Hybrid

You had told Care that you were being required to take a short camping-hiking trip with two other students from the honor society. That you’d been picked for an important project. None of it technically lies. It still wasn’t the whole truth either, but what were you supposed to say to her. “Oh this ancient order of mages that I’ve been part of since I was a teen thinks the barrier trapping a race of monsters beneath the college is going to break and I have to be there in case they want to slaughter all humanity”? That would get you locked in a loony bin, or she wouldn't believe you and it might damage your friendship, or she would believe and you’d have broken the first rule of being a mage. ‘Keep it secret, keep it safe.’

None of these options were in anyway good.

Colin seemed pretty aware of you internal spiraling as he shouldered up next to you on the trail. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Remember Band Camp?” He looked at you with a serious expression. You already know where he’s going with this. You had told him this story before, about a competition you won when you were eleven that you didn’t feel you deserved because your magic gave you an unfair advantage. Your parents had to talk you out of throwing all your music stuff away. This was going to be along the same lines as their “what about the kids with natural talent that aren’t able to use magic? Is it unfair for them too?” argument only about the morality of lying for the greater good, not just a competition between eleven year olds.

“Please don’t try to cheer me up, Cols. Just... let me be mad at myself for this.”

“I’m just thinking, what if that never had to happen to anyone else again?”

You looked at him with an arched brow. He had this thoughtful, and frankly sad, look on his face. “It’s just... well if monsters do come back, and if they do want peace, and... if humans can get their collective act together, then maybe we won’t have to pretend to be something we aren’t anymore. Maybe people can accept that we exist too and we aren’t going anywhere.”

“Cols...” there are so many question buzzing about in your head including where this line of thinking came from, though you totally understand. You settle on acknowledging the passion that hinted from behind your friends normally emotionless mask. “That’s deep.”

“I don’t think it’s going to work out that way unfortunately. At least, not while we’re still young enough to enjoy it.” Ming shrugged from a few paces ahead of you. “It’s a great ideal, don’t get me wrong. I would love to see it, but we all know how humans treat their own kind who are just a little different. The monsters might not be the imminent threat.”

You just nodded silently to yourself. Humanity's predilection to war and conflict didn’t inspire much faith. Though who’s to say monsters are any different? It was a war that separated your kind from theirs to being with, and you can only imagine how cramped it would be. Trapped under the earth for centuries with limited room and scarce supplies. The monsters could easily function on a kill or be killed attitude and that thought unsettled you.

By the time you got to the campsite it was noon. You volunteered to clean the clearing and set up a fire for cooking tonight. Mostly because the boys didn’t know how to start a fire without using a lighter or match. It was actually kind of funny how flustered Ming was about it. He insisted that he cook to make up for it, scampering off to the treeline to collect firewood. Colin tracked sightlines to the cave where the barrier was located, finding trails that would let you move quick and silent if need be. He also double checked that there wouldn’t be a way to sneak up on the camp coming from the cave side. If the barrier didn’t fall until it got dark, the firelight would give your position away.

The three of you held a discussion about the likely abilities monsters would have if they were even half as powerful as the legends. Seeing a human’s soul from a distance would be problematic and putting themselves in a position where they couldn’t see what might attack them was not a good idea. Ming rationalized the combat advantages to you and Colin. When it came to battle strategy, you had a hard time keeping up. Ming was a born leader in that regard.

You spent the next half hour unpacking the bags and putting up your equipment. A small grill over the fire pit you dug, three camping chairs, a small tent in case it rained or you were given the order to stay, your hunting knife, and a lute that you insisted on bringing. The boys thought it would be cumbersome until you explained that bards mostly fought and healed through music. It seems that their classes were more dedicated to the fine arts they needed to master to properly use their skills and less on individual team member dynamics.

By four the sky was darkening and you all sat around the fire swapping stories about monsters and legends. If you could forget about your mission and the fact you were a mage, this trip could almost be spooky camp tales instead of very real history. “Ming, you should hear some of Soul’s ballads. They are to die for.”

“Really, Colin.” You gave your friend a crooked glare that was more teasing and sarcastic than actually mean. He laughed you off while Ming leaned forward, a silent plea in his dark eyes. “Okay, okay, but just one.”

