Hopeful Heart Bear flew her Cloud Car down to Earth on her latest caring mission. Cleanup after No Heart's last evil plan was hard work and she was doing all she could to put people back on the path towards the light. Hopeful Heart loved her job but she wished that No Heart hadn't left such a mess for the Care Bear Family to clean up. It was understandable though, considering how close he had actually come to destroying feelings this time.
It was a beautifully warm summer day, the kind where you could just bathe in the sun with a cool drink. That was precisely what the girl Hopeful Heart had been sent to help was doing. She sat on a porch swing, rocking gently. Her bare arms and legs were nicely tanned after weeks of doing this, while the rest of her was covered by shorts and a t-shirt. Her glasses had slipped down her nose and she pushed them back up. A medium-sized, wavy-haired dog was lying in her arms.
Hopeful Heart's Cloud Car landed with a gentle sputter. The dog let out a few sharp barks and jumped off the swing. She would protect her human.
"Whoa, hey! It's okay. I'm a friend. Here, smell my hand."
"Sunni, come sit," said the girl, patting the swing.
Sunni sat but kept an eye on this strange creature. She didn't know if it was friendly or not. There was no point in taking too many chances.
"That's a beautiful dog. She obviously loves you."
"Thanks. We're really close. Could you please tell me who you are? I don't recognize your voice."
"I'm a Care Bear. My name is Hopeful Heart."
"A Care Bear? Really? Sorry, I can't see you to know."
"Yes really. Here's my hand."
She offered a furry, four-fingered hand and they shook. Sunni sniffed Hopeful Heart. This wasn't a human. Maybe this fuzzy creature would want to play, after Sunni made sure she was trustworthy, of course.
"It's nice to meet you. Do you want to sit down?"
"Sure, thanks." The little bear sat on the girl's other side. "Down to business. First, I have to ask, you're Serena, right?"
"Yes I am. Why do you want to see me?"
"You're my latest caring mission. Do you know what the Care Bears do?"
"Oh yeah. I'm a fan. I've seen some of your cartoons and have a few toys. You help people share their feelings and when they're having problems."
"Exactly. The mission file I got said that you've had a rough few years and are feeling pretty shaky. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Yeah, it's been pretty sad and scary. I do talk to my family and close friends but I need somebody neutral to open up to. Somehow, I feel like I can trust you."
"You can trust me. It's a natural part of our abilities to make the people we help feel secure. I assure you that this call will not be recorded for quality or any other purposes."
They both laughed at that.
"Okay. The world's situation started things off. Those restrictions that seemed to pop up overnight wrecked the life I knew. Nobody could go many places for a while. That was mostly fine for my family because we don't go to movies or restaurants that often and we have a big yard. So we pretty much kept living normally, made sure to see my grandma and all that. We knew something was wrong when everybody on the news said to stay inside, away from sunlight and even the people you live with as much as possible. Feelititis just sounded like too strange of a disease to believe. But then they started pushing those pills that numbed the feelings of everybody who took them. Going blank became normal for so many and they did it without thinking or wondering if they could do something better. My family didn't like seeing what the pills did so we didn't take them. Because of that, I was bullied and treated like an outcast. I was also forced to leave school and lost a good friendship because I didn't go along with the crowd. I still miss her, even though I know we have to let each other go and live our own lives. The worst part was how nobody listened when I tried to tell them what happened to me, except for a specific group, which included my family. Most people would rather forget and act like none of it happened in the first place. All of that hurt and it's hard to trust people now. I'm so glad that my family supported me through that and I found some good friends that I could trust. I've heard that a lot of others didn't even have family to count on.
"The good part of it all was that I found a place to share my story and got a good response. I learned to write for myself and found my own voice. That gave my writing more life than it had before and I grew because of it. Things eventually opened up in society and I went back to school after that but I've still got scars. Almost nobody in school would listen to my story, even after I went back. I also never got an apology and some people tried to tell me that what I experienced wasn't real, even though it was. I can't go back to the self I was before all the craziness started.
"The smaller things really hit me hard too. My family lost three dogs within a year. One was old but the other two were young. Our puppy, Daisy, was the hardest loss. She got sick suddenly and nobody could do anything. She was so sweet and human. The way she'd open the door to come inside all by herself still makes me smile and how she'd carry my stuffed Gentle Heart Lamb around so carefully. Daisy loved stuffed animals and Gentle Heart was her favorite. I miss her. I'm glad we got Sunni though and still have Penny and the two cats. Sunni's my best friend. Too bad that couldn't have been the end of the pain. This year, my cat, Zaboo, died and my brother got sick. He's better now but watching that and not being able to do much to help was so hard. Because of everything, I'm more nervous than I want to be. I feel like I need to protect everybody but I also feel tiny and useless because I can't. Not being able to see and having a weak left hand don't help." She held out her left hand, which was smaller than the right and bent down oddly at the wrist. "I can't do as much as most people because it doesn't work very well. Even making a fist is hard." The girl slowly, stiffly, made a fist to demonstrate.
"Oh wow. You have had a hard time. I'm so sorry that none of us came to help you sooner. I'm even sorrier that it all happened in the first place. You need to understand that the Care Bears not coming isn't because we don't care or only want to help certain people. Life's been just as hard for us. With the mess in the world and not many of us, we're spread pretty thin. It's tough to help everybody as fast as they need it, especially since we're still on cleanup detail. I am sorry but at least I can start making it up to you now. Do you mind if I give you a hug? It might not be much but it's something."
"No, I love hugs. We need more of them in this world."
"We sure do."
