CHAPTER 1

It all began in the land of Care-a-lot. As you know, Care-a-lot is normally bustling with cheer, fun, and all manner of activity. This day, however, was awful blustery. It was some of the most intense wind that Care-a-lot had ever received. Stars and clouds were being blown out of place. Some sections of buildings were ripped off. Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins all around were getting blown all over. The wind was so bad, that it even woke Bedtime Bear right up...And, for once, he STAYED awake!

It was apparent that a HUGE storm was on its way. So, the Care Bears and Cousins did all they could to get ready. Some of them went all over Care-a-lot, repairing the torn off patches with fresh clouds, and boarding up the windows.

Grumpy Bear and Braveheart Lion just finished putting the finishing touches on a cloud house.

"There!" Braveheart said, wiping his brow. "That oughta do it!"

"Hmph," Grumpy huffed. "Of course WE have to be the ones doing all of the work."

"Not ALL of the work, Grumpy!" Braveheart assured. "Besides, we're good at this!"

Grumpy groaned the way he usually did, before they moved on to the next house.

However, a few Care Bears braved the windy weather and continued to perform their duties. Chief among them were Cheer Bear and Wish Bear, standing just mere feet apart, looking down through their Star Scopes.

"This wind is pretty scary, huh Cheer?" Wish asked.

"It's not that bad," Cheer giggled. "You just have to keep your spirits high during times like this! It's the best way to get by!"

"It's certainly one way," Wish said with a smile.

Meanwhile, at the Hall of Hearts, the other Care Bears and Cousins crowded in to take shelter. Tenderheart Bear and Lotsa Heart Elephant were helping them all. From the far side of the room, Baby Hugs and Baby Tugs looked on with great curiosity.

"I wonder what's going on, Tugs?" Hugs asked.

"Looks like a party," Tugs said.

"A party? Wow! What kinda party?" Hugs asked. "I don't see any decorations!"

"Wonder if we can find some?" Tugs asked.

"Yeah! Let's go look for some!"

And so the two of them ran off to another part of the Hall to begin their search.

After the Care Bears and Cousins got into the Hall, they all huddled together. In that crowd, it was hard for anyone to know if Hugs and Tugs were still around.

"That should be just about everyone!" Tenderheart said as the last of them came in.

"Almost everyone!" Lotsa Heart replied. "And that's the truth!"

Just then, Bright Heart Raccoon came into the room, holding several sheets of paper in his hands.

"Hello, Bright Heart!" Tenderheart called. "Do you have an update on the storm?"

"Yes, Tenderheart," Bright Heart responded. "I calculate that the storm should be approaching Care-a-lot in approximately 37 minutes and 14 seconds."

"Then we have to go get everyone still out there before then," Tenderheart declared.

"I agree," Bright Heart nodded.

Suddenly, Cheer and Wish burst in and ran up to Tenderheart.

"Can somebody help us?" Wish asked with much urgency.

"What's wrong, Cheer and Wish?" Tenderheart asked.

"Sorry about the timing, Tenderheart," Cheer said, catching her breath, "But this is an emergency!"

"We found a girl down there," Wish explained, "And she needs our help!"

"What's wrong with her?" Tenderheart questioned.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "This must be very urgent if it's to be attended to with a storm of this magnitude approaching."

"It IS urgent!" Cheer exclaimed. "This girl...She's running away from home!"

Everyone gasped.

"What's she doing out in this weather?" Lotsa Heart asked. "Running away is already bad enough! But this is REALLY bad! And that's the truth!"

"Then we need to help her out right away!" Tenderheart said with purpose. "Which of us do you two need, Cheer and Wish?"

"You, Lotsa Heart, and Bright Heart," Wish said. "And..."

Behind them, Grumpy and Braveheart came in.

"Well, that's everything!" Braveheart said. "All of the buildings are safe!"

"I never understood," Grumpy complained, "How old planks of wood could protect against storms. You'd think we would have something better!"

"Grumpy! Braveheart!" Cheer cheered.

"Huh?" Grumpy and Braveheart both exclaimed, startled.

"You two are just the ones we need!" Cheer said exuberantly.

"Well, you heard her, Grumpy!" Braveheart said. "We have some work to do!" He stepped forward proudly, grabbing Grumpy's hand and dragging him along.

"Awww," Grumpy groaned, "Why would we need to go down there at a time like this?"

"Trust us, Grumpy," Wish said, "It's really important!"

"Off to the Care-a-van!" Tenderheart shouted.

