The magic Of Care-a-lot
Disclaimer: I do not own: Rurouni Kenshin, Slayers or the Care Bears Movies. Though I confess to owning a couple of DVD movies and I might have owned a bear or two at some point in my life…I was always partial to Tender Heart!
Part 2: Proof that camping is evil!
Zel smiled as Amelia scampered off to sing and dance with the Care Bears then looked back towards where Aoshi and Misao had disappeared. His mind replayed his conversation with Aoshi.
"Something to think about…" he repeated softly and walked back towards Amelia and the Care Bears. As he approached the group he heard a strange gong-like sound that stopped all the activity and made everyone turn to look at the heart-shaped clock that Zelgadis had been informed was the Caring Meter. The arrow went crazy spinning wildly. Zel wondered if it was supposed to do that but as he cast a quick glance at the Care Bears and saw the confused looks they were giving each other he concluded that it was not.
"What's going on?" he asked Amelia but she shook her head she turned to repeat the question to Tender Heart when a boy in a red jumpsuit, matching ball cap and safety goggles suddenly materialized out of nowhere carrying a toolbox. Everyone turned to look at him as he waved cheerfully and approached.
"Hi there! I'm the Caring Meter reader! I've come to check you're Caring Meter!" he cheerfully greeted. The little care bears ever the trusting types just cheerfully greeted him and pulled him towards the Caring Meter. Amelia frowned and didn't follow the bears right away she crossed her arms and gave the newcomer a shrewd calculating stare.
"Ok that seems like too much coincidence…" she began softly. Zel laughed making a mental note that he wasn't the only one being influenced by their friendship.
"That sounds like something I would say!" Zel replied amused but he agreed the repairman's timing was a little too perfect and it had seemed that the bears had never seen him before. He shared with Amelia the recon information Aoshi had gathered. He had mentioned there were two other children aside from Nicholas causing disturbances on earth. One was a girl called Kristy and the other was supposed to be another boy but Aoshi had been unable to identify him.
"Oh! Do you think this boy might be the one Mr. Aoshi was talking about?" Amelia whispered conspiratorially Zel just nodded.
"It's very likely…" Zelgadis replied softly. The two of them decided they'd check what the alleged caring meter reader was up to but by the time they reached the caring meter he was done! The arrow went completely dead all the bears looked at it in confusion.
"There! All done!" the boy cheerfully announced as he put a giant wrench back in his bag and slammed the control panel shut.
"Don't worry it'll start up again as soon as it cools off! So in the meantime… Who's up for some games!" the boy called out cheerfully. With their paws in the air all the bears gleefully exclaimed their willingness to participate. Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged a suspicious glance. After a quick conference Amelia set forward to participate in the Meter Reader's so called games. She agreed to surreptitiously sabotage any evil intentions while Zelgadis kept an eye out for outside threats (in case the boy was a distraction!) and be ready to step in should the need arise.
It turned out that the boy's intentions seemed to be to try and kidnap the innocent and trusting Care Bears while they were distracted by the games. It was no trouble for Amelia to sabotage his clumsy attempts. At one point during a hide and seek game she set a few tiny wind elementals to pester him and chase him around. As he was trying to get away from them he tripped and fell onto a rainbow slide and with a little push from her magic he was launched off the end of the slide and landed heavily on one end of the seesaw!
The bear that was on the opposite end was launched up and when it came back down the bear launched the boy high up into the air! He flew through one of the open windows and landed on a metal tray with a heavy thud. As the boy flew through the air Zel did a quick calculation of the boy's landing site and rushed into the castle. The Meter Reader's forward momentum did not slow with the impact and he slid forward to crash right thru a giant cake that Birthday Bear had just finished putting the last touches on.
But the fresh cake was not heavy enough to slow the meter reader's momentum and as he came out of the other side of the cake he launched off the end of the table and splashed into a very large punch bowl on a rolling cart that Zelgadis had strategically moved into position as he raced into the castle to see the Meter Reader's flight. The punch bowl raced to the other side of the kitchen then spiraled down a slide that led from the kitchen to the dining hall. He rolled out through the front gate dumping boy, tray and punch all over the entrance as it flew over the steps at the entrance and flipped over.