Hopeful Heart moved to wrap her arms around Serena. Her fur was so soft and comfortably warm that Serena didn't want to let go. It was like holding a teddy bear but better, more alive. Of course, Sunni joined in too, somehow wrapping her arms around both of them and licking their faces. That made them laugh.
"Well, I guess Sunni likes you now. She only hugs the people she really likes."
After a moment, they convinced the dog to let them go and separated. The hug and laughter made Serena feel a little better. Knowing that she had her dog and this bear to count on was a big help.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Everything has been so crazy and the world is still recovering. It's perfectly normal to feel the way you are after all you've been through. There's nothing wrong with you, no mental health problems to solve or anything like that. Feeling everything like this means that you're a healthy girl, going through a big rough patch in life. If you didn't feel anything, that would be a problem but you don't have to worry about that. Yes, things are still messy and we Care Bears are doing are best to heal the wounds that the mess caused. We feel all the same feelings you do. It's going to take time for everybody to heal completely. Does that help?"
"A little. I mean, it's nice to know that I don't have a problem but there's so much wrong with the world. It feels like only evil could have made it all happen. Thinking about all of that is painful."
"You're right about evil. We haven't known each other long but I can tell you're sensitive to its impact. You have a very good, loving heart and are very empathetic. That makes it easy to sense when evil is at work. It also makes you feel its effects more than most. You won't fall under evil's influence easily but watching and understanding what it does to others is tough."
"How do you know so much about me already?"
"Care Bears are naturally empathetic. We feel others' emotions very deeply so it's easy to find kindred spirits."
"Okay but what does that have to do with the way the world became?"
"No Heart used me to help it along."
"What?"
"No Heart was always trying to destroy everyone's feelings. He captured me as a way to control hope and very nearly succeeded in killing off caring for good. Finally, we got the upper hand and defeated him."
"So, he's gone now?"
"Yes and no. All the evil that made up No Heart was burned away but the man underneath got a second chance."
"It's pretty amazing that there's hope, even for somebody like that."
"It really is. I wouldn't have thought it was possible if I hadn't been there to watch it happen. Do you want to hear the story?"
"Yes please."
"Okay. The other Care Bears and Cousins filled me in on a lot of what happened later because I was out of commission for a while. Still, I was there when it started a few years ago, towards the end of winter."
The Care Bears had been going on a lot of missions lately. No Heart was getting stronger and Earth's normal problems were really piling up. The wizard knew that they were just about to reach a tipping point and now was the perfect time to strike. The Care Bear Family would be none the wiser.
Hopeful Heart had finished her last mission for the day, accompanying Always Here Bear, the younger brother of Always There Bear, on his first official mission. A little boy was nervous about getting a baby brother or sister. Hopeful Heart went along to spread her positivity and help the brother feel hopeful about all the things he could do to take care of and have fun with a baby. Always Here was especially empathetic, even for a Care Bear. He felt others' feelings almost as if they were his own. His sister could deal with things like losses and knew what to say but he felt all the emotions associated with them so strongly that he couldn't even talk. Always Here also felt joy deeply so he was the perfect bear to guide the boy through all the nerves, excitement and jealousy he was experiencing. After a successful mission, the two bears were headed home.
"You were great today, Always Here! I see a very hopeful future for you," Hopeful Heart said as she drove them home in her Cloud Car.
"Do you really think so? I did my best but my heart was racing the whole time."
"Really. You'll be doing caring missions with the best of them before long. Oh look. It's snowing again."
"I'm tired of snow. It's pretty but I'm ready for spring."
"Not too much longer now. The pussy willows should be out in a few weeks. That's a real sign of hope for spring, life coming back and everything starting fresh and clean again."
"Yeah, it's nice to think about. Oh no! Look out!"
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere! It was aimed right at Hopeful Heart!
"Two Care Bears, all on their own. Easy pickings," a cold, deep voice laughed.
"Why are you coming after us yourself, N-N-No Heart?" Hopeful Heart was trembling. She couldn't help it. Something about the wizard went against everything the Care Bear Family stood for and made her feel cold all over.
"I couldn't afford to have my niece and that stupid fur ball screw this up. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to hear, Sorry No Heart. We'll do a good job next time. I mean a bad job because bad is good to us., every time I send them out? And then there's that horrible shriek. Useful but it gives me such a headache."
"I don't see what your aching head has to do with us. What do you want?"
"Only you, my dear. I'll capture you and have control of all the world's hope. When hope is stolen, fear will take over. Soon, those pathetic humans will be begging to give up their feelings, just for a taste of sweet, sweet relief. The Care Bear Family won't stand a chance. They, and caring itself, will die out in a matter of time with only a little work on my part. Such a simple plan but brilliant, don't you think?"
"Brilliant? Sick and twisted is more like it. Care Bears, countdown!"
"Four, three, two, one. Stare!"
With only two of them, No Heart hardly felt the Stare. In fact, it almost seemed to tickle him.
"Pitiful!" The wizard sent out a bolt of magic that struck Hopeful Heart at point blank range. She shrank, turning into a small plush doll, as ordinary as any you'd find in a store. "Shreeky's plan to turn you Care Bears into dolls was a good one. Too bad she didn't think of the proper way to use it. This will make a fine decoration."
He plucked the Hopeful Heart doll from the Cloud Car's seat and tucked it into a pocket of his robe.
"Give her back!" Always Here yelled, sliding into the driver's seat and lunging at the wizard.
"Pathetic cub. You don't stand a chance against me, especially alone. Now go home and tell your family that your hope is gone, yours and the world's."
