Into the Fire

by TheSilentKitsune

Summary:

Originally written for a contest just for fun. The prompt was "A solo story in the Beastars world, loosely inspired by the Beast Complex shorts"

Be warned that this story includes mature themes such as graphic depictions of violence and language.

This story takes place in the weeks and months following the end of the Murder Solution Arc.

All feedback is appreciated.

Chapter 1: The Tiger and The Fox

    “Sorry kid. I can’t just go around giving a discount to whoever I please.”

    Bill groaned, rapping his knuckles against the wall of the little store. Slabs and racks of assorted meats hung from the ceiling. Vials of blood and other preserved goods lined the walls, organized by species. “I’ve been coming here for months now Mr. Shishi. I’m a loyal customer at this point! Can’t I get just a little reward for that?” He grabbed several vials of boar and rabbit blood before strolling over to the counter. 

    The well-dressed lion manning the register shook his head half-heartedly. “I’ll give you the same answer everyone else gets. Discounts are reserved for Shishigumi members and their approved business partners. Now please don’t ask me again.” His eyes scanned the items in the tiger’s arms. “That’ll be fifteen-thousand yen.”

    “I know it’s the ‘Shishi’-gumi but if you guys ever consider expanding to other large felines…” Bill mumbled, fishing the cash from his pockets.

    The lion chuckled a little while counting the money. “It would certainly make things more interesting.” He began placing the purchase into the usual black scent-masking bag. “Is your friend gonna buy something or what?”

    What he assumed was a tall canine with bright orange fur lingered in the back of the store, motionless in front of the largest cut; an entire dry-aged bull with its head and appendages removed. 

    Bill turned his head. “Hey! Big Ears! You gonna buy something or stand there fantasizing about it all day?!” 

    The pointed ears hanging limply on their head sprung up at attention. “Sorry. I’m just not used to a place with such a… selection .” They gestured at the bull. “I-” 

    “Yeah, yeah I get it. It’s different from back home. That’s the fifth time you’ve said that today. I swear, where does Cherryton find people like you?” The tiger huffed, pocketing his change. “Buddy, relax. We’re all friends here! No one’s gonna judge you.”

    They turned, looking slightly pale and nervous. A fox, lanky and rivaling the tiger in height. The pupils of their emerald eyes instantly contracted into narrow slivers.

    The older lion knew exactly what was up. Working for so long in the market, one learned to recognize the different types of customers. The calm and collected salaryman, the jittery addict, the overly professional yakuza, and the panicked newbie. This one certainly fell into the latter category. He could tell just from their eyes alone. Wide. Pupils dilated. Darting about the room at every slight motion. 

    “I think I’ll uh... pass- this time.” The fox blinked hard, ears twitching. They stepped away from the bull and quickly made their way back to Bill’s side. “Are you done?”

    Bill nodded, holding up his small bag of goodies. “This’ll keep me until next month. Got you one too. We’ll have the toast for your acceptance to the club later.”

    The clerk smiled ever so slightly as he saw the fox shiver. ‘Never even had blood either huh? You’ll come around.’ He gave both of the students a small wave as they left through the revolving doors. 

‘They all do.’

 

     He couldn’t do it. 

     No matter how hard he tried, the fox’s eyes never left the ground in front of him. Seeing the bull butchered and strung up like they weren’t a person at all broke something in him that nothing else prior came even close to. Phantom screeches and wails of the products, no, corpses around echoed deafeningly behind his eyes. 

     It wasn’t right. None of it was. 

     His vision began to tunnel and spiral until all he could see was the feet of the tiger walking in front of him, heart pounding in his ears.

     A crisp summer night’s breeze snaked its way across the city, cutting through the miasma of scents that permeated the market. The fox breathed deeply, thankful for fresh air. Anything to block out the smell. Anything to take his mind off the horrors that surrounded him. 

     The tiger lightly tapped him on the shoulder as they walked. “You feeling alright?”

     “I’ll be-” he gagged heavily as the smell of freshly grilled meat assaulted his nostrils. He clasped his snout shut with both hands, panic in his eyes. Several people gave puzzled glances in their direction.

     Bill promptly grabbed him by the arm, forcefully dragging him into one of the many smaller alleyways. The fox stumbled off a short distance and leaned hard against the wall, gasping for air.

     “I’m sorry.” he wheezed, putting his back to the wall, staring up into the starry sky.

     With an exasperated sigh the tiger leaned back alongside him. “Dude. Seriously… What’s your deal? You said you’ve had meat before, several times!”

     The fox shivered. “I wasn’t lying.”

     “Then what’s the problem?! I swear you’re acting even worse than Legoshi did on his first trip here.” Bill threw up his hands in frustration. With a huff he fished a shot of rabbit blood out of his bag. “Damn... Now you’ve got me all worked up too.” He popped the cork off the tiny bottle and drank the whole thing in one swig.

     At the same time, the fox let himself slide down the wall into a sitting position. His eyes were squeezed shut, hands clutched his head. A quiet whine escaped his throat as the lights in the alleyway sputtered out. Shadows enveloped them both.

     The sudden silence hung in the air for a moment. 

     Not here. Not now. Not with him. 

     Several annoyed and confused shouts echoed from the marketplace. 

     “That was. Odd.” Bill dropped the empty vial back in his bag. “You feeling better now? Best not stay here if the power doesn’t come back soon.”

     His hands fell limply into his lap. The fox took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before slowly letting it out. As he stood up, the power buzzed and flickered back to life. “Yeah. I think I’m good now.” He walked past the tiger back towards the market while looking over his shoulder. “You said you had another place you wanted to show me?” The nervous stutter and panic in his eyes was gone. 

     Bill slung the bag over his shoulder. “Yeah, I think you’ll like it.”

     Hours trickled by as the duo made their way to and through the Inarigumi controlled section of the back alley market. Bill felt at ease with his friend acting normal again. Memory of the earlier episode faded quickly as the night went on. Clubs were hit. Games were played. Prizes were won. 

     It didn’t take long before the alcohol started flowing. They drifted from one vendor to another, trying every variety of spirits. The fox always politely declined the blood based brews, but it didn’t take long for Bill to stop caring; that just meant more for him.

    “Dude. How are you- Hic!- not completely shitfaced yet?” The tiger’s words slurred slightly as he cooed at the fox. “You had just as much as me!”

    The fox chuckled, rolling his eyes as he followed his stumbling friend. “What can I say? I’m different.”

    “Hell yeah you're built different, Big Ears! I swear we gotta do this again with the rest of the- Hic!- guys sometime.” Bill grinned ear to ear like a little cub on Rexmas day. 

    “Well next time we better bring some earplugs for the rest of the karaoke bar.” The fox popped a large chunk of cotton candy into his mouth. “You’re completely tonedeaf.”

    The tiger playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “I am not! Hey, at least I’m not the one who nailed that hippo in the head at that baseball toss!” He wrapped his arm around the fox’s shoulder, leaning onto him for support.

    “A bottle of sake is a good apology.” 

    “Damn straight it is!” Bill tried to smell the air, but only got the alcohol wafting from his own breath. His eyes narrowed, head turning from side to side as they walked along. “I uh… I don’t know the way out.”

    The fox huffed while pulling his intoxicated friend along. “Then, as the only sober person here, I’ll figure it out. Just don’t go puking on me.”

    “Who me? I would neeeeeever… -Hic!- I can hold my liquor.” The tiger sloppily grabbed a hunk of cotton candy and shoved it in his face. 

    “Whatever you say then...” After a moment of contemplation, he gestured at the path they were on. “Guess we just keep going straight. That’ll get us to a normal street at some point. Right?”

 

     As they continued forward, something nagged at the back of Bill’s mind. The buildings got closer and closer together. Faces of the vendors were soon replaced with stoick bouncers standing guard at heavy metal doors. This section of the market, a place usually welcoming, didn’t feel quite right anymore. The faces of those they passed didn’t look very happy to see them. Some whispered into radios. Others put a hand inside their suits. Their eyes burned into the two lost students as they made their way past.

     Hopelessly lost. They found themselves trapped in a labyrinth of alleyways that made it impossible to stick to one direction. The paths were barely wide enough for the two to walk side by side. 

     “Bill, are you sure you can’t just call someone?” 

     The tiger groaned. “You don’t make phone calls from the market, man. Besides, I don’t have service down here anyway. Buck up and ask someone for help already… My head is killing me.”

     “That’s what you get for drinking too much…” 

     Another few minutes of walking. Another dead end. They tried backtracking, but had already forgotten which way they came from. 

     “Can we- Hic!- take a break for a sec?” Letting go of the fox, Bill stumbled and half walked, half fell, against the concrete wall. He groaned, clutching the side of his head. “I’ve never had that much in one night before.”

     “Yeah I guess.” his friend leaned against the wall next to him. “Not like we’re making much progress anyway.” He checked his phone. Just as the tiger had said, no signal. So much for that idea.

     The two young carnivores had only ill-maintained street lights and the faint echoes of the city for company. Glass bottled clinked as Bill clumsily fished another vial of blood out of his bag. He drank it in one gulp, letting out a sigh of relief as the alcohol’s burden was lightened. Without hesitation he fished out another.

     “Take it.” The tiger held it out to his friend.

     Their pupils immediately constricted into slits at the sight. The fox only stared at it, unmoving. Mind racing. The bull. The livestock. The people hanging from hooks. 

     “Please.” With a quiet voice barely above a whisper, he gently pushed the vial back against Bill’s chest. “Put that away.” Light flickered and dimmed from the street lamp above them.

     The two locked eyes as the vial fell back into the bag. Bill saw pain. The fox saw confusion.

     “Where is this coming from?” Bill looked away, muttering in an equally quiet tone.

     The fox looked down at the dirt. 

     “Are you going to tell me why?” The tiger slowly sat the bag on the ground beside them.

     His ears swung from side to side as he shook his head. Eyes squeezed shut. Arms tucked in close to his chest. Shivering. Trembling. The cacophony of screams in his head began once more. 

     Not here. Not now. Not with him.

     Creaking of a rusted door hinge broke the silence, echoing off the concrete walls from around the corner to their left. A chain rattled. 

     Vulpine ears stood straight at attention. Two sets of heavy footsteps. No. Three. One so light they barely made any sound. Voices mumbling. A conversation the tiger couldn’t make out. Both of their eyes went wide. A high pitched, distant, and unintelligible shout. A child’s voice. Another loud creak as the door slammed shut. Both of their eyes went wide. The footsteps approached.

     “These guys have really stepped up their game lately. I swear their stock doubles every time we come here!” A deep, male voice with an ursine undertone. 

     Another male, younger, piped up. “We gotta go back for the twin next week right? This one’s just an appetizer compared to her.” The chain rattled as someone tugged on it. 

     The smell of bear and goat hit both their noises. 

     Something snapped. The fox’s eyes glazed over as he bared his fangs, slowly beginning to creep towards the sound. 

