Ruffled Fur
By Jake Morrow
Looking up at the myriad of colorful flyers, the young man cursed under his breath. On each of the brightly hued pieces of paper affixed to the telephone pole, different monikers jumped out at him; Funshine, Love-a-lot, and Tenderheart to name a few. Above these titles stared different colored bears, each with a different symbol on their bellies. In better times, they were known as The Care Bears. Today, they were all dead.
The wizard known simply as No Heart surprised everyone. Armed with a magical amulet and an intense hatred for joy and kindness of any kind, he aimed his malevolence toward those who tried to do good in the world. This put him squarely at odds with the Care Bears, and over the years, he had always found himself on the losing side. It is unknown how his powers suddenly and exponentially increased, but with his ability to change into any animal imaginable coupled with augmented strength, he slowly began picking off the bears one by one.
Bedtime Bear met his end first. Nestled in bed and sleeping peacefully, he never heard No Heart enter his sleeping chamber. Shrouded in a violet robe with only his crimson eyes visible, the wizard used his enchanted talisman to turn into a massive purple boa constrictor. Roused from deep sleep, Bedtime Bear suddenly found himself encompassed completely by the serpent and slowly felt the life getting squeezed out of him. Even the famous Care Bear Stare proved ineffective as Bedtime Bear lost consciousness and became the first casualty.
The others followed soon thereafter to the grave. Grumpy Bear died after getting impaled by a purple rhinoceros. Wish Bear was snatched up by a giant eagle and dropped down a ravine. Friend Bear drowned in a river as he was held down by an enormous violet crocodile. Funshine, Good Luck, Love-a-Lot, and Tenderheart all died together in No Heart's castle dungeon, tortured daily until they perished. It was even reported that he miraculously transformed himself into a lightning bolt to eliminate Cheer Bear. No Heart attacked his enemies with an unmatched ferocity and zeal.
Signs of the final minutes of the latest fatality, Birthday Bear, lay strewn across the landscape. The shrine to the Care Bear looked worn and pitiful, and the remnants of the candles, flowers, and teddy bears served as painful reminders of Birthday Bear's final fight. Many days had passed since No Heart had transformed into a purple elephant and trampled the Care Bear as he attempted to protect a group of children. Not only had Birthday Bear's death remained a tragedy, it also marked the end of all ten original Care Bears.
When the Care Bears first burst onto the scene as a beacon of hope, they had stood as a group of ten. Their emergence brought a sense of community and optimism unsurpassed before. Throughout the years, other bears such as Harmony, Secret, and Share had assisted in their adventures, but once the original ten began to disappear, their collective power ebbed. The wizard, No Heart, had started his annihilation by first destroying their home base at Care-a-Lot and smashed the caring meter to bits. Following the destruction of Care-a-Lot, he began with Bedtime Bear, and the rest of the Care Bears scattered. Whispers continued about other animals that wanted to join the fight against No Heart, but without the original Care Bears, the fear proved too insurmountable.
Working as a delivery driver for a local pizza restaurant, a young man named Charlie had been called to deliver ten pizzas to the park as his last delivery of the day. A community group had organized a clean up day to dispose of the debris left from the battle between No Heart and Birthday Bear, including the makeshift shrine and candles, and the pizzas were for the volunteers. A girl, no older than eight years old, could not control her sobs as she picked up a discarded plush version of another fallen Care Bear, Good Luck Bear, and held it tightly to her chest.
Just beyond the girl in the distance, a ten-foot wall with the word "Exult" loomed in Charlie's vision. He shuddered and felt his cheeks burn as he remembered the scene. Shortly after No Heart's victory against Birthday Bear and ultimately every one of the original ten Care Bears, a news crew had arrived and interviewed No Heart's potato-shaped henchman, Beastly. With a cackle, Beastly described how his master would soon completely rid the world of love, and no one could stop him. To make matters worse and in full view of the camera, Beastly spray painted the word Exult on the wall and coldly stated, "You should all be very afraid. There is no one left to help you." Charlie wanted so badly to make them pay for their crimes, but he felt powerless.
