No-Heart watched the work of his so-called allies with casual disinterest. He knew their help would prove invaluable in the coming battle but their presence was a constant thorn in his side. The arrival of one other brought a sense of satisfaction as No-Heart turned to see Mental Heart standing in front of him, a sparking thundercloud in his hands.
“I see you brought a piece of my thunder pit. Good.”
Mental Heart approached then knelt down and offered the cloud to No-Heart, “I did as you bid. Resistance was non-existent.”
No-Heart reached for the cloud and took it into his hand, “My niece and that worthless servant of mine still live? I don’t care,” he waved off any incoming answer, “What’s important is that they didn’t destroy my pit.” He held the sparking cloud against his chest, then absorbed it into himself. Sparks of lightning erupted all over No-Heart’s body, drawing the attention of everyone in the cavern as the shadowy aura that surrounded him diminished.
Eventually the sparking stopped and No-Heart slumped on his crystal throne, “I feel my power growing, but it’s still not enough.”
“Then I shall find new sources of power for you, Lord No-Heart,” Mental rose from where he stood.
“Not yet. I have a more important task for you.” No-Heart looked up at his favored servant, “It has come to my attention that there are more lost Care Bears on Earth. They cannot be allowed to join the Care Bear Family. Find and kill them!”
“At once,” Mental Heart bowed, then turned and left.
“And how do you expect him to find them without any sort of guidance?” Quenos spoke from where he was working.
No-Heart glared down at his brother, “Mental Heart has uncanny insight and his psionic abilities eclipse even my sight at the moment and far better than the network of agents you could have employed. He will find them.”
OoOoO
“Excited, my love?” Noble Heart asked as True Heart practically skipped out the front door.
True Heart did a little pirouette on the clouds and stopped to face Noble Heart as he caught her in a hug. “Yes!” She gave him a kiss, “I feel so alive today!”
“Me too,” though his voice didn’t contain the same bombastic excitement, Noble Heart sounded just as enthusiastic as his wife. They kissed again and continued to walk towards Take Care’s hospital, hand-in-hand.
“Alright, you can go now,” Take Care nodded towards Gentle Heart and Bright Heart.
“Thank you,” Gentle Heart was all smiles as she and Bright Heart left.
Take Care sighed, “That makes seven.” She looked up as Noble Heart and True Heart entered, after holding the door for the other couple. “Or maybe eight,” she whispered.
“Good morning, Take Care,” True Heart was grinning as she and Noble Heart approached her waiting room desk. “I’m here for a checkup.”
Take Care rolled her eyes, “Alright, let’s go.” She motioned to the exam room.
It didn’t take long, as Take Care had a good idea what to look for and it wasn’t even five minutes later when she turned to the couple and gave them to news, “Congratulations, True Heart, you’re pregnant.”
True Heart and Noble Heart smiled even harder (if that was possible) and gave each other congratulatory hugs. “Yes! I knew it!” True Heart almost shouted.
“That’s not all,” Take Care said. She saw their faces change to expressions of worry so quickly added, “Nothing bad, but I do have a question. Until you two decided to have another child, how did you feel?”
Noble Heart scratched his chin, “To be honest: run down, tired, and not really sure what to do with ourselves.”
True Heart nodded, “Tenderheart, Brave Heart and Love Heart run everything now so we just sit around, offering advice and going on caring missions when needed, but not doing much of anything, wishing we had done more or wondering if we should do something different.”
“Classic symptoms of a mid-life crisis,” Take Care nodded. “You know the saying, ‘you’re only as old as you feel’? Well for us it’s more literal than a saying. To be blunt: the last time you came in and I did an age test you two tested as humans in their early 50s, but now.” She turned a form over to them, “You two are no older than 29.”
“We de-aged?” Noble Heart stared in shock at the form.