“Ooo, can it be the one you wrote, about the Monster King?” He was way to excited about that one.

“Ohh, oo the mountain heart, safely in the sheltered dark, the monster king that mourns no rest, carries on his very best. Listen child closely now, upon his brow a crown of horns, and crimson eyes of fiery scorn, to judge on him what man has wrought, and on his people long forgot. Nev’r to see the sun again.” Your fingers plucked the strings of your lute as you sang. It was a sound of mourning and a tale of warning. You had to close your eyes because the look of enraptured awe both your teammates were giving you cause a flush to rush over your face. You kept your focus on the notes, the hint of magic itching at the back of your throat whenever you sang more of an ever present buzz now... “All alone...”

Ming and Colin sat in their respective chairs, casting glances at each other. “That was...”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

Your rubbed at the back of your neck with a nervous laugh. “Ah, thank you.”

“Man, now I wish we are a tavern or something so I could have paid for that.” Ming mumbled, a teasing grin on his face.

You looked at Colin with feigned shock. “Did he just make a joke, Cols?”

“I think he did, Soul.”

“Oh, c’mon guys.” Ming groaned as you and Colin began a back and forth about how stiff Ming seemed when it came to jokes, even though you’d just met the guy yesterday.

You leaned around the fire and patted his arm. “Welcome to the dark side.” Colin tried to stifle his laughter.

“I thought there could only be two, one master and one apprentice.” At the blank look you gave him, Ming’s eyebrows shot up. “Y’know, Starwars?”

“Dude, I’m a fantasy nerd, not a sci-fi nerd.” You kept your voice somewhat flat and your gaze just as expressionless. Ming had an look of horror. He glanced at Colin who shrugged.

“Never really into Jedi.”

“Oh, no. We need to fix this asap.” He shook his head his dark hair a little less rigid. You figured he put gel in.

Before any of you could continue badgering any other, you all felt a loud snap in your souls. The massive amount of energy pooled up beneath your feet just vanished. Your mouth went dry.

The barrier fell.

Colin stood to move into the treeline where he blended fairly well. Thank goodness it was fall and his bright orange hair wouldn’t be spotted from a mile away. No one moved, listening to the sounds of the campfire pop and hiss. For five minutes, then ten, then fifte-

“I see something.” Colin’s voice was barely audible. “Monsters, seven of them... wait no that’s... that’s a human child! Six monsters and a human child.” He whisper shouted towards you.

“What are they doing?” Ming slowly rose to his feet and moved around behind Colin, you stay firmly rooted in place, every worst case scenario running through your head.

“Staring at the city, the ocean, the sky.”

You hadn’t realized you were holding your breath until your body made you gulp in more air. Your head swam as every terrible thing you’d thought of was replaced with the realization of what it meant for the human child to be alive. They were more than likely peaceful. “I’m calling Stillwater.” The boys nod at you and you shuffle off a ways. One press of a button and the phone in her office would be ringing loudly. “Please pick up, please pick-”

“Hello?” Her voice was stern just like how she answered any knock in person.

“Professor, It’s me, um... reporting in with barrier patrol.”

“Yes, I felt the aftershock, most of the faculty are in my office actually. Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker... There, go ahead dear.”

You took a shaky breath. “Okay, the child that fell last is alive and with the monsters. So far there are six that have left the Underground. We have yet to make contact. It’s getting darker by the second and while we don’t know if they mean harm, we do not want to risk fighting in the dark. Our campfire will keep burning. I need to know if we should continue quiet observation or attempt contact.”

You could hear the near silent debates of several teachers in the background. The office goes deathly quiet for a while. You’re about to ask for orders again when you hear Ming shout. “Gotta go.” You slap the phone shut fairly certain they heard the shout as well. When you whip around Ming is on the ground, a tall fish-like monster leaning over him. She has a razor sharp grin on her face. Colin is being held up by his hoodie, a very large goat-like monster in gold plated armor is studying his rapidly paling face. “Ming! Colin!”

Wrong move, both monsters are looking at you now. Your heart is pounding in your ears, every instinct screaming at you to either run for your life or protect your friends, and you about to listen to the latter when a buzz at your back prompts you to look over your shoulder. You come face to face with a leering skull, in one eye socket burns a cyan ires. It feels like it’s staring into your soul and it’s terrifying. “i wouldn’t do that if i was you, bud.”