Prior to leaving, the group shut the front doors and told the rest of the Care Bears and Cousins to stay huddled up and safe. "I calculate that we shouldn't be gone for long at all," Bright Heart assured. The group then walked out a back door and to an entire line of Cloud Cars and Care-a-vans. Thankfully, chains held them all in place. That way, none of them would blow away. The group piled into the closest Care-a-van available. Tenderheart took the driver's seat, making sure to buckle his seat belt, along with everyone else.

"I calculate that this wind will attempt to throw us wildly off course," Bright Heart commented.

"What else would you expect from a vehicle made of CLOUDS?" Grumpy asked.

"Don't worry!" Cheer giggled. "I'm sure Tenderheart will still practice safe driving. Isn't that right, Tenderheart?"

"You bet!" Tenderheart shouted from up front. "OK, everybody ready? Hold on tight!" He turned the ignition key, and the Care-a-van broke off from its chain and took off into the blustery skies.

Down they went, through layers of thick, fast-moving clouds. The strong winds pushed and pounded at the Care-a-van, but Tenderheart was able to keep it well under his control.

Lotsa Heart looked out the window. "It certainly doesn't look good out there. And that's the truth!"

"So, Wish, Cheer," Braveheart said, "What can you tell us about who we're going to go see?"

"Her name is Dorothy," Wish explained. "She's 12 years old, and she's running away from home with her dog. That's why this is so urgent!" She then explained to Tenderheart what she looked like, where to go, and how to spot her.

They continued downward, dodging flocks of geese and various pieces of trash and debris. One time, a cat blew onto their windshield. They all gasped at this. But, Tenderheart wiped it off with the wipers, and the cat was once again swept up by the wind.

"Wow!" Braveheart said. "This IS a really bad storm!"

"So we have to hurry!" Lotsa Heart said.

Finally, they emerged out of the clouds. Lying before them were long stretches of grey prairies and farmland, dotted with farmhouses. They all looked quite dry.

They zeroed in on a dusty back road, one that people very seldom tread on.

"I see her!" Tenderheart cried. And they continued their descent.

Walking down the road was Dorothy. She was a brown-haired girl, whose hair was braided in pigtails. She wore a jean jacket over a white shirt, with a long white skirt and worn out leather shoes below. She also carried with her a large suitcase. Walking alongside Dorothy was Toto, her scruffy little black dog. It was obvious that both of them were getting tired.

"Come on, Toto," Dorothy sighed. "Let's stop for a rest."

They did so on a large, dried out log. Dorothy sat down, while Toto jumped on. The girl eyed the gloomy skies nervously. She hoped that they could reach a safe shelter before any big storms hit.

Meanwhile, the Care-a-van zoned in on her location.

"We got her!" Tenderheart called triumphantly. "Now, we just need to make a safe landing."

Suddenly, a rogue gust of wind slammed into the Care-a-van, causing it to spin. The group screamed inside as they careened out of control.

"Hold on, everyone!" Tenderheart shouted.

On the ground, Dorothy heard what sounded like an airplane coming towards her. "Huh?" she uttered as she stood up. She looked behind her...And there was the Care-a-van, coming right for her! She gasped, "Toto, duck!" She grabbed her dog and took cover behind the log as the Care-a-van flew overheard. It then crash landed in a wide ditch on the other side of the road.

When Dorothy looked up, she saw the Care-a-van, stuck in the prairie grass. She and Toto ran over to it. She was worried about whether the occupants of this strange vehicle were all right.

The door popped open, and the Care Bears tumbled out. Dorothy leaped back in surprise, and the startled Toto began barking.

"Hey!" Dorothy shouted. "Who are you? Are you OK?"

"We're as OK as we can be," Grumpy said, "Considering the thing is a wreck now."

"But it's OK!" Cheer said. "What's important is that we got to you!"

Toto focused much of his growling and barking at Grumpy. "Don't waste your energy," Grumpy said.

"Sorry," Dorothy said, picking up her dog, "He doesn't mean it. Toto's really a good dog."

"We're sure he is!" Cheer said.

Dorothy looked over the strange group that stood up before her. Then she realized...

"You," she said, "You're the Care Bears! Wh-What are you doing here?"

"We're here," Wish said, "For you, Dorothy."

At first, Dorothy was quite confused. But then, she gave a heavy sigh, as she got a good idea of why they were here now...

"Let's sit down," Braveheart said. "Then we can talk about this."

They all made their way back to the log. Toto and the Care Bears jumped up, and Dorothy simply sat back down.

"This is about me running away, isn't it?" Dorothy asked with much guilt.

"That's the truth," Lotsa Heart said. "So, why are you running away?"