     “Are you crazy?!” Bill hissed and lunged at his friend. His clawed hands ripped through the fox’s shirt, digging into his shoulders. “We gotta go!” The lights around them flared.

     The footsteps stopped. “Hey! Who’s-” Deafening pops rung out as bulbs from several street lamps burst. Bill screamed in panic, expecting to be ripped full of holes.

     One of the bears bellowed with pain. 

     Glass rained down. The red faded from the vulpine’s vision as Bill hurled them both back with all his strength. “Fucking RUN!” There was no chance to reply as the tiger grabbed his friend’s arm in a death grip and bolted, dragging them along helplessly. 

     Two carnivores sprinting for their lives tore through the alleys at a breakneck speed. They didn’t look back. They couldn’t. Too terrified of what might await them if they did. 

     The fox yelped as Bill’s grip torqued down even harder. Pins and needles quickly took hold of their hand as the tiger’s blood-fueled adrenaline rush threatened to break his wrist. 

     “Bill!” 

     No response. Raspy breaths. Pounding feet. The blood throbbing in his ears. His wrist creaked as they rounded another corner. 

     “Bill!”

     The sound of traffic grew louder. They could see storefront lights. An exit. The fingers had lost all feeling. He felt the bones in his wrist grind together. 

     “You’re going to break my fucking arm, you overgrown housecat!” Out of desperation he grabbed the tiger’s arm, frantically trying to pry it off to no avail. 

     Bill released his grip and jolted to a stop as his feet hit the pavement. The fox tumbled head over heels past him, slamming into a street sign before crumpling onto the ground. Heart still pounding, the tiger stood there dumbfounded as their brain struggled to process what had just occurred. It clicked, and he let out a gasp as he rushed over to his friend who let out a groan. 

     “Come on buddy. Come on…” Bill got the fox back on their feet. “We gotta go. Let’s get a taxi.” He propped them up against the sign. Running to the edge of the street, he waved his arms frantically while screaming for one of the yellow checkered cars. 

     When he looked back, the fox was already walking slowly back towards the market with clenched fists. 

     The tiger slammed into him again, grabbing both shoulders and shaking him violently. “Are you fucking insane?!”

     “Let go of me, Bill.” The fox stared straight into his eyes unwavered. 

     “If you go back in there they will put a bullet in your hide and throw you in the ocean without a second thought!” His voice cracked. “Don’t try to be a hero! Don’t throw your life away like that!” 

     The taxi idling at the side of the road honked its horn. 

     Tears welled up on the tiger’s eyes. “I brought you here. It’s my responsibility to get you back safe.”

     A moment of silence. The fox slowly raised a hand and gently grabbed Bill’s arm. “Please take your hands off me.” 

     Defeated, the tiger released his grip and let his arms fall. “I can’t tell if you're brave or just insane.”

     Helping Bill into the cab, the fox shoved a wad of cash into the crocodile driver’s hand. “Straight to Cherryton. Keep the change.”

     He watched them ride off, and walked back into the labyrinth alone.

    No one batted an eye at the lone fox passing by. His eyes burned. Stinging tears dripped down his face as he traversed the market once more. Past the displays. Past the butchers. Past the people hanging from hooks and roasting over flames. 

    Guilt panged. Was what he did before really all that different? He couldn’t look at them without remembering the flavor. Drool oozed its way down his muzzle. 

    Stop it. Stop it. Stop it now. 

 

    The fox stood in the doorway with his hands resting on the shoulders of two children. Goat twins dressed in little more than rags that clung to his legs, terrified, but otherwise unharmed. 

     “Panda.”, he said in a calm quiet voice, “I need to ask a favor.”

     A loud clatter as the bamboo crossbow hit the floor. Without saying a word Gouhin lunged and pulled all three of them inside. Locks spun back into place as he frantically checked through the blinds for any onlookers. None. 

     “Explanations can wait.” The panda knelt down in front of the children, gently prying them off the fox. “Come on you two.” He got up and led them both into another room. 

     The fox stood there alone in the foyer relieved, but his heart was still racing. He looked down at his hands and the drying specks of blood that still stubbornly clung to his fur. 

     How many? 

     “So.” Gouhin walked back into the room standing directly in front of him with his arms crossed. “I met you less than a month ago alone on a park bench, and now you’re here rescuing livestock like some vigilante?”

     They nodded slowly. “It’s not how I expected tonight to go. Will they be safe here?”

     “They’ll be fine. I’ve got some students who’ll be more than willing to look after them.” The panda took a small sniff of the air. “You’ve got blood on you.”

     “I know.” The fox stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked back at the door. “I should be going. I have a test tomorrow.”

     Gouhin grabbed his shoulder as he turned to leave. “Just what kind of fox are you?”

     A pause. The lights above flickered slightly. “I’d prefer to keep that to myself, if you don’t mind.”

     “I suppose you did save two lives tonight.” The panda’s grip loosened. “So consider us even. It’s Gouhin, by the way. You’ve got my thanks.” 

     The door swung open as both stepped out into the empty street. Early rays of dawn slowly crept their way onto the horizon. 

     “I don’t think this’ll be the last time we meet, Gouhin.” The fox began to walk down the path.

     Gouhin turned to go back inside. “You got a name, kid?”

     He turned his head and gave a small wave. 

     “Juzo. Be seeing you.”

Chapter 2: The Lab and The Sheepdog

     Something was very off that morning for the labrador. 

     Ever since he and Legoshi started going to Cherryton, they had an innocent ritual for the mornings whenever they were separated. They’d always text one another in the early morning hours. Sometimes a small conversation. Even just a little “Good Morning” or “Hi” sufficed if they had a busy day ahead of them.

     Since he dropped out, the grey wolf messaged him at least once every morning. Words couldn’t express how much it hurt Jack, not seeing that big dumb wolf lazily roll out of his bunk each morning. Still, having that small assurance each day that he was alright was comforting.

     Today, however, was different. No notifications were waiting for Jack when he woke up. At first he gave Legoshi the benefit of the doubt, sending his own “Good Morning” text. When there wasn’t even a ‘Read’ marker by the time Durham, Miguno, and Voss left for their early morning class, Jack’s anxiety went through the roof.

     He sat his phone on the counter of the tiny kitchenette, anxiously eyeing it as he began to crack eggs one by one into a large pan. Collot managed to squeeze in next to him and began chopping a bell pepper. 

     The sheepdog nudged the lab with his shoulder. “I know that look. He’ll be fine, Jack. Have a little bit more faith.”

     “That doesn’t…” A lump formed in Jack’s throat. He swallowed, and took a deep breath. “I know. I just can’t help it.”

     “All that means is that you’re a good friend.” Collot grabbed a large handful of the pepper slices and held them over the pan. He paused for a moment, looking towards the bathroom door. “Uh. Do you know if the new guy likes peppers?”

     The lab’s eyes went to the unfamiliar backpack sitting in what used to be Legoshi’s bunk. It felt wrong, seeing anyone there other than his best friend. Although there wasn’t much he could do about it. The guy was half maned wolf, and the vulpine dorms were already full. He seemed nice enough, if a little odd.

     “If he doesn’t, he can make his own breakfast.” Jack huffed and continued stirring the pan.

     Collot shrugged and dropped in the peppers. “He’s been in there for at least an hour. Should we… check on him?”

     “Nah. There was some sort of outing for the drama club carnivores last night. Given how that tiger he was with is, he’s probably hungover.”

 

     A pounding hangover is not something the young Bengal wanted to wake up to. 

     The lighthearted guitar riff of his ringtone felt like claws on a chalkboard in his ears as his hand lazily fished around for the phone. With a simple click the room was silent again. Bill groaned as he sat up in bed. 

     He sat still for a moment, looking at the sun peeking through his window. 

     “Oh. Look who’s finally awake.” 

     He jumped back, startled, as Aoba’s face swung down. “Watch it man!” The tiger rubbed the side of his head with one hand. “You’re gonna peck one of my eyes out if you keep that up…”

     A tinge of guilt washed over the eagle’s face. “Right. Right… Sorry. And I’m sorry I bailed last minute yesterday. As much as that place creeps me out, I really shouldn’t have let you two go by yourselves.” He hopped down from his bunk with a light thump. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

     “What are you…?” A moment of silence passed before Bill frantically began scrolling through his phone. 

     Nothing from the fox. Not even a text.

     The bengal jumped up from bed and frantically began throwing on his uniform. “Fuck! That insane bastard is still there!” 

     “Bill! Calm down. I just talked to Juzo less than an hour ago.” Aoba took a step back from the flailing tiger. “He’s fine.” The eagle pointed to a small black bag sitting by the door. 

     Bill skidded across the floor and ripped the top of the bag open. Vials of blood. Three of them were empty. 

     That moment played back in his head. The exploding lights. Sheer adrenaline and panic. That must have been where he’d dropped it. Which means that Juzo…

     “He said you two got spooked last night and you dropped it while you were running.” Aoba stepped closer and craned his neck to look in the bag. “He said you spent a lot of money on it, and he felt bad that you lost it.” His eyes hit the blood. It was a struggle to try and hide his disappointment. 

     “Juzo was ok, right? Like did anything seem wrong?” Bill tied the bag shut and walked over to his bed again, stuffing it under the mattress. 

     “His shirt was a little ripped up but besides that, no. I think the more important question is, are you alright? You were babbling about something when you showed up last night but I couldn’t understand a word of it.” The eagle slowly walked over to the kitchenette, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. 

     The tiger walked over and did the same, slumping down on a stool by the countertop. “We… We got lost. Ran into a livestock trade. Juzo lost it. I mean completely feral.”

     Aoba gagged on his cereal, coughing a small chunk back into his bowl. “I told you that place wasn’t safe! You’re both lucky to be alive!”

     “I know. I know.” Bill groaned. “But that’s not the end of it. It’s all kinda fuzzy but… I remember grabbing him, and the lights just… Exploded. I don’t know what happened after that. All I remember is running and eventually riding in a taxi back here.”

     “So you’re telling me the guy went back into that just to get your bag?” 

     The tiger shook his head. “No. No, that can’t be the only reason. He went back there for something else.”

     “You said it was a livestock trade?” Aoba slowly pushed his bowl aside, leaning onto the counter. 

     “Yeah. We didn’t see it then but we heard and got a pretty good whiff of it. Bears, and a goat, I think.”

     A long pause as the two stared down at their breakfast. 

     Aoba looked away, closing his eyes. “I know it’s not good to just assume the worst but… Do you think he went back there because he wanted that goat?”

     “I. I don’t know Aoba.” Bill shuddered, pushing his own bowl aside, resting his head in his hands. “I offered him some blood. Multiple times. Every time he acted like he was afraid of it.”

     “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that sounds just like a recovering addict when they see their poison.” 

     Bill abruptly got up and slowly started to pace around the room. Head in his hands. He tried to make sense of the fuzzy memories he had. As much as he hated to admit it, the eagle’s accusations fit. 