The young bear felt fear coursing through his veins. He wished he could fight but he wasn't strong enough. If No Heart was letting him go, he had no choice but to run.
Always Here didn't really remember his trip back to Care-a-Lot. The shocked numbness after Hopeful Heart's transformation and kidnapping carried him to the Hall of Hearts, where Tenderheart was finishing up some paperwork at the meeting table.
"Tenderheart, Tenderheart! It's terrible! We need to call a family meeting right now!" The tears were coming and he couldn't stop them.
"ALWAYS Here, what happened? Where's Hopeful Heart?"
"Th-Th-That's the p-p-problem. No Heart came and, and, I couldn't. Not strong enough. He took her!"
"Hold it. This sounds bad but I can't understand what you're saying. Sit here and try to breathe. It won't do us any good if you pass out. I'll call a meeting and get you some hot chocolate. Drink it and then tell us everything."
Tenderheart called an emergency meeting for all Care Bears and Cousins, gave Always Here some hot chocolate and made sure he drank it all. Everyone arrived as quickly as they could. Caring missions were suspended for emergencies but most family members were finished for the day anyway. When everyone was assembled, Always Here told them as much as he knew.
"No Heart kidnapped Hopeful Heart? That's terrible! I say we charge in and get her back!" growled Brave Heart Lion. "She gives a lot more hope to everybody than they'd have otherwise. Without her, hope and caring will fade fast. We can't let that happen."
"I agree but we can't just rush in without a plan," Bright Heart Raccoon argued. "No Heart will just capture or even kill us if we do that. Come to think of it, why did he let Always Here go so easily? One Care Bear would have been so easy to destroy. And why keep Hopeful Heart around? This isn't at all like No Heart's usual plans. He must have something much more sinister in mind."
"Good points, Bright Heart," said Tenderheart, "but just what is he planning?"
Suddenly, there was a bong like a very sick clock.
"The Caring Meter! Everyone, outside!"
Everybody rushed to see what was happening. When the Caring Meter made that sound, it meant serious trouble on Earth. Sure enough, caring levels had plummeted sharply. The machine let out another plaintive noise.
"Oh no," said Cheer Bear. "What could have made caring levels drop so fast?"
"We know it's No Heart's doing but I can't guess the details. Time to investigate," said Bright Heart.
They all went inside, to the room that held the Rainbow Rescue Beam, Star-o-Scope and various monitors that let them keep an eye on Earth. All this equipment allowed them to find and get to anyone who needed their help.
Wish Bear hurried to the Star-o-Scope and watched for a while. "Tenderheart, I think you need to see this. People aren't out and about like they should be, even in big cities. It's like they've all disappeared."
"The monitors show a major spike in fear levels all around the world. Let's check the news. Maybe that will give us a clearer idea of what's going on."
He flipped through TV channels, while other bears and Cousins did internet research. Mentions of a newly discovered disease kept popping up. Nobody knew much about it yet but they were afraid because reports talked about lockdowns and the possibility that the disease could kill billions.
"Something sounds off about this whole thing," said Bright Heart. "Talk of this illness spread awfully fast. If nobody knows what it is yet, why is everybody panicking? What happened to asking questions? What is No Heart trying to achieve?"
"It has to do with fear and control," Always Here said quietly. "No Heart took Hopeful Heart so he'd have control over hope. He said something about fear taking over and people begging to give up their feelings to escape it."
"No Heart," Brave Heart growled, "this is the worst thing you've ever done. We have to stop it. Charge!"
"Brave Heart," said Tenderheart, "No Heart will be expecting that. Besides, I think we have to deal with some of this fear before we do anything else. If people get too scared, they won't listen to anything but their fears. We have to reach all the people we can before they get swept up and push us away. Then, we'll make a plan to bring Hopeful Heart home."
"You're probably right. It's just so hard to wait."
"I know." He patted his friend on the shoulder. "It's not easy for any of us. Okay, everybody needs to eat and rest. Most of us will start tackling this in the morning, when we're all fresh and ready. Bedtime and Sweet Dreams will, of course, start tonight. There are a lot of people who need a good sleep."
The next several weeks were a blur for the Care Bear Family. They did their best to help as many people as they could but it wasn't easy. Once fear sinks its claws in, it's tough to make it let go.
Things were made worse when the mysterious disease gained a name, feelititis. Apparently, its symptoms included feelings of happiness, gratitude and glowing skin. In severe cases, a patient may have the urge to laugh at funny jokes. When that was accompanied by an intense desire for hugs, the case was deemed terminal. Naturally, the Care Bears were suspicious of a disease with symptoms that looked just like caring. Besides, the lead doctor who explained about feelititis sounded remarkably like No Heart and even had his erie eyes.
The fright only increased when a lockdown was called and people were forced to stay inside, away from others as much as possible. Supposedly, feelititis was contagious and would be made worse by sunshine and community involvement. Showing affection for your family was discouraged as well because it increased the likelihood of developing symptoms. Even formerly reliable doctors followed along and soon the world was caught up in feelititis panic. It was all over the news, on posters and in advertising. Of course, constantly talking about it continued the vicious cycle.
Isolation soon took hold. People interacted with others as little as possible now. Time on their computers, phones, reading and watching TV was limited to a maximum of three hours a day altogether. Children were also discouraged from playing with their toys often. These things increased joy and gratitude so must be avoided. Listlessness set in, as people simply stared at the walls for something to do. Shortly after that came despair. There was no hope, no point in living when everything precious had been taken away. This is what caused millions of excess deaths around the world, though feelititis took the blame. Obviously, the people who died cared too much to avoid the disease.
