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The Confidence Secret","description":"","count":"42","submission_left_submission_id":"1962269","submission_left_file_name":"2829628_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc.jpg","submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/2829/2829628_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc.jpg","submission_left_thumbnail_url_large_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2829/2829628_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc_noncustom.jpg","submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2829/2829628_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc_noncustom.jpg","submission_left_thumb_medium_noncustom_x":"120","submission_left_thumb_medium_noncustom_y":"103","submission_left_thumb_large_noncustom_x":"200","submission_left_thumb_large_noncustom_y":"172","submission_left_thumb_huge_noncustom_x":"300","submission_left_thumb_huge_noncustom_y":"259","submission_right_submission_id":"1962273","submission_right_file_name":"2829634_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc.jpg","submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/2829/2829634_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc.jpg","submission_right_thumbnail_url_large_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2829/2829634_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc_noncustom.jpg","submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2829/2829634_jcriver_o_segredo_de_confiante_letra_kristen_itc_noncustom.jpg","submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_x":"120","submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_y":"103","submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_x":"200","submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_y":"172","submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_x":"300","submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_y":"259"}],"description":"[b]ATTENTION:[/b] This chapter contains scenes or subjects that may be disturbing to some people. Read at your own risk.\n\nThis chapter contains dialogues in Portuguese, but the translation into English is in parentheses.\n\nHector continues suffering at the hands of Calvin. Meanwhile, the Annual Caring Fair is approaching, and the Care Bears invite friends from around the world to attend the event. And Aqua Bear and Lonesomeheart will find it best not to mess with Confidence Heart...\n\nThis story is the official continuation of @aquabear and @SeaHeartCat work, and contains characters from other authors. A complete list can be obtained at https://inkbunny.net/j/366917-jcriver-introduction\n\nGood reading. ;)","description_bbcode_parsed":"ATTENTION: This chapter contains scenes or subjects that may be disturbing to some people. Read at your own risk.

This chapter contains dialogues in Portuguese, but the translation into English is in parentheses.

Hector continues suffering at the hands of Calvin. Meanwhile, the Annual Caring Fair is approaching, and the Care Bears invite friends from around the world to attend the event. And Aqua Bear and Lonesomeheart will find it best not to mess with Confidence Heart...

This story is the official continuation of \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taquabear\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taquabear\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
and \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeaHeartCat\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeaHeartCat\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
work, and contains characters from other authors. A complete list can be obtained at https://inkbunny.net/j/366917-jcriver-introduction

Good reading. ;)","writing":"[center][b]The Care Bears\nThe Confidence Secret\n3rd Part\nChapter 24[/b][/center]\n\n[b]ATTENTION:[/b] This chapter contains scenes or subjects that may be disturbing to some people. Read at your own risk.\n*****\n\nHector spent all day locked in the room, unable to even go out to feed himself. He could not stop crying and trembling with fear at everything that was happening, unable to believe that his father had done all that with him. Calvin had always shown himself to be a kind, loving, and companion father, but now the boy realized that this was not the truth and that his father was a real monster.\nHuddled on the bed, the boy hoped that all that was over, and that Calvin would leave him alone, but the adult did not seem willing to believe the story that the bears and cousins were not responsible for the death of his great-grandfather Cristian. Instead, it seemed that Calvin was quite sure that the Care Bear Family was guilty and needed to be destroyed to bring no more pain and suffering to the Kayson's.\nIt was when Hector heard the noise in the lock, and then the door opened with the figure of Calvin entering the bedroom, slowly walking to the side of the bed, where he stopped and looked at his son, bringing in a cloth bag in his right hand.\n- And now will you answer my questions? - he asked dryly.\n- PP-Please, Daddy, I... They did not do anything... - muttered the boy, shrinking further into the bed.\n- That's not what I asked you! - said Calvin sharply - Well, I did not want to take any more drastic measures, but you do not give me choices.\nQuickly the adult jumped on the boy and, with all the strength he had, he grabbed his arms and twisted them back, before pulling a metal handcuff from inside the bag and using it to fasten Hector's wrists behind his back.\n- No! Please do not! I beg, Da... mmmmphhh! - the boy started to scream while trying to escape, but soon was dominated and also gagged.\n- That will keep you from shouting and attracting the attention of neighbors - Calvin said without any kind of emotion in his voice, before he began tying his son's ankles and fastening his two big toes together with a plastic band - Okay, now we're ready to go, my dear.\nThe boy lay on his belly-down bed, trembling with fear and whimpering in his gag with his cuffs handcuffed and his ankles fastened, unable to move his legs or feet. Soon he saw his father sit at his feet and lay them on his lap, taking a toothbrush from his bag. With his right hand, Calvin tightly gripped Hector's ankles so he could not pull his legs, while with his left hand he began to slowly rub the brush through the feet soles and toes of the boy.\n- Mmmmmffff! Mmpphh! - Hector tried to scream at his gag as he felt the bristles rub on his feet, tickling. His father had tickled his feet before, many times, but never as now. It was torture, he not being able to run away or move his legs, even cover one foot with the other to hide the soles. But what most frightened the kid was the way his father was acting, with complete indifference to the boy's muffled cries.\nWithout a single word, Calvin continued to brush his son's feet, alternating between heels, arches, soles, and toes, sometimes going stronger and faster or lighter and slower. He was amused at how Hector tried to move his feet, covering one foot with the other, but could not because the big toes were tied together. Suddenly the boy gave a loud tug and was almost able to draw his feet from his father's lap, which quickly replaced them in place.\n- No, no, Hector, I'm still going to tickle your dirty feet for a long time - Calvin said wickedly - You will not be able to run away from me. And try to keep your toes wide open so they get the most attention they deserve, or else it will be worse.\nHector wanted to scream, laugh as loudly as he could and ask for someone's help, but nothing but incomprehensible murmurs left his gagged mouth. He was crying with fear and laughing as Calvin did not stop tickling, pushing the brush between the boy's toes and teasing them to the fullest. At each touch of the bristles, Hector's soles became more sensitive, and when he tried to pinch the brush with his fingers, his father only gave her a spanking on the butt as a rebuke.\nTime has passed, but the situation has not changed. Calvin continued torturing his son with tickles and without saying a word, slapping the boy's butt every time he tried to stop the brush from being rubbed on his soles and toes. After a while Hector tried to keep his feet still and toes open so that his father tickled him as much as he wanted without continuing to hit him. The boy was already sweating, his feet were very sensitive, and his soles were red and burning. That would never end.\nSuddenly, Hector felt his pants wet with urine. He had not been able to hold on, but even that did not seem to touch Calvin. It was then, to the surprise and relief of the boy, that the father stopped with the tickles and got up, turning around until reaching the son's head, taking the gag.\n- Enough... Enough... Please, enough... - the boy pleaded almost out of breath - I say... Whatever you want...\n- Just like I imagined, nothing like a good tickling torture session to make someone talk - Calvin teased staring at Hector - Now tell me what those bears did to you yesterday.\n- They... They played football with me... And with the others... Then they took me... To the Kingdom of Caring... Their house... That's all, I'm sorry...\n- But of course I forgive you - the adult replied with a cold smile, grabbing Hector by the hair and forcing him to look into his face - After all, I'm sure that after today you will never want to meet those furry little ones, because if you do...\nAnd Calvin bared his teeth with an evil expression that made his son start crying and trembling with fear once more.\n - II-I swear, I swear I'll never speak to them again! - cried Hector desperately - Please, Daddy! Let me go now, my legs are aching.\n- Not yet, my son, you will be tied there for some time - his father said as he headed for the door - Who knows after, I'll release the toes so you can move them. But for now you're still tied, and take this time to think if you'll actually keep your word this time.\nAnd without another word, he switched off the light and left, locking the door and leaving his son tied up defenseless on the bed in the dark. Hector wept without stopping, his mind destroyed and his body exhausted. He did not feel any love for Calvin anymore, only fear and anger. Your father really was a monster.\n*****\nThe birds sang happily in the window, and the rays of sunlight were already entering the bedroom, announcing that a new day of adventure had arrived. But the bed never seemed more inviting to them than that morning. They were still holding each other in a loving position, with a small smile on their faces, demonstrating how much they had enjoyed being together. In fact, it was as if it was a dream, and neither Champ or Cheer wanted to wake up for it to end.\nIn fact, the bear had been awake for some time, and he had not moved because he did not want to wake his beloved from sleep. She was so beautiful, so calm, so loving in that way. Very different from the female bear he'd seen the day before, and never wanted to see again. Slowly he ran his fingers through her girlfriend's hair, which smelled of flowers, as well as being silky and soft.\nIt was when Cheer awoke, and when she felt himself in the arms of her beloved, smiled as he turned to him.\n- Good morning, my great Champ Bear - she said in a loving way.\n- Good morning, sweet Cheer Bear - he said - How did you spend the night?\nIn response she kissed the beloved's lips and smiled.\n- I do not think I've ever had such a wonderful night - she said - Do not you agree with that?\n- Of course, it was the best night of my life... Do you want breakfast in bed for both of us?\n- For the time being, I'd rather be hug you, my cute bear - said the female bear with a happy laugh.\n- Okay, we'll be hugging each other - Champ said.\nThe two snuggled up a little more, as if wanting to make the most of that moment.\n- I never thought my first time would be this way - said the pink bear in a low voice -And I'm so glad you went by your side.\n- You mean you still doubted it? - asked the sportsman with a malicious look - I thought you did not feel anything for Grumpy Bear anymore...\n- That's not what I'm talking about, you jealous fool. I do not feel anything for that bad-tempered, just friendship. And you are my boyfriend, the bear of my life, so it was natural that one day we would relate in that way.\n- That makes me very happy, though honestly I thought we were both getting married first and then having a night of love.\n- And that worries you? - asked the female bear curiously - I mean, I know we should be getting married first, but... Nobody knows what happened.\n- But I still worry about what others will think when they find out what we've done - said Champ with a deep sigh - Maybe I should look for Nobleheart and Trueheart to ask for your hand in marriage and mark the date of the ceremony. If you want I'll do it right now...\n- Trueheart will get scared, and you know it. How about we wait some more time? At least until the two of us turn 18. Also, remember that Aqua Bear and Lonesomeheart, Shimmers and Wish, and Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot are not exactly married either, even though they already live together and have great nights of love.\n- How do you know that? - asked the athlete bear with surprised air - That the others already live together and relate, we all know, but how did you know about Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot?\n- No wonder I am the hairdresser her, my darling. Calm down, Champ, we'll just wait a few more months and be discreet, not telling anyone what happened. Not even for Bright Heart, Treat Heart, and especially Confidence. Understood?\nChamp frowned at Cheer's provocative tone, but he did not want to rekindle the argument just at that moment.\n- Of course she will not know anything - he agreed with a sigh of resignation - Now how about we take advantage of our love a little more?\nCheer laughed at that request, and gave a soft kiss on the face of the beloved before they embraced again and resumed their love.\n*****\nAlthough Confidence loved practicing karate more than any other sport, she knew of the importance of exercising in other ways to maintain muscle weight, agility, and strength. That's why she practiced running three or four times a week on the path that linked Care-a-lot to the Care Cousins village in the Forest of Feelings, usually always in the morning to admire the sunrise and the awakening of a new day in the Kingdom of Caring.\nUsually at that time she met only a few bears and cousins already awake, like Bedtime Bear returning from his night job, or Swift Heart training her run, or Bright Heart and Cubot performing astronomical observations. It was a surprise to her, as she made a curve running through the trees, to see Aqua and Lonesomeheart standing in the middle of the path, arms crossed and malicious expressions.\n- Oh, good morning, little nosy fennec - said the sea-bear in a provocative voice - It's good that Lone and I found you, now we can solve our problems with you.\nConfidence paused in front of the pair of bears and took a deep breath, looking curiously at them.\n- What do you mean by that? - she asked with a frown - And why do you two have these faces, as if I have done something wrong?\n- And you still ask? - Lonesome replied with an annoyed ringing in the voice - Aqua and I were already prepared to take care of Hugs and Tugs yesterday afternoon when Grams Bear arrived and told us that you asked to be the babysitter of the two!\n- That was not a nice thing on your part - said the dolphin bear, too, without hiding his irritation - What right do you think you have to act that way and spoil our fun?\n- And what right do you think you have to tickle torture those two cubs? - the desert fox replied quickly, without being intimidated before the two opponents - I just did the right thing, and prevented you from mistreating Hugs and Tugs! Or do you guys think it's fair to tickle two kids like that?\n- You should not meddle in our affairs. But since you then think it is unfair for Lonesome and me to tickle the cubs, then you will now be stuck in their place, as punishment for being nosy.\n- Besides, since you did not want to reveal your weakest spot to us, we'll figure it out for ourselves while we torture you - the warrior female bear added with a mischievous giggle, wiggling her fingers provocatively - Coochie coo, I'm sure it will be a lot of fun to hear your desperate laughs as Aqua and I stimulate your whole body.\n- Well, I think you'd better not try to provoke me... - Confidence murmured, folding her arms and looking seriously at the pair of bears - Anyone who plays with fire usually gets their hands burned.\n- Fortunately, I know how to freeze people - the sea bear replied with a wicked grin while two bluish and icy light spheres appeared in his hands - Now refresh your head, little fennec... Dolphin fire!!!\nAqua tossed the two balls in the form of freezing rays toward the fighter, intending to trap her inside an ice pack so they could tickle her more easily. However, Lonesome and he were shocked when Confidence simply disappeared as if it had melted in the air. In a fraction of a second the desert fox was no longer in front of them, and while the bear couple was still trying to assimilate that surprise, they only heard a familiar voice right behind them.\n- It's the two of you who are going to cool your head... - they heard the fennec say in a low, malicious voice, and before they could even look back, the sea-bear felt a strong kick in his legs, causing him to drop to his knees on the floor.