As Share and Cheer sipped their tea they exchanged the latest gossip. Share seemed a little more ditzy than usual. Share had also yawned several times. Cheer had noticed another Bear yawning earlier. It made Cheer wonder what could have made both Share and Grumpy feel tired. Cheer inquired as to how Share was getting along with Grumpy. "I know just how moody my Brother can get" said Cheer. "So you won't be sharing anything that should surprise me. He looked a little tired to me this morning as he repaired my megaphone. He seemed much moodier than usual."
"As Mates we have been getting along fine" said Share. "He's been tossing and turning in his sleep. So he has been waking up still tired feeling. His restless nights have left me a bit tired too. I have asked if he is worried about something. Or if he is having nightmares, but he won't discuss it with me." Cheer shook her head. "Trying to get Grumpy to speak freely of how he feels is as hard as guessing what your Sister, Surprise, is up to."
Both Girls flinched as a voice yelled "I am still up to five feet four inches!" Both of their tea cups now held much less tea. Cheer sighed. "You got us again, Surprise. Just how do you seemingly appear out of nowhere?" Surprise giggled. "A surprise bear never gives out such information. Great Aunt Surprise told me to be as secretive as a secret bear about such things. I will say you two are surprisingly jumpy!" Now Share sighed. Her always surprising sister was usually up on the latest news and gossip. Surprise may be eccentric, but she was also news worthy and entertaining. Share shook her head and grinned as she grabbed an unbreakable tea cup. Then headed for the teapot. "Have a seat Surprise while I get you some tea."
Surprise smiled as she sat. The table clothe was wet where Share's and Cheer's tea had spilled from their cups. "Better get yourself and Cheer a bit more tea too" said Surprise with a devilish look in her eyes. Surprise grabbed herself a tea biscuit. "You two are good at spilling tea. As for me I just may be willing to spill one secret."
Some Humans must practice on the job confidentiality. So do certain Care Bears and Care Cousins. Whether they call the symbols on their abdomens Tummy Tags or Belly Badges is inconsequential. The bearers of those symbols are duty bound to honor the commitment to caring they signify. Some proud bearers are honor bound to keep many of the things they did or will do secret.
For Bears like Secret Bear it is easy to do. She is so soft spoken it is difficult for her to inadvertently blurt out a secret. For Bears like Harmony not so easy. She like some other Bears was talkative and a bit of a braggart. Share just likes chatting. However in doing so she sometimes blurts out something confidential. True Heart has a unique problem. She supposedly cannot tell a lie. She has to be very careful how she replies to certain questions.
Things are much the same for Care Cousins. The shy and reclusive Bright Heart Raccoon rarely divulges anything secretive. Just the opposite is Lotsa Heart Elephant. She is an extrovert who loves to talk. She is also not shy about giving out her opinion on many subjects. Treat Heart Pig always finds it hard not to squeal on others. Brave Heart's boasting sometimes got him into a sticky situation.
There are times when one must confide with others. Even if the subject can be a bit embarrassing. Take Care Bear often has to tell Patients not to be shy about telling what ails them. The usually talkative Funshine tried to avoid seeing the Doctor about the burning and itching he felt in his Tushy. Superstar finally convinced him she would kick his butt if he didn't seek medical help. Funshine knew his aggressive Sister really might kick his hurting butt. So he reluctantly sought treatment. Take Care Bear treated the embarrassed Male for Hemorrhoids.
Afterward his Sister gave him a paw drawn Get Well Card. She had giggled as he read it and blushed trying not to look at the anatomically correct picture she had drawn. But his eyes were drawn to it just as much as hers. It was a drawing of Funshine with his Tail way up. His Butt Cheeks glowing red. The caption read "thankfully my pain in the Butt Brother now has less pain in the Butt! Get well soon".
Three Care Bears with similar duties are Daydream Bear, Sweet Dreams, and Bedtime. Daydream's duties are for the most part daytime activities. The other two Bears mostly nocturnal. Daydream was usually able to help others have pleasant and restful naps during the day. Proud Heart's cat naps were often made better through Daydream's intervention. So were Brave Heart's. Before Beastly had turned good Daydream had used his habit of napping as a way to frustrate No Heart's plans. She would help the daydreaming Beastly forget to do what he had been instructed to do earlier. In a way she helped turn Beastly into No Heart's nightmare.
All three Bears would confide with each other. Being careful not to divulge names of others. They tried not to tie names to certain sleep problems. Or particular dreams they may have. However that sometimes impeded their ability to help others get the sleep or nap they needed. Now a taciturn Bear needed their help. Luckily for him his Mate's Sister would unintentionally find the help he needed.