This monster is a bit shorter than you, but his broad shoulders and chest, the heavy set of his arms are intimidating, not to mention his soul feels powerful. It’s possible you have the greatest threat present standing close enough behind you that you could feel his breath on your shoulders. You suppress the shudder that tried to rip through you. “I-” you stop yourself and swallow the quaver in your voice, “I won’t let you hurt my friends.” With that eye staring back at you it’s hard to keep your nerve, but you are determined not to give up. You are a mage, you can defend yourself.

Your eyes find Colin’s, he looks at you apologetically. He mouthed something, ‘they’re faster than they look,’ you think. With a slight nod, you turn your gaze to Ming, he’s in a staredown with the fish, though he throws his eyes your way for a second. Your tensed, waiting on him to make the first move. The tension in the air is palpable. Your muscles are taut and any second you can snap into motion.

The goat-monster looks alarmed and puts Colin down gently. “No, please.” His voice is deep and even, like a roll of thunder only not so terrifying. “We do not mean any harm. My people have not seen humans in quite some time and we spotted your campfire from the entrance.” He lifted a massive paw to point to the cave. “I thought it wise to check the area and Undyne- Undyne please let the poor boy up- ran ahead before we could stop her.”

The fish monster, whose name is apparently Undyne, leaned back looking a bit on the sheepish side. Ming scooched back some before standing and brushing himself off. He kept a wary eye on the go- oh wait. Horns, crown, armor, giant red trident made of magic. “Holy shit,” you breathed, eyes locked onto his weapon. The monsters looked nervous, or at least the two in front of you did, the one behind was no longer emitting a threatening magic presence and may have moved back a step, you weren’t sure. But holy shit! This is King Asgore! You are meeting the literal King of Monsters and your first thought was to blast him away for touching your friend. Crap. Really, if you had paid more attention the crown settled between his massive horns should have been a dead giveaway.

While Asgore tried to hide the spear behind his back with a half-hearted smile, both Colin and Ming had picked up on your line of thinking. Your ballad was worded from an ancient painting in The Library, but sure enough the artist did a faithful job portraying the King. You doubted it would be possible to forget the details of his golden beard and massive horns either.

“I’m terribly sorry about that. We are here peacefully, I assure you.” Asgore looked over your shoulder at the monster behind you. He moved around to go join his fellows and you got a better look. Blue hoodie, basketball shorts, socks, and ...slippers?”

“Dude, what?” You didn’t realize what you let slip till the skeleton turned around to arch a brow... er ridge at you. How is skull that flexible? It looks like it shouldn’t move but there it goes, being emotive and all. On that note, he’s a skeleton, how did he breath on you before?

“what? don’t like my fashion sense?” His perma grin turned smug.

“Slippers.” You point to his feet with a flat look on your face. “I mean, really? At least go for sneakers or something.” Ming and Colin took the chance, now that attention wasn’t on them, to sneak around the monsters and over to your side.

“eh, ‘t’s comfy.” The skeleton shrugged, his white dot eyes flicked over to your sides as he seemed to notice the stealth maneuver the boys just pulled. His grin slackened slightly.

Asgore cleared his throat. “Might I ask what three young humans are doing in the woods at night?”

“Camping.” Ming sounded a bit perturbed and you gently smacked his arm. If he wasn’t going to follow the contingency plan then you would.

“We’re students of the College a couple hours hike down the mountain, mostly because the trail’s a switch back. Our ecology class had an extra credit assignment and we got stationed to this spot.” You gesture to the a small outdoor lab you had put up next to the tent.

“why groups of three?”

Colin shifted a bit. “One person to watch the camp, two to collect samples. The positions rotate every day. It’s safer that way.”

The skeleton nodded, seemingly satisfied but looking at the plant matter Colin had collected while marking trails. A somewhat awkward silence descended over your camp. You shifted your phone in your hand and glanced at the monsters. “I should probably call Stillwater back so she isn’t freaking out, thinking something happened to us.” Asgore noded quickly.

Stillwater picked up on the first ring. “Are you alright?”

“Well, yes. But about my earlier questions, they aren’t important.”

There was a pause on the other end. “They found you?”