\nLonesome quickly drew her lightsaber to try to attack Confidence, but the fighter quickly grabbed the wrist of the female bear and turned it hard, causing the warrior to scream in pain and be forced to release the saber. The fennec then punched the opponent's face, causing her to collapse on the ground, and then launch a strong wind toward the dolphin bear, which had turned to the fox and tried to attack her again with the Dolphin Fire. Aqua felt that magical energy reach his unprepared body, and he fell back to the floor, dizzy.\nConfidence let out a relieved sigh, feeling that she had escaped a tortured tickling session. That was when an idea went through her mind, and she quickly picked up a large, flexible vine that hung on one of the trees, and cut a long piece with her teeth, running to start tying the bear couple. Turning Aqua from belly down, she tossed Lonesome over him and tied the wrists of the two together on the back of the female bear. She then tied the ankles of both together, so that Aqua's feet were between Lonesome's feet. Only after a few seconds did the sea bear and the warrior bear fully recover their senses and find themselves tied up in that way.\n- Hey! What do you think you're doing?!? - shouted the pink bear, trying to move her arms and legs - Let go of us now, or it will be worse for you!\n- That's not fair; you did not even give us a chance to fight! - complained the dolphin bear frowned - You will regret it when we tell the founders! They will punish you for hitting us and for hiding that you have magical powers!\n- Well, I doubt you'll have the courage to tell this to the founders, or they'll all know that I've been able to defeat you in a fight - Confidence teased maliciously, sitting on the legs of the bears couple, looking toward their feet - In addition, united couple remains united, both to tease others and tickle. Coochie coo!\nWithout another word, she slowly slid the tips of her fingers through the soles of the two bears' feet, who shrieked at the same time curling their toes and trying to pull their legs.\n- Not! Pleahahahase dohohoho nohohohot! - cried Aqua as soon as he felt those furry fingers provoking his feet - My feheheheet nohohoho! Sohohohorry!\n- Plehehehease do nohohohot do thahahahat! - Lonesome chuckled, trying to move her feet - Leheheheave my feheheheet ahahahalone!\n- My tohohohoes! - the bear begged desperately as he felt the fennec quickly rub the top of his toes, especially the heart cushions in front of his fingers - Nohohoho, I'm vehehehery sehehehensitihihihive! I cahahahan nhohohoot stahahahand tihihihickling my tohohohoes!\n- Stohohohop! Thahahahat's nohohohot fair! - the female bear looked a little more in control as she felt her toes being explored, but still the tickles were enough to make her suffer - Yohohohou'll rehehehegret it, Cohohohonfidence! Wehehehe're gohohohoing to tell Shihehehemmers whahahahat yohohohou did! Stohohohop!\n- What a brave female bear you are, threatening me that way while I tickle your feet - Confidence laughed maliciously, sliding her fingers through the bears' feet, exploring all the points of the soles and toes - I think you still have not realized that this is not the most sensible choice, but that will soon change after I give good attention to your sensitive feet. And Shimmers certainly has other more interesting subjects to take care of.\nThe fennec then began to wear her long hairy tail to also tease the feet of his prisoners, especially between the toes. When Aqua felt those furs brushing his toes, he curled them tightly and tried to cross one foot on top of the other.\n- Nohohohot! Nohohohot thahahahat! Stohohohop! - he screamed in despair, as his feet were deathly sensitive, and those soft, long fur brushing his soles and toes were more than he could bear.\nLonesome, on the other hand, was not so sensitive in her feet and could cope a little better with that, diverting her attention momentarily to other parts of her own body, such as her belly in contact with her partner's back. But when she felt those furs, she could not help but giggle.\n- Dohohoho nohohohot use the tahahahail! My feheheheet cahahahan nohohohot stahahahand it! - she shouted, trying to hide her toes keeping them pressed to the ground, but Confidence quickly pulled them back to the horizontal and slid her hands over the soles of the female bear.\n- Oh, how cute to see the little pair laughing - the desert fox mocked in a childlike voice, sliding her hands and tail across the feet of the two bears - You have nothing to complain about since you are getting the same kind of attention you gave to Hugs and Tugs. This is what you deserve for torturing children, and for trying to threaten me. Now keep laughing as I tickle your sensitive feet...\nBoth Aqua and Lonesome were humiliated by the provocations made by Confidence. Both struggled to break free, while the tickles remained ruthless on their soles. The fennec then focused her tail only on the feet of the sea bear, using her hands to tease the feet of the warrior female bear.\n- Ehehehenohohohough! I cahahahan not tahahahake it ahahahanymohohohore! - shouted the bear, curling his toes again and feeling those furs brushing the length of his soles, from the top of the toes to the heels - I'll pehehehee if you dohohoho nohohohot stohohohop!\n- Do not you think you're too old for dirt on your pants? - Confidence questioned with a giggle, looking back and seeing the forced laughter and the desperate looks of the two prisoners, when she felt Aqua pull her tail as he curled the toes - Hey! Keep the toes open, you smelly bear!\nSaying this, she concentrated all the tickles on the feet of the sea bear, who only opened his toes and struggled not to curl them anymore, feeling that intense tickling sensation. The fighting fox kept his tail taunting the toes of his prisoner, feeling as though he was struggling not to curl the toes. She then tickled the pink bear's insteps, up and down slowly, realizing that her soles became more and more sensitive to each new touch.\nAqua fought as hard as he could, but finally he could not bear it any longer, and through the forced laughter and tears streaming from his eyes, he felt the urine trickling down his legs. The smell of pee reached Lonesome's nostrils, struggling to cope with all those tickles, but she could not hold the urine that slid over the bear's butt.\n- Sohohohorry Ahahahaqua! - she screamed as her cheeks flushed with shame - Stohohohop! Plehehehease Cohohohonfidence, I'll do whahahahatever yohohohou wahahahant!\n- I neheheheed to cuhuhuhurl my tohohohoes! - he shouted, curling his fingers around the furs of fennec's tail, only to feel even more tickling as she jerked her tail to free - Ahahahanythihihihing!\nThe fennec felt euphoric. In addition to being torturing the two bears, she had defeated and humiliated them both in the worst possible way, tickling them. This was something no other bear or cousin had achieved until that day.\n- Okay, now that you two have laughed a lot and are wet, you can start by saying \"sorry, Confidence\" - she said in a very malicious tone, still sliding her fingers and tail up and down in the feet of the couple - And you can also promise that you will never try to threaten me with tickling again, or you will torture Hugs and Tugs.\n- I prohohohomise! Sohohohorry, Cohohohonfidence! - Aqua shouted, crying with shame and laughing.\n- I prohohohomise tohohohoo and I beheheheg yohohohour pahahahardon! Stohohohop! - Lonesome also screamed with laughter.\nConfidence laughed with pleasure at seeing those two bears so vulnerable in her hands, begging for mercy. Quickly she slid her fingertips through the soles of the prisoners' feet, up and down, and rubbed her tail over their toes.\n- Hehehe, I never imagined that it would be so easy to tickle you... - she said in malicious tone, after a few more minutes of tickling, until finally she stopped and untied the hands of her opponents - Now have a good day, cheerful little bears.\nAnd she pulled away quickly and still laughing with pleasure, leaving Aqua and Lonesome behind, lying on top of each other with their feet still tied together. After a few minutes of panting, the couple managed to untap allowing the sea bear to sit down and use the lightsaber to cut off those vines that Confidence had used to bind his feet and those of the warrior bear. Both were soon free, rubbing their feet on the floor to get rid of the tickling sensation as they looked at each other feeling a lot of anger and shame at what had happened.\n- That troublemaker fennec does not wait to see... - murmured the female bear irritably before looking at her companion - Are you all right, dear?\n- Of course not, I feel humiliated... - said the bear, with his head down, looking at the spot of urine between his legs - Not only did she defeat us in a fight, she tortured us with tickles until we got wet.\n- What will we do now? Let's look at Nobleheart and Trueheart and make an official complaint against Confidence?\n- And you want to be the butt of jokes for the rest of life? The Care Bear Family already makes fun of us because we like to play with tickles, imagine what they will say when they know what happened! I prefer that troublemaker fox to go unpunished than to have to endure all the taunts of our friends...\nThe warrior bear lowered her head and sighed heavily.\n- You're right... - she agreed sadly - It is better for no one to find out what happened today. But I promise, no matter how much time passes, Confidence will pay for what she did to us!\n- One day we'll have our revenge - said Aqua, getting to his feet - Now we'd better go home and take a shower before anyone asks us what happened.\nAnd the two soon set out for Care-a-Lot, walking in sad silence and trying to figure out a way to hide from everyone what fox fighter had done to them, as well as think of a way to get revenge on her...\n*****\nChristy was sitting at her Aunt Elizabeth's desk, arranging the paperwork. When her aunt traveled along with Frank and the rest of the board, she was who took care of everything, training for the day she would take over as the director's secretary. On normal days, she was just the desk clerk from the heads of business meetings and directors to the chairman's desk.\nOne of her duties was to separate the correspondence, and that was what she was doing at that moment when she came across an envelope addressed to herself. Looking at the sender, only two letters were written: J.D.\nHer heart leapt from her chest at that moment. For months she had no news of her husband, whether he was alive or dead, and that letter gave her a sense of relief that seemed indescribable and unfathomable. Then she tore the envelope and began to read what his beloved had written to her.\n\n[i]Dear Christy\nYou do not know how much I miss you, it's like my heart is empty and I scream in pain for not being by your side at all times. But I know that you understand me, that I am only doing this to help those who one day also helped me to walk the path of good and recover the most important person of my life (you). Soon all this will be over, and we can live a normal life and tell our children and grandchildren our adventures along with the Care Bear Family. Christy, I love you with all my might, and I always remember you and your smile in the sad times to make me feel happier and more confident. I can’t wait to be with you again, until the end of our days.\nOf his great and eternal love, D.[/i]\n\nChristy's eyes filled with tears as she read that letter. And to think that just the one who almost killed everyone was the one who struggled most, after Frank, to try to help Care Bear Family fight its enemies. Such a gesture of chivalry and gratitude moved the girl very much, much more than she could express in words.\nSuddenly the phone began to ring furiously, making the girl come back to reality.\n- Mr. Frank Heartom's office - Christy said as she answered the communicator.\n- \"Hi, I'm Norman Chatplan, I'm working with an archeology company, and I'd like to arrange a meeting with Mr. Frank to deal with some matters relating to scientific and archaeological research - said a male voice with a strong British accent.\n- I'm sorry Mr. Chatplan, but Mr. Heartom is on a trip to Brazil and canceled all appointments until the second order. But if you want, I can write down your name and phone to let you know when Mr. Heartom returns...\n- \"It is not necessary. Thank you very much, and a good night\" - concluded the person on the other end of the line, abruptly disconnected, to the surprise of Christy, who resumed his service of separating the correspondences.\nMeanwhile, in Halifax, Norman, Thompson and Anna looked at each other in silence as the first hung up the phone.\n- Well, what shall we do now? - asked the girl, folding her arms - Do we go back to England or do we go to Brazil?\n- B & H's office in that country is located in the city of São Paulo - commented the assistant thoughtfully - I was invited to do a technical analysis on some rock paintings located near the capital Brasília, so I was already planning to travel to South America this month. If you want to join me...\n- But we can't leave Jacob here alone! - protested the younger brother.\n- And I'm not going to wait for him to serve his 10-day sentence in jail, after all, it was not me who got drunk and made a scandal on the plane - said Anna maliciously - Since you want to help Jacob, you can stay here and take him back to England when he is released. Meanwhile, Norman and I are going to Brazil.\n- You really do not like our brother - Thompson said, rolling his eyes - Okay, I'll take your suggestion just because I know you will not change your mind. But try not to destroy any environmental patrimony this time to locate clues...\nAnna laughed at that remark and gave a friendly hug to her younger brother, while Norman nodded with a giggle, wondering how his bosses could manage to be so different from each other.\n*****\nThere was a small restaurant in the inn opposite Batovi Station, where Jason was staying and could follow a little of the movement of the small village, besides experiencing typical Brazilian foods such as feijoada and gaucho barbecue, which suited him very well in that cold winter climate in the southern hemisphere. But his attention that night was all about the telegram he had received from Mr. Frank Heartom that afternoon canceling his mission.\nAs he stared at the yellow paper, wondering what had happened to his boss to change his mind, he saw André enter the restaurant with his young son Carlos and an elderly man, tall and smiling, and the three quickly walked towards the young pilot.\n- Jason! Que bom encontra-lo aqui (Jason! How nice to meet you here) - said the station manager excitedly - Eu quero que você conheça um seu compatriota, senhor Ralph Millows (I want you to meet one of your compatriots, Mr. Ralph Millows).\n- My pleasure, Mr. Millows - the boy replied in English, shaking the old man's hand - What does an American do in a place like this?\n- It's exactly the same thing I thought about you when Andre told me about you - Ralph said with a wry smile before continuing in Portuguese - Será que nós podemos nos sentar com você (Can we sit with you)?\n- Claro que sim, sentem-se e me acompanhem no jantar, por favor (Of course, sit down and accompany me for dinner, please).\n- Não, obrigado, Carlos e eu já jantamos, mas faremos companhia a vocês (No, thanks, Carlos and I have dinner, but we'll keep you company) - André said as he pulled out a chair - O que é isso? Um telegrama (What is it? A telegram)?\n- Sim, do senhor Frank Heartom (Yes, from Mr. Frank Heartom) - the young man replied, handing the paper over to his friend - Ele simplesmente solicitou minha presença em São Paulo, cancelando a consultoria que eu estava prestando (He simply requested my presence in Sao Paulo, canceling the advice I was rendering).\n- “Serviço cancelado. Vá para São Paulo e aguarde ordens. Frank” (Service canceled. Go to São Paulo and wait for orders. Frank) - was what the station manager read – Isso é estranho... Apesar de que eu ouvi uns rumores entre os ferroviários de que o senhor Frank Heartom está agindo de maneira estranha. Você não vai falar isso para ele, não é mesmo Jason (That's strange... Although I've heard rumors among the railroaders that Mr. Frank Heartom is acting strangely. You're not going to tell him that, are you, Jason)?\n- Fique tranquilo, eu não direi (Do not worry, I will not say).\n- Você é amigo do senhor Frank (You're Mr. Frank's friend)? - asked Carlos curiously – Como ele é? Uma pessoa legal (What is he like? A cool person)?\n- Muito legal, foi ele quem pagou meus estudos e me arranjou esse emprego (Very cool, he's the one who paid for my studies and got me this job) - Jason explained with a big smile – Quem sabe um dia você o conheça pessoalmente, e eu acho que ele irá gostar de você (Maybe one day you'll meet him in person, and I think he'll like you).\n- Ouvi dizer que senhor Frank gosta de incentivar crianças a estudarem, e até mesmo patrocina jovens mentes brilhantes contratando-os como empregados da B&H (I hear Mr. Frank likes to encourage children to study, and even sponsors brilliant young minds by hiring them as B & H employees) - Ralph mused as he had a hot cup of coffee.\n- Ele bem que poderia se interessar por seu trabalho, Ralph (He might be interested in your work, Ralph) - the boy suggested cheerfully - Porque você não pede para Jason nos ajudar (Why do not you ask Jason to help us)?\n- No que o senhor trabalha (What do you work for)? - asked the young man with curiosity - Talvez eu realmente possa ajuda-lo (Maybe I really can help him)...