Prologue

The Dreaming One and the Copy Cat

A black mushroom creature wiggled his arms around. This creature was attempting his own version of the Mushroom Dance, a traditional dance of mushroom monsters. There was only a few big differences: This mushroom creature was floating, not stationary in the ground like most plant monsters. It had a third arm on the bottom part of its body, which was long like a noodle but had a large hand on the end. It made the creature's appendages look almost surrealistic, and disproportionate. He had no firmness or strength behind his arms, so his arms only moved when he moved his hands or wiggled a bit at his will. He was about four feet tall from ground up, and he had one stalking eyeball. His chest had a cage around it, which resembled that of a human rib cage. It was protective. He wasn't sure why he had it, but that's just the way he was grown. He had Dr. Alphys to thank for it, though. She was the one who grew him from a modified mushroom seed.

Though often times, he would have preferred death to life, and it was during those frequent times that Somnium wanted to kill Alphys.

"Sø, høw am I døing at it?" Somnium asked the other mushroom in front of him. The mushroom had a blue cap and a white body, but was fixed into the ground unlike Somnium. "I'm proud at how you're doing. You could pass as a normal mushroom in no time!"

Somnium had no mouth to express his glee, but his eye seemed to shine in happiness. "You aren't done yet, though. The Mushroom Dance is incomplete without the meaning behind it. Tell me your strongest emotion right now."

Somnium paused a moment… "Hatred. I feel hate."

"Go on…"

"My entire being burns with øne desire ønly. The desire tø kill my creatør. Nøthing will make me whøle again. Nøthing can save me… ønly HER death can satisfy. My mutant flesh aches før revenge; vengeance før the hørrible life I've been given. My purpøse is washed clean, and as øf nøw I am meaningless. My ønly møtivatiøn is her death. I will bury her alive in the ashes øf her friends, and it will be a mercy cømpared tø what I plan tø dø tø her. After that, I can die in peace."

"Very good. Your feelings are strong. But don't worry Somnium, you can still live a life."

"I am destined tø remain like this. Nø monster can løve me after what I've døne. Nø human can bear my ugliness. A life withøut løve."

"You're a weird monster, Somnium. You can feel, which is very unlike me."

Somnium closed his eye, "I døn't knøw høw sømething søulless like me can feel. I just dø. Maybe I actually dø have a søul. But then, why was I made?"

The mushroom began to shrivel, then it began to change shape. It morphed into a Froggit. "Ribbit Ribbit… (Because you were made to pass the soul barrier. But you never were put near the barrier. You were relieved from duty before you were tested. So, if you do have a soul, then it doesn't make sense to use you to get past a barrier made from soul power.)"

"I døn't knøw, Klōn… I just døn't knøw."

Klōn smiled, which looked mischievous on the Froggit, "Ribbit Ribbit… (At least you can feel.)" Klōn then frowned and his eye began to twitch involuntarily.

"Are yøu økay?" Somnium asked.

"Ribbit… (Yeah. I'm fine.)" Klōn smiled again, as though his previous expression had never occurred.

A door opened up behind Somnium, and a cold chill washed over his back. Somnium turned and saw a black figure standing in the doorway. Pure black, but humanoid in shape. It had no features at all, except for two small cylinders sticking out of his face, which resembled eyes, and a slightly larger rectangular object which looked like a speaker for his mouth. His head looked like a stub, his legs were smooth all around, arms smooth all around, and body smooth without any roughness to it. On the end of his stubby arms were robotic hands, which looked like they were glued to a metal bowl and put around the stub of the arm. It was as though his hand was cut off, then replaced with a mechanical one. The being stood at the doorway, arms crossed.

"What are you two doing here?" the voice was deep and sounded as though it was coming through a voice changer; garbled and unrecognizable as a voice.

"I'm sørry Fel. We knøw we aren't alløwed in here."

Fel approached them. Every step was silent… completely silent. Like if you turned on a movie and watched someone walk while its muted. Everytime Fel walked... it was eerie how silent it was, it felt unnatural. "I told you two that I was going to surprise you."

Klōn sighed, turning into Napstablook, "We know…. We were just so curious….. sorry, I'll leave now…" Klōn disappeared and reappeared behind Fel. Klōn then transformed into Aaron as quickly as he appeared and yelled, "THINK FAST! ;)"

Klōn raised a fist for a punch, but before he could swing Fel grabbed the hand and clenched it tight. "Ah! Ah! Okay okay okay! You win! ;)"

Fel loosened his grip, "You know I'm stronger than you. That is why this…" Fel let go of Klōn's hand, "Is going to be your new personal training room."

Klōn rolled his eyes "Pfft! I don't need any training. The only reason I don't defeat you is because it wouldn't be as fun. ;)"

"Are yøu gøing tø teach me høw tø fight better, Fel?"

Fel turned to Somnium. "Yes, Somnium. I will teach you how to use your powers more strategically."

"When will we set øff før øur first assignment? I'm sø excited!"

"At ease, child. I haven't decided on a suitable assignment for you two yet. I am looking into it."

Somnium's eye looked down, ashamed, "I'm sørry før my excitement, Fel."

Fel looked at Somnium with his emotionless eyes. Fel was a Minimus, and Somnium understood that. They were originally created by the scientist prior to Alphys. They were the perfect representation of nothingness; they are originally made of only one nameless material, which was the skin and fluid within. A lump of material which served no purpose. They are conscious in that state, of course, but the only thing that makes them thinking and functional creatures were the modifications and attachments. The cylinders that represented Fel's eyes were in fact, his eyes. The triangular object on the mouth area was his only voice. The robotic hands, his only way to grasp, and the tube running from the head to the spine created his thought processes. A horrible life it must be to be spawned as a Minimus. His only way to express himself is through actions, and his actions toward Somnium has been nothing but kindness.

"It's okay Somnium. It amuses me to see you with such eagerness." Fel, without another word, silently walked out of the room.

Klōn looked at Somnium, and Somnium glared at Klōn "Yøu actually think yøu can beat Fel?"

Klōn laughed, "If I really tried, I could put up a fight. But beat him? That's pretty laughable. ;)"

"Fel said he was amused by my eagerness. Was that meant as a cømpliment?"

"Fel doesn't have a soul. He couldn't use happy, because he can't feel happiness. He couldn't use love either, because love is also beyond his comprehension. So he used the next best thing. ;)"

Somnium looked down sadly.

"Hey, don't feel down. It isn't his fault. He is trying, and he will likely keep trying. But trying to feel love without previous knowledge of it… Is impossible! He was created soulless. Think of him like an insect that can think. ;)"

"Have yøu ever felt løve?"

Klōn grinned, "Having the ability to turn into any monster has its own… benefits. ;)"