World Tours
Thunder cracked and lightning flashed around No Hearts palace, causing Fauna and Blue to flatten closer to the clouds. "So the plan is to get inside, poke around, and see if you can find out just what No Heart did to create Hunter and the others?"
"Yup. That's pretty much it. Got a problem with it?"
"Multiple, but they aren't going to change your mind."
She smirked, "Good boy." She was watching shadows patrol the area between them and the front door. "I think our best bet is one of the windows."
Blue nodded, "The higher the better."
Fauna shifted into a falcon, "And the princess was found alone in the highest room of the tallest tower."
He joined her in falcon form scoffing, "You are hardly a princess." Whacking her with his wings he took to the air, Fauna following.
Flare Heart Fox, who was waiting outside noticed a flash of feathered wings, but dismissed it as Hunter trying to be funny.
"Waiting long?" Treachery Heart's voice got Flare Heart's attention.
"Not long, but we need to get going, No-Heart said we have to capture of destroy the remaining Care Bears, and we have to track down and destroy the ones we're based on before they cause any more trouble," Flare Heart said.
"All right then, let's get moving," the two opposites departed, each grabbing a normal opposite to take with them, Flare Heart took Frigid Heart Penguin and Treachery Heart took Delay Heart with her as they took off, each of the normal opposites creating a black cloud car to travel in. The other opposites began to disperse as well, searching for the remaining Care Bears.
Fauna looked from her perch on the window sill as the opposites left the castle, "Well this makes things easier. I hope that forgery is gone too."
Blue gained his human form. They had landed in one of No Hearts storage towers. The room was full of nothing but boxes and dusty cloth.
"Guess we should just work our way down from here." Fauna now in her human form as well walked past him. Looking down the tower, she saw an empty black hole. "I hope the others are doing better."
When Swift Heart finally slowed down, Loyal Heart was a bit dizzy. Seeing everything whoosh by so fast had made it a bit hard for him to keep stable, "That was quite a ride, Swift Heart," he said, trying to look around, "where are we?"
She looked around trying to get her bearings. The forest had disappeared to be replaced by wide open space and tons of fields some with corn and some of hay or just empty. "Somewhere out west I think."
"I see, but where should we start looking," he looked down at Swift Heart, "Question, can you sense anything coming from Grumpy, perhaps if we can feel the emotions of our trapped family we can use that to find them."
Taking the crystal out of her waistband she waved it in front of him. "He's just a shiny rock Loyal Heart. There isn't anything coming from him."
"Perhaps," Loyal Heart said, "but we don't really have many other ways to find them. Try focusing on him, maybe you can feel something, you are closer to him than I am. Or should I just stand guard while you search every single barn and haystack in the countryside?"
Starring him down for a moment she slowly lowered herself to the ground and sat Indian style. Placing the crystal in the hollow in her legs she closed her eyes and focused on nothing but the crystal. At first there was nothing, making her feel absolutely ridiculous. About to give up she gasped when she felt a surge of warm energy come from the crystal. "Whoa!"
"What? What did you feel?" Loyal Heart asked.
"He pulsed. This warm energy just came out of him all of a sudden." Scowling she looked at the crystal, "Why did you choose now to do anything?" The crystal shocked her, "Ow! Don't get snarky with me." Her eyes flew up to meet Loyal Heart, "They can give off different energy's."
"It looks as though he's responding to your presence; I can feel it even from here. Valiant and Snowy are better and sensing such energy than I am, for now we should hope that we can feel other such emanations when we get close to the others," Loyal Heart observed.
"Well we are Care Bears. Emotions are what we do best. Like Mr. Negativity here." She pointed to the crystal.
Loyal Heart touched the crystal, "Perhaps we should try to feel for the others," he said, trying to concentrate on any strong emotions nearby.
Loyal Heart tried to concentrate as Valiant had shown him, he sensed something faint and pointed, "Over there, that haystack, I guess we should start digging then. Looks like we're the right species for this job," he said, starting to dig through the haystack.
Cracking her knuckles Swift Heart began furiously digging away at the hay stack. The deeper she went, the more the emotion began to surface. It felt like fear. Finally she saw a small green crystal sitting in the middle of the hay stack.
