Disclaimer: This humble author does not own (but deeply loves) the Care Bear Family. The characters are based on the old movies and episodes by Dic and Nelvana, with some influence from the Marvel comics; but they have also been infused with the interpretations of their authors. This piece alludes to some backstory that is not part of the cannon. Now that you have been warned, enjoy!

A Lesson at the Lake

Of course I'm enjoying myself, Brave Heart Lion insisted forcefully to himself. It was swell out here, really – he was under a hot bright sun and a clear blue sky with a charming view of the small, colorful figures of his foster siblings, who were splashing and screaming happily at the lake. They were having a grand old time, no doubt, frolicking about in the water, soaking in it, splashing in it, dribbling it all over the clouds…

Brave Heart began to pant as the strong sun beat down on his thick, orange fur. Who was he kidding? It was hot, and he wanted to go for a wade. The warm, hazy afternoon formed a perfect backdrop to what should have been a wet, blissful adventure in the Forest of Feelings's sparkling shallows – but here he was, confined to a baking boulder and forced to contend with sweaty paws and a dry mouth. How had he been bullied into this unfortunate situation by an annoying, six-year-old monkey?

Playful Heart's high-pitched, sing-song taunt echoed yet again in his stewing brain. "Brave Heart's scared of the water! Nana nana na-na!"

"I am not!" the lion cub had retorted as he leapt back onto the shore, his feet dripping from his recent wade in the lake. "I just – don't feel like swimming."

"Why not? It's luuuurvely and cool!" The little monkey had dived under the surface and had reemerged, panting and dripping and giggling. "Come on, Brave Heart, it'll be fun! We can race to the other side! Please? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease? Pretty please with a banana on top – "

"Yuck! You know I hate bananas –"

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please..."

Brave Heart had rolled his eyes, knowing that after five minutes of this nonsense, the word please would sound like gibberish. "I said no, okay? Cut it out!"

"– please, please, please, please –" Playful Heart had abruptly fallen silent, finally realizing that his older brother had reached his verdict. The monkey had narrowed his sharp little eyes. "You really are afraid of the water, aren't you?"

It was a simple question, but the lion cub had been unable to answer.

"Well too bad, Scaredy Cat! I'll just have to find someone else who's brave enough to play with me." And then the monkey had unceremoniously run off, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "BRAVE HEART'S SCARED OF THE WATER!"

"Playful!" the lion cub had protested with burning cheeks. "I told you, I just don't feel like swimming!" And to prove it, he had dragged himself away from the cool water's edge and flopped onto the farthest boulder that could still afford a view of the lake, insisting to himself that this was his idea of a great afternoon.

Ordinarily, such taunting would not have bothered Brave Heart; as the oldest Care Bear Cousin cub, he was used to Playful Heart's impish immaturity. But this time, he could not ignore his brother's antics, for the little rascal had hit the nail right on the head: He really was afraid of the water. This was not to say he was opposed wading; he could enjoy the lake's refreshing coolness on shore, where he could keep both feet planted on solid cloud. But what did frighten him was a large mass of water, dark and dense, deep enough to engulf him entirely, so that he would never return for another glimpse of sunlight or a breath of fresh air. In Brave Heart's humble opinion, he was too young to risk drowning for a stupid race with Playful Heart. Besides, the lion cub reasoned to himself, even if he had chosen to humor his little brother, he would have been forced to concede his defeat from the outset: Brave Heart did not know how to swim.

But neither does Lotsa Heart, he thought glumly, as his eye caught a pink blotch that was no doubt his elephant brother splashing like an energetic hippo a considerable distance from shore. Or Proud Heart. He scanned the lake's cloudcoast and found the young feline sunbathing next to Noble Heart, clearly content to lounge in the afternoon heat without getting wet. Curiously, this sight heartened him. Proud Heart had made her intentions known, and everyone, even Playful Heart, seemed to respect them. But then an angry meow jerked Brave Heart back to reality. Loyal Heart had drawn a bucket of fresh lake water, and he had just deposited its contents onto Proud Heart's head, in a bold attempt to give her a foretaste of what she was missing.