Seeing this made life extremely difficult for the Care Bear Family. They felt the pain of those who suffered keenly but were often turned away because their caring energy may aggravate a case of feelititis. The Care Bears knew that they were needed and could help with all the fear and despair but how could they do their job when so many no longer wanted them? Caring was fading away quickly, which severely weakened the Care Bears and Cousins. What could they do to stop the destruction and restore joy?
Thankfully, there were still bright spots in this dark world. Some were not blind to the strangeness of this new disease. It had popped up so quickly and its symptoms were unlike those of any sickness they knew. Who in their right mind would think happiness and gratitude were bad? Wasn't laughter supposed to be good for you? As for glowing skin, it once meant that you had enough fresh air. That was certainly better than the sickly pale skin that most of their fearful, sad relatives displayed on the few video chats they were willing to risk. The questioners still felt fear but for the way the world was becoming, rather than a disease they weren't sure existed. They invited the Care Bears in warmly, shared their food and tried to live as normally as possible. These people could be helped.
A girl named Alice was struggling with worry about not being able to go to school or see her friends. She almost choked on her cereal when she heard that the lockdown was staying in place. Friend Bear talked with her about all her concerns. They played games together and Friend reassured her that life would be better than normal one day. The Care Bear Family would fix this and everybody would recover. She also told Alice about Hopeful Heart, who was missing now.
"She wouldn't want you to be sad all the time. She'd tell you to think of the good that will come in the future. Don't stop fighting and keep hope close to your heart. It's people like you who will help us save Hopeful Heart and the world by believing in hope and love. It may not be much but we need your light. Will you help us?"
"Yes, Friend Bear. Here, I want you to have my lucky rock." The girl took a polished rock from her pocket. It was small enough to hide in her palm and had layers all through. "Holding it makes me feel better. It might help you too."
"Thank you. I'll treasure it."
Moments like that helped the Care Bear Family keep going. Even though not everybody wanted to be around them, there were still a lot of people who cared and were willing to give them a chance. That was enough to make a difference.
Things changed again when the "cure for feelititis" was announced. Suddenly, everyone was talking about pills that would "keep you safe and completely eradicate the disease." For the first time in a long time, people were excited about something. Finally, life would get back to normal, or so they thought.
When the pills came out, people flocked to their doctors and pharmacies to get them. Naturally, some were sceptical. They had questioned feelititis and weren't sure about taking medicine for a disease that probably didn't exist. Those pills came out almost as quickly as the disease was announced. How could they be sure they were safe to take?
The Care Bear Family knew that the pills probably couldn't be trusted. If a doctor, who reminded them so much of No Heart, announced a disease and then announced the cure for it, what would that cure do? Something was very, very wrong.
It didn't take long to find out. The pills were advertised to "wash away your fears of feelititis." They did, as well as washing away any other feelings people had. When they started taking the pills, people felt numb, as if their emotions had been covered by a curtain. Still, blankness was better than constant fear and worry. It was restful, peaceful and calm, while fear hurt.
As more and more people took the feelititis cure, messages about those who were still in danger surfaced. "Everyone has to take the pills to avoid feelititis. Even if you're taking them, you could spread feelititis to somebody who isn't. The pills protect you but don't remove the disease from your body. If you don't take them, you won't be allowed in most public places or be able to participate in community activities. Keep safe, be connected again." Of course, that made some of the questioners start taking the pills, which meant more blank zombies running around.
Not everyone fell for those tricks. Some brave souls still remembered a time before the fear and knew that love and kindness were right and good. Seeing the unfeeling people going through the motions of life was wrong. That's all it was, going through the motions. You wouldn't see friends chatting over coffee or kids playing anymore. They simply ate, slept and did everything on a sort of autopilot. There had to be something more.
Non-pillers, as they were called, learned to make quiet, simple lives for themselves. Instead of going to restaurants, they ate at home. Some took up gardening and animal care. Others learned to sew. When their schools forced them to leave, students studied by themselves and learned skills that the education system couldn't teach. All in all, it wasn't a bad life but it could get lonely.
And then, the bullying started. Non-pillers were deemed a threat to the pillers' way of life. Now the Care Bear Family was really busy, trying to protect those who still cared from going the way of the crowd. Brave Heart and Lotsa Heart Elephant remembered one mission well.
A boy had stepped outside for some fresh air. Spring was still beautiful and he was going to enjoy it, no matter what anybody said. Three other boys were walking by and happened to overhear him say, "I wish things could be like they were before all this started. I want to play basketball again and just hang out with the guys like I used to."
The other boys looked up. All of them had the same blank expressions on their faces.
"If you'd take the pills, we could do that," the leader said in a flat voice. "It's all up to you. If you want things to get back to normal, just take them. Be like us. You won't feel a thing."
"That's what I'm afraid of," said the boy, Steve. "I've seen the way they make you act and I don't want to be like that. You don't even play basketball anymore. You're just shells of yourselves now and it scares me."
"Here, try it. All the fear will just melt away. No more troubles, no more worries."
"I won't try it and I want you to leave, right now."
Suddenly, the other boys had Steve pinned. Two held his arms, while the third forced his mouth open to put a pill in!
"Care Cousin Call!"
Colorful beams of light hit the boys. They dropped Steve and blinked.
"What were we doing?"
"Huh?"
"Steve, are you okay?"
"You guys are back to normal. But how?"
"I guess the Care Bear Stare and Cousin Call counter the pills' effects," Brave Heart said.
"And that's the truth," Lotsa Heart chimed in. "Doesn't it feel better to care than just be blank all the time?"
