The Breeder

That was a bear.

There was a bear standing in front of him.

Ultimate Despair had gotten him a frigging pet bear.

"Do you like him?" Tsumiki asked.

"That's a bear!"

"Well, duh." Owari scratched her head. "Didn't you say bears were your favourite animal?"

"I did, but . . . that's a bear!"

"Does that mean . . .?" Tsumiki was all small and fidgety like a mouse. "Do you not like him?"

Naegi couldn't answer. He was too busy staring at the bear.

Then, Tanaka stepped forward. He covered his hand in his scarf so he would not touch Naegi's skin directly, and then took hold of Naegi's wrist. His grip was firm but gentle, the mark of one who had spent a lifetime handling shy animals. Confidently, Tanaka moved Naegi's arm forward, until it was an inch away from the bear. He lifted Naegi's arm then, and moved it down and forward so that his palm lay flat on the snout. Warm air brushed the underside of his arm as the bear sniffed. When Tanaka took his guiding hand away, Naegi stood there and curled his fingers into the fur.

" . . . He's a bear," Naegi said in awe.

The bear had hardly moved since Naegi had touched him, not really seeming to care. He was brown but in the sunlight, his back and face shone a bronzed gold. And he was huge. Naegi didn't think he was full-grown, but he appeared to be at least 700 pounds, probably a lot more. He had no way of telling how old the bear was, but it was already up to his chin in height. The fur on the snout was thin, but Naegi could tell just by looking that if he pressed his hand against the back, it would have disappeared into the bear's coat.

The bear tilted his head up a little, and sniffed Naegi's face. A large tongue poked out between strong jaws as the bear licked its lips once, and began to pant. His breath honestly didn't smell all that great and his fur carried the scent of BO, but Naegi didn't flinch.

"What's his name?" he asked Tanaka giddily, forgetting the Breeder couldn't talk. But that was okay, because Hanamura could speak for him.

Hanamura said, "That, my friend, is the wonderful Monokuma!"

. . . Because of course he was.

"Yeah, because apparently Tanaka hasn't bred any half-black, half-white bears and he doesn't have trained pandas." Owari scowled as she spoke, as if what she was asking of Tanaka was perfectly reasonable.

"Kuma," Naegi said firmly, compromising. "I'm going to call him Kuma."

"So you like him!" Mikan said eagerly.

Naegi raised his other hand. Before he could touch, Kuma closed his mouth over the exposed arm. There was a moment of fear, but Kuma seemed content to simply hold his arm and Naegi relaxed.

"I do like him," he said. He frowned suddenly. "What's that around his neck?"

It appeared to be some sort of collar, like one of those radio collars scientists used to track animals. Tanaka shook his head rapidly as Naegi reached for it. Naegi hesitated, and then withdrew his hand. Apparently, he wasn't supposed to touch it.

"Oh, I'm sure you two will have so much fun together!" Tsumiki said. "And now you won't be so lonely, either."

Naegi laughed uncertainty. "Yeah, I guess. Honestly, I'm not sure how to play with a bear though."

Nidai laughed loudly. "That's easy. You wrestle, of course. Let me show you!"

Nidai charged. Yet even the Coach's super strength wasn't enough to do more than nudge Kuma. The bear blinked slowly as Nidai put his head down like a bull and pushed at his side. Kuma released Naegi's arm, turned his head and sniffed the Coach thoroughly from shoulder to shoulder as he continued his futile attack. After what seemed to be a moment of thought, the bear moved. Nidai stumbled forward and with a single paw, Kuma knocked Nidai to the floor and held him there.

"I'M NOT GIVING UP YET!" the Coach declared. He struggled valiantly, but to no avail.

Tanaka finally stepped forward and patted Kuma's back. The bear almost instantly removed his weight from Nidai, leaving a panting, very exhausted Coach.

"Whew." Nidai wiped his forehead. "Next time, I'll get you."

Kuma blinked.

"Alright, there's nothing more to see here," Kuzuryu said suddenly. "You can all stop standing around."

