Alright, everyone. Break out the tissues. It's time for some sad.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Care Bears. They are property of DiC, Nelvana, the Hub, etc.
~Evenings Like These~
It was on evenings like these when he broke down.
On evenings like these, when the sun hadn't fully dipped itself into the horizon, and instead painted the sky with warm strokes of peach and purple.
On evenings like these, when the tree branches swayed lazily, lulled to sleep by the softly singing breeze.
On evenings like these, when the gardenias began to bloom and spread their sweet fragrance around the house.
Yes, this was when he fell apart.
He had known her forever, it seemed. There was never a brighter soul than she. Her smile was reflected in her eyes, and they themselves seemed to jump with life even at the most troubling of times. Why was this? It was because she knew how to heal people. She was always the modest type, but would stop at nothing to help a friend in need. Her eyes had shone with quiet determination, a delicate resolve to never give up as long as there was a chance. Of course, there was always a chance.
For so long, they had been the closest of friends. Inseparable, encouraging, loving…all those attributes of a true bond. They were together through thick and thin, helping each other when both their backs were against the wall. Like the stars holding the moon, she was there for him, and he for her. They spent evenings together, and she told him her favorite things: gardenias. They were the flower of grace, hospitality, and secret love. The next day he went down to Earth and picked one. When he brought it back, she hugged him with enough happiness to drive away all of No Heart's shadows. She planted the flower in her garden, and she smiled whenever she talked about it with him. When she did, he couldn't help but feel something…new. It wasn't long until he finally realized the truth.
It was love.
Of course, he loved everyone. He loved the Care Bear Family. He loved the Earth, and all of the people he helped teach to care. However, this was a different kind of love. It was confusing and heart-wrenching, and he had never felt anything like it before. He had never expected that she would feel the same way. She had been so happy, so excited when he confessed to her. It wasn't long before they were steadily seeing each other, going along as if there was nothing to worry about.
He had never thought about it before, but he really couldn't find it in his heart to hate anyone. Even when it came to enemies; if they were ever in a dangerous spot, he had to help them. His mind flashed to one of the Care Bear Family picnics, when he had helped the monster Beastly for all of their well-being. He had never outright hated No Heart and his minions.
That is, until the incident.
His throat constricted. He swallowed, unable to stop his hands from shaking. It had started out so normally…inadvertently, he wondered how going off to battle No Heart had become so routine that it could be considered normal. The evil wizard had unleashed another plot to destroy caring. That time, he had attempted to create an uncaring virus. It had been much like the Cloud of Uncaring, but it was much more discreet. The virus had spread like wildfire, and it had taken quite a while to destroy it and send No Heart packing back to his castle for another long stretch of plotting. Now that he thought about it, he should have realized the blatant warning when the wizard had fled the fight. No Heart had transformed into a crow before retreating, and had smiled at her. Of course, the evil wizard's smiles were never friendly, but this particular smile was that of triumph, which he had certainly not won that day.
Little did they know, he had.
They hadn't known he'd kept some of the virus.
They hadn't known that he had modified it to be deadly, or that he had passed it into her when he attacked her.
They hadn't known at all, until it was too late.
She had seemed healthy all the time after the battle. She had been healthy when he had finally taken her to their favorite spot, gotten down on one knee, and given her a ring of his own creation. It was made of a caring crystal set on a moon white band. The gem glowed iridescently in the light. She had smiled gleefully, and seemed not to have stopped smiling until the first pains came, not too long after the wedding.
It was just after they had become aware of their first child.
The pain had been severe, but Take Care Bear had seen no signs of the virus. He almost laughed out of bitterness. No Heart just had to have thought of everything, didn't he?
The pain lasted with her for three days. All that time, he was by her side. During that time, she prayed. She prayed that her child would be safe, that her husband would be strong, and that she would still be there when her child grew to be her age. However, the pain left as quickly as it came. She regained her strength, and spent much of her time with her husband. They often sat, just as he did now, watching her garden, waiting for the gardenias to bloom.
It was a small garden, but she poured her heart and soul into it. It would never be as large as Proud Heart's or have as many colors as Cheer Bear's, but the lovely plants within it were all she needed. She often sang while she worked on it, softly and sweetly. Her voice carried to him as he tried to help her in any way he could. He eventually learned the basics of gardening, especially how to care for the gardenias she loved so much.
Nine months passed.
Their child was born healthy.
Her pains came back.
They had worsened within hours of her birthing their baby. She stayed in Take Care's clinic all night, and for three more days. Only then did they discover the cause. Now that they knew what they were dealing with, they tried the same cure they had used on the people of Earth.