\n- Não é nada demais, eu sou um rail modeler, e possuo uma grande maquete inspirada na Companhia Paulista (It's no big deal, I build railway models, and I own a big model inspired by Companhia Paulista) - the old man started to explain - É um trabalho de muitos anos e... Bem, como você vê, eu já não sou mais um jovem, e não quero que esse trabalho se perca. Então Carlos aqui está me ajudando a convencer as demais crianças do bairro a aprenderem as técnicas do hobby, como uma diversão sadia para todos (It's a work of many years and... Well, as you see, I'm no longer a young man, and I do not want that work to be lost. So Carlos here is helping me convince the other kids in the neighborhood to learn the techniques of the hobby, as a healthy diversion for everyone).\n- Senhor Ralph é muito legal, ele é um grande professor (Mr. Ralph is very nice, he's a great teacher) - Carlos said as he smiled - Mesmo Meigo e Ternura ficaram impressionados com que ele faz (Even Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot were impressed with that he does)...\n- Perdão, eu não entendi, o que você quis dizer garoto (Sorry, I did not understand, what did you mean, boy)? - Jason asked with a slight frown on his forehead, especially when Ralph choked and Andre paled.\n- Que com um jeito meigo e muita ternura, todos ficam impressionados com o que eu faço (That in a gentle way and a lot of tenderness, everyone is impressed by what I do) - Craftsman replied nervously - Mas eu acho que um assunto assim não interessaria ao senhor Frank Heartom (But I do not think such a matter would be of interest to Mr. Frank Heartom)...\nJason was thoughtful at the reaction of his friends, mainly because Meigo and Ternura were the names of two Care Bears in Portuguese, Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot, but he did not understand the language well, maybe he was really wrong.\nWhat neither he, Andre, Carlos, or Ralph imagined was that at that very moment a cloud car parked across the square, and Tenderheart Bear got out of the vehicle walking directly to the restaurant, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one on the street except one young man sitting with his back to the rail worker, the old man and the boy he had helped days before.\n- Olá pessoal, como vocês estão (Hi guys how are you)? - Tenderheart began cheerfully, entering the restaurant - Ainda bem que eu os vi quando aterrissei o carro nuvem, ou então acabaria por ir à casa de Ralph e (Glad I saw them when I landed the cloud car, or else I'd go to Ralph's house and)...\nWhen Jason heard that familiar voice, speaking a lousy Portuguese, his heart stopped beating for a second and he quickly turned toward the door wide-eyed.\n- Tenderheart?!? - he cried, unable to believe what he saw.\n- Jason?!? - the bear retorted also gaping, for he had not imagined that this was his old friend, before running to hug him tightly - Jason! What a joy to see you here! Long time no see you! You're an adult now.\n- And you have not changed anything since our adventure with Nicholas! But what are you doing here?\n- I came to invite Carlos to the Annual Caring Fair, for having helped him recently, but it never occurred to me that I would find you! What are you doing here?\n- I came to look for you... It's a long story, but then I'll tell you about it.\nAs the two old friends talked, Andre, Carlos, and Ralph were silent, with expressions of surprise and glaring at each other without understanding.\n- Hei! Vocês dois, esperem um instante (Hey! You two, wait a moment) - the rail worker began in a determined tone - Vocês dois se conhecem? E que história é essa que você está dizendo, Jason (Do you two know each other? And what's the story you're saying, Jason)?\n- Claro que nós dois nos conhecemos, Jason foi uma das primeiras crianças que eu ajudei, há muitos anos (Of course we both knew each other, Jason was one of the first children I helped, many years ago) - the bear explained cheerfully - Eu não sabia que ele era amigo de vocês, nem que estava por aqui (I did not know he was your friend, nor that it was here).\n- Pelo visto há muitas coisas que nós não sabemos (Apparently there are many things we do not know) - said the old man with a smirk - E eu não acho que é uma coincidência Jason estar aqui, sendo que ele próprio acabou de dizer que seu objetivo era justamente localizar Tenderheart, e nós três termos sido ajudados por ele apenas alguns dias atrás (And I do not think it's a coincidence that Jason was here, and he just said that his goal was precisely to locate Tenderheart, and all three of us had been helped by him only a few days ago).\n- Realmente, é uma longa história (Really, it's a long story)... - agreed the young man with a sheepish look - Alguém dentro de um trem viu quando um carro nuvem decolou, e então eu vim aqui investigar a respeito a pedido de senhor Frank Heartom. Por isso que eu disse desde o começo que minha missão não tinha nada haver com demissões na Paulista (Someone inside a train saw when a cloud car took off, and then I came here to investigate at the request of Mr. Frank Heartom. That's why I said from the beginning that my mission had nothing to do with layoffs at Paulista).\n- Ao menos isso me deixa aliviado (At least that makes me relieved) - André teased with a laugh.\n- Que legal saber que vocês dois também são amigos e se reencontraram (How nice to know that you two are friends, too, and you have met again) - said the boy with a smile, also hugging the bear - Mas o que você queria dizer em me convidar para uma Feira (But what did you mean by inviting me to a Fair)?\n- É a Feira Anual do Carinho, que nós realizamos todos os anos em Nuvem Rosa e convidamos crianças do mundo inteiro para participarem e se divertirem (It's the Annual Caring Fair we do every year at Care-a-Lot and we invite kids from all over the world to join in and have fun) - Tenderheart quickly explained - Nesse ano nós também estamos convidando as crianças que cuidamos em missões recentes, como é seu caso. Você quer ir (This year we are also inviting the children we care for in recent missions, as is the case with you. You want to go)?\n- Claro que sim! Você deixa, não é Papai (Of course yes! You let me go, do not you, Dad)?\n- Bem... Eu não sei (Well... I do not know)... - Andre said thoughtfully - Quando será esse evento e onde fica Nuvem Rosa (When will this event be and where is Care-a-Lot)?\n- Nuvem Rosa fica no céu, acima das nuvens, e o evento será em 19 de Junho (Care-a-Lot stays in the sky, above the clouds, and the event will be on June 19)...\n- Fica aonde (Stay where)? - Ralph and Andre exclaimed together.\n- No céu, em uma dimensão invisível acima das nuvens comuns (In the sky, in an invisible dimension above ordinary clouds) - Jason replied with a giggle - Eu já estive lá, é um lugar muito legal (I've been there, it's a very cool place).\n- Vocês estão de brincadeira (You're kidding)! - said the station manager - Não há como existir algo acima das nuvens, só o Sputinik (There is no way that there is anything above the clouds, only the Sputnik)!\n- Prefiro o Explorer (I prefer the Explorer) - commented the old man, staring at Tenderheart - Quer dizer que existe um mundo mágico acima de nós, invisível a nossos olhos (You mean there is a magical world above us, invisible to our eyes)?\n- Assim como no desenho animado que fizeram a nosso respeito (Just like in the cartoon they've done about us) - the bear replied with a friendly wink - Vamos lá, André! Deixe Carlos participar da Feira, ele irá se divertir muito e você não irá se arrepender (C'mon, André! Let Carlos attend the Fair, he will have a lot of fun and you will not regret it).\n- Bem que eu gostaria de ir também (I'd like to go, too)... - Jason said with a sad, jealous glint in his eyes - Eu gostaria de rever meus amigos ursos e primos novamente (I'd like to see my friends bears and cousins again)...\nSeeing Jason's expression, André's doubts, and Ralph's curiosity, the bear thought for a few seconds.\n- E se todos vocês forem à Feira (What if you all go to the Fair)? - he asked at last - Assim Jason poderá rever os demais, Carlos se divertirá sob a supervisão de André, e Ralph verá com seus próprios olhos como é o Reino do Carinho. Aceitam ir (So Jason can review the others, Carlos will have fun under Andre's supervision, and Ralph will see for himself the Kingdom of Caring. Do you agree to go)?\n- Yes! Yes! Yes! - Jason exclaimed happily, hugging the bear.\n- Para mim esse convite é uma honra (That invitation to me is an honor) - said the old man with a youthful gleam in his eyes - Eu posso levar alguns trenzinhos para divertir a garotada (I can take some of my trains models to amuse the kids).\n- Vamos lá, Papai! Diga que nós vamos (C'mon, Daddy! Tell us we're going)!\n- Bem, eu... Talvez... (Well, I... Maybe...) - the rail worker said thoughtfully - Minhas folgas são aos Domingos, e eu posso trocar o turno com o Gilberto se for necessário (My holidays are on Sundays, and I can change the shift with Gilberto if I have to).\n- Excelente! Então eu passarei por aqui bem cedinho no dia 19 para lhes dar carona. Nenhum de vocês se arrependerá, eu garanto. Podemos nos encontrar em frente à estação (Great! So I'll stop by here early on the 19th to give them a ride. None of you will regret it, I assure you. Can we meet in front of the station)?\n- Eu não vejo problema algum (I do not see any problem) - Andre said, receiving a positive nod from Ralph – Talvez apenas Jason tenha alguns problemas para estar aqui presente (Maybe only Jason has some trouble being here)...\n- De maneira nenhuma (In no way)! - exclaimed the young man cheerfully – Eu me apresento em São Paulo, mas retorno para cá dia 18 para não perder a carona (I will introduce myself in São Paulo, but I will return here on the 18th to not miss the ride)!\n- Muito bem, então está combinado (Very well, then it is arranged) - the bear said cheerfully - E eu tenho certeza de que todos vocês irão se divertir muito (And I'm sure you all will have a lot of fun)!\n- Meigo, porque você e Jason não nos contam como vocês se conheceram (Tenderheart, why do not you and Jason tell us how you two met)? - Carlos asked with curiosity - Foi em uma missão igual a que nós tivemos (Was it on a mission just like we had)?\n- Foi muito mais complicado (It was much more complicated) - Jason said, laughing along with the bear - Tudo começou quando meu atual cunhado Nicholas trabalhava em um circo, e eu e minha irmã Kim éramos apenas duas crianças órfãs e incompreendidas por todos (It all started when my current brother-in-law Nicholas worked in a circus, and me and my sister Kim were just two children orphaned and misunderstood by all)...\n*****\nAlthough it was still a little early, Sky-Heart Bear and Braveheart Lion were already coming back from a quick Caring Mission, which had convinced a boy named Joshua not to run away from school for taking low grades in the final math test. Surely that was not the guardian's favorite kind of mission, but like any bear or cousin, he would have to get used to other types of missions.\nFortunately that boy was a fan of Braveheart, and the presence of the lion was enough to make the child change his mind and listen to the advice of both the feline and the warrior bear. They were still around enough time watching the school to make sure Joshua was off to class, and even Sky-Heart could not help but smile a little when he saw that the boy had taken note 10 at the end of the test. But he just wanted now was to go home, have a good breakfast, and do a magical training session together with Shimmers for the rest of the morning.\nBoth the lion and the guardian were silent, for though they had the swordsman bear as a mutual friend, they little talked to each other, since Braveheart was bossy and impulsive, and Sky-Heart was a quiet and secretive fellow. That's why the blue bear drove the cloud car attentively and concentrated, almost forgetting the presence of the feline at his side, until it moved and looked at the driver for a moment.\n- Thank you for helping me during the mission, Sky - he said with a faint smile, trying to pull subject - Maybe his presence was not even necessary, but his advice to Joshua certainly impressed him greatly.\n- You do not have to thank me - the bear replied quickly, without even looking at Braveheart.\nAgain the two were silent for a few seconds, the lion casting curious little glances at the warrior bear.\n- I know we're not close friends, but... - Braveheart began hesitantly - Can I ask you a personal question?\n- You want to know if it's true what Shimmers told you about him trying to convince me to date Redemptionheart - Sky said calmly, before turning to the feline with a sly wink - Yes, that's true.\n- BB-But how did you find out!... - the lion gasped, until he swallowed and felt his cheeks flush with shame - Were you listening to my thoughts?\n- Since you thanked me for helping you on this mission. You would not have drawn a subject if there was not something else you wanted to know.\n- WW-Well, you're right, that's what I wanted to ask you. And what happened between you two?\n- Nothing really happened, Shimmers just thought Redemption and I would make a good couple for being lonely people, and he told me a lot about her while we were at Edron, trying to fix the dimensional portal to come to Earth - Sky explained calmly as she drove - I really was curious to know more about the doctor, but as soon as I saw her, I realized that we were not soul mates, as much as she could be a nice person. Also, shortly after I met Longbow, and...\nThe bear's cheeks flushed a little at the thought that Longbow Wolf was really his soul mate, for her filled him in every way. He just glanced sideways at Braveheart, who smiled friendly.\n- You do not need to explain, I understand out that you and Redemptionheart would not make a good pair, even because she would tickle you every day - the lion teased with a giggle, in which the guardian bear had to agree with a slight nod - And for a couple to work out, both need to be in perfect tune. I learned this when I tried vainly dating Proud Heart...\nThe young leader sighed deeply and lowered his head as tears formed in his eyes. Usually Sky-Heart hated to encourage such talk, but he felt he needed to let the lion vent.\n- Do you still have feelings for Proud Heart? - he asked cautiously - Because your relationship did not work out?\n- Because we are both proud and narcissistic, and we can't find a way for love to blossom without quarrels - Braveheart replied in a low, sad voice - And yes, I still feel something for her, but I know that Proud Heart has now found her soul mate in Loyal Heart and that the two are more and more united... I do not want to disturb their happiness and their relationship...\n- That's a noble thing on your part.\n- It's the only thing I can do. Basically, I think I was born to be alone... Neither Harmony nor Share wanted me, they always thought I was a stupid, impulsive, proud, who likes to shout and give orders... I just wanted to prove to everyone the opposite, that I'm a nice guy...\nFor a few moments they were both silent, and now Sky-Heart was the one who looked curiously at Braveheart, not quite sure what to do. That was when he smiled a little and put his hand on the feline's shoulder.\n- \"You're a nice, brave guy, even with all your faults\" - he said telepathically to his friend - \"One day you'll find your soul mate when you least expect it.\"\nThe lion just lifted his head and looked at the bear with a small grateful smile on his lips as the cloud car reached Care-a-Lot. Sky quickly stopped the vehicle in the parking lot, and both occupants got out.\n- If you want to go home, I'll fill out the mission paperwork - Braveheart offered amicably - It's the least I can do for all the help you've given me... And for our conversation too. Also, I need to talk to Tenderheart about the preparations for the Fair.\n- I thank you for your offer, Braveheart\" - the bear answered blue through telepathy, bowing to the young leader before the two parted, the lion headed for the Hall of Hearts and the guardian went home.\nFinally peace and quiet! Being an introverted person, Sky-Heart could not wish for anything better at that moment. Not that the mission or the conversation with Braveheart had been bad, but the bear was not yet accustomed to being such a solicitous and open-minded person, and he was just beginning to feel free to talk to the other members of Care Bear Family plus Shimmers and True Heart. He did not want to be totally impolite or disinterested, but he never really got interested in socializing, and his life was always geared toward magic and struggle. Helping people effectively, listening to their problems and trying to be friendly, was something new and strange to him.\nThinking of these things, he walked through the rainbow path that linked Care-a-Lot to the Forest of Feelings, which passed before his house, when he saw Aqua and Lonesomeheart approaching in the opposite direction. Both had angry and anxious expressions, as well as smelling of urine, and they hesitated to approach when they saw Sky-Heart nearby. Usually he was not involved in the personal problems of others, even his close friends, but the hesitant attitude and the fact that it was not common to see the couple walking urinated down the street made the guardian bear feel more than normal curiosity.\n- So what happened to you? - he asked aloud as the two friends approached hesitantly - Did you two decide to go back to cubs and pee your pants?\n- Do not meddle in our affairs - Aqua said dryly, as he and Lonesome passed by the guardian.\nSky-Heart frowned at the sound of it, folding its arms and staring at the sea-bear with the expression of a few friends. He quickly used his powers to invade the couple's mind.