Brave Heart scowled, even as he watched Noble Heart tell the young puppy off. Of course Proud Heart's intentions were not respected! He himself had pestered her countless times for her sleek tan fur, her odd grooming habits, and most of all, her loathing of anything wet. But even if Proud Heart was teased, everyone had come to accept her for being proud, and even a little vain, because it was her namesake. Just as Tender Heart was known for his kindness, Share Bear for her generosity, Grumpy for his scowls, and Bright Heart for his intellectual flights of fancy, the Care Bear Family could count on Proud Heart for her immaculate tan coat. And Brave Heart, up until Playful Heart had taunted him at the lake, had been known for his valor in every common frightening cubhood situation, from dark closets to Dark Heart hiding under the bed. How could he be afraid of water, when he was supposed to be fearless?

As if to answer his own question, Brave Heart found himself regressing back in his memory to a younger time, a younger place. He was very small, a cub of the African savannah, still mothered and fathered and still carefree. Except that for the first time in his life, he was afraid. A cruel, majestic, rusty-red lion towered before him, its red eyes malevolently glowing like dying embers in the Hall of Hearts hearth. Brave Heart dangled from the monster-lion's jowls, for the beast was carrying him off towards the nearby waterhole, as was custom before dawn. And then Brave Heart was sailing towards the watery expanse, airborne for a sickening heartbeat – then he was falling, sinking, gasping and drowning amid the titanic red waves. His father, the monster-lion, idly flicked his tail, was telescoping out of existence…

Brave Heart abruptly roused himself from the distressing vision, suddenly feeling cold despite the oppressive heat. What a nightmare! Except that this was not a fantasy, or even a dream; it was a solid memory, one that spoke to the day he was orphaned. Brave Heart had lost his entire pride to his father, the monster-lion – and then the cruel brute had nearly drowned him, evidently hoping to finish the job. Now Brave Heart was actually afraid of water. The very idea of having such a phobia was disconcerting, humiliating - but Brave Heart could not escape the truth. How could he have forgotten? And why had True Heart and Noble Heart chosen to give him a name that contradicted his real, pusillanimous nature?

"There you are, Brave Heart!"

"Aah!" the young Cousin yelped in surprise. True Heart was standing before him, her star-shaped tummy symbol level with the top of Brave Heart's self-claimed boulder.

"Oh. Hi, True Heart," he muttered sheepishly.

"What have you been doing?" she asked, smiling up at him. "Tender Heart's been looking for you everywhere."

"Oh," said Brave Heart guiltily. "Well...I guess it's been so...nice and warm over here that I forgot to play with him!"

"Well, he's been missing you. We all have, really. Why don't you take a break and cool down with us?"

"Oh! Um..." To Brave Heart, True Heart's good-natured smile seemed insurmountable. "Well...couldn't we just play over here? It's so...um...so..."

The cream colored bear was trying not to look puzzled. "Hot," she finished, noting the sweaty prints the lion cub's paws left, streaming, on the flattened boulder. "Do you really want to stay here?"

The sun was becoming unbearable. In spite of Brave Heart's fear of drowning, the thought of dipping his toes into the cold water was so delicious that the young Cousin had to suppress the urge to let his tongue loll out of his mouth like a long, pink rope. But then Playful Heart's triumphant face, and the thought of everyone sniggering at his newfound fear, blotted out the image in his mind's eye. How in Care-A-Lot's name could he go back to the water's edge when he himself had insisted that he did not feel like playing there?

"Well, water's just so...boring," said Brave Heart as nonchalantly as he could, swinging his feet awkwardly off the edge of the boulder. "It's so wide, and flat, and deep, and wet – and you can't breathe in it – and if you get stuck in it ya have to know how to swim – and swimming's just too much exercise – and Bright Heart says that water has currents that can carry you away, and –" the lion cut himself off, for he realized that he was rambling. "I don't have to come, do I?"

True Heart's eyes softened. Her cub had not lied, but she could tell that he was learning the subtleties of what it meant to tell the truth. "Well, not if you don't want to," she conceded. "You're grown up enough to decide for yourself. But tell me one thing, Brave Heart." She put her paws on each of Brave Heart's shoulders. "Do you think Playful Heart is really going to believe you're not afraid of the water just because you tortured yourself in the sun all day long?"

