Hello again, everyone! Happy days are here again as I have defeated my writer's block! Thanks for being so patient and supportive. I hope you enjoy this next episode! Also, a bit of mild swearing in this one; just a warning.
Last time on Care Bears Z, No Heart enlisted the help of the spiteful Mr. Jossburg. They succeeded in creating mysterious smoke that blotted out the very stars! The four guardians of caring rushed off to face the villains. Meanwhile, brother and sister Brian and Whitney became suspicious of the sudden disappearance of their treasured stars, and rush off to find out the cause. Could these two play a key part in stopping No Heart's dastardly plans? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 10: The Starlight's Bane!
~Z~
"This is not right."
The Great Wishing Star could not move about the sky as swiftly as he once could, but he was frantically swooping around as fast as possible. The darkness had spread from seemingly nowhere; it appeared just above the small city where his charges resided. No matter how he changed his position, he could not find any opening of light in the atmosphere above Carenburg.
A frightened squeak drew his attention from the Earth to the little star at his side. Star Buddy had tried several times to fly down to Earth, but each time it did so resulted only in an immediate zap back to his former place in the sky. Now, the little star was struggling to keep up with its guardian. The elderly star gazed at it in concern, feeling the little creature's energy waning with every moment. He could even feel his own power slowly seeping with every movement he made toward the smoky darkness.
"You must not interfere."
He turned toward the voice. She was not there; she had not fully revealed herself to him ever since that day some time ago, and instead appeared in the form of a fluctuating ball of light. A disgruntled frown graced his usually smiling features.
"I know that I will not. We have spoken about this before," he flew closer to the light. "And yet you continue to cast your spell against me. Do you not have faith in my word?"
"I do not trust," the voice said bluntly. "Nor do I mistrust. I am merely going to the extents that must be reached. The timetables-
"Yes, the timetables dictate your actions," the Star gently cut her off. "However, this is getting dangerous. Could they really be ready for this?"
"You are their master, yes?" the voice asked. She got no reply, and continued. "Do you think they are ready?"
"I..." he started, but the voice and the light were gone. Sighing softly, the Great Wishing Star turned back to Earth, watching in disgruntled helplessness as the smoke thickened and blotted the starlight from the city below.
~Z~
"Ugh..." Lisa groaned. She was feeling more and more lightheaded by the second. The smoke grew thicker and thicker with every yard of ground they covered, and though the cloth around her face greatly filtered her breathing, the dark smog was slowly slipping by. The other caring guardians were having the same problem, but still they pushed on. However, the closer they got to the source of the smoke, the more tired they grew.
"We have to k-keep going," Niall coughed. "I think I see...wait..." he stopped walking. "Is that...?"
"Whose house is this?" Terrence asked. Niall could only stare at the chimney of the house, from where thick black smoke poured into the night.
"No way..." he said in a dazed voice. "Joss...?"
~Z~
Inside the house, No Heart silently reveled in his triumph. He and Shrieky watched through the magic mirror as citizens of Carenburg became more and more sluggish. They could even see the four outside the house as they fought against the toxins in the smoke.
"Eehehee...the fools," Shrieky regarded the Care Bears. "This is why I love magic...anyone who doesn't understand it are blind to its true intentions!"
"Hmm..." No Heart peered closer into the mirror. "Perhaps I ought to add more..."
"That'll knock those do-gooders down and out for sure!" Shrieky said gleefully.
"Then again...look," No Heart pointed a thin finger at two more figures in the mirror. They were slowly crawling around the outskirts of the Jossburg property, looking tired but determined. "They are on the outside as well. A sudden rise in the amount of dark magic would be enough to kill them and anyone else who breathes it. The suspicion the deaths would bring won't do us any good right now."
"Ohh..." Shrieky puffed her cheeks out. "What do we do about them, then?"
"You are becoming impatient, Shrieky," No Heart said cooly. "If you are so eager, dispose of them yourself. However, failure is not an option."
"Of course, No Heart." She said. With a slight flip of her hair, she took her mirror and, without so much as a warning, flickered out of sight.
~Z~
"You mean Jossburg, that man from your office?" Tiara asked. Niall could only nod his head.
"What's he got to d-do with all this?" she said with a small cough.
"No Heart must have something to do with it," Terrence frowned.
"Wow, whatever gave you that idea?"
The guardians of caring whipped around to see Shrieky standing between them and the front door. The thick smoke wafted around her, though didn't seem to affect her in any way. In fact, the teen wore a rather cocky smile.
"You're getting better at connecting the dots," she continued snarkily. "You want a gold star?"
"What are you and No Heart up to, Shrieky?" Niall stepped forward. "What is this..." he began to cough. "Smoke..."
Shrieky grinned at his pain. She lifted her mirror, facing all of them.
"Just take a look."
