Wow, so it's been a hot minute. Long story short, I got busy with school, work, and literal life. But I never truly forgot. This story popped back into my memory when my own spawn started watching it at my parent's house. My goal is to finish it by the end of the year. The original story line I had in mind has had a revision. Probably from experience, mostly because the alternative was too obvious. So here we go again. Happy reading for those of you who randomly check for updates. And welcome to new readers if there are any. Leave a review so I know someone is still out there reading.

Chapter 8: Past

Christy could not take her eyes off her own reflection, or rather the reflection of a past she could never forget. Her face was more rounded, shorter, and filled with anxiety.

This was me…

Laughter filled the stilled air and she looked up to see kids lining up for a race.

"Christy!" a shrill voice called, "Christy come on! We're already struggling to not be last!" A small blond girl ran up to her and tugged at her hand.

"Dawn?"

"Come on Christy!" a young Dawn cried, "We're going to be late!"

Christy followed and lined up with the rest of the campers.

"Took you long enough!" a young blond boy hissed at them, "We're gonna be last again!"

"John?"

"ON YOUR MARKS!" a young man cried out.

The other kids readied themselves, Christy reluctantly did the same.

"GET SET!"

Christy steeled herself.

"GO!" His arm came crashing down and the campers took off to the totem at the center of camp. Christy panted. She didn't remember being this out of shape. Hell she was one of the camp counselors. She had to keep up with all the kids. She paced her breathing, breathing deep through her nose like James taught her. She could feel the sweat gather on her brow, the uncomfortable raising of her heart, the blood rushing towards her face. She passed one kid, then another, and another.

She felt her feet stumble and cried out as she fell towards the ground.

Laughter passed her as she looked up.

"Christy!" a voice called behind her, "Are you okay?!"

She pushed herself off the ground and started again, but she could feel her lungs on fire with every step.

"Last ones back to camp does trash duty all week!"

Not again. She was so tired of being the one to clean up every day. She was tired of being last, tired of not even being second or third, but last. She was tired of being last. Never good enough.

"Hey wait up!" she called out, a frantic plea.

She felt her feet stumble again, only this time she felt the weight of Dawn and John crash into her. She looked up at the blond boy who reached the totem.

"John, Dawn, and Christy are last again!" he smirked.

Nothing ever changes. I'm always last. She shifted to her knees and stared up at the haughty face looming down on them.

"You three are always last at everything."

"And you're always first at everything," she sneered back, "so what does that make you?"

"Camp champ," he proudly laughed back.

"So fucking what?" she pushed herself off the ground and looked back at his shocked face.

"Christy…" Dawn gasped

"Uh," the boy stammered, "what?"

"So fucking what?" Christy stared back at him, the adrenaline in her blood still pumping. "You run faster, hike faster, and swim faster than us, but guess what? So does everyone else. So tell me what does throwing it in our face do? Does it make you feel bigger? Is that because you have nothing else in your life to make you feel bigger so you have to pick on the littlest person?"

His shocked face stared back at her, "I'm gonna tell on you," he wiped his nose with his arm, "You're not supposed to curse."

"Go tell on me then," she took a step forward, "what are they gonna do? Make me clean up your trash?"

The boy stammered and turned and ran towards the cabins.

"You're gonna be in so much trouble," John stood and looked at her, "But that was so awesome!"

"Christy," Dawn took her hand, "Are you okay? I've never heard you speak like that."

Christy looked down at the small delicate hand that held hers.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Christy took her hand back and stared back towards the forest. "This is the part where I ran off because I was so frustrated."

"Run off?" John looked puzzled, "we just finished running here, I thought you hated running."

Screams of laughter came off from the side, the boy tugging the hand of a tired-looking camp counselor.

"Chad's coming with Mr. Steve," Dawn worriedly said, "Oh Christy, I don't want to do more chores, I'm so tired of dealing with everyone's trash and laundry."

"We'd better go!" Christy took off towards the path leading into the forest, staying close enough to Dawn and John so they wouldn't lose her. The trees closed in around them, a trail to the left and the right splintered in front of her. She veered towards the left.

This is when we got separated. This is when they went to Care-A-Lot and I met….

A jolt of pain burst in her chest and she cried out as she fell towards the floor. Voices called out her name, but she could only feel a longing shredding through her body.

"Oh dear!" Soft fur brushed against her brow. "You're alright, we'll get some help!"

The voice was soft and tender.

"Trueheart Bear?"

She felt the paw stiffen and opened her eyes to the confused look of Trueheart staring down at her.

"I am so happy to see you," she took the bear's paw, "Can you tell me what's happening to me?"

An hour later Christy finished telling Trueheart Bear and the twins of what had happened, or rather, what was supposed to happen. Trueheart Bear furrowed his brow, "If Dark Heart returned, we would know and his own healing sounds like something that would never actually happen."

Christy looked sadly at the yellow bear in front of her.

"However," Trueheart put up one finger, "stranger things have happened, and greater evils have been faced. We could go to the spot where you first met Dark Heart. But I'd have to hide so he wouldn't suspect anything."

Christy nodded, shuddering and pale. Reexplaining about James had drained her, and every time she thought of him brought more pain than she realized. It's as if they're trying to force me to forget.

True heart bear called a cloud car and sent Dawn and John up to Care-A-Lot kingdom with Swift Heart Rabbit. The car would drive itself and the twins would be safe. He gave them instructions to send Noble Heart down to his location in the event that he did need help. Then he fit himself in a bag and Christy carefully swung him over his shoulder.

"Do you have the strength to go on?" True heart worriedly said turning one last time towards Christy.

Christy took a deep breath and felt her feet carry her forward, "Just enough." She tried to lose herself on the paths that she'd since memorized as camp counselor. She noticed that she would feel a pang in her heart at certain turns, probably indicating that she was headed in the right direction. She stopped at a small clearing, an overturned log facing her.

"Is this the place?" Trueheart Bear whispered from the bag.

"Yes." Christy walked to the log and sat down. Dread filled her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a marble. "I wish I was good enough. I'm always the loser. I'm no good at anything. Just once I'd like to be Camp Champ." She felt the bear in her bag cringe.

She waited, her breath caught in her throat. And then searing pain as a boy with red hair materialized before her. Her vision changed from red to black, as she shut out the site of the boy she loved. She fell to the ground, arms clutching at her chest, trying to rip out her own heart.

Voices screamed around her. She could hear Trueheart bear crying out her name. She heard another voice cry out against Dark Heart. Growling echoed through the forest. She forced her eyes open as colors sprang from every direction. The rainbow hearts of the Care Bears and the red beams of Dark Heart.

The trees turned black, scorched by a fire she couldn't feel or see.

A pair of glowing eyes met hers.

Wait, they're the wrong color.

Then darkness.

There you have it, hope it was semi worth the 4 year wait. Until next time dear readers.