     Aoba got up, picking up and placing both bowls in the sink. “Maybe that encounter is what broke him again.”

     “I don’t want to believe it. The guy is weird, sure, but he… I don’t think he’s that type of person.” 

     The eagle grabbed and threw his bookbag on. “We’ll take it slow. Alright. Right now, you can just focus on remembering what happened. Let’s avoid bringing it up.”

     “I guess so.” Bill let out a defeated sigh. He threw his own pack over his shoulder. “I can’t believe I forgot about that test today…”

     “C’mon big guy, you’ll live.” 

     Bill huffed, “You weren’t the one who had over a dozen shots last night.”

     Both had a lighthearted laugh as they went out the door.

 

     Fogged glass left only a vague impression of the fox in the mirror. After three showers with the water turned to almost scalding, he was finally confident that all the blood was gone. No trace. No evidence for even a bloodhound to find a trail. 

     Slowly and methodically he began to retrieve all the items from his shredded shirt and bloodstained pants. 

     His wallet was spotless. A less than a month old cheap polyester pouch with only his school ID, the key to the dorm, and some cash. 

     A cell phone. He was glad he didn’t give Gouhin his number. If any of the plans brewing came to fruition, it was for the best they didn’t have any ties.

     The fox looked back up at the fogged mirror. With one hand he cleaned the spot obscuring his face. 

     “How many?” he asked quietly. 

     No response from his reflection. He leaned in closer, almost touching his forehead to the glass. 

     “How. Many.”

     Nothing. 

     Juzo looked at the door for a moment before staring back at himself. “I can’t keep doing this.” 

     A knock on the door. He frantically pulled the shirt of a fresh new uniform down over his head.

     “Juzo? You good in there? We have class in ten minutes!” Jack’s muffled voice echoed through.

     “Yeah! I’ll be out in just a sec!” he replied, stuffing his ruined clothes into a large black plastic bag.

 

     The only thing he was told was a room number. Juzo walked down the empty hall slowly, staring at the phone in his hand. Bill’s message shown on the screen.

     ‘Room 105, 4pm. Drama Club.’

     His mind was already a blur, trying to come up with something. Some explanation that would put the tiger’s suspicions to rest. Nothing. He clicked the phone off, dropping it in his pocket with a sigh. 

     What could he say? Even his own memories of the night were a fog. 

     With a deep breath, he rounded the final corner.

     A large memorial gathering wasn’t what he expected to see. 

     Juzo stopped, and watched silently from a distance.

     Around thirty or so people were separated into two groups by a handful of police officers. Carnivore and herbivore split cleanly down the middle. Most of them were dressed in black, including the headmaster, a large tiger wearing glasses, who stood with his back to the crowd.

     The fox slowly approached, stopping at the corner of the hall to listen. 

     “The first devouring in the history of this campus. This is something that will stay with everyone with me here now, for the remainder of our days.” The headmaster turned, addressing both crowds with a somber tone. “I know that this is difficult for all of us.”, he gestured to the doors behind him, “This is not what Cherryton is. While the days ahead are uncertain, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

     Juzo tilted his head to one side, peering past the headmaster at the doors. It was only then he saw the massive crater smashed into the metal. A small framed photo of a smiling alpaca was fixed on the crater’s center. A tiny bronze plate hung below it, but it was too far away to make out its text.

     “Tem was a Beastar in the making. A young talented pupil with a bright future so tragically cut short. We will remember him.” The headmaster retrieved a small envelope from his pocket. “With generous assistance by our very own alumnus with the Horns Conglomerate, a memorial scholarship will be established for future students pursuing the theatrical arts.”

     The crowds had a mixed reaction. Some clapped. Others murmured under their breath.

     “I know…” He slid the envelope back into his suit. “I’m doing everything I can to fix the current situation, and I won’t be stopping anytime soon. The school board outweighs my authority, and for the foreseeable future, the drama club will continue to be suspended.”

     Bill stepped out from the carnivore side. “Let us talk to them ourselves, headmaster. Give us the chance, please!” An officer put himself between Bill and the herbivores. 

     “Segregating us will only make the situation worse.” a small goat stepped out from the herbivore crowd, pushing past the cop to stand by Bill. “If not for the drama club, I’d still believe that all carnivores were monsters. They’re not! All the carnivores of our club are good people, give them the chance to show it!”

     There was a flash of panic in the headmaster’s eyes for a moment. 

     “We all thought Riz was a good person too.” 

     The herbivore crowd split around a taller sheep with massive horns.  

     Aoba stuck his head out. “This really isn’t the place for this.”

     The headmaster raised his hands. “Everyone. Please. I understand the frustration. I’ll do what I can. We might be able to schedule a meeting within the next month or so. I’ll let you all know as soon as I have the details.” 

     Bill huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry, headmaster. I wasn’t trying to make a scene. Not here.” The goat hugged Bill’s legs before returning to their side.”

     “You don’t need to apologize. I’ll try to convince them to let the drama club speak.” He gave the tiger a pat on the shoulder before leaving down the hall towards the fox.

     A lump formed in Juzo’s throat. He pressed himself against the wall and let the man pass. When he looked back, he found Bill’s eyes staring directly at him. The tiger waved him over.

     The fox blinked nervously as he waded through the group of beasts. He felt their stares. “I didn’t know this was…” 

     “That’s my fault.” Bill waved him off. “I should have been more specific, you’re fine.”

     “So I joined the Drama Club right when it got shut down?”

     “As much as I hate to say it.” Bill turned to look at the doors. “Yeah.”

 

Chapter 3: The Tiger and The Sheep

Notes:

Chapter postings are going to be very irregular. As a university student my schedule fluctuates wildly day to day.

    The lights erratically sputtered to life as Bill flipped the breaker. He dropped the key back into his pocket, the key the headmaster conveniently forgot to take from him. 

    It hurt, seeing the room in such poor condition. An empty void, with a thin layer of dust on every surface. The tiger sighed, thinking of how hard Louis would push everyone to keep the space spotless. Those were always very late nights cleaning up after a big show. His eyes scanned the room, picturing everyone hard at work. For a moment he couldn’t help but stare at the empty practice stage, imagining that deer standing there barking orders with a broom in one hand and a megaphone in the other. He’d probably have a heart attack, seeing the club in this state. Bill couldn’t stand it, letting such a legacy go to waste. 

    Els gave his hand a squeeze, breaking the Bengal out of his trance. Their eyes met, Bill gently squeezed her hand back. “Thanks for taking my side back there.” he mumbled in a low tone. 

    The goat gave him a smirk, “You can thank me when we get our club back. There’s still work to do.”

    “I know.” he looked away, letting go of her hand. “I know… Alright you guys, it’s clear!”

    Aoba was the first to peek in from the doorway, “Are you sure this is a good idea?” 

    Bill’s reply was cut off when Pina pushed his way past the eagle, letting his horns loudly rake against the doorframe. “If the tiger wants to get us all suspended then who am I to get in his way?”

    The tiger gave the sheep a dirty look as Juno and finally Juzo slowly entered. The wolf joined the loudmouthed sheep in sitting on the edge of the stage, an arm’s length between them. Aoba shut the door behind him and remained beside it. The fox gave the group an awkward nod and started slowly wandering about the room.

    The tiger and sheep stared at each other for a moment, no one was brave enough to break the silence.

    With a loud sigh, Pina leaned forward propping up his head with both hands. “For the record, I’m not trying to keep the club closed forever.”

    Bill leaned against the wall. “Then what are you trying to do?” he huffed. The tiger narrowed his eyes as the sheep frowned.

    “The tension at this school has never been higher. That alpaca’s death has everyone paranoid and scared for their lives.” 

    Els took a defiant step forward. “That ‘alpaca’ has a name.”

    The bighorn huffed, snapped his fingers, and pointed at the goat. “And that is our problem. I mean no disrespect for the dead but Tem’s been buried for over a year now and everyone in this school is still stuck on it. No one is moving on.”

    “People were moving on, sheep.” The tiger crossed his arms tightly. “Riz’s exposure just opened the wound again.”

    Juno tentatively raised her hand, “None of us even suspected him, that’s the real problem. The school needs time to adjust and sort everything out.”

    Bill gritted his teeth, it took everything he had to resist exposing his fangs. “Oh that’s just typical for the newcomers to say… Neither of you have been around long enough to realize how important this club really is! Louis-!” 

    Pina interjected once more. “Louis. Isn’t. Here. And neither is Tem. You’re stuck in the past ‘Mr. Club President’.”

    The tension hung in the air for far too long. 

    “Uh… Juzo?” Aoba stepped away from the door. “You good?” Bill’s hackles raised at the eagle’s nervous tone. 

Everyone turned to look at the fox. He stood off to the right of the stage with a box he’d apparently been rummaging through. Motionless and slightly hunched over, he was staring at something in the tiger’s direction. Hanging loosely from one clawed finger was a skull the club veterans recognized as the one Bill wore for his role as Adler. 

    Bill grabbed and pulled Els closer to him, the fox’s gaze followed the goat. Panic washed over the tiger, the look in his friend’s eyes… It was the same. The same as that night.

    A half empty water bottle came flying from center stage and nailed the fox between the eyes. Juzo stumbled backwards and let out a yelp as the skull slipped from his finger. He fumbled in a panic trying to catch it, bouncing and kicking the mask hoping to keep it from smashing against the floor. With a shout he finally lunged forward and grabbed it with both hands, precariously balancing himself on one foot. 

    “I. Uh. There was.” his head jerked around looking at everyone in the room. “Nevermind… Sorry. I have a habit of zoning from time to time.” The fox’s ears now sat flat on his head. Alder’s skull made its way back into the box where it belonged.

    Pina’s shoes clicked loudly as he walked across the stage. “The club may be in limbo right now, but you’re still the newbie. Now give that back.” 

    “Oh I uh- Ok.” The fox knelt down, fishing for the bottle that had rolled under the stage. “Give me a sec I’ll get it I swear.”

    The sheep’s foot began tapping. “Clumsy, strange, and high strung. It’s like Legoshi never left! I swear, where do they find people like you?”

    “Aw come on!” Juzo’s torso completely disappeared. “It’s all the way over there! Hold on, I'll get it!” The lanky fox somehow managed to squeeze himself under the stage. Both Pina and Juno jumped down to witness the spectacle. They gave each other a look as if to say, ‘What’s with this guy?’

    Bill let go of Els’s shoulder and knelt down in front of her as Aoba made his way over to them. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?” he said in a hushed voice.

    The goat shook her head and gave the tiger a puzzled look. “What was that all about?”

    “You didn’t see him staring at you?!” the eagle hissed, looking down at the two of them. “Bill I swear we gotta-”

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Els interrupted. “He wasn’t looking at me at all. What’s wrong?”

    An arm caked with dust and dirt shot out from under the stage, clutching a water bottle completely coated in dust. “I got it!”

