save it kid," Gruffi said, holding up a hand.  "I don't want to hear
anymore--"

	"But he's right Gruffi," Tummi said, stepping forward and surprising
everyone.  "Cubbi really is the Crimson Avenger."

	"And just how do you know that Tummi Gummi?"  Grammi asked, putting her
hands on her hips.

	"I find out right about when he was starting out and I...."  Tummi 
blushed for a moment before continuing.  "I was his sidekick for a while."

	"I'm surprised at you Tummi.  Letting Cubbi go out like that and even
encouraging him."

	"Hey!"  Cubbi spoke up, getting everyone's attention.  "Don't talk about
me like I'm not here.  You guys never want to listen to me.  Can't you see 
this is something I have to do?"

	"But Cubbi dear," Grammi began.

	"No Grammi," Cubbi interrupted, "I have to do this.  Don't you remember?
Calla made me the protector of the forest, and I have to do what the princess
says, don't I?"

	All eyes, even the Barbic ones, turned to a blushing Calla.  "Well, I 
didn't think he'd take it quite so seriously," she began lamely.  Seeing the
hurt look on Cubbi's face, she quickly added, "But I'm glad he did.  
Everyone talks so much about all the Crimson Avenger has done, and some 
bandits have even turned themselves in for fear of meeting the Avenger."

	"Besides, as a sworn knight of Gummadoon, I have to uphold every promise
I make," Cubbi said proudly.

	"You, a knight of Gummadoon?"  Ursa asked, completely incredulous.  
"Why do you let him believe in such nonsense?"

	"But it's not nonsense Ursa," Zummi said, stepping into the room.  "He
was in fact made a gight of Knummadon...err, I mean knight of Gummadoon.  We
were fortunate enough to see him get knighted, as well as to hear them 
recognize Cavin as one just before they disappeared again."

	"A Barbic, and a knight of Gummadoon?"  Gritty asked, shaking his head
with a laugh.  "Man kid, you're turning out to be more of a Gummi than some 
bears I know."

	Ursa pounded her fist into her palm, trying to control her anger.  The
situation here had gotten well out of her control, something she hated above
most everything else.  "We'd better get going," she said abruptly, turning
around.  "I'll decide your punishment when we get back."

	"You can't leave," Gruffi said quickly, a little too quickly because 
everyone suddenly turned to look at him.  "I mean, it's not safe.  Because
some bears interrupted me in my maintenance, I don't know if I got all the
rough spots taken care of."

	"Great, so we're stuck here and you're blaming it on us?"  Ursa demanded
as she advanced on Gruffi.

	"That's exactly where the blame should be," Gruffi said, glaring right
back at her.

	Cubbi realized that this was probably his best chance to get to his room
and took it, tiptoeing away.  It would've worked just fine, if that gem he had
recovered from Lady Bane hadn't chosen that exact moment to fall from his 
pocket and clatter noisily on the wooden floor.

	"What's this?"  Buddi asked, picking it up as it rolled near his feet.

	"Hey, that's pretty," Sunni said, looking over his shoulder.  "Can I see
it?"  Buddi turned around and handed it to her with a shrug.  As soon as both 
their hands were holding it, the gem began to glow with a harsh pink light.
They dropped it in surprise and the light faded as the gem hit the ground.  
"Wh...what just happened?"  Sunni asked, taking a slight step closer to Buddi.

	"I'm not sure," Buddi admitted, taking a step closer to Sunni as well.

	"Easy with that," Cubbi said, hurrying over and picking it up.  "I found
this tonight after I sent Lady Bane running."

	"You faced Lady Bane all by yourself?"  Tummi asked, amazed.  "Wow, 
you're getting better at this every night."

	"Don't encourage him Tummi," Gruffi said, walking up and snatching the 
gem from Cubbi.

	"Hey!"  Cubbi yelled, trying to get it back.  

	"This might be dangerous.  We have no idea what it can do so I'm not
about to let a cub handle it."

	"Then what are you doing holding it?"  Ursa asked, walking over with a 
smirk on her muzzle.  "Let a real bear hold it."  As she grabbed it from
Gruffi, the gem glowed again, brighter than before.  But unlike last time, the
gem didn't drop to the floor.  "What is going on here?"  Ursa wondered aloud,
peering at the gem closely.  "Hey, it looks like there's something in there."

	"There wasn't anything in there before," Cubbi said, trying to get a 
look at the gem.  

	"Hmmph.  She's probably just seeing things," Gruffi muttered, making a 
grab for the gem.

	Ursa moved her arm away quickly, too quickly to keep a grip on the stone
however as the gem went flying.  Cavin reacted instinctively, diving to catch
it.  The wood floor scraped the back of his hand up as he caught it.  "Got 
it," he said, getting to his feet but wincing as he moved his injured hand.

	"Let me take a look at that Cavin," Calla said, taking her hand in his
and turning it over to inspect the scratches.  Her hand brushed against the
gem he held and it glowed pink for a third time, startling them.  

	"Can...I see that Cavin?"  Zummi asked carefully, a worried look 
beginning to appear on his face.

	"Umm, sure Zummi," Cavin said, handing over the gem as Calla tied her
kerchief around his hand to stop the bleeding.  