"Caring Meter Reader! Are you all right!" Tender Heart exclaimed worriedly as the other bears crowded around the boy. Amelia joined Zelgadis at the castle entrance as the two shared a conspiratorial smile. Amelia covered her mouth and suppressed a giggle…
"Maybe we should give him a hug!" suggested Harmony Bear and the other bears muttered their wholehearted agreements. The bears stepped back suddenly as an evil angry growl rumbled out of the boy's throat.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME! KEEP YOUR KINDNESS AND AFFECTIONS TO YOUR SELVES! ARRRRGH!" he growled as his eyes began to glow red and the Care Bears stepped back fearfully. Amelia and Zelgadis stepped forward ready to protect them. Magical dark clouds started swirling around the boy as he turned into a giant gray gas cloud with red glowing eyes. Zel shook his head between talking books and shape-shifting clouds this world was getting weirder and weirder. The "cloud" rumbled threats at the Care Bears as Amelia and Zel contemplated how in the world they were going to fight it! Just then a new group joined them…
"Not so fast Dark Heart!" dramatically declared a pale yellow bear with a rainbow colored star on its white belly. Behind that bear there was a group of other critters similar to the Care Bears in that they had cutesy symbols on their white bellies but instead of bears they were everything else! There was an orange lion, a blue penguin, a pink elephant, a yellow cat, a blue rabbit and so on. Tender Heart and the other bears rushed to join them and holding hands they all lined up to face the newly identified "cloud" as thunder clouds gathered around it!
"You'll have to get through us first!" added dramatically a purple horse with a rainbow colored heart on its white belly. Amelia cheered and Zel rolled his eyes as the two stepped back allowing the little bears and their "cousins" to take control of the situation for now. Dark Heart growled angrily threatening with equal malice the new arrivals concentrating on the bear and the horse who had spoken to him first. The horse and the pale yellow bear stared Dark Heart down and called out the order to their "troops".
"Care Bears!"
"Care Cousins!"
"Stare!"
"Call!"
As one all the little critters fired their shafts of light from their white bellies. Dark Heart growled in pain as their good magic assaulted him. Amelia cheered loudly for the Care Bears and their Cousins. Zelgadis watched it all impassively deciding that nothing this world threw at him was going to surprise him anymore! Dark Heart shrieked one last time before retreating promising to finish the battle at a later time. Zelgadis watched the creature disappear into the distance as the thunder clouds that had built around Carealot dissipated.
His instincts told him that something was wrong. The battle seemed to have ended a little too quickly. The bears and cousins gathered round to cheerfully greet each other and shared all the information they had on their recent goings on. It turned out that the Cousins were assigned to find out what was causing the turmoil at the summer camp near the carnival but were unable to locate its source until it was too late and Dark Heart was already on his way to Carealot.
After a cheerful but thankfully brief round of introductions Zelgadis shared what information Aoshi had been able to gather in their previous confrontation with Nicholas and the evil book. He also shared his suspicions about what had just occurred. It was decided then that True Heart Bear, Noble Heart Horse and Zelgadis would follow Dark Heart and find out what he was really up to and defeat him if possible. Amelia would stay behind with the bears and find a way to reverse the damage Dark Heart's influence was having on the children in camp.
"Be careful Amelia he may try again before we catch him," Zelgadis advised softly as the bears and cousins exchanged heart felt goodbyes. She smiled at him…
"You too Mr. Zelgadis! Take good care of your self!" she returned that cheerful smile of hers melting just a little more of that ice he tried to keep his heart buried under. True Heart called to him as they boarded a fluffy white boat.
"Why does everything always have to be so fluffy!" he grumbled as he too boarded the way-too-cutesy-for-my-tastes ship and Amelia just giggled. The Care Family gathered at the dock to wave goodbye and call out their "I love you-s" to True Heart and Noble Heart as the ship set sail through the clouds in search of Dark Heart. Amelia jumped and waved cheerfully calling out to him as the ship flew away. Without realizing it he raised his arm and waved back…
"She's rather special isn't she?" Noble Heart commented as Zel joined them on the bridge watching Carealot dwindle in the distance.
"Yes, she's a princess," came his automatic response. It was the phrase he always used to remind himself of his place and put a firm respectful distance between himself – the cold-hearted chimera; grandson of the fallen priest – and the cheerful, kind princess of Seyruun on those few occasions when his thoughts had unwittingly drifted to less then deferential ideas!
"Titles don't make us who we are! Only what's in our hearts can do that!" Noble Heart countered wisely.
"Noble Heart's right! And you have a great heart Zelgadis! You should allow your friends to see it every now and then! You'll be surprised how good it feels!" True Heart put in as she joined them.
"Easy for you to say…you weren't cursed by your own grandfather into a body made of stone and leather with a head full of sharp metal hair!" Zelgadis snapped back trying not to feel sorry for him self. True Heart and Noble Heart just smiled patiently at him.
