A Dreamer's Wish, a Care Bears selfship fanfiction by Astropaline (Me!!)
The five brave bears had discovered something within The Silver Lining that had been disturbing the balance of caring.
The once beautiful trees and flowers that grew in the magical fields had dimmed in color, their leaves and roots often overwatered. The Whiffles had explained to the bears that this phenomenon happens each night: The star-speckled sky becomes blanketed with dark rainclouds, heavily pouring onto the plants before disappearing without a trace.
The bears take a moment to look at each other, their eyes lingering on their blue companion, Grumpy Bear.
“Don’t look at me!! I had nothing to do with it, honest!!” Grumpy crosses his arms defensively, his eyebrows furrowing at his colorful friends, who originally suspected he had been the cause of the trouble lately- but their only evidence was his belly badge, his source of magic that can summon a storm cloud.
“Well, if it’s not Grumpy… maybe we could get Bedtime Bear to take a gander?” Funshine suggests, his expression scrunched in confusion.
“Great idea, Funshine!! To the cloudseeker!!” Cheer exclaims, her paw extended to gesture her friends to the vehicle.
The five heroes gather around the front of the cloudseeker, the projector displaying a screen, capturing Bedtime Bear, who currently had his nose in multiple books. “And it ONLY happens during nighttime, you said?” He asks the bears, lifting his head briefly to tilt his head. He seemed as puzzled as they were.
“Yes-!! Though, it’s inconsistent and unpredictable- The Whiffles are worried these sudden storms will wash away the color of the plants and waste away.” Cheer explains with a concerned expression, looking up at the screen, playing with her paws nervously as she silently hopes Bedtime had an answer.
“How odd… I can only find one page on drastic and inconsistent weather changes.. But it doesn’t make any sense? It’s a response to emotions..”
“Does Bluster have anything to do with it?” Good Luck questions, crossing his arms.
“No, no, I’m sure that’s not the case… Up North, from where you bears are now, lies a star cloud that some… creature resides on. Here, it says the creature is… longing. It’s said to create storm clouds each time it falls asleep, dreaming of what they yearn for.” Bedtime’s expression softens as he reads further, feeling sympathy for the mysterious creature.
“Awe, that’s so sad… Does it say what it’s longing for?” Cheer inquires, already calculating in her head.
“It… says it’s a certain someone. It doesn’t go into detail, though. I believe nobody’s dared to ask it upfront.”
The five look at each other for a long minute, seeming to contemplate on how to approach this creature.
“...Well- We’ll just have to do our best to cheer it up!! And hopefully we can find it’s special someone along the way!!” Cheer exclaimed confidently, her smile quickly returning as she took her seat. The Care Bears fasten their seatbelts as Cheer takes the wheel, feeling a sense of determination to find the nameless being and to restore the balance in The Silver Lining.
As night falls, the shimmering stars above begin to glimmer. The hunt for the star-shaped cloud was going smoothly until it started to pour - The storm clouds had returned, and the rain was hitting harder than ever. Thankfully, the bears had the cloudseeker for shelter as they move forward.
“This storm is NUTS!! We gotta find that cloud soon or who KNOWS what’ll happen to The Silver Lining…” Funshine urges, his gaze lingering on one particularly large storm cloud that rumbles with heavy thunder.
“Look!! Over there!!” Share directs her paw up ahead - surely enough, there it was; a large, gloomy star-shaped cloud, a dark creature seeming to be perched on top of it.
The creature shared a similar height to the bears, its silhouette resembling an old friend of theirs, with an additional horn arched from the forehead. When the cloudseeker parks, the five see it clearly; a unicorn with a purple haze for its primary coat color, speckled in blush pink, cream, and light blue stripes. The reflection of the stars above sparkle against its silver hooves, its periwinkle mane and tail as fluffed as the cloud it lied on.
“Wow…” Whispered Funshine, his gaze entranced by the mysterious being.
The bears watch as the unicorn lies there, seemingly asleep. They briefly look at each other before each grabbing an umbrella, equipment lended by Grumpy himself. With now wet footpaws, they each approach the cloud, the resting place just out of their reach.
“Uhm.. HEY!! Helloooo?? Down here!!” Cheer attempts first, only to be responded with nothing. The unicorn continues to sleep, a small whinny leaving its nose once every few minutes. Cheer is stumped for a moment as she thinks out a plan on how to wake up the magical creature, before her gaze rests on Good Luck.
“Good Luck, can you get up there and wake it up?? You can surf on a clover and easily reach it!!” Cheer suggests hopefully, her paws clasped together as she nearly pleas.
Good Luck responds with a confident smile, sending a wink her way and nodding. “You can count on me!!” He declares, rubbing his tummy to summon the largest clover he could conjure, hopping aboard and zipping up into the air. He chuckles as he does a flip, landing safely onto the fluffy surface.
“Woah-!! Cool!!” He smiles as he glances back at his friends waiting for him, signaling a thumbs up before approaching the creature; it’s far more opalescent than what he could see from down below.