    Pina took the bottle, holding it by the cap with two fingers. “Thanks, I guess.” He began wiping it off as the newcomer squirmed his way out. “Now then. Back to the task at hand shall we?”

    Juno offered the fox her hand. He took it and hoisted himself back up on his feet. With a groan he started trying to wipe away the dust clinging to his fur. The wolf took a moment to study the newcomer as she took her place back at Pina’s side.

    Decades worth of dirt and dust had turned him a dark shade of grey. She blinked, thinking of Legoshi once again despite trying so hard not to. Same build. Same posture. Just for a moment she was there again, dancing with the grey wolf in this very room, dreaming about what could have been. 

    Pina sat down on the edge of the stage, tilting his head to one side. “I’d hate to knock you off that little throne of yours, but this club is supposed to be a democracy. Even Louis knew that.”

    The tiger gritted his teeth. “And you act like I don’t know that. As the president I’m doing what is best for the club! You of all people should realize that.” 

    Aoba raised his hand. “Guys we aren’t going to get anywhere fighting like this, but Pina’s right about the democracy part at least. Let’s call a vote, with everyone. How does that sound?”

    “Aoba…” Bill gave his friend a look of betrayal. 

    “Everyone should have a say in this Bill, let the club decide this. Please.” The eagle walked away from him, standing halfway between the two sides. “Let’s schedule a meeting where we can all talk about this, then take a vote.”

    “I couldn’t agree more with our feathered friend.” Pina jumped up applauding the eagle. “But just one more thing before we call this little meeting adjourned.” The sheep pointed two fingers at the fox who was still struggling to wipe the dust away. “Why don’t we get some insight from our outsider’s perspective?”

    The fox froze in the middle of removing his uniform, holding the shirt halfway up his torso. Orange fur with a bright sheen peaked out from the dirt and grime covering the rest of his body. “Uh… What?”

    Pina rolled his eyes. “You’re new blood. What’s your opinion on all this segregation business?”

    Juzo blinked, letting his shirt fall back down. “I uh. Well.” He glanced at everyone in the group before looking down at the floor. “I was homeschooled for a long time so I don’t have as much experience with student life. Just based on what I’ve seen outside of school though…” His head turned to look at the box with the Adler skull inside. “Forced segregation just leads to more division. A lot of groups segregate on their own, but that’s what it should be, just a choice like any other. You can’t judge a group as a whole for the actions of one person.”

    Something burned in Bill’s chest. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling. Anger? Dread? Fear? Guilt? The tiger looked down at the goat still standing confidently by his side. Blurred memories of the previous night played in his head again. Something was very, very wrong. He had to get to the bottom of it, before someone he cared about got hurt. 

    “This meeting is adjourned.” Bill stepped forward, making eye contact with everyone in the room except the fox. “I’ll try to get permission for another meeting, officially. If we’re going to make a decision like this,” he refused to meet Juzo’s expecting gaze. “Then we don’t need there to be any loose ends.”

    Pina started to say something when Juno gave him a nudge from behind. The two shared a look before leaving without another word. As the others began to follow the fox raised a hand. “Bill? I’d like to talk to you. Alone if you don’t mind.”

    The Bengal’s hackles rose instantly. He nudged Aoba and gestured for him to lean in close. There was a slight hint of fear in Bill’s raspy whisper. “Take Els back to her dorm. All the way. Stay close to her if you can. If you don’t get a text from me in ten minutes, send one. If I don’t reply to it then call the cops.”

    Aoba started to say something, but snapped his beak shut locking eyes with his friend. He slowly nodded, and quickly led a confused Els from the room. The tiger shut the door behind them and intently watched them both walk away. 

    “Bill?” 

    He turned around, staring daggers into the fox that now sat on the edge of the stage. With clenched fists Bill took a step away from the door. “What?”

    Juzo took a breath, leaning forward to make eye contact. “I know what you’re thinking. I know it doesn’t look good, but I want to tell you the truth here and now.”

    “And what is the truth, Juzo? That you’re eyeing up my classmate as your next midnight snack?! Don’t tell me that I just recruited another Riz! So help me I’m stopping this here and now!” Bill’s claws snapped to attention. “Say what you’re going to say. Let’s get this over with.”

    Juzo slung the bookback off his shoulders and onto the floor between them. “I didn’t eat that goat. I didn’t eat anybody. If you want proof then it’s all in there.”

    The two maintained eye contact as Bill crept forward. He slowly leaned down and picked up the pack. After stepping back again, he started to go through it. A laptop, notebook, pencil pouch. Typical student stuff. A black plastic bag was stuffed into the largest compartment. Setting the pack down, he pulled out the bag and cut it open with one claw.

    That unmistakable metallic scent of blood filled the room as Bill hurriedly dumped the contents out on the floor. A shirt. A uniform, sliced and torn to ribbons that barely held together, heavily stained and caked in blood.

    “What the fuck is this?” The tiger knelt down, and hesitantly poked at it with his claws. 

    “It’s the shirt I was wearing last night, Bill.” The fox started to stand up. Bill tensed up. Juzo slowly sat back down. “Your claw marks are still on the shoulder. Look.”

    With two claws the tiger held the shirt up by the collar. He saw the three little cuts on the right shoulder, that much he did remember. Everything else though… 

    “Smell it, Bill. A feline’s sense of smell is far better than mine.”

    Bill closed his eyes and took a small whiff, trying his best not to gag. A wild flurry of scents flooded his head. Fox. Grizzly. Leopard. Lion. There was another one. Something he couldn’t quite identify. Something reptilian? Maybe? Another sniff. Only the faintest hint of goat was present, no blood. A small wave of relief washed over the tiger before he really gave the shirt a good look.

    Four large slashes cut across its back with an accompanying blood stain. Another smaller spatter marked the back of the neck. The front was riddled with small holes. More blood. Multiple kinds that were splattered on top of one another. He held it up a bit higher, looking at Juzo through one of the tears. “What the hell did you do man?…” The anger in his voice was gone. 

    The fox looked down at the floor. “I took them to a safe place. It’s for the best that you don’t know the rest.”

    “Them?” Bill let the shirt fall.

    Juzo looked back up and met the Bengal’s gaze. “Twins. They couldn’t have been older than six…” Bill watched Juzo’s claws scrape and scratch at the edge of the stage. “I couldn’t just let it happen, alright? Not when I-” he stopped. “I’ve already said too much. You’ve got your evidence. I didn’t eat them. Can we please put this behind us now?”

    The tiger kept looking at the shirt and back at the fox. Only slightly relieved that Els wasn’t in any real danger. Still… Nothing about this was right.

    “Fine. You didn’t eat them, but you’re still dangerous.” Bill fished his phone from his pocket as he turned and walked towards the door. “I hope you can prove me wrong.” He forcefully ripped the breaker switch down as he passed it, walking out the room without another word.

    Juzo sat there alone in the darkness with only the smell of rotting blood to comfort him.

Chapter 4: The Wolf and The Panda

     A lot transpired in the weeks and months following Legoshi’s final battle with the grizzly. For the first time in the grey wolf’s life, he truly had no idea what to do next. His last day at Cherryton was still fresh in his mind. Haru’s hopeful eyes. Jack’s tears soaking his shirt. It was a day of melancholic goodbyes. Still, as sad as it was, Legoshi was hopeful that he’d see his friends again. 

     He could still hear the crackly distorted voice of his grandfather over the phone. To this day he still felt bad for giving the old man such a hard time. 

     There was only one place Legoshi felt he could make a real difference, by continuing his work with Gouhin full time. 

     Work was good for a time, until those two kids showed up on their doorstep. 

     The wolf gave the small lion plushie a light squeeze. A warped, raspy ‘mrrrreeeoooooooo…’ stabbed at his ears. A pathetic attempt at a meow. Another squeeze produced an even louder noise. Other shoppers gave the embarrassed wolf puzzled looks, before going on about their business. 

     The body of a male lion. Blank dead eyes rolled back into his skull. His lower jaw, gruesomely torn from its hinges and shoved down his throat. Cause of Death: Blood Loss.

     What was he doing?

     Oh. Right. Shopping for the kids.

     Legoshi dropped the plushie back into the bin and continued down the toy aisle. 

     ‘Just get them something nice.’ That’s what Gouhin had said.

     As if the wolf knew what to get two completely feral and mute goat twins. Even then he could still feel their silent stares. Their creepy and unmoving stares. They would just stand there, holding hands while gazing into one’s soul. It sent a shiver down his spine just thinking about them again.

     ‘519’ and ‘520’, brother and sister, the numbers branded into the back of their hands. Seeing those numbers for the first time took Legoshi back to that night under the overpass. Louis. The fog of his delectable flavor had finally vanished, and his memory of that moment was clear. ‘4’, the number etched into the deer’s foot. The foot he ate.

     ‘Rid me of this curse! Set me free! Legoshi!’ 

     The wolf blinked a tear from his eye. A large collection of building block sets towered before him. Without thinking two sets found their way into his basket. 

     His eyes landed on board games. ‘Ursa Major, A Space Odyssey Adventure’. A sneering grizzly mascot with a comically small space suit holding a helmet under his arm appeared on the cover.

     They only discovered there were two bears involved when they realized there were too many limbs for it to be a single corpse in the dumpster. A broken length of chain was found still tightly gripped in one of the hands. Cause of Death: Forceful Dismemberment.

    The thought hung in his head for a moment. No, too soon to be seeing a grizzly’s face. He quickly moved on to the clothing section.

    Soon several pairs of undergarments, shirts, and pants dropped on top of the building blocks. 

    What color pajamas would they like?

    There was a sale on children’s patterned nightwear. Excellent. They fell into the basket one by one. Zebra. Tiger. Leopard. 

    A young one, not a day over 20. His tail had been forcibly ripped away from his spine. A piece of rebar pinned the corpse to the wall through the chest.. Cause of Death: Heart Trauma.

    The wolf let out a gasp, dropping the garment on the floor. In a brief panic he placed a hand over his own heart, expecting to feel a gaping hole. 

‘Breathe, Legoshi, breathe.’ He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, driving the macabre scene from his mind. After returning the pajamas to the shelf, he moved on to the final section; books. Two massive walls of literature stretched out before him.

    Good. The kids needed to start learning to read, sooner rather than later. He dropped a few innocent looking children’s books in with everything else. 

    A large cartoon alphabet book stood out from the rest. Each letter was represented by a different species, illustrated with a smiling face. Legoshi grabbed it, and flipped through its thick cardboard-like pages. 

    A is for Alpaca. Flip. E is for Elephant. Flip. F is for Flamingo. Flip. J is for Jackal. Flip.

K is for Komodo. 

    It was the only body that had bullet wounds. Eight shots point blank to the chest. A single shot to the head through the bottom of the chin. Their only other injury was a shattered wrist. Cause of Death: Gunshot wound to head.