"I got it!" Taking it out she held it ups so Loyal Heart could see. "It looks like Gentle Heart."
"That's one down, I don't sense any others around here, I guess we should move on," Loyal Heart took Swift Heart's hand.
She felt the Grumpy crystal shock her again. "You are being absolutely ridiculous. You know he is married and in love with Proud Heart. Stop being jealous!" Flicking the crystal she gripped Loyal Hearts hand and took off for the south.
The place that Cozy Heart and Snowy Heart went, was predictably, cold and snow covered, the way the two of them liked it.
"I sensed something near here," Snowy said, "I only hope whoever it is not buried, and easy to spot."
"Luckily no one in our family other than you isss white. Or we would never find them." Dropping to her belly, Cozy Heart slid a few feet before waiting for Snowy to catch up. Snowy jogged after Cozy Heart, he could run pretty fast, though he was amused at Cozy's way of moving around. He continued to search with his senses se they moved around.
Sliding over a patch of ice, Cozy Heart felt a brief moment of warmth. Skidding to a halt she want back to investigate it. She had slid over a recently refrozen patch of ice and underneath was a yellow crystal. "Hey Ssssnowy, look."
"It's yellow, probably Funshine. Want me to shoot it out," he said, pulling out his Quincy bow, "Or do you have some other way to get her out?"
She held up her flippers, "We are not a digging people, the penguinsss. Unlessss you want me to peck at the ice for a day and a half."
"Good point, I doubt my ice arrows would work, they might just make it worse," Snowy Heart said.
"Then maybe I can help you!" Snowy whirled around to see flare Heart fox standing there, spinning her talisman, with Frigid Heart Penguin standing next to her.
Cozy stood protectively over Funshines crystal in the ice, "How did you find ussss?"
"Luck of the draw mostly, but I'm not about to give away secrets," Flare Heart spun her talisman faster, "Ziget Dich, Flamberege!" A moment later, the fire fox was standing in front of Snowy, only this time it had three tails. Snowy watched the snow under its feet melting, and smiled, there was their solution.
Frigid Heart scooped up a flipper full of snow and shaped it into a snowball. "You dodged me in your home, but now we're on even turf. I wonder if you'll have the same luck here."
Cozy Heart bent down and flicked snow at him. "I think I will."
Rather than fight, Snowy simply dodged, jumping around and using his screen steps. Both Flare Heart and her doll were getting very annoyed as Snowy wasn't even fighting back.
"Get back here, so I can devour you!" the fox, Flamberge, said, as it tried to bite Snowy, only for him to dodge.
As Frigid chucked a snowball at Cozy, she ducked, causing the snowball to fly over her head and hit Flare Heart. "Woopssss. Looksss like sssomeone hasss to work on their aim."
"Watch your aim!" Flare Heart shouted turning on Frigid Heart. Snowy took the chance and fired one arrow at Flamberge. The fiery fox dodged aside, and Snowy fired again, it jumped away, revealing Funshine's crystal, now in a pool of water from the fire of the fox doll. Seeing Funshine's crystal free, Cozy dropped to her belly and slid for it. On her way she knocked Frigid Heart over, causing him to face plant in the snow. Grabbing the crystal in her beak, as if it were a fish, she continued to slide away from her opposite.
Snowy used his screen step to get near Cozy Heart, "Let's see how much cold you can handle, Frigid!" Snowy began firing off his freezing arrows at very high speed, Frigid Heart was unable to dodge them as all of them struck him dead on.
Squawking in annoyance he tried to slide away from the volley. "Probably about the same amount of 'cozyness' as she can take. Light her up Flare Heart."
"You heard the penguin, Flamberge!" The fox dived at Cozy Heart closing its fire jaws on her flipper. Snowy turned and shot a frozen arrow forcing Flamberge to back off. Snowy dashed to her side and asked.
"Are you all right, Cozy Heart?"
She showed him her burnt flipper, "I'll ssssurvive."
"That's good, we'll see about more thorough healing later," Snowy said, shooting off a few more arrows at the doll, Flamberge, making just enough hits to force Flare Heart to recall it.
"Curse you, you stupid Quincy!" the red fox said through her gritted teeth.
Cozy wagged her unburned flipper at the fox, "Don't be hating on Snowy Heart. Not everyone can be that cool."