"Yeah, it feels like I lost something and just found it again," the leader, Brad, commented.
"Or like being asleep and finally waking up," Theo, one of the others said.
"Yeah. How could we have just given up something so important?" asked the third boy, Gordon.
"You were tricked into it. That's what fear does," Brave Heart said. "Once it takes control, a lot of people will believe anything, especially if it comes from authority figures or people who seem to know what they're talking about. That's why it's so much harder to be brave than to just follow along."
"So how do we keep this from happening again?"
"I think that if you stop taking the pills, you'll be fine. Make sure to ask questions and do your own research before you believe everything you hear."
"That's how you'll find the truth."
"But why did fear get to us so easily?"
"Because Earth's hope is fading. Our friend, Hopeful Heart Bear, was kidnapped by an evil wizard named No Heart. We have to get her back to make hope come alive again."
"You'd better hurry. Things will only get worse if you don't do something soon."
"And that's the truth. Trying to help people like we have can only do so much. It's time to call a Care Bear Family meeting."
In the Hall of Hearts, Brave Heart called everybody together. He and Lotsa Heart explained what happened with the boys.
"Secret Bear and I noticed that too," said Friend.
"Loyal Heart and I did too," Gentle Heart said quietly.
There was a chorus of agreements from the other Care Bears and Cousins.
"Okay," True Heart Bear said, "we've found a pattern in what the Care Bear Stare and Cousin Call do to the people who took the anti-feeling pills. It will take too long to help everyone individually so we'll have to do something for them all at once."
"No Heart started this," Always Here said. "He took Hopeful Heart and then posed as a doctor to destroy the world's feelings. We have to get her back and defeat No Heart now. No distractions or second guesses. Otherwise, he'll try something even worse and we won't make it out."
"You're right. We just have to figure out how."
"What gives No Heart his power?" asked Bright Heart. "His amulet. We have to destroy the amulet and then we can deal with him."
"I have an idea," said Friend. "Everybody pass this around." She pulled out the rock that Alice had given her. "Rocks can hold and send out a lot of energy. This one was a gift of love so it's already primed for caring energy. If we all charge this rock with our Stares and Calls, one good hit from it should be enough to destroy No Heart's amulet. Who knows what it'll do to him?"
Everybody passed the rock around and poured their caring energy into it. Once they were done, the small stone shone in all the colors of the rainbow.
"I'll make copies of this," said Share Bear, "enough for everybody to have some. That way, we'll have extras, just in case."
"Good thinking. It's better to be prepared. Besides, we'll have to deal with Beastly and Shreeky too."
Share got to work while the others planned the rest of the operation.
Always Here spoke up. "Since I couldn't do anything before, I need to be the one to bring Hopeful Heart back."
"Are you sure?" Tenderheart asked.
"Positive. I even have an idea of how to do it."
A line of Cloud Cars filed up to No Heart's castle. As always, the castle was surrounded by a perpetual storm, with rain pouring, lightning flashing and thunder booming. Everyone except Grams and the cubs was there. True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse walked up to the big front door and knocked.
No Heart himself answered. "Ah, the Care Bear Family. So good of you to come. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Noble Heart wore his most downcast expression. "We're here to surrender, No Heart. You beat us. There's not enough caring left in the world to protect. Why struggle? You would have had us all sooner or later anyway."
True Heart sighed. "There's just no point in fighting anymore so do whatever you want with us."
The wizard smirked. "What a pleasant change of heart. Hmm, I could just kill you all now but that would be no fun. Turn you into dolls like your precious Hopeful Heart? Keep you as slaves? Decisions, decisions. I'll keep you around for a while, make you sweat a little before making my choice."
Always Here put on his best pleading cub look and stepped forward. "Mr. No Heart, before you do anything, could I see Hopeful Heart one last time? I want to tell her I'm sorry I couldn't protect her before."
"Of course, little cub. Your anguish over your failure will make your suffering all the sweeter. Beastly! Escort these fine creatures to my throne room. Once they've said their goodbyes, take them to the dungeon."
"Right away, No Heart."
The strange little creature led the Care Bear Family through the castle hallways and into No Heart's throne room. It was cold and dimly lit, like the rest of the castle. A cauldron stood off to one side and the walls were lined with shelves containing books and all manner of other things. On a high shelf, so high that Beastly needed a ladder to reach, sat the Hopeful Heart doll. He brought her down and laid her at Always Here's feet.
"Here's your friend. I don't see why you want to say goodbye since you'll be joining her soon enough. No Heart will see to that." He laughed.
"It's called closure, Beastly. I failed her before and need to fix my mistake. Hey, what's that on your forehead?"
"What, where?"
"Right there." Always Here chucked a caring-infused rock, which smacked Beastly right between the eyes.
"Owee! Oh, I feel funny. I'm a little teapot,
Short and stout." And he fell over.
A rainbow of light spread from the point of impact, wrapping around No Heart's assistant like a cocoon. After a few moments, the light faded, leaving a dramatically changed Beastly behind. His fur was a rich, chocolate brown and much less shaggy. In fact, he looked like a Care Bear Cousin pig, heart-shaped nose and all.
"Wow, I haven't felt so good since that time with the Caring Crystals. Uh, why do I look like you now?"
Bright Heart thought it over. "I suppose the concentrated caring energy in the stone somehow tapped into your inner caring potential. Perhaps the massive dose you got transformed you."
"Wow. Does this mean I have to be a Care Bear?"
"That's something we'll have to figure out after this is all over. For now, Always Here, you have a job to do."
