Our Beginning
Chapter 14: More Than A Dream
Starshine sobbed at the fountain, the only thing still standing of their once grand temple. She was about to leave the area, to allow herself to simply disappear, to die like her brother, when she heard something on the wind.
"Help…." came the cry, soft at first. Starshine strained to hear. "Help me, please…." Starshine realized, it was one of the chosen ones. Something had happened.
She went to the fountain to scry the location of the chosen ones. The water rippled and slowly an image of their ship on a tossing ocean appeared. Star gasped when she realized the ship was sinking and that the only one left on the ship was Horse. And only she could save him, she realized. Only she could fix things now. Her perfect fantasy was gone but maybe she could fill it with something more meaningful. "If there's any chance to set things right…." She stood up and grabbed her staff. "I simply got to try." She would have to climb over many obstacles, but, all she would trust heart. "What else can I do?" she said to herself. "You can't live in a dream and expect it to come true." She still loved Dark Heart, perhaps she could save him. "I must take a chance on love, I must have my once upon a time." And with a wave of her staff she vanished from Etheria, knowing she may never see it again.
The storm continued to carry the sinking ship faster into the ocean. Horse lay slowly regaining consciousness as the water began to cover the deck. His heart was heavy, he had no way off the ship therefore no way to save himself. He wouldn't be able to save Bear and the cubs. What good was he now? He had been given a job, a quest in return for his freedom, but he had failed. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to prepare himself for whatever came after death. Quicker and quicker the terrible water began to draw him under.
"Bear…..Cubs……forgive me…I can do nothing…" He didn't even try to hold his breath as finally the entire ship, with him on it, sank beneath the waves.
With the ship gone, the skies turned soft and kind once more. No longer did the storm beat the sea. And it seemed that Dark Heart had indeed won. But fate clearly had another plan. The spot where the ship had been glowed with a divine light and the sea bubbled and frothed. Only moments past before the ship emerged with a grand entrance. Horse lay, lifeless, on the soggy deck. With a bright light, the priestess appeared before him.
"Gentle Horse, loyal, brave, kind and noble," she began as she pulled him into her arms. "Wake, there is still much to be done."
Life returned to the creature and he took a large waking breath. His eyes fluttered open to gaze into the ones of his savior. "I….I am alive…..how can that be?"
Starshine smiled. "I have come to help you, Horse. There is still work that must be done. Rise."
Horse stood, amazed that he no longer had any pain from where'd taken Dark Heart's last blow. He looked at the priestess. "That….that man…he took Bear and the cubs. I'm sure he's going kill them. I have to save them."
The priestess nodded. "Yes, we must go and save them." She stretched out a hand. "Come, I know where his hideout is."
Horse placed his paw into her gentle hand and together they vanished off the ship.
AN: Well, here we go peeps. We're in the final stretch. Just a couple more chapters and this epic tale will be completed. I plan on writing more fics in this universe however. And soon, thanks to my new friend Jazz, there should even be a doujinshi up on deviant One can only hope. Speaking of hope, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I hope you all have boxes of tissues handy, because considering the fact that Dark Heart remains evil according to the beginning for Care Bears the Movie 2 there can only be one kind of ending.