Dorothy sighed once again. "Well...There's this mean old lady in my town, named Mrs. Gulch. She's been accusing me and Toto of making trouble around the entire town. But really, it was just Toto digging in her garden and scaring off her cat. He doesn't know any better, though. He's just curious."

"So," Braveheart said, "What did that all have to do with you wanting to run away?"

Tears started to seep out of poor Dorothy's eyes. "Well, today she finally had enough. She said she was going to..." She sniffed and choked on her tears. "Put Toto down!"

The Care Bears all gasped in shock.

"That's awful!" Cheer cried.

"That's way too harsh for something like that!" Grumpy said.

"But, scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said as he petted the dog, "Toto is here right now. Isn't he?"

"That's because he managed to escape from Mrs. Gulch's clutches," Dorothy said. "But we had to get out! She woulda noticed that Toto had escaped, and then we would be in REALLY big trouble!"

"So THAT'S why you ran away," Braveheart said with disappointment.

"Aren't you worried about your parents?" Wish asked.

"I don't have any parents," Dorothy said. "I only live with my Aunt Em and my Uncle Henry. And all of the farmhands."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "Your aunt and uncle must be exceptionally worried about you at the moment."

Dorothy was at a loss for words. She must have forgotten about them when she made her fateful decision. She merely stared at the dirt ground.

"But, what else could I do about Mrs. Gulch?" she asked. "I can't let her take Toto away for good!"

"Come on, Dorothy!" Braveheart rallied. "It's easy! You just need some courage."

"And brains," Bright Heart added.

"And heart!" Lotsa Heart added. "And that's the truth! All of it!"

Dorothy sighed once more. "I don't know..."

"Well," Wish said, "What do you wish to find out there?"

"What...Do I wish?" Dorothy repeated.

"Or, what do you wish for in general?" Wish asked.

Dorothy sniffed and wiped her eyes. Toto put his paws on her leg and looked up with his own concern. "I...I wish...I wish I could find a place...Where there is no trouble. Somewhere...Over the rainbow." She looked to the skies with yearning. "Like Care-a-lot! Maybe Toto and I can go to live in Care-a-lot!"

"We wish you could, Dorothy," Tenderheart said remorsefully. "But, you can't."

"He's right," Grumpy said. "You have your own place!"

"Or," Wish beamed, "You can find your own place! Maybe not over the rainbow, but somewhere else out there!"

"But right now," Tenderheart said, "You need to be back at home, with your aunt and uncle."

"We can still help you find your special place," Wish said sincerely. "Maybe not now...But we can, sooner or later!"

Dorothy smiled. She felt very touched by the help and support of the Care Bears. However, she still did not know what to think or what to do next.

Suddenly, the wind picked up intensity.

"Oh, no," Bright Heart said in concern. "I calculate...That this wind storm will be approaching in approximately 22 minutes!"

"Then we'd better get you back home!" Braveheart said as he jumped off the log.

"But," Dorothy attempted to protest, "But!"

"Trust us!" Tenderheart said as he and the other Care Bears followed Braveheart's lead. "You'll be much safer at your house!"

"But what about all of you?" Dorothy asked.

"Don't worry about us!" Grumpy said. "We have our ways!"

"Now let's go and get outta here!" Lotsa Heart said.

Dorothy grabbed her suitcase in one hand, and held Toto in the other. They all then started down the road, in the opposite direction, toward Dorothy's house.

Meanwhile, the winds strengthened back in Care-a-lot as well. Everyone in the Hall of Hearts huddled closely and listened at the vicious winds pounding against the Hall!

In the back, however, Hugs and Tugs were much too distracted by the various toys and decorations they rummaged through. Hugs, however, started worrying. "Tugs," she said, "It doesn't sound very good out there."

"It's OK, Hugs!" Tugs said. "Everything will be just fine once we get those decorations out there and get the party going!"

Hugs nodded with unease, and continued looking through the boxes of party treasures and playthings. The window above them shook and rattled.

"Hey, here's a good one," Hugs said as she pulled out a kite with a long tail.

"That looks great, Hugs!" Tugs said, grabbing a hold of the tail. "This will be perfect!"

The window suddenly burst wide open! The terrible winds came in and scattered everything in the room! Hugs and Tugs tried to fight it, being sure not to let go of their new find.

Then, the winds picked up the kite, with Hugs and Tugs still holding on, and swept them all out the window! They swirled and twirled through the clouds. Where they were going, they didn't really know.

At the farm where Dorothy lived, there was chaos! The animals were getting spooked terribly, and dust swirled all around. On the horizon came a terrifying sight: A powerful cyclone, heading straight for the farm!