"Right." Always Here picked up Hopeful Heart and embraced her for a moment. "I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner and that I couldn't help you after No Heart grabbed you." He set her down gently. "Maybe if he hadn't put you in his pocket, I could have stopped all this. Well, we're all here now. It's time to make sure No Heart never does something like this again. Care Bear Stare."
His Stare touched the doll's feet and spread to cover her whole body. Hopeful Heart glowed brightly, growing until she was her normal size again. She took in a sharp breath, as if getting used to having lungs again. The restored bear blinked, stretched and slowly got to her feet. Instantly, the air seemed to warm. It felt like everyone had been carrying a weight for so long that they almost forgot it was there. Finally, it was gone and they could stand a little straighter, breathe a little easier. No Heart's dim throne room brightened, as if by the gentle glow of candles.
"Always Here? Everybody. What happened? I remember No Heart zapping me but not much after that. Mostly, it was like being in a dream, except for one time when he revived me just long enough to take a couple breaths. Then I was back in the dream again."
"That must have been just before the anti-feeling pills came out," Cheer said.
"Anti-feeling pills? What did I miss?"
They told her as much as they could about the world's loss of hope, feelititis and the pills. They explained how some people were still strong enough to fight the lies and how the caring-infused rock had transformed Beastly.
"Sheesh, you go away for a couple months and the whole world falls apart. It's time we put it back together. Let me see some of those rocks."
The group handed her what they had. Hopeful Heart's Stare ran over the rocks like water. When she was done, each stone had veins of white light running between the colors.
"There. Now these things should really pack a punch. Quick, everybody take some and get ready. No Heart will be back to check on Beastly any minute."
No sooner had they done that than No Heart barged into the throne room, not looking happy. "Beastly! What was all that light? Haven't I told you not to experiment with my spell books?"
Then he saw Hopeful Heart, standing as tall as her small frame allowed. She looked radiant, with both her fur and Tummy Symbol shining softly and eyes that seemed to spread warmth to everybody they saw, everybody but him.
"Why No Heart, so good of you to join us. Surprised to see me like this after so long?"
"You! So your little fuzzy friends brought you back. I'll fix that. Shreeky! Get in here and help me!"
"Yes, Uncle No Heart. Wow! What happened to the fur ball?"
"Oh Shreeky, it's just wonderful. The Care Bears freed me and now I feel like I can do anything. No more, Beastly, do the dishes! Beastly, get me a coffee and while you're at it, destroy those meddling Care Bears! I'm free!"
The young sorceress just gaped.
Tenderheart took advantage of her distraction to hit the mirror she was holding with a Stare. It shattered.
"You broke my mirror!" Just as she opened her mouth for one of her powerful shrieks, Wish launched a powered-up rock that landed right in the sorceress's mouth.
"What? It was a perfect target."
The girl coughed and spit the projectile onto the floor but it was too late to stop the change. Rainbow light covered her like a cloak and she slumped to the floor.
"So warm. May I have a cookie, Mommy?"
Like Beastly, Shreeky was soon transformed. Her hair had turned red and her eyes were brown but the biggest change was to her personality.
"You know, Uncle No Heart, this isn't a very nice way to treat such sweet creatures," the girl said in a strangely soft voice. "You've had me and Beastly trying to destroy these cute little guys for so long. It makes me sick to think that we actually liked it. They just want to spread kindness and I suddenly don't see what's so wrong with that. How come you wanted us to help you destroy caring anyway?"
"Yeah," Beastly said, "I don't get it either. Being good feels so much better. Look how the Care Bears work together. There's no yelling or blaming each other when things go wrong and they have stuff to make good cookies. When I try to make gingerbread, I don't even want to eat it. Why can't I have what they have?"
"You two are useless! I expected this kind of behavior from Beastly because of that time with the Caring Crystals, but you, Shreeky? My niece? My ex-niece? I thought I taught you better. I'll just have to destroy these putrid little fuzz balls myself!"
No Heart's amulet glowed as he started blasting magic at the Care Bears. They scattered, jumping and dodging the spells as the wizard got angrier and angrier. He switched rapidly between shapes, tornado, bull, tiger, snake, man to fire off another spell. With each shift, the wizard tried to grab a Care Bear or Cousin but there were too many and they were moving too fast.
No Heart didn't seem to be thinking clearly after the shock of Beastly and Shreeky's betrayal. Having so many foes to attack at once didn't help. His aim grew wild and he began blasting chunks out of the walls and floor. As a wolf, he growled. This was not going well.
"I think he's getting tired!" Bright Heart called to the others.
It was true. No Heart turned back to his human form to fire more magic but his spells were getting weaker. The latest misaimed flash merely scratched the flor, instead of blasting a crater into it. He was panting heavily now, pausing to catch his breath instead of changing shape. Now was the perfect time for Hopeful Heart to strike.
"This is for everything you've done, to me, to my family and to the world!"
Hopeful Heart threw one of the caring-infused rocks as hard as she could at the amulet. It shattered as easily as a dropped glass on a hard floor, spraying broken fragments everywhere. The rock continued on, striking the wizard in the chest, right where his heart would be. He stumbled back. Even a small object can hit hard.
"Quick everybody. Care Bear Stare!"
All together, the Care bear Family hit No Heart with everything they had. A pillar of blinding rainbow light, interwoven with white threads, surrounded the wizard. No Heart screamed as if his very being were being ripped apart, a scream that went on and on until the castle rang with it.
"Oooooh! It hurts!" Always Here was crying. "It's like No Heart's feelings were locked in a box for years and the box just got vaporized. They're all hitting him at once. I have to do something to help him. Otherwise, I don't know what will happen."
