Chimera
Summary: She had suffered so much since their mother passed away. She had dedicated her life to taking care of her little sister. Given up hope of ever seeing the sun. Even the dust had failed to take her, abandoning her to an eternity of torment with the person she had once loathed. She was a chimera, a harbinger of disaster.
Author's Notes: heavily inspired by the song "Your Rain" by Akira Yamaoka. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is my headcanon for Shyren and her sister's singing voice.
Wrote this over the course of a particularly sleep-deprived week, so it's a little unpolished.
"What are you doing in the dark? can I join you? ; )" Aaron nudged a dimly glowing mushroom nestled in a ceramic pot. It brightened with a curt squeak, blanching a corner of the room in pearlescent light.
The imposing figure standing against the wall came to life, her many pupils constricting to adjust to the change. She hissed wetly at him, teeth buckled outwards.
"It's okay, Yeast," she soothed. "It's just Aaron. He's not going to touch us."
Yeast wasn't its actual name – Moldbygg people didn't name their children the way other monsters did, knowing one another through unique movements. Having been forced into the same body, though, that wasn't an option for them when she could barely control her muscle spasms.
"How's my bro doing today, Lemon Bread? hope you two haven't been doing anything fun without me ; )" Aaron froze when her shoulders lifted in a silent threat.
Her collar bones formed sharp furrows in her neck, sinking into place as her teeth slowly retracted back into her head. Yeast was being rather testy today.
"Doing better. He might even speak soon." She attempted to smile, the action reflected weakly on her face. A familiar warmth coated her body, and she gave a shuddering breath as if disturbed by the circulation of her own blood. She felt Brad's awakening through the leaking pores of her skin.
She didn't know if falling down had changed Brad or if those horrific years they had spent trapped in the Doctor's basement laboratory shattered what was left of him. He had once been like his twin brother Aaron, unfailingly confident but nearly twice as aggressive. She remembered him being especially callous towards her sister. These days, he relegated his existence to a foggy recess of her mind, emerging only when he ached for simple affection. His faint presence still proved overwhelming at times, a broken dam of disjointed thoughts, memories, sensations.
Aaron returned her gesture with a smile of his own, one she thought looked a little sad. "Brought you some food. It's your favorite ; )"
He plopped a damp paper bag by her feet, and Yeast pounced before she could harness enough control in her trembling hands to open it. She disemboweled it in a single chomp, flustering when she noticed the mess that had spilled onto the floor. Woshua would more than happily clean it up later, but she still felt a loss at the wasted food. She would have dusted someone for a Waterfallian meal during the days they were fed only dry dog kibble and raw instant noodles.
Mussels. Those were actually Brad's favorite, but she appreciated the thought, anyway. Aaron could actually be sweet when he wanted to be, offering to look after her while her superstar sister was on tour. The Moldbyggs had wanted nothing to do with her after migrating to the surface, remaining true to their solitary natures. Their cousins, the Moldsmals, were far too jelly-brained to handle her occasional episodes.
Her spine wrenched at the insult, and she murmured an apology to Yeast in her head. She could block them out for a short while, usually when she was angry at them. Otherwise, they were constantly exposed to one another's thoughts and emotions. There could be no secrets between them, no lies. Brad and Yeast knew all of the insecurities that she had kept hidden from everyone else, including her sister. They knew the intensity of her self-hatred, felt it, and she had nearly lost herself in the bedlam of their communal mental space. She would have gone completely feral from grief if it hadn't been for Dr. Alphys' interference.
Sharing a body proved strangely enlightening at times. She had never been good at giving instructions until she became the dominant personality of their unlikely trio. She had also been terribly shy, a trait her family was known for back in their hometown, but now she could communicate in ways that transcended audible language.
Dr. Alphys had been equal parts impressed and horrified by how coherent she was. She could even read, a feat none of the other Amalgamates accomplished. She felt a little pride on her part was warranted, having been the one to teach them how to sync their reading pace and comprehend ideas together. Their efforts had left every book on Alphys' shelf sticky with lemon-scented perspiration, each page permed and crinkly to the touch. She had taught her other parts how to read sheet music as well, yet she had never heard either of them sing.
Maybe someday, she thought shyly. She sensed a short laugh, unheard but felt in her chest. She had to smile at Brad's playfulness, still a part of him no matter how broken he was. He seemed to appreciate her understanding, his awareness felt as a tightening in her biceps.
She was a student as much as she was a teacher. Yeast possessed its family's natural talent for transformation, and she had grasped retaining and changing her shape long before the other Amalgamates did. The day she discovered that the slit on her stomach wasn't a belly button was the same day she learned all about the brood pouch, much to her embarrassment rather than Brad's.
Every small success was felt by all of them. Every nightmare was a day-after spent reminding one another why they chose to be alive with their families. They were determined to make something out of this life on the surface, even if it meant learning to do so together.