Charlie had lived his entire life trying to get out from under the heavy burden of poverty. His family had settled in the area many years ago and as factories shuttered their buildings and moved away, he faced a town with almost no expectation of upward mobility. Charlie, barely seventeen, had taken the job of delivering pizzas to help with bills at home as his mother struggled to make ends meet. The pressure to help care for her weighed heavily on his mind each day.
As Charlie looked around the carnage and felt a warm tear threaten to trickle from his eye, his mind brought forth a lesson from school he thought of many, many times. He still heard his favorite teacher, Mrs. LoDuca, proclaim these words in class one day.
"Life is going to be hard. No one promised that things would be easy, but I encourage you to always take heart. When times are bleak, remember the words of Marianne Williamson. Let them become your mantra. Say them over and over in your mind until you not only believe them, but you live them."
The kid had taken that advice and every single day, he rolled the words of the poet, Marianne Williamson, around in his head. He knew the gist of the poem, "Our Deepest Fear," but he had also committed certain sections of the poem to memory. Charlie put the words to music, and the melodies had often comforted him during times of distress. As he stared anew at the posters of the slain Care Bears, the words of the verse suddenly came to mind.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others."
As he remembered the poem, the teardrop that had threatened to emerge earlier was suddenly joined by others and just like the eight-year-old girl, Charlie wept on the battlefield where sanguinity had been snuffed out. He wondered what would liberate him from his own demons and fear and if that time would ever come. Regaining a bit of his composure, the young man took the pizzas over to where the volunteers had congregated and did the job for which he was hired. While walking back to his car, he involuntarily jumped back as a nearby bush suddenly trembled to life.
Squinting as he stared at the foliage, Charlie audibly gasped as a flash of pink fur could be seen through the leaves. Walking over to the shrubbery, he peered inside and discovered the last thing he would have ever predicted. Lying in the middle of the leaves, a Care Bear stared weakly up at him. The rainbow on the bear's belly lay completely caked with mud and the tips of the bear's pink fur appeared to be singed.
Cheer Bear. She had somehow survived No Heart's lightning attack. Looking up at Charlie, Cheer Bear softly whispered, "Help me," and passed out.
Running back to his mother's rusted car, Charlie struggled to think straight. On one hand, he had just found the last living original Care Bear, and she needed his assistance. On the other hand, if he was found with Cheer Bear, his life would be forfeit. As his toe tapped along with his indecision, another line of his favorite poem recycled in his brain repeatedly. "Your playing small does not serve the world. Your playing small does not serve the world. Your playing small does not serve the world." With the prompting of his assertive subconscious, Charlie grabbed a blanket from the back seat of his car and ran back to the broken bear hidden in the shrubs.
Kneeling to cradle the bear in the blanket, the young man gently lifted Cheer Bear, and quickly retreated to his car. After laying the Care Bear down in the back seat, he started driving toward his home. Hopefully, he could hide Cheer in his makeshift bedroom in the garage and somehow elude getting spotted. The garage/bedroom stood crammed with old packing boxes and used car parts as it once served as a work shed set apart from the one-bedroom house he shared with his mother. It wouldn't be much, but the garage could provide shelter for the time being. Charlie turned on the radio and between the sudden music and the smell of a leftover pizza in the back seat, Cheer started to stir.
"Where am I?" whimpered the beleaguered Care Bear. She appeared so weak she could not even muster enough strength to lift her head.
"You're with a friend. And safe," affirmed Charlie.
After a few minutes of silence, Cheer Bear said, "I knew No Heart was going after Birthday, but I arrived too late. I was so injured by the lightning attack that I almost couldn't go on. How could this have happened?"
A few more moments went by, and Charlie could hear sniffles from the back seat as Cheer Bear realized the scope of recent events.
The Care Bears stood defeated.
Demoralized.
Decimated.
As Cheer sat awash in her grief, Charlie turned onto his street, and thought about the upcoming steps he would need to take.
As he deliberated, the music on the radio switched to a disc jockey discussing the news of the day. The DJ began with the top story of a homicide on the north side of the city, and after a few other stories about sports, the predicted weather, and the cleanup from the most recent battle site, he ended by saying, "With an increase in murders and general criminal behavior, one has to wonder what will become of us without the Care Bears. We know better than this. I know we do. I guess it was just important to get reminded now and again." Cheer Bear grimaced as she listened to the DJ's words and tried to hide from the darkness that seemed to surround her at every turn. At least one person remained willing to stand in the gap, and he had acted without hesitation. Cheer prayed there would be more like him.
