Disclaimer: I don't own Kyo kara Maou.

Author's Notes: Thanks to Yumi-chan Hamano and Lyell for leaving reviews!

And as a response to Lyell's review: Sadly, Fredrick is not responsible for all the unusual animals in Shin Makoku. But Anissina has lots of other amazing ancestors! Nadine von Karbelnikoff was a brilliant inventor and fearless vegan activist! Unfortunately, she was only able to use her now-you-don't-want-to-eat-meat-anymore-kun on sharks before she died in a tragic accident. Rumor has it that bears were next on her list of converts. But that's another story.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading chapter 3 of Fredrick's exciting escapades!

Chapter 3: The Amazing Etch-A-Sketch-DNA-Resplicer

"A failure? Oh no!" exclaimed Greta, very caught up in the story. "What's going to happen with the bearbees?"

"We already know the ending, remember?" Yuuri comforted her.

Greta brightened up and smiled.

Wolfram skipped ahead a few pages and then started reading again.

Date: 12 day of Oktober year 891 of Shinou

I still can't seem to get bears and bees off of my mind. I think I finally understand where my previous invention went wrong. I didn't have enough control over the combination of characteristics. Most importantly, I need to be able to manipulate their behavior to make the resulting "bearbees" more predictable.

I may have come up with an invention that will allow me to realize my ambitions. I call it the Magic-Etch-A-Sketch-DNA-Resplicer.

I think it might be a hit at this year's magical exhibition.

A small crowd had gathered to watch the demonstration of his Magic-Etch-A-Sketch-DNA-Resplicer. Rosalinde stood towards the front of the gathered crowd with a look of nothing had better go wrong with this invention on her face.

The resplicer had been very difficult to invent, but if it worked properly, it would be as easy as drawing a picture to use. He had decided not to make a bearbee for the demonstration, since he wanted to have more time to plan everything out. For now, he just needed to make something quick and simple. Something like crossing a fish with… a mazoku.

First, Fredrick explained to the gathered mazoku that he would need a source of DNA from which he could take the characteristics.

He took a fish fin, and inserted it into a beaker and added some purple liquid. The onlookers made an oohh sound as the solution changed color. He opened a door on the machine and set the beaker inside.

"Now," Fredrick said, feeling more confident at being the center of attention, "I just need a source of mazoku DNA." He stepped closer to Rosalinde, reached up quickly and yanked a strand of hair from her head. She scowled slightly, but it was too late to protest.

Fredrick put Rosalinde's hair follicle in a different beaker and added some liquid. He placed the second inside the machine as well.

"Now, all I have to do is draw on this pad." Fredrick said, while picking up a writing tablet that was connected with wires to the larger oven dome part of the machine.

The onlookers stared at him, dumbfounded.

"You see? I programmed the Magic-Etch-A-Sketch-DNA-Resplicer to automatically search for a corresponding gene when I draw in a characteristic." More blank looks greeted Fredrick's explanation. He sighed dramatically

"Look, if I draw a fish eyeball," he said trying to keep his explanation simple enough to understand "the machine will search for all the genes in the fish DNA that make the eyeball possible. Those genes will be used, and the animal will end up with a fish eye."

Everyone nodded as if they understood.

Fredrick hastily finished sketching in fish and mazoku characteristics on the pad. Then he dramatically hit the red "commence genome sequencing and resplicing" button

The machine beeped and whirled as it configured Fredrick's instructions into a complete set of chromosomes.

The crowd stepped back and gasped as the machine started billowing smoke and producing sparks.

Finally, a chiming sound was heard, and a small, bluish-gray gelatinous egg slowly rolled down the chute on the side of the machine.

Fredrick picked the egg up and held it in front of the crowd triumphantly.

"That's it?" a blonde mazoku yelled from the crowd. "All that time, and all you got was one lousy egg?" The mazoku in question stomped off in a huff muttering something about "charlatans" under his breath.

Date: 24 day of Oktober, year 891 of Shinou

The fish-mazoku that I made for the magical exhibition hatched yesterday. They're nothing really to be proud of - they just look like really ugly fish. But at least now I know that my Magic-Etch-A-Sketch-DNA-Resplicer actually works! And you know what that means - next I'm making BEARBEES!

I threw most of the fish things in Shinou's fountain. I hope Rosalinde doesn't have a conniption.