\n- \"C'mon, Lone, he does not need to know about our fight with Confidence\" - he heard the bear talking to his companion - \"He would be just another one who would make fun of us for being defeated and tickled by that troublemaker.\"\n- \"I have the feeling I think he already knows...\" - Lonesome said, glancing toward the warrior bear, feeling that her mind was vulnerable.\n- Yes, I already know, and I think that was very well done for the two of you - Sky-Heart replied to the female bear's thought in an ironic tone - Maybe you will stop being stupid and learn not to provoke those who are quiet. After all, why do you have to act so childishly and foolishly? You really only grew in size, but it's still two babies who wet their pants...\nAqua stopped and stared furiously at the guardian bear, pulling out his lightsaber.\n- Who is the baby who wet the pants?!? - he shouted, heading up from Sky - You will swallow your words, your...\nBut the magician bear only drew his lightsaber and stood in a fighting position, holding his weapon firmly and ready to strike.\n- You really want to be stupid and fight me? - he asked dryly, looking at the sea bear - I still thought there was some lone neuron in your head, but now I see that there is not even one.\nThe dolphin bear's will was to actually attack Sky-Heart and give him a beating, but Aqua knew his opponent was a much better wizard and swordsman than he and Lonesome together. And the female bear itself knew this too, since she stood before her companion, trying to stop him.\n- Please, Aqua, that's enough of what happened to Confidence - she pleaded, though she did not hide the anger she was feeling - Let's go home, please.\nFor a few seconds the sea bear was silent, before putting away the lightsaber and walking away with the warrior female bear, and Sky was still watching them with the gun in his hand.\n- That's right, you inconsequential brat, go home and take a cold shower and put your head in place! - he shouted provocatively, before putting away his gun and also heading toward his house.\nThe pair of bears walked quickly to stand in front of the door of the house, when finally Aqua plummeted in desperate tears. It had all been humiliating to him: to be defeated and tickled by Confidence until he peed in his pants, to be called a fool and stupid for Sky-Heart, and not even able to fight the guardian bear. The dolphin bear sat at the door and wept copiously as Lonesome sat down beside him and hugged him, also shedding tears.\n- They will pay me... - Aqua murmured between sobs, just wishing revenge - They will see who the fool is...\nThe warrior female bear did not say anything, just stood there, hugging and comforting the beloved, unable to see a way for both to get revenge on Sky-Heart and Confidence and not to suffer retaliation from Care Bear Family. The only one who could help them was Shimmers, but how to ask him to harm his own friend and newbie that he would coordinate from there in a few weeks? Surely he would never agree to that.\nIt took a few minutes before Aqua finally calmed down and, wiping away his tears, looked at lonesome.\n- I'm sorry... - he said in an embarrassed tone - I put you through it, it was my idea that we provoked Confidence...\n- Do not worry about it, you're not to blame... - replied the female bear with a small smile - Now c'mon, let's take a hot shower and forget what happened.\nCertainly Aqua could not forget all that humiliation, but he accepted her mate's suggestion and they both went to the shower together...\n*****\nThe Hall of Hearts was used as a meeting point for the Care Bear Family not only when it came to formal meetings, but also when they wanted to talk to each other more intimately. So it was not strange to anyone that afternoon that Loyal Heart Cat, Happy Birthday Bear, Goodluck Bear, Aqua Bear, Playful Heart Monkey, Braveheart Lion and Lotsa Heart Elephant were talking in one of the rooms, while Proud Heart Car, Gentle Heart Lamb, Wish Bear, Surprise Bear, Daydream Bear and Love-a-Lot Bear were in another room.\nEven being in separate environments by choice, the subject matter was the same in the two groups: the courtship of Loyal and Proud.\n- I think after so long denying it, I finally realized how much I love that girl - the dog told his friends.\n- Only you had not noticed that yet - said Playful - After all, as they say, opposites attract, and at some point you and she would be together...\n- I totally agree with Playful - said Birthday Bear with a wink - You are the most educated and gentleman of the Kingdom of Caring, while Proud Heart is the most impulsive and irritated of the girls.\n- And you told Nobleheart and Trueheart? - inquired Braveheart with curiosity.\n- Not yet - Loyal said - It was yesterday that we started dating.\n- And what do you think of Proud? - Goodluck asked with a smirk…\n- I think Loyal is, first of all, the nicest boy there is - Proud Heart replied to a question asked by Daydream - He is considerate, kind, never angry with me, even when I'm in the mood to scratch someone.\n- What I call courage - Love-a-Lot joked with a chuckle - I think only Funshine Bear and Playful Heart have such courage to face you...\n- Hey! Do not put me in this story, I do not want any trouble on my side - replied the yellow bear with a laughing expression - But who would say that the Kingdom of Caring's most unlikely couple finally surrendered to Cupid's arrows.\n- I thought you were my friends, and you would not be making fun of my happiness - the female cat complained, frowning.\n- Of course we're her friends - Surprise Bear said quickly - But it's very funny to think of you and Loyal together. You two are so different...\n- Even so, I do not think we should be kidding with Proud - Gentle Lamb said defensively.\n- Oh, thank you for defending me, my friend - began the female feline, smiling.\n- Of course I will defend you; after all we all know that you are Loyal's soul mate, even with all your differences and faults - the lamb concluded with a malicious glance.\nLoyal closed his face a little with Playful Heart, who at first had pretended to be defending him and then made a joke with him while the others laughed non-stop. But at last the dog itself laughed too.\n- You're right, my friend - he said at last - Proud and I are soul mates, and we love each other even though we are so different. And I know that you, even though you're playing, deep down are as happy for our happiness.\n- You bet it is, friends are for that - said Lotsa Heart - And where is Proud now?\n- In the other room, with the girls. Certainly talking about our courtship...\n- Surely he's talking about our courtship for the other bears and cousins - Proud Heart explained to her friends when they asked her where her boyfriend was - You know how men are gossips.\n- That's true, and we're not far behind - Wish Bear joked with a chuckle - Now we'd better get back to work, or there'll be no Caring Fair this year.\nThe women quickly walked out into the hall at the same moment as the group of men, all of whom were face to face. Loyal and Proud looked at each other quickly with shame, the others laughed quietly at seeing their friends in that situation, not knowing what to do with love.\n- HH-Hello, Loyal Heart - stammered the cat.\n- HH-Hello, Proud - said the dog.\n- Maybe we'd better leave the lovers alone - said Playful Heart with a wink.\n- I think it's a good idea - Funshine Bear agreed - So the two of can talk a little bit, with no one to get in the way.\nEveryone laughed at that and walked away, leaving only the couple there.\n- Did you tell them? - Proud Heart asked, her face closed.\n- Just as you told them - Loyal Heart replied with a small smile - Even because we do not agree to make a secret...\n- Your talebearer gossip!\n- My beautiful and happy kitten - the dog said gently, pulling his girlfriend lightly on his and giving her a light kiss on his face before he left, walking normally and with a large, satisfied, passionate smile on his face.\nFor a moment, the female cat stood there, like a fool in love, just watching the boyfriend away.\n- Yeah... I know I'm beautiful, just like you - she said to herself in a narcissistic tone, before going to take care of their chores.\n*****\nThere was a very bad mood between Nobleheart and Trueheart that night when the two of them sat down to dinner. The bear was silent, lost in thought and looking a little depressed in her sad eyes. The horse had a worried expression, staring at his wife and wondering how he could help her without them arguing again.\nFinally, Noble took courage and touched the hand of his wife, who at the same time withdrew her arm with an enormous fright.\n- Damn, Noble! - she complained - When are you going to lose this silly craze to scare the others?\n- I did not want to scare you, my dear - the horse replied in a surprised voice - I just wanted to talk to you, because I've never seen you so sad...\n- That is none of your business - the female bear replied abruptly.\n- Of course it's my business. After all you've always been so cheerful and fun, and now you act like a bitter person who does not care about anyone, treating me like a stranger.\n- I've always acted that way, you've never noticed before.\n- No, you've never acted like this before! - Noble has become harsher - All this can’t be coming out of your heart! Where is that female bear that I fell in love with when I was younger? Who taught all these cubs the importance of loving and respecting others? That he was not afraid of anything, that he would give his own life to save the family? Where is she?!?\n- That female bear is here, I only do not know if my family is - True Heart replied, trying to escape into the bedroom.\nImmediately Noble Heart understood what was happening in the heart of his wife, and he could not help but feel the rage of the pettiness the bear showed.\n- So you're like this because of Goodluck and Polite's wedding? - he asked, rising to his feet - You mean you'd rather see your son sad and close to you than to see him happy beside the bride?\"\n- All I want to do is make sure my kids are okay! They're just kids!\n- The only child here is you, True! Do not you realize that they are no longer cubs, that they have grown up and need to live their own lives? How do you want to be so selfish to stop them from being happy?!?\nFor a few seconds the two looked at each other in silence with harsh, irritated expressions, so much that it seemed to spark fire through their eyes. Suddenly they heard the sound of the bell, which made both of them calm down. Quickly Noble Heart went into the living room and opened the door, watching Tenderheart and Love-a-lot standing there holding hands and wide smiles on their lips, not imagining that they had interrupted a fight of the founders couple.\n- Hello Noble Heart, how's it going? - asked the brown bear cheerfully - You look tired, has something happened?\n- It's all right - the horse said, doing his best to regain his good humor, and signaling for the couple to come in - And you two, how are you?\n- We're fine, Noble, thank you - the female bear replied with a smile - We've only been on a mission so far.\n- That's why we could not warn them before our visit - Tenderheart added with a loving look on his girlfriend - We want to talk to True Heart and you, if it's not bothersome...\nAt this very moment the female bear matriarch entered the room, trying to appear calm and casual, though her cheeks were still flushed from the discussion moments before with her husband.\n- Of course it's not bothersome, it was kind of providential in a way - she said with a forced smile - And what do you want to talk to us about? It must be something important, since did not want to wait until tomorrow.\n- That's true, it's really important - Tenderheart said almost without containing his happiness - We're here because we want to mark our wedding day and ask you to be our escort at the entrance to the ceremony.\n- After all, you two are almost our parents, and we would be honored if you accepted the invitation - Love-a-Lot added with a radiant look - I would love for Noble Heart to enter with me in the Hall of Heart, and Tenderheart would like True Heart to accompany him. Will you two accept?\nFor a few seconds the couple of founders were silent, and the expression on their faces began to worry Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot. True Heart slowly clenched his fists and stared at Noble Heart with angry air, before running into the bedroom and locking himself there.\n- True! True! - Noble Heart shouted desperately, running after his wife, but staying outside the room - Please open the door! Let's talk...\n- Talk what?!? How to destroy and split the Care Bear Family?!? - it was the angry scream that the female bear gave inside the bedroom - Fuck Noble! You are responsible for all this! You!\nThe horse was not sure what to do, especially as he looked back and saw Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot standing in the hall, gaping at what they had just witnessed. They never imagined that True Heart would react that way, even because she had never complained about Joyful Heart and Looter Bear, Aqua and Lonesomeheart, or Shimmers and Wish relationships.\n- Sorry for what happened - Noble Heart stammered, his face flushed with embarrassment - True are going through a difficult time...\n- What happened to her, Noble Heart? - asked Love-a-Lot, shocked.\n- That's not True Heart who adopted us and taught us all about loving our neighbor - Tenderheart said, his eyes also opened with surprise.\n- You're right, my children... II-I do not know what to say to apologize. Tomorrow I'll try to talk to her about it, but maybe you'd better postpone your plans for a few days... At least until she gets used to the idea.\nThe young couple was still speechless, since that reaction from True Heart was totally unexpected, but both decided to follow Noble Heart's advice and hope the matriarch regained his composure.\nMeanwhile, in the bedroom, the female bear was sitting on the bed, only with the light of the lamp coming, crying with sadness and feeling completely empty the heart, something she had never felt before. Taking a deep breath, she opened the drawer of the bedside table and took out of it her favorite and special necklace. It was only a cord, and at the end, tied tightly, was a great caring crystal, which Noble had given her when they still were dating in San Martin.\nThat stone was special. It had the power to give people joy and love, and it was the most perfect caring crystal that had already been found in the mines. And being a special gift from Noble, True Heart had often used it on his neck to demonstrate his love for the horse and receive the magical influences of the stone. But now it was not his will. Throwing the jewel back into the drawer, the female bear lay on the bed and grabbed the pillow, beginning to cry in despair, her heart shattered and hopeless.\n- My children are leaving me... - she murmured to herself as she cried - Oh heavens, what can I do?...\nHow she wanted her foster children not to have grown up, were still cubs and did not wished to have their own lives. How she was afraid of losing the love of those bears and cousins she'd nursed for so many years!\n*****\nChamp was already getting ready for bed. He was very tired after a full day of workout and helping Braveheart and Bright Heart put things right for the annual Caring Fair, and that was no small job.\nAfter a delicious shower, in which he was able to relax his muscles, the bear took off his bathrobe and turned off the bedroom light. He was about to lie down when he heard someone tapping lightly on the door. Something annoyed, he switched on the lamp.\n- Who is it? - he asked.\nIn response, the door gently opened, and Cheer Bear appeared on the threshold.\n- Do I bother you? - she asked with a smile.\nChamp jumped out of bed and pulled the female bear in, closing the door immediately afterwards.\n- What are you doing here? Should not you be in your room? - he asked.\n- I thought I was going to get a better reception - replied the pink bear, frowning and pretending to be sad - I just wanted to surprise you.\n- But we can't be careless like that, Cheer - the bear said - Imagine if anyone saw you coming into my room at this time...\n- I was careful. Bright Heart is already asleep, and Treat Heart is watching a movie on television. No one will notice anything if we do it in silence.\n- And you think you can keep quiet? - asked Champ with a wicked smile on his face - That's not what I heard last night...\n- Champ! - exclaimed the female bear, blushing with shame - I am not guilty if you do it in a well done way and I get carried away during love.\nThey both laughed softly, while the female bear passed her eyes over the boyfriend's body in the low light of the lamp.\n- I did not know you slept without pajamas - Cheer said, making Champ laugh softly as he stared at her.\n- And what's the problem with sleeping without pajamas? - he asked, with a small smile on his lips - This is my room, and no one needs to see how I sleep.\nCheer Bear came over and hugged her boyfriend, kissing his lips and making him lie down on the bed while she did the same.\n- That's true, no one needs to see how you sleep... - she replied, smiling and with bright eyes of love.\nAnd approaching the snouts, they began to kiss, while Champ took off his girlfriend's nightdress and hugged her tightly, and for the second night the young couple slept together, sharing all the love they felt for each other and not fearing what might happen to them if someone discovered that.\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"
The Care Bears
The Confidence Secret
3rd Part
Chapter 24


ATTENTION: This chapter contains scenes or subjects that may be disturbing to some people. Read at your own risk.