Surprise Bear and Secret Bear are a few of the Universe's Inter-dimensional Beings. They have been to Dimensions most mere Humans can barely fathom, must less dream about. Even Humans who have been through such things as out of body experiences have difficulty explaining what "the other side" is like. So don't expect a Care Bear or Care Cousin to exactly explain it to you. However Secret and Surprise have helped a few Humans make the transition to there and back.
Both Bears can tell you that thoughts and dreams can meander like a restless wind through the Universe. Just as The Beatles sang in "Across the Universe". So can intense emotions. Intense hatred has a negative effect upon the fabric of Space surrounding an emotional Being. Extreme Joy has a positive effect. Emotions in between those have varying effects. Those who have Empathy can literally feel those effects. Their ripples in the Space/Time Continuum are felt as hunches as they invisibly wash over living entities. They can trigger realistic dreams. They can trigger in select Humans what some call ESP. Just like some Humans, select Care Bears and Care Cousins experience this too.
Inter-dimensional Bears like Surprise and Secret can't exactly read your mind. They are however super sensitive to the emotion evoked ripples in the space around you and them. They can infer from your feelings and emotions what may be troubling you. Empathy can be as enlightening as ESP. So as Cheer and Share sipped their tea Surprise Bear divulged what she felt may be bothering Grumpy. An hour later Cheer and Share had a talk with Bedtime Bear.
Bedtime was aware of Grumpy's restless nights. However Bedtime had been unable to correctly deduce what was invoking Grumpy to have bad dreams. Without evoking Grumpy's name Bedtime, Daydream, and Sweet Dreams also discussed it. "You just may have to go into a certain Bear's subconscious mind" Daydream told Bedtime. Bedtime sighed loudly. He would have to tread lightly when dealing with a Bear who occasionally suffered from bouts of depression. He had avoided such drastic action until approached by Cheer and Share.
A day after talking to Cheer and Share the mystified Bedtime had a talk with Grumpy. It was scheduled for late in the evening. Very late, which seemed to irritate Grumpy. But Bedtime had a reason for the late appointment time. "You sound like some kind of psychiatrist" complained Grumpy. Then Grumpy frowned as Bedtime placed a copper colored bracelet around Grumpy's right wrist. Bedtime chuckled. "In a way I am like a psychiatrist. Understanding dreams and their effect on one's psyche is important. It can be a method to help troubled Minds. Albeit an imprecise method." Bedtime pointed to two cots next to each other.
"Lay down and see if you can doze off for a minute or two" said Bedtime. "Let's try to visit Dream Land together. Don't worry about having any really embarrassing types of dreams. Such as so called 'Dirty Dreams'. The bracelet blocks such dreams." Grumpy looked doubtful as he got into a cot. Bedtime had gotten into the other cot. "I don't know about this" Grumpy mumbled. "I am not sure if I should let you mess around inside my head. It is already messed up a bit in there." Then as he lay back he saw interesting patterns painted on the ceiling. They seemed to move about on the ceiling as Grumpy tried to focus his eyes on them. Bedtime raised himself up on one elbow. He grinned knowingly. Work of Heart Bear had promised a ceiling mural which would evoke sleepiness. The already tired Grumpy was soon softly snoring. Within five minutes so was Bedtime.
"Where am I" said Grumpy as he found himself on a strange spiraling staircase. Then Bedtime appeared a few steps up. "We are on The Dream Ladder" said Bedtime. "The same one from which some Humans have climbed into Care a Lot. It is why many Humans assume their visit was merely a wonderful dream. But Care Bears and Care Cousins are not dreams. Those visits were not fantasy. Just an amazing fact many Humans cannot quite comprehend. An amazing climb from one Dimension into another. Ironically it seems very young Humans have an easier time accepting us for what we are than older Humans. The younger ones seem to understand that all is not what they were taught. Grown ups often become too jaded to what is truly going on around them."
Bedtime then grinned deviously. "Some grown Care Bears are the same way." Grumpy folded his arms together. "But why should I climb The Dream Ladder into Care a Lot? I already live there!" Bedtime shook his head and pointed upward. "Gees, even in your sleep you can be one stubborn Bear! You are as problematic as a certain Female Bear. Just follow me and you will see." As Grumpy followed Bedtime upward he mumbled loudly "gees, I hope you weren't comparing me to Harmony!" Bedtime grinned broadly. In fact he was.
