Grumpy stirred slowly out of a pleasant dream, becoming aware bit by bit. His body was heavy but warm, and he could feel his beloved blanket wrapped snugly around him. The Care-A-Van was full of early morning sunlight, and he grumbled as he opened his eyes. Then he paused and considered that he'd actually had pleasant dreams for a change instead of the usual terrible nightmares. He was trying to remember his dream when the scent of frying eggs met his nose.
He sat up abruptly, scrambling down the ladder to peek out of the door. Funshine stood at his camping stove, frying eggs and bacon. Grumpy's mind raced. What was Funshine doing here? He tried to remember the night before, but all he could recall was a storm and the sharp memory of his parents that usually came with it. Then, almost as if he had been hearing it from another place, he heard Funshine's coaxing voice easing him back into the present moment. He stepped back, his breath coming in quick pants as panic seized him. Funshine knew about the flashbacks. What had he seen?
Grumpy grew lightheaded as he gasped for breath, his heart racing inside his chest. His belly badge rumbled ominously, and then the door opened.
"Whoa! Easy there, Grumps," Funshine exclaimed. "Take a breath. In slow. I'll do it with you."
Grumpy obeyed the firm, calm voice, breathing in deeply, then exhaling slowly. As he breathed, he began to calm down. After a minute, Funshine stepped forward.
"Feeling better?"
Grumpy nodded, looking over the yellow bear warily. He had no idea what he'd said, what he'd done while lost in the past, and he was afraid to find out. Funshine smiled at him, his brown eyes scanning him.
"Hm. You're blue again. Is that normal?"
Grumpy's eyes widened. He shrank back, looking terrified. Funshine knew. He knew that he was a Thunder Bear! Was he going to tell the others and drive him away? Funshine's face pinched in confusion.
"Grumpy? You okay?"
Grumpy simply stared, a tremor rushing through his tense frame. Funshine frowned then looked down.
"I was hoping you wouldn't mind," he sighed.
Grumpy had been expecting a completely different reaction. He hesitated then cleared his throat. "Do you?" he asked faintly.
Funshine glanced up and shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. "I didn't mind you when we were cubs. Why is now any different?"
Grumpy studied Funshine's bright brown eyes. "You mean it," he said in surprise.
"Of course."
"Have you… Have you told anybody?"
"No. I realized some stuff last night and came over to help."
"What stuff?"
Funshine hesitated, and Grumpy's stomach snarled. He placed a hand over his belly badge, grimacing.
"We'll talk over breakfast," Funshine said. "I'm not Share, but I made some food."
"I'd eat anything," Grumpy said, pain crossing his expression.
"Really?" Funshine asked, leading him out into the early morning light.
"Have to," Grumpy said, heading straight for a chair.
Funshine paused. "Have to?"
Grumpy looked embarrassed as he glanced at the offerings. "Yeah. It's…" He grimaced but forced out the words. "It's because of what I am."
"Hm."
Funshine piled bacon, eggs, and several pancakes on a large plate then handed it to Grumpy. Immediately, Grumpy snagged a pancake with one paw, folded it in half, and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed a few times then swallowed, already reaching for a second. He hadn't even put butter and syrup on them.
"Have to," Funshine murmured. Then he spoke up. "Do Thunder Bears need more food than Care Bears?"
Grumpy grunted through a mouthful and nodded, but his face was hot with embarrassment as he looked around to make sure they were alone. Funshine noticed. He turned to the stove and began to make more of everything. Grumpy cleared his plate without any silverware. He eyed the half-cooked food then set his plate down.
"It makes sense," Funshine said conversationally.
"What?" Grumpy asked, wiping his fingers on a wet cloth that Funshine had prepared for the sticky syrup.
"You actually needing more food. I mean, you're always hungry. I always wondered how you burn all that energy."
Grumpy pursed his lips. "It's the storm powers," he whispered, keeping his eyes on his paws. "Burns a lot of calories."
Funshine glanced over to see that Grumpy was tense. "Really?" He kept his tone light and curious.
The blue bear looked over Funshine's relaxed, smiling face, and he decided to explain a bit. "Yeah," he said a little louder. "You know how powerful storms are. Lightning, wind, rain. It takes a lot of energy to corral those things."
"Is it part of your curse?"
Grumpy didn't respond. Funshine turned to see anger in his friend's blue eyes. He paused.
"What's wrong?"
"We were not cursed with our powers," Grumpy replied sourly. "That's a Care Bear myth."
Funshine was surprised, but he turned to pull the food off the grill. He piled up Grumpy's plate again then one for himself. He seated himself across from Grumpy, who was busy splashing syrup all over his pancakes. He still looked irritated. Funshine took the syrup after Grumpy, coated his pancakes, the set it aside. He picked up his fork and looked at Grumpy.
"Tell me about it then."
Grumpy made short work of his second plate then leaned back and studied him.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Of course," Funshine said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But all I know is the Care Bear version."
Grumpy nodded. "Fine. Back when the great star showed up, our two tribes were given one wish apiece. The Care Bears wished to help the children of the world. My people saw their joy, and they were happy for them. But they saw other needs to care for. They saw the suffering of the adults of the world, and they wished for the ability to understand them in their pain, anger, and sadness. They were granted the power of storms. It's a way to release negative emotions."