"What's on the outside doesn't matter to the people that care about you only what's in your heart!" True Heart countered.
"And she does care Zelgadis and so do you!" added Noble Heart. Zelgadis cast a suspicious glance their way and they just smiled back at him.
"Open your heart! She needs a friend like you and you need a friend like her!" True Heart advised still smiling patiently.
"Friendship is the way all the best things in life start!" Noble Heart concluded in a soft paternal tone. Zelgadis shook his head but smiled. He concluded that friendship he could handle. Being a friend would be safe… yes a friend he could continue to be! A somewhat distant friend but a friend none the less… Before he could open his mouth to say so True Heart spotted something…
"Look over there! I think it's him! It's Dark Heart!" True Heart exclaimed rushing to the steering wheel and turning it in the direction the dark spot in the distance was heading to. Zelgadis summoned a gust of wind to fill the sails and push them faster towards Dark Heart. The sooner they confronted Dark Heart the better off they would be! The two Care Leaders with him cheered loudly and Zelgadis just couldn't help feeling pleased with him self.
The ship finally reached a dark and shadowy place that made both leaders uneasy. Zel on the other hand felt a little more comfortable here. It was dark and creepy just the way he liked it! He didn't wait for the rainbow plank and just vaulted off the ship landing gracefully on the shore. For a moment he wished Gourry or Aoshi were there but shook it off. He was sure he wouldn't need back up! He could take Dark Heart on his own…
"There he goes!" Zel shouted as True Heart and Noble Heart bounded off the ship using the rainbow. He spotted the shadowy form of Dark Heart scurrying into a tunnel.
"I think we can cut him off this way!" Zel pointed to a tunnel entrance nearby.
"Lead the way Zelgadis!" True Heart enthused followed by an equally enthusiastic Noble Heart. Zel smirked pleased with him self and rushed into the tunnel careful not to leave them behind. Sure enough as they trekked through the tunnel True Heart and Noble Heart immediately sensed the approach of Dark Heart. They let Zel know and he motioned them both to hide so they could set up an ambush.
Zel slunk carefully into a shadowed corner as did True Heart and Noble Heart on either side of the tunnel. He worried at first about True Heart and Noble Heart not being able to conceal their presence very well. They kind of stood out in this environment! But he figured he could use it to his advantage. Dark Heart's gaseous form flitted hurriedly past their hiding places without registering them. Zel thought that was odd but didn't have time to ponder it as the two Care Leaders jumped out of their hiding places to meet Dark Heart head on!
"True Heart now!" shouted Noble Heart. Zel jumped out of his spot and prepared to shoot of a freezing spell but stopped 'that's not him!' he realized with shock.
"That's not Dark Heart! It's his shadow!" Noble Heart voiced Zelgadis' realization.
"Oh no! We've been tricked into leaving the cubs all alone!" True Heart's voice trembled with fear.
"Come on we have to get back!" Zelgadis commanded as he turned and hurried back to the ship. He hoped Amelia took his advice and watched her back.
'She'll be alright!' he told himself firmly not wanting to think of what might happen if she wasn't. He reached the ship before the two leaders whom he realized by True Heart's comment were not just the leaders but the parental figures of the bears and their cousins. They boarded the ship and again he used his magic to propel the ship faster. A sudden jolt of speed knocked almost every one off their feet! Zel managed to catch himself on the railing and went over to help True Heart and Noble Heart to their feet.
"I'm sorry! I don't understand why the spell did that! I didn't cast it any different than before," he explained apologetically.
"This ship responds to our feelings! We are all worried for the ones we care about so it wants to go faster!" Noble Heart explained in a reassuring tone.
"When you cast your spell it had a different effect because you're worried about your friend too! That's all!" True Heart added smiling at him.
"Ah, I see," Zel replied softly deciding he wouldn't read too much into it…
'Oh, Mr. Zelgadis is going to be so disappointed,' Amelia thought worriedly as she tried to look around her very small confinement. She and all of the Care Bears and Care Cousins were currently captives of Dark Heart! He had them locked in tiny little cells that impeded any kind of movement. They were cramped in so tight Amelia couldn't risk shooting off a spell or they would all get hurt by it!
"Don't worry we'll find a way out!" she assured her little cell mates. Tender Heart, Grumpy Bear and Brave Heart were in the cell next to her and agreed with her immediately. They, along with Amelia, had been the last to get captured. It turned out that Kristy – one of the children at the summer camp – was working for Dark Heart and she lured the Care Bears and their Cousins one by one to traps that Dark Heart had set up for them. By the time they figured out what was going on very few of them were left.