    With a blink, the wolf found himself standing at the checkout desk. The herbivore clerk gave them a perplexed look. “Sir?” the owl woman asked. “Are you feeling alright?”

    He blinked again, now scrambling for his wallet. “I’m sorry. My uh… My cousin is having a baby shower today and I had to get some stuff last minute.”

    “Twins? Now that is very lucky indeed!” the clerk smiled, hitting a button on the register.

    “T-Thank you, ma’am.” he fumbled with the machine, finally getting his card in the scanner.

    Legoshi didn’t remember what happened after that. He blinked again, finding himself on his bike almost all the way back to the clinic with grocery bags precariously balanced on the handles. 

    While rounding the last corner he pumped the brakes, seeing one of the usual guards standing at one of the numerous market entrances. A single Inarigumi member, an elegantly dressed red fox, leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. The wolf rode past slowly, giving the small wave he became so accustomed to doing. 

    They briefly made eye contact as he coasted past. 

    A single fox, her body was in better shape than all the others. They found her laid out in the remains of a crude rebar cage; eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest. Cause of Death: Broken Neck. 

    The bicycle slowly rolled to a halt just outside the clinic. Legoshi slowly got off, hooking the grocery bags on his arms. He thought about the komodo. The face of the corpse in his mind slowly morphed into that of his grandfather. Boxes of building blocks clattered to the ground as he forcefully slapped himself across the face. 

    “Stop it.” A growl bubbled up from within the wolf’s chest. 

    This was the Black Market. The one place in the city where death is a constant, unending everyday occurrence. So why? Why couldn’t he get their faces out of his head? Was it because he saw Gosha’s face on the Komodo? Or Tao’s face instead of the leopard? 

    No. No it wasn’t either of those things. 

    He knelt down and picked up the boxes. With a small amount of fumbling his key found the way to the numerous locks on the door. 

    Gouhin sat at the table in the main room. A copy of Back Alley Bites, the only newspaper of the market, was in his hands. The children sat together opposite of the panda, both their heads slowly turned in unison to look at the wolf.

    “How’d you get on?” The panda didn’t look up from his reading.

    “I think I got most of what they need…” A heap of clothing and childrens toys hit the table. “If I missed anything I’ll go back tomorrow.” 519 and 520 just looked at the wolf. That unnerved him even more. Most children their age would have been ecstatic to see so many toys obviously meant for them. They didn’t even acknowledge them.

    Gouhin lowered his newspaper and sighed, looking at the kids. “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen kids like this. Don’t worry, Legoshi. They have a fighting chance, just give it time.”

    The wolf knelt down in front of them, gently grasping 519’s hand. His finger traced over the number. “Are these the same people that did this?” He gave the boy a light pat on the head.

    “I can’t say for sure, but… it's the same type.” 

    Legoshi looked up at the paper in his boss’s hand. Of course it was going to be on the front page. ‘MASSACRE IN THE MARKET!!!’ A large greyscale photo of the dumpster where the two bears were found covered most of the page, a bloody handprint still visible on its lid. He looked back at Gouhin with narrowed eyes. “You know who did this? Don’t you?”

    The two locked eyes. Silence hung in the air for a moment. The panda slowly put down his paper. “Yeah. I do, and I already know what you’re thinking kid. The answer is no. You are not going after them.”

    “You and I both saw the same thing. You’re just going to let someone like that go on like nothing happened?!” The wolf stood up with clenched fists.

    The panda said nothing and just stared through Legoshi.

    “They murdered six people in one night!” the wolf threw up his hands.

    “They killed four yakuza and two customers of an already illegal livestock trade. These two kids would be dead otherwise.” Gouhin leaned forward in his chair. “I’m not condoning murder, Legoshi, but think about it. You know damn well as I do that something isn’t right about this.”

    “I know that six people are dead when they could have had a second chance.” 

    The wolf jumped back as the panda brought his fist down full force on the table. The wood splintered as the table split in two. Both halves, along with everything on them, crashed onto the floor. 

     Gouhin’s voice boomed, “You didn’t count the casings, wolf! I did!” His voice softened upon seeing the damage he’d caused. “Not all of their shots missed… The person I saw was covered in blood, but there wasn’t a scratch on them.”

     “So they had help. We just haven’t found all the bodies yet.” Legoshi took a step back. 

     The therapist shook his head. “Let it go, kid. Sleep it off.” He knelt down and began picking the splinters out of the childrens’ new clothes. “That grizzly was one thing. I’m not letting you throw your life away chasing after this one. It’s for the best that we stay out of his way.”

     “So it’s a he?”

     “We’re done talking. No more.” For the first time since Legoshi knew him, a low rumbling growl escaped the bear’s throat.

     The wolf quickly scurried to his room, looking back for a brief moment. Both twins sat still in their chairs, unmoved by the violence they just witnessed. 

     With a defeated huff he fell into his bed, the boxspring groaned under his weight. Those mangled corpses were still stuck in the forefront of his mind. Was that really fear he heard in his boss’s voice?

     The cellphone on his bedside table buzzed. Jack’s small icon hovered on the screen with two unread messages. 

     ‘Good Morning sleepyhead.’ - Sent at 7:05 AM. He chuckled, feeling a pang of guilt for forgetting their daily ritual. The poor lab must have been worried sick. With a flick he scrolled to the next message. ‘Photo Message, Click to Download.’ With a sigh he clicked, now worried about how much data would be left on his plan. The text accompanying the picture popped up first.

     ‘Hey, hope you’re alright. Just wanted to check in again. We’re doing fine. The new guy managed to sneak in a bit of sake for us. He and your old friend Bill had a pretty big night out on the town yesterday. Let me know when you get this. Miss you every day, Legoface.’

     He squinted as the bright image blinked into existence. It was from the dorm, with a lot of familiar faces. The group was gathered around the couch and television. Everyone had a red solo cup in hand, except for Voss who had a small shot glass perched atop Collot’s head. There was only one face he didn’t recognize. An abnormally tall fox with long ears was slumped over on the couch next to Durham, undoubtedly blacked out. The bottle rested on the floor against the stranger’s foot. 

     Something clicked for the wolf. It wasn’t the bottle itself. That was a common brand. The black plastic bag still stuck to the bottom of it was a different story. He recognized it. It was a bag designed to hide scents. The same brand that was commonly used in the market.

     He quickly typed up a reply. ‘Hey. Sorry. I had to go to work early today. Who’s he?’

     As punctual as ever, Jack’s response came only moments later. ‘Him? He’s the new roommate they filled your spot with. Name’s Juzo. Apparently he’s a maned wolf and fox hybrid. Weird combo right?’

     The gears in the wolf’s head began to churn as his eyes narrowed. ‘Yeah. That is strange.’

Chapter 5: The Fox and The Wolf (Part One)

     A deafening bang shook the lecture hall as the bulb of the projector exploded.

     “Well… That was unexpected.” The moose professor tapped his clicker a few times as if it would suddenly fix things. “Alright everyone... We’ll end a bit early today. Remember to read the next chapter in your textbooks and come prepared to discuss it in the next class.” 

     The students all exchanged confused and nervous glances. There was a small pause before the mad rush to the doors began. Utter chaos erupted as the rowdy young carnivores all raced to see who could leave first. That first wave of hyperactive students exploded out into the hallway, only to be followed behind by the slightly slower large species. The straggling students soon left the room vacant. 

     There was only one student left as the professor started to pack up his lecture notes. One lone fox slumped forward on their desk with their head buried under one arm. The moose narrowed his eyes, seeing the fox’s free hand scratching erratically at the edge of the desk. 

     “Young man?” the professor’s voice reverberated in the now empty room. “Are you feeling alright?”

     The projector let out another hiss and small shower of sparks. Juzo tensed up suddenly, now peeking out from under his arm as if that’d save him from the scolding. 

     “You’re starting to get a reputation, you know.” The large moose went to work on packing up a small businessman’s suitcase. “Everyone in the break room keeps talking about the transfer student who keeps falling asleep in class. Yet you’re passing all of them, except mine.” The suitcase snapped shut. “Would you care to explain that?”

    Juzo squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them vigorously. He looked up to see the professor towering directly over him. “I…” With a defeated sigh he put his head in his hands. After a few painfully long seconds passed he looked back up, but couldn’t meet his professor’s eyes.

    Their deep voice reverberated in his chest at this distance. “I’m afraid you won’t be staying here long if you can’t stay awake in class, regardless of grades. Do you have a history of this in your family? Narcolepsy?”

    The fox abruptly stood, grabbing and slinging his bag onto his back. “I’ll grab some coffee before our next class, professor. I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot going on right now.” 

    As Juzo turned to leave he felt the moose’s massive hand clamp down on his shoulder. The two made brief eye contact but the fox quickly looked back towards the door. “I know I’m just a history teacher, but take an elder’s advice. I know anxiety when I see it.” He gave Juzo a push towards the door. “Bottling up what’s bothering you does more harm than good.”

    The projector gave off another small puff of sparks. Both looked up at the spectacle in unison.

    “Tech support is gonna have a time with that one.” The moose gave a lighthearted chuckle.

    Juzo shook his head looking back down at the floor as they both walked to the exit. “I don’t envy them.”

    “Take care of yourself first, son. Then we’ll worry about getting your grades back up.”

    He couldn’t meet his professor’s gaze. With a simple nod they departed in opposite directions. Passing by the cafeteria the fox fished the two empty bottles of caffeine pills from his pockets, dropping both in the recycling bin on his way past. 

    A single bottle was all that was left. The school store wouldn’t have more for at least a week. He didn’t have that long. After swallowing half of the tablets dry, he made his way back to the dorms. 

    They were all done with classes by this time of day. 701 was oozing sweet aromas from under their door. A fairly large pot of vegetable stock simmered away on the small stovetop. Collet and Miguno both sat on the floor mere inches away from the television, fiddling with their controllers maddly. Gunfire blared out from the speakers. 

Where were the others? The fox didn’t care to ask.

    Juzo walked past the two over to his bunk, letting the heavy book bag bounce on the mattress. “I have to run to town. Is there anything you guys need me to get?” He unzipped his bag and slid the heavy textbooks under his bed one by one.

    Miguno threw his hands up, giving Collet a hard elbow to the ribs. “Oh come on, screen cheater! Keep your eyes on your own side!” 

    “It’s kinda hard when you’ve got all those flashy skins on! Where did you even get those?” Collet huffed. 

    The hyena sneered, “I got the deluxe edition.”

    “That doesn’t seem very useful. Dude, you’re bright gold, I can see you from the other side of the map!”

    With a disappointed sigh the fox stood back up, slung his bag back on, and stepped out the door. Let them have their fun. He didn’t want to push his problems on them anyway. 

    He didn’t even bother changing out of his uniform before grabbing a taxi.

 

 

    The twins and the panda all sat on the floor of the clinic’s waiting room in a loose circle. Both of them looked up from their children’s books at their caretaker. Neither made a sound.

