Chapter 3 Confrantation

As the news spread to the other carebears, Joaquin was now taking a stroll around the pandas valley.

"I didn't realize how beautiful and peaceful this place was." He said out loud to himself. "Whoever wrapped these bandages around my wounds did an awesome job! I'll have too remember to thank whomever did this. Now to find those two pandas. Surely the carebears got them unfrozen by now." Joaquin was headed to find there home hoping he would find the pandas there.

When He finally got there, he knocked politely on the door. "Hello, Polite? Perfect? Is anybody home?" After waiting for thirty seconds for an answer, he finally entered. He found it dusty, trashed, and empty from months of the pandas not living there due to him kidnapping them. "Don't tell me that there not here?! I guess I'll have to head back and find the carebears." So he took off back down to the carebears cloudclipper.

After all of the other carebears had looked all over the place but could find no sign of Joaquin, they had all gathered together by the ship to try to come up with a plan to find him.

"Where do you think he might be?" Asked Wishbear.

"Maybe he went his own way." Answered Tenderheart bear.

"That's not possible! He would not say that he would join us one minute... then the next just abandon us and go out on his own!" Wishbear said slamming her right foot to the ground. "Oh Joaquin, where are you?" Wishbear as well as a few of the others were looking for Joaquin.

"If he doesn't return to get proper treatment on his wounds, he could possibly get sick," Said Redemptionheart bear. She looked like a doctor. "We must find him! I don't like starting treatments on someone without finishing the job!" Then all of a sudden, the wind began to pick up violently knocking some of the bears on there bottoms. "What's this?"

"Noheart!" Shouted Lonesomeheart bear as the shade's body was now materializing. "What are you doing here Noheart?" Noheart had now just took on his true form.

"You know exactly what I want! Where is Darkage?" Noheart demanded.

"You mean Joaquin? We don't know. Even if we did, we would never tell you!" Shouted Aqua bear. "Besides, haven't you caused him enough pain?"

"Not nearly enough! Not only will I have veangeance upon the carebear family, I will make Joaquin join me or he will also join you in the grave!" Declared Noheart.

"Dream on Noheart! Carebears prepare to use the carebear stare!" They all gathered quickly in a single file line right in front of Noheart. "5,4,3,2,1 stare! They hit Noheart sound and true on his chest. But there stare was only sent right back to there tummy symbols.

"Not again!" Said Tenderheart in disappointement.

"Mohahahaha! While you wretched bears escaped! I created another stare protector! Now tell me where he is NOW!" The wind was picking up again from Noheart's magic knocking some of the bears away. But strangely, Noheart was not transforming.

"What's happening!" Shouted Share bear struggling to keep her balance.

"Noheart has increased his magical power level," Said Aqua bear. "Take this Noheart! Rapid Fire!" The marine bear took aim at the evil shade with both hands cupped together pointing right at Noheart. Then he released fire balls in rapid fire form. As he continiously hit Noheart, this eventually put Noheart's cape on fire. "You better leave Noheart before I really let you have it!" Then he heard not sounds of suffering, but muttered laughter. "What is he up too?" He turned and checked with his sister Lonesomeheart bear. She shrugged her shoulders with a blank face.

"RAAAAAAHH!" The caring guardians both turned only to find Aqua bear's fire powers deflected away from Noheart sending his fire projectiles all over the place. In some cases, lighting the forest on fire. But luckily, Aqua bear used some of his magic and put the flames out using his trade mark water spells. Now Aqua bear was getting impatient with the dark magician.

"You don't want to leave," Inquired Aqua bear, "Fine, then I'll unleash my most powerful flame!" He rolled up his sleeves and swung his cupped hands back together. Dolphin Fir..." He stopped as Goodluck bear stepped in his way. "Goodluck bear. Get out of the way!"

"If you launch a more powerful fire attack against Noheart, you run the risk of destroying not only the forest, but also the risk of burning the village which the pandas swore to protect!" Argued Goodluck bear. Looking around seeing the villagers and the children, Aqua bear backed down.

"We better do something before Noheart decides to destroy everyone anyways!" Contested the caring guardian.