“For lack of a better term, yes.” Take Care turned to the computer and pulled up another file, “The same thing happened to Grams, back when she showed up to thanksgiving riding a motorcycle and wearing a leather jacket. She was trying to feel young again and it worked. She registered at senior citizen age originally but she had somehow become younger after that, albeit just someone in their late 40s or early 50s but dropping from about the age of 70 to that is still a big change.”
True Heart’s hands went protectively to her tummy, “Is there a chance we could get too young?”
Take Care shook her head, “No. I don’t think you could go below the physical age of 25 even if you wanted to. After some tests on the younger generations I’ve found that until that physical age the most they can do it accelerate, slow or even stop their aging, I mean Hugs and Tugs were barely older than toddlers for about a decade then they shot up with Contrary Heart and Hopeful Heart once they were born, and Marina has slowed down so she won’t outgrow Miracle and Flair. I don’t think the Magi can do the same thing: they just stop aging altogether when they hit the age of 30. Sage Heart has tested at that age for as long as I’ve known him and Love Heart and Confidence are about the same too. Can’t say about Life Heart though because she’s already older than the rest of us put together and I have no frame of reference for a Unicorn’s aging.” Take Care looked up at the two, “In other words, don’t worry about it and just keep feeling young and you’ll stay that way. You can go now.”
“Thank you,” Noble Heart gave Take Care a big hug before he and True Heart departed.
“So does that mean you’re gonna keep getting older with all this stress?” Get Well asked as she stepped into the exam room.
Take Care glared at her daughter, then rolled her eyes, “With eight couples having kids all around the same time it will be a miracle if I don’t.”
Get Well whistled, “Eight couples, yeesh that’s eight kids all at once.”
Take Care looked at her computer notes again, “Or more. Some of them have a good chance of having twins. I’d say our little baby boom will be around ten to twelve, depending on how that shakes out.”
Get Well smacked a hand to her forehead, “OI! That’s a lot of kids to worry about all at once. What are we going to do?”
Take Care fished her heartphone out of her tummy symbol, “First I need to give you full midwife training,” she dialed Anger Heart’s number, “and we need a full maternity ward.”
Anger Heart had just finished sawing out the hole in Soulful Heart’s wall to make room for the book return slot (Soulful had been informed and was spending the day out of the house) when he felt his heartphone ringing. He shut off the saw and checked the number before he answered. “Hello, Take Care.”
“Anger Heart. Can you and Guidance come over later. I need help building an extension on to the hospital.” Take Care said.
“OK. Once I finish Soulful’s book return slot.”
“Thank you, I’ll give you the details later. Good bye.” Take Care hung up and sighed.
“Why don’t we have a full maternity ward?” Get Well asked.
“Because I didn’t think we’d be dealing with more than one or maybe two pregnancies at a time, not nearly enough to warrant one.” She stood up, “But if I know murphy’s law, they could all end up giving birth the same week so we’ll need the space. But for now let’s just have lunch, I don’t want to be in the Hall of Hearts when the girls start going on about this.”
“Why so many all at once?” Get Well asked as she and Take Care entered the kitchen.
“What, you mean all the pregnant couples?” Cautious Heart asked, having just come in from the living room. Though she wasn’t a doctor, Cautious Heart heard everything that passed through the hospital, thankfully she had enough sense not to talk about anything she heard except with her family.
Take Care took a box of pasta out of the cupboard as Get Well filled a pot with water to boil. “It’s because of Futureheart’s arrival. Most of these couples were planning to have children at some point in the future but because Care Bears are immortal they just decided they would ‘get around to it someday’ so they kept delaying even though most of them were well prepared to have children. Then a messenger from the future shows up and says that the world is about to end and they all realize that they might not have any more time, then they all independently decided not to wait any more, even if they know their children might not have a chance to grow up.”
OoOoO
Love-a-Lot was grinning as she watched Gentle Heart sit down, followed by True Heart and Noble Heart’s arrival. Tenderheart saw her scanning the crowd and had to ask, “What are you looking at?”