    “Hmm.” Gouhin slowly reached out and pulled the book from 519’s hands. A simple alphabet book with thick cardboard pages. He looked at the page the little boy was looking at, and his heart broke again. ‘G is for Goat.’ A cartoon drawing of a goat woman smiled up at him from the paper. The panda sucked in a deep breath. “Alright. We can work with this. Pay attention, you two.” He sat the book open on the floor in front of them, pointing at the word. 

    519 leaned forward while his sister tightly hugged her book to her chest. Both stared at the open page before them.

    “Here. ‘G is for Goat.’ That’s G-O-A-T.” He paused for a moment, watching their eyes follow along with the word on the page. “This is your species. Can either of you say ‘goat’ for me? ‘Goat’ ‘Go… T…’” 

    The twins looked up at the panda as if expecting more. 520’s lip quivered slightly, but no sound came out. A defeated sigh escaped the panda’s chest. He’d been at this all day. 520 squeezed her book even tighter, the cardboard pages started to bow inward.

    “Easy there, kid. What letter were you lookin at?” Gouhin slid his book back to 519 and reached out for 520’s. After a moment of hesitation, the little girl surrendered her copy. He flipped the book over. 

‘F is for Fox.’

     The two turned to look at the front door. A moment later two light knocks echoed into the room. 

 

 

     The wolf carefully plucked two orange hairs from his old bunk. “A maned wolf huh?”

     Jack dropped the sliced mushrooms into the ripping hot saucepan. He looked back at Legoshi, barely able to keep his tail under control. “Yeah. He’s got the height for one, that’s for sure.” The lab took a large ladle and added some vegetable stock to the pan. Hot steam blew up in his face. It stung at the eyes just a little, but the flavor was worth the pain. After stirring the mix a bit he added a bit of butter and turned away to let it simmer. “He’s quite the character. A lot like you really.”

     Legoshi reached up to his right eye. “I’d hope with a few less scars. I thought you said he’d be here?”

     Jack frowned. The lab quickly pulled out his phone to fire off a text. “He was supposed to be… Maybe he forgot?”

     The wolf slowly stuck the hairs in his pocket while the others weren’t looking.

     Durham stuck his head down from the bunk above. “So. What’s the dropout been up to all this time?”

     Legoshi rolled his eyes and gave the coyote a slight smirk. “I can’t really complain. I’ve been working as an assistant for a guy who runs a small clinic. Mostly errands and deliveries but it’s enough to get by.” He already knew what the next question would be.

     “And what about that little girlfriend of yours?”

     With a huff Legoshi stood back up and stretched. “She’s off at university now so we don’t see each other in person as often. We make it work.”

     Jack poured in the rice and began picking through the groceries he’d gotten earlier in the day. “Hey Legoshi? Mind helping me open this? Collot’s kinda occupied.” The lab walked over with a medium sized bottle of cooking wine and a corkscrew. 

     “Yeah, sure.” The wolf grabbed both and got to work uncorking the bottle. 

     Jack walked over to the trio huddled around the television. Collet and Miguno sat shoulder to shoulder with their faces only inches from the screen. Voss was in his usual spot atop the sheepdog’s head. He put a hand on each of their shoulders, pushing his face in-between the two. “Food’s almost done. Please tell me you’ve got a checkpoint or something coming up. You’ve been at this all day!”

     Both the console and television shut off seconds later, much to the despair of its players. The lights overhead flickered momentarily. 

     “Has that been happening a lot recently?” Legoshi asked, now tugging away at the corked bottle. 

     Jack stood and backed away from his sulking roommates. He shook his head. “Yeah. Campus has been having problems all semester. They’re blaming it on all the rushed construction for the ‘segregational’ add-ons.” The dog made big air quotes above his head. 

     The wolf’s ear twitched as a key slid into the lock on the door. With a heave the cork popped out just as the front door swung open. The very tired looking fox dropped his backpack just inside the threshold, spinning around to shut it. A large black guitar case hung from his shoulders. 

     “Sorry I’m late. I got stranded in town during rush hour.” Juzo turned around to face the room, locking eyes with Legoshi for a moment before quickly diverting his gaze back towards the floor. The fox mosied over to their bunk, slinging the case off their back onto the mattress. 

     Miguno’s eyes immediately locked onto the case. “I never took you as a player. You could have borrowed mine if you asked.” The hyena hopped to his feet. 

     “I don’t like asking other people for things. It’s a habit. Go ahead and have a look at it. I tuned it at the store but the ride back was pretty rough. I can’t complain, it was a free guitar.” Juzo looked back up. “I’m guessing you're the one I stole this bunk from.”

     The wolf blinked. The fox wasn’t making eye contact, instead looking just past the wolf’s shoulder. “No harm, no foul. I’m the one that decided to drop out anyway. I’m uh, Legoshi, but I’m guessing you already know that.”

     “They certainly never stop talking about you, drama club included.” The fox walked past the wolf over to the fridge, grabbing a canned coffee and cracking it open. After a long sip he shut the door and turned back around. “Have you heard from Bill?”

     Legoshi nodded. “Yeah. I talked to him earlier.”

     “Did he say anything about when the next meeting was? The group chat’s been dead ever since that ceremony over Tem’s memorial.” Juzo shook his head. “We were supposed to have some big meeting or something.”

     The wolf was interrupted by the loud twang of a severely out of tune guitar. Miguno already had the thing slung over his shoulders, plucking at each string one by one while adjusting the tuning pegs. The raw excitement on his face was palpable. Despite not being a canine himself, the hyena’s tail was wagging madly. It was a large grand concert style acoustic, made entirely out of rich dark mahogany. “How the hell did you get this thing for free?!” Miguno exclaimed, striking a now perfectly tuned chord. “This is brand new!”

     “Oh. Uh…” The fox looked down, scratching the back of his head nervously. “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”

     “Try me.” The hyena played a few more chords.

     “I, uh. I went in just to look around some but I ran into someone I’d met. They were looking for one as a birthday present but they didn’t want to ask the employees for help.” Juzo shook his head and took another sip of his drink. “This guy had something against canines and well… I was the only other one in the store who wasn’t one. I helped him pick one out and he just… bought another one for me.”

     Miguno took the sling off and held the instrument in front of him. “You. Lucky. Bastard! You’re gonna have to show me some of your riffs later, you know that right?” 

     The fox chuckled. “Well. I haven’t gotten to play in a while so, fair warning, I might be a bit rusty.”

     It was then that Jack decided to ring the proverbial dinner bell by smacking a large metal spoon against the stock pot. A rich, succulent mushroom risotto is what awaited them. Everyone got their bowls and settled for sitting at their bunks. Legoshi sat with his back to the television on the floor. 

     All of them raved over how good Jack’s cooking was, except for the two largest carnivores in the room. Legoshi kept stealing glances at the newcomer, taking in every detail.

     The fox never seemed to notice, now lazily nibbling away at his food, occasionally taking a sip from his second coffee of the evening. He wasn’t making eye contact with anyone, prefering to look down at the floor or the bowl in his hands. One hand kept nervously fidgeting with a silver chain around his neck, grasping some type of ornament Legoshi couldn’t catch a glimpse of.

     Miguno finished his meal first. He clicked on the small amp and speaker next to his bed. A single plucked string hummed out of the red guitar. The hyena lowered the volume to an appropriate level before their claws began to slowly dance along the strings. “So, Big Ears, how long have you been playing?”

     Both vulpine ears sprung up at attention as the fox jumped slightly in his seat. “Oh. I. Uh.” They blinked several times. “Well, my uncle got me my first one when I was… ten-ish?” Juzo shut his eyes and gave an awkward smile. One hand scratched the back of his head. “It was way too big for me back then, but I grew into it.” 

     “Damn.” Miguno leaned back in his seat. “Wish I’d been playing that long. What happened to it?”

     “It uh.” The fox looked back down at the floor. “It got trashed in a bit of an accident I had a few months ago. It was gonna cost more to repair it than to just get a new one, and I didn’t have the money for either at the time.”

     Legoshi raised an eyebrow. “Why did you choose the drama club over the music club then?”

     “They didn’t want any more carnivores. The people running recruiting had already filled out that quota. I had to be in some club and drama was the only option I had any actual interest in. Although I’m starting to question that decision…” Juzo shook his head, sitting his now empty bowl down on the floor. “It’s still in limbo unless something changed since last week.” He fished his phone from his pocket and began scrolling through it. “I haven’t been able to get any response from Bill or that sheep guy.” 

     “You mean Pina? What does he have to do with this? Bill’s the club president.” The wolf leaned forward. 

     Juzo shrugged. “The club’s split on whether or not to fight being put on hiatus. After the memorial a few of us snuck into the club room to talk about it. It just devolved into a big argument. Bill and this goat girl were protesting it. Pina and uh… Oh what was her name? Juno? Yeah, Juno. Those two were for putting the club on hiatus.”

     The wolf gritted his teeth. “That’s… I wasn’t expecting that from them. Then again, I guess I don’t have much of a say in that anymore.”

     The fox was about to respond before they suddenly jerked their head up towards the ceiling. Their previously tired expression shifted to a serious composure, ears upright.

     Miguno’s song finally came to a close and it was clear what caused the sudden change in Juzo's behavior. In that small window between the music the wolf’s ears picked up a very familiar sound. A low and quiet rasp mixed with a slight rattle. 

     The fox stood abruptly. Crushing the now empty coffee can in his hand. “I’m going to pick up some more coffee from the school store. Anybody need anything?” 

     Jack tilted his head to one side. Puzzled by their roommate’s sudden shift in attitude. “Uh… Yeah? Can you see if they have any cupcake or muffin cups? The little tin foil ones?” 

     “Sure.” Juzo turned towards the door, stuffing his phone in his pocket. 

     “You won’t be long, right? I mean it is the first night we’ve all been together like this.” The lab leaned out from his bunk, reaching out with one hand as if that’d pull them back to their seat. 

     “Don’t worry. I shouldn’t be long.” The fox left and shut the door behind him without another word. 

Legoshi got up a few seconds later. “I did say I shouldn’t be staying too late… I’ve got work tomorrow so I should probably be going anyway.” He chuckled nervously, giving Jack a pat on the head as he walked past. “There’ll always be other nights, right? Maybe we can go meet up at the park or something next time.” 

     “I. Well. Ok, I guess. It was good seeing you anyway.” Jack sighed, giving the wolf a mournful look as he too went out the door.

     With a deep sigh the wolf started down the hall towards the stairs. His phone buzzed, getting a moment of signal in the deadzone of a building that was the dorms. A missed call from Gouhin well over half an hour ago. No message. He stuffed the phone back in his pocket, it must not have been important. 

     After looking up and down the hall to ensure they were alone, he looked up towards a vent grate in the ceiling. “Way to blow my cover. We talked about this!” He muttered.

     No response from the unseen eavesdropper. 