	Zummi adjusted his spectacles as he peered at the gem.  There were 
indeed some things inside the gem, three small pink hearts that seemed to be 
faintly beating.  "I know I've seen something like this before," he thought, 
rubbing his chin.  "I'd better go look in the Great Book.  I'll keep this on 
me," he finished aloud, walking toward the library.  

	"Great," Gruffi said, recovering from the awkwardness.  "I trust him
even less with it than I trust Cubbi."

	"Oh come on Gruffi," Grammi huffed, clearly annoyed.  "Look, it's 
getting late and we should all be in bed.  That includes little Crimson
Avengers," she added, glancing at Cubbi as he had almost made it out the door.
"We will be talking about this in the morning."

	"Aww nuts," Cubbi said, walking toward his room with his head bowed.

	"We should be heading back too," Cavin said, pretending not to notice
that Calla had yet to let go of his hand.  "King Gregor won't like it if his
daughter isn't back soon."

	"I'll go with you," Sunni offered, jumping away from a confused Buddi.
"We've been having some trouble with the tunnel to the castle and the forest
can get confusing at night."

	"I'll go with you too," Gruffi said, ignoring Sunni's glare.  "You 
think I trust you enough to come back?  If I don't come with you, you'll try
to stay overnight."

	Sunni sighed, knowing she was caught.  "All right Gruffi," she said with
a sigh.  "Come on, we'd better be going."

	"Thank you again for having us by," Calla said as she walked out, waving
to her friends with her free hand.  

	"You know you're always welcome here Calla," Grammi said with a smile.
"You too Cavin."

	"I know Grammi," Cavin said.  "I'll be back tomorrow.  Just don't be too
hard on Cubbi."

	"I won't dear, I promise."

	Ursa watched the humans and bears go with a slight snarl.  "Well, if 
we're staying we'll need a place to sleep," she spat angrily.

	"I'm sure Gruffi will be happy to share...I mean find a bed for you,"
Gritty said off-handedly, immediately ducking to avoid the expected swing of
Ursa's fist.  When it didn't come however, he glanced at Ursa and found her
whole face red, but he couldn't be sure if it was the blush of embarrassment 
or the flush of anger.

	"I think I'll be leaving now," Tummi said, hurrying toward his room and
slamming the door quickly.

	Gritty blanched and started to back up.  He had forgotten the other Glen
Gummies were still in the room.  Now they knew Ursa's secret, and he was a 
dead bear.  

	Ursa started to run after Gritty but was stopped by a gentle hand on her
arm.  "I think we need to have a talk," Grammi said, using the same voice that
commanded respect from all the Glens.

	Ursa tried to pull her arm free, but her weak attempt was barely enough
to move Grammi's hand an inch.  "All right," she whispered, head down.  "Maybe
it's time I told someone about this."

	Buddi snuck out of the room and wandered the halls of the Glen.  He had
seen the look on Ursa's face as her head went down and it bothered him.  She
looked vulnerable, lost, almost scared.  Never had she looked like that as far
as he knew.  He just couldn't grasp the fact that Ursa wasn't always as strong
as she seemed to be, but yet he'd seen it with his own eyes.

	It was strange though.  For years he'd wanted to see Ursa's softer side,
a side he knew she had but had hidden deep long before he'd ever been born.  
Only now that he had, he wished that it had remained buried all along.  It was
hard enough to see her as vulnerable, but to find out in the same moment that
she was in love with Gruffi?  "I feel like my head is going to explode," Buddi
moaned, rubbing his temples gently.

	Outside the Glen, the group of two bears and two humans were making good
time back to Dunwyn Castle.  Sunni and Calla were chatting about their day at
Gusto's since they had left the Glen and had yet to run out of things to talk
about.  "Do those two ever stop?"  Gruffi asked Cavin in an undertone.

	"If they ever do, I'll let you know," Cavin whispered back with a smile.

	Gruffi smiled a little as well, but quickly hid it under a scowl.  He 
couldn't quite remember when he became fond of the young human, but Gruffi 
could no longer deny that he was as much a member of the Glen as much as he
was.  It surprised him to remember that he was originally as trusting of 
humans as Ursa, but at least he had been willing to change.  Well, either that
or be on the business end of one of Grammi's frying pans.  

	Gruffi looked up as he heard the chattering increase.  But then he 
realized it wasn't Sunni and Calla talking that he heard; this chattering was
more animalistic.  "Troggles!"  he shouted just before they burst out of the
surrounding foliage.  "Look out!"

	They all reached for their phials of gummiberry juice, but they were 
blown from their hands by a magical wind.  They tried to fight the troggles 
off, but they were overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of troggles.  "What's 
going on here?"  Cavin demanded, looking around.

	"I'll give you three guesses as to whose behind this," Gruffi said, 
peering ahead on the darkened path.  "And the first two don't count."

	Calla gasped as she made the connection.  "Lady Bane!"  she said, her
eyes widening.

	"Quite right, Princess," Lady Bane said as she drove up in her carriage.
"Seems my patience has paid off quite nicely.  Now then, if you'll just hand
over my stone, I'll be on my way."

	"Stone?  What stone?"  Gruffi asked, though he knew exactly what she was
referring to.

	"Do not play games with me," Lady Bane snarled, gripping her Gummi 
amulet tightly.  "I know that the Crimson Avenger works for you.  Why else 
would he have had this?"  she asked, holding up an empty glass bottle.