"i got a surprise for you. You wanna guess what it is? ; )" asked Aaron, mischief barely contained in his smile.
She would have felt unsettled by his approach before, but she had lived with him long enough to grow accustomed to his mannerisms. She found them nearly endearing now, or maybe that was just Brad's fondness contaminating her thoughts. Sometimes, she had difficulty discerning where her feelings ended and the others' began. "Is it your muscles?"
"haha no but close ; )" Aaron bounced aside. "Look who came to see you ; )"
Shyren appeared at the doorway, looking slightly flustered at the reveal. She still wore the purple streak in her hair from her most recent show. She looked so unlike herself with her lips tinted black, eyes capped by a dramatic streak of pink and purple that was at least an inch tall. "D—Do you like—?"
Lemon Bread guessed it was MTT's new Scales line, the first make-up set geared towards aquatic folk that didn't involve sequined fishhooks. Her mouth cooperated easily, lifting into a toothy grin. Brad and Yeast must have been similarly awestruck by her appearance. "You look beautiful."
The compliment echoed in her many voices, prompting Shyren to mask her face with her fins. "T—Thank you."
Aaron nodded his head approvingly before taking up her luggage. He filed into the adjoining guest room, pondering over how she managed to carry her bags to the doorstep without any fingers. Spooky. "so how long are you stayin over? ; )"
Shyren remained facing forward, her gaze fixed on her sister. "A—A— Two weeks. Something happened, and— M—Metta thought we'd be safer—" He had cheerfully deemed it a surprise vacation, courtesy of himself.
Dread poisoned her senses, causing Yeast to stretch her back defensively. She was certain even Brad sensed her concern, feeling him emerge from his corner. She appeared tall, menacing. "Is anyone hurt?"
Shyren shifted her entire body, imitating a shake of her head. "N—No. Undyne was— Metta says we might hire nice h—humans to guard us."
"why would they attack you guys? Humans love us ; )" Aaron drifted into the room, seemingly unfazed by the news. "Yeah, I did a little reading on their ancient human beliefs. They used to worship us ; )"
"They fear and hate us…" A plaintiveness layered Lemon Bread's many voices. "All of their demons look like us." According to human lore, she was a chimera, an omen that preceded mass death. At best, she was an object of perverse fascination or pity.
"Their angels look like us too ; )" Aaron smiled reassuringly, albeit smugly. "Bro, you should totally come with during my next filming of The Broccult. You can guest star in the newest ep ; )"
"You've found another 'haunted' house?" The Amalgamate tried to express bemusement, a complicated feat given that her face, mostly Yeast, was being rebellious today.
"Yeah, like way haunted. I'll protect you tho ; )" He gave pause. "Shy can tag along, too, if she wants. Be my celebrity co-star ; )"
"O—Oh. Okay. M—Maybe…" Shyren, the internationally famous vocalist and monster model, flushed bright blue at being included. "I— If sis is going," she added quietly.
"It would be fun," she answered, experiencing a nauseous blend of Brad's approval and Yeast's disgust. They had gone rooting through a condemned burger joint last time, and Aaron went screaming out of the building after a chicken nugget fell on his tail. This was after throwing some heavy trash talk at the "ghosts", something about a child eating ice cream out of a garbage dump cooler. She had ended up hunched over the counter, her voices screaming in laughter to the point her face nearly melted off.
"haha nice. The Bro Cult is going to be so into this ; )" Aaron seemed pleased at the mention of his fans on OverTube, most of them humans. There were some monsters who resented him for making them look like fools, but Brad's memories had convinced her that there couldn't be any genuine malice behind her new brother's oblivious ways. It wasn't as if he were faking his reactions, either, despite the many accusations from strangers on the Internet. He really was a big, soft scaredy horse.
Their forays into abandoned buildings were some of the few times she could be outside without hurting anyone. Without being hurt by anyone. Most humans averted their eyes and pretended she didn't exist, attempting to be polite about her grotesque condition. Countless others came at her looking to fight, trying to provoke her into violence so that they could validate their reasons for hating her. Some even lapsed into full-blown anxiety attacks upon catching sight of her – she felt particularly awful about those times, shutting herself in her room for weeks afterwards.
Mankind hadn't been completely disappointing. There were humans who were so horrendously kind that it left her in tears. She loved looking at all the art people made of her on her Broccult adventures, portraying her as the deadpan foil to an easily startled Aaron. The silly comments people would leave for her on each episode made her feel wanted, as pathetic and ridiculous as it was. Even a monster among monsters had a place in the world, a place among other people.
A gentle touch grazed her shoulder, and she wasn't sure if it was Brad or Yeast reaching out to her. It burned.
"D—Do you think we'll find any?" piped Shyren, attempting to make conversation. Lemon Bread was glad to see her sister regaining her voice after so long. Soon, Blook wouldn't have to do her interviews for her anymore.
"Find any what? ; )" asked Aaron, dropping a juicy wink in her direction.