“Yep.” You keep your eyes on Asgore, also aware that the other two monsters have their eyes on you and your classmates.

“Have you had to fight?”

“No, but um. Monsters. Yeah, they are a thing apparently.” For just a moment you think you saw the skeletons eyes go out in your peripheral vision.

“Come back to the College while there is still some light, but do be careful.” Her voice is soft as she spoke, slow and careful. “I want to meet these monsters if I may.”

“Yes, professor.” You hang up the phone and take a deep breath, slapping Ming and Colin on their backs. “Pack it up boys, we’re going back early.” You approach the giant Monster King with no small amount of hesitance. “Our mythology professor would like to meet you, um... King Asgore?” All three of the monster look taken aback by your knowledge but the King quickly replaced his shock with a warm smile.

“I would love to, but... I hope they don’t mind if I take precautions.”

“So long as you aren’t marching into a place of learning with an army I don’t think there would be a problem.”

“i’m not sure this is such a good idea your majesty.”

“Sans, I appreciate your concern, but we’ll never get anywhere with establishing peace if we don’t try.” The skeleton lifts his hands in a gesture of surrender but keeps a hard eye on you. That being said, so does Undyne. Asgore offered to help you pack up the camp, sending Sans back to inform the others of what is going on. Between Undyne’s hints of aggressive overenthusiasm and Asgore unreasonably gently approach, the five of you get the camp packed in short order. Flash lights are pulled out as Ming thoroughly douses and reburied the fire. You have a headlight like the other two, each toting a backpack jammed with stuff, only you also have a lute lying over your stomach.

“HEY, Nerd! What’s that stupid looking thing?!” Gods, Undyne is loud.

“It’s a lute.” You pluck at a few strings in a test cord. The fishmonster’s ear-fins twitch and she looks very interested. “I’m a bard, so I carry an instrument everywhere I go.”

Her one amber eye lit up. “Wait, so like, you travel around playing songs and stuff? JUST LIKE-”

“Undyne.” Asgore voice is calm but scolding and she relents. Soon after Sans comes sauntering back followed by the other monsters and a small androgynous child. You gave your best smile.

“Okay so, I’m going to mark trees as we go by so you can find your way back. The mountain might look easy to climb but it’s really steep and there aren’t that many safe ways down.” You pull out your hunting knife from where it was hooked on your belt. The monsters visibly stiffen, Undyne narrows her eye, and Sans seemed to have blue sparking in his left eye socket. You quickly make your way to a tree and cut a horizontal line through the bark at your shoulder height. Marking a tick in the middle. “So this would mean straight while a line on either side would mean to turn in that direction.” You keep the blade slack at you side. “Got it?”

“yeah, we got it.” The skeleton’s eye lights are bright and focus on the knife still.

“Okay, so, let’s get going. I don’t know how good your night vision is, but um... keep an eye on where you step and don’t go racing around. You’d fall and hurt yourself.” You pass the knife off to Colin who takes the lead. He’s a bloodhound when it comes to remembering directions. You pluck on a few more notes, trying to keep yourself calm. The sound of your strings were the only thing going along the trail aside from the occasional heavy footstep that was louder than others. You found a rhythm in the walking and set about marrying it to the breath of the forest around you. A hum trickled up your throat with more variant notes than just your lute. Ming started purposefully making certain steps louder to match the beat you had going on and even Colin got into the song with the pace of marked trees.

Pretty soon the three of you were able to more or less forget the fears of the monster behind you. They were just another part of the melody. Of course your magic spiked as you sang, opening your ears to the frankly deafening beats of the soul behind you. You almost lost your footing, saving yourself as you focused on the sound you were making as opposed to the monster souls at you back. Okay, so that’s what was meant by easily distinguishable. Ow, your poor ears.

You’re fairly certain the monsters even started humming along. As you changed up the rhythm into something familiar Colin started laughing. Ming looked at your sideways with a smirk. Your voice poured into the crisp night air, “I bought a ticket for the long way ‘round, the one with the prettiest of views. It’s got mountains, It’s got rivers, It’s got sights that’d give you shivers, but it sure would be prettier with you.”