	"Careless kid," Gruffi muttered.  "We don't have your stone," he said
loudly.  "And even if we did, we wouldn't give it to a witch like you."

	"Fine, be that way," Lady Bane smirked.  "Troggles, bring them with us!
All except for her," she added, pointing at the princess.  "If you want your
friends back, you'd better tell the other Gummies to bring my stone back to my
castle.  Of course, you could just tell your father about it.  I'm sure he'd 
love to hear all about your friends."

	Calla watched helplessly as Lady Bane rode off laughing with Gruffi, 
Sunni, and Cavin being dragged along behind.  "Oh no," she whispered.  "What 
should I do?"  She thought about going after them herself, but knew she had no
chance against both Lady Bane and her troggles.  With a last glance at her 
friends, she ran back down the path that led to the Glen.

	As fast as she ran, it seemed an eternity before she reached the tunnel
leading inside.  Stomping on the knot that made the stump open, she dove down 
into the darkness feet first.  Barreling through the entry door, Calla hit her
feet running.  "Somebody help!"  she yelled as she ran.  "Where is everybody?"

	"What's all the racket?"  Gritty asked, poking his head out of the room
he'd found for the night.  

	"Lady Bane," Calla gasped, trying to catch her breath.  "She...captured
the others.  She wants...her stone back or...else."

	"She's got Sunni?"  Buddi asked, rounding a nearby hallway and skidding
to a stop in front of Calla.

	"Sunni, Cavin, and Gruffi," Calla said after a final deep breath.  "We
have to rescue them."

	"I'll get the others," Buddi said, running off again.

	"You'd better come inside and sit down kid," Gritty said gruffly.  "You
won't help anyone if you pass out."

	It didn't take long for word to spread and soon all the present Gummies
had gathered in Gruffi's room.  They all listened intently as Calla recounted 
what had happened, down to the last detail.  "This is all my fault," a pajama
wearing Cubbi said, looking down.  "Maybe Gruffi was right after all.  I don't
deserve to be the Crimson Avenger."

	"Time and place Cubbi," Grammi said, wringing her hands.  "What we have
to focus on now is getting them out of there.  If she's willing to go to this 
extreme to get her stone back, there's no telling what she wants it for.  All
I know is she's not going to get it."

	"You're gight, Rammi.  I mean, you're right Grammi," Zummi stuttered.  
"I haven't been able to find exactly what this stone is enchanted to do, but I
know it's powerful magic."

	"That settles it then," Ursa said, drawing her sword.  "We attack her 
and get our...I mean your friends back," she amended, hoping no one caught her
slip.  But from the looks she was getting, she knew they all had.

	"Now hold on a minute Ursa," Grammi said as Zummi ducked back out to 
continue his research.  "If we just go charging in there, she could do away 
with everyone before we even got close.  We have to plan this out right."

	"Bah, we have no time for plans," Ursa said, slamming the sword's hilt 
into the wall.  "While we're waiting here, this Lady Bane could be doing away
with them.  We have to move now!"

	"Remember, she wants that stone from us.  She thinks she'll have a 
better chance of getting it if she keeps them alive and unharmed.  We have to 
take advantage of that."

	"And just how do you propose we do that?"  Ursa snarled, but her 
attention was clearly focused on Grammi.

	Grammi smiled an uncharacteristically devious smile, one no one in that
room had seen.  "Listen to me, and I'll tell you what we'll do."

	While Grammi laid out her plans, Lady Bane had just finished securing 
her "guests" into their accommodations.  "I hope you don't mind the rusty 
manacles too much," she said as if talking about the softness of a bedsheet.  
"It is dreadfully hard to keep up with the upkeep of a dungeon after all."

	"You're never going to get away with this," Cavin said, trying to pull 
his chains free of the wall.  

	"Such naivete," Bane smirked.  "Trust me boy, I already have.  Your
friends are too goody-goody to try anything while I have you here.  They won't
risk me harming you.  Which, by the way, is exactly what will happen if I 
don't get my stone.  You see that mark on the ceiling?"  she asked, pointing
up at a pentacle carved into the stone.  

	"What about it?"  Gruffi grumped, as if not really caring.

	"If anyone steps foot inside this room except for me and my troggles, 
that mark will cause the ceiling to drop and crush everyone inside.  So either 
way, I win."

	"And how do we know you'll let us go even if you do get your stone?"
Sunni demanded.

	Lady Bane stooped over to be face-to-face with Sunni.  "You don't.  Now
if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for my upcoming guests.  Now don't go
anywhere," she laughed, walking out of the room and slamming the door closed
behind her.

	"Hmmph, didn't even bother to lock the door," Gruffi noted.

	"Like she has to?"  Cavin pointed out.  "Remember what she said."

	"She's bluffing."

	"But what if she's not?  Do you really want to risk everyone getting 
killed?"

	Gruffi looked down as he thought about that.  "There's not much we can
do about it either way," he said finally.  "We all know once Calla tells the
others they'll try to rescue us.  All we can do is warn them when they show 
up."

	Sunni slumped down in her chains as far as she could.  How had such a 
beautiful day come to this?  There was no answer, but she knew that Gruffi
was telling the truth.  All they could do now was wait.