Brave Heart looked horrified. "I'm not – !" he started to exclaim; but realizing that it was True Heart he was talking to, he amended, "You don't think I'm afraid. Do you?"

True Heart stroked her cub's mane gently. "So what if you are? I don't think that's anything to be ashamed of."

Wide-eyed, the young Cousin sank into his guardian's embrace, comforted by her acceptance. Even though he was growing up quickly, Brave Heart did not feel too old for an occasional cuddle. "Thanks, True Heart," he said gratefully. "But I don't get it. Don't you think I'm a failure? For, you know..." he lamely trailed off and gestured towards the sparkling lake in the distance.

"Oh, Brave Heart. Why would I think you're a failure?"

The lion cub looked up at his guardian questioningly. Wasn't it obvious?

"Listen to me," True Heart said gently. "Everyone is afraid of something, even the most valiant knights in the bedtime stories Noble Heart tells you. And yet the knights charge courageously into battle, and they become heroes. Do you think their private fears make them any less brave?"

The lion cub hesitated for a moment. "Well...yeah," he finally replied. "I thought they were brave because they weren't scared of anything. How can someone be brave and scared? It doesn't make sense!"

True Heart regarded her cub thoughtfully. This was going to be more challenging than she anticipated. "Well then, tell me this, Brave Heart. Do you remember when Noble Heart and I banned you from playing ball for a week after you broke Cheer Bear's lamp?"

Abashed, Brave Heart gazed at his sweaty toes. He and Champ Bear had started a passing game inside the bedchamber in deliberate disobedience of the rules, and an unfortunately-aimed blow from Brave Heart's foot had sent their kickball flying into Cheer's most prized possession. It had been weeks before she had forgiven them. "Yeah, I remember," the lion cub said, blushing.

"Well, we didn't know it was you until you confessed. We accidentally blamed Grumpy at first."

Brave Heart nodded sheepishly. He certainly remembered that, too. True Heart and Noble Heart had an uncanny ability to read their cubs, so mistakes such as these were few and far between. But once in a while, there were so many cubs and so much activity that even True Heart and Noble Heart made some errors.

"You could have gotten away with your mistake by letting Grumpy take the blame – but you didn't," his guardian continued. "You owned up to what had happened and took responsibility." True Heart gently squeezed his shoulder and smiled. "Were you afraid then?"

Brave Heart was taken aback. "Afraid? No, of course not!" he said stoutly. In an unconscious gesture of rejection, he hastily drew away from True Heart and retreated to the center of his boulder. But then the lion cub paused, reconsidering for a moment. "Well...maybe you're right – I was probably a little nervous," he admitted.

Now that Brave Heart thought about it, he had been extremely apprehensive at the prospect of owning up to his guardians. He had known that by confessing the truth, he would not only elicit True Heart's and Noble Heart's disappointment, but he would also alienate Champ Bear by blowing their cover. Both had happened as predicted, and the memory still made Brave Heart squirm. "Aw, True Heart," the lion cub lamented. "Being nervous doesn't make me special. It just makes me like everyone else! I guess I'm not very brave after all."

True Heart regarded her charge with a mixture of pride and love, her head cocked to one side – and then in one graceful movement, she hoisted herself up onto the boulder and planted herself squarely beside her cub. "You know what?" she asked softly. "I think that does make you special." At Brave Heart's incredulous stare, she continued, "You were nervous for a reason – you knew very well what would happen if you owned up. But you decided to speak the truth anyway. Not everyone would have done the same in your place."

"Really?" asked the lion cub doubtfully.

"Really," said True Heart.

Brave Heart silently contemplated this for a moment. "But…that doesn't make me brave. That was just doing the right thing. That's what we're all supposed to do!"

"Yes it is," she agreed. "But doing the right thing isn't always easy. That's what makes you so brave."

At this, the lion cub wrinkled his nose, and his mouth opened to deliver an incredulous retort – but the confident calm of True Heart's smile silenced him. "It's not that you don't have any fears at all," she continued. "Even Noble Heart and I are afraid of some things! But where others might have given in to their fears, you told the truth, even though you knew you'd be punished. You didn't let your fear control you. You faced it – and you won."