Amelia had come along of course to try and rescue the others. She had been confident that she would be able to take Dark Heart if he showed himself but was surprised that the creature popped up out of nowhere, snapped its fingers and now here they were! She had totally underestimated Dark Heart and now everyone was in danger of who knew what torture!
'All because I got distracted and carried away in all the joy and caring! I really need to hang out with Mr. Zelgadis more! He would've never fallen for such a simple trap! A crusader for justice must always be on her guard!' Amelia lectured herself. Brave Heart let out a low whistle and a little heart and a star buddy floated into the cave where their cages were. Quietly the star buddy set to work on undoing the lock in Brave Heart's cage. The work was long and difficult and when finally the cute little critter managed to open the cage the appendage it had been using for the task was all bent out of shape and the little star was exhausted!
"Oh no! Little Star buddy can't do all the cages!" Amelia noted seriously reaching her arm through the bars to pick up the little star and do a healing spell on it.
"You're right! We'll go get the key from Dark Heart!" Brave Heart announced trying to keep his voice down to a whisper. Amelia nodded as she set to work mending the little star buddy. Tender Heart, Grumpy Bear and Brave Heart snuck away towards Dark Heart's private chamber.
"Do you think Noble Heart, True Heart and Zelgadis will make it back in time?" Harmony Bear whispered fearfully as Amelia worked her healing magic on the star buddy. Amelia opened her mouth to answer but she stopped. For a moment she envisioned Zelgadis injured or worse! She shook off that dark thought…
"Yes! I bet they'll show up just in the nick of time too!" she declared confidently. "Mr. Zelgadis is very strong and very fast! He is very smart too! He'll be here soon I know it!" she added feeling buoyed by the knowledge that Mr. Zelgadis would soon figure out the ruse and come right back! She was certain he wouldn't let his guard down but with this thought she felt the slight sting of embarrassment again at being hoodwinked by Dark Heart!
"Do you think Dawn and John managed to convince Kristy to stop working for Dark Heart?" Harmony Bear asked but Amelia's cheerful assertions had banished the fear in not just Harmony Bear but the rest of the Care Family. In all the confusion however Amelia had forgotten about the twins!
John and Dawn were good friends of the Care Bears and they were the only people who could understand Kristy and make her listen to reason. But she never got a chance to answer because a whirl of Dark Heart's magic swept through the chamber then and transported everyone to Dark Heart's throne room! This time as they materialized Amelia was ready!
"ELMEKIA LANCE!" Amelia shouted but Dark Heart teleported away an instant before her powerful spell shredded the throne he'd just been sitting on! Realizing the danger he was in Dark Heart snapped his fingers and every single Care Bear and Care Cousin dematerialized again. Amelia didn't get another chance to cast a spell as she too was swept away in Dark Heart's magic…
Zelgadis and the Care Leaders arrived at a vandalized summer camp. Zelgadis took in his surroundings with a sense of déjà vu…
'Now this looks familiar…' he thought in annoyance as he followed True Heart and Noble Heart through the camp casting a quick annoyed glance at the overcast night sky. The carnival had looked just like this too. He could safely assume that there would be no adults in the area and there would be a bunch of psychotic little misbehaving kids. He rolled his eyes as a pair of boys flashed past them and predictably tore down a banner announcing some happy gathering. Then they laughed at their mischief and ran off. He shook his head annoyed.
"Look there's John and Dawn!" True Heart pointed at a pair of almost identical children heading into what looked like the main building of the summer camp. There was another child with them. It was a girl who looked taller and older than the other twins but not by much.
"And that must be Kristy!" Noble Heart added as the three began to move in the direction the children were going. They entered the building and found another door just inside the cabin. Zelgadis took a moment to examine it.
"It's an entrance to a pocket dimension…" he explained "It's got to be a trap though. He already tricked us once!" he pointed out obviously not happy with the fact he'd been tricked and that they'd returned to Carealot only to learn from Grams Bear and Baby Hugs and Baby Tugs that all the bears and cousins had been captured. Worst was the knowledge that Dark Heart was powerful enough to capture Amelia! He had underestimated Dark Heart he would not do so again…
"But what choice do we have?" True Heart reasoned as she made for the door.
"We have to go in!" Zel agreed and went in with True Heart and Noble Heart right behind him.