As the two climbed ever higher Grumpy spied Care a Lot up and to the right of them. Higher up and to the left was a narrower stairway. Bedtime pointed to it as they climbed up. "There is where we are headed. Some have mistaken it as a Stairway to Heaven. It is actually the stairway to Dream Land."
"Those steps are a bit narrow" complained Grumpy. Bedtime motioned Grumpy to follow him. "Don't worry, you cannot fall off very far. You would just wake up." What Bedtime didn't say was that it would be like waking up from a Nightmare. Finally the intrepid dreamers clambered into Dream Land. Immediately Grumpy jumped in fright. "Is this a nightmare" he gasped as an extremely large Spider scampered up to them. The spider had gold colored spots on her rounded body. It looked like a rather large Orb Spider. Within seconds the spider went from seeming menacing to Grumpy to just the opposite. For it spoke in a soft feminine voice.
"Welcome to my World" she said. "I am The Dream Weaver. The dream weaver of pleasant dreams. However I do have an opposite. She weaves unpleasant dreams." She pointed to a black colored spider crouched among what looked like thorn branches. Grumpy gasped as he looked at the huge spider. She looked like a Wolf Spider that Grumpy had shooed out of his workshop just that morning. But this was a giant Wolf Spider. Dream or no dream Grumpy did not want her to get close to him!
Grumpy flinched as the Dream Weaver reached out with one of her eight hairy legs. The hairs looked a bit like bristles to Grumpy. Yet as they brushed against his left hand paw Grumpy found them to be softer than they looked. The spider spoke softly in a loving tone of voice. "Do not fear me just because I look like a spider to you. Some of your kind fear spiders. Yes, some spiders can harm you if they bite you. But most are not harmful. They are helpful. Getting rid of insects and pests in your Home or Workshop. You should never fear helpful things."
"It is much the same with dreams. Some are quite wonderful. Others dull or strange. A few can be scary, even terrifying. Yet no matter how bad a dream is it cannot physically harm you. It may even enlighten you. Do not fear the bad dreams my counterpart weaves for you. Embrace the indirect messages she is sending you."
Grumpy now stood in awe as the dark colored spider spoke. Though feminine in nature her voice was raspy for a Female. "You fear me for what you see, not for what you know. You are a Care Bear who suffers from bouts of Depression. You fear your Mate will give up on you, even though she has stood steadfast at your side through good times and bad times. Only she knows what goes on inside her head. However some with Empathy can feel what goes on inside her head. Your Mate can be a bit goofy at times. However she is a wonderful and caring girl. She likes sharing things, and that includes sharing a Life with the likes of you."
"No Mortal Being is perfect. Nor those who are close to immortality. Care Bears are higher than Humans but lower than Angels. There has even been some examples of Fallen Angels. Yes, you Grumpy Bear may fall and falter at times. You will not be the first or last intelligent creature to do so. So climb back down the Dream Ladder and face life one day and one night at a time. Be sure to honor and love your Mate. I guarantee she will do her best to honor and love you. If you do so both you and your Mate may be side by side through Eternity. For Life never really ends. Every ending leads to another beginning."
"Thank you, thank you both" said a now enlightened Grumpy. As he turned and followed Bedtime down the ladder like stairway he took a moment to truly look around him. He saw Stars that shone brightly, yet did not twinkle. He saw an amazing myriad of Stars which formed a disk like shape. Bedtime stopped and looked back and up towards Grumpy. Then pointed. "Does that look familiar to you?"
Grumpy answered in an astonished tone of voice. "My Sister in Law has described something like it to me and Share. I think Surprise called it The Astral Plane. She said it is something she and Secret Bear see as they jump from one Dimension into another. Also that it is something one may see during an out of body experience. Or a near death experience. Hey, are we dead!?" Good Luck chuckled and pointed down to the steps which branched out and back up toward Care a Lot. "No, we are both still among the living. Hopefully for many more years. Now follow me back to Care a Lot."
Both Bears now moved to the other stair case. As they entered Care a Lot the lamp lighted street was quiet. Bedtime pointed at a lighted window. "In there is where we started from. Together both Bears went up the steps into the building. Then Grumpy felt Bedtime tap his shoulder. "Time to wake up now, Grumpy!"
Grumpy felt confused for a moment as he woke up on a cot. Sitting on a nearby cot was Bedtime. "Well sleepy head" said Bedtime Bear. "How do you feel? More important, did you learn anything about yourself?" Grumpy tried to shake the cobwebs of sleep from his head. He looked at Bedtime then reached out and poked Bedtime's tummy. "Is this for real or a dream" asked Grumpy.