Always Here struggled through the pain, towards the wizard. He reached him just as the pillar melted away. No Heart seemed the most changed of all the transformed beings. The light had apparently burned his robe away, leaving a thin man in a simple shirt and pants. His eyes were a brilliant green and his hair was short, brown and curly. He looked so ordinary, like any heartbroken man. That was all he seemed to be now, just a man, sobbing for the first time in many years.
The young bear put a hand on the kneeling No Heart's shoulder. His Tummy Symbol glowed softly while he guided the poor man through all of his long-buried emotions. A desire for love that had never truly been fulfilled. A deep sense of loneliness. Fear that he wouldn't be good enough. Anger and a desire for power. Guilt at the lengths he'd gone to nearly destroy everything that others seemed to take for granted. Hatred of those prescious things that they had in abundance but he lacked. A strange, stunted care for Beastly, Shreeky and the sister he had pushed away and missed so much now. All these and more swirled within the man who was once Noah Heartwell. Always Here felt everything, every hurt, every bit of anger and sadness. Carefully, so carefully, he put a hand in Noah Heartwell's and led him through the storm. Slowly, the broken man began to name each emotion, began to understand the what and the why of them all.
When his tears calmed some, he spoke. "I just wanted to be noticed, to be something special. And now look at what I became, all those people I hurt. Nobody understood why I wanted to learn magic. They all thought I was stupid to try, except my sister. I found those spell books and learned everything I could. Oh, the power, the darkness. I pushed my sister away and sealed my heart in a box made of magic to block any feelings that would stop me from getting more. And then, you Care Bears came along. I hated you because you stood for everything I never had. I tried so hard to destroy you, to destroy all the world's feelings, just so I wouldn't be alone in my emptiness. Then I could have all the power I wanted. Now you've beaten me and I feel every feeling I tried to block out. I'm sorry for everything I've done. It all hurts so much."
Always Here felt the tears running down his own face. "I know. I know."
Noah buried his face in the bear's soft fur. Fresh, cleansing tears were flowing. Always Here held him until they finally stopped.
"Why are you helping me like this? Don't you hate me for everything I've done?"
"I have to help. Nobody should have to go through an emotional storm like you just did. All that pent-up hurt could have destroyed you and all of us, even the world if it got out of control. I couldn't let that happen. As for everything you've done, it was wrong and always will be. Maybe because I understand your emotions now, I know that you truly feel remorse for all of it. Somehow, I think you could be redeemed."
"Redeemed? Me? Why?"
"All those feelings show how human, how alive, you still are. That aliveness means you can work towards forgiveness and healing. Taking the time to understand and handle your emotions is a good first step."
"I've wasted so much time. Could I really do that?"
"You could. There's a lot to learn and a lot to make up for but it is possible. You said you wanted to study magic so you'd be noticed. Well, there's a lot of good magic to learn. Maybe you could use it to help others."
"I need time to figure out how to start."
"Take all the time you need. This isn't going to be a fast or easy process but the work will be worth it."
"Beastly and I will be here to help you, Uncle, uh, Noah."
"Sure. We need time too."
"Thank you. The first thing to do is talk to your mom and dad, Sherry. We should probably start using your real name, instead of that silly nickname you got because of that shriek of yours. We have to tell them everything and apologize for everything we've done. If they accept, maybe we can all stay with them while we figure out what to do next."
"I think they'll forgive us. Before I came to live with you, Mom was always talking about how much she missed her big brother. She sent me here because I take after you and she wanted us to try to be a family. I love living with you and I'm ready for all of us to go home."
"I haven't been home in so long. I'm looking forward to it."
"Good luck to all of you," Tenderheart said. "We'll be in touch. If you need us, don't be afraid to reach out."
"Thank you. It's going to be a long road and we'll need all the help we can get."
With that, the Care Bear Family left No Heart's castle. They were surprised to discover that the storm was gone, to be replaced by pristine white clouds.
"Wow! Look at that!" exclaimed Cozy Heart Penguin.
"This is beautiful!" Friend agreed. "I guess when No Heart, er, Noah, got through his storm, the castle did too. Miracles really can happen."
"Of course," Tenderheart said. "We exist. Isn't that miracle enough?"
"The world could use another one now. Care Bears countdown!" called True Heart.
"Four, three, two, one!"
"Stare!"
"Call!"
The Care Bear Family's Tummy Symbols glowed, shooting out beams of light that merged and spread. All of the colors blended to a pure whiteness that bathed the whole world. It was warm, like being wrapped in a cozy blanket, like waking up from a terrible nightmare and knowing you were safe. All of the fear and worry over feelititis and the horrible blankness that the pills brought faded like a dream. Even the pills themselves disappeared because they couldn't withstand the sudden increase in caring energy. Yes, it was like waking from a nightmare.
Not long after that, the Care Bears released statements to Earth's media outlets, exposing No Heart's lies about feelititis and its cure. Earth's authorities would have been no help against his magic so the Care Bears had to take charge and confront their old enemy one last time. Finally, after all their efforts, they had defeated the wizard and his minions for good. With hope restored and a major source of evil destroyed, Earth could start growing into the beautiful place it was always meant to be.
