This, I fear, is the last chapter of the Great Book of Gummi. Something catastrophic has occurred. As did the knowledge of our existance, so, too, have our populations ceased to exist. I know of no others but myself and will soon begin a quest to look for someone, anyone, and search for answers, for those who vanished before my eyes were both older and younger than myself. I did not outlive them. They are simply... Gone. The Great Book is magic and history and will surely outlive me to tell this tale... in case I don't succeed or make it back.
My name is Kurissa.
As I looked through empty rooms once more, one thought, one fear, kept echoing in my head: Besides myself, the Glen was empty. And I'm not ashamed of what I did next. I was scared, confused, and very alone. I sat down against a door, in the silence, and cried.
I awoke the next morning with a clearer head, and a plan. I searched the Glen from top to bottom, searching for any clue. I found only one odd thing. It was a wrapped present and card with my name on it, under the bed of Logunberry, the Magihistorian here. I wish so much for his council. He always had an answer for everything. His gummi medallion must have gone with him for it was nowhere to be found. As the Glen had two, I am taking the remaining one with me.
I haven't opened the gift yet. It's for my birthday, which is tomorrow. I guess it's fitting that my journey begins tomorrow. I start my quest as I end my child years and step onto the road of adulthood.
I take few belongings with me, but I cherish my carvings too much to leave them. They remind me of all those lost and will surely keep me going on my journey. A reminder of their faces, their hope, and their lives. I take also a journal to document my travels.
I will close this book in the hopes that I may come back and share its stories with others, soon.
It's been almost five years now. I've been searching this continent for four of those years. The coast, inland, any rumors or myths. In vane... The disheartening part is that I do find gummi cities and warrents. All empty. All gone. I must have hope but I always am left to wonder if I will ever see another gummi bear ever again.
Kurissa wrote the date for her journal entry and closed the book. Stowing it in her pack with a sigh, she brought out her painted wood figurine of Logunberry. His smiling wisened face always gave her strenght and she wished for the gumth time that he was here. If he were he, he'd...
But he isn't, Kurissa. she told herself. No one is.
She put the figurine away, took out those of the two cubs she used to watch. Temmi and Linni. She stood them up in the grass they loved so much to play in and leaned over to look at herself in the wide stream at her side. Her hair had gotten longer since she'd left, she noted, staring curiously at her reflection. She looked older, too. Well, she told herself. That's what my kind of life does. It makes you grow up quick.
A growing noise; someone coming straight at her! She had removed her disguise because it was late in the day and she hadn't thought anyone might be coming near this remote place. There was nowhere dry to take cover so she quickly dove into the water. She couldn't see anything from below but a sillouette against the late sun as someone ran across the stepping rocks to get to the farther side. Kurissa surfaced for air in time to catch a glimpse of a small, yellow someone bouncing off into the... Small? Yellow?! Bouncing!!
Listening for any others, Kurissa hauled herself from the stream and gave chase. Started to. The sight of her belongings strewn everywhere was no welcome sight. And some were missing... Anger stirred with hope as she ran across the stream after the small somebody. It had looked like... but could it really be a--
The Linni figurine stood in her path, like a beacon. She snatched him up and continued tracking.
It was a deliberate trail. Several other pieces later, she found herself within an open area of the forest and her hands and pockets filled. She didn't like such places much, because when standing in the center as she was, if you weren't paying close attention, something could come out of--
Kurissa sidestepped and turned quickly to avoid the falling object she'd heard a second before. Her pack flopped harmlessly to the ground beside her. From above. Eyes shooting into the trees, she spied a small gummi bear smiling grandly from her perch on a large branch.
"You're very good." the cub said before jumping down, her long, orange, pulled-back hair flying out behind her. She wore light grayish-blue pants and a gray-green shirt with colorful dots. A light blue hat with dark trim and a small yellow feather to one side adorned her head. The cub straightened it as she straightened herself from the jump.
Kurissa could only stare in amazement at the gummi cub. She'd searched the entire area, found no trace of gummi-kind. None. Yet here was a cub! "Who are you?"
"Katti." she answered with a smile, picking up the pack and handing it to Kurissa.
Stowing her things, Kurissa asked, "Where did you come from?"
"Over there." She threw a thumb over her shoulder, indicating the other side of the stream.
"No. I meant where are you from; which city, town, or warren?"
"I was raised in Gumbrin but I'm a cubbin."
An orphan in the old tongue... Katti started off, deeper into the forest. Kurissa followed.
"Are there any other gummies at Gumbrin?" She hadn't been there yet. There was hope still!
The yellow cub turned to her with a smile. "Of course not. Didn't you know it happened here, too?"
Katti kept going, climbing up to a fallen log and balancing along as if not a care in the world. Kurissa , stopped by her statement, could only think of one thing to say. "What happened?"
"You know."
"No, I don't. What happened to everyone?" she demanded, standing in the cub's path.
"Nothing happened to them."
"Then where are they?!"
Katti didn't answer, as if she hadn't heard, and ducked under Kurissa's legs.
"But... you... Katti!"
The cub kept moving.
It occurred to Kurissa that Katti had been running before. Wariness grabbed her. "I should have asked before. What were you running from back there?"
Reaching the end of the log, Katti jumped off. She turned and bestowed a mischievous smile on Kurissa. "My imagination."
The cub started away again at a skip and looked to be headed in one direction in particular.
"Where are you going?"
"This way." She pointed in the direction she was going.
As if THAT cleared up the matter! Kurissa thought in frustration. "Is there a _reason_ why you're travelling this direction?"
"I thought you might want to see Gumbrin. It isn't found on most maps. Small, and not too far away."
"How far?"
"About a week or so."
"You travelled all the way alone?" This surprised Kurissa, as the cub looked no older than seven.
"It's not like there was anyone else to go."
"But why go? To look for others?"
Katti turned a grin on Kurissa once more. "No. I came to get you. C'mon. I feel like running!"
The strange gummi cub took off quickly and Kurissa found no choice but to follow or most likely lose Katti, whom she felt might very well disappear if she lost sight of her, in a puff of smoke no less! She could almost believe that's how Katti came about. But Kurissa had to be realistic. Magic had cleverly hid itself long ago and was rarely seen, even by gummies, these days. Still, it would explain a lot. Who _was_ the strange cub she now found herself chasing? Did she know where every other gummi had vanished to? How had she known where to look to find her? Or even that she was around at all?
*************