Cheer Bear fell asleep and woke up a few hours later. Looking down on the floor, the bear noticed a scrawled handwritten section of a poem.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others
Cheer Bear had to admit to herself how very afraid she had become of No Heart. He systematically erased her brothers and sisters from the face of the earth, and he accomplished it relatively effortlessly. An uncontrollable shiver overtook her body as Cheer pondered the possibility of confronting No Heart again, but she knew that if she didn't stand, how could she expect others to do so. She would let her own light shine, meet her fears directly, and hope that her beacon and courage inspired others. But Cheer Bear would need help, and the prospect of seeking that help meant journeying to a place to which she had avoided; The Forest of Feelings.
Cheer called Charlie over to her and thanked him for his succor up to this point.
"I really appreciate your help. I think I may have just slipped away to nothingness in that shrub if you hadn't come along. It's as if you're the only one that cares anymore."
"I wouldn't say that. People care. They're just scared. Especially after seeing you and the other Care Bears getting attacked. How did you even survive? From what I heard on the news, a bolt of purple lightning came out of the sky and struck you down."
Cheer's fur bristled as she paused, and then answered, "The Care Bear Stare." Absentmindedly, she rubbed the rainbow symbol on her stomach. "Just before the lightning hit me, I sent out some power from my rainbow sign. It was just enough to counteract the lightning a bit, but it still almost killed me. I think my belly badge has short circuited because I can't summon it anymore."
Cheer stood up gingerly and motioned toward the door. "I have to get going, though. My journey isn't over, and if there is any chance of overcoming No Heart, I need reinforcements."
"Then, I'm going with you. You can barely stand and if I can help in any way, I want to be there."
"I can't ask that of you. It's too dangerous."
Charlie stood up as well and said, "I saw you read the poem. I believe what those lines say. Now, I want to live them. Who are we trying to find and where are we going?"
"We need to locate Brave Heart Lion. If he fights, others will too."
"Brave Heart? I thought he was just a legend."
"Oh, he's very real. Before No Heart started killing our kind, we had an extended family of creatures. There were us original ten Care Bears, and then other Care Bears joined us. After that, other animals with the same powers of caring helped in a variety of ways. They even took on the nickname of the Care Bear Cousins. We had a lot of adventures, but eventually, we started losing touch as our paths stopped crossing as often. One day, Brave Heart Lion simply vanished. As the leader, others followed him and left the fold. It's common knowledge that he resides in the Forest of Feelings, but everyone considers it a place of spooks and demons now and won't go within one hundred yards of the place."
The Forest of Feelings stood many miles outside of the city limits. Once a site for explorers, pet walkers, and joggers, now it provided the setting for a story that parents used to scare their children into behaving. A popular bedtime story recounts the tale of two naughty twelve-year-olds who disobeyed their parents and went to find out the secrets of the forest. Unfortunately, they met the bloodthirsty, savage cat and disappeared. Occasionally, when the wind carries the sounds from the forest, the nearby inhabitants could hear the roar of the feral lion. Stories also claim that the lion had gone crazy and killed every living soul who ventured into the forest. Those he murdered became trapped in the forest as wraiths for eternity.
Charlie knew the terrible reputation of the Forest of Feelings, and the sensation of dread crept over him. He hadn't noticed he held his breath and started rubbing his fingers together as he thought about it, but Cheer Bear saw his fear.
"I can do this by myself. The idea of going there obviously terrifies you."
"It does," he answered, "but the thought of not helping you and No Heart ultimately winning scares me more. I'll get over it."
It had been many months since Charlie has attended a service at his local church, but he whispered a small prayer begging for protection. He welcomed every scrap of assistance and if God existed, Charlie figured that he or she wouldn't be a fan of No Heart nor a murderous lion.
Without warning, Cheer's legs started shaking and her fur seemed to turn a lighter shade of pink. As much as she wanted to venture forth tonight, her strength had been completely depleted and a good night's sleep turned into a necessity. As she sat back down and leaned into some blankets, she whispered, "Let's rest tonight. I don't think you really want to go into the forest at night, and I'm in no shape to set out on a search and find mission." Cheer closed her eyes and within thirty seconds, she found sleep.
