The Teddy Bear's Pain

The wolf carried Benny through the halls, avoiding any humans that didn't match up to the scent on the teddy bear. Benny desperately wanted to ask the wolf to let it ride on his back, but knew it wouldn't be able to hold on. The wolf skid to a stop, pressing its body towards a pile of boxes, using a cloth to hide himself better.

"Why did you-"

Shush, humans approach. A great number of them.

Benny went silent at that. The wolf isn't sure if it is well hidden, but kept Benny beneath his body...sniffing the air occasionally. Both went completely still as they heard the sound of metal and footsteps of many individuals approaching. None of them contained the scent of the two that clung to the bear...so the wolf dared not move a muscle.

"Did you hear, the young lady of the Solaris family is leading this raid."

"Huh, why would she be doing that?"

"I heard that they stole a cursed doll that she was to bring to her uncle for research."

"That can't be all."

"Who knows, could be her own personal justice or some nonsense. The Solaris family has always been a bunch of weirdoes. Mages who rarely get their heads out of their own personal research. I heard that this young lady isn't much different."

"I saw her earlier before we started the raid, but she sure is young. Isn't she an official knight?"

"Blah, probably used her family name to get her position. What can a girl that young know about being a knight or about combat?"

"Don't go letting anyone hear you say that. They're nobles."

"A girl like that should have gotten married, not playing knight. It's pointless for her to even think she could be one. Being a knight is a man's job!"

Benny wondered who they were talking about. It knew that Philia's surname is Solaris, but there's no way that Philia would abuse her power to be a knight. Benny didn't think that is possible because it knew that Philia is a very honest person who can't lie to save her life! Once the individuals were gone, the wolf slowly got out from under the cloth before resuming his search for Benny's companions.

What sort of humans are your pack?

"Philia and Ansel?"

To have your trust, they must clearly be the alphas of your pack.

"Philia is strong, super strong! She swings around a sword and is super cool!"

Similar to my alpha. She is strong and no beast in our forest could ever hope to match her.

"Ansel gets beaten up by Philia sometimes."

What? Is he not a man, why is he allowing himself to be beaten up by his female?

"How is that different from you getting beaten up?"

The wolf couldn't say anything to that, instead...chose to pretend like he never heard the question! Benny was allowed to ride on the wolf's back as they had to sneak around more to avoid the humans. It would be better to take their time and avoid confrontations.

"I think we're lost."

I caught your human's scent and following their trail! I'm not lost!

"We went up some stairs, we went down some stairs, we went through some rooms, and now we're going back down! Why go down when we should go up? Isn't going up means we're going outside?"

Shut up! You're the one who insisted we find your pack!

"You're mean! Mean doggie!"

I'm a wolf! What is with your pack anyways? They're heading in the direction we came from.

"How can you tell?"

Instinct.

"Liar."

You can't just accuse me of lying!

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Benny paused. "Oh, wait, you don't wear pants. Liar, liar, fur on fire!"

What the heck is that?

"It's what Marie used to say when someone lied to her! She always complained about it to me when we were back home."

Home, huh? Where is home for you?

"Wherever my Marie is!"

The wolf stopped, his ears twitching. The wolf didn't tell the teddy bear about the reason why they were going in such a roundabout manner...it could smell blood. It would purposefully avoid paths that stunk of it to not harm this innocent thing's heart. However, in the end...it's just as Benny predicted...they got lost!

I can't smell the humans anymore...Where are we?

"Didn't you say you knew where we were going! I knew it, you really are a liar, liar, fur on fire!"

I-I didn't lie! I just lost their scent!

"Liar, liar!"

Stop calling me a liar! This place is too different from forests! It's unnatural!

"Should we go back?"

No, I can hear humans behind us. We don't know if they are enemies or allies.

"Then forward!" Benny began patting the wolf's head. "That way, that way!"

You're certainly enjoying this...

Benny didn't understand the seriousness of the situation. Despite this, it knew that so long as they found Philia and Ansel then everything would be fine. Neither one of them knew where they were going, but it wasn't long before the sound of fighting reached them. The male wolf froze up...clearly smelling something.

Alpha...?

"-nsel, lightning!"

"Got it!"

"It's Philia and Ansel!" Benny slid off the wolf's back, rushing forward. "Ansel! Philia! I'm here! I'm here!"

Wait!

Benny could hear fighting ahead and it thought that Philia and Ansel were fighting against bad guys...not the female wolf. The female wolf howled, her eyes a deep red color...having a frightening look...as if she didn't recognize anything. There's so much red, so much red on her body. Philia is no better, sword clutched in her hand, red dripping down her leg.

"Ow...!"

"Philia!"

"Don't stop, Ansel! We have to put this beast down!"

Stop! Don't harm my alpha!

Benny was frozen in place...watching Philia and Ansel fighting against the wolves...it was as if...it had seen such a scene before.

It remembers, it remembers that there was once a time Marie did take Benny with her. Of monsters, of blood, of all the pain and tears Marie couldn't hold back while she hugged it. Marie who casted spells at monsters, tears streaming down her face as a boy her age fought with a sword.

"Stop..."

"There's two of them!?"

"Focus!"

"Stop it..."

Benny wanted to cry...but it cannot cry. It cannot shed tears, it can't show its sorrow, its pain...its anguish. It didn't want to see Philia or Ansel hurt and bloodied like Marie. It didn't want to see them cry. Benny didn't want them to hurt the wolves either. It didn't want to see them motionless like the beasts Marie had to hurt before. Benny watched as Philia raised her sword to pierce the male wolf, but something in Benny wanted to cry out.

"STOP IT!"

Benny isn't sure what had happened next...but all it saw was the world tilting...and the ground was before it. Benny began to think that perhaps it had gone back to being an ordinary teddy bear...unable to speak...unable to move...unable to look for its Marie.

If that was the case...then that is fine...after all, Benny didn't want Philia or Ansel to feel guilty about making it sad for killing the wolves...not knowing that it is friends with the wolves. Benny didn't want to see its loved ones soaked in that red liquid again...tears streaming down their cheeks.

"I don't want that. I want to be with Marie, but being with Marie...it...She wouldn't be happy if I let people I care about hurt one another. I want to be with you, Marie, but...how can I be with you...if the wolves who helped me...are gone...if they disappear like your great-granny did...I remember...when the warmth of her hands disappeared...and she was no longer there...only you...only you, Marie."