“Huh… pretty, aren’t ya?” He whispers to himself, small green clovers flushing on his face as he kneels down to the sleeping being, gently resting a paw on its shoulder. “Uh… hey, uh, you gotta wake up, dude. Come on.” He gives the unicorn a gentle shake, checking its eyes. “Rise n’ shine.”
Good Luck speaks softly as he focuses on waking the creature up, not wanting to startle it with any sudden loud sounds or jerking movements. After a few more shakes and coaxing, its eyes flutter open, looking up at Good Luck with a drowsy and confused gaze.
“Mm…mmn? Who… are you-?”
Good Luck is relieved to see the unicorn wake up, a gentle smile curving on his lips as he stays there, ensuring they stay awake. “Hey.. uh, do you have a moment? My friends and I have a few questions for you.” He gestures below the cloud’s surface, where his four colorful companions stand below. “We want to ask you about the uh…. Crazy storms you keep making.”
“Oh, uhm-” The unicorn’s cheeks flush bright pearly stars as it turns away, sitting upright on the cloud. “I’m sorry, uhm.. I can’t control it… They appear if I have dreams that… sadden me.”
Good Luck’s eyes widen at their answer, glancing at the bears below, then back at it. “Sad?” He questions, “They’re just dreams, right..? No harm done!!” He tries to reassure it, only to have it respond with an elongated sigh and a shake of the head.
“No… it’s not that simple.. Though, I wish it was..” It admits, standing and stretching out its arms, looking down at the bear with tired eyes, “My dreams… at least, the vivid ones…. Are prophetic.” It falls silent for a moment, taking a deep breath before turning away from Good Luck once more. “I dream of reuniting with a loved one, but… I know it will be eons from now… it always is..” It wallows in despair, causing the bears to fall silent, having their full attention. “He… looked a lot like you bears, actually… I remember, he was blue..”
The bears pause before looking at Grumpy, causing the grouch to throw his paws up in frustration. “Why do you all keep looking at me?!! I haven’t seen this creature in my life!! Name ONE time I’ve mentioned being with a unicorn!!” He huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms.
Cheer perks up, raising her paw, “Ooh!! Are you good with colors? Maybe I can help!!” She offers, giving the longing creature a reassuring smile. “What kind of blue was he??” She inquires, listening carefully.
“Well..” The unicorn starts, averting its gaze as it taps its chin, “I suppose he was always more of a cyan..”
Cheer’s face lights up, she knew the bear they were referring to!! At least, she hoped she did! “I see!! Er..” She contemplates her question for a moment before speaking up. “Does he go by the name.. Bedtime Bear, by any chance?”
Luminescent tears fill the corners of the mythical creature’s eyes, a short, quivering gasp leaving its lips. “I… Yes….” A wobbly smile appears on its muzzle, its cheeks flushing those stars again. “Yes, yes…. Oh, yes….” It closes its eyes and let out a dreamy sigh, failing to realize that it was now floating a bit above the cloud it once lied on. “Bedtime Bear… He was just the sweetest.. How I miss him so….” Its horn sparkles as it lets out a soft, delighted squeak, seeming to fawn over their long-lost companion.
Cheer’s eyes sparkle as she watches the unicorn marvel over its beloved friend, tapping Grumpy on the shoulder. “Grumpy!! We figured it out!! We found out what was upsetting it!!” She exclaims in delight, tapping her chin before bringing her attention back to the being. “What do you think would help ease the dreams? You said something about reuniting with him?”
“Yes..” It answers, a dreamy sigh leaving their nostrils, “I just… want to see him again… to hold him, maybe…. I think that would be enough to stop the storms..” It theorizes with a longing expression, looking down at the bears hopefully.
“Well… Why don’t you come with us? He’s back in Care-A-Lot.. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to see you!!” Good Luck suggests with an excited grin, sliding down the cloud to rejoin his group.
The unicorn hesitates before answering with a slow nod.. The Care Bears were a trustworthy lot, and they knew its estranged friend by name… what did it have to lose? “I… alright, I’ll join you five.. But, I want to do something, first..”
“Anything!!” Cheer responds, patiently waiting for the unicorn’s next move.
With a small smile, the unicorn’s horn begins to sparkle, conjuring a silver whistle with a star engraved on its side; a dream whistle. The bears watch as the creature blows into the whistle clearly, a single star falling down at a gentle, feather-like pace before falling into the unicorn's hoof. And with a huff, the star was cooled down to a mere silver trinket. “..He deserves something nice. Something that reminds him of… us.” The unicorn gushes as it holds the star close, creating a silver lacing to create a bracelet.
The bears stare in awe at the unique gift, their eyes welled up with tears. “That’s so sweet..” Whispers Share, her cheeks flushed with happiness, “He’s going to love it.”
The unicorn smiles before settling on the cloud again, letting it float above the cloudseeker. “Alright… I’m ready.”
The bears smile and file into the cloudseeker, Funshine pausing at the door to look up at the unicorn. “Hey, uh… by the way…. You’ve got a name?” He asks, although rather softer than what he anticipated.
“..Stardreamer.” It answers, smiling down at the yellow bear, “It’s Stardreamer.”