“Oh I think I know more happy couples,” she stood up, “Just wait hear, darling, I need to see if my senses are correct.” She gave Tenderheart a kiss and strode over to the table where Gentle Heart was seated.
Gentle Heart was smiling when she looked up to the grinning Love-a-Lot, “Hello, Love-a-Lot.”
“Hello yourself,” she looked down at the lamb’s full plate, “hungry today?”
Gentle Heart nodded, “Yes.”
Love-a-Lot kept grinning, “I can tell. You’re positively glowing,” she lowered her voice, “since you’re eating for two.”
Bright Heart’s gaze shot up to Love-a-Lot and Gentle Heart covered her mouth for a moment, “What! But who told you?”
“No one, Gentle,” Love-a-Lot patted the lamb’s shoulder, “But I can just tell. Romance is my business and I’ve learned to see that motherly glow in women.” Her voice had been loud enough that everyone heard her when she looked up and scanned the room, “And you’re not the only one,” she patted her tummy.
“Really?” Bright Heart looked at Love-a-Lot, “Well, congratulations to you and Tenderheart.”
“Not just us,” Love-a-Lot gave a sideways look and grin to Bright Heart, “If you all want to come forwards, no reason to hide it.”
Tenderheart sighed and stared down at his lunch. He loved her and he had been anticipating this but it was turning lunch into an ordeal.
Cheer Bear was the first to jump from her seat, “I was gonna tell you all later but now’s a great time,” She pulled Champ next to her with a one-armed hug, “Champ got me pregnant too!”
“You wanted it too,” Champ gave her a kiss.
“No point in hiding it anymore,” Gentle Heart’s voice easily carried through the newly silent cafeteria and she smiled, “Bright Heart and I are expecting a child.”
“Me and Noble Heart too!” True Heart practically leapt from her seat, then skipped over to join Love-a-Lot and Gentle Heart, leaving Noble Heart to smile and eat his lunch. Cheer all but dragged Champ over to join them as well.
“Don’t forget usssss,” Cozy Heart whistled as she and Jolly Heart approached.
“That’s roit.” Jolly Heart Platypus grinned and put an arm around Cozy, “Moi sheila’s expecting a nippah.”
“Well an egg,” Cozy put her wings over her tummy, “It’ssss different for us.”
“It still ours, Cozy,” Jolly nuzzled his beak against hers, since they couldn’t really kiss.
“Is it alright if I join this celebration?” Proud Heart Cat sat down across from Gentle Heart with a tray of food.
“No way! You too Proud Heart?” Cheer darted to her side, “I bet Loyal Heart’s thrilled.”
Proud Heart shook her head, “Nope, sorry but he’s not the father.”
A gasp went through the girls and Love-a-Lot was the first to speak, “But I thought you two were an item. What happened?”
“Nothing ‘happened’,” Proud Heart shook her head and looked over to the blue dog, “We had a thing for each other when we were growing up and I still love his nobility, but we just didn’t click as we got older so we broke it off. He’s still a good friend.”
“I do have reason to be thrilled though,” Loyal Heart stood up. It was only then that they noticed he was sitting with Harmony Bear when she leaned sideways, propping her head up with an arm on the table and grinning.
“Got that right. We kept it on the down low but no point in keeping secrets now.” Harmony took Loyal Heart’s hand, “Me and Loyal are engaged.” She held up his hand so they could see the silver engagement rings on their fingers.”
“Oh Harmony!” Love-a-Lot ran over to her and hugged her, even though Harmony was still seated, “I was worried you…” she paused, not wanting to bring down the mood.
“I know,” Harmony stood up once Love-a-Lot let go of her. A few tears came to her eyes, “It was hard, but I know Flash would be happier if I wasn’t dwelling on him. Loyal reached out to me when I needed help that couldn’t be solved with music,” she took the dog’s hand and they stared lovingly into each other’s eyes.