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, along with the farmhands, managed to secure the animals. As the cyclone got closer and closer, Aunt Em called out to Dorothy. There was no sign of her, though. Without much time left, they all rushed into the storm cellar just outside the house.

It wasn't much longer before Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears arrived. The front fence gate blew off its hinges as it opened.

"I calculate," Bright Heart shouted over the howling winds, "That we should now have 3 minutes before the tornado strikes!"

"Aunt Em and Uncle Henry must have the storm cellar ready!" Dorothy shouted. "All of you can hide in the house! I don't think they'll be in there now!"

"You got it!" Cheer shouted. "Now let's go!"

The Care Bears raced around the back. Dorothy went right to the storm cellar, only to find that it was already shut tight.

"Aunt Em!" Dorothy shouted as loud as she could, while pounding on the door with her foot. "Aunt Em! Uncle Henry! It's me, Dorothy! And Toto, too!" She waited for the door to open, but to not avail. The winds were so loud, that they must not have heard her.

The cyclone was quickly closing in. There was only one thing Dorothy and Toto could do now: Take shelter in the house, with the Care Bears.

She dropped her suitcase and ran straight for the front door. She threw it open, rushed in, and shut it again. The farmhouse was rather small. The Care Bears all bunched together in the back doorway, trying to get in.

"Dorothy?" Tenderheart exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?"

"The storm cellar is locked!" Dorothy said. "We couldn't get in!"

"Some luck that is!" Grumpy shouted.

Then, a mighty blast of wind pushed them all through the doorway and into the house.

"Come on!" Dorothy shouted. "We'll hide in my room!"

The Care Bears rolled off of each other, shut and locked the back door, and followed Dorothy. Her bedroom may have been small, but it was big enough for them all.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said with a nod, "That this will provide just enough structural support to withstand the tornado!"

Everyone took cover in various spots in the room. "Now all we have to do," Braveheart said, "Is hold on and brace ourselves!"

Dorothy hid under the bed, along with Toto, Cheer, Wish, and Tenderheart.

Outside, the wind got even stronger. The cyclone was almost on top of them.

Just then, something very curious happened. The house's foundation creaked and groaned, as it tried to hold itself to the ground. But, it was no use. The cyclone forced the foundation out, and the house was lifted right into the sky like a feather! Everyone held on to whatever they could as they felt themselves flying away.

The cyclone moved right along, carrying the tiny farmhouse along with it.

Not far away, Hugs and Tugs also got caught in the funnel. They held onto their kite for dear life, and watched all matter of objects go by, from cattle to bikes to bathtubs. They also spotted the house.

"Hey, I can see a house from here!" Tugs shouted.

"We can see a whole lotta things, Tugs!" Hugs shouted back. They were both terrified, but still tried to keep in good spirits. The wind forced them away, and the house disappeared from their sights.

Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears all remained in the cyclone for quite some time. Eventually, things calmed down.

"Think we're still in the tornado?" Wish asked.

"Only one way to find out!" Lotsa Heart said. He, Wish, and Cheer emerged from their hiding places and opened the window. Everyone gasped as they glanced outside.

The winds still swirled and howled all around them, along with all that matter of objects and debris.

"Oh, my!" Dorothy exclaimed. "How long are we going to be up here like this?"

"TOO long!" Grumpy said fearfully.

A man driving a car flew by. As he lingered momentarily in front of the house, he saw everyone inside and waved casually. The entire group waved back rather awkwardly.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "We should not be able to stay airborne this way!"

"But we are!" Cheer said.

"And that's the truth!" Lotsa Heart said, almost in disbelief.

Suddenly, Dorothy saw something that made her gasp in horror.

"It's her!" she shouted, pointing at the window. "It's Mrs. Gulch!" She held onto Toto, as if shielding him.

Right outside was an old, mean-looking lady in a plain grey dress, pedaling on her bicycle. At first, she paid no attention to the house, or anyone in it.

"That's the lady you were talking about, Dorothy!" Braveheart said. "Why, I oughta -"

Before Braveheart could finish, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Mrs. Gulch transformed into a horrible witch, riding on her broomstick and with her pure black cloak rippling in the wind! Everyone gasped and hit the floor, especially Dorothy.

"EEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!" the witch cackled loudly and evilly.

She zoomed out of sight, and the house started spinning wildly. Everyone screamed and continued to hold on.

After what seemed like a long, torturous time, the cyclone died down, and the house began falling back down to the ground below.

"HOLD ON, EVERYONE!" Tenderheart shouted.

They fell, and fell, and fell, until...

THUD!