“Oh, you’re sure gonna miss me when I’m gone.” And there was that natural falsetto you loved so much. Colin was a very good singer when he put his mind to it, but most of his talent lay in building things, be it from wood or steel. Ming laughed and jumped in too, his voice surprisingly deep. It reminded you of a tipany drum actually. He could probably project his soul through his voice too, though it would be more like a war cry than the kind of intricacies you dealt with. You snicker to yourself at the image of Ming ‘fus ro dah!’-ing someone off a cliff.

The three of you shouldered up on the path at some point, belting the song. Another voice you didn’t recognize jumped in, not quite nasally but fairly close. It didn’t matter though, you could hear them feeling the song. “You’re gonna miss me by my hair, you’re gonna miss me everywhere oh, you’re sure gonna miss me when I’m gone!”

You broke of the pattern of song to change it up, a second melody formed beneath your fingers as you coaxed the strings into singing for you. It felt appropriate given the star-studded sky above you. “Lately I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be; and lately I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard. No more countin’ dollars, we’ll be counting stars.” You and Ming began trading lines while Colin picked up the beat with the trees.

The college lights were coming into view as the third round of that number died down. You were fairly certain that your legs would be dead tomorrow. Silver lining, you almost certainly wouldn’t have class tomorrow. Stillwater was standing at the gate along with all the other mage staff, though none of them were in formal robes. Thank goodness for that at least. No blowing the secret of mages yet though, maybe that was for the best seeing as history did have the habit of repeating itself. Asgore and the other monsters came to halt as you and the other students got very quiet.

“Very good children, back to the dorms with you.”

“Yes, Professor Stillwater.” It was creepy how you all spoke in unison. Before you had the chance to move off, the child pushed their way in front of the monsters and began signing in ASL. You were too rusty to understand, but you focused on hearing their soul and the words became clear, or at least the intention behind them.

The child was declaring themselves the ambassador of monsters, a determined smile on their face. Stillwater arched one of her immaculate eyebrows, staring down at the child. The mages were willing to listen to someone who passed through the barrier and returned. Who knows what power the child held, nor what knowledge they might be privy to that had been lost even with the college’s meticulous record keeping.

You didn’t stick around for the conversations, handing your bags to a professor who’d given you the equipment and heading back to crash in your dorm. Just as you leave the main path a chill ran down your spine. It feels like someone was watching you, though you can’t sense anyone nearby, and it doesn’t feel like magic. A sick feeling clung to your gut as you scurried back to the shelter of your lair.

Caroline is already snoring when you make it back and you curse yourself quietly for leaving your hunting knife. Though, knowing Colin, he’d have it back in your hands before you even missed its presence.

You drop onto the comforter like lead, mind still buzzing with magic backlash. The silence of your dorm is almost deafening, funny how it had been all a bit much yesterday morning. A bitter laugh escaped you as you rolled onto your side. Each breath pulled you closer to the absence of awareness. Falling asleep used to scare you, always fear of what waited for you beyond the veil of dreams, but there were monsters. Monsters, magic, the war, all of it was real. This is your reality. Everyone else is living a dream but not you; you are awake in a way humans could only imagine in novels or movies.

You let that thought settle as your mind is pulled under. Just before your control slips away, the green overflow of your magic that you’d kept suppressed leaked into the air around you. Your dreams playing out in emerald hues to anyone who walked in before REM really took hold.

...

Ugh, wow okay. Your arms were numb and ached when you woke, lifted and pinned above your head which had twisted in such a way your neck was stiff. Your hips and feet ached too, laying somewhat awkwardly half out of bed. What were you dreaming about that caused this mess?

Sweat clung to your skin, plastering your shirt and... oh shit you fell asleep in your hiking clothes. Oh, you felt so gross, hair sticking at the corner of your mouth and one foot still caught in a boot. Nope. You are taking a shower right now. Not dealing with this!

You bundled up lounge wear and fresh undergarments, shoving open the bathroom door. Caroline didn’t seem to be up yet, her toothbrush still wrapped up as it was every night. At least you didn’t have to apologize for stumbling in on her. You dropped your clothes on the toilet lid and set about running water for a shower, stripping off your forestry gross clothes while it warmed up.

“Haaa.” You hadn’t meant to make that noise. Oh well. The hot water felt so good on your skin. You plucked up your course shower brush and set about scrubbing and sudsing every corner of your skin until you were clean and fresh. You could feel the dirt getting stripped off and the gentle lotioned soap soothing out any irritation in your skin.

