It was not a happy meeting at The Hall Of Hearts. Tender Heart had informed The Care Bears of Carealot that Spy Bear had important information. Professor Cold Heart had returned from exile. His return brought great foreboding. Cheer Bear shuddered as she remembered when the Professor had tried to freeze Hugs and Tugs in huge star shaped bowls of ice. Luckily they had survived the ordeal. For that and other crimes against Caring he had been forced out of Carealot. His return could only signal trouble.
Things had been quiet in Carealot. First the Professor had been exiled. Then No Heart had fallen from power. His niece Shreeky had contemplated suicide. In a twist of Fate she had ended up living with a Care Bear. No Heart's side kick Beastly had suffered from Polio. While being nursed back to heath by the sympathetic Care Piggy, Sweet Treat Pig, nurse and patient had fallen in love. Beastly may wear a leg brace, but it didn't slow him down. He and his Mate were the proud parents of three little piggies. Pepper Jack, Taffy, and Candy.
It had been a happy stretch of peace and quiet in Carealot. A band of dark clouds over the horizon seemed to foreshadow dark times ahead. Meanwhile as The Professor plotted and set his traps No Heart relaxed in his former home. He was visiting Shreeky and Too Loud Bear. The unlikely couple had turned No Heart's run down Castle into a dream home. No Heart spent most of his time on Earth in the Fourth Dimension. He had found peace as a Magician in a Circus. His current trip into The Fifth Dimension was to have been brief. As he left the Castle he suddenly sensed evil in the air. Little could he know that he would soon have to make choices in the never ending battle of good versus evil.
Although considered a bad guy for most of his tenure in Carealot, No Heart did have a good side. He had raised his orphaned niece Shreeky. He had once saved Hugs when she was lost in the woods. The tears of a little one was one of the few things that brought warmth to his Heart. Despite his name a heart did beat in his chest. That heart beat faster as he was suddenly confronted by the sight of Professor Cold Heart. An evil smile played upon the Professor's lips. "You are just who I was looking for" he said.
"My science failed to conquer The Care Bears. Your magic also failed. I propose we join forces. Perhaps a combination of Science and Magic can bring us to power."
No Heart's eyes glowed bright yellow. "I have been enjoying my time away from Carealot. However I am willing to listen to your plans." The professor cackled and spoke in an evil voice. "The plan is simple, I have captured some little ones. We will use them as pawns to get the grown Bears to do our bidding. If they don't your magic and my freeze machine should be enough to chill their desire for Caring. No Caring, no Care Power. We will then conquer them. After they are conquered we can divide Carealot among ourselves. I will rule one half, you can have the other."
No Heart followed the Professor to a shack. As they entered No Heart could see Cheer Bear and Bedtime Bear shackled to a wall between Hugs and Tugs. Then he saw Sweet Treat Pig and Beastly Boar shackled between their piglets. Beastly looked shocked as he exclaimed "Boss, you're back! If you want to hurt me so be it. But do not hurt my Mate or our young ones." No Heart stared but he didn't speak. His glowing eyes seemed hypnotic. Beastly looked away, he tried to focus on his Mate. Sweet Treat looked at their piglets and then her Mate. Beastly looked anguished as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Cheer spoke next. "You caused great pain to Hugs and Tugs when you tried to freeze them before. If you want to freeze a Bear then freeze me. I have lived a long life. Theirs have just begun." "No way" exclaimed Bedtime. "Let them all go and freeze me or destroy me with magic." "Well, well, listen to them trying to bargain with us" said Professor Cold Heart. "Their fears should heighten the power of your Dark Magic, No Heart. Can you bring more Bears here one at a time with a transportation spell? Or do we have to capture them the hard way, using these Bears and Piggys as bait?"
"I captured these ones in my extreme cold air traps. Very cold air causes a Care Bear's and Care Cousin's body functions to slow down. That made it easy to capture these ones. Extreme cold forces their bodies into extreme hibernation. It is almost as if they were dead, which puts them beyond caring."
No Heart spoke in a monotone, his voice reflected no emotion. "I see your plan now. Use My Dark Magic to bring The Bears to you one by one. Then you will deep freeze them. As their body functions slow down there will be no caring or Care Powers. As more Bears lose their powers the easier it will be to capture the rest." Cold Heart gave an evil grin. "Now you understand my plans!"
No Heart stared at the captives. "I know The Care Bears. They will form a search party to find their missing brethren. Let's see how many come to us first." "Oh, I do hope we have some guests" said Cold Heart. "I like to give guests a cold welcome." Cheer Bear visibly shivered as the room grew colder. Her concern for the little ones was great. She considered using a Rainbow Ray from her Tummy Tag to signal for help. She was hesitant to do so. She didn't want other Bears to face a cold fate if they were captured.