It didn't work.
Her body somehow refused it. By the fifth day she was so weak her tummy symbol was fading, and her Care Bear Cousin Call was nonexistent. He stayed with her all night, their infant daughter in the very next room. On their final night together, she called to him. At her bedside, he could see just how ill she was. Her paleness showed through her dull fur. The bright light in her eyes had been reduced to a small twinkle. Her breathing was labored.
It had hurt to see her like that.
He knelt beside her, tenderly brushing his paw against her cheek. She held it with her hand. In the dark they had whispered, promises of love, no matter what happened. He was full of anguish, and yet she calmed him. His eyes had met hers, and his anger disappeared. He leaned down and kissed her one last time.
In her shaking voice, she began to sing.
It was the same sweet tune she had always sang in her garden.
When this world is no more
The moon is all we'll see
I'll ask you
To fly away with me
Until the stars all fall down
They empty from the sky
But I don't mind
If you're…with me…
Then everything's…all…right…
She was placid, beautifully serene. Her eyes were closed so gently that it seemed she might be sleeping. He knew better. He had been still for a moment, but as his mind processed everything completely, he became frantic.
Take Care was with him in less than a second. There was nothing she could do. She was gone, taken away by this evil man that had poisoned her so long ago. On the days that followed, he was inconsolable. He could barely stand to talk to anyone, even his closest friends. Grams Bear, seeing that the raccoon was in no shape to look after the child, had taken his daughter into her own care for a while. He had vowed to hate No Heart with a passion, and every fiber in his being seethed at the wizard, who was still silent at his castle. Then he took one look at his daughter.
Their daughter.
Just like that, his hate vanished. He didn't know why at first, but all too soon it came to him.
She could never hate.
So he wouldn't, either.
No Heart was defeated forever two years after her death.
He tended her garden every day. He remembered everything she had taught him, and never did her gardenias wither. Every month, he took one to her final resting place. On the ground before the stone, they shone an angelic white.
On nights like these, he sat on the back porch and waited for the gardenias in her garden to open. When the moonlight hit them, and their scent filled the yard, he could no longer hold it in. No matter how much hate he had let go, the pain was there. It could never go away. Tears brimmed over his eyes, slipping down his cheek like the track of the rainbow river through the Forest of Feelings. He closed his eyes and sat there. The coolness of the evening and the scent of the night bathed him with memories. There were so many that he slumped back, tears spilling out of his eyes.
The porch door creaked open.
"Daddy?"
She stood there, peeking out the door with wide blue eyes. She was like her in nearly every way. She had the species and knowledge of her father, and the heart of her mother. Her eyes shined with that same glow; she was altogether the most beautiful little girl that could ever live. Her tummy symbol, that of a heart-shaped moon surrounded by stars, had appeared not an hour after she had been born. The moment she stepped onto the porch, Bright Heart's sadness went away. She really was like her mother. So sweet, so gentle, so brilliant in every respect. It was no wonder that he and Gentle Heart had decided she should be named Gentle Light.
Bright Heart wiped his tears away, but he was no match for his perceptive daughter.
"Why are you sad, daddy?" she asked innocently. Her father didn't respond, but held out his arms to help Gentle climb into them. She wiped his face with her paw.
"Be happy, daddy. The flowers are blooming!"
Gentle Light Raccoon and her father, Bright Heart Raccoon, sat together on the porch. He couldn't help but smile with her when the moon shone on the last pale white buds of the gardenias, gently urging them to spread their petals like their sisters. The pair simply sat for a while, taking in the beauty of it all, until Gentle Light yawned. Bright Heart lifted her into his arms as he stood up. She was still very small, but growing steadily. He carried her to her room and placed her in her bed, tucking the covers around her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Taking one last look at his beloved daughter, Bright Heart walked back to the porch.
This time, instead of staying on the porch, he went slowly over to the garden. The gardenias shimmered in the light of the moon. Their fragrance filled him with bittersweet nostalgia. He closed his eyes and knelt down as memories overtook him. They played through his head like a film reel, all to the tune of a familiar song.
Short steps, deep breath
Everything is alright
"Bright Heart!" she called. He looked up from his book. A smile automatically crept onto his face. She smiled back, her eyes sparkling.
"It's a beautiful day," she said. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
Chin up, I can't
Step into the spotlight
"But Gentle Heart, I couldn't have done it without you," he protested. The lamb merely shook her head.
"I only helped a little. You've really taken to gardening. Everything looks beautiful!"
"Really, Gentle Heart, I…" he was cut off by a quick kiss. She smiled sweetly at him.