Yuuri looked a little green. "Eh? So that's where the mermaids came from?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'm not certain I believe most of the nonsense written in here." Wolfram said suspiciously, setting the journal down.

"BEARBEES!" shouted Greta, sensing that Wolfram was considering not continuing the story. "Greta wants to hear about the bearbees, Papa Wolfram!"

Wolfram sighed, picked up the journal, and continued reading.

Date: 26 day of Oktober, year 891 of Shinou

I have learned several things from creating the fish-mazoku. One is that I need to be very specific in describing every single trait of the resulting organism; otherwise the Magic-Etch-A-Sketch-DNA-Resplicer will pick sequences at random.

So, I have gone "back to the basics" so to speak. I need to observe all expressed traits of both bees and bears, then pick and chose the best traits that ought to be expressed in a hybrid offspring of the two.

It was a gloriously warm sunny day in Shin Makoku. It was the type of day that had honey bee foragers happily humming as they collected pollen and nectar from flowers around the castle.

The maids were not enjoying the day of sunshine. They anxiously watched from a castle window as Lord von Karbelnikoff started taking one of his hives apart in order to observe the bees. Quite logically, they used this time to gossip.

"I don't understand why Lord von Karbelnikoff spends so much time with his inventions and those bees." Gloria said. "He needs to spend more time keeping Lady von Voltaire in a good mood, if you know what I mean." She finished with a wink.

"Are they together?" asked Merlot.

"Who else would he be seeing?" asked Gloria.

"Well I heard that he spent a whole week camping with the King of Dai Shimaron." said Fettuccini. "Lord von Karbelnikoff claimed it was to hunt bears, of course. But I wonder what else they were doing…"

"A love triangle, how exciting!" squealed Gloria.

The maids giggled as they continued to discuss all the potential love affairs that could be taking place within the castle.

-ooo-ooo-

I have compiled a list of bee traits to be used in the bearbees:

1. Wings, coupled with small size, allow them to fly. This is certainly a characteristic I intend to keep in the offspring. I will just have to make certain that the end size I choose is not too massive for their wings to handle.

Fredrick paused for a few minutes, as he continued to take the hive apart. The once happy buzzing had changed into a menacing "roar" after he had accidentally dropped a few of the frames that the bees were on. He could smell the faint odor of banana that meant the bees were unhappy and would soon begin stinging in response to the threat.

2. Communication by Pheromones: This is of course important if the bearbees need to fight off any potential threats.

3. A stinging appendage: a must, of course. I think that replacing a bear claw with a bee stinger is a good idea.

4. Complete metamorphosis: having a larval stage that is different from the adult opens up all kinds of possibilities

5. Simplified brain: The stimulus:response behavior of bees makes them predictable and easy to control. A more complicated brain may only bring problems.

After he finished composing the mental list of desirable bee traits, Fredrick closed up the bee hive and headed back towards the castle. He frowned slightly as he heard some of the maids giggling. It was a shame really, think of all the things they could potentially accomplish if they spent their free time studying science instead of gossiping!

I have also compiled a list of bear traits (from memory, of course. But I think that my observations are still valid:

1. Enormous size: One of the intimidating features of a bear is the sheer size of it. I will however, have to scale down the size in order for them to be able to use wings. That is a thing of great disappointment.

2. Mammalian respiratory and circulatory systems. Having lungs and veins is superior to the open systems contained by the insects. Especially if the bearbees are to be large.

3. Fur.

4. Teeth: The teeth need to bee as sharp and long as possible.

I have decided to add a few additional traits as well, if possible. I think it would be beneficial to have the larvae feed on something that is readily available. The overflow from the latrines, for example, is full of wasted nutrients.

I am also planning on making them loyal defenders of the castle. (Who knows, Rosalinde may be pleased enough to let me have my instant-bee-my-lover-inseminator back.)

"Oh. This doesn't sound like the bearbees at all!" Greta exclaimed. "When are we going to see the bearbees?"

"How did they know all these things 3,000 years ago?" Yuuri wondered.

"If I don't understand this gibberish, then it doesn't mean anything." Wolfram said self-righteously.

"Hey, maybe we should have a snack before we continue reading." Yuuri suggested.

"Ok." said Greta. She smiled at her parents in a cute way that let them know that there was no way they would get out of reading the rest of the journal to her.

Wolfram looked relieved at the break as he set the journal down on an edge of the royal bed.

For a reason he could not explain, Yuuri had a sudden craving for fish sticks.