"WHERE IS HE! YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO TELL ME BEFORE I DESTROY YOU ALL!" Declared Noheart savagely.

"Looking for me Noheart!" Shouted Joaquin from behind some of the palm trees. Noheart stopped putting out his energy thus causing the wind to be calm once again.

"There you are! You still owe me a fight!" Trueheart quickly stood between them.

"Leave him alone Noheart! You've caused enough suffering!" She said sternly. Noheart only laughed and mocked her.

"You elder carebears are truly pathetic!" With that he used the force and began to choke her."

"Let her go Noheart," He ignored him. Joaquin stepped quickly in the clearing and stood where Trueheart was now standing. "I said let... her... go!" Noheart still seemingly ignoring his orders. "Kashikakakayh-!" Noheart knocked the elder bear head first into Joaquin's chest knocking him to the ground with Joaquin cushioning Trueheart's landing. Joaquin immediately grabbed his waste from the sudden sharp pain he felt.

"Joaquin! Are you okay?" She said with immediate concern. Joaquin faced her quickly.

"I'm fine Trueheart. How's your throat doing?"

"Fine. Thanks for braking my fall for me." She said as she smiled at him.

"Anytime," He said as he got up and now faced Noheart. "Go join the other carebears in safety Trueheart."

"I won't let you face Noheart alone! Let us help you!" She said grabbing his arm in concern.

Joaquin bent down with one knee and faced Trueheart. "I'll be fine Trueheart. Besides, I don't want him hurting any of you anymore."

"But?"

"You must trust me Trueheart. Besides Noheart's right about one thing. I do owe him one last fight." Joaquin stood back up and faced Noheart.. Trueheart began to protest. Joaquin held his reserve.

"Ahh, how sweet! I see that you have made some new friends! Didn't I teach you that only the weak make friends?"

"Shut up Noheart and mind your own business you pompous idiot!"

"What did you call me," Noheart began to power up again with the wind picking up again blowing Trueheart away. "You'll pay for those remarks soon enough! But until then, promise me that no one interferes with our fight!"

"Under one condition. If I win, you must promise to free me from the promise I made to you and the dark side of the force!"

"Promise? Joaquin what are you talking about?" Asked Nobleheart horse.

"When I first joined Noheart, he made me promise that I would be his apprentice forever and fulfill the Dark Syth prophecy. The only way for me to brake that agreement is to beat him in a one on one fight!"

"Joaquin your in no condition to be fighting right now! Especially with the condition of your hip wound!" Protested Redemptionheart bear.

"You don't have to fight him! You belong with us now," Debated Wishbear. "Please listen to Trueheart and let us help you!"

"Carebears. I understand your concern for me. However, I made a promise and an oath to Noheart and the darkside of the force. The only way for me to be truly be free of it is to win a one on fight with Noheart. If any of you interfere at any point at all during the fight, Noheart will still have the right to challenge me at any time. So I must fight him in order to be free of him and the darkside once and for all so that I may truly be set free."

"You must not fight him! Please wait to fight him when you at least can be completely healed so that it can be a fair fight!" Protested Wishbear.

"I know this is hard for you Wishbear. But you must not interfere. Enough innocent people have been hurt on his account thanks to me joining him. The only way to make this right, is to settle this once and for all! Carebears, you must all promise me that you will not interefere with the fight between me and Noheart." All of the carebears could not believe what they were hearing as they murmered.

"We promise not to interefere," Said Nobleheart horse sadly with a tear.

"But you might not make it!" Shouted Aqua bear.

"Have I ever let you down? Oh yea of little faith," Said Joaquin with a smile. "Even if I do die, it will be for the right cause instead of the wrong cause for once."

"Here," Said Lonesomeheart bear throwing her saber at him. "Your going to need that since you lost your other one at Coldhearts castle."
"Thanks." Said Joaquin catching Lonesomeheart's saber.

"Take mine too," Said Aqua bear throwing his to him also. "Now go out there and beat him!" Joaquin took both saber's with one in each hand and now faced his adversary. "Its time for you to meet your end Darkage!"

"Come and get some Noheart! But by the way, my name is not Darkage, it is Shimmering Star!" Joaquin said as he now circled with his adversary until they both stood still for just a moment.