Here True Heart smiled again, and the warmth reflected in her eyes, in her bearing, in the gentle embrace that she gave to her half-puzzled, half-pleased young charge. "Do you know what I really think, little one?" she said tenderly. "I think that was one of the bravest things I've seen you do."

The rest of the afternoon found Brave Heart in considerably higher spirits. The young lion cub had not returned to the lakeshore, as True Heart had anticipated – but he had whiled away the rest of the day with Tender Heart, Champ Bear, Cheer Bear and Love-A-Lot, playing and splashing in the Rainbow River, pausing only to lunch upon the stream's bountiful, multicolored fish. Five minutes into this escapade and his fears of drowning were quite forgotten. That night, as Brave Heart drifted off to sleep, he was blissfully unaware of the hushed, anxious musings of True Heart and Noble Heart – whisperings that, remarkably, concerned his own wellbeing.

"I don't think I got through to him, Art," True Heart sighed.

In spite of her obvious worry, Noble Heart smiled. True Heart had reverted to using his old nickname, the identity under which he had grown up as a resident of the Peaceful Valley. For while the two guardians went by Noble Heart Horse and True Heart Bear by day, they could go back to being Art and Vera by night, behind the closed doors of their private bedroom after tucking their youngsters into bed. Many a night found True Heart shedding years of motherhood and responsibility from her countenance, until her eyes sparkled with their old mischief, so that she was once again Vera of the Peaceful Valley, Vera who pranced gaily through the trees and gazed idly at the chirruping birds during her weekly lessons in arithmetic. But tonight, True Heart was loathe to exploit her rare moment of privacy. From the sad creases around her eyes and her pensive frown, Noble Heart knew that her usual spunk had given way to a deep, motherly anxiety.

"You know, Ver…maybe he doesn't have to understand yet," said Noble Heart. "He's only eleven. I doubt most cubs his age know the true meaning of bravery, even if they themselves are brave." He eyed her good-naturedly, waiting for her inevitable retort. But when she remained silent, and when her brooding frown did not disappear, Noble Heart asked, "Ver – what's the matter?"

True Heart sighed again. "Oh, Art…it's just so complicated. He still remembers what happened to him. That's why he was afraid today. And he's growing up so fast. Sooner or later he'll have more questions, he'll come to us for answers – and I don't know if he'll be satisfied with a hug and a glass of warm milk the next time he has a nightmare. He'll want to know why it happened. And Art – if he thinks that his past makes him who he is – if he starts to think he isn't brave…"

"All in good time," Noble Heart said gently. "We're just going to have to deal with the questions when they come. We'll help him through them like we've always done."

"But how? How can we help, if he doesn't understand what bravery is? Oh, Art, you should have seen him the day I found him – he was the most lonesome, unhappy little thing…of course he was frightened! And he'll be frightened again, when we tell him why he was orphaned. And with the others looking up to him, he'll want to be strong for them, like he always is…" she let out a long breath, still looking troubled. "Maybe we shouldn't have named him Brave Heart," she said sadly. "It puts so much pressure on him. And until he learns to accept that he can be afraid, just like everyone else…"

Here True Heart fell silent, for Noble Heart was raising a calming paw to stall the rushing stream of her anxious words. "I think he will, Ver," the horse said thoughtfully. "You've told him what he needs to know. You'll tell him again, I'm sure. He might not understand everything you told him today – but he's taken your words to heart. One day, he'll show you so when he's ready."

Brave Heart was ready sooner than either of them expected. The next morning found him in the cellar, mumbling quietly to Cozy Heart Penguin from behind the Family's latest shipment of rice grains. Not a week later, dawn's early light spilled upon the figures of two young Care Bear Cousins, who stood by the shores of the very lake Brave Heart had forsaken after Playful Heart had harassed him. Cozy Heart calmly held out a flipper. Brave Heart, his face uncharacteristically solemn, gripped the offered arm firmly, and then he let his little sister lead him into the shallow bank until the water lapped at his chest. His breath caught in his throat, and his shoulders stiffened - but then his heartbeat gradually slowed as the cool wetness undulated beneath his feet, swirled around his tail, played with his fur.

A month later, Brave Heart had finally learned how to swim.