"Thanks, Cozy, but I think we should get moving, I don't think any of our friends are nearby," Snowy Heart said, taking her unburnt flipper in his hand as he let his bow disperse.
She cradled Funshine in the crook of her arm. "The sssooner the better if you asssk me."
"Don't you dare!" Frigid Heart said, attempting to slide at them, but he was to slow as Snowy used his screen step to take him and Cozy Heart away to somewhere else.
Flare Heart swore, "I can't believe they got away and found a crystal with one of their family members in it!"
"No heart is going to kill us if he finds out." He dusted the snow off himself.
"Then we'll just get them before he does find out," Flare Heart said, "Conjure one of those black cars of yours and get us moving!"
He sneered at her, "And you can't why?" Taking a deep breath he created the cloud mobile she requested.
"You know very well why, it's the trade off for being able to use my doll Flamberge," Flare Heart said, getting into the car. Rolling his eyes Frigid Heart started the cloud mobile and began to drive in the direction he thought they had taken.
Jolly and Valiant were walking through a forest looking for some of their family members. It was mid afternoon and even though the trees were giving some shade, Jolly felt himself sweltering. "Croikey OI feel loike a shrimp on the barbie." Stripping off his shirt he hung it over his neck.
"It's hot all right," Valiant Heart said, "But I think I can feel something other this way," he said moving ahead faster. He stopped at the edge of a murky lake, he couldn't see into it but he could sense one of their family somewhere down there.
"Guess it's up to you, I can't swim that well and I definitely couldn't see in that."
"Lucky thing OI always wear moi togs." Stripping off his shorts exposed his light blue swimming trunks. "OI'll give this billabong a once ovah an see what OI can foind." Wading into the shallows he quickly disappeared beneath the surface. Once submerged he closed his eyes and began sweeping his beak along the bottom.
Valiant rolled his eyes, "I don't think I'll ever understand how that platypus talks, I can barely understand what he's saying right now." He drew his sword and looked around, keeping away lest the opposites attacked right then and there.
As Jolly Heart combed the bottom of the murky lake he felt something ram into him from the side, sending him flying sideways. Trying to get his bearings and right himself, he started to search for electronic pulses in the water. Whatever it was knocked into him again. He tensed his hind feet, getting his spur ready to use. Feeling electric signals from his right he spun, slashing through the water. Whatever it was pulled back and he used the moment to head butt it.
Valiant suddenly saw the water start to get churned up he was worried but there wasn't much he could do, he wasn't a good swimmer and he couldn't risk using his electrical attacks with Jolly under there.
"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked himself.
The strange thing attacking him came at him again. He tried to grip whatever it was with his beak. He clamped down on fur that felt a lot like his and next thing he knew he was whacked in the face with a heavy circular object. Realizing whatever it was after him, he headed for the surface. Popping his head out of the water he opened his eyes and began to scan the water around him.
Valiant spotted Jolly and called out to him, "Jolly Heart, are you all right?"
"Somethins roit agro that OI was down there. The bugger attacked me. Couldn' get an ace look at it tho."
"Unless the wildlife here's aggressive, it might be an opposite, maybe you should get out of the water so we can see for sure," Valiant suggested, calling to Jolly.
About to swim to shore he felt whatever it was clamp onto his feet and pull him under. All he could do was yelp before he was submerged. A moment later a mustard yellow platypus head surfaced. "Such a dimwit he is. Course OI'm an opposite."
And soon you'll be a dead opposite!" Valiant Heart shot out his left hand and shouted an incantation, "Hado number 4, Byakurai!" and a white beam of lightning like energy shot from his fingers towards the opposite, Glum Heart.
The platypus opposite submerged before the lightning could hit her. However she had forgotten about Jolly who had built up speed and rammed her from behind, propelling her towards the shallows. "Love OI think it's toime fer you to buzz off!"
"Got that right!" Valiant did his best to charge into the shallows, wielding his sword and ready to strike at Glum Heart as soon as she was in range of his swings.
Lifting her beaver like tail she slapped it hard against the water, splashing Valiant with water. " 'ope that fancy big sticka is wata proof."
Jolly tackled her from behind once more, "Now that's not very lady loike. Woi are yer panties in a knot?"