Shyren hesitated. "U— Um, ghosts?"
"Dude, we've found tons of ghosts! Right, bro? ; )" He beamed.
"Yes," she agreed. She centered her eyes on Shyren, who nodded conspiratorially.
"So where— Where is it?" Shyren's voice tapered into a whisper. "I hope it's not too s— scary."
"Get this. A haunted school ; )" Aaron's one open eye rounded in bravado, and he crossed his heavily muscled arms over his chest. "No need to be scared, Shy. Your big bro A-Horse won't let any ghosts mess with you ; )"
Shyren blushed, more at Aaron referring to himself as "A-Horse" rather than anything else. "Ms. Toriel's?"
"Yeah, it's major haunted. I have a sense for these things ; )" His smile faltered, and a nervous sweat beaded on his torso.
"M—Maybe Frisk could—" suggested Shyren. "They go there…"
"Oh man, that's a killer idea! You, Ambassador Frisk, and my bro, Lemon Brad. This is going to be a very special episode ; )" Aaron's expression reverted to an idle smile as he made a line for the door. "I have to go get my equipment ready, if you know what I mean. You two gonna be okay by yourselves? ; )"
"We'll survive," she replied flatly. The pulsations of her muscles eased, a sign that Yeast was beginning to relax.
"All right, just checkin. Call me if you bros want to go for a swim later ; )" He wound himself around the doorway, giving a final wink before disappearing into the hallway. "Or if you're just feeling lonely ; )"
Shyren sighed. "I'm happy to be home again."
"Me, too." Her other voices seemed to agree, carrying her words around the room.
"Did— Did the Doctor's visit go well?" asked Shyren, a thread of urgency in her voice.
"Yes." It saddened her to see her little sister so involved with her struggles, as if she didn't have enough to worry about. "She said it will be very dangerous."
The corners of Shyren's mouth softened, but she remained smiling. "So it's not going to happen?"
"That's up to us. It's just— Some parts of us will be missing afterwards." Assuming they survived. A single monster couldn't possibly withstand a dose of determination, which they needed if they hoped to get through the operation. The Doctor would have to craft individual bodies from what little physical matter they still had between them. She wondered it if meant living without her tail or her esca or maybe her voice. She couldn't imagine never being able to sing again, never sharing another duet with her sister.
"O—Oh." Shyren's gaze dipped. She mumbled. "Metta says the humans are helping Dr. Alphys make something called 'prosthetics'."
"Is… that supposed to be an acronym?" Professional aesthetics? It sounded like it would be perfect for Mettaton.
"Humans sometimes lose parts of themselves, too. S—So doctors make them new parts." Was that how it worked? Shyren hoped she was explaining everything correctly. "The humans are amazing. They can grow hearts in tanks."
"I just hope I don't wake up looking like Mettaton." She envisioned her little fish body teetering on a pair of long, shapely legs. Laughter bubbled up inside her, and she wondered whom it belonged to.
"Um," her sister went silent, studying her face. "If you do go through with it, what are you going to do afterwards?"
"I don't know." This wasn't the life on the surface Lemon Bread had dreamed for herself when she was a fingerling or when Brad was a colt or when Yeast was a spore. Yet, she couldn't recall a time when she had ever been so happy. She used to think that her body was her personal gibbet, the universe's way of punishing her for falling down and leaving her sister to fend for herself. Now, it terrified her to imagine being all by herself after so long.
A familiar warmth enveloped her shaking hand. She made a weak fist, as if trying to trap the feeling between her fingers. It still burned her, but she knew then that she would never be alone.
"You could always come with us. We could use more back-up singers." Shyren shot her a hopeful glance. "I miss singing together."
"Thank you, but I was thinking about becoming a therapist." Her fingers clenched tightly around an unseen object. It was the first time she could completely close her hand. "There's already a doctor that can heal monster bodies. I'd like to heal monster souls."
Shyren broke into a huge smile. "That's— That's so wonderful."
"It's so corny." If she wasn't such a shambling, traumatized mess, she was sure Undyne would have teased her for being such a mushy nerd.
"But it's wonderful that you want to help people." Shyren's voice grew soft. "A—All I do is sing."
"But your singing gives us hope." Her voices echoed in agreement. "All of us, monsters and humans."
Shyren resigned herself with a sigh. "Frisk really changed things for us, didn't they? M—Maybe we could ask Aaron to dedicate this episode to them."
She smiled, thankful for Yeast's compliance. She could feel it smiling, too, in its own way. "We should."
She had suffered so much since their mother passed away. She had dedicated her life to taking care of her little sister. Given up hope of ever seeing the sun. Even the dust had failed to take her, abandoning her to an eternity of torment with the person she had once loathed. She was a chimera, a harbinger of disaster.
Yet despite everything, she had survived it all. She had learned to forgive her enemies, to forgive herself. To some, she was a protector, a healer, and a guardian of new beginnings.
Aaron was right. The humans' angels looked like them.