*****

Hector spent all day locked in the room, unable to even go out to feed himself. He could not stop crying and trembling with fear at everything that was happening, unable to believe that his father had done all that with him. Calvin had always shown himself to be a kind, loving, and companion father, but now the boy realized that this was not the truth and that his father was a real monster.
Huddled on the bed, the boy hoped that all that was over, and that Calvin would leave him alone, but the adult did not seem willing to believe the story that the bears and cousins were not responsible for the death of his great-grandfather Cristian. Instead, it seemed that Calvin was quite sure that the Care Bear Family was guilty and needed to be destroyed to bring no more pain and suffering to the Kayson's.
It was when Hector heard the noise in the lock, and then the door opened with the figure of Calvin entering the bedroom, slowly walking to the side of the bed, where he stopped and looked at his son, bringing in a cloth bag in his right hand.
- And now will you answer my questions? - he asked dryly.
- PP-Please, Daddy, I... They did not do anything... - muttered the boy, shrinking further into the bed.
- That's not what I asked you! - said Calvin sharply - Well, I did not want to take any more drastic measures, but you do not give me choices.
Quickly the adult jumped on the boy and, with all the strength he had, he grabbed his arms and twisted them back, before pulling a metal handcuff from inside the bag and using it to fasten Hector's wrists behind his back.
- No! Please do not! I beg, Da... mmmmphhh! - the boy started to scream while trying to escape, but soon was dominated and also gagged.
- That will keep you from shouting and attracting the attention of neighbors - Calvin said without any kind of emotion in his voice, before he began tying his son's ankles and fastening his two big toes together with a plastic band - Okay, now we're ready to go, my dear.
The boy lay on his belly-down bed, trembling with fear and whimpering in his gag with his cuffs handcuffed and his ankles fastened, unable to move his legs or feet. Soon he saw his father sit at his feet and lay them on his lap, taking a toothbrush from his bag. With his right hand, Calvin tightly gripped Hector's ankles so he could not pull his legs, while with his left hand he began to slowly rub the brush through the feet soles and toes of the boy.
- Mmmmmffff! Mmpphh! - Hector tried to scream at his gag as he felt the bristles rub on his feet, tickling. His father had tickled his feet before, many times, but never as now. It was torture, he not being able to run away or move his legs, even cover one foot with the other to hide the soles. But what most frightened the kid was the way his father was acting, with complete indifference to the boy's muffled cries.
Without a single word, Calvin continued to brush his son's feet, alternating between heels, arches, soles, and toes, sometimes going stronger and faster or lighter and slower. He was amused at how Hector tried to move his feet, covering one foot with the other, but could not because the big toes were tied together. Suddenly the boy gave a loud tug and was almost able to draw his feet from his father's lap, which quickly replaced them in place.
- No, no, Hector, I'm still going to tickle your dirty feet for a long time - Calvin said wickedly - You will not be able to run away from me. And try to keep your toes wide open so they get the most attention they deserve, or else it will be worse.
Hector wanted to scream, laugh as loudly as he could and ask for someone's help, but nothing but incomprehensible murmurs left his gagged mouth. He was crying with fear and laughing as Calvin did not stop tickling, pushing the brush between the boy's toes and teasing them to the fullest. At each touch of the bristles, Hector's soles became more sensitive, and when he tried to pinch the brush with his fingers, his father only gave her a spanking on the butt as a rebuke.
Time has passed, but the situation has not changed. Calvin continued torturing his son with tickles and without saying a word, slapping the boy's butt every time he tried to stop the brush from being rubbed on his soles and toes. After a while Hector tried to keep his feet still and toes open so that his father tickled him as much as he wanted without continuing to hit him. The boy was already sweating, his feet were very sensitive, and his soles were red and burning. That would never end.
Suddenly, Hector felt his pants wet with urine. He had not been able to hold on, but even that did not seem to touch Calvin. It was then, to the surprise and relief of the boy, that the father stopped with the tickles and got up, turning around until reaching the son's head, taking the gag.
- Enough... Enough... Please, enough... - the boy pleaded almost out of breath - I say... Whatever you want...
- Just like I imagined, nothing like a good tickling torture session to make someone talk - Calvin teased staring at Hector - Now tell me what those bears did to you yesterday.
- They... They played football with me... And with the others... Then they took me... To the Kingdom of Caring... Their house... That's all, I'm sorry...
- But of course I forgive you - the adult replied with a cold smile, grabbing Hector by the hair and forcing him to look into his face - After all, I'm sure that after today you will never want to meet those furry little ones, because if you do...
And Calvin bared his teeth with an evil expression that made his son start crying and trembling with fear once more.
 - II-I swear, I swear I'll never speak to them again! - cried Hector desperately - Please, Daddy! Let me go now, my legs are aching.
- Not yet, my son, you will be tied there for some time - his father said as he headed for the door - Who knows after, I'll release the toes so you can move them. But for now you're still tied, and take this time to think if you'll actually keep your word this time.
And without another word, he switched off the light and left, locking the door and leaving his son tied up defenseless on the bed in the dark. Hector wept without stopping, his mind destroyed and his body exhausted. He did not feel any love for Calvin anymore, only fear and anger. Your father really was a monster.
*****
The birds sang happily in the window, and the rays of sunlight were already entering the bedroom, announcing that a new day of adventure had arrived. But the bed never seemed more inviting to them than that morning. They were still holding each other in a loving position, with a small smile on their faces, demonstrating how much they had enjoyed being together. In fact, it was as if it was a dream, and neither Champ or Cheer wanted to wake up for it to end.
In fact, the bear had been awake for some time, and he had not moved because he did not want to wake his beloved from sleep. She was so beautiful, so calm, so loving in that way. Very different from the female bear he'd seen the day before, and never wanted to see again. Slowly he ran his fingers through her girlfriend's hair, which smelled of flowers, as well as being silky and soft.
It was when Cheer awoke, and when she felt himself in the arms of her beloved, smiled as he turned to him.
- Good morning, my great Champ Bear - she said in a loving way.
- Good morning, sweet Cheer Bear - he said - How did you spend the night?
In response she kissed the beloved's lips and smiled.
- I do not think I've ever had such a wonderful night - she said - Do not you agree with that?
- Of course, it was the best night of my life... Do you want breakfast in bed for both of us?
- For the time being, I'd rather be hug you, my cute bear - said the female bear with a happy laugh.
- Okay, we'll be hugging each other - Champ said.
The two snuggled up a little more, as if wanting to make the most of that moment.
- I never thought my first time would be this way - said the pink bear in a low voice -And I'm so glad you went by your side.
- You mean you still doubted it? - asked the sportsman with a malicious look - I thought you did not feel anything for Grumpy Bear anymore...
- That's not what I'm talking about, you jealous fool. I do not feel anything for that bad-tempered, just friendship. And you are my boyfriend, the bear of my life, so it was natural that one day we would relate in that way.
- That makes me very happy, though honestly I thought we were both getting married first and then having a night of love.
- And that worries you? - asked the female bear curiously - I mean, I know we should be getting married first, but... Nobody knows what happened.
- But I still worry about what others will think when they find out what we've done - said Champ with a deep sigh - Maybe I should look for Nobleheart and Trueheart to ask for your hand in marriage and mark the date of the ceremony. If you want I'll do it right now...
- Trueheart will get scared, and you know it. How about we wait some more time? At least until the two of us turn 18. Also, remember that Aqua Bear and Lonesomeheart, Shimmers and Wish, and Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot are not exactly married either, even though they already live together and have great nights of love.
- How do you know that? - asked the athlete bear with surprised air - That the others already live together and relate, we all know, but how did you know about Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot?
- No wonder I am the hairdresser her, my darling. Calm down, Champ, we'll just wait a few more months and be discreet, not telling anyone what happened. Not even for Bright Heart, Treat Heart, and especially Confidence. Understood?
Champ frowned at Cheer's provocative tone, but he did not want to rekindle the argument just at that moment.
- Of course she will not know anything - he agreed with a sigh of resignation - Now how about we take advantage of our love a little more?
Cheer laughed at that request, and gave a soft kiss on the face of the beloved before they embraced again and resumed their love.
*****
Although Confidence loved practicing karate more than any other sport, she knew of the importance of exercising in other ways to maintain muscle weight, agility, and strength. That's why she practiced running three or four times a week on the path that linked Care-a-lot to the Care Cousins village in the Forest of Feelings, usually always in the morning to admire the sunrise and the awakening of a new day in the Kingdom of Caring.
Usually at that time she met only a few bears and cousins already awake, like Bedtime Bear returning from his night job, or Swift Heart training her run, or Bright Heart and Cubot performing astronomical observations. It was a surprise to her, as she made a curve running through the trees, to see Aqua and Lonesomeheart standing in the middle of the path, arms crossed and malicious expressions.
- Oh, good morning, little nosy fennec - said the sea-bear in a provocative voice - It's good that Lone and I found you, now we can solve our problems with you.
Confidence paused in front of the pair of bears and took a deep breath, looking curiously at them.
- What do you mean by that? - she asked with a frown - And why do you two have these faces, as if I have done something wrong?
- And you still ask? - Lonesome replied with an annoyed ringing in the voice - Aqua and I were already prepared to take care of Hugs and Tugs yesterday afternoon when Grams Bear arrived and told us that you asked to be the babysitter of the two!
- That was not a nice thing on your part - said the dolphin bear, too, without hiding his irritation - What right do you think you have to act that way and spoil our fun?
- And what right do you think you have to tickle torture those two cubs? - the desert fox replied quickly, without being intimidated before the two opponents - I just did the right thing, and prevented you from mistreating Hugs and Tugs! Or do you guys think it's fair to tickle two kids like that?
- You should not meddle in our affairs. But since you then think it is unfair for Lonesome and me to tickle the cubs, then you will now be stuck in their place, as punishment for being nosy.
- Besides, since you did not want to reveal your weakest spot to us, we'll figure it out for ourselves while we torture you - the warrior female bear added with a mischievous giggle, wiggling her fingers provocatively - Coochie coo, I'm sure it will be a lot of fun to hear your desperate laughs as Aqua and I stimulate your whole body.
- Well, I think you'd better not try to provoke me... - Confidence murmured, folding her arms and looking seriously at the pair of bears - Anyone who plays with fire usually gets their hands burned.
- Fortunately, I know how to freeze people - the sea bear replied with a wicked grin while two bluish and icy light spheres appeared in his hands - Now refresh your head, little fennec... Dolphin fire!!!
Aqua tossed the two balls in the form of freezing rays toward the fighter, intending to trap her inside an ice pack so they could tickle her more easily. However, Lonesome and he were shocked when Confidence simply disappeared as if it had melted in the air. In a fraction of a second the desert fox was no longer in front of them, and while the bear couple was still trying to assimilate that surprise, they only heard a familiar voice right behind them.
- It's the two of you who are going to cool your head... - they heard the fennec say in a low, malicious voice, and before they could even look back, the sea-bear felt a strong kick in his legs, causing him to drop to his knees on the floor.
Lonesome quickly drew her lightsaber to try to attack Confidence, but the fighter quickly grabbed the wrist of the female bear and turned it hard, causing the warrior to scream in pain and be forced to release the saber. The fennec then punched the opponent's face, causing her to collapse on the ground, and then launch a strong wind toward the dolphin bear, which had turned to the fox and tried to attack her again with the Dolphin Fire. Aqua felt that magical energy reach his unprepared body, and he fell back to the floor, dizzy.
Confidence let out a relieved sigh, feeling that she had escaped a tortured tickling session. That was when an idea went through her mind, and she quickly picked up a large, flexible vine that hung on one of the trees, and cut a long piece with her teeth, running to start tying the bear couple. Turning Aqua from belly down, she tossed Lonesome over him and tied the wrists of the two together on the back of the female bear. She then tied the ankles of both together, so that Aqua's feet were between Lonesome's feet. Only after a few seconds did the sea bear and the warrior bear fully recover their senses and find themselves tied up in that way.
- Hey! What do you think you're doing?!? - shouted the pink bear, trying to move her arms and legs - Let go of us now, or it will be worse for you!
- That's not fair; you did not even give us a chance to fight! - complained the dolphin bear frowned - You will regret it when we tell the founders! They will punish you for hitting us and for hiding that you have magical powers!
- Well, I doubt you'll have the courage to tell this to the founders, or they'll all know that I've been able to defeat you in a fight - Confidence teased maliciously, sitting on the legs of the bears couple, looking toward their feet - In addition, united couple remains united, both to tease others and tickle. Coochie coo!
Without another word, she slowly slid the tips of her fingers through the soles of the two bears' feet, who shrieked at the same time curling their toes and trying to pull their legs.