“I couldn’t stand to see a friend in such sorrow, so I did my best to comfort her.” Loyal Heart smiled, “It was just comfort at first, but as the years went by we spent more and more time together and before I knew it, I was in love.”
“We wanted it to just be us for a while, not have everyone jumping all over us to see if I was alright. He proposed to me right after Futureheart showed up and we were gonna keep it a secret, but now,” she touched her tummy symbol.
“A seed of our love has been planted and I know it will sprout into a beautiful flower inside you, Harmony my love.” Loyal Heart pulled her close as his eyes shone.
“Aww you know I love that sappy stuff,” Harmony and Loyal Heart kissed amid cheers of congratulations from everyone.
It was Gentle Heart who changed the subject, “Proud Heart, who’s the father?”
“Yeah, you gotta tell us!” Cheer demanded, leaning over the table.
Proud Heart smirked, “A lady isn’t allowed to keep her torrid love affair a secret?” she asked faux-innocently.
True Heart sat down next to Proud Heart, “Please, Proud Heart,” she took the cat’s free left hand, “We know everyone else, we just want to know who your lucky man is.”
Proud Heart couldn’t help but giggle, “Oh alright. He’s probably the only person who could meet my standards of precision and elegance, even though he’s hopeless with technology so far. I know his twin sister is just as excited for me and herself too if that phone call to Take Care from Good Luck this morning is any indication.”
Bright Heart put it together instantly. “Perfect Panda?”
Proud Heart nodded, “Yes. I admit I’ve been sneaking off to see him since Good Luck and Polite were married five years ago.” She sighed happily, “The first thing that drew me to him was his garden. It was immaculate especially for someone who lives without the wonders of technology I have access to. He’s a perfectionist and he never lets a single thing get out of place. I tried to see him once a month, usually on the way home from caring missions, if it wasn’t too late at night in the valley.”
“And Lucky never said a thing ‘bout it,” Jolly Heart shook his head.
“I guess I should get the Rainbow Rescue Beam finally completed,” Bright Heart sheepishly scratched his head, “I wonder if Slippy has any ideas to fix that.”
“Good Luck respected our desire for privacy, something Perfect’s been lacking with his new bother-in-law lately.” Proud Heart stared up at the ceiling, “At first it was just swapping gardening stories, then I started showing him some books with ideas and plans for gardens from Earth, then he would show me around the valley every time I came to visit. Finally, one night I showed up late but couldn’t stand to not see him again, then I told him I loved him and we kissed under the sunset.”
A dreamy sigh issued from Cheer and Love-a-Lot, even True Heart couldn’t help but get teary-eyed, “It sounds beautiful.”
“It was perfect,” Proud Heart giggled at her accidental pun, “As for this,” she placed a hand over her tummy symbol, “After Futureheart arrived and told us about the end of the world, I immediately ran off down there to tell all three of them. Not the villagers though because that would have caused a panic. I think Perfect was overwhelmed with things, and I was scared too and that’s when our relationship because physical.”
“So I guess that means you’re leaving soon too?” Gentle Heart asked. The mood instantly quieted as the thought of Proud Heart moving away started to sink into the minds of everyone there.
Proud Heart held up a hand, “Just wait until I finish, please. It turns out my message had an effect on his twin sister, aside from breaking their rhyming habit. When I was at Take Care’s this morning to find out the good news, Good Luck called and told True Heart that he and Polite are expecting too.” Everyone brightened up but Proud Heart continued, “If what we know about Paradise Valley holds up, their little bundle of joy will be able to take Perfect’s place once they’re born.”
“So that means…” Loyal Heart spoke up but Proud Heart cut him off.
“Perfect is moving in with me,” she pointed to her chest, “And we are going to get married!”
“Where’s your ring?” Cheer asked.
Proud Heart smirked, “I kept it hidden,” she reached into her tummy symbol and pulled out a small loop of grass tied in a tight loop with a small piece of crystal as the gem. “It doesn’t matter that it’s not classy or metal, Perfect made it for me with his own two hands and I’ll treasure it always.” She slid the ring onto her finger.