"What is...no," Terrence whispered as they all looked into the mirror. The images continued to flash, but they all showed some resident of Carenburg. Some of the people were better off than others, but they were all suffering. A particular image of an elderly woman looking over two sleeping children, her face pained and her figure hunched, struck a nerve in all of them.
"You like?" Shrieky asked. "Lord No Heart cooked this up with the help of that little rat man."
"You mean Mr. Jossburg?" Niall asked. "Why would you bring him into this?"
"No Heart found him useful," Shrieky shrugged. "He just ran the errands and stuff, and his house was an ideal site to launch the spell."
"I thought Beastly was your errand boy," Lisa quipped. "What happened?"
"Beastly...is on what you might call probation," the teen witch responded. "He botched one too many plots for No Heart's taste."
"Well, Beastly or no Beastly, we're going to stop you," Terrence declared. "You won't be making people suffer like this again anytime soon."
"Oh no?" Shrieky blinked. "Well, how could I change your mind about that...oh, I know!"
Before they could say another word, the witch raised her free hand and curled her pointer finger. There was a yelp and a crash, and from the shrubs on the lawn's edge flew two teenagers, wrapped in a translucent gray aura.
"What the...what!?" Terrence pitched forward. Lisa jumped to attention as well, and the adults looked to them in alarm. "Brian? Whitney?"
"Ohh..." the two newcomers had grown pale, their faces taut and sickly.
"Brian Facey, age 15, ninth grader at Carenburg High School," Shrieky recited calmly. "and his adopted sister Whitney Facey, age 14, also a ninth grade student at Carenburg High. I do my research," she examined her nails smugly.
"W-what are you two doing here?" Terrence exclaimed.
"Ter...rence?" Brian muttered. His eyes half-open, but instead of the half-lidded drowsiness they usually showed, they now held fatigue and slight pain.
"I guess some people actually care about the sky," Shrieky wrinkled her nose as the c-word left her lips. "I've no idea why, though..."
"What's...going on?" Whitney's voice was small and strained. "What have you...done to the...stars?"
"Oh, so you figured out what the smoke's doing, hm?" Shrieky's voice took on a bored tone. "Yes, it's blocking your precious stars. Actually, it's more than that. It's doing the same thing it's doing to you, though on a bit of a smaller scale. You see," she swung her hand around, swinging her levitated hostages with it. "The dark magic toxins in the smoke reduce the sense of emotion in the brain, as well as the basic motor controls and your spirit's strength. Too much of it will not only erase your feelings; it'll erase your energy, spiritual power, and even you in time!"
"That's...so cruel," Tiara couldn't even say the words. In all the conflicts the Care Bears had had with No Heart, none of them had ever been so dangerous as to possibly result in the death of people. Death of the Care Bears had often been possible, but never the humans...
"So strike if you want, goody-goodies," Shrieky said gleefully. "You'll have to get through your little friends first!"
"Brian..." Whitney whispered. Her figure was naturally small and not very strong, and that made her seem all the more pitiful. The look on her face said it all: she was scared.
"Whitney..." Brian gritted his teeth. His eyes flashed with worry. He was her brother; it was his job to protect her from harm! Now they were both trapped in this mess...and he had gotten them into it in the first place.
The aura around them was stifling. It seemed to consist of whatever was in the smoke, and it made both of the teens were gradually growing weaker. It was as if their very being was getting drained, and something inside them was egging them to stop struggling.
"Let them go, Shrieky!" Terrence said. "They have nothing to do with this!" he readied his pen to throw a Care Bear Stare at the young witch, who merely rolled her eyes.
"If they have nothing to do with this, why did they come running?" she asked smugly. "I've been around humans long enough to know what they're like on the inside. No matter how much they say they care, in times of uncertainty they'll just run away."
"That's not true!" Lisa said, though her voice cracked as she suppressed a cough. "There will always be someone to stand up for w-what's right!"
"Well, if that's the case, come and fight the wrong!" Shrieky taunted. "That is, if your little friends don't mean that much to you."
The Care Bears glared at her, not sure if she was bluffing or being serious.
"Ack..." Brian began to cough. His muscles were flat out ignoring his brain. He began to wonder if it would just be better to stop, and to let whatever was in this smoke do what it wanted to his body. He glanced up at the dim, empty sky, then over to his sister. She was pale, and couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. He turned back to the sky, and set all his being on looking for any sign of a twinkle of light. If he had been able, he would have clenched his fists in determination. He needed to help. He needed to protect his sister. He needed to protect the people that were suffering right now!
His chest pulsed with a little blue light. At the same time, Shrieky felt a ripple in her binding spell. She looked to her captives in confusion and saw the light as it pulsed again. The caring guardians watched in awe.