Gazing down at Cheer Bear's fragile form, Charlie figured he would try to get in some sleep as well. Thinking back over the day, he scratched his head as he wondered how fate had fallen on him in such a way that he not only discovered a Care Bear, but one who would let him accompany her on an adventure. He didn't know if he was the best person for the job, but this challenge spoke to him. After so many years of watching the powerful take down those weaker than them, Charlie wanted to rise up, help Cheer Bear find those who could join the fight, and somehow, some way, take out No Heart. He lay down and tried to prepare his body for whatever the next day might bring.
Sleep did not come easily or friendly that night for the young man, though. As dreams often do, thoughts within Charlie's mind twisted and turned into violent versions of themselves. Standing in the middle of the Forest of Feelings, Charlie couldn't see more than five feet from his face. Without warning, a chorus of screams surrounded him, and he felt a force knock him quickly to the ground. The screams turned into laughter as visions of murdered children flew above him in a vortex of creepy glee. Like frightened fish from a shark, the ghosts scattered quickly and looking up, Charlie saw an enormous lion's mouth descending upon him. Just as the lion's teeth met his face, he woke up. Unfortunately, the dream kept repeating itself, and the young man spent the night drenched in sweat, shallow breathing, and once, screaming himself awake.
As Cheer and the young man loaded into the car the next morning, Charlie looked over at the house where his mother stayed. He rushed in to say goodbye, explained he had a ton of work to get done, and then hastily made his exit. The young man kept his mother in the dark about his real plans because she would fret. He understood that no matter how much he asked her not to worry, it was her nature. Charlie kept reassuring himself that everything would be ok, and now that Cheer Bear lived, maybe others would help. Perhaps Brave Heart Lion existed and would come out of hiding. Or maybe he would just eat both of them when they trespassed in the forest. Either way, sitting down, doing nothing, and expecting everything to work itself out wasn't a solution. Cheer smiled at Charlie as she said, "I suppose you know the way?"
Broken out of his ponderings, the young man said, "Yeah, we're going to head north, and then we will need to get out of the car and walk a bit."
On the way, Cheer Bear told Charlie about her very first adventure. A young boy named Kevin had run away from home and mistakenly walked into a land dominated by a terrible villain named Professor Coldheart. Things went from bad to worse when Coldheart captured Kevin, along with some other children, and turned them into green creatures. Cheer Bear surprised Charlie with a soft chuckle and said, "Kevin and the other kids looked like pickles with legs." With the help of some other Care Bears and a young woman named Donna, the bears used their Care Bear Stare to turn Kevin and the rest of the trapped children back into their human forms. Professor Coldheart escaped, but the Care Bears had won the day.
As they exited the car and the story came to an end, Cheer Bear surmised, "I trust Kevin and Donna grew up to do good things. It would be really interesting to know how the kids we helped turned out." Gazing across the field and staring at the gnarled branches of the outermost trees of the forest, Charlie felt ice shoot through his veins as his core body temperature seemed to drop at least fifty degrees. The temperatures had been mild during this particular Autumn, but the leaves had all fallen, and Charlie needed to wear a jacket. The sudden drop caused by his fight or flight response didn't help as the trees seemed to mock him with their swaying branches. The duo began walking toward the Forest of Feelings and with every step, it seemed to get even colder.
As she tentatively stepped into the forest, Cheer took in her surroundings. Although she knew Brave Heart Lion supposedly lived within the woods, she didn't know how to get his attention. Cheer worried that this trip held the potential to become a great failure. She didn't know if she could find Brave Heart. If so, would he even dare come out of hiding? There stood nothing to lose though, so Cheer trudged along with her visibly nervous partner. Summoning all the power she had in her lungs, Cheer cried out, "Brave Heart, I need you. This is Cheer Bear. Please, if you can hear me, don't ignore me. I know you can help us." As Cheer proclaimed that she felt Brave Heart could help, the colors displayed on her stomach became brighter. The blown fuse in her powers caused by the lightning bolt had been short lived. Charlie rubbed his eyes as the clouds on the Cheer symbol seemed to billow as if getting blown by wind.