'He must've caught her off guard!' he thought with his senses in full alert as they cautiously made their way in 'I hope she's alright…'
He heard the children's screams from down the hall and the three ran towards the sound…
He quickly scanned the room as they arrived at the location the screams were coming from. It looked like it was once a throne room but had recently sustained quite a bit of damage. It seemed to have only one way in or out and that was the door Zelgadis and the care leaders had just used. The large gas cloud that was Dark Heart floated overhead. The three children ran towards Zelgadis and the Care Leaders.
'Amelia's handiwork no doubt!' he thought as he took in the shredded throne and drapery in the back of the room. There was a large chandelier at the top of the room and some treasure chests lining the side of the room but not much else. He wasn't surprised that Amelia had put up a fight. But it worried him that she had obviously not won and was nowhere in sight.
"Where is she!" he demanded angrily glaring up at Dark Heart's gaseous form. Zelgadis planted himself at the front of the Care Leaders and pushed the children behind him.
"He froze them in the chandelier!" Kristy answered for him.
"Release them!" Zelgadis ordered as he readied his spell. Kristy moved forward and stood next to him Noble Heart admonishing her to stay away.
"Stop this Dark Heart! Free them!" she pleaded desperately.
"We have concluded our bargain so I'm allowing you to leave Kristy!" Dark Heart replied ominously. Zelgadis put himself in between Dark Heart and the girl.
"I know you don't want to do this!" Kristy implored. Dark Heart hesitated and Zelgadis furrowed his brow in confusion. His last adventure with the Care Bears had ended with a child stopping the emotion stealing psycho and as Kristy made Dark Heart hesitate he wondered if the same might happen here. He thought it entirely possible given the similarities he'd already observed between both situations.
"Get out of here Kristy!" Zelgadis ordered.
"Do as he says Kristy or I will take back all that I have given you," Dark Heart threatened in his dark ominous tone. The girl resolutely stepped forward shaking her head. Tired of being always picked on in camp she had struck a bargain with Dark Heart. He had magically bestowed upon her the ability to win at every sport or game but in return she would have to grant him a favor at the right time. When the time came he forced her through their deal to assist him in capturing the Care Bears and their Cousins.
"So be it!" he intoned angrily. Zelgadis stepped in front of the girl to shield her as a bright flash of light illuminated the room in bright red for a moment.
"There! You are back to the way you were! The camp loser!" he laughed evilly.
"Ok! So what! I helped you do this! I'm going to help stop you!" she retorted proudly trying to push past Zelgadis. Dark Heart seemed to recoil at the idea of harming Kristy and Zelgadis was surprised to see him hesitate yet again.
"You saved my life Kristy! Now run and save your self! GO!" he yelled desperately and suddenly a strange gust of wind lifted her away from the group. As soon as the girl was clear he began bombarding Zelgadis and the Care leaders with a storm of dark red lighting bolts and Zel barely had enough time to put up a magical shield. The twins dove for cover behind a large treasure chest near the entrance.
"True Heart now!" Noble Heart called out and the leaders fired their good magic at Dark Heart with very little effect. Kristy got up from the corner she had landed in and ran towards Dark Heart calling out to him to stop his barrage.
"Kristy don't!" Zelgadis yelled but couldn't move from under Dark Heart's barrage. The girl was hit full on by one of the bolts and she screamed as she went down. Zel was trapped under the barrage unable to counterattack because if he moved the rest of them would get hit too. Out of the corner of his eye Zel saw Kristy pull something out of her pocket which she flicked with her thumb towards a switch on the wall connected to the chandelier.
As he pondered what course of action to take the giant chandelier came crashing down and as it shattered all the Care bears and Care cousins were restored! Zel breathed a sigh of relief as Amelia stood up from where she had materialized after the crystal holding her shattered. She seemed a little dazed but otherwise she looked fine.
"Mr. Zelgadis!" she called out as the Care leaders quickly rallied there newly liberated troops and ordered them to fire. She looked around the room and saw Kristy on the ground surrounded by an eerie red glow. She got up and tried to navigate the lighting storm which had intensified at the release of Dark Heart's captives. Her instinct to want to help the fallen girl made her push through. Zelgadis realized that the storm was thickest where Kristy was and Amelia was going to be hit.
"Amelia! Watch out!" he yelled as he dropped his shield and raced towards her. He pushed her clear of Dark Heart's range but got hit with three bolts simultaneously. He heard Amelia screaming his name as he fell…
SEE! Camping is evil I tell you! EVIL! EVIL! ARRRRRGH!
Alright, I'm ok now…really…
Ok now on to the thrilling conclusion! Tan! Tan! Taaaaaan!