	Back in the Glen, Ursa sat back in her chair.  "That's a crazy plan,"
she said, rubbing her eyes.  Then she laughed out loud, a rich, deep laugh.
"So crazy, it might just work.  Are you sure you don't have any Barbic blood
in you?  But if we're going to do it," she continued, stopping Grammi before
she could answer, "we need to do it now, before sunrise."

	"You don't know how right you are," Zummi said quietly as he walked into
the room.  "If we don't get them back by sunrise, there will be very grave 
consequences."

	"What's so important about sunrise?"  Gritty asked.

	"This stone is called the Stone of Hoken Brearts...I mean, Stone of
Broken Hearts," Zummi explained.  "It is an ancient and terrible spell that
Lady Bane has cast on this gem.  See these three hearts contained in the
stone?  At sunrise, they'll shatter, completely breaking the hearts of those
they represent."

	"Just what are you saying Zummi?"  Grammi demanded, snatching the stone
from him to get a closer look at it.  Zummi realized what she was doing a 
moment too late to keep it from her grasp.  And in that moment when both held
the stone, a fourth heart joined the other three within the gem.  "Wait, I
thought you said there were only three hearts in here.  I see four."

	Zummi looked down at his suddenly trembling hands.  "According to the
Great Book," he started, his voice trembling, "a heart appears in the stone
when two creatures touch the stone who are in love with each other, but only
if that love is not known to them.  And if those hearts break, then the love
is destroyed for all time and can never be found again."

	Silence blanketed the room, heavy and oppressing, as everyone slowly
allowed Zummi's words to sink in.  "How long?"  Grammi demanded finally.  "How
long have you felt like this Zummi?"

	"A long, long time Grammi," Zummi answered, his voice faltering again.
"Possibly as long as you have loved me.  Remember, the feeling must be mutual
for the heart to appear."

	Grammi looked down at the stone in her hand.  "I...I had no idea Zummi.
I thought you just wanted to be friends...."

	"So did I Grammi, so did I.  I think we've both played the fool long
enough, don't you?"

	Grammi nodded, still looking at the stone.  "And yet, now it's too late.
At sunrise, it will all be over, won't it?"

	"Not quite," Zummi said, his voice getting stronger.  "The spell can be
broken if the love that caused the heart to form is openly acknowledged and
affirmed."

	"But we just acknowledged it," Grammi protested.  "I still see four 
hearts in here."

	Zummi smiled sadly.  "I said acknowledged and affirmed, Grammi.  In 
order to truly affirm it, it must be sealed with...with love's first kiss."

	Grammi immediately blushed scarlet, as did Buddi, Calla, and even Ursa.
"How do we know that it will even work?"  Ursa asked after a moment.

	"At least you're not denying it anymore," Gritty said, trying to lighten
the mood.

	Ursa glared at Gritty, but her glare had no fire behind it.  She turned
back to look at Zummi and was surprised to see him placing a soft, gentle, but
definitely loving kiss on Grammi's lips.  Grammi looked surprised for only a
second before returning the kiss in kind.  At the exact moment she did, the 
stone lit up with a pink light.  But unlike the harshness of the earlier burst
of light, this one warm and soothing.  And when it faded after Grammi and 
Zummi moved apart, it was clear that one of the hearts had indeed faded from 
the stone.  "What are we waiting for then?"  Ursa asked, her face set in firm
resolve as she stood.

	"Hold on," Calla said, opening the door and hurrying out.  "I'll be 
right back."

	"Where is that fool girl going?  We don't have time for this."

	"Easy Ursa," Buddi said, getting out of his chair and walking next to 
her.  "I'm sure Calla knows how serious this is.  If she's up to something,
you can bet it's to help us rescue the others."

	Ursa looked down at Buddi and sighed.  "For the first time Buddi, I wish
I could be as trusting of humans as you are."

	The minutes passed slowly as they waited for Calla to return.  Or at 
least, they did for Ursa.  "If she's not back in five more minutes, we leave 
without her," Ursa threatened.

	"I'm back," Calla said, striding confidently into the room.  

	Ursa turned to her with a scathing comment on her lips, but that died as
soon as she saw her.  Calla had somehow found a full suit of light plate armor
made to fit her with a helmet and visor in the shape of a bear's face.  A 
sword lay strapped to her side while a bow and a quiver full of arrows were 
slung across her back.  "Are we ready to go or not?"  Calla asked, her voice
as hard as Ursa's.

	"Hmmph.  You shouldn't dress as a warrior if you're not one."

	Almost faster than Ursa could see, Calla whipped off her bow, nocked an
arrow, and fired it.  Before she could dodge out of the way, the arrow knocked
off her own helmet and sent it flying into the wall.  "I am as dangerous with 
a bow as they come," Calla stated calmly.  "And I defeated my father, the 
king, in sword combat.  Believe me when I tell you I know what I'm doing."

	Ursa stared into Calla's eyes and Calla stared right back.  The fire in 
the human's eyes made Ursa smirk.  She couldn't believe it, but she was 
actually seeing a younger version of herself in the princess.  "Let's get 
going," she said, picking up her helmet and placing it back on her head.  "We
only have a couple hours till sunrise and there's no way I'm going to let this
witch destroy my love before I even get to enjoy it."

	Buddi and Calla nodded, moving toward the door behind Ursa.  "Hey, are
the rest of you coming or not?"  Buddi asked as he walked out the door.

	"Too bad it had to come to this," Gritty muttered as he headed out the 
door with Grammi, Zummi, and Tummi close behind.  