Funshine smiles, his own cheeks flushed a gentle orange. “Stardreamer…” He echoes, a small, amused huff leaving his nose. “...It’s fitting.”
He lingers at the door before slipping inside, the bears fastening their seatbelts and starting up the engine to the cloudseeker, and as soon as it begins to move, the star cloud follows.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
The ride back to the Care Bear’s home was gentle, yet there lingered a weight of excitement in the five bears’ chests the closer they got to the entrance of Care-A-Lot.. Bedtime spent a lot of his time sleeping, so they rarely got to hear much from him, and this friend of his was one of those cases! Who knows what will happen when they meet again?
“Tenderheart, we’re making a short visit to make a delivery…. And make sure Bedtime is awake for it!!” Cheer urges, already having the Caring Control connected.
The moment the cloudseeker parks at the entrance, Stardreamer lowers it’s cloud, floating down and barely touching the ground as it holds the bracelet, its ears drawn back with heavy emotion. Cheer notices, and confronts them.
“..What if he doesn’t remember me…? Or, worse… what if we parted for a reason I can’t remember..??” It asks Cheer in an anxious whisper, its gaze remaining on the bracelet. Cheer listens to its concern and shakes her head, giving it a reassuring smile.
“I know in my heart he’ll be just as excited to see you as you are to see him..” She answers, resting a paw on its shoulder, “Go for it, Stardreamer.”
Before Stardreamer could get another word in, it’s startled as the entrance to Care-A-Lot opens, revealing a delighted Tenderheart and a rather sleepy Bedtime beside him, notably having just woken up from a nap.
“Bears-!! It’s good to see you again, what…” Bedtime trails off as his eyes are met with Stardreamer’s, falling speechless for a brief moment.
“I-..” Stardreamer starts, its eyes welling up with tears
“You… How.. How did you-...” He takes one eager step forward, only to be interrupted and swept up by Stardreamer, who was now holding him in its arms.
“Bedtime, I…”
“Stardreamer… it’s… how on earth did you even-” Bedtime is quickly cut off, his words muffled by none other than Stardreamer’s lips, capturing the bear in a gentle, loving kiss, one he eagerly returns.
The five heroes differentiate reactions, Funshine and Good Luck smile, but they respectfully turn away, Share and Cheer gasp and blush, the reunion touching their hearts. As for Grumpy.. He gets bashful, covering his eyes with his paw and grumbles softly.
A moment of respectful silence was shared before the two part, tears streaming down both of their faces. “Stardreamer, I… that… the picnic, what happened….?” Bedtime asks, almost in a whisper.
“I took a wrong turn, the woods were strange and unfamiliar, I… I never saw you again…. I-..” A hiccup leaves Stardreamer’s throat as it holds Bedtime close, nuzzling his nose with its muzzle, “Oh, BedBug-..”
“I.. I’m sorry, Starlight, I should have been there with you-..” Bedtime whispers painfully, resting his forehead against its own, “I.. I planned on…..”
“...You, too-?” Stardreamer whispers hopefully, earning a nod from it’s beloved bear, which causes it to cry further. “I missed you so much.. I-..” Stardreamer pulls away only slightly to hold out the hoofmade bracelet, resting its forehead against his. “I made you this.. It’s a fraction of that star you said you liked… remember..?”
“You… oh, Starlight, you shouldn’t have..” Bedtime tearfully accepts the gift and slips his paw through it, the silver complimenting his shade of fur. “I’ll wear it forever. You have my word.”
The two exchange a much shorter, yet sweet kiss, intertwining hoof-in-paw as they both turn their attention to the five bears who had reunited them. “Thank you for bringing it back home.. You have my eternal gratitude, my friends.” Bedtime declares with a warm smile, holding his partner securely against him as the two nuzzle.
“Well, I… I think our work here is done, everyone. Shall we head back to The Silver Lining?” Cheer redirects her teammates to the mission at paw, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. With a mutual agreement, the five head back into the cloudseeker, Cheer smiling at the couple once more, earning a wave from Stardreamer.
“Thank you.” It mouthed to her, smiling properly for the first time in what felt like eons. Cheer smiles and enters the cloudseeker, which pulls itself back into The Silver Lining, the bears heading back to check the weather and plant status.
Within a week, the foliage of The Silver Lining is thriving. Not a single storm cloud had dared to appear since Stardreamer and Bedtime’s reunion, and thus, Cheer shares the good news with Caring Control.
“The caring levels and plants are back to normal, Tenderheart!! We did it!!” She exclaims victoriously, her tail unable to help but wag in delight.
“That’s wonderful, Cheer Bear!! Thank you, The Silver Lining is grateful for you five… as are others.” Tenderheart smiles as he looks off to the side, two very familiar voices could be heard, giggling and squealing, “Bedtime Bear has even been awake for most of the day, lately!! It’s.. refreshing.” He adds with a warm chuckle, his gaze returning forward.
“That’s.. amazing to hear, Tenderheart…. Thank you.” Cheer smiles as she disconnects with Caring Control, her heart swelled with love and satisfaction.
