Yurikuma Arashi Survive at All Costs

by Roxanne Kazuto

Kureha Tsubaki is a happy high school student attending Arashigaoka High School. She had everything she wanted and more; even her lover was perfect to her. Bears unfortunately started terrorizing the school. Two transfer students magically appeared and things get really out of hand and very sadistic. Can Kureha survive? Can she last?

Yurikuma Arashi: Survive At All Costs

"Everything in life has an action and reactionary consequence. However, this life is unfair. It's very damn unfair."

This day began like it was any other day. Living in this very monotonous life that has been laid before me I found myself back at school. Arashigaoka (Arashi-ga-oka) High School tending to the lilies that I had planted a while back and enjoying how much they had bloomed. Smelling the Lilies had become almost a regular thing for me to do during breaks or before class started. The sweetest smell of the lilies always attracted me.

A voice behind me spoke softly behind me, "They're beautiful in bloom, aren't they Kureha?" Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kureha Tsubaki it's a pleasure to meet you. The voice came from another girl who I've grown to love. Her name is Sumika Izumino. Love such a good thing though. At our school, those who are in love are looked at differently, those who don't keep themselves invisible are the ones who die. "I think we can be here alone without anyone seeing us." Sumika said as she came closer to the Lilies. Now I'm not one who cares to hide or not, "We aren't doing anything wrong Sumika, don't worry about us being seen. I want to be with you Sumika. I won't ever back down from love."

Sumika and I have had a "secret" relationship for the longest now, most people aren't accepting those who are stubborn and in love. I'm highly stubborn, and have been ever since I was younger.

"A bear! There's a bear on the loose!" came the distant cries of a girl. The words hit my ears rather hard and fast and I couldn't help but find myself in a very bad predicament. Sirens went off in the vicinity and the area of the city, posters dropped from light-posts and from Arashigaoka High School signaling the official Bear Warning Issued signs. However, my mind immediately went to work and began processing the dangers of what was at hand. "A bear got over the Wall of Severance?" I said softly to myself. Sumika floated through my mind and I immediately told her what came to me instinctually; "It's all right. I'll protect you Sumika."

"We hated you from the beginning—and loved you from the beginning too. And so we wanted to become true friends with you. To cross the wall…"

History Lesson

One day, at the far reaches of space the minor planet Kumalia exploded and the fragments of Kumalia became a meteor swarm that rained down on Earth which made the world's bears rise up as one. They all started attacking humans. Humans fought back and built the Wall of Severance to try to drive the bears from our world. Unfortunately that plan has backfired for all humans. They are bears. Bears eat people.

And so….

"Everyone, starting today, you'll have some new friends. Ginko Yurishiro and Lulu Yurigasaki. Show them a warm welcome." my teacher said at the start of class. Less than one hour after the bear alarms had sounded we had two new students join our class, my mind was about a million miles away.

"Growl! We've just transferred to this school, disguised as humans. No one can tell we're bears either. Rawr. So many girls for me to pick from. This whole room smells delicious, growl! I'll work hard and eat lots of girls! Right Ginko? Oh, and Ginko Yurishiro is a bear too, of course. She's my darling and I just love her!" Lulu thought to herself as she stood in front of the class. Ginko was silently looking amongst the students, trying to find a target.

Yuriika Hakonaka, my teacher, began to speak to the class about the recent bear alarm that had went off. I was beginning to zone in and out in regards to the whole affair. I already knew that travelling alone was not allowed and I didn't care that my life was constantly in danger. I already knew the history of the bears and I always knew they attacked and killed people, however things were beginning to change and their attacks became more blatantly obvious. The bears were small, around 3 feet tall. They really seemed like cubs or baby bears upon further look. They even looked really cute in the pictures they show us in defense class. What am I saying, these things are evil. I began to feel eyes on me as I was still pondering things about the bears.

The new girls were looking in my direction.

"I've finally found her. Yes, that girl smells. A very delicious smell. I want to eat her". one of the transfer students muttered to herself as she stared at Kureha.

The lunch bell finally came and I reached into my school bag and produced a small lunch box. As I was about to begin eating I noticed my love had vacated the area and disappeared around the corner. "Where could she have gone?" I wondered as I jumped up walked after her. "Doesn't she know the dangers of being alone? I am so worried about her."

After searching for close to 20 minutes I found her, standing on the roof looking out at the construction that was taking place in the distance. "Kureha, why are you here? What's wrong?" Sumika asked as she turned around looked at me. She was holding something in her hand as she spoke. I was scared for no reason it seems like. Maybe I just wanted to know where she went so suddenly. Out of nowhere my stomach growls loudly. "Didn't you eat lunch?" To be honest, I really didn't. I had to chase after her quickly and make sure she was ok. "N- No…" I couldn't tell her why I didn't eat it just felt as if I was smothering her if I did tell her the truth as to why I didn't eat. Sumika walked towards me and held out her lunch roll. "Here, take some we can eat together." she said to me as we sat on the bench. "Say, Sumika let's eat here every day from now on. I want to eat with you."