	Cubbi watched them go, his eyes full of sadness.  According to Grammi's
plan, he was supposed to remain behind.  With everything else that happened, 
he hadn't been able to plead his case to them.  "Great," he thought, dropping
out of the chair to his feet.  "It's my fault and I can't even try to make it
right.  Well, Cubbi can't," he realized, a smile growing on his face, "but
they never said the Crimson Avenger couldn't."

	Far away from the Glen, Cavin slumped down in his chains after yet 
another try to break them.  "We have to get out of here," he muttered, 
breathing slowly to calm himself down.

	"Give it a rest kid," Gruffi said, shifting slightly.  Yet even that
slight movement was enough to make his chains rattle.  "They'll all be here
soon enough and we'll need our strength for our voices."

	Cavin sighed and looked over at a slumbering Sunni.  "Poor Sunni," he
whispered.  "She's cried herself to sleep."

	"Let her sleep till we need her.  It's good at least one of us can get
some sleep in all this."

	Cavin nodded as he got his feet under him again.  "Why don't you get 
some sleep Gruffi?  I'll keep watch out."

	Gruffi just shook his head, not even bothering to answer Cavin.  But 
then, he didn't know just how to answer him.  How could he say that every
time he closed his eyes, he was assaulted with the image of Ursa being 
crushed in her attempt to save them?  How could he explain that this image
made his heart want to shatter and his eyes want to cry just as Sunni had?
How could Cavin understand it when Gruffi could even admit the truth to 
himself?

	Ursa sat in the driver's seat in the Quickcar that also held Calla and
Buddi, pushing it as fast as it could go.  The car with Grammi, Zummi, Gritty, 
and Tummi had branched off a few moments ago heading for the front of Lady 
Bane's castle while she and the others headed for the back.  "I just hope this
works," she muttered, mentally urging the Quickcar to go faster.

	"It will Ursa," Buddi said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  "We just 
have to be in position when the time comes."

	"We will be," Calla said, ducking under a low hanging stalactite.  "We
will be."

	The mood wasn't nearly as quiet as the other Quickcar pulled into the
platform.  "Everyone remember what they're supposed to do?"  Grammi asked, 
helping Zummi out of his seat.

	"You know she's going to double cross us, don't you?"  Gritty asked,
adjusting his eyepatch.

	"I'm counting on it," Grammi said as they emerged from underground.  
"The longer she's fighting with us, the more time the others have to free our 
friends.  A bunch of troggles shouldn't be a match for us when we know they're 
coming."

	"Ursa's right, you would make a good Barbic," Gritty laughed.  

	"We'll discuss that later," Zummi said, coming to a stop.  "We're here.
Cover your ears for a moment," he added, pulling a piece of paper out of his
hat.  "Mumake vumoice lumoud!  Lady Bane!"  he yelled in a voice ten times 
louder than even Ursa could make.  "We've brought your stone.  Now bring our
friends out and we'll make a trade!"

	"Perfect," Lady Bane said, smiling down from her tower.  She hurried
down to the gate flanked by a number of her troggles.  "Where is the Stone?"

	"Our friends first," Grammi said, taking the Stone from her apron.

	"Do you take me for a fool?"  Lady Bane demanded.  "If I bring your
friends out, you'll attack and take them before I can stop you.  Give me the
Stone and you can have your friends back."

	"And do you think we're fools?"  Tummi demanded in his own right.  "We
give you the stone and we'll never see our friends again."

	"It seems we're at an impasse," Lady Bane said, looking down at her 
fingernails.  "But unlike you, I can make another Stone.  You can't make new
friends."

	"If you could do that, you would've done it already," Zummi pointed 
out.  "The ingredients for making this Stone are rare.  In fact, I'll wager
you'd have to wait five years before forging a new one."

	Lady Bane gnashed her teeth together for a moment before forcing herself
to calm down.  "I'm sure we can reach some sort of agreement," she said with
a false smile.

	"Oh, we'll reach an agreement all right," Grammi muttered under her 
breath as Zummi started arguing over the terms of their agreement.

	While Lady Bane was distracted, the other group made their way around
back toward the dungeons.  They called quietly at each window they saw, but
no one answered.  "We'll never find them at this rate," Ursa grumbled, casting
her eyes toward the eastern horizon where stars were just beginning to wink 
out in anticipation on the coming daybreak.

	"I thought Barbics didn't give up," Calla taunted as she checked another
window.

	"We don't," Ursa snarled in frustration.  "But then, what would a human
know about--"

	"Ursa?"  a quiet voice came from the grating near her feet.

	"Gruffi?"  Ursa asked, nearly throwing herself on the ground to bring 
her face down to that window.  What she saw appalled her.  Gruffi, Sunni, and 
Cavin were hanging limply from their manacled arms, with Sunni only now 
beginning to stir from her unrestful slumber.  "By the Great Gummies, what 
has she done to you?"

	"We're...we're fine," Gruffi tried to reassure her.  "She hasn't touched
us yet."

	"And she won't," Calla promised, kneeling down beside Ursa.  "We're 
going to get you out of there now."

	"No," Cavin said, his voice cracking from the dryness in his throat.  
"There's some kind of spell in here.  If anyone comes in, the ceiling starts 
to drop."

	"Blast," Ursa growled, punching the stone in her frustration.