The chorus and revelry of the new mothers-to-be echoed throughout the hall, reaching the pride of Regal Heart where they all sat together.
“Sounds like we have a baby boom on our paws,” Stellar Heart turned from watching the scene to look at his wife, who looked to be hanging her head. “Regs, what’s wrong. Aren’t you happy for all of them?”
“Yes,” Regal looked up at Stellar, who only just now saw the look of foreboding in his wife’s eyes, “but I just know they’re all going to be coming to me for advice for the next three months, I don’t think I can take it.”
“Well you do have the most experience with being pregnant, mom,” Faith Heart said between mouthfuls.
Nearby, Swift Heart and Grumpy were eating with their kids Tinker and Trickster nearby.
Trick turned to his parents, “Ever think about having more kids?”
Swift Heart stopped for a moment, “Maybe, but not right now.”
“Not anytime soon,” Grumpy said, “We just want some time to spend alone.”
On the other side of the cafeteria from Regal’s pride, Confidence Heart was now poking her lunch with her fork, suddenly having lost her appetite. Love Heart and Miracle Heart noticed but Love Heart wasn’t sure what to say. Mira sadly picked probably the worst question she could have asked.
“Mom, are you going to have a new baby too?”
“No.” Confidence stood up, leaving her lunch on the table, and left the Hall of Hearts.
Mira watched her mother walking away then looked up at her father, “Dad, did I say something wrong?”
Love Heart sighed, “It’s not your fault, but your mother and I can’t have any more kids.”
“Why not?” Mira forgot about her lunch as she turned fully to face Love Heart.
Love Heart took a deep breath. The answer was hard to give, especially since he didn’t quite understand Confidence’s condition beyond it’s effects, and what little he did understand was rather grotesque even for him. “Because… something’s wrong with her belly. You know how babies are made right?” Mira nodded. The Care Bears didn’t hold much back when their children asked such questions so Love Heart continued, “When you were born, we found out that something was wrong with the place you were growing in her belly, Take Care had to do some serious surgery to fix her but it means she can’t carry a baby anymore.”
Mira started to tear up, “Is it my fault?”
Love Heart put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, “No, this was something that was broken about her before we met and it was a miracle that you were even born.”
“That’s why you named me Miracle Heart?”
Love Heart smiled, “Exactly. But even after that your mom can’t carry a baby anymore so you’re all we’re going to have.”
“Oh…” Mira stared at her half-finished lunch then got up and followed Confidence out of the hall.
Confidence Heart had stopped just outside the entrance, tears falling from her eyes as she stared at the ground. Did she really want another child? She stroked a hand across her tummy symbol, the blue ribbon with a hear-shaped button. She hadn’t felt anything was wrong for the nine months she was carrying Miracle Heart but hearing what Take Care said had made her feel sad, not necessarily because she couldn’t have any more kids but because some part of her had been broken and couldn’t be fixed, even magic couldn’t fix this because it was something that was wrong with her body from the moment she was born. Maybe she was just jealous because it was something she would never be able to have that they all did now and she just wanted to have another child because it was something she would never be able to do.
“Mom, are you OK?”
Confidence turned to see her daughter, Miracle Heart Kitsune standing next to her, her four tails drooping. She sighed and ruffled her daughter’s headfur, that was starting to grow into proper hair like her own, “I don’t know. Did dad tell you what’s wrong?”
“Yes,” Miracle hugged Confidence around the waist, “I wish you could have another baby, I’d like to be a big sister.”
Confidence smile and hugged her back, “Thanks, Mira.” Maybe her daughter was just like her, only wanting it because she was told she could never have it.
“Can I join in?” Love Heart emerged from the hall’s door. Confidence smiled and stretched an arm out for Love Heart to take, which he did, joining his family’s group hug.