"Let's go back to the infirmary," Tsumiki said to Naegi, her hand on his back. Naegi nodded, turning to follow her. Not far away, Komaeda turned too and started in the opposite direction –

"Komaeda-kun, you're not coming?" Naegi asked, confused.

"Sorry, but I have some work I need to do," Komaeda said. "Although I really shouldn't say work. That would imply I'm actually competent enough to do something useful for the others, and we all know that something that simple is beyond trash like me."

Naegi frowned again. (He wondered whether if throwing a fit like he had with Mikan would stop Komaeda from saying those things about himself, too.)

Kuma trudged after him and Tsumiki, seeming to understand whom his new owner was. Naegi glanced back at the hulking animal, and he could only think of one thing . . .

"Can I ride on him?"

Nobody said anything. Naegi stared at the ground. He was about to speak up, admit that his question had been a dumb one and he was going to take it back –

Hands grabbed him from behind.

Nidai was still too exhausted from 'wrestling' with Kuma, so Soda and Owari appeared to have taken it upon themselves to lift him. They lifted Naegi high enough so that he could grab the shaggy fur on Kuma's back, and then scramble aboard. He settled down just beyond the hump created by Kuma's shoulders.

"You comfortable up there?" Soda asked. He had cupped his hands around his mouth, as if Naegi was far off in the distance.

"Yeah, I'm great!" Naegi said, already grinning like a maniac.

"Okay, let's go, Kuma!" Tsumiki ordered.

The two of them set off, Mikan leading. And Naegi held onto Kuma's fur, grinning widely.

He was riding a bear!

Kuma seemed to be a patient sort. At least, that's what Naegi thought as the bear sat by his bed and waited for Naegi to feed him treats. Which he did, of course. How could he not? Which is why half of Naegi's lunch ended up disappearing down the bear's throat. Mikan finally looked up from where she was mixing medicines to see Kuma claim the last bite. Naturally, she wasn't happy about it.

"Oh, Makoto!" She rushed forward, as if she could somehow reach into Kuma's mouth and pull Naegi's lunch back out. "That was supposed to be for you."

"I know, but look at him. I bet he needs tons of food, and he's probably starving after travelling so far."

"I'm sure Tanaka-kun took good care of him," Tsumiki said. Unable to retrieve his lunch, she comforted herself instead by smoothing out Naegi's blanket.

"Sorry! I wasn't trying to insult Tanaka-kun."

Tsumiki smiled at him, and then looked over his shoulder. "See, Tanaka-kun? He believes in you, too."

. . . Crap. Naegi twisted at the waist toward the infirmary doors. Tanaka was indeed there, apparently having just entered. A little beyond his shoulder, Kamukura lurked silently.

The Breeder marched forward with that same, confident gait he had introduced himself with. He stopped on the other side of the bed from Kuma, and crossed his arms. Naegi looked down as Tanaka stared at him. He had the distinct feeling that he was being scolded.

"Fine. I won't feed him my lunch anymore."

Tanaka suddenly reached into his jacket and produced a bag of marshmallows.

"Why –?"

Naegi's question was answered when Kuma made a sound of what he thought was excitement. The bear leaned forward over Naegi's bed as Tanaka groped inside the bag, and the moment the treat was offered, Kuma lapped it up.

"Ah, so marshmallows are the designated bear treats!" Naegi said, his conclusion supported by Tanaka's nod. "What do I do for his regular meals?"

At that, Tanaka reached again into his jacket . . . and pulled out a long sheet of paper. Naegi's eyes widened.

"Uh . . ."

Tanaka lifted his arm to hide his mouth, and his shoulders bounced in a way that could only mean laughter.

Naegi laughed a little, too. "Okay, I'm glad you're handling it. I don't think I could follow all these instructions."

Nearby, Tsumiki sighed as she stared at the empty tray. "I'm going to ask one of the Monokumas to bring you more food. Please eat it this time."

Naegi's smile wavered as he remembered how she and Hanamura had planned his meals just for him. "Sorry, I didn't –"

"I understand," she said. A smile tugged at her lips. "You were too excited. Just don't let it happen too often, okay?"

Naegi smiled. He patted Kuma's head. "Got it."