Bedtime tried to use his Tummy Tag to make his enemies sleepy. The cold air and dark powers emanating from his foes caused his powers to wane. Help would have to come from somewhere else. Meanwhile other Bears and Cousins had indeed formed search parties. If they were to fall into the hands of the Professor cold dark days would lie ahead for Carealot. As Sweet Treat looked the situation over she heaved a great sigh. "How can you be so cruel? It is one thing to threaten grown ups, but to threaten our little ones is beyond disgusting!"
"Don't worry Mommy" said a tiny voice. "Some bear or Cousin will help us!" The tiny voice belonged to Taffy. The little sow pig was always full of spunk. She showed no fear as Professor Coldheart approached her. The Professor pointed his cold finger at her tiny snout. "I should turn you to frozen pork" he said menacingly. "You leave her, Candy, Mommy and Daddy alone!" Pepper Jack yelled. "And leave The Bears alone too!"
The Professor looked annoyed as he walked from the Piggies to where the Bears were chained. "Well, the Piglets have some fight left in them. What about you Cubs?" Hugs gave a shiver as he put a bony finger to her nose. Frost formed on the fur of her little muzzle. She suddenly felt brazen as she remembered how she and Tugs had survived being tortured in the giant ice filled star shaped bowls. The little girl Bear's eyes glowed bright orange as she attempted a Scare Stare. The Professor turned his head away. He actually looked a bit shaken up.
"The last time you tried to freeze me and Tugs you said you would freeze our hearts so we could no longer care. That will never work. Our hearts will always be full of care, even if we have to be Angels to do so."
"Don't you know how God gave Father Star and Mother Star powers to help humans in the fight against evil?" said Tugs. "To help their cause they gave our ancestors, True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse, special powers. That is why we can travel through five dimensions and have Tummy Tags with unique powers. I am not scared of you. In the end you will fall. Isn't that right, Cheer?"
Cheer suddenly looked invigorated and proud. "You have learned your history lessons well. I am so proud of you and your sister. I am also proud of the piglets. Your spirit is proof that Carealot does have a future." Cheer turned towards their tormentors. "If you and No Heart want a future I suggest you leave us alone and get out of here. We are forbidden to destroy you. Your own actions will sow the seeds of your destruction if you keep up your evil ways."
Hugs suddenly turned her head toward No Heart. Her voice was one of young innocence. "Mr. No Heart, you don't want to destroy me, do you? Remember the time I got lost and you found me? You said you would never hurt a little one, especially a little girl. Are you going to let that mean old man hurt me, Taffy, and Candy? I would never want to let him hurt you."
The Professor began shaking with rage. "Enough of this trivial talk! I feel like hurting some Bear and that Bear is going to be you!" He strode menacingly towards Hugs. The little Bear's eyes glowed orange again. She knew her Scare Stare would not stop him. It did give her a way to show her defiance. As she stared she became aware of the fact that No Heart was stepping behind the Professor. The Professor was so intent on hurting Hugs he had become oblivious to all else around him.
No Heart reached out and put a bony hand on Professor Cold Heart's right shoulder. "Leave the little one alone! Your main concern should be dealing with the adults. Hurting her accomplishes nothing." The Professor whirled around and glared at No Heart. "I like inflicting pain and discomfort on little ones. Their tears are something I like to see and their fears inspire ideas on how to end their caring ways. I will end that little Bear's caring, even if I have to freeze her solid to do it! The same goes with those little Piggys!"
No Heart's eyes now glowed bright red. "I raised my niece Shreeky after the death of my sister and brother in law. She helped to deliver those little Piggys when they were born. Do not harm them! They are supposed to be pawns in getting adult Bears here. There is no need to make them fodder."
"So, the once powerful Wizard has gone soft! I demand you hurt one of the little ones to prove your worth." "I have nothing to prove to you". No Heart nearly spat the words out. "The Bear with the rainbow on her tummy said we would sow the seeds of our own destruction. Insult me again and her words will come true as they pertain to you."
The Professor went livid. "It sounds as if you are threatening me! I wonder if you can survive extreme cold. I ought to freeze you solid to use as a statue to stand between my marble gargoyles. I could then freeze the little Bears and Piggys to use as statues in my rock garden." The Professor suddenly reached for his hip and took what looked like a pistol from a holster on his belt. He took aim at No Heart. "Let's see what a freeze ray pistol will do to a worthless Wizard."
Cheer Bear suddenly realized the distracted Professor had let the room's temperature rise. "Look out No Heart!" she yelled as she activated her Tummy Tag. A rainbow beam shot from her tummy tag and hit the pistol sending it flying across the room. No Heart seemed to fly across the room as he leapt and knocked the professor to the floor. As he held the professor down Cheer could see frost forming on his hands. "It's your turn to suffer from my wrath" said Cold Heart menacingly.
