The Great Wishing Star and his wife, Space, enjoyed welcoming visitors from other worlds to Earth. These visitors came from worlds like Toyland and Joke A lot. They came in all shapes in sizes. Some resembled humans and animals, while others were different creatures altogether.
Regardless, most of them brought joy to Earth. Star and his family enjoyed their company immensely. None more so than their daughter, Sunny. She loved playing with Toyland's toys and coming up with new games to play with her. She was constantly fascinated by the citizens of Wonderland with their illogical fun. She laughed at the antics of the subjects of Joke A Lot. In turn, the visitors enjoyed spending time with her and Earth's other children.
On one of Sunny's birthdays, the Red Queen of Wonderland and the King of Toyland gave her unique gifts. The King's gift was a wishing star that he advised saving for when Sunny needed it most. The Red Queen's gift was a time machine that sought out fun and kindness throughout all periods, including the future.
Sunny was delighted. She thanked the Red Queen with all her heart and soon began to use it.
It was then she found her favorite companions. Colorful animals with symbols on their bellies. Most of them were Bears, but they were other animals, including a Lion, a raccoon, and a pig. They immediately greeted her, and she got to know nearly everyone. She learned they were known as the Care Bears and their Cousins.
Brave Heart lived up to his name, always being the first to charge to help someone. Tenderheart, the other leader, was more restrained. He wanted to keep everyone safe, so he had to be stern with her and his Care Bears, especially regarding the cubs. Oh, the cubs. How Sunny loved them. Hug and Tugs were fun, and she always went on fantastical adventures with them, even if they never left their home in Care A Lot. She played with Hugs and her shadow one day. She listened to Grams's stories along with the cubs. Occasionally, she joined in their sibling squabbles, but nothing too serious came up, and they always smiled after it was all over.
She had plenty of excitement with the Care Bears as well. Bright Heart Raccoon let her assist in his science experiments. She napped with Sleepy Time Bear, and he helped her settle down after an eventful day. She liked seeing Cheer Bear brighten people's days. Her heart soared when she saw Love A Lot Bear match people together. She joined in Funshine Bear's pranks. On bad days she was grateful to stew and be around Grumpy Bear, who let her see that it was acceptable to unhappy sometimes.
The one Bear who she had the closest bond with was Wish Bear. She bonded with her insecurities over the desire to please everyone. She even stayed by her when she created some obnoxious, but in the end, friendly new Care Bears that Sunny became friends with. Sunny held her as she cried over her lost tummy symbol and cheered when she got it back. Twinklers also tended to adore her visits.
Only one thing scared her during her time with the Care Bears. Well, one person, to be more exact. No Heart. Sunny always hid when she saw him. When the Care Bears used their stare on him, she wanted to help them, but some mysterious force always held her back. She later learned from the Red Queen that the machine forbade her from interfering the future conflicts. So she could only watch and hope that Care Bears would always defeat him. She wanted to know who he was and where he had come from.
She didn't know at the time that she would soon find out.
One day when she was in her present time playing with her mother while her father was creating the first Care Bears, Noble Heart and True Heart, there was a knock at the door. The Great Wishing Star opened it to find a boy with red hair, a red jumpsuit, and sunglasses standing on the other side of the portal. The portal always had aspects symbolizing the land the traveler was from. For example, the portal for Toyland always had little sugar plums and red and green sparkles dancing around it. However, the portal was black, with only a few wispy white figures flying around it. No one in the Great Wishing Star's family recognized which land it led into.
The Great Wishing Star nevertheless greeted the boy cheerfully.
"Hello, there. What's your name?" he asked.
"Dark Heart," the boy responded. "I'm here with my father and my cousin. We want to explore your land and become friends."
Something about the boy's voice made Sunny shiver. He sounded sweet, but while Sunny was naive, she sensed something was off. She cuddled against her mother.
"It's okay, Sunny. I'm sure you'll be good friends once you get to know him," her mother reassured her. Sunny tried to believe her mother's words since she had met unfriendly kids, but she could befriend them most of the time.
"Okay, I'll let you in," The Great Wishing Star said. "What land do you come from?"
The boy smirked and responded, "The Land of No Fun At All. That's why we are here. We want to learn what fun and kindness are to teach the people in our home."
The Great Wishing Star smiled and proudly remarked, "You've come to the right place." He unsealed the portal and proclaimed, "Come on in."
Big mistake. One cannot blame the Star for it. When there was conflict between travelers, it was always due to misunderstandings with no actual malice. There was no reason to be cautious, at least not overtly.
