The Teddy Bear's Heart

"I don't like this! I'm not being carried, but I still don't like this!"

Benny is wiggling around...attached to Philia's waist by a long strip of ribbon. Originally, she tried attaching him to her waist using a rope...only for the rope to leave an indent in its body as it had to be tied tightly. The crying and screaming Benny released when it realized what had happened almost broke both teens' eardrums. The ribbon was a secondary choice and is tied around Benny's arms and chest area, preventing it from moving.

"Let me down! Let me down!"

"If you behaved yourself, this wouldn't have happened."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Benny managed to wiggle around until it ended upside-down. It began to kick it's little legs at Philia's side. It did absolutely no damage as she wears metal armor. "I am always well behaved! I didn't tell that mean bird to take me away!"

"It kidnapped you, Benny."

"I"m not a kid though?"

"It's a term used for anyone be a child or...whatever you are."

"I'm a teddy bear!"

"Cursed doll more like..."

"Teddy bear!"

"Benny, you should stop that."

"Why? Philia is a liar with pretty wheat hair!"

"It's gold, not wheat!"

"I don't know what gold is!"

"Really now..." Philia is getting mentally exhausted trying to argue with Benny. She reached over, placing it onto her lap upright. She dug into her pouch, producing a shiny coin. "This is gold."

"Shiny!"

"Yes. This is the same color as my hair."

"No, it's more like wheat in the sun! It's prettier than this shiny!"

"..."

"It sways prettily, like this!" Benny began to sway its body side to side with its arms up. Philia, who didn't expect this, covered her mouth to suppress her laughter. "Sway and shines!"

"Pfff...!"

"How surprising, you managed to make Philia laugh..."

"I-I'm not laughing! Not at at all!"

"Hey, Philia." Benny is staring up at her, noticing how red her face is. "Are you sick? Your face is bright red!"

"Pfff...!"

"Don't laugh, Ansel!"

"I can't help it." Ansel rode along side her instead of behind her like she insisted since they began their journey. "I don't think I've heard you laugh since we were kids."

"Hmph!"

"Here, pass me Benny."

"No, it is my duty to escort-"

"Our duty."

"...As a knight, it is obvious I should be the one to hold the item we are escorting."

"Yes, but with how it is screaming, I am surprised that no monsters or wild animals come running at us." Ansel had a thought that he clearly didn't like if the frown on his face is any indication. "This journey has been too peaceful..."

"What are you thinking?"

"...No, don't worry about it. Anyways, Benny belongs to an Otherworlder. Do you think it has some unique powers other than talking and moving about?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Benny?"

"Powers?" Benny is obviously confused at that. "If I had powers, I want the power to find my Marie!"

"Of course that's the power you'd want..."

"You couldn't describe Marie to us very well when we first met, but you've become quite talkative."

"That's true." Ansel is a bit curious about that. "I remember how it used to stay silent or ask about Marie or tell me about her."

"Yeah. Now it talks to us about things it sees or asks us questions."

"Could it be evolving?"

"In what way?"

"Let's try asking about Marie again."

"Marie?!"

"Well aren't you excited for someone throwing a tantrum earlier..."

"What do you want to know about my Marie?! I'll tell you what I remember!"

"What you remember?"

"Uh-huh!" Benny is excited as it began to bob its whole head and body to nod. Both teens had to suppress their laughter, Philia using her hands to steady the little bear. "The kind stranger from the forest told me about unforgettable memories! All memories with Marie are unforgettable memories!"

"So..."

"So?"

"Do you remember what Marie looks like?"

"Hm...If I meet Marie again then I know it is her!"

"That doesn't help us at all!"

"It's like asking a kid what their mother looks like..."

"My Marie is pretty!"

"Uh-huh."

"We're sure."

"You don't believe me at all?!"

"How do we judge the beauty standard of a teddy bear?"

"The same way a dog would another dog?"

"Benny isn't a dog!"

"Let's try this...Benny, is Philia pretty?"

"Pretty!"

"Prettier than an acorn?"

"Yeah? Her hair is pretty!"

"Prettier than the pink flower you got from the forest?"

"Hm...hm..." Benny is actually stumped. "T-The flower...isn't prettier than Philia...maybe?"

"What maybe?! Just to let you know, I was the prettiest girl in cadet training!"

"The only reason you were the prettiest is because there were a few female cadets...and by the time you were the only one left, that made you the prettiest without any competition..."

"I heard that!"

"I think Philia would be prettier if she smiled more."

"..."

"..." Ansel glanced at Philia's face then at Benny...who didn't mean anything by its words. "Why do you say that?"

"When Philia laughed earlier, she looked prettier!"

"Well, if she did smile it'd help her soured face."

"What was that, Ansel?!"

"Oopss~!"

Ansel quickly gave Rocco's sides a light kick, stirring him into rushing ahead. Philia, not wanting to be out paced or outdone by her childhood friend, quickly did the same. Benny suddenly thought that it's a good thing that it is attached to Philia by the ribbon now...as it had almost fallen a few times. Even if it wrapped its arms around Philia...no grip strength combined with no fingers to grab ahold of anything...without the ribbon it may have fallen off more than once.

"Okay, so Philia will allow you to wander around...so long as you don't let the ribbon come off." Ansel is tying the end of the ribbon to Iris' reins. "Iris seems to care for you so we'll let her watch over you. Don't wander too far."

"Okay!" Benny waved its hand at Ansel who had to go down to the river to get fresh water. "...Hey, Iris."

What is it, Child?

"Why is it that Philia and Ansel hear you?"

Because I am a steed, a horse, and they are riders, humans. We are of two different species.

"Am I different species?"

I do not know.

"Oh..."