No Heart seemed unfazed. His eyes were glowing redder than ever. "Fero maleficium magister" he shouted. To the astonishment of the Bears and Pigs present the Professor suddenly vanished. "Yay!" shouted Hugs. "The mean old man is gone!" No Heart staggered to his feet. He ignored the pain of his nearly frozen hands. He walked up to each lock on the manacles and broke them in his palms as he muttered Magic Incantations. Cheer gasped "what just happened?" No Heart looked at her. His eyes were green. "The worthless old Wizard decided to save some worthy young ones" he said as he collapsed on the floor.
The search team had spotted the old shack. As they approached they heard strange sounds and saw strange lights emanating through the cracks in the shack's walls. After breaking down the door they beheld a strange sight. No Heart lay on the floor. Hugs was bent over him crying. So too were Taffy and Candy. Tugs and Pepper Jack looked like they wanted to cry. Cheer Bear gently moved Hugs and the piggys back then knelt beside No Heart. She touched his wrist and then his neck. She looked up at the search team members.
"Well I guess he is alive. You Bears missed out on something amazing! No Heart fought Professor Cold Heart after he threatened the Cubs and the Piglets." Bedtime knelt beside her. "We had better get him somewhere where we can help him. I definitely want out of this death trap of a shack!"
No Heart opened his eyes and blinked. As his eyes focused he realized he was back in what had once been his Castle. "He's awake!" shouted a young female voice. No Heart sat up and saw anxious little faces staring up at him. The cubs and piglets were there hoping for the best for their unlikely benefactor. Then he looked around and saw his niece Shreeky, several adult Bears, Beastly and Sweet Treat.
"Welcome back from the Dead, Uncle No Heart." Shreeky looked as if she had been sleepless for a long time. No Heart looked surprised. "It's hard to kill a man with no heart" he said nonchalantly. "Uncle No Heart, for a man of few words you always know what to say." Shreeky then did something out of character. She sat on the side of the bed and carefully took his bandaged hand. Shreeky cried for the first time in many years. The others in the room also felt teary eyed. The man called No Heart had touched the hearts of others.
Two days later No Heart sat in an easy chair in the home of Cheer, Bedtime, Hugs and Tugs. Sweet Treat and Beastly were also there along with their piglets. Earlier that day they had been witnesses at a Care Council Meeting. During the session No Heart was asked by Obsessive Bear why he had turned against Professor Cold Heart. No Heart sounded adamant as he spoke.
"At first I felt bitter after the Magic Amulet my powers depended upon lost most of it's strength. I fled Carealot fearing The Care Bears would get retribution on me. I hid out on Earth in The Fourth Dimension. I became a Magician in a Circus. I figured I could make a living while trying to regain real magical powers. I did think about eventually returning to Carealot to regain my fearsome reputation. Then one day as I was performing at The Circus a little girl walked up crying. Her big sister said she had won a dog shaped balloon which floated away when the string it was attached to broke. The little girl had coloring in her hair. As I looked at her I was reminded of the horrible night I had to comfort my niece Sharika when her parents were killed in an accident. I performed a magic trick and made a dog shaped balloon which I gave her. As she happily skipped away I felt true satisfaction. From that time on I began to enjoy being a Circus Magician. I lost all desire to do evil. God works in mysterious ways, I guess I am one of them."
"When Professor Cold Heart was threatening the little Bears and Piggies I felt something unexpected. Where you think I have no heart I felt sympathy for the little ones. When The Professor turned his rage on me I suddenly didn't care for my safety. I only wanted to help the little ones. At that moment I realized I did have a heart. As I looked back at Hugs my eyes met hers. I suddenly realized I was willing to die to help her. I think at that moment I got my Soul back. Now I can't wait to return to The Circus as Marvin The Magician. I know there are a lot of kids out there who need some wholesome entertainment."
The Care Council members felt touched at what they had heard. They had no qualms in granting No Heart a Full Pardon for his misdeeds of the past. The man many once thought would bring about the destruction of Carealot had become one of it's honored citizens. Many didn't want him to leave. No Heart promised to return twice a year to do a Magic Act for the entertainment of the cubs, piglets, and all the other little ones living in Carealot and The Forest of Feelings.
As Shreeky sat in a chair Pepper Jack jumped onto her lap. Shreeky actually smiled as she petted him between the ears. Hugs walked up to No Heart and sat on the floor at the foot of his chair. As she looked up at him with those big brown eyes she said "so what happened to the mean old man that wanted to freeze us?"
"Yeah, what did happen to Cold Heart?" Cheer asked. No Heart gave a rueful laugh. "He went too far in threatening those around him. I performed a transportation spell and sent him to an abandoned Fort sometimes used by Wizards and Mages during Magic Conventions. He should have plenty of time to think about his misdeeds before he is found and rescued. The Fort is in the Sahara Desert. He will have a hard time keeping his cool there!"
Sweet Treat laughed. "I guess you found a great way to punish that cold hearted villain." No Heart reached down with a bandaged hand.
He used an exposed finger tip and tickled Hug's right ear. As she giggled he looked up and said in a dead pan voice "one bad turn deserves another!"