"Food does taste better when it's eaten together." Sumika said with a smile.

"Any movements from the subjects?" came a voice over a radio microphone. Reaching for the microphone, the young woman looks through her sniper scope and replies. "Not yet, they are sitting on the bench eating. Nothing abnormal to report yet." The young sniper sighs softly as the call of confirmation went through the earbud. "Damn headquarters needs to leave me alone. I have this under control. I am one of the top snipers of my class after all. Besides, she is beautiful and I want her for myself." Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the cracklings of her earbud yet again. "Yurimio, return to base for debriefing." came the same voice again over the earbud. "Roger that." Yurimio responded. "What the fuck do they want now? Oh well, I guess my beautiful will have to wait." Yurimio stood up and smiled as she pulled her panties back up, something about watching a girl through a scope turned her on so much. "Oh, look. I came a little bit. I can't wait for her to taste this sweet nectar."

"Grrrrrr." came the rumblings from a black bear with a pink bow on its back. "Growl! I'm hungry too!" said the brown bear who wore smaller green bows in its hair. "Delicious smell… I want to eat her, growl." the black bear said to the brown one. "Oh, Ginko, you're such a glutton. You know, you can sink your teeth into me anywhere you'd like, right now!" said the Lulu; the brown bear. The black bear Ginko stared at the two girls who were eating on the bench.

Someone else meanwhile was cutting the Lilies that Kureha and Sumika had watched grow, every snip of the scissors was a step towards changing the future….

"The storm chased me down. It's only the beginning. A warning that it'll start with what's most precious. The Invisible Storm will destroy everything, until we're worn away into nothing." I said as I fought back the tears that had begun to well up in my eyes. "Kureha, I'll never back down on my love either. Just like you didn't give up on me, I won't give up on you—on love. No matter what happens to me." Sumika said as she held a lily in her hands. Her beautifully soft hands had become brown and dirty and I felt my heart just flutter for her.

Sitting on the roof of the school and out of sight to everyone and almost invisible Lulu and Ginko watched over Kureha and Sumika. "Grrrrr." growled Ginko. "Growl. I'm starving!" Lulu said before she began to growl. "It smells, it smells, a delicious smell! Growl…."

"I won't back down on my love. I'll protect you, Sumika."

Sumika and Kureha exchange soft looks at each other and enjoyed each other company. It was better this way.

"I knew it. You've been caught up in the Invisible Storm too, haven't you, Kureha Tsubaki?" "Mitsuko…" Everyone at school knows who Mitsuko Yurizono is. "It's just cruel to cut down flowers in full bloom." Mitsuko said as she looked over at the ruined flowerbed. I couldn't help but recite the story of the invisible storm to her, "The Invisible Storm destroys beautiful, kind things first." Mitsuko walked closer to Sumika and I before she began to speak again; "Yes. The Invisible Storm does do this. But this has made me make up my mind. I can't keep letting these things keep happening! Kureha, Sumika, let's stop the storm together. We'll take a stand! As class representative, I'm ashamed of myself for turning a blind eye until now. I'm sorry, Sumika. Will you forgive me?" My sensors went off suddenly as she grabbed Sumika's and held it softly, I felt as though she was making a move on her, smoothly. I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. "Mitsuko there is nothing to forgive." Sumika said softly. "Say, I think we could be good friends. I'm sure the three of us can stop the Invisible Storm if we work together! But now we should go home for the day. There was that warning of the bears. I say we come early tomorrow morning and fix the flowerbed. I'll help of course." Mitsuko said as if she was always our friend. One thing kept bugging me though, her eyes stayed on Sumika's.

"Mitsuko, your hand. It's dirty because of me." Sumika said in an effort to get her hand back. "It's okay. This means I'm one of you. We're friends!" Mitsuko said as she raised her dirty hand up. We began laughing, as if by instinct until a brick was thrown from the roof."

Walking down the stairs and singing was Lulu and Ginko. Lulu was singing; "I am so happy, I got to eat a lily! I want to eat that girl! Who do you mean by "that girl"? I want to eat this girl! Who do you mean by "this girl"? Let's go on trial! Yeah, let's go!"

School ended for the day and I went home. I went down to the secret basement in my house and pulled out my bear hunting sniper rifle, it's one of the few weapons I can handle correctly. I began to shoot at bear statues and hit every single one perfectly obliterating them all. "I'll ruin these bears. They will not get the chance to take another loved one from me."