Kuma liked scratches behind the ears. That he discovered on his own. But once he did, Tanaka gave him a crash course on where to devote his time. Through it, Naegi noticed he was awfully skittish about making skin contact. Whenever Naegi reached for one of the places he was indicating, Tanaka always hurriedly withdrew his hand and kept it stiffly at his side. He wondered what was up with that. Kuma, for his part, was clearly enjoying the attention; he pushed his head into Naegi's hand, eyes closed.

"His fur is really soft," Naegi said, running his fingers through it. "If I didn't know better, I would think you shampooed it."

(He completely missed the red tint to Tanaka's cheeks and how he suddenly hid his face).

. . . And now there was something on his lap. At first he thought it was a tuff of fabric from Tanaka's scarf – which at some point prior, had fallen across his lap. But then the tuff moved, and bright black eyes blinked up at him. The hamster stared at Naegi, seeming almost confused, before it started to groom itself.

"This isn't for me, too, is it?" Naegi asked. He reached cautiously for the hamster, moving even slower than when he had first reached for Kuma. Speaking of the devil, Kuma had leaned forward, and his jaws began to open –

But Tanaka was swift, and swatted the bear on the nose. At the same time, the hamster sprung into the air, grabbing onto the middle of Tanaka's scarf. Within a second, it disappeared into the folds of the fabric. However, shortly after, Naegi saw a bunch of little heads stick out, all of them glaring at Kuma.

"One, two . . . there's got to be at least a dozen!" Naegi said. "They all live in that scarf?"

Tanaka shrugged. A hamster popped out of his collar just then, and Tanaka lifted and held his arm in an odd way. It seemed instinctive for him, and the Breeder didn't look the least bit surprised when the hamster decided to use his already-positioned arm as a slide. It tumbled down the arm and Tanaka flicked his wrist at the last moment so that the chubby rodent ended up in Naegi's lap. It blinked and stared up at him, just as the other one had.

"Hi!" he said.

The hamster stared at him. It made no move to be friendly until it glanced back at Tanaka and the Breeder gave it a reassuring nod. Then the hamster waddled forward fearlessly, pausing to nibble on the tip of Naegi's finger.

"They really trust you," Naegi said, half to himself. "You must love them a lot."

He didn't need to see Tanaka's gentle smile to know it was true. Just like Kuma, the hamsters had a healthy sheen to their fur that almost made them glow. Their eyes were bright and lively, actions curious and carefree. There was no possible way Tanaka had ever laid a cruel hand on them.

"I'm glad," Naegi suddenly said. "I'm glad Despair didn't make you . . ."

He stopped as it hit him what he had almost said. The hamster sensed his sudden tension, and scrambled back to the safety of its owner.

". . . It's nice to see someone who cares so much about his animals," Naegi said instead.

If Tanaka knew his original sentence, he gave no sign except for a hard stare. But it softened again as Naegi idly stroked Kuma's head. Tanaka suddenly got to his feet and briskly walked out of the infirmary.

" . . . Did I say something that offended him?" Naegi asked Tsumiki.

But Tanaka returned quickly, and he had the air of a giddy child showing his teacher the drawing he had spent all day on. There was something clutched to his chest. When he got close enough, the Breeder thrust the items into Naegi's chest. Naegi took them, a little confused, and examined them.

His eyes lit up.

"Mikan, these are bear documentaries! Can I watch them?"

Mikan smiled. "I can ask Soda-kun to bring one of the TVs. . . "

Just then, a Monokuma came strolling in. It held a platter filled with food high above its suit-cladded body and marched towards them –

Only to be knocked over with a swipe from Kuma's paw. The bear ducked his head and eagerly began devouring the fallen meal.

"Nooooo!" Tsumiki cried. "That was supposed to be for Makoto!"

Naegi couldn't help but cheer for his new friend.

The room was a mess. There were clothes scattered across the ground, a mess of paperwork on the desk, and the sheets on the bed were crumbled and bunched. None of that, however, seemed to bother the room's owner. She was too busy leaning over her bed, scowling, making irritated noises as she tried to cram a jacket into an already-stuffed suitcase. Really, the messy room was quite a contrast to the woman's clothes: a neat suit jacket and dress shirt, although she wore shorts instead of the standard skirt one would find on a Future Foundation member.