- Not! Pleahahahase dohohoho nohohohot! - cried Aqua as soon as he felt those furry fingers provoking his feet - My feheheheet nohohoho! Sohohohorry!
- Plehehehease do nohohohot do thahahahat! - Lonesome chuckled, trying to move her feet - Leheheheave my feheheheet ahahahalone!
- My tohohohoes! - the bear begged desperately as he felt the fennec quickly rub the top of his toes, especially the heart cushions in front of his fingers - Nohohoho, I'm vehehehery sehehehensitihihihive! I cahahahan nhohohoot stahahahand tihihihickling my tohohohoes!
- Stohohohop! Thahahahat's nohohohot fair! - the female bear looked a little more in control as she felt her toes being explored, but still the tickles were enough to make her suffer - Yohohohou'll rehehehegret it, Cohohohonfidence! Wehehehe're gohohohoing to tell Shihehehemmers whahahahat yohohohou did! Stohohohop!
- What a brave female bear you are, threatening me that way while I tickle your feet - Confidence laughed maliciously, sliding her fingers through the bears' feet, exploring all the points of the soles and toes - I think you still have not realized that this is not the most sensible choice, but that will soon change after I give good attention to your sensitive feet. And Shimmers certainly has other more interesting subjects to take care of.
The fennec then began to wear her long hairy tail to also tease the feet of his prisoners, especially between the toes. When Aqua felt those furs brushing his toes, he curled them tightly and tried to cross one foot on top of the other.
- Nohohohot! Nohohohot thahahahat! Stohohohop! - he screamed in despair, as his feet were deathly sensitive, and those soft, long fur brushing his soles and toes were more than he could bear.
Lonesome, on the other hand, was not so sensitive in her feet and could cope a little better with that, diverting her attention momentarily to other parts of her own body, such as her belly in contact with her partner's back. But when she felt those furs, she could not help but giggle.
- Dohohoho nohohohot use the tahahahail! My feheheheet cahahahan nohohohot stahahahand it! - she shouted, trying to hide her toes keeping them pressed to the ground, but Confidence quickly pulled them back to the horizontal and slid her hands over the soles of the female bear.
- Oh, how cute to see the little pair laughing - the desert fox mocked in a childlike voice, sliding her hands and tail across the feet of the two bears - You have nothing to complain about since you are getting the same kind of attention you gave to Hugs and Tugs. This is what you deserve for torturing children, and for trying to threaten me. Now keep laughing as I tickle your sensitive feet...
Both Aqua and Lonesome were humiliated by the provocations made by Confidence. Both struggled to break free, while the tickles remained ruthless on their soles. The fennec then focused her tail only on the feet of the sea bear, using her hands to tease the feet of the warrior female bear.
- Ehehehenohohohough! I cahahahan not tahahahake it ahahahanymohohohore! - shouted the bear, curling his toes again and feeling those furs brushing the length of his soles, from the top of the toes to the heels - I'll pehehehee if you dohohoho nohohohot stohohohop!
- Do not you think you're too old for dirt on your pants? - Confidence questioned with a giggle, looking back and seeing the forced laughter and the desperate looks of the two prisoners, when she felt Aqua pull her tail as he curled the toes - Hey! Keep the toes open, you smelly bear!
Saying this, she concentrated all the tickles on the feet of the sea bear, who only opened his toes and struggled not to curl them anymore, feeling that intense tickling sensation. The fighting fox kept his tail taunting the toes of his prisoner, feeling as though he was struggling not to curl the toes. She then tickled the pink bear's insteps, up and down slowly, realizing that her soles became more and more sensitive to each new touch.
Aqua fought as hard as he could, but finally he could not bear it any longer, and through the forced laughter and tears streaming from his eyes, he felt the urine trickling down his legs. The smell of pee reached Lonesome's nostrils, struggling to cope with all those tickles, but she could not hold the urine that slid over the bear's butt.
- Sohohohorry Ahahahaqua! - she screamed as her cheeks flushed with shame - Stohohohop! Plehehehease Cohohohonfidence, I'll do whahahahatever yohohohou wahahahant!
- I neheheheed to cuhuhuhurl my tohohohoes! - he shouted, curling his fingers around the furs of fennec's tail, only to feel even more tickling as she jerked her tail to free - Ahahahanythihihihing!
The fennec felt euphoric. In addition to being torturing the two bears, she had defeated and humiliated them both in the worst possible way, tickling them. This was something no other bear or cousin had achieved until that day.
- Okay, now that you two have laughed a lot and are wet, you can start by saying "sorry, Confidence" - she said in a very malicious tone, still sliding her fingers and tail up and down in the feet of the couple - And you can also promise that you will never try to threaten me with tickling again, or you will torture Hugs and Tugs.
- I prohohohomise! Sohohohorry, Cohohohonfidence! - Aqua shouted, crying with shame and laughing.
- I prohohohomise tohohohoo and I beheheheg yohohohour pahahahardon! Stohohohop! - Lonesome also screamed with laughter.
Confidence laughed with pleasure at seeing those two bears so vulnerable in her hands, begging for mercy. Quickly she slid her fingertips through the soles of the prisoners' feet, up and down, and rubbed her tail over their toes.
- Hehehe, I never imagined that it would be so easy to tickle you... - she said in malicious tone, after a few more minutes of tickling, until finally she stopped and untied the hands of her opponents - Now have a good day, cheerful little bears.
And she pulled away quickly and still laughing with pleasure, leaving Aqua and Lonesome behind, lying on top of each other with their feet still tied together. After a few minutes of panting, the couple managed to untap allowing the sea bear to sit down and use the lightsaber to cut off those vines that Confidence had used to bind his feet and those of the warrior bear. Both were soon free, rubbing their feet on the floor to get rid of the tickling sensation as they looked at each other feeling a lot of anger and shame at what had happened.
- That troublemaker fennec does not wait to see... - murmured the female bear irritably before looking at her companion - Are you all right, dear?
- Of course not, I feel humiliated... - said the bear, with his head down, looking at the spot of urine between his legs - Not only did she defeat us in a fight, she tortured us with tickles until we got wet.
- What will we do now? Let's look at Nobleheart and Trueheart and make an official complaint against Confidence?
- And you want to be the butt of jokes for the rest of life? The Care Bear Family already makes fun of us because we like to play with tickles, imagine what they will say when they know what happened! I prefer that troublemaker fox to go unpunished than to have to endure all the taunts of our friends...
The warrior bear lowered her head and sighed heavily.
- You're right... - she agreed sadly - It is better for no one to find out what happened today. But I promise, no matter how much time passes, Confidence will pay for what she did to us!
- One day we'll have our revenge - said Aqua, getting to his feet - Now we'd better go home and take a shower before anyone asks us what happened.
And the two soon set out for Care-a-Lot, walking in sad silence and trying to figure out a way to hide from everyone what fox fighter had done to them, as well as think of a way to get revenge on her...
*****
Christy was sitting at her Aunt Elizabeth's desk, arranging the paperwork. When her aunt traveled along with Frank and the rest of the board, she was who took care of everything, training for the day she would take over as the director's secretary. On normal days, she was just the desk clerk from the heads of business meetings and directors to the chairman's desk.
One of her duties was to separate the correspondence, and that was what she was doing at that moment when she came across an envelope addressed to herself. Looking at the sender, only two letters were written: J.D.
Her heart leapt from her chest at that moment. For months she had no news of her husband, whether he was alive or dead, and that letter gave her a sense of relief that seemed indescribable and unfathomable. Then she tore the envelope and began to read what his beloved had written to her.

Dear Christy
You do not know how much I miss you, it's like my heart is empty and I scream in pain for not being by your side at all times. But I know that you understand me, that I am only doing this to help those who one day also helped me to walk the path of good and recover the most important person of my life (you). Soon all this will be over, and we can live a normal life and tell our children and grandchildren our adventures along with the Care Bear Family. Christy, I love you with all my might, and I always remember you and your smile in the sad times to make me feel happier and more confident. I can’t wait to be with you again, until the end of our days.
Of his great and eternal love, D.

Christy's eyes filled with tears as she read that letter. And to think that just the one who almost killed everyone was the one who struggled most, after Frank, to try to help Care Bear Family fight its enemies. Such a gesture of chivalry and gratitude moved the girl very much, much more than she could express in words.
Suddenly the phone began to ring furiously, making the girl come back to reality.
- Mr. Frank Heartom's office - Christy said as she answered the communicator.
- "Hi, I'm Norman Chatplan, I'm working with an archeology company, and I'd like to arrange a meeting with Mr. Frank to deal with some matters relating to scientific and archaeological research - said a male voice with a strong British accent.
- I'm sorry Mr. Chatplan, but Mr. Heartom is on a trip to Brazil and canceled all appointments until the second order. But if you want, I can write down your name and phone to let you know when Mr. Heartom returns...
- "It is not necessary. Thank you very much, and a good night" - concluded the person on the other end of the line, abruptly disconnected, to the surprise of Christy, who resumed his service of separating the correspondences.
Meanwhile, in Halifax, Norman, Thompson and Anna looked at each other in silence as the first hung up the phone.
- Well, what shall we do now? - asked the girl, folding her arms - Do we go back to England or do we go to Brazil?
- B & H's office in that country is located in the city of São Paulo - commented the assistant thoughtfully - I was invited to do a technical analysis on some rock paintings located near the capital Brasília, so I was already planning to travel to South America this month. If you want to join me...
- But we can't leave Jacob here alone! - protested the younger brother.
- And I'm not going to wait for him to serve his 10-day sentence in jail, after all, it was not me who got drunk and made a scandal on the plane - said Anna maliciously - Since you want to help Jacob, you can stay here and take him back to England when he is released. Meanwhile, Norman and I are going to Brazil.
- You really do not like our brother - Thompson said, rolling his eyes - Okay, I'll take your suggestion just because I know you will not change your mind. But try not to destroy any environmental patrimony this time to locate clues...
Anna laughed at that remark and gave a friendly hug to her younger brother, while Norman nodded with a giggle, wondering how his bosses could manage to be so different from each other.
*****
There was a small restaurant in the inn opposite Batovi Station, where Jason was staying and could follow a little of the movement of the small village, besides experiencing typical Brazilian foods such as feijoada and gaucho barbecue, which suited him very well in that cold winter climate in the southern hemisphere. But his attention that night was all about the telegram he had received from Mr. Frank Heartom that afternoon canceling his mission.
As he stared at the yellow paper, wondering what had happened to his boss to change his mind, he saw André enter the restaurant with his young son Carlos and an elderly man, tall and smiling, and the three quickly walked towards the young pilot.
- Jason! Que bom encontra-lo aqui (Jason! How nice to meet you here) - said the station manager excitedly - Eu quero que você conheça um seu compatriota, senhor Ralph Millows (I want you to meet one of your compatriots, Mr. Ralph Millows).
- My pleasure, Mr. Millows - the boy replied in English, shaking the old man's hand -  What does an American do in a place like this?
- It's exactly the same thing I thought about you when Andre told me about you - Ralph said with a wry smile before continuing in Portuguese - Será que nós podemos nos sentar com você (Can we sit with you)?
- Claro que sim, sentem-se e me acompanhem no jantar, por favor (Of course, sit down and accompany me for dinner, please).
- Não, obrigado, Carlos e eu já jantamos, mas faremos companhia a vocês (No, thanks, Carlos and I have dinner, but we'll keep you company) - André said as he pulled out a chair - O que é isso? Um telegrama (What is it? A telegram)?
- Sim, do senhor Frank Heartom (Yes, from Mr. Frank Heartom) - the young man replied, handing the paper over to his friend - Ele simplesmente solicitou minha presença em São Paulo, cancelando a consultoria que eu estava prestando (He simply requested my presence in Sao Paulo, canceling the advice I was rendering).
- “Serviço cancelado. Vá para São Paulo e aguarde ordens. Frank” (Service canceled. Go to São Paulo and wait for orders. Frank) - was what the station manager read – Isso é estranho... Apesar de que eu ouvi uns rumores entre os ferroviários de que o senhor Frank Heartom está agindo de maneira estranha. Você não vai falar isso para ele, não é mesmo Jason (That's strange... Although I've heard rumors among the railroaders that Mr. Frank Heartom is acting strangely. You're not going to tell him that, are you, Jason)?
- Fique tranquilo, eu não direi (Do not worry, I will not say).
- Você é amigo do senhor Frank (You're Mr. Frank's friend)? - asked Carlos curiously – Como ele é? Uma pessoa legal (What is he like? A cool person)?
- Muito legal, foi ele quem pagou meus estudos e me arranjou esse emprego (Very cool, he's the one who paid for my studies and got me this job) - Jason explained with a big smile – Quem sabe um dia você o conheça pessoalmente, e eu acho que ele irá gostar de você (Maybe one day you'll meet him in person, and I think he'll like you).
- Ouvi dizer que senhor Frank gosta de incentivar crianças a estudarem, e até mesmo patrocina jovens mentes brilhantes contratando-os como empregados da B&H (I hear Mr. Frank likes to encourage children to study, and even sponsors brilliant young minds by hiring them as B & H employees) - Ralph mused as he had a hot cup of coffee.
- Ele bem que poderia se interessar por seu trabalho, Ralph (He might be interested in your work, Ralph) - the boy suggested cheerfully - Porque você não pede para Jason nos ajudar (Why do not you ask Jason to help us)?
- No que o senhor trabalha (What do you work for)? - asked the young man with curiosity - Talvez eu realmente possa ajuda-lo (Maybe I really can help him)...
- Não é nada demais, eu sou um rail modeler, e possuo uma grande maquete inspirada na Companhia Paulista (It's no big deal, I build railway models, and I own a big model inspired by Companhia Paulista) - the old man started to explain - É um trabalho de muitos anos e... Bem, como você vê, eu já não sou mais um jovem, e não quero que esse trabalho se perca. Então Carlos aqui está me ajudando a convencer as demais crianças do bairro a aprenderem as técnicas do hobby, como uma diversão sadia para todos (It's a work of many years and... Well, as you see, I'm no longer a young man, and I do not want that work to be lost. So Carlos here is helping me convince the other kids in the neighborhood to learn the techniques of the hobby, as a healthy diversion for everyone).
- Senhor Ralph é muito legal, ele é um grande professor (Mr. Ralph is very nice, he's a great teacher) - Carlos said as he smiled - Mesmo Meigo e Ternura ficaram impressionados com que ele faz (Even Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot were impressed with that he does)...