Cheer continued shouting for Brave Heart, walking deeper and deeper into The Forest of Feelings. Staring above at the trees, Charlie felt right back in his terrifying dreams from last night, minus the screaming children. Suddenly, a roar could be heard coming from one of the trees directly overhead, breaking the momentary silence as Cheer Bear took a breath. Before he could say anything, Charlie felt himself getting knocked to the ground, peered up, and came face to face with his living nightmare.
Snarling within inches of the young man's face and pressing two enormous front paws forcefully upon his chest, a massive lion growled menacingly at both Charlie and Cheer Bear. The king of the beasts stared straight into Cheer's eyes and thundered, "I cannot believe you would have the nerve to trespass here. The war is over. We lost." Looking around, the lion said, "You weren't followed, were you? If No Heart caught your scent, we are all dead."
With a courage from deep within, Cheer stepped up, pushed the lion from Charlie and pointed into the lion's chest.
"I remember when this used to stand for something, Brave Heart!" retorted Cheer, directly into the face of the immense feline. Charlie's vision cleared up after his close encounter, and he looked directly where Cheer had poked Brave Heart Lion. Although the colors had faded to an almost invisible state, branded on the lion's chest stood a large, crimson heart, adorned with a crown perched on top.
"Can we even call you that anymore? You took off with your tail between your legs when we needed you the most!"
"There was no winning, only death," answered Brave Heart.
"Maybe there wouldn't have been as much if you had stuck around. We needed you." Cheer Bear's pink fur looked almost red as a result of her rising impatience.
"I can't do anything about that now. It's in the past."
"You're wrong, Brave Heart. How many animals are out here with you? How many would rise up and join the battle if they felt you were leading the charge?"
"I can't. It's not enough. I'm inadequate," bemoaned Brave Heart, gazing at the ground.
Involuntarily, Charlie blurted out, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
"What did you just say?" questioned the lion.
Charlie felt his body temperature go down another few degrees, but he stepped forward and responded, "I don't think you're afraid because of ability. I think you're afraid because you've allowed doubt to creep into your mind. You probably think that no one should follow you."
"Who is this kid?" demanded Brave Heart.
Cheer answered. "He's someone who has shown bravery in the direst of circumstances. You should take a cue from him.He's currently facing his worst fears right now."
Brave Heart's mane stiffened as he looked at this trespassing teenager attempting to tell him how to live his life.
As courage crept more forcefully into his being, Charlie continued with his recitation.
"It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
You have so much power. Just by joining Cheer in the fight, you'll give others the courage to join you.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Stepping back, Charlie looked from Cheer to Brave Heart and back to Cheer again. He shrugged his shoulders and arched his eyebrows as he wondered how the mighty lion interpreted his words.
"I've already failed," mumbled Brave Heart.
Cheer stepped up and placed her paw on the side of Brave Heart's face. "We all have, but I've learned lately that it doesn't help anybody if we don't play to our strengths. If we see ourselves as powerless and weak, we'll act that way. And frankly, I'm tired of playing small.
We need to revive Hopeful Heart Bear."
As Cheer said Hopeful Heart's name, Brave Heart sucked in his breath violently.
"How is that even possible? I watched her die, and it happened right before Bedtime Bear's murder. Then everything went to hell from there."
Charlie knew the legend of Brave Heart within the Forest of Feelings in which he stood, but he had never heard of Hopeful Heart Bear.
"You didn't stick around to see what happened after No Heart left that day," scolded Cheer. "You were already in retreat mode and headed here."
"That's not true," replied Brave Heart. "I didn't come here until after Bedtime died, but you're right, I didn't stay that day. How could Hopeful Heart have possibly survived? No Heart threw her off the side of the clouds of Care-a-Lot, and I saw her fall to earth. She fell for several minutes, screaming as she descended…" Brave Heart's eyes welled up as he recollected the horrific scene.
The story of Hopeful Heart Bear could encompass a tale of its own, but succinctly, the Care Bears owe their existence to Hopeful Heart Bear. Possessing pink fur much like Cheer Bear, Hopeful Heart's belly badge consisted of a pink heart emanating multicolored rays of light. Her positivity bubbled up constantly, and it seemed as if nothing could get her down. She spent every day in the service of humanity. Unfortunately, a demon named Dark Heart started manipulating others to act callously and maliciously toward others, and she felt she needed help. Sending out almost every drop of optimism from her belly badge, Hopeful Heart's Care Bear Stare located the ten bears who would be known as the original Care Bears. Preferring to stay behind the scenes in Care-a-Lot, Hopeful Heart encouraged the Care Bears as they defeated Dark Heart. Her power helped create subsequent Care Bears and even the Care Bear Cousins.