"Come on, get in!" Asahina hissed as she tried one last time. For a moment, it looked like it would all fit, but then the jacket – among other items – sprung upwards as if the suitcase had been hiding springs.

Asahina ripped a jacket off her face and collapsed face-first onto the bed. She then proceeded to gracefully scream into the mattress.

"Stupid jacket," she muttered, lifting her head. She stared ahead at the blank wall for a few seconds, collecting herself. Then, with a sharp, unexpected movement, she rolled over and sat up –

"Fukawa-san?!" Asahina was so surprised her ponytail seemed to fly straight up.

The Writer flinched, but it was too late to duck back behind the door and hide. She stepped inside the room, fingers locked together as she muttered, "Y-you're an idiot, you know."

"Huh? What was that for?"

"We all know wh-what you're planning," Fukawa hissed. "Master told me y-you'd do something like this."

Asahina scowled, muscles tensing as she braced herself for a fight. "Yeah? Well, it's not like I'm trying to hide anything. I'm not ashamed to not be a coward like you guys!"

"No, you're j-just a brainless nymph. Stupid girl can't even tell the difference between fantasy and reality . . ."

"You're one to talk!" Asahina snapped. "Besides, you saw it, too! You saw that message."

Fukawa said, "Master told us to ignore it."

"I don't care what Togami thinks!" Asahina said. "He's a stuck-up snob anyways."

"Hmph. I can't say I'm surprised to hear such a thing from you."

Despite having been standing only a little behind Fukawa, the girls had been so caught up in arguing that they hadn't noticed Togami until now. Fukawa blushed fiercely, nearly drooling as she muttered her White Knight's name. Asahina looked a little startled, but then her face took on the steeliness of one resigning themselves to a fight they couldn't win.

"Do you realize what you would be throwing yourself into?" Togami demanded, shutting the dormitory door behind him. "This isn't some abandoned city we're talking about. The world out there is dangerous."

"I don't care!" Asahina shouted. "I'm tired of sitting around and being useless."

"And for that you would throw yourself on the sword." Togami scoffed and crossed his arms, looking off to the side. "You commoners have such skewed priorities."

"What? I'm not doing it for glory or whatever the hell you're implying. I'm trying to help because unlike you, I actually care."

"The Monokumas would r-rip you apart," Fukawa said, pointing a shaking finger at Asahina's chest. "You c-can't just go waltzing in and expect th-they'd be distracted by th-those melons!"

For a second, Asahina looked like she wanted to cover herself. "I . . . At least I'm doing something instead of giving up!"

"We don't know if that message was really from him," Togami said.

"But what if it was! What if it was from him?" Asahina blinked rapidly, tears in her eyes. "What if Naegi-kun's sister is in Towa City and he needs us to rescue her?"

Togami did not answer right away and when he did, he took a deep breath beforehand.

"She would be guarded . . ."

"I know she would be. I don't care! She needs our help, and I . . . I . . ."

Asahina choked suddenly, smothering whatever phrase was meant to finish that sentence. Fat tears dripped down her face, and she rubbed at them fruitlessly with her sleeve.

"What if that was Naegi-kun asking us for help?" she repeated, nearly begging. "We have to do something, don't we? We owe him. And I couldn't . . . He needed me and I couldn't. . . I couldn't help him or Oogami-san . . . Please, I need to help him. Just let me go and save somebody."

Togami stared at her. The Heir didn't look the least bit moved by her pleads. He looked like a judge for the afterlife, judging the worthiness of the souls who stood before him. And yet . . .

"Alright."

Both girls blinked in surprised. "Eh?"

"Alright," Togami said again. "I'll help you."

Review Responses:

Malorn Fairytale: Darn it! There went the surprise then. Anyways, feel free to ship whomever you want!

Mike: I'm pretty good at updating around midnight, so you shouldn't have to stay up until 2.

Thanks!