Prince of Penance

Chapter Eight: The Humming Compass

It wasn't the most pleasant trip over the ocean Gusto had ever experienced, although Chummi was able to keep him and his friends up in merry banter most of the way through. But Gruffi's sea sickness had hit him so hard that Grammi had salted him up on seltzers and was now keeping a stern watch over him wherever he went. Gusto watched Gruffi, hanging over the side of the ship with his nausea, from a safe distance, feeling his stomach twist in sympathetic pain.

Gusto had no working experience to go upon to heal Gruffi, nor could he offer any consolation. He had been born on an island community and was quite comfortable on the sea, whether it be a ship or a port he was well verse in the ways of the ocean. Which is probably why he'd chosen a waterfall, instead of Gummi Glen, as his home. There was something about the sound of the water that was comforting. Even as he stared over the side of the boat into the choppy frothing waters, he felt at peace and comforted by the rocking motions of the waves. He was going home.


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But those depths held hidden dangers in their immeasurable depths. Gusto wanted to enjoy the return to his comfortable island homeland, but nothing could pry from his heart the ache of fear that lingered just below the surface of those waters, somewhere in the murky deep.

"A Gummi Berry for your thoughts?"

Gusto looked up, and gave Chummi Gummi an inscrutable look. He didn't quite understand the way of a sailor to just sort of be friendly to anyone and everyone they met. For example, Chummi had introduced them to the crew of his ship The Persephone and afterward, once they were well out on the endless ocean, had taken Tummi to the top deck of the ship and had given him leave to steer for the next couple of hours while he chatted with the rest of the group. Of course this was a treasure of an opportunity for Tummi, and the other sailors didn't seem to mind this; their Captain knew the new Gummies and they were friends, and therefore welcome on the boats as if they were sailors themselves. This was just as Gusto had predicted would happen and he was glad.

But Gusto was a stranger to Chummi and therefore, by extension, his crew, which is why Gusto couldn't fathom what the mariner would want with him. Did Captain Chummi know who Gusto was?

"I was...just contemplating throwing myself in..." Gusto said honestly, turning to watch the waves pass him in their endless patchwork of blue and green hues.

"I see," Chummi coughed. "Well, when the wind dies down, and the sails are a tad limp, we men like to lower anchor awhile and go for a good swim. When the water is calm enough for it anyway."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Well sure," Chummi laughed, and scratched the back of his head. "But that's what makes being a sailor so grand. Sure there are dangers, but that's a part of the sailor's life; waiting on the edge of a knife and finding adventure in every journey."

"Wouldn't want to be a sailor then."

"Nay, that there's a good way for any living, whether sailor or landlubber. Life isn't about waiting for death to come get us. Look at cubs; they'll play anywhere, in the water, in trees, on rocks or by the sea shore. In every unexplored territory they'll go. They aren't worried about the future beasties that could get them, but just the fun in the here and now. They live their lives as if life is worth living. That is the Gummi way, the way I see it. Always has been for as long as history has recorded."

Gusto thought about this seriously. It seemed what Chummi was saying was true; it was coming from his heart, a sailors heart. But this advice couldn't have been given to a worse Gummi Bear.

"Say you knew, without a shadow of a doubt, without any argument, that your ship would sink tomorrow and your life would be over. Would you still say that?"

Chummi coughed, and nodded without even a pause to think about it.

"I'm a sailor; every day my ship could possibly sink. But I've learned to live with it. Life is too short to worry about how short life is."

Gusto nodded, but was finding this conversation, for all its honesty, a little smothering. A complete stranger trying to pry into his head and pick his brain, about a topic that in all honesty was far too close for comfort. It felt as if Chummi knew more than he was letting on, or at least was trying to get as much information about Gusto as he could but still be as polite as was possible about how he went about getting that information.

Chummi suddenly smiled and gave a chuckle as something quite audibly, in the region of his pants, made a ticking sound.

"Well well well, seems I have something here for you," he said, pulling out what looked to be a compass from his pocket and handing it to Gusto. "There, it'll stop ticking in a minute, once Mister Tummi there changes back on course."

"What...is this?" Gusto said, eyeing the moving needle inside with suspicion. "It isn't like any compass I've ever seen."

"Probably never will again; its a hearing compass, for when storms are so bad that you can't see left from right. It makes little ticks when you head towards the north, and a strong humming sound when your on track, heading west. Monteray is always west, so if your compass isn't humming, than you're going in the wrong direction! You'd never need a map with a humming compass!"

Gusto eyed the instrument, quite confounded that the delicate little device could give that much information! He smiled fondly and reached out to hand the compass back to its owner, but Chummi shook his head, waving his hand.

"No, you keep it," Chummi said firmly. "Any sea born bear who spends as much time thinking of death as you seem to do is probably gonna need it worse'n I do."

Gusto was astonished by this thoughtful gift.

"How...how did you know I was born by the sea?"

"Simple; you've got sea legs. You've taken well to the ship. I've been watching you moving around on deck as if it were home. I bet you could sail her too, without even a crew. You seem like the type..."

"I hate to ruin your estimation of me," Gusto laughed. "But I'm just an artist..."

Chummi raised his eyebrows, shrugged and said, "Maybe, but you also look every inch the twin of your young nephew on t' throne there. Could'a been his brother, but I'd never have known the difference. Not many on board as wouldn't recognise a Prince of Monteray when he's standing right in front of his nose, even in rags."

Gusto gaped at this pronouncement, but couldn't respond as the Captain of The Persephone had already left his company to head up to the top deck to redirect the singing Tummi as to the right direction they should sail. Gusto held the compass in his hand for a moment, listening to the ticks die down into a hum that he could feel in his hand all the way through his body to his head.

Unable to take the invasive sound and touch sensations of the device any longer, he stuck it into his pocket and then went to go find Gruffi. Life was too short not to spend time with his loved ones, even if one of them happened to be too seasick for company. At least they would be together, if only for a while.

---I know, the last two chapters were pretty short, and probably could have been put together in a file, but I like to keep things neat. You'll be having LOTS of big chapters heading your way. This story is really getting more complex than I originally thought a simple adventure story would, and all sorts of little thoughts and threads I had from before are starting to find various places. I wasn't sure which person to use as the Captain of their ship, or even what to call it, but going back over my old episodes I thought, well, why not Chummi? It was nice to revisit a minor character from the show, since most of the other characters that I make in this will be original ones. I am so inspired by the show, and would just love to include all the little things about the show that I find relate to this story. You'll get loads more tin bits as I can fit them in as we go along the way. But for now, its all the way to Monteray! ;)---