Bedtime laughed and poked Grumpy with the eraser end of a pencil. "Oh, this is for real. You were asleep for an hour. I hope you had a good dream. Now what did you learn about yourself and others?" Grumpy frowned as he remembered the therapeutic climb up the Dream Ladder. He remembered the Dream Weavers and their advice. Or had it just been nothing else but a dream? It had seemed so real.
"I remember The Dream Ladder and The Dream Weavers" said Grumpy. "I remember everything they said. Gees, for a couple of giant spiders they were really nice! Also smart. Say, was that all a dream or did it really happen?" Bedtime grinned as he removed the copper like bracelet from Grumpy's wrist.
"Does it really matter" asked Bedtime. "Some things are best left mysterious. We can learn important things by letting ourselves ponder about things we really can't fathom. Thoughts, dreams, and ideas are things we cannot hold in our paws. Yet they have a power of their own. They can even change the World if acted upon. Hopefully for the better. Now go home. Rub noses with your Mate and make her World and yours a better one." Then Bedtime winked. "If not I may have to sic a big black spider on you!"
Grumpy actually grinned as he shook paws goodbye with Bedtime. Then Grumpy made his way home on the lamp lighted street. He stopped and greeted Proud Heart Cat as she did her nightly Caring Prowl. Then made his way up into his and Share's humble little home. "Is that you Grumpy" asked a sleepy looking Share. Share sighed as Grumpy put his arms around her. "It is I, flaws and all" said Grumpy as he rubbed his nose on hers. Then he hurried into the bathroom. Share giggled as she heard him pee. Then running water as he washed up for bed time and brushed his teeth. Share was smiling. For Share did love Grumpy, flaws and all.
Then it was Share's turn to use the toilet. As she made her way into the bedroom Grumpy was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Well, I hope you have no bad dreams tonight" said Share. Then she sat on the bed beside Grumpy. As Grumpy sat beside Share he took a really good look at her. Her curls were mussed up a bit. Her night gown was buttoned incorrectly. She had one slipper on and one missing. A wry half smile was on Grumpy's face. Share sure looked cute to him. Grumpy grabbed her right hand paw with his left.
"Well, my Session with Bedtime was really enlightening" said Grumpy. "It was in fact eye opening. Right now my opened eyes see the sweetest, most caring Mate any Bear could have. I want you to be in my sweetest dreams. I want to be with you forever." Before Share could reply Grumpy was nose to nose with her. Share giggled as the now amorous Grumpy whispered wonderful things in her ear. Then she replied in kind. Each moving their paws over the other's body.
Share nearly knocked the lamp off the bed stand as she tried to douse the light. For she had realized the curtains were still opened. In moments Male and Female were as one. Their bodies close together. Fast beating Hearts seeming to beat in synchronicity. Breaths intermingling.
Outside their home two sets of eyes saw the light wink out in Grumpy and Share's bedroom window. With their powers of Empathy one Care Bear and one Care Cousin could feel a wave of relief wash over them. Then waves of Love and Passion. The night before they had felt waves of worry and fear from this home. Proud Heart Cat giggled as she gave Bedtime Bear a pat on the back. "I think you have a Caring Mission accomplished!"
Two Bears would have agreed with her. For Share and Grumpy were soon too tired to stay awake. Passion had left both with a feeling to be desired. Now both drifted off to sleep. Share was soon dreaming of silly things. Grumpy was dreaming of her, but the dream was not silly. Nor was it frightening. It was a wonderful dream. Like many more Grumpy would have in the years ahead. If the Dream Weavers really do exist they do not frighten Grumpy. He now accepts all the dreams they concoct for him. Knowing that dreams are yin and yang. For bad ones can lead to wonderful ones. Life is not a dream, but dreams are a part of life.
Grumpy would still have an occasional nightmare. After waking he would calm himself as he imagined Spiders weaving that dream. Then find a possible message in it. Imagining the dream as something not to dread, but to learn from. In reality there would be days and nights when bad things did happen. Even something dreadful. In every life a little rain must fall. Everyone must hurt sometime. Every one must shed some tears. Anyone can feel a little depressed.
During bouts of depression Grumpy may shed some tears. In the years ahead there will be tears from fear. Tears from sadness. There will also be tears of Joy. Sometimes those tears will be shared with others. Often with the Bear known as Share Bear. Together the two Bears will share many things in the years ahead. Years in which Grumpy will share a life with Share. No matter how bad the day or night each will be the others anchor in the storms of life. Their Love the rock no emotional storm can shatter. For their Love for each other is indeed a dream come true.