"Yes, really, Bright Heart."
She said "I'm sad"
Somehow without any words
I just stood there
Searching for an answer
"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes trained on her. She looked away, though he could see something sad in her face.
"Yes, I'm fine…" she mumbled. "Um…Bright Heart…I…" her paws trembled. "Sorry!" she ran off, leaving him confused and concerned.
When this world is no more
The moon is all we'll see
I'll ask you
To fly away with me
"This is great, Bright Heart," she cooed. "Everything's so beautiful at night."
"Everything's so peaceful," he gazed up at the stars. "It's perfect."
She laid her head on his shoulder and slipped her hand into his.
Until the stars all fall down
They empty from the sky
But I don't mind
If you're with me, then everything's alright
Why do my words
Always lose their meaning?
What I feel, what I say
There's such a rift between them
"Gentle Heart, I…" he stuttered, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "Um…"
"Is everything okay, Bright Heart?" she tilted her head in confusion, and Bright Heart looked away to hide his blush.
"T-thanks for helping me out again today. You're such a great friend!" he blurted out. Gentle Heart blinked. She smiled, but she looked a little disappointed.
"Oh…you're welcome. After all, what are friends for?"
"Right…"
The lamb left the workshop. As soon as the door closed, Bright Heart slammed his elbows on the work table, held his head in his paws, and groaned in frustration.
He said "I can't
really seem to read you"
I just stood there
Never know what I should do
"You're such a mystery, Gentle Heart," he said. "You always know so much more than you let on." He looked at her, smiling. "It's like you're a gardenia."
"Huh?" she blinked in confusion.
"Well," he said, looking back at the garden. "Gardenias are closed up all throughout the day. They don't really show what they can do. Then at night, they open up and show the world how beautiful they are."
"I see…" she blushed. He turned to her again and nuzzled her cheek. She leaned into him awkwardly, not quite sure how to react.
When this world is no more
The moon is all we'll see
I'll ask you
To fly away with me
"She's so beautiful," Gentle Heart whispered. Gentle Light Raccoon was curled up in her mother's arms, her sleepy blue eyes halfway closed. Her mother smiled, then cringed as another wave of pain washed over her chest. Bright Heart tenderly removed the infant from her mother's arms and carried her over to her crib. She was asleep before he laid her down. Bright came back to Gentle Heart's bedside, sitting in the same chair he had been in for the past few nights.
Until the stars all fall down
They empty from the sky
But I don't mind
If you're with me
The everything's alright
"Bright Heart…" she gasped. Her husband gripped her paw in his.
"I'm here." He whispered. Gentle Heart gave a small smile.
"It…doesn't seem to hurt…as much as before…"
"It will be alright, Gentle Heart," Bright tried to keep his voice from cracking. "We'll fix this, we'll find a better cure…"
"Bright Heart, I…"
"How could he have done this?" anguish now filled his voice. "Why…why does he have to be so cruel? This is beyond evil, beyond heartless! That-
"Bright Heart," she squeezed his hand. "Please don't. Please."
He struggled to blink back the tears. Leaning down, he pressed their lips together. When they parted, Gentle's eyes were shining. Her voice wavered as she began to sing once more.
It never really rains in a city above the clouds. However, gloom had spread over all of the Kingdom of Caring. Dreary silence loomed over the crowd as Gentle Heart Lamb was laid to rest. It was nearly two hours after everyone else had left that Bright Heart finally looked away from his wife's headstone. He turned his head to the evening sky. The sun was moving quickly beneath the clouds, painting its gray canvas with orange until it faded to black. Bright Heart could swear he could see the Great Wishing Star, gazing sadly down at his charges. The moon shone down on the raccoon as he walked slowly to his home. A single moonbeam seemed to fall onto the heart-shaped marker. Its light never wavered as the single gardenia beneath it opened its petals.
Bright Heart stayed in the garden until the moon was high in the sky. Each of the gardenias had blossomed beneath its light. Their pale white faces turned to the sky, and their scent perfumed the air of the very yard. He sighed, taking in the moment for as long as he could
On evenings like these, he remembered her.
On evenings like these, when the gardenias bloomed at their best.
On evenings like these, when she was with him again.
And nothing was ever wrong.
If you're with me,
Then everything's alright.
~Evenings Like These~
I honestly don't know where this story came from. I love the Bright Heart/Gentle Heart pairing, and I love both characters to death. I would never want Gentle Heart to die for realsies! :(
But anyway, the song I used was Everything's Alright by Laura Shigihara. This lady is so awesome, and To The Moon is an awesome game. Thanks for reading, and keep caring!
~Smiley :)