	"Wait a minute," Buddi said, dropping down on the other side of Ursa.  
"What were her words exactly?"

	"What does it matter?"  Gruffi asked, slumping down in his restraints
again.

	"Just humor me, please?"

	"I don't remember exactly," Gruffi admitted.

	"'If anyone steps foot inside this room except for me and my troggles, 
that mark will cause the ceiling to drop and crush everyone inside,'" Sunni
recited, startling everyone.

	"That was what I was hoping for," Buddi said with a grin.

	"Now I get what you're thinking," Calla said, pulling an arrow from her
quiver.  "Ursa, can you get these bars off?"  she asked as she began to tie a
rope around the arrow's shaft.

	"Ah, I see what you're doing," Ursa said with a smile, pulling the bars
from the window one by one.  Like the rest of the dungeon, the stone walls 
were not that well taken care of so Ursa was having an easy time of it.

	As soon as the way was clear, Calla drew her bow and nocked the arrow.
In one fluid motion, Calla drew the bowstring back, sighted her arrow, and
let it fly.  It whistled through the still and silent air until it struck home
in the stones by the door.  "The arrow can't hold all of us," she said as she
tied the other end of the rope around a nearby rock and pulled it tight.  
"Which one of us is going?"

	"If you can trust me enough to help Cavin," Ursa said, looking Calla 
right in her eyes, "I'll trust you enough to hold the rope tight."

	Calla nodded firmly, then a smile touched her lips.  "I think that's 
the first time I've ever heard you call him by name."

	Ursa paused a moment before she swung herself down through the narrow
opening, ignoring Calla's comment.  She travelled hand over hand along the 
rope until she was near Gruffi.  "I can't reach him," she realized, gauging
the distance between herself and Gruffi's manacles.

	Images began to flash through her mind unbidden.  Lady Bane coming into
the room unexpectedly.  Lady Bane striking down Gruffi with one of her 
accursed spells.  Lady Bane causing her to fall from the rope, paralyzed,
unable to do anything but watch as the ceiling came down and crushed Gruffi.

	Ursa's heartrate began to pick up noticably, making her palms sweaty
and making her grip on the rope falter slightly.  "Pull yourself together!"
her mind screamed at her as she tried to get a better grip on the rope.  But
it was to no avail as her fingers slipped and she fell from the rope.

	"Ursa!"  Buddi cried as Calla leapt in after her, making a desperate 
grab for Ursa's hand even though he knew she was far out of reach.

	As soon as Ursa's feet touched the floor, the pentacle on the ceiling 
began to glow with an unholy light.  Ursa was nearly knocked off her feet as 
the entire room shook.  With a sickening lurch, the ceiling began to drop at 
an alarming rate.  Ursa drew her sword and ran toward Gruffi, swinging her 
blade in a sweeping arc.  The strength of her swing was so much that she cut 
through both of the chains holding his arms with just a single slice.  "No 
time," she realized, aiming a second swing to free Gruffi's legs.

	Two arrows whizzed by her head, embedding themselves deep into the wall.
Ursa looked up in surprise, her aborted swing barely glancing off the chains
that held Gruffi's legs in place.  The two arrows were wedged into the wall 
just under the falling ceiling.  As Ursa watched, three more arrows joined 
them in a line.  And when the ceiling reached the arrows, it grinded to a halt
as the arrows stopped its descent.

	Calla turned in place, swiftly firing more arrows into the wall to 
replace the ones giving out under the strain.  "I'm running out of arrows," 
she warned as she fired yet another one.  "Get them out of here now!"

	Ursa nodded and swung at Gruffi's chains again, separating them from 
the wall easily.  Moving quickly, she freed Sunni and Cavin in quick 
succession.  And just in time too as the last of Calla's arrows gave way under
the ceiling's weight.  Hoisting Gruffi up on her shoulder, she went to join 
Calla and Buddi, both of whom had helped their loves through the unlocked 
door.

	But then tragedy struck.  Ursa's foot found a crack in the dungeon floor
and she went sprawling, Gruffi and her sword flying from her grasp and out the 
door.  Ursa tried to crawl the rest of the way, but the ceiling was dropping 
too fast.  "At least everyone else is safe," she thought, feeling an odd calm
wash over her as she waited for the end.

	But that end never came.  She lifted her face from the floor and saw 
Gruffi with her sword, having wedged it between the floor and ceiling.  "Come
on," he said, his face contorted with the effort of keeping that sword in 
place.

	Ursa needed no further urging and quickly scrambled out the door.  
Gruffi fell back, exhausted, and was pulled to safety by Calla just as Ursa's
sword snapped in two.  The ceiling slammed into the floor seconds later, 
crushing everything left in that room to powder.

	"I guess being short...had its advantages this time," Gruffi joked, 
trying to catch his breath.

	"Of all the idiotic things to do!"  Ursa growled, getting to her feet 
and hauling Gruffi up to her face.  "Why did you risk your life like that?"

	"Why did you risk your life for me?"  Gruffi retorted, trying to stare
Ursa down.  

	"Hey guys, come on," Cavin said calmly, trying to separate the two.  
"This is neither the time or place for this.  Let's get out of here first and
then you can settle this."

	"Or have you forgotten exactly what you need to settle?"  Calla asked
quietly.  "What we all need to settle."