Walking out of the debriefing room that had become more and more like a jail cell for Yurimio. She couldn't even properly get the information out for the upper level brass, nothing ever changed. Well, except for today with the sudden bear alarm. This prompted a small change in plans. "Listen to me Yurimio, you have to protect Kureha. The recent bear alarm has caused us to raise the threat level to Delta. It's urgent that you keep an eye on her. Dismissed". "Fuck another damn day of my life without action, I really hoped for more action when I took this assignment. All I've done for the last 4 months was watch this subject Kureha Tsubaki. Nothing has changed. Why am I wasting time on her? Oh but she is so beautiful."

Today began like any other day, it was normal as far as I could tell. The sky was a little more beautiful than I had thought it'd be and I was ready for anything. Practicing my shooting last night against the bear statues I was ready for any and everything that could come my way.

"This is Unit 103. We're at the flowerbed in the Arashigaoka High School courtyard. Lots of bear prints here, and bloodstains. Looks like there was a victim. We found her clothing and various items at the scene — she may be a student. We're searching the area now."

I arrived to the scene of Bear Alarms, police and police tape. I couldn't accept anything that was going on around me, I immediately wanted to make sure that Sumika was safe. Behind me, Mitsuko was talking to the police. "Yes, we were supposed to meet. We were going to come early and fix up the flowerbed". I couldn't keep listening to her as I dialed Sumika's number; unfortunately all I received from her phone was, "This mobile customer is unavailable right now. Please leave a message after the beep". The automated service was making me nervous.

The school's rumor mill had begun to circulate by the time classes got ready to start I tried my hardest to hold it together as I overheard everyone talking.

"I heard they found a shoe on the ground!"

"Apparently she came early to work on that flowerbed."

"It's her fault for being alone."

"To survive, we need friends!"

I finally had enough as I walked into class and made no eye contact with any of the other students there. I slowly walked to Sumika's desk and could feel the class's eyes on me. "It's her fault for not being invisible. To the bears, we're just weak prey. We have to always stay in the herd." came one of the voices that I walked past earlier. "Right, the mood of the herd is what's most important!" came another voice that I walked past.

"It's not true… It's not true! No way was Sumika eaten!" I yelled. The whole class remained deathly quiet, no one spoke.

My phone started to buzz suddenly. The call was coming from a Blocked Number. I instinctually decided to answer the phone without really checking. "Who is it?" I asked and then without thinking I immediately said her name. "Sumika?!" "Is your love the real thing?" the voice in the phone asked me suddenly. "What?" "This is a challenge from the Wall of Severance. Kureha Tsubaki, if your love is true, go to the roof. The bears are waiting for you." the voice said casually. "What do you mean? Is Sumika safe?!" I asked of the voice. "Give yourself over to the bears, and your love will be approved." the voice said before hanging up suddenly.

"Subject Kureha is on the move." Yurimio radioed to HQ. "Roger that Yurimio, do not engage unless absolutely necessary."

I reached my locker and opened it, ever since the last great disaster when the Bears had killed a ton of people, schools began to allow students the right to carry guns, however they had to be left in the locker during class time. I pulled out my sniper rifle and pulled the bolt back to turn the safety off. I ran back towards the staircase that led to the roof, an open air staircase that led up in a spiral and I began to rush up there as fast as I could. "Sumika. I am coming… Please be alive."

"The time for judgment has come, growl." Ginko said softly from the distance.

I reached the roof and called out, "Sumika!" her glasses dropped out of the bear's mouths. I couldn't help but hold back my tears. Two bears stood there, their red eyes looking back at me as they stood in between the glasses that had just been dropped. "Sumika… Give back Sumika!" Before I knew it, I was being attacked by the bears. I couldn't help but freeze in my tracks as they charged at me; I'd forgotten that I was holding a gun in my hands as I slowly backed up. Then, I fell and everything was quiet… I'd lost consciousness.

"I want to eat her! I want to eat her right now!"

A gavel hit the table of a darkened room "Court is in session!" came a voice suddenly. Lulu and Ginko were sitting in bear form, in courtroom looking up at three humanoid bears. The first one who slammed the gavel again began to speak. "Welcome to the Severance Court. Come, the door has opened. This is the land of enlightenment for all living things… yes, even human and bear. Let us now pass judgment—for the sake of humans and bears! I am the Presiding Judge: Sexy Life!" The one to Sexy Life Judge's right, and Ginko's left spoke up. "For humans and bears. I am the Prosecutor: Cool Life!" The final one to Lulu's right spoke up afterward, "For humans and bears. I am the Defense Counsel: Beauty Life!"