Cheer took a slow, deliberate breath. "She's been in a coma since the attack. It's strange, but I think her powers faltered when No Heart's influence became stronger. When hope started to die, I think she did a bit as well."
Brave Heart winced. "How am I supposed to help with that?"
"If you come back to the fold, others will follow. In fact, I know you others are listening in the shadows. Lotsa Heart Elephant. Bright Heart Raccoon. Playful Heart Monkey. You don't have to keep hiding. Nothing will get better unless we join forces."
A rustle just outside of sight made Charlie jump. The silhouette of a large pachyderm shifted behind the trees, and additional creatures skittered above in the trees.
"Suppose that's true. Let's say I return and somehow rally the troops. Let's then say that Hopeful Heart can miraculously wake up. It doesn't mean we'll win. It doesn't mean that we're going to get the outcome that we want."
"Of course it doesn't," replied Cheer. "But doing nothing will get us nothing. Do you really think things are going to suddenly get better by hiding out in the forest and pretending the world will turn around on its own?"
"Don't patronize me, Cheer."
"Quit hiding and be the leader everybody knows you are."
As Brave Heart considered Cheer's words, Charlie interrupted by saying, "You don't have to do this on your own. Once animals and humans see someone standing up for what's honorable, they will be encouraged to join you. I can't speak for anybody else, but I stand with Cheer and hopefully you."
Unexpectedly emanating from behind the trees, a deep voice bellowed, "I'm with you."
"I'm with you too," echoed voices from the trees, and then a multitude of voices filled the air with support.
As Brave Heart listened to his hidden comrades state their backing, a strange but welcome sensation filled him from the tips of his ears to the end of his tail; hope.
As confidence and optimism began rising among the menagerie in the Forest of Feelings, Brave Heart Lion erupted in the loudest roar ever recorded in the history of the world. As the sound of the roar reverberated through the forest and into many surrounding counties, the badges on many animals' stomachs began to radiate. Charlie couldn't help but to smile when Brave Heart approached him, punched him playfully in the shoulder, and said, "Welcome to the Cousins, kid." Cheer's plan had worked to perfection, and now it was time for phase two.
As Brave Heart Lion walked out of the Forest of Feelings followed closely by Cheer Bear and Charlie, a procession of animals of all kinds continued in their wake. A veritable army of animals stopped in the middle of the field outside of the forest, touched paws, and their belly badges started glowing as one. With a strong voice, both Cheer Bear and Brave Heart yelled, "Care Bears Stare and Cousins Call!" For the unknowing eye, it would have appeared that a thousand Cheers had sprouted in that field and reached toward the sky. In actuality, the light had been sent to alert other Care Bears as well as Care Bear Cousins that all was not lost.
After the light show, Cheer Bear turned to Charlie and held his hand. "Thank you for everything that you have done for us. You didn't have to help me in the first place, but you kept fighting through your fear, and for that, I wanted to deputize you."
"What do you mean, deputize?"
As Charlie looked down at Cheer Bear, he noticed her belly badge begin to glow, sending out a soft light toward his arm. Within seconds, the picture of a white bird in flight displayed on his upper bicep.
"What does that mean?" asked Charlie.
Cheer answered, "The dove is a universal symbol of hope. You have helped restore that today and with any luck, more humans will join you."
In a dimly lit room, hidden in a basement, located in a town forgotten by history, a pink bear lay silently, barely breathing. Abruptly, several multicolored rays of light enveloped the bear, casting an almost ethereal glow upon the sleeping creature. As the beams cascaded on Hopeful Heart Bear, small shards of lightning crackled across her belly, instantly filling her badge with color. Shocked awake and opening her eyes wide in surprise, she couldn't help but to smile. Her grin turned to laughter and swinging her legs from the bed and standing up for the first time in many months, Hopeful Heart Bear returned to life. And with Hopeful Heart and her family's advent, the world stood a chance to begin living again as well.