	Ursa blushed suddenly before letting Gruffi down to the ground.  Gruffi
looked up at Ursa's face in surprise.  "I don't think she's ever looked more
beautiful," he thought, which brought a blush to his cheeks.  "Err, come on,"
he said gruffly, trying to cover it up.  "Let's get out of here before we're
found out."

	"Too late," Buddi muttered, catching sight of a troggle scampering off
toward the main gate.  "Can you walk?"  he asked Sunni, though the question 
was also directed to Cavin and Gruffi.  They all nodded, though Sunni wobbled
slightly on her feet.  Buddi held her hand to help steady her, trying to 
ignore how it felt to be holding her hand.  "Let's get going," he said, a soft
smile on his face.

	Outside the castle, Lady Bane was getting a severe headache.  She had 
expected this to be a simple exchange: her stone for her captives.  But the
level of mistrust between the two sides was palpable, and neither one could
agree on the terms of transfer.  Despite constant reassurances on both sides,
both still expected a double cross.  "Maybe if I just told them why I wanted
the stone," she mused before turning her full attention back to the 
negotiations.

	But her focus was short-lived as a troggle came barrelling into her legs
from behind, nearly knocking her down.  "What is the meaning of this?"

	"Bears!  Bears!"  the troggle chattered, pointing back at the hallway 
he'd walked down.

	Lady Bane glanced down the direction the troggle was pointing and her
eyes widened at the group of humans and bears that turned a corner.  "How did
you get away?  I should've known this was all a trick!"

	"Now!"  Grammi yelled, gulping down her vial of Gummiberry Juice.  As
soon as it took effect she bounced toward Lady Bane with Zummi, Tummi, and 
Gritty following close behind.

	Gritty was slightly nervous about this as he didn't have even a fraction
of the experience the others had with the Juice.  In fact, the only time he 
had tried it he had gone bouncing out of control until it had worn off.  But
this time there were no rocks for him to go careening off of.  Just a straight
line right into Lady Bane and her troggles.

	Lady Bane turned around just in time to be plowed into by a bouncing 
Tummi, his mass more than enough to knock her cleanly off her feet.  The 
others had landed right in the midst of the troggles and their constant 
bouncing was confusing the troggles.  They began to run into each other in 
their attempt to get away, and they ended up falling all over each other in 
their haste to get back into the castle.

	Ursa and the others ran right past them, but she did get in a few 
parting shots with the flat of her blade.  "Come on," Gruffi said, trying
to pull her away before she decided to chase after them.

	"Is everyone all right?"  Zummi asked, running to meet them with the
others of his group behind him.

	"We're all OK," Calla said, sheathing her sword after she too had gotten
a few blows in on the troggles.  "Let's get out of here before they regroup."

	"You're not going anywhere!"  Lady Bane screeched from where she stood
on the ground just past the drawbridge.  She clutched her Gummi medallion
tightly, chanting a few words too low for anyone to hear.  Within seconds, the
whole drawbridge began to vibrate, knocking everyone but her to their knees.
"If you don't give me my stone right now, I'll send all of you into the moat!
I'm sure my pet would love a late-night snack."

	"You send us in, you'll never get your stone!"  Grammi yelled.

	"Do you think I really care anymore?  I've had it with you, all of you!
I'll give up the stone to get rid of you all if you don't hand it over right
now!"

	"We have no choice Grammi!"  Zummi yelled over the creaking of the 
bridge.  "Throw her the Stone!"

	"I can't get a grip on it!"  Grammi yelled back, trying to pull it from
the pocket of her dress.  With a hard tug, it came loose not only from her 
pocket but also her hand.  "No!"  she cried, watching it skitter toward the 
edge of the drawbridge, knowing that their chances of survival would shatter 
if the stone did.

	"I'll get it," Gritty set, struggling to his feet and diving toward the
edge of the drawbridge where it teetered.  But his dive was just a little too
short and instead of grabbing it, his fingers actually pushed it off the edge.
"Damn," Gritty yelled, watching it drop toward the moat below.

	But before it hit the water and was snapped up by the waiting serpent,
a crimson-clad figure swung down on a rope and caught it, mere inches from 
being lost forever.  He swung up and pushed off the castle's wall, reversing
his direction until he came to land neatly by Lady Bane.  "Is this what you're
looking for?"  he asked in a loud voice.

	"Cub--!"  Grammi started before Zummi scooted over and clamped his hand
over Grammi's mouth.

	"No Grammi," he whispered fiercely, able to be heard now that Lady Bane
had dropped the spell on the bridge.  "Cubbi's got the only chance of getting
us out of here, and only if she doesn't find out who he really is!"

	Grammi glared at Zummi, but she knew he was right.  "Please be safe," 
she thought at Cubbi as if he could hear her.

	Lady Bane smirked widely.  "Ah, so the hero returns," she said, taking
a step toward him.  

	"Hold it right there," Cubbi said, eyes glittering hard behind his mask.
"One more step and I smash the stone."

	"You wouldn't dare, not while they're still in danger," she said, 
gesturing toward the Gummies and humans still on the bridge.

	Cubbi tried to outstare Lady Bane, but he ended up looking toward the 
ground slowly.  "Fine," he said quietly, "take your stone."

	"Finally, a reasonable adversary," Lady Bane laughed, walking forward to
claim her prize.