Coughing she got her symbol glowing, "Dead set? It's fun! Jus cause OI'm a dead ringa fo' you in looks, OI don have ta act loike you."
Valiant brushed the grime that had come with the water out of his eyes and shouted, "Watch it, don't let her stare you!" He couldn't release his Zanpakuto or he would electrocute all three of them.
Jolly laughed, "Yeah OI figured out that paticula drum mate. But that got me wonderin..." Jolly too got his symbol glowing, "Wha would 'appen if OI stared 'er?"
"Good point, here I'll hold her for you," before Glum Heart could react, Valiant Heart shot out his hand again and called out the same incantation he had used on Delay Heart, "Bakudo number 1, Sai!" and suddenly Glum Heart found her arms locked behind her back as she fell to her knees in the shallows, her symbol's glow ceasing.
"You two dickhead's bettah let me go or OI'll-"
"Ey Sheila, now's not the toime to be given us an ear-bashin." Jolly rested his venomous spur on her back, "Now. You're gonna answer some questions fo' moi mate an me 'k?" His smile never faltered. With a defeated sigh, she nodded.
"Take your time, Jolly," Valiant said, getting out of the water, "She'll be stuck for quite a while." Valiant scanned the skies, just in case someone else showed up to ruin their fun.
"Roit. Where is our mate Valiant sensed?" With a sour look on her face, Glum Heart's eyes flickered to the lake. "In the deep end." Jolly looked to Valiant, "Keep an eye on 'er. OI'll be back in a jiffy." He waited for Valiant to move over before diving once more into the lake.
Valiant nodded and walked back into the shallows, grabbing and dragging Glum Heart out while simultaneously reinforcing the kido keeping her still. He drew his sword and glared at her, "Don't get any ideas, I may not like the idea but I will destroy you if you give me a reason to."
Glum heart rolled her eyes, "OI'm all jelleh legged." Jolly resurfaced with a pink jewel in his hand. "No oidea who OI ave but it's someone."
"Well with a gem like that, it could be Lotsa Heart, Cheer, or Love-a-Lot, bring it here and get it cleaned off," Valiant said.
Walking over to Valiant, Jolly didn't notice Glum Heart about to stare him. "Got you now buggah." Panicking at seeing the beam of light leave Glum Hearts tummy symbol, Jolly brought his hind leg around and stabbed one of his spurs into her back. Glum Hearts eyes widened as her tummy symbol went dark and she fell forward. Jolly looked stunned at what had just happened.
"Nice one, Jolly," Valiant said, "give her the poison spur eh? So let's see who you found."
He handed Valiant the jewel, still in shock. "OI didn' mean to. OI panicked."
Valiant placed a comforting hand on Jolly's back, "Don't think too hard on this, she's just a clone created to try and destroy you. My opposite was a hollow and I had to destroy it, so don't worry about paralyzing Glum here, if it weren't against what we believe in, I'd kill her right now. So who is this," Valiant began to rub the grime from the pink crystal, hoping it was Love-a-Lot. Valiant finished wiping off the crystal and blinked, a tear formed in his eye ad he held the crystal to his chest, "It's Love-a-Lot," he said, sounding both sad and relieved at the same time.
That put the grin back on his companions face, "Good on yer mate! Best news OI've 'eard all day!" He slapped Valiant on his back.
"Thanks," Valiant said. He carefully placed Love-a-Lot's crystal in his pocket then looked down at Glum Heart, "So what do we do about her?" he asked.
"OI figure we leave 'er roit where she is. Let the troppo sheila be someone else's problem."
"Maybe, but the thing is, she will be our problem if we do leave her here," Valiant had a thought, "you said you wondered what would happen if you stared her, why not give that a shot now, it could provide useful info."
Nodding Jolly got his smiling Heart with grape crown tummy symbol glowing and stared his opposite. Just as with the Care Bears, she shrunk down and turned into a mustard yellow crystal. Picking her up he wrapped her in his discarded shirt. "Don' need the world knowing we 'ave 'er."
"Good idea, who knows, maybe some of them can be reformed or turned into 'real' care bears," Valiant suggested, taking Jolly's hand, "but for now, we need to get moving." The two of them vanished as Valiant carried them away with a flash step.