"What's going on?" Tenderheart asked as he watched Gentle Heart sweat and pant, clearly in the throes of another nightmare.

"She must've encountered No Heart." Bright Heart guessed, his voice quavering slightly. "The monitor isn't transmitting properly."

"It doesn't look like she's faring well." Take Care Bear said as she stood over the bed. She had hurried over when she heard what we being planned. "This may be getting too intense. I think we should wake her."

Tenderheart traded a look with Bright Heart, who rubbed the back of his neck as he answered. "I don't think we're at that point yet." He said hesitantly. "I don't think her health could stand this being protracted anymore than it already has been." Bright Heart's words hung in the air. Left unspoken was the distinct possibility that Gentle Heart could waste away if this nocturnal torture kept up.

Take Care sighed. "Isn't there anything we can do?" Tenderheart turned to Bright Heart. He blinked in surprise as he saw the family genius look completely lost and uncertain.

"I…I don't know. No one can say for sure what exactly goes on in someone's mind and dreams." He took a breath, trying to compose himself. "Right now, the best advice I have is that we stay here for her. Other than that…" He spread his paws helplessly.

"It'll have to be enough." Tenderheart said, hoping the words sounded stronger than he thought they did. Take Care just nodded and brushed a stray strand of Gentle Heart's hair out of her eyes.

"I just wish we knew what was going on inside her."

No Heart smiled. This was enjoyably simple, shooting fish in a barrel simple. Past experience had told him that this green puff of wool couldn't stand against him alone. She had only survived their previous two encounters through the timely intervention of her wretched "Family." This time, however, they were in a place none of them could enter.

No Heart decided to let the little lamb run. It wouldn't do her any good. He changed his shape to that of a large menacing panther. He prowled through the makeshift Forest of Feelings, searching for any sign of his quarry. "No, not my quarry." No Heart corrected himself. "My prey."

Up ahead, Gentle Heart sat on the ground, hugging her knees close to her chest. "Why couldn't I use my tummy symbol?" She bleated anxiously. It had never failed her like it just did. Closing her eyes she mentally relived the scene. No Heart had just revealed himself. He threatened her and she tried to use her Call. But she couldn't.

Gentle Heart tried to summon up the feelings needed to make a proper Care Cousin Call. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on her caring and love for her family. She thought about Noble Heart and True Heart, Take Care Bear, Tenderheart, Brave Heart, Grumpy, Bright Heart…she winced.

Opening her eyes she realized what her problem was. Even thinking about him caused her to think of what No Heart said to her while masquerading himself as Bright Heart.

"I know Bright Heart didn't say those things. I know it was really No Heart." Gentle Heart said to herself. But the shock of hearing those things come from the mouth of a fellow family member overrode such a simple thing as logic. She felt like her emotional skeleton had been torn out of her, leaving her feeling weak and vulnerable. Unable to conjure the feelings needed to defend herself.

No Heart, of course, knew this would happen. He had counted on it. One Care Bear Cousin on her own, unable to even summon up a Call (not that a single Call would have done much against No Heart anyway), and too emotionally fragile to be able to resist him would not pose a threat to No Heart.

No Heart loved his plan: it was simple and cruel. Even Beastly (had he been there) would've been unable to botch this plan. All that was left for him to do was hunt Gentle Heart down at his own leisure.

He raked his massive claws down a tree trunk, shredding bark. "And I will." He added with a content purr. No Heart bounded off continuing his search for the fugitive.

Gentle Heart groaned as she tried unsuccessfully for the third time to summon a Call. It was like relearning everything from scratch. Hanging her head in defeat she supposed that it was useless at this point. Even if she could Call, it wouldn't even phase No Heart. She vividly remembered what happened the last time she faced No Heart. Trapped in a maze, her Call didn't even slow down the giant tiger that No Heart turned himself into. She still had nightmares about it.

The only reason she survived was that the other Care Bears in the maze managed to Stare him even without being able to see him themselves. There would be no last minute rescue this time, she realized. "I have to do this myself." She told herself, unable to prevent herself from sighing as she added "Or die trying."

Could she die in here? Gentle Heart didn't know and wasn't in much of a mood to test the possibility. No Heart was another story. The tree behind Gentle Heart fairly exploded behind her in a storm of flying splinters and leaves. Thrown to the ground, Gentle Heart turned her head to see No Heart looming over her, claws outstretched.

"Found you."