"Does this mean...?" Tiara trailed off, watching as the light grew brighter and brighter. Soon it consumed Brian's entire body, and Shrieky yelped and released them from her spell. Whitney gasped for breath as Lisa moved to break her fall. She looked at her brother in amazement.
The light grew to blinding proportions. It bathed everything in a pale blue glow, until it finally faded. When it did, they could all see Brian standing there confidently. His outfit had transformed into a half-buttoned, midnight blue trench coat on top of a lighter blue shirt, midnight blue pants, and shiny black shoes that clicked with each step he took.
"It's over, Shrieky!" he said. He stretched out his now blue-gloved hand, and in it appeared a light blue ballpoint pen with a sleeping crescent moon and star on the top.
"The nighttime is my domain,
Protecting the Earth when the sun goes down!
Spreading caring throughout the peaceful night
I am Bedtime Bear!"
"B-Brian?" Whitney couldn't stop staring at him. She could feel a familiarity washing over her, as if she had heard that name before...
"Fix this now, Shrieky!" Brian rushed over to the other caring guardians, who were standing tall with newfound confidence. "The night is no place for such a horrible magic!"
"Tsk," Shrieky scowled at them. "You won't win that easily. I still have-
"One thing you don't have is me," Whitney stood up carefully. "I've heard that name before...Bedtime Bear...and the more I think about it...yes, I remember!" she grew more and more excited, looking to the Care Bears with hopeful eyes. A soft glow was beginning to surround her as well. She looked from face to face, becoming more and more animated and glowing ever brighter as she did so. "And you," she pointed to Shrieky. "I remember you now! I..." her gaze shot up to the sky. Her eyes widened slightly. The light suddenly grew in a quick burst. Everyone shielded their eyes, and kept them protected until the light finally dissipated with a quick flash. Whitney stood taller now, and was beaming with determination. Her clothes had also transformed; she was now wearing a turquoise, kimono-like dress. Its skirt came to her knees and a pale golden bow was tied around the waist. A stardust gold clip pinned her hair from her face. Light yellow gloves rested on her hands, and a turquoise ballpoint pen with a shooting star top rested in them.
"Yes, I remember it all!" she said. Whitney shot a look at Shrieky, who was scowling darkly.
"Bringer of hope and keeper of peace,
Protector of the dearest dreams of people everywhere
And dear friend of the celestial bodies
I am Wish Bear!"
"Give up, Shrieky," she said. "All of us share a bond with the stars above, and you'll do good to bring them back!"
"I don't do 'good', Care Bear," Shrieky cast a murderous glare at Whitney, but the cyan-haired girl didn't back down. She stood next to her brother, who gave her a bright smile before turning back to the witch before them. "And besides, it's only a matter of time before this smoke knocks you all out of commission."
"I don't feel anything," Niall said. "Do you, Tiara?" he turned to his wife.
"It's fading," she said. "I'm not coughing anymore!"
"Neither are we," Terrence and Lisa agreed.
"I'm fine, too," Brian added.
"You see, Shrieky?" Whitney said. "When there's enough caring in the world, the darkness will alway lose!"
"STOP IT!" Shrieky snapped. Her eyes flashed and electricity crackled dangerously around her hands. "You stupid little bears won't win this time! No Heart will make sure of that! But right now you're really making me want to do it myself!" She swung her mirror, sending a wave of crimson lightning at the group. They all scattered out of the way of the bolts. The electricity shot to the wall of the property, then dissipated suddenly.
"A barrier...?" Niall looked over his shoulder at the house of his co-worker. Upon reaching out, his hand touched a strange, rubber-like form that seemed to gain color upon his touch. He ducked down as another bolt rushed toward him.
"Grr," Shrieky was becoming increasingly irritated. "Stay still so I can fry you!"
"Keep it up, everyone!" Tiara said, gazing around at the slightly shimmering barrier. "I have an idea. If we can just keep dodging..."
"Why-won't-you-hold-still!?" Shrieky punctuated each word with a blast from her mirror. Her face was becoming red with fury. Finally, after hurling a blast that failed to hit even close to any of the caring guardians, she snapped. Shrieky lived up to her namesake and unleashed an earsplitting scream. Everyone covered their ears, and the very air trembled with the sound. The Care Bears weren't harmed at all by the horrible noise, but the barrier wasn't so lucky. It cracked in several places, and by the time Shrieky's scream was over it had shattered and disintegrated.
"What!?" Shrieky realized the consequence of her action. "Why, you-!"
"That was brilliant, True Heart," Terrence noted. "How you used Shrieky's own magic against her."
"Hm?" Tiara looked over at the boy. 'He called me True Heart...'
"You damn bears!" Shrieky was beyond irate. She swung her mirror high, preparing to send more dark magic their way. "I'll end you! I'll-
"Enough, Shrieky."