“Hey, girl!” Caroline knocked on the door, causing you to jump with a squeak. “Come out here asap. There’s some major tom foolery going on in the news. Monsters from under the mountain or some shit.”

If only you could just tell her! You groan at having to listen to mundies, or mages pretending to be mundies, go over the story you were there for. This wasn’t going to be a nice, relaxing day like you thought, was it.

You flipped off the water and pushed the curtain back, taking a towel to every corner of your skin before winding a second, smaller towel through your hair. Slipping into your clothes then putting your hair up in toweled knot to dry, you step out of the steaming bathroom. There on the TV is Stillwater standing beside the massive Asgore.

Caroline had popcorn in her lap and was sitting on the couch in her ‘Saturday morning best’, that is to say, sweats. “I didn’t know they were going to be making a movie on campus. Do you think we’ll be famous backgrounders or something?”

“What makes you think this is a movie, Care?”

She shrugged. “I mean, y’know the purge got all avantgarde with their ads, and... I mean, c’mon. Monsters? That whole old folktale legend thing about Mt. Ebott? They just have to be capitalizing on it for a horror movie, or fantasy adventure, or something.”

“I dunno, King Asgore looks pretty real.”

“CGI.” Careline shoved more burst corn kernels into her mouth.

You sat down next to her with a sigh. “Didn’t know you were a skeptic.”

The news was showing the entrance to the cave, following the path you’d hiked earlier. Sans was leading them, doing this weird thing whenever the camera moved off him and then back he’d be a few feet further ahead, staring back at the news crew with a lazy grin. It didn’t seem like he was moving at all. Honestly, it was super unsettling.

You saw Caroline’s face bunch out the corner of your eye. “Hey, aren’t those the markers you use? And... wait, that’s the same path you went camping on... And you said you wouldn’t be back for-” Oh, there are all the pieces fitting together. Took longer than normal, must be ‘cause she’s still half asleep. “Oh my GOD!” Her head whipped around to face you and she grabbed the collar of your shirt, almost causing the popcorn to go sailing to the ground. “Monsters are real?! And you were there!!”

“Yep.” How am I so chill about this?

“Oh MY GOD!” Care bolts off the sofa. “They’re here, on campus. Right now?!” Consequently she hadn’t let you go, dragging you to your feet with her.

“Last I saw them, yes.”

She went suddenly very quiet. “Did you talk to one?”

You pointed at the screen where Asgore had taken the podium to speak for his people. “That one.” Gods that sounds racist to call the King an ‘it’, or imply anyway. You didn’t have time to correct yourself as Caroline practically screamed. Your roomie tossed her hands in the air and ran back to her room, not even bothering to close the door all the way as she got changed. “Well, I’m not getting left out!” She rushed out, dressed yes, but poorly. Her shirt was on backwards, her jeans inside out, and belt flipped askew. “I’m going to meet one!”

“How about you try again, and maybe slow down, yeah?”

Care looked down at herself and flushed. “Oh, right. Yeah.”

You weren’t sure what you expected from Caroline when it came to monster reactions, but this enthusiasm wasn’t it. Not that it wasn’t nice. Yet again you felt the burn to just tell her but no, you weren’t allowed. Unless monsters and mages were outed to the world at the same time and you just missed it, your powers were still to be kept secret. Gods you hated that, but it was better this way. Or so everyone told you. Well, you could see where they were coming from. Monsters were a huge thing to get used to after all and just adding magical humans to the mix would be way too much. It still hurt, having to deny a part of yourself but it wasn’t just other humans to worry about. How would the monsters feel to know that magic hadn’t died out, that the same group that imprisoned them still effectively ruled the surface?

You worried your lower lip, fingers twitching at your sides.

“Are you coming?” Caroline leaned over the back of the sofa, her face soft and filled with concern.

“Ah, no. I’m still really dead from hiking. You go ahead. I’ll work on that song I’ve been writing.” You flash your best smile though she seems unconvinced.

“Well, okay. If that’s what you want. Imma go make a monster friend. Oh, I wonder if any will enroll in WCC with us.” And then she was out the door, leaving you alone in the silence.