- Perdão, eu não entendi, o que você quis dizer garoto (Sorry, I did not understand, what did you mean, boy)? - Jason asked with a slight frown on his forehead, especially when Ralph choked and Andre paled.
- Que com um jeito meigo e muita ternura, todos ficam impressionados com o que eu faço (That in a gentle way and a lot of tenderness, everyone is impressed by what I do) - Craftsman replied nervously - Mas eu acho que um assunto assim não interessaria ao senhor Frank Heartom (But I do not think such a matter would be of interest to Mr. Frank Heartom)...
Jason was thoughtful at the reaction of his friends, mainly because Meigo and Ternura were the names of two Care Bears in Portuguese, Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot, but he did not understand the language well, maybe he was really wrong.
What neither he, Andre, Carlos, or Ralph imagined was that at that very moment a cloud car parked across the square, and Tenderheart Bear got out of the vehicle walking directly to the restaurant, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one on the street except one young man sitting with his back to the rail worker, the old man and the boy he had helped days before.
- Olá pessoal, como vocês estão (Hi guys how are you)? - Tenderheart began cheerfully, entering the restaurant - Ainda bem que eu os vi quando aterrissei o carro nuvem, ou então acabaria por ir à casa de Ralph e (Glad I saw them when I landed the cloud car, or else I'd go to Ralph's house and)...
When Jason heard that familiar voice, speaking a lousy Portuguese, his heart stopped beating for a second and he quickly turned toward the door wide-eyed.
- Tenderheart?!? - he cried, unable to believe what he saw.
- Jason?!? - the bear retorted also gaping, for he had not imagined that this was his old friend, before running to hug him tightly - Jason! What a joy to see you here! Long time no see you! You're an adult now.
- And you have not changed anything since our adventure with Nicholas! But what are you doing here?
- I came to invite Carlos to the Annual Caring Fair, for having helped him recently, but it never occurred to me that I would find you! What are you doing here?
- I came to look for you... It's a long story, but then I'll tell you about it.
As the two old friends talked, Andre, Carlos, and Ralph were silent, with expressions of surprise and glaring at each other without understanding.
- Hei! Vocês dois, esperem um instante (Hey! You two, wait a moment) - the rail worker began in a determined tone - Vocês dois se conhecem? E que história é essa que você está dizendo, Jason (Do you two know each other? And what's the story you're saying, Jason)?
- Claro que nós dois nos conhecemos, Jason foi uma das primeiras crianças que eu ajudei, há muitos anos (Of course we both knew each other, Jason was one of the first children I helped, many years ago) - the bear explained cheerfully - Eu não sabia que ele era amigo de vocês, nem que estava por aqui (I did not know he was your friend, nor that it was here).
- Pelo visto há muitas coisas que nós não sabemos (Apparently there are many things we do not know) - said the old man with a smirk - E eu não acho que é uma coincidência Jason estar aqui, sendo que ele próprio acabou de dizer que seu objetivo era justamente localizar Tenderheart, e nós três termos sido ajudados por ele apenas alguns dias atrás (And I do not think it's a coincidence that Jason was here, and he just said that his goal was precisely to locate Tenderheart, and all three of us had been helped by him only a few days ago).
- Realmente, é uma longa história (Really, it's a long story)... - agreed the young man with a sheepish look - Alguém dentro de um trem viu quando um carro nuvem decolou, e então eu vim aqui investigar a respeito a pedido de senhor Frank Heartom. Por isso que eu disse desde o começo que minha missão não tinha nada haver com demissões na Paulista (Someone inside a train saw when a cloud car took off, and then I came here to investigate at the request of Mr. Frank Heartom. That's why I said from the beginning that my mission had nothing to do with layoffs at Paulista).
- Ao menos isso me deixa aliviado (At least that makes me relieved) - André teased with a laugh.
- Que legal saber que vocês dois também são amigos e se reencontraram (How nice to know that you two are friends, too, and you have met again) - said the boy with a smile, also hugging the bear - Mas o que você queria dizer em me convidar para uma Feira (But what did you mean by inviting me to a Fair)?
- É a Feira Anual do Carinho, que nós realizamos todos os anos em Nuvem Rosa e convidamos crianças do mundo inteiro para participarem e se divertirem (It's the Annual Caring Fair we do every year at Care-a-Lot and we invite kids from all over the world to join in and have fun) - Tenderheart quickly explained - Nesse ano nós também estamos convidando as crianças que cuidamos em missões recentes, como é seu caso. Você quer ir (This year we are also inviting the children we care for in recent missions, as is the case with you. You want to go)?
- Claro que sim! Você deixa, não é Papai (Of course yes! You let me go, do not you, Dad)?
- Bem... Eu não sei (Well... I do not know)... - Andre said thoughtfully - Quando será esse evento e onde fica Nuvem Rosa (When will this event be and where is Care-a-Lot)?
- Nuvem Rosa fica no céu, acima das nuvens, e o evento será em 19 de Junho (Care-a-Lot stays in the sky, above the clouds, and the event will be on June 19)...
- Fica aonde (Stay where)? - Ralph and Andre exclaimed together.
- No céu, em uma dimensão invisível acima das nuvens comuns (In the sky, in an invisible dimension above ordinary clouds) - Jason replied with a giggle - Eu já estive lá, é um lugar muito legal (I've been there, it's a very cool place).
- Vocês estão de brincadeira (You're kidding)! - said the station manager - Não há como existir algo acima das nuvens, só o Sputinik (There is no way that there is anything above the clouds, only the Sputnik)!
- Prefiro o Explorer (I prefer the Explorer) - commented the old man, staring at Tenderheart - Quer dizer que existe um mundo mágico acima de nós, invisível a nossos olhos (You mean there is a magical world above us, invisible to our eyes)?
- Assim como no desenho animado que fizeram a nosso respeito (Just like in the cartoon they've done about us) - the bear replied with a friendly wink - Vamos lá, André! Deixe Carlos participar da Feira, ele irá se divertir muito e você não irá se arrepender (C'mon, André! Let Carlos attend the Fair, he will have a lot of fun and you will not regret it).
- Bem que eu gostaria de ir também (I'd like to go, too)... - Jason said with a sad, jealous glint in his eyes - Eu gostaria de rever meus amigos ursos e primos novamente (I'd like to see my friends bears and cousins again)...
Seeing Jason's expression, André's doubts, and Ralph's curiosity, the bear thought for a few seconds.
- E se todos vocês forem à Feira (What if you all go to the Fair)? - he asked at last - Assim Jason poderá rever os demais, Carlos se divertirá sob a supervisão de André, e Ralph verá com seus próprios olhos como é o Reino do Carinho. Aceitam ir (So Jason can review the others, Carlos will have fun under Andre's supervision, and Ralph will see for himself the Kingdom of Caring. Do you agree to go)?
- Yes! Yes! Yes! - Jason exclaimed happily, hugging the bear.
- Para mim esse convite é uma honra (That invitation to me is an honor) - said the old man with a youthful gleam in his eyes - Eu posso levar alguns trenzinhos para divertir a garotada (I can take some of my trains models to amuse the kids).
- Vamos lá, Papai! Diga que nós vamos (C'mon, Daddy! Tell us we're going)!
- Bem, eu... Talvez... (Well, I... Maybe...) - the rail worker said thoughtfully - Minhas folgas são aos Domingos, e eu posso trocar o turno com o Gilberto se for necessário (My holidays are on Sundays, and I can change the shift with Gilberto if I have to).
- Excelente! Então eu passarei por aqui bem cedinho no dia 19 para lhes dar carona. Nenhum de vocês se arrependerá, eu garanto. Podemos nos encontrar em frente à estação (Great! So I'll stop by here early on the 19th to give them a ride. None of you will regret it, I assure you. Can we meet in front of the station)?
- Eu não vejo problema algum (I do not see any problem) - Andre said, receiving a positive nod from Ralph – Talvez apenas Jason tenha alguns problemas para estar aqui presente (Maybe only Jason has some trouble being here)...
- De maneira nenhuma (In no way)! - exclaimed the young man cheerfully – Eu me apresento em São Paulo, mas retorno para cá dia 18 para não perder a carona (I will introduce myself in São Paulo, but I will return here on the 18th to not miss the ride)!
- Muito bem, então está combinado (Very well, then it is arranged) - the bear said cheerfully - E eu tenho certeza de que todos vocês irão se divertir muito (And I'm sure you all will have a lot of fun)!
- Meigo, porque você e Jason não nos contam como vocês se conheceram (Tenderheart, why do not you and Jason tell us how you two met)? - Carlos asked with curiosity - Foi em uma missão igual a que nós tivemos (Was it on a mission just like we had)?
- Foi muito mais complicado (It was much more complicated) - Jason said, laughing along with the bear - Tudo começou quando meu atual cunhado Nicholas trabalhava em um circo, e eu e minha irmã Kim éramos apenas duas crianças órfãs e incompreendidas por todos (It all started when my current brother-in-law Nicholas worked in a circus, and me and my sister Kim were just two children orphaned and misunderstood by all)...
*****
Although it was still a little early, Sky-Heart Bear and Braveheart Lion were already coming back from a quick Caring Mission, which had convinced a boy named Joshua not to run away from school for taking low grades in the final math test. Surely that was not the guardian's favorite kind of mission, but like any bear or cousin, he would have to get used to other types of missions.
Fortunately that boy was a fan of Braveheart, and the presence of the lion was enough to make the child change his mind and listen to the advice of both the feline and the warrior bear. They were still around enough time watching the school to make sure Joshua was off to class, and even Sky-Heart could not help but smile a little when he saw that the boy had taken note 10 at the end of the test. But he just wanted now was to go home, have a good breakfast, and do a magical training session together with Shimmers for the rest of the morning.
Both the lion and the guardian were silent, for though they had the swordsman bear as a mutual friend, they little talked to each other, since Braveheart was bossy and impulsive, and Sky-Heart was a quiet and secretive fellow. That's why the blue bear drove the cloud car attentively and concentrated, almost forgetting the presence of the feline at his side, until it moved and looked at the driver for a moment.
- Thank you for helping me during the mission, Sky - he said with a faint smile, trying to pull subject - Maybe his presence was not even necessary, but his advice to Joshua certainly impressed him greatly.
- You do not have to thank me - the bear replied quickly, without even looking at Braveheart.
Again the two were silent for a few seconds, the lion casting curious little glances at the warrior bear.
- I know we're not close friends, but... - Braveheart began hesitantly - Can I ask you a personal question?
- You want to know if it's true what Shimmers told you about him trying to convince me to date Redemptionheart - Sky said calmly, before turning to the feline with a sly wink - Yes, that's true.
- BB-But how did you find out!... - the lion gasped, until he swallowed and felt his cheeks flush with shame - Were you listening to my thoughts?
- Since you thanked me for helping you on this mission. You would not have drawn a subject if there was not something else you wanted to know.
- WW-Well, you're right, that's what I wanted to ask you. And what happened between you two?
- Nothing really happened, Shimmers just thought Redemption and I would make a good couple for being lonely people, and he told me a lot about her while we were at Edron, trying to fix the dimensional portal to come to Earth - Sky explained calmly as she drove - I really was curious to know more about the doctor, but as soon as I saw her, I realized that we were not soul mates, as much as she could be a nice person. Also, shortly after I met Longbow, and...
The bear's cheeks flushed a little at the thought that Longbow Wolf was really his soul mate, for her filled him in every way. He just glanced sideways at Braveheart, who smiled friendly.
- You do not need to explain, I understand out that you and Redemptionheart would not make a good pair, even because she would tickle you every day - the lion teased with a giggle, in which the guardian bear had to agree with a slight nod - And for a couple to work out, both need to be in perfect tune. I learned this when I tried vainly dating Proud Heart...
The young leader sighed deeply and lowered his head as tears formed in his eyes. Usually Sky-Heart hated to encourage such talk, but he felt he needed to let the lion vent.
- Do you still have feelings for Proud Heart? - he asked cautiously - Because your relationship did not work out?
- Because we are both proud and narcissistic, and we can't find a way for love to blossom without quarrels - Braveheart replied in a low, sad voice - And yes, I still feel something for her, but I know that Proud Heart has now found her soul mate in Loyal Heart and that the two are more and more united... I do not want to disturb their happiness and their relationship...
- That's a noble thing on your part.
- It's the only thing I can do. Basically, I think I was born to be alone... Neither Harmony nor Share wanted me, they always thought I was a stupid, impulsive, proud, who likes to shout and give orders... I just wanted to prove to everyone the opposite, that I'm a nice guy...
For a few moments they were both silent, and now Sky-Heart was the one who looked curiously at Braveheart, not quite sure what to do. That was when he smiled a little and put his hand on the feline's shoulder.
- "You're a nice, brave guy, even with all your faults" - he said telepathically to his friend - "One day you'll find your soul mate when you least expect it."
The lion just lifted his head and looked at the bear with a small grateful smile on his lips as the cloud car reached Care-a-Lot. Sky quickly stopped the vehicle in the parking lot, and both occupants got out.
- If you want to go home, I'll fill out the mission paperwork - Braveheart offered amicably - It's the least I can do for all the help you've given me... And for our conversation too. Also, I need to talk to Tenderheart about the preparations for the Fair.
- I thank you for your offer, Braveheart" - the bear answered blue through telepathy, bowing to the young leader before the two parted, the lion headed for the Hall of Hearts and the guardian went home.
Finally peace and quiet! Being an introverted person, Sky-Heart could not wish for anything better at that moment. Not that the mission or the conversation with Braveheart had been bad, but the bear was not yet accustomed to being such a solicitous and open-minded person, and he was just beginning to feel free to talk to the other members of Care Bear Family plus Shimmers and True Heart. He did not want to be totally impolite or disinterested, but he never really got interested in socializing, and his life was always geared toward magic and struggle. Helping people effectively, listening to their problems and trying to be friendly, was something new and strange to him.
Thinking of these things, he walked through the rainbow path that linked Care-a-Lot to the Forest of Feelings, which passed before his house, when he saw Aqua and Lonesomeheart approaching in the opposite direction. Both had angry and anxious expressions, as well as smelling of urine, and they hesitated to approach when they saw Sky-Heart nearby. Usually he was not involved in the personal problems of others, even his close friends, but the hesitant attitude and the fact that it was not common to see the couple walking urinated down the street made the guardian bear feel more than normal curiosity.
- So what happened to you? - he asked aloud as the two friends approached hesitantly - Did you two decide to go back to cubs and pee your pants?