"Figured as much," Funshine said through a mouthful of bacon.
Grumpy glared at him as his face grew hot, but the blue bear continued. "So the Care Bears and Thunder Bears were formed, the one tribe caring for and nurturing positive emotions of children, the other helping to release the negative emotions that they absorbed from humankind below. For years they worked together, but it did not last.
"After the first few generations passed away, a rift began to grow between the two tribes. The Care Bears didn't understand the need for constant regulation of storms. They believed that everybody should be happy and positive, and they began to encroach on the Thunder Bears' territory. The Thunder Bears soon realized what the Care Bears were doing, but they took it to mean that the other tribe wanted to get rid of them, that they weren't needed or wanted. So they began to resent the Care Bears, and the Care Bears continued to shun the importance of Thunder Bears."
Grumpy paused, tracing his fork through the remnants of egg yolk and syrup. His eyes stared at nothing. "The negative feelings grew between the two tribes, and that was not good. The Thunder Bears were naturally very sensitive to negative emotions, but they never wanted to hurt the Care Bears, so they held in the storms that threatened to consume them. But everything came to a head when a fight broke out between Benefare's people and the Thunder Bears' leader Crackle. The pressure from all of the negative emotions among the two tribes finally erupted, and the storm that crashed through the land shook the sky and caused unimaginable destruction.
"When the storm had passed, the Thunder Bears were incredibly weakened from the unwanted explosion. Benefare helped Crackle, taking care of him while he was bedridden, and the two leaders came to the conclusion that the two tribes should separate for a while. So Benefare took his tribe and sought a land for the Care Bears. And Care-A-Lot was founded while the Thunder Bears rebuilt their land."
Grumpy stopped, pursing his lips. Funshine waited for more of the story, but nothing came.
"And?" he finally prompted.
"It's not good," Grumpy said quietly.
"Tell me."
Grumpy sighed. "Though Benefare knew the truth, the other Care Bears came up with their own stories about what really happened with the Thunder Bears. They wove a tale of Thunder Bears being evil and cruel and unwanted. After a few decades, the Thunder Bears came to see what had become of their friends, to invite them back home. But the bears they met were unrecognizable. Their companions no longer saw what they really were, only what they wanted to see. They ran them off, and Benefare died soon after, broken-hearted. With his death, the Care Bears lost their link to the Thunder Bears, and so they forgot the truth."
The breakfast that Funshine had just eaten wasn't sitting well on his stomach. "What happened to the Thunder Bears?"
"When I was with them, as a cub, they weren't doing well," Grumpy said tiredly. He rubbed his eyes. "We have our own bitterness that disrupts our powers. We weren't meant to be on our own. Some react to the pressure and negativity by creating terrible weather. Others are more… physically violent."
"Violent?" Funshine asked gently. Grumpy pressed his lips together and his eyes began to glow. "Violent toward… cubs?"
"Sometimes," Grumpy said hoarsely. "Sometimes toward others. A small sect wants to take revenge on the Care Bears. I'm guessing that's what happened in Tenderheart's time."
"What about you?" Funshine asked, his voice soft.
Grumpy gripped the table to keep his paws from trembling. He shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it," he hissed.
Funshine's face went blank. "Um… What?" Grumpy looked at him. Then Funshine smiled. "You're bilingual. I don't speak Thunderspeak."
Grumpy paused then laughed shakily. He focused on his words. "Sorry. I said I don't want to talk about it right now."
"That's cool," Funshine said. He leaned his elbow on the table. "Can you teach me Thunderspeak? I couldn't understand you last night."
There was a moment of silence. "You said you figured some things out last night. That's why you came over. Can you tell me what happened?"
Funshine nodded. "Just the way you were talking yesterday afternoon. You said that the stuff with Cheer was nothing new to you. It got me thinking that you might have experience with the stuff yourself. I got worried and headed over to make sure you were okay."
Grumpy frowned. "Through the thunderstorm?"
"Yep."
The casual way that Funshine affirmed that touched Grumpy. He knew how bad the storm was. He recalled the pitch and scream of thunder and pounding rain and flashes of lightning before he'd had his flashback. To think that Funshine had fought his way through the storm just to check on him. Grumpy stared at Funshine, tears welling in his eyes.
"You care that much?" he asked.
Funshine looked shocked. "Of course, Grumps!"
Grumpy hesitated. "Even though I'm a Thunder Bear?"
Funshine grinned. "I told you before, Grumpy, I didn't care when we were cubs. Why would it matter now?"
The tears overflowed, and Grumpy hid his face in his paws, his whole body shaking. Funshine came over to his side of the table and embraced him. He hesitated a moment then licked Grumpy's ear the same way Grumpy would lick his when he was a cub. Grumpy laughed, turning to hug Funshine back. For the first time since coming to Care-A-Lot, he felt like he belonged, at least with one bear. And that meant the world to him.
There was so much more to sort out, like if Funshine would tell the others, finding out what actually happened during the storms, and so much more. But for now, joy made his heart soar. He had a friend, somebody to help him, a Care Bear who loved him in spite of what he was. So now, for the present moment, he would allow himself to be happy.