	Cubbi's head snapped up and he fixed Lady Bane with a mischievous grin.
"Catch!"  he called, throwing the stone high into the air. 

	"My stone!"  Lady Bane cried, reaching high for it.  So intent was she 
on catching it that she didn't pay attention to the pull she felt at her 
waist.  The stone fell harmlessly into her outstretched hand.  "Finally, back
where you belong," she said, bringing it to her face to examine it.  "Ah," 
she said, seeing the three hearts trapped within.  "Now I see everything so
clearly."

	"You've got your stone, so let them go!"  Cubbi demanded.

	"You really think I'm going to let you leave alive after all the trouble
you've put me through?"  Lady Bane sneered, reaching for her medallion.  But 
all her hand found was empty air.  "My medallion!"

	"Looking for this?"  Cubbi asked, showing her the medallion hanging from
his wooden sword.

	"You little thief," Lady Bane said through clenched teeth.  "Give that 
back!"

	"And just how do you plan on making me?"  Cubbi asked, walking so that 
Lady Bane was facing away from everyone else, giving them the perfect chance
to get away.  "Without this you're powerless."

	"Not as powerless as you might think," she snarled, forming a fireball 
in her hand.  Cubbi barely dodged out of the way as she threw it at his head.

	"Avenger!"  Zummi called as they all hurried toward him.  "Rumee flumect
bumack!"

	"Rumee flumect bumack?"  Cubbi repeated, pondering a moment too long as
Lady Bane nearly struck him with another spell.  Then he noticed his sword had
taken on a light blue glow.  "I see," he said, dropping down into an offensive
stance.

	"This ends here!"  Lady Bane growled, launching a large fireball at 
Cubbi.

	"How right you are," Cubbi said with a smile.  He swung the flat of his
sword at the spell.  By all rights, the sword should have disintegrated on 
contact with the fireball.  But the spell-reinforced sword actually rebounded
the spell back at its caster.

	Lady Bane stared at it in surprise for a second until it engulfed her.
Screaming, she dove into the moat to douse the flames, only to be pursued by
her own moat monster.  "No, stay away!"  she screamed, swimming away.  
"Troggles!"

	"That showed her," Cubbi said, placing his sword back in his belt.  He 
turned around to walk away and saw everyone standing behind him.  "Umm, hi 
guys," he said, suddenly shy.

	"Cubbi Gummi," Grammi started, her face and voice as stern as ever.  But
then her face softened into a warm smile.  "You have no idea how proud of you 
I am."

	"How proud we all are, Grammi," Zummi said, stepping up next to her 
and taking her hand in his.

	"You did all right, kid," Gruffi said, taking off Cubbi's hat and 
ruffling his hair.  "Just don't let it go to your head, OK?"

	"You got it Gruffi," Cubbi said, smiling genuinely.

	"Well, we'd better get back, the sun's coming up."

	"The sun!"  Ursa, Calla, and Buddi screamed together, looking toward the
already lightening eastern horizon.

	"We're going to be dead when we get back," Cavin worried.  "I mean, Sir
Tuxford will probably throw me out on--"  He was suddenly cut off by a 
helmetless Calla turning him around and laying a somewhat sloppy kiss on his
lips.  

	Cavin felt like his brain turned to mush and his heart exploded.  His 
arms crept around her as he began to kiss her back, turning the kiss into 
something a lot more tender and meaningful.  "But why...?"  he whispered when
he had the chance.

	"Because I love you," Calla whispered back, tears glimmering in her
eyes.
	"Well it's about time," Sunni said as they continued to kiss.  "You 
wouldn't believe how long she's been wanting--"  Just as Cavin had been, she
was now cut off by a kiss from Buddi.  She was able to recover from the shock 
more quickly than Cavin had, however, and was soon kissing back with equal 
emotion.  "Does this mean you love me too?"  

	"I have since we met," Buddi said, interlacing her fingers with his own.

	"It's now or never," Gritty said, nudging Ursa toward Gruffi.

	Ursa glared back at Gritty, but saw just how light the eastern sky was 
getting and stepped over to Gruffi.  "What has gotten into them?"  he 
wondered in a low voice, unaware that Ursa could hear him.  "Next thing you 
know, Ursa will come over here, admit she loves me like I love her, and kiss 
me."

	"You took the words right out of my mouth," Ursa said, picking Gruffi
up and turning him to her.  She took advantage of the look of utter surprise
on his face and kissed him deeply, her tongue darting out to caress his.  He
stayed stunned for a long moment, and Ursa was afraid that maybe the stone had
been wrong.  But then she felt his arms wrap around her neck as he returned 
her kiss.  

	"Just in time," Zummi said as the sun began peeking over the horizon.  

	"Just in time for what?"  Cavin asked breathlessle as his lips parted
from Calla's.

	"If you hadn't acknowledged and affirmed your loves, that stone would
have destroyed them forever."

	"Not how I wanted you to find out," Calla admitted, wiping a bit of
lipstick from Cavin's lips.  "But maybe I wouldn't have told you for a long
while if this hadn't happened."

	"I think we all have something to talk about," Gruffi said, separating
from Ursa reluctantly.  

	"Can't we just enjoy the sunrise for now and worry about that later?"
Sunni asked, turning her face toward the east.

	Everyone nodded and, couple or single, all watched the sunrise and 
felt filled with a hope for the future that in some of them had never been
present before.