Benny began to consider itself then its companions. They re humans like its Marie, but are they are not family. What is Benny to them? Benny sat on the ground by Iris hooves. Rocco, seeing that Benny is too silent, came over. Iris gave him a stern look, warning the young bronco to not pull a prank on Benny as it is sensitive.

"Rocco, you're a bit of a mean horse, but you're a horse like Iris so that means you have to be smart like her. What makes me different from Philia and Ansel?"

Iris is old and a weirdo. Out of all the horses in the stables, she's the only one who speaks so weirdly. Philia and Ansel are humans.

"I know that!"

Well, if I had to say...you are probably not human? You feel like the things young human girls carry.

"I also know that! I mean how am I different from them!"

Does it matter? You and them are traveling together. You speak their language, but you also speak our language. Even though I can't speak with Ansel, I get along with him. Philia is the same with Iris.

"You and Iris are the same, you both speak weirdly." Rocco got annoyed with Benny and bit down on its head and upper body. Benny and Iris froze in shock, not expecting this...before Benny began to panic. "NNNNOOOOO!"

"What is it?! A monster?!"

"Bandits?!"

What are you doing, you fool?!

"NNNOOOOO! I don't wanna be eaten! Nnnnooo!" Benny began to wiggle its legs around. "It's gross! Your drool is so gross!"

"What the heck, you guys are just playing around?"

"How is that playing around?! Your dumb horse is chewing on that dumb bear!"

Philia had to work to yank Benny out of Rocco's mouth...and she looked grossed out by the saliva clinging to its body. Benny stared at its soaked hands...before it began to wail loudly.

"I hate that mean dumb horse!!!! It drooled all over me! Aaaaaahhhhh! I'm all gross! My stuffing is going to smell like stinky dumb Rocco! Nnnnnooo!"

"Calm down, we can wash you."

"I have some good soap we can use." 

"Philia, you're so nice..."

"Even I don't want you sitting on my lap if you smell like horse breath..."

Unfortunately, the smell of horse breath lingered on Benny for the next few days...resulting in its sorrow. Ansel couldn't do much to console the tiny bear, finding the situation funny as Philia had to suffer the smell as Benny refuses to ride with Ansel because it doesn't want to be near Rocco.

"I don't want to go inside! I'll make all of Marie's presents stinky!" Benny is struggling against Philia's grasp, trying to avoid being put into its bag. "I'll behave! I won't move or talk, I promise! I promise! Don't put me in!"

"But if we don't..."

"If you put me in...I'll scream! Scream suuupppeerr loudly!"

"...It learned to threaten others..."

"That's actually impressive since it's only been around us so far."

"It learned it from you, you dumbass!" 

Ansel had to deal with getting beaten up and Benny didn't protest this time as Ansel laughed at it. Benny behaved itself and stayed as still as possible while being in Philia's arms. It noticed a few children staring at it from a distance...and when Philia had to put Benny down for a few seconds on a nearby box to talk with someone about putting their horses in the stables. That's when one of the children, a boy, ran over and grabbed Benny.

"Oh."

"What's wrong, Ansel?"

"It got kidnapped again."

"What?!"

"Oh, is that doll of yours important? Don't worry, once it gets dark the children will have to get home. One of those little troublemakers is the innkeeper's daughter."

"But...!"

"Philia, it should be fine. Besides, the horses are exhausted, we have to let them rest and we have to resupply. We can look for those kids while we do that."

"R-Right..."

Benny wasn't sure if it should move or not...even when it was taken away by the group of naughty children. When one girl tried taking Benny's ribbon, it slapped her hand away.

"Ah."

"Ah."

"It...IT MOVED!"

"It's alive!"

"..." Benny began to get up...scaring the children and making them back away. Benny suddenly raised up both hands, making them jump. "Raaaarrrr!"

"Run away!"

"It's a cursed doll!"

Benny chased the children through the town, waving its hand in the air. The adults didn't seem too bothered by it and Ansel was trying not to die of laughter when he saw this. When Ansel saw one of the boys get a stick, Benny actually fell, rolling forward. The children watched as Benny rolled onto its stomach, getting up using its hands. It swayed a bit...looked at the children...and the one with the stick.

"Wwaaaahhh! He's got a stick!" Benny ran off, making the children chase him next. "Don't hit me!"

"Get the cursed doll!"

"Don't let it run away!"

"Get it! Get it!"

Philia, who was packing up supplies...watched as Benny ran past, waving its hands in the air...then the children who ran past next with one waving around a stick. It was a few seconds later that the kids were running past her now, screaming, this time with Benny chasing after them with a giant lizard on its head. From the looks of it, it wasn't his idea if the lizard chomping down on its ears is any indication.

"...What the hell...?"

"Save me! This lizard won't let go!"

"There's a huge lizard!"

"It's eating the bear!"

"Someone save me!"

Despite Philia's desire to keep Benny hidden...after what happened that was pointless. As the villagers and the children didn't seem to mind Benny being a talking moving doll. It was able to befriend the village children and was able to play with them throughout their short stay. Philia wanted to object to this, but Ansel convinced her that it is good for Benny who only ever interacted with them.

"It seems happier, doesn't it?"

"..."

"You focused so much on Benny being a mere object, that you forget that it has a soul as well. A lonely child with two strangers. Benny may not be human, but it has its own heart."

"...Does it need a heart?"

"...Still concerned about that, huh?"

"What if the Marie we are looking for is dead...or she has returned to her own world without it...Granny said that-"

"We'll get to that point when we get there."

"..."

"Did you know, Marie? When I started traveling, I always wondered what was so different about me and everyone...but you know? Most times people said that we weren't different at all. I played with children and can talk with adults, exchanging thoughts and opinions. Even though I'm a teddy bear, I have a heart. I have a soul. I'm not just a doll, I am a person in my own way. Even though I'm just a doll, I also deserve a place in this world!"