     The wolf huffed angrily before continuing on his way. After rounding the last corner he froze in his tracks. 

     Juzo was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall with both hands in his pockets. He made eye contact with the lupine this time. That tired look was back in his eyes. “I’m guessing Bill told you his side of the story?”

     “What?” The wolf slowly reached for his phone.

     “Because you obviously didn’t talk about the drama club much.” The fox tilted his head to one side. “I’m not an idiot, Legoshi.”

     “Do I get a chance to explain myself?” 

     The fox shook his head, pushing himself off the wall. “You don’t need to.” 

     An ear piercing rattle shrieked within the ceiling above. 

     Juzo looked up with a mildly annoyed expression. “Real trigger happy, aren’t you?” He turned mid sentence and began walking down the stairs. “I’ve just got one question, Legoshi.”

     “What is that?” The wolf took a tentative step forward.

     “Are the kids ok?”

Chapter 6: The Fox and The Wolf (Part Two)

     Legoshi stood there in silence for far too long. He tried to say something, anything, but the lump in his throat was too much to overcome. Now he was the one who couldn’t make eye contact, looking up at the fox’s ears rather than their face. The wolf thought he was ready for this. That it’d just be Riz all over again, but he was wrong.   

     Despite all of this, the wolf couldn’t get their faces out of his head. Two bears. One lion. One leopard. One komodo. One fox. His head spun as he stumbled for a moment, latching onto the stairway’s railing. “Six.” he choked out.

     The fox opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped and shook his head. He motioned for Legoshi to follow as he continued down. Both heard the quiet hiss of scales on metal as their unseen spectator followed.

     The two slowly made their way out onto the open campus grounds. Lights from the student center glowed across the large courtyard. Juzo kept walking. After a moment of hesitation, Legoshi followed.

     “You’ve answered the question I’ve been asking since then.” Juzo didn’t look back at the wolf, his ears flopped lazily against the sides of his head with every step. With a long sigh, he shook his head slowly. “They only cry when you separate them. Have you noticed that?”

     The wolf pondered the question for a moment.“Yeah… We tried to let them sleep in different rooms once. It didn’t work.” Legoshi gave an amused huff.

     “If it weren’t for that. We never would have heard them. I never would have-” Juzo stopped. “Well. There’s no need to repeat what we already know.”

     The wolf quickened his pace to catch up with his murderer. “So. Was Bill right?”

     “About what?”

     “Are you a monster?”

 

 

     “Einie, meeeenie, minie… MOE!”

     A sickening crack echoed off the walls, accompanied by the crunch of bone. The hammer was hoisted back up, dripping with crimson.

     “Hmm?” the masked gazelle knelt down, holding the bloody sledgehammer up against his victim’s chin. “Congratulations my friend. You’ve made it to the fourth toe.” He grinned ear to ear. “All the others broke at three!”

     The bear chained to the wall slowly looked up at the monsters trespassing in his home. Half a dozen lions, two jaguars, two komodos, and two foxes. One lion, the youngest of the group, stood in the doorway with his hands resting on the shoulders of the children.

     Gouhin lifted his bloody face.

     “You do realize we’re gonna move to fingers next, right?” Melon grabbed the back of the panda’s head, pressing their foreheads together. His raspy voice hissed, “You’ll have to retire if we get that far, Doc. Whoever heard of a doctor with no fingers?!”

     The panda locked eyes with the hybrid, letting out a loud snort. Blood spewed from his nostrils leaving the gazelle’s mask thoroughly soaked. “If the market goes broke that just makes my job easier.”

     Gouhin didn’t flinch as the hammer came down on number five.

     One of the foxes, a well endowed woman wearing an eyepatch, stepped out from the onlookers. She raised a cell phone up to Gouhin’s face and snapped a photo. “My apologies for interrupting, but the boss has requested an update.” She took a step back and began to type. “What shall I tell him?”

     “That he can shove it up his ugly-” The panda was cut off as Melon forcefully shoved the head of the hammer in his mouth. With his free hand he reached out towards the vixen, “Ten, be a dear would you, get our friend on the line.”

     Utterly perplexed, the fox hesitantly typed in the number and hit call, offering the phone to her superior. After nestling the phone between his ear and shoulder, the hybrid peeled the soiled mask from his face, letting it drop to the floor. He cleared his throat and smiled.

     The line clicked as a new voice blared out over the speakerphone. “Torture isn’t the only way to get information you absolute novice.” A male voice. There was a low static over the line that made it hard to tell very much else.

     Melon jumped a little, grabbing and holding the phone away from his sensitive ears. “What would you have us do then, boss? That feels weird calling you that, do I have to?”

     A sigh. “I didn’t give you this position because of your brains, Melon. I’m only going to assume that once again you’ve failed to yield any real results.”

     “Well we’d be done here by now if this egg would just crack!” He twisted the hammer, forcing Gouhin’s jaw open wider. The panda let out a grunt, gagging on the lump of steel.

     “Do you have them?”

     Melon waved a hand. Gouhin let out a garbled yell, fighting against his bonds as the young lion brought the twins forward. “Yeah we got the brats. Fat lot of good they’ve been.”

     “Turn on the camera and let me see the doctor.”

     The hybrid fumbled with the device for a moment too long. He shoved it back into Ten’s hands and hissed for her to get it working. With a quiet sigh the fox pressed a single button and pointed the camera at the panda.

     “It’s rather unfortunate you’ve found yourself caught up in all of this mess, Gouhin.” The phone’s speaker peaked as Ten turned up the volume. “Please allow me to explain. We couldn’t give two shits about the kids. This isn’t about them, but something tells me you already knew that.”

     Gouhin could only cough out a grunt seething with utter hate.

     “All we want is this so-called ‘vigilant’. A piece of livestock or two going missing doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, but the market’s reputation? That’s a whole different story. You know what we want, so allow me to give you some motivation.” Ten turned the phone around, holding it up to the panda’s face. It was a still image of Legoshi riding his bike. It shifted to another image, a zoomed in shot of a surveillance camera looking at a young white alpaca with large eyes. Gouhin bit down on the hammer as the final image appeared. A photo of a small lop-eared rabbit leaning against a wall whilst smoking a cigarette.

     “Keep the kids, panda. Play nice and I may even sponsor their schooling. I’m not an unreasonable person, but our patience is wearing thin. You’ve got one week to give us everything you know. If you don’t…” The three images appeared once more. Everyone present flashed the guns at their waists, except for Melon who simply sneered. “Leave the kids. Don’t bother untying him. That student of his will be back soon enough.” The call went dead.

     “You heard the boss, Doc. Meet us at the crime scene when you’re ready.” Melon pulled the hammer back over his shoulder. “Oh, and sorry for crippling you. It’s just business, really.”

     The young lion with the twins just stood there staring at the floor. “B-boss?”

     “Yes, my sweet Agata?” The hybrid pulled a fresh mask over his face.

     Agata gave the kids’ shoulders a slight squeeze. Neither made a sound, and continued staring at the panda. “What should I do with them?”

     Melon shrugged, walking past them. “Oh well, it is getting late… Go tuck them into bed. Us professionals gotta have some standards.”

     The lion nodded. “Y-yes sir.” He walked the two over to the panda. “Where is their room?” He refused to make eye contact with Gouhin.

     “Second door on the right. The one that locks from the outside.” he wheezed. “Leave a light on… They don’t like the dark.”

     “Thank you.”

Chapter 7: The Sheep and The Wolf

    “Since when does the Shishigumi answer to anyone?!” The spastic indian lion, Free, jumped up in rage. With a shout he reared back and chucked his empty bottle into the fireplace.

    A loud pop echoed through the hideout as glass shattered. Sparks billowed from the hearth. Many of the lions covered their noses in a futile attempt to keep the smoke from burning at their nostrils. 

    Free’s tantrum rambled on. “We’ve always been independent. We’ve always been fighting with the other families. What the hell is this shit?!”

    Dolph, the most sober member of the group, pointed an accusing finger at Free. “We’re not in a position to question that now, Free. Sit your drunken ass back down.”

    “I’m not answering to you, Scarface!” The intoxicated lion leaned over to grab another bottle from the cooler. Melon flavored beer. A growl that made the floor rumble escaped his throat. “Fuck. These. Stupid! MELONS!” With a snarl Free hurled the bottle into the fireplace once again. The flames sputtered and hissed as a sickly sweet smelling smoke billowed into the room. 

    Agata tried to block out the sound of his seniors’ argument. The melon smoothie in his hands now tasted more bitter than anything else. He looked down at the large box at his feet covered in a sparkling red wrapping paper. “Dolph?” 

    The grizzled feline looked over at their youngest member. “Yeah?”

    “You didn’t have to get me anything, but thanks anyway.”

    “You haven’t even seen what it is yet. Why are you thanking me now?” Dolph leaned back in his seat. 

    With a sigh the young congo lion looked up at the ceiling. “In case the boss decides to smash it, or keep it for himself when he gets back.”

    Laughter erupted from the group, but Agata kept his silent gaze fixed upwards. Dolph stood back up and walked over, giving the young one a hardy pat on the shoulder. “Then we’ll go  get a replacement using the same counterfeit bills I paid for the first one with.” he sneered ear to ear. 

    Agata smiled just a little. “Why am I not surprised?”

    “Well-” Dolph stifled a laugh as the main door swung open. All the lions except Agata sprung up at attention, giving their boss a reverent bow as he entered the room. 

    Melon raised his arms high, with a sneer he bowed back to his audience. There was no mask to hide his fangs now. One could see the blood still clinging to his lips. “And how is our lovely birthday boy doing tonight?”

    “Tired, sir.” Agata sat slouched over in his chair facing away from the hybrid. He raised up one arm, smoothie in hand. “I checked on all of our vendors like you asked. Our numbers are almost back up to where they were before the incident.”

    “Oh hogwash all that business nonsense.” the hybrid waltzed over and leaned over his subordinate. “It’s your birthday! We’re here to celebrate!” He grabbed the nearest chair and knelt down in the seat, eyeing the package at the lion’s feet like a wounded animal. “Open it, I can’t stand the anticipation!”

    With a yawn, Agata sat back up straight in his seat. “Yes sir.” After sitting his smoothie on the floor, the young lion lifted up the box with one hand. The paper shredded off easily, revealing a large black cardboard box underneath. He sat it back on the floor and carefully let its contents slide out. 

    A large black leather guitar case glimmered in the firelight. Agata’s heart began to race as he frantically opened the latches and practically ripped off the lid. A grand concert acoustic guitar made entirely of dark mahogany. The young lion almost teared up as he carefully pulled it from its felt-lined coffin. As he brought it up into his lap, he noticed a large piece of text carved into the back. ‘A G A T A’, etched in a large stylized font. 

    Agata couldn’t resist the urge to let his claws pick at the strings. It was perfectly in tune. 

    Melon let out an excited squeal and began clapping madly. The others soon joined in on the applause. 