No Heart's voice was so calm it was chilling. He placed a bony hand on Shrieky's shoulder, forcing her to lower the mirror. His red eyes turned to the Care Bears, who froze under his gaze. No-one moved for a moment, and a pregnant silence hung in the air.
"It appears the plans have changed," the wizard finally said. "You are free to go. I will disperse the Starlight's Bane haze immediately."
"...What?" This was all Niall could say, and he was the only one who could really say anything.
"I don't believe I misspoke. I said I will diffuse the smoke and end the spell. You are free to go."
"What? But No Heart-
"Go inside, Shrieky," he cooly cut his niece off. "I will speak with you later."
The young witch looked like she would object, but one look from the seasoned wizard killed any retort she might have had. She cast one last glare at the Care Bears before storming into the house. No Heart once again gazed at the guardians of caring, who found that they could not look away. Then he turned toward the house, waved his hand, and mumbled a few words under his breath.
"There," he said, turning back to the Care Bears. "Look and see for yourself as the smoke fades."
"Oh!" Whitney looked to the sky. "The stars are coming back! Look, there's the Great Wishing Star!" she pointed to the slowly strengthening light above them.
"Is that..." Tiara peered up at the night. She broke into a smile as the little creature floated down to her at top speed, forcing it to circle around before finally resting on her shoulder. "Star Buddy, I missed you. Are you alright?"
"The spell will be over by the time you return to your homes. Therefore, I will leave you."
"Hold on a minute!" Niall said. "Why are you just walking away? What are you planning, No Heart?"
"All in good time, Care Bears. All in good time." he turned and walked into the house.
"What do we do now?" Brian asked. "He did start clearing the smoke."
"Perhaps you all should go home. Can you kids find your way back?" Niall asked.
"No problem," Brian said. Whitney nodded in agreement. "I hope we can meet up again soon."
"We should get going, too," Terrence said.
"I hope my parents won't flip out too much," Lisa mumbled, pursing her lips in concern.
"Alright then. Be safe, everyone," Tiara called as the younger members of the Care Bear Family left for their homes. Little Star Buddy squeaked in agreement. When they were out of sight, she turned to her husband. "Are you sure we shouldn't walk them? What if something happens?"
"I trust that they can defend themselves," Niall said. "However, I want to stay awhile and see if anything else is going to happen here."
"Do you think-oh?" Tiara looked at her pen. Its top was gently pulsing with a soft glow. Niall's was doing the same, and before they knew it they were no longer looking at the Jossburg house, but a lovely starry sky. They rose up until they came face-to-face with...
"Oh! Great Wishing Star," Tiara perked up. Star Buddy circled around her head before rushing to the great old star. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"
"I am unharmed," he said. "I know you must have many questions..."
"Do you know what's happened to us?" Niall asked. "We all remember the times before we became humans, but why did we become human in the first place?"
"I do know why you became the humans you are," GWS replied. "And yes, even though you were indeed the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, you are still very much the human people you are today. However, that is the extent to which I can answer you."
"Great Wishing Star," Tiara's voice had softened, becoming more thoughtful. "Do you know what No Heart is planning? What he did today...he said something about the Starlight's Bane..."
"The Starlight's Bane is a powerful dark magic spell," the star replied. "As its name instates, this spell weakens the already mild spiritual power of stars. It is a spell of suffering and hopelessness, they very opposite of what stars represent, and thus weakens everyone and everything affected by it."
"That's terrible," Tiara said. "...Can it really kill people?"
"If they are exposed to it long enough, it can."
"Something is very wrong with all this," Niall said. "Of all the schemes No Heart had cooked up, the deadly effects were always targeted toward us. He's never tried to actually kill anyone."
"His way of thinking has changed drastically," GWS said, a solemn air gracing his tone. "One thing that has certainly changed is the length of his patience, and because of that, he has become very dangerous. He is planning far, far ahead, and from what we saw tonight he is testing the waters first."
"He's...testing us?"
"It would appear so," the old star sighed. "It pains me to keep things from you, but it is not my choice. All I can say is that you must be careful. Keep going strong, and look out for those around you. A time will come when you must fight harder than ever before, and it will take all of your hearts to do so."
"Thank you, Great Wishing Star," Niall said. "For everything."
"I will be here, should we need to speak again," GWS smiled gently. "Now, you should rest yourselves. You've succeeded in healing the town. Well done."
He watched them wave goodbye as he sent them back to Earth. Star Buddy trailed after them, squeaking happily.
~Z~
Well, that's that! I hope you guys liked it. I think this is the longest episode I've written. Just what do you think No Heart is doing? What could he possibly be trying to accomplish by starting a spell and just giving up like that? Sound pretty fishy...
It's starting to storm where I live. I hope I don't lose power...
FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I'm gonna try to upload more art by tonight or tomorrow. Enjoy!
~Smiley :)