Most of Earth's population was ashamed and embarrassed at how blindly they had followed No Heart's advice. Their fear and scramble for a quick solution had harmed so many. Wounds caused by bullying, coercion and being forced to leave school and work leave lasting scars that even a Care Bear Stare can't heal. Trust in individuals and institutions had been broken for those who were hurt worst, especially since the ones who did the hurting usually preferred to forget that any of it had ever happened. They didn't want to admit how wrong they had been. Instead, they thought it was best to move on and get back to normal as quickly as possible. The forgetfulness approach only caused more harm. You can't live normally after having your life uprooted, not without acknowledgment of the damage caused and help to repair it. Forgetting means that you didn't learn from a mistake. When you don't admit a wrongdoing, learn and work to correct it, you could do even worse harm next time.
With the Care Bears' help, people are slowly building new lives and friendships with those who will listen to both sides of the story. They are beginning to find the closure they need. That way, people do not merely move on but learn lessons that will help them grow and build lasting, meaningful relationships. Without strong, meaningful connections, life is empty. With them, emptiness makes way for true wholeness, something that the Care Bear Family wishes everyone to achieve. With hope and love, it is possible.
"So that's how it all happened," Hopeful Heart finished.
"Wow. I think I understand better why the world is the way it is, even though I don't like that any of the craziness happened."
"Neither do I."
"What really drives me crazy is the fact that most people just want to forget about it. If they forget, then this could happen all over again, or something even worse."
"That's right. It makes me sad too. We're doing the best we can but some people are hard to teach. Tell me, what did you learn from it all?"
"I learned who not to trust and how to find my own voice through my writing."
"You also learned to stand up for what is right and true. If we can teach more people to do all of those things, the world will be much better off."
"Do you mean I could help?"
"Of course. I think your writing skills will come in handy. You're a strong girl and I think you have a lot to share with the world."
"Me? strong? I sure didn't feel strong when all of the problems hit my family."
"When your brother got sick, how did you handle it?"
"I helped him the best I could, encouraged him to get better and cried later."
"That's perfectly fine. The point is that you were there to give him hope and strength and you did what you had to. He's fine now, right?"
"Yeah but I couldn't save the dogs or Zaboo."
"No. Here, have another hug." Sunni got in on that one too and started giving kisses. "Bleh, tongue in the mouth. Sunni, down. You can't do everything, as much as you might want to, but you were the best friend you could be to them. I know they love you and are proud of you for that. You gave your light, which is the best anybody can do. That helped you have enough to love Sunni and everybody else in your life Which is really important, especially because of how easy it would be to turn away and stop loving."
"I can't stop loving. My friends and family wouldn't let me."
"That's the key. Love helps you hold onto hope, even when the darkness tries to pull you in. You've been through a lot of trials in the past few years. The fact that you've managed to hold onto love and hope through all of them shows how strong you are. It's easy and normal to be scared and worry that bad things might happen but hope lets us remember that a lot of good things will happen too. So feel all the feelings you need to. It's okay. You also need to look with hope at the good things that are now and the ones that will be in the future."
"How?"
"Reminders help. They don't have to be big, just something to make you think of the good and be grateful that it's there. Actually, I have one for you. Wait just a minute and I'll get it."
Hopeful Heart went to her Cloud Car. When she came back, she handed Serena a soft-furred stuffed Care Bear, a little over a foot tall, with a Tummy Symbol that felt like a wheel or clock face with a big heart in the middle.
"This is your very own mini version of me, to help you remember our visit. Hug her anytime you need a little extra hope. Do you like her?"
"I love her. Thanks so much. I want to give you something too. Do you have time to come in while I work on it?"
"Sure."
Human, Care Bear and dog went into the girl's house. Serena introduced Hopeful Heart to her family.
"It's very nice to meet you."
Hopeful Heart filled them in on her caring mission, while Serena went to her desk, new toy in hand. She began typing franticly on her braille tablet, tracing the toy's Tummy Symbol with her fingers every once in a while for inspiration. Serena went over what she had written until it was just right. Then she printed it off and took the paper into the kitchen.
"Hopeful Heart?"
"Yeah?"
"Your present is ready. It's just a little poem. I hope you like it."
The Care Bear took the paper and read.
Many Faces of Hope
Hope can be a fragile thing,
Like a small object that's so easily tossed away.
When a desire doesn't come true,
It shatters the hope we carry for that thing.
That hurts.
Hope can be frightening,
Like a fierce creature, ready to strike.
If you have been let down before, you may not feel ready to hope again.
"What if? What if?"
You ask, over and over.
That's when fear takes hold.
And then hope can be beautiful,
Like the sun on the first really warm day of spring.
It's ready to wrap us all in its warmth and shine its light on everything.
This is the light that will make a path to free us from the trap of darkness.
If more people embrace this hope,
Dream more beautiful dreams,
Maybe that will guide our world into the eternal light.
Whatever face we see, we need to nurture and share hope.
It is a treasure to hold close and protect,
Even though evil would have us throw it away.
It's time to get past the fears.
It's time to dream those beautiful dreams, work to make them come true
And move towards that eternal, Divine light.
"Serena, this is beautiful. Do you mind if I share it with the rest of my family?"
"Please share it with anybody you think needs to read it."
"Thanks, I will. You have a real talent for writing that I think could be a big help. Will you do something else for me, please?"
"What?"
"Write down the story I told you. It might be good for somebody who needs hope and healing. Writing is a good way for you to share your light."
"I can do that."
"Good girl. The Care Bear Family will keep working with you and make sure you get that apology and whatever other help you need to heal properly."
"Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. In the meantime, spread your light and keep caring.
So I'm sharing this story. May it bring you healing. May it make you think and help you grow. May it let you know that you are not alone in your feelings and that someone does care. Most of all, may it give you hope and bring you a step closer to the eternal, Divine light. Thanks for reading.