    The young lion choked back a sob and jumped to his feet. He grabbed Dolph in a one-armed bear hug as the other clutched the instrument in a death grip. 

    “Things are starting to look up around here, kiddies.” The hybrid began to rock back and forth in his seat. “Under this management, this is just the beginning.”

 

 

 

‘Carry on, my wayward son. There’ll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest. Don’t you cry no more.’ 

    Juzo laid there on his back, having woken long ago. Fingers mimed the main guitar in the air, plucking at nonexistent strings. He let the song play for just a little too long. 

    Durham’s head poked out from the top bunk, eyes still squeezed shut. “Dude…” An arm lazily stretched down and swiped at the air above the phone. “Who sets an alarm on a Saturday?”

    “Sorry.” The fox tapped his phone, snuffing out the music. 

    A single blueberry bounced off the coyote’s nose from the kitchenette. “Give it a rest, Durham.” Jack turned back to the stand mixer. “Are you two good with blueberries or am I gonna have to make another batch?”

    “Depends on what you're making.” Durham stretched before sliding out of bed. 

    “Pancakes.” The lab flicked another blueberry at the coyote. “I was going to try muffins but the school store didn’t have the tins for them.” 

    With one fluid motion the coyote caught the berry and popped it in his mouth. “Sounds about right…” After swallowing the berry Durham strolled over to the fridge, leaning down to take a peek inside. “Suppose there’s one bright side. Home cooking sure beats the hell out of whatever the dining hall was making before.”

    Juzo just laid still, staring up at the bottom of the bunk above. “I’m fine with pancakes.” 

    “Where did the others go?” The coyote stood back up with a one-person carton of apple juice in hand. 

    The mixer whirred to life. Jack locked it in place and turned around with a huff. “Collot and Voss wanted muffins. They went to the store to get the stuff for them. Miguno?...” He looked at the hyena’s empty bunk. “I have no idea.”

    Juzo stuck his arm out from the bed and raised his hand. “The power supply on the console burned out last night. He left early to grab one as soon as the store opened.”

    “Have you slept at all?” Jack grabbed a frying pan from the sink and got it heating up on the mini-stove. 

    “Maybe an hour or two.” The fox grabbed his phone and started scrolling through it. “Weird dreams. It’s hard to stay asleep.”

    Durham sat down at the kitchen bar, watching Jack start pouring little pancakes out in the pan. “That’s rough. I can’t function without my sleep at all.”

    “I’ll probably swing by the nurse’s office later.” Juzo groaned, sitting up in his bunk. “You’ve been cooking every day since I got here, Jack. Do you want us to start taking turns or something?”

The first pancake soared through the air, slapping down on the plate next to the stove. “Hmm?” Another ladleful of batter made its way into the pan. 

    Durham licked his lips and grabbed the plate with both hands. “What Big Ears was trying to say is we can take turns cooking if you don’t want to.” The poor pancake quickly found itself drowning in syrup.

    Jack shook his head. “Oh don’t worry about it you guys. I like cooking.” The lab gave a nervous laugh, flipping the cake over. “Guess you could say it’s therapeutic.”

    Juzo slowly got up and stretched. He walked over to the fridge and opened it. After grabbing a canned coffee he slapped the door shut with his tail. 

    “So. If you don’t mind me askin’.” Durham said in-between noisy bites, “What kind of weird dreams are we talking about here?”

    A sudden loud pop made the two canines jump. 

    Juzo looked down at the now crushed drink in his hand. It wasn’t a look of surprise, but one of disappointment on his face. His other hand was already cupped beneath it, keeping any coffee from staining the floor. He awkwardly brought both hands up to his face and licked up the spill. With a sigh he sat down at the little bar next to the coyote. “The kind that makes you jumpy. Sorry.”

    A fresh steaming pancake hit the table in front of the fox. Jack turned back and got another one cooking. “Is it ok if I ask why?”

    Juzo brought the can to his face and took a sip. “I’d prefer not to repeat the experience.” He took his fork and got to work on his plate without saying another word. 

    After a short time of them sitting at the bar and eating, Durham pointed his knife at the fox while swallowing a large bite. “You know…” He took a sip of his drink. “You never really talk about yourself. None of us even knew you played guitar until you showed up with that one last night.”

    Jack nodded. “I’m not going to pry, but we’re all friends here. You shouldn’t be afraid to talk to us if you want to.” The labrador reached out and gave his newest roommate a pat on the shoulder. 

    “Where were you before you came here? Cherryton doesn’t usually accept exchange students.” The coyote cocked his head to one side, popping a blueberry in his mouth.

    The fox yawned, rubbing his eyes with one hand. “You’re right about that much… It took a lot of string pulling just to get my application under the door.” He looked down at his half-eaten breakfast. “It’s been a long six months, and I’ve been on my own for most of it.” Juzo grunted as he stood back up, using the bar as support. He mosied over to the sink and dropped his plate on the rapidly growing pile of dishes. “I think I’m going to go practice for a while. Need to shake off the dust before Miguno schools me tonight, right?”

    Jack reached out and grabbed Juzo’s arm as he tried to walk past. The two locked eyes for a moment, but the fox quickly averted his gaze towards his bunk and the guitar case propped up against it. “Don’t go far. They were talking about a pretty big spike in anti-carnivore hate crimes on the news last night.”

    Juzo gave a slightly amused huff. “Just going to find a quiet spot. That’s all. I won’t be leaving campus, so don’t worry.” The fox gently pulled away from Jack’s grip. After grabbing his guitar and slinging it on his back, he walked out the door without another word. 

    The two canines gave each other a puzzled look. Durham shrugged, “I swear this guy gets more peculiar every day.”

 

 

 

    Flowers. Flowers weren’t something Juno thought she’d become so obsessed over. Begonias. Peonies. Those quickly became her favorites. Every spare moment was spent looking at different varieties from the herbal shops all over town. 

    She blamed the rabbit entirely, but the she-wolf didn’t hate her for it. 

    There was no denying the utter distaste Juno harbored for the object of Legoshi’s affection. She’d tried so hard to win him over. Nothing ever stuck. All those thoughts she’d had of devouring the pitiful thing and moving on, they had kept her up on countless nights. 

    Then the two actually spent time together. There in the garden, where all their cards were laid bare on the table. 

    Haru, the pitifully small rabbit with the promiscuous reputation, was stronger than she could ever hope to be. 

    So here the wolf was, standing at the door to the garden once again. Juno didn’t know why she kept doing this. 

    With a sigh she pulled the shades down over her eyes, and opened the door. 

    “I was wondering where you disappeared to after our meeting.” 

    Pina sat with his back against the garden’s large masonry archway opposite the door. He tilted his head to one side with a lighthearted smirk. 

    “You’re not supposed to be here.” Juno stopped in her tracks and her arms crossed. 

    With one fluid motion the sheep brought up his phone and snapped a photo. “And last I heard the garden club was officially shut down last semester. So technically you’re not supposed to be here either.” He stood up and stretched. “Truce?”

    The door slammed shut as Juno slapped it with her tail. “Truce…”

    “I see someone has been taking care of the place. I half-expected it to be covered in weeds by now.” Pina slowly walked over to one of the grow beds. He grabbed one of the many flowering plants by the vine and brought it to his nose. 

    After picking up a bucket by the door, Juno walked past the sheep towards a patch of blackberry bushes. The wolf began picking at bundles that had already ripened. “The last person to run this place knew what they were doing. It almost takes care of itself really. All I do is pick the fruit when it's ready, water when there’s a dry spell, and keep an eye out for weed sprouts.”

    “So. You’re the one who’s been leaving those fruit baskets over by the herbivore dorms.” Pina let his captive flower go. Juno froze up as the sheep walked over. He plucked a berry off the bush for himself and popped it in his mouth. “My roommate loved those blueberries you left last week.”

    The wolf slowly turned her head to look at the sheep, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. “Well. We carnivores get sick if we eat too much fruit, and I just hate to let it go to waste…”

    The sheep began picking berries and dropping them in the bucket himself. “I don’t get you.”

    “What do you mean by that?” Juno blinked. 

    “You’re doing all of these things for the herbivores on campus, while also being in support of this segregation. Do you realize how backwards that is?”

    The two made eye contact as the wolf nervously continued picking. A good minute passed before the bucket was full of fresh fruit. 

    “I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” Juno shook her head as she turned and carried the bucket back over to the door. “Everyone is just so angry, and I hate it. This garden seems to be the only quiet place there is on campus.”

    Pina gave an amused huff. “That much we can agree on.”

    Basket in hand, the she-wolf slowly walked over to the small strawberry patch and knelt down. Pina joined in as the two picked in silence. 

    “I wish we could all just be flowers.” Juno murmured, biting down on one of the larger berries. 

    Pina cocked his head to one side giving the wolf a perplexed look. “Why do you say that?”

    “There are so many different kinds. All the different colors of the rainbow, and then some. They’re all beautiful in their own way… They just exist. You don’t see flowers trying to kill each other. Not like… Not like…” It felt like something was lodged in her throat. She tried to speak but only a hoarse quiet whine came out. 

    Pina jerked away as the she-wolf burst into tears. Juno began rocking back and forth with her head in her hands. He stared, unsure what to do. Cautiously, he placed a hand on her back with his eyes closed. 

    “Like Riz.” he said. Juno tensed up suddenly, almost falling over onto the sheep. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her steady. 

    “I don’t want this… I don’t want any of this! Every day I wake up and the first thing I hear about are new devouring cases or the anti-carnivore riots in the cities. Why?! Why can’t people just get along?! I’m tired of the fighting! I don’t want Riz to be my future…” She squeezed her eyes shut, grabbing her head tightly by the ears. 

    “Juno.” Pina took a deep breath. “I’m not really the person for this type of thing, but you should know you’re just like that bear.”

    The wolf’s bloodshot eyes immediately popped open. Her head jerked to stare the sheep directly in the eyes. “W-What?”

    Pina let out a chuckle. “I haven’t told anyone else this, but… I’ve been visiting Riz in juvy every week since he was sentenced. You’re just like him in more ways than you realize.”

    “Why are you comparing me to a murderer?” she stammered.

    “He’s going to therapy and now he’s on the team of chefs that cook for the herbivore side of the prison. He regrets what he did, and he’s doing his best to be a better person. Now I’m not saying you did anything wrong, but you do have that second part going for you.”

    “I’m not a good person.” 

    “Those fruit baskets say otherwise. Besides, you’ve just balled your eyes out right next to an herbivore. If you were going to devour anyone, it would have already happened.” The sheep stood back up with the now full basket of strawberries in hand. “I’m taking these.”

    Juno blinked as the sheep walked towards the door. “Huh?”

    “I’m taking these. I haven’t had a good strawberry shortcake in far too long.” 

    “W-what?” 

    The door slammed shut. Leaving the wolf alone among the greenery. 

    “Hey!”

Notes:

I lived. It isn't over yet.