Joy and Fear: An Unexpected Connection

FEAR'S POV

My body slammed into memory balls and skipped across the mountains and finally skidded to a stop. I had released Joy when I first hit the surface. I shook my head and jerked it around, trying to find her.

"Joy!" I called, rubbing my bruised arms. I climbed over the memory balls and searched for her glowing aura. "Joy!"

"I'm here..." I raced over to her weak voice. I found her buried under. I pulled her out and cradled her shoulders.

"We have to get back up there." she huffed and forced herself to her feet. She shouldered the bag and sprinted up the mountain, but the loose memory balls prevented her from reaching the top. The mountain didn't even reach the top.

"Joy, stop." I called. But she didn't. "Joy! It's no use!" I crawled after her and grasped her shoulders. "Joy! We're stuck down here!"

Her eyes began to water. I sighed. "It's no use..."

Suddenly, the glow around Joy began to dim. "Joy, you-" She fell forward and I caught her. "Joy! Joy!"

"Fear..." she breathed, and her eyes fluttered. "What's happening?" I gripped her shoulders and held her close. "Joy, you're scaring me."

"Fear, you're always scared." I ignored the comment and scooped her tiny body in my arms. "We got to find a way to get out of here."

I trudged through the loose forgotten memories as I searched for a way to escape. Suddenly, Bing-Bong appeared. "Bing-Bong!" I called. "We have to help her!" Bing-Bong rushed over and saw Joy's condition. His shoulders slumped. "There's no way out. I've looked everywhere for a way, but there's nothing." He plopped down. "We all might as well be on another planet."

Joy stirred in my arms. Her blue eyes fluttered open. "Fear," she breathed. "Save your strength, Joy."

"I meant every word."

"What?"

"Back at Dream Productions, when I was waking Riley up, I meant every word I said. About you, Sadness, and everyone else."

I smiled and sat down criss-cross to cradle her in my lap. "That means a lot to me, Joy. It really does." I tightened my arm around her to pull her closer to me. Her head rested on my shoulder. "Don't you disappear on me, Joy. Without you, Riley can't be happy ever again." Joy nodded slightly and her bottom lip quivered. "I know."

"I'm going to get you out, Joy. No matter what."

Bing-Bong sniffed and rubbed his eyes as candy began to pour out of his eyes. I chuckled at the sight. Then, all of the sudden, an idea popped into my head.

"Who's your friend who likes to play?" I muttered, causing both Joy and Bing-Bong to look up at me. I grinned and I set Joy down softly as I stood up. Cupping my mouth, I yelled, "Who's your friend who likes to play!?"

"Who makes you shout 'Horray'!?" Bing-Bong joined in. A jingle echoed in the distance. I scooped up Joy and together the 3 of us raced over to Bing-Bong's magic wagon.

At the top of a mountain, we prepared ourselves to ride down the slope and up a ramp and hopefully reach the top using song-power. I sat up front with Joy in my lap and Bing-Bong sat behind me. He jumped in as he gave a push and all 3 of us sang as loud as we can. Down, down, down and then we zoomed up the ramp with the jet-power from the wagon, but it wasn't enough the first time. We all came crashing down.

We tried again. And again.

We crashed for the third time. I lifted Joy and began to carry her back up the mountain. "Come on, I have a good feeling about this next one."

Once again, we headed up and sat in the wagon. Joy was getting weaker and weaker and she could barely keep her eyes open. I gripped her shoulders and held her close.

"Stay with me, Joy. Don't leave me now. Just hang in there." I breathed, rocking her. She gazed up at me again. I saw fear in them. "Fear, I'm scared."

I pressed my forehead to hers. "Don't worry, I'm right here." She forced a smile and closed her eyes.

Bing-Bong placed his hands on the back of the wagon. "Alright, let's do this." With that, he pushed as hard as he could and hopped in. We sang as loud as our lungs could protest. "Sing louder!" Bing-Bong shouted in my ear. I obeyed and we all shout in the air. The wagon flew with a power boost and it sailed over the edge of the cliff. Bouncing across the ground, the old magic wagon crumbled apart. Both I and Joy rolled across the ground.

I laughed. "We did it."