"We will now begin the Yuri Trial. Defendant-bears. Do you admit that you are criminals?" Sexy Life asked Lulu and Ginko both. "Growl… But we're so hungry, you know?" Lulu says as she rubs her bear tummy. "We won't back down on our love, growl." Ginko chimes in. However the Prosecutor Cool Life cuts in immediately, "Your Honor! Humans and bears have a wall called Severance between them that is not to be crossed. The defendants have crossed it and infiltrated the human world. This is blatant overeating. They are GUILTY!" Defense Counsel Beauty Life chimes in quickly, "Your Honor, the prosecutor is blatantly hostile to bears!"

A hint of exasperation appears in Sexy Life's voice as he asks, "Counsel, was that intended to be an objection?" Beauty Life immediately continues on, "I mean, even bears have to eat to live, right? Are you telling them to starve to death?" "If we admit the defendants' appeal, more lives will be lost!" Cool Life says suddenly. "Objection! He's showing undue favor toward humans!" Beauty Life placed the nail in the coffin with that objection. "Sustained. This court must be a scale that weighs both worlds impartially. That is Sexy! Shaba-da-doo." Sexy Life says in agreement with Beauty Life. Cool life realized then, that he was beaten and couldn't help but growl softly. "Okay, so we can eat her then, right?" Lulu asked of Sexy Life. "That doesn't…" Cool Life began but was suddenly interrupted by Beauty Life. "Your Honor, a Love Judgment, please!"

"Very well. Defendant-bears, I ask you: Will you be invisible? Or will you eat humans?" Sexy Life asked. "We'll eat…" Ginko began. "humans!" Lulu finished as they both growled in unison. "I now declare the verdict. Yuri approved!" Sexy Life said with authority. Ginko and Lulu began to transform into their Humanoid Bear forms. Kureha was floating in what appeared to be nothing as the Humanoid Bears finished transforming; Kureha was utterly unconscious as Ginko began to speak softly, "Kureha, I'm going to eat you."

A lily appears on her body as her subconscious mind began to speak her thoughts as she laid unconscious. "Where is what I'm looking for? I'm searching in the Invisible Storm." Kureha's inner mind said. Licking the lily that had appeared, Ginko asks Kureha, "Mmm. Searching for what?" Lulu who began to lick the lily as well also asked, "Mmm. Searching for it where?" Subconsciously she reaches out her hand, Lulu and Ginko's bear paw hands reverted to human hands as all three made skin contact.

Kureha awakens suddenly in a bed. "Thank goodness, you're awake!" Yurizono says as she sat next to her. "Yurizono… Where are we?" I asked, all thoughts and all memories had been very hazy and fuzzy. "The nurse's office." Yurizono replies. "What? Why?" my mind had begun to clear itself slowly. "We found you passed out on the roof." Now, that's when it hit me suddenly, I had gone up to the roof after receiving a phone call. I had the urge to kill two bears. "What about Sumika?! Where is she?!"

Yurizono looks down sadly and responds with the words that I had never wanted to hear. "She hasn't been found yet." I couldn't believe what she said, "That can't be… He said the bears on the roof would give her back!" I really wanted her back. I can't see myself living without her. Yurizono touched my hand and tried her hardest to soothe me. "Calm down. You were the only one lying up there." she said in the softest voice she could. "Just me? But…" I couldn't believe what she was saying. Nothing was making sense to me at all. "I'll go get you something hot to drink." Yurizono says suddenly. After she leaves I begin to run through things out loud for the first time, "Was that a dream? But I know that I… Please be okay, Sumika."

Elsewhere Yurizono was walking through the garden area of the campus until she heard something weird coming from behind the garden. "Chomp, chomp, chomp."

"What's that sound? Could someone be vandalizing the flowerbed again?"

"Munch, munch, munch…"

Yurizono walks closer and closer to the sound, throwing caution to the wind as she looks to investigate. "Growl! Human girls really do taste good!" Lulu said oblivious to the person sneaking up on them. "I'll eat them. I don't care if it's a crime, growl." Ginko said in between bites. "I won't let anyone wreck my love". Yurizono placed her hand over her mouth and gasped, "Bears are… eating someone!"

Shock! Bear Shock!

"Those are the transfer students… I get it—they're bears pretending to be human!" Yurizono finished.

"This is Yurimio calling into HQ. Two bears are now spotted and they are eating a girl. Please advise on what you want me to do." Yurimio said into her headset quietly. "Do nothing Agent Yurimio. Your target is to watch and protect Kureha. You are bound to that and it will not change at all." HQ radioed back. "What the fuck? I can't engage the very monsters that caused us to live in fear? The ones who… The ones… GAH! Why am I here?" Yurimio thought to herself as she continued to look through her scope. Her breath was rattled and a little off from what she was used to. A sniper is used to calm breathing and steady hands. "Fuck this." she thought as she aimed at a bear. "I'll kill them. I'll kill them all! Die you god damned bears…. Die!"

A sniper shot rings out from the distance.

"Slurp!"