- Do not meddle in our affairs - Aqua said dryly, as he and Lonesome passed by the guardian.
Sky-Heart frowned at the sound of it, folding its arms and staring at the sea-bear with the expression of a few friends. He quickly used his powers to invade the couple's mind.
- "C'mon, Lone, he does not need to know about our fight with Confidence" - he heard the bear talking to his companion - "He would be just another one who would make fun of us for being defeated and tickled by that troublemaker."
- "I have the feeling I think he already knows..." - Lonesome said, glancing toward the warrior bear, feeling that her mind was vulnerable.
- Yes, I already know, and I think that was very well done for the two of you - Sky-Heart replied to the female bear's thought in an ironic tone - Maybe you will stop being stupid and learn not to provoke those who are quiet. After all, why do you have to act so childishly and foolishly? You really only grew in size, but it's still two babies who wet their pants...
Aqua stopped and stared furiously at the guardian bear, pulling out his lightsaber.
- Who is the baby who wet the pants?!? - he shouted, heading up from Sky - You will swallow your words, your...
But the magician bear only drew his lightsaber and stood in a fighting position, holding his weapon firmly and ready to strike.
- You really want to be stupid and fight me? - he asked dryly, looking at the sea bear - I still thought there was some lone neuron in your head, but now I see that there is not even one.
The dolphin bear's will was to actually attack Sky-Heart and give him a beating, but Aqua knew his opponent was a much better wizard and swordsman than he and Lonesome together. And the female bear itself knew this too, since she stood before her companion, trying to stop him.
- Please, Aqua, that's enough of what happened to Confidence - she pleaded, though she did not hide the anger she was feeling - Let's go home, please.
For a few seconds the sea bear was silent, before putting away the lightsaber and walking away with the warrior female bear, and Sky was still watching them with the gun in his hand.
- That's right, you inconsequential brat, go home and take a cold shower and put your head in place! - he shouted provocatively, before putting away his gun and also heading toward his house.
The pair of bears walked quickly to stand in front of the door of the house, when finally Aqua plummeted in desperate tears. It had all been humiliating to him: to be defeated and tickled by Confidence until he peed in his pants, to be called a fool and stupid for Sky-Heart, and not even able to fight the guardian bear. The dolphin bear sat at the door and wept copiously as Lonesome sat down beside him and hugged him, also shedding tears.
- They will pay me... - Aqua murmured between sobs, just wishing revenge - They will see who the fool is...
The warrior female bear did not say anything, just stood there, hugging and comforting the beloved, unable to see a way for both to get revenge on Sky-Heart and Confidence and not to suffer retaliation from Care Bear Family. The only one who could help them was Shimmers, but how to ask him to harm his own friend and newbie that he would coordinate from there in a few weeks? Surely he would never agree to that.
It took a few minutes before Aqua finally calmed down and, wiping away his tears, looked at lonesome.
- I'm sorry... - he said in an embarrassed tone - I put you through it, it was my idea that we provoked Confidence...
- Do not worry about it, you're not to blame... - replied the female bear with a small smile - Now c'mon, let's take a hot shower and forget what happened.
Certainly Aqua could not forget all that humiliation, but he accepted her mate's suggestion and they both went to the shower together...
*****
The Hall of Hearts was used as a meeting point for the Care Bear Family not only when it came to formal meetings, but also when they wanted to talk to each other more intimately. So it was not strange to anyone that afternoon that Loyal Heart Cat, Happy Birthday Bear, Goodluck Bear, Aqua Bear, Playful Heart Monkey, Braveheart Lion and Lotsa Heart Elephant were talking in one of the rooms, while Proud Heart Car, Gentle Heart Lamb, Wish Bear, Surprise Bear, Daydream Bear and Love-a-Lot Bear were in another room.
Even being in separate environments by choice, the subject matter was the same in the two groups: the courtship of Loyal and Proud.
- I think after so long denying it, I finally realized how much I love that girl - the dog told his friends.
- Only you had not noticed that yet - said Playful - After all, as they say, opposites attract, and at some point you and she would be together...
- I totally agree with Playful - said Birthday Bear with a wink - You are the most educated and gentleman of the Kingdom of Caring, while Proud Heart is the most impulsive and irritated of the girls.
- And you told Nobleheart and Trueheart? - inquired Braveheart with curiosity.
- Not yet - Loyal said - It was yesterday that we started dating.
- And what do you think of Proud? - Goodluck asked with a smirk…
- I think Loyal is, first of all, the nicest boy there is - Proud Heart replied to a question asked by Daydream - He is considerate, kind, never angry with me, even when I'm in the mood to scratch someone.
- What I call courage - Love-a-Lot joked with a chuckle - I think only Funshine Bear and Playful Heart have such courage to face you...
- Hey! Do not put me in this story, I do not want any trouble on my side - replied the yellow bear with a laughing expression - But who would say that the Kingdom of Caring's most unlikely couple finally surrendered to Cupid's arrows.
- I thought you were my friends, and you would not be making fun of my happiness - the female cat complained, frowning.
- Of course we're her friends - Surprise Bear said quickly - But it's very funny to think of you and Loyal together. You two are so different...
- Even so, I do not think we should be kidding with Proud - Gentle Lamb said defensively.
- Oh, thank you for defending me, my friend - began the female feline, smiling.
- Of course I will defend you; after all we all know that you are Loyal's soul mate, even with all your differences and faults - the lamb concluded with a malicious glance.
Loyal closed his face a little with Playful Heart, who at first had pretended to be defending him and then made a joke with him while the others laughed non-stop. But at last the dog itself laughed too.
- You're right, my friend - he said at last - Proud and I are soul mates, and we love each other even though we are so different. And I know that you, even though you're playing, deep down are as happy for our happiness.
- You bet it is, friends are for that - said Lotsa Heart - And where is Proud now?
- In the other room, with the girls. Certainly talking about our courtship...
- Surely he's talking about our courtship for the other bears and cousins - Proud Heart explained to her friends when they asked her where her boyfriend was - You know how men are gossips.
- That's true, and we're not far behind - Wish Bear joked with a chuckle - Now we'd better get back to work, or there'll be no Caring Fair this year.
The women quickly walked out into the hall at the same moment as the group of men, all of whom were face to face. Loyal and Proud looked at each other quickly with shame, the others laughed quietly at seeing their friends in that situation, not knowing what to do with love.
- HH-Hello, Loyal Heart - stammered the cat.
- HH-Hello, Proud - said the dog.
- Maybe we'd better leave the lovers alone - said Playful Heart with a wink.
- I think it's a good idea - Funshine Bear agreed - So the two of can talk a little bit, with no one to get in the way.
Everyone laughed at that and walked away, leaving only the couple there.
- Did you tell them? - Proud Heart asked, her face closed.
- Just as you told them - Loyal Heart replied with a small smile - Even because we do not agree to make a secret...
- Your talebearer gossip!
- My beautiful and happy kitten - the dog said gently, pulling his girlfriend lightly on his and giving her a light kiss on his face before he left, walking normally and with a large, satisfied, passionate smile on his face.
For a moment, the female cat stood there, like a fool in love, just watching the boyfriend away.
- Yeah... I know I'm beautiful, just like you - she said to herself in a narcissistic tone, before going to take care of their chores.
*****
There was a very bad mood between Nobleheart and Trueheart that night when the two of them sat down to dinner. The bear was silent, lost in thought and looking a little depressed in her sad eyes. The horse had a worried expression, staring at his wife and wondering how he could help her without them arguing again.
Finally, Noble took courage and touched the hand of his wife, who at the same time withdrew her arm with an enormous fright.
- Damn, Noble! - she complained - When are you going to lose this silly craze to scare the others?
- I did not want to scare you, my dear - the horse replied in a surprised voice - I just wanted to talk to you, because I've never seen you so sad...
- That is none of your business - the female bear replied abruptly.
- Of course it's my business. After all you've always been so cheerful and fun, and now you act like a bitter person who does not care about anyone, treating me like a stranger.
- I've always acted that way, you've never noticed before.
- No, you've never acted like this before! - Noble has become harsher - All this can’t be coming out of your heart! Where is that female bear that I fell in love with when I was younger? Who taught all these cubs the importance of loving and respecting others? That he was not afraid of anything, that he would give his own life to save the family? Where is she?!?
- That female bear is here, I only do not know if my family is - True Heart replied, trying to escape into the bedroom.
Immediately Noble Heart understood what was happening in the heart of his wife, and he could not help but feel the rage of the pettiness the bear showed.
- So you're like this because of Goodluck and Polite's wedding? - he asked, rising to his feet - You mean you'd rather see your son sad and close to you than to see him happy beside the bride?"
- All I want to do is make sure my kids are okay! They're just kids!
- The only child here is you, True! Do not you realize that they are no longer cubs, that they have grown up and need to live their own lives? How do you want to be so selfish to stop them from being happy?!?
For a few seconds the two looked at each other in silence with harsh, irritated expressions, so much that it seemed to spark fire through their eyes. Suddenly they heard the sound of the bell, which made both of them calm down. Quickly Noble Heart went into the living room and opened the door, watching Tenderheart and Love-a-lot standing there holding hands and wide smiles on their lips, not imagining that they had interrupted a fight of the founders couple.
- Hello Noble Heart, how's it going? - asked the brown bear cheerfully - You look tired, has something happened?
- It's all right - the horse said, doing his best to regain his good humor, and signaling for the couple to come in - And you two, how are you?
- We're fine, Noble, thank you - the female bear replied with a smile - We've only been on a mission so far.
- That's why we could not warn them before our visit - Tenderheart added with a loving look on his girlfriend - We want to talk to True Heart and you, if it's not bothersome...
At this very moment the female bear matriarch entered the room, trying to appear calm and casual, though her cheeks were still flushed from the discussion moments before with her husband.
- Of course it's not bothersome, it was kind of providential in a way - she said with a forced smile - And what do you want to talk to us about? It must be something important, since did not want to wait until tomorrow.
- That's true, it's really important - Tenderheart said almost without containing his happiness - We're here because we want to mark our wedding day and ask you to be our escort at the entrance to the ceremony.
- After all, you two are almost our parents, and we would be honored if you accepted the invitation - Love-a-Lot added with a radiant look - I would love for Noble Heart to enter with me in the Hall of Heart, and Tenderheart would like True Heart to accompany him. Will you two accept?
For a few seconds the couple of founders were silent, and the expression on their faces began to worry Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot. True Heart slowly clenched his fists and stared at Noble Heart with angry air, before running into the bedroom and locking himself there.
- True! True! - Noble Heart shouted desperately, running after his wife, but staying outside the room - Please open the door! Let's talk...
- Talk what?!? How to destroy and split the Care Bear Family?!? - it was the angry scream that the female bear gave inside the bedroom - Fuck Noble! You are responsible for all this! You!
The horse was not sure what to do, especially as he looked back and saw Tenderheart and Love-a-Lot standing in the hall, gaping at what they had just witnessed. They never imagined that True Heart would react that way, even because she had never complained about Joyful Heart and Looter Bear, Aqua and Lonesomeheart, or Shimmers and Wish relationships.
- Sorry for what happened - Noble Heart stammered, his face flushed with embarrassment - True are going through a difficult time...
- What happened to her, Noble Heart? - asked Love-a-Lot, shocked.
- That's not True Heart who adopted us and taught us all about loving our neighbor - Tenderheart said, his eyes also opened with surprise.
- You're right, my children... II-I do not know what to say to apologize. Tomorrow I'll try to talk to her about it, but maybe you'd better postpone your plans for a few days... At least until she gets used to the idea.
The young couple was still speechless, since that reaction from True Heart was totally unexpected, but both decided to follow Noble Heart's advice and hope the matriarch regained his composure.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, the female bear was sitting on the bed, only with the light of the lamp coming, crying with sadness and feeling completely empty the heart, something she had never felt before. Taking a deep breath, she opened the drawer of the bedside table and took out of it her favorite and special necklace. It was only a cord, and at the end, tied tightly, was a great caring crystal, which Noble had given her when they still were dating in San Martin.
That stone was special. It had the power to give people joy and love, and it was the most perfect caring crystal that had already been found in the mines. And being a special gift from Noble, True Heart had often used it on his neck to demonstrate his love for the horse and receive the magical influences of the stone. But now it was not his will. Throwing the jewel back into the drawer, the female bear lay on the bed and grabbed the pillow, beginning to cry in despair, her heart shattered and hopeless.
- My children are leaving me... - she murmured to herself as she cried - Oh heavens, what can I do?...
How she wanted her foster children not to have grown up, were still cubs and did not wished to have their own lives. How she was afraid of losing the love of those bears and cousins she'd nursed for so many years!
*****
Champ was already getting ready for bed. He was very tired after a full day of workout and helping Braveheart and Bright Heart put things right for the annual Caring Fair, and that was no small job.
After a delicious shower, in which he was able to relax his muscles, the bear took off his bathrobe and turned off the bedroom light. He was about to lie down when he heard someone tapping lightly on the door. Something annoyed, he switched on the lamp.
- Who is it? - he asked.
In response, the door gently opened, and Cheer Bear appeared on the threshold.
- Do I bother you? - she asked with a smile.
Champ jumped out of bed and pulled the female bear in, closing the door immediately afterwards.
- What are you doing here? Should not you be in your room? - he asked.
- I thought I was going to get a better reception - replied the pink bear, frowning and pretending to be sad - I just wanted to surprise you.
- But we can't be careless like that, Cheer - the bear said - Imagine if anyone saw you coming into my room at this time...
- I was careful. Bright Heart is already asleep, and Treat Heart is watching a movie on television. No one will notice anything if we do it in silence.
- And you think you can keep quiet? - asked Champ with a wicked smile on his face - That's not what I heard last night...
- Champ! - exclaimed the female bear, blushing with shame - I am not guilty if you do it in a well done way and I get carried away during love.
They both laughed softly, while the female bear passed her eyes over the boyfriend's body in the low light of the lamp.
- I did not know you slept without pajamas - Cheer said, making Champ laugh softly as he stared at her.
- And what's the problem with sleeping without pajamas? - he asked, with a small smile on his lips - This is my room, and no one needs to see how I sleep.
Cheer Bear came over and hugged her boyfriend, kissing his lips and making him lie down on the bed while she did the same.
- That's true, no one needs to see how you sleep... - she replied, smiling and with bright eyes of love.
And approaching the snouts, they began to kiss, while Champ took off his girlfriend's nightdress and hugged her tightly, and for the second night the young couple slept together, sharing all the love they felt for each other and not fearing what might happen to them if someone discovered that.
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