Chapter 3: What Are You Looking For? (Revised)
Hesitation was the only thing keeping all of the monsters from going to the nearest city. I had only been around for a few days, struggling to even get food… This was a stupid plan, and I knew it. Sadly, there was really no escaping this now…
In moments when monsters weren't looking, I had managed to take some form of food from them, which I panicked upon doing so. I was never good at keeping calm when doing anything that remotely needed my absolute silence… I was a bit… jittery.
I had been lucky so far. My magic had yet to trigger, making me unable to be spotted unless I did something stupid. The only problem was that they were not heading to the city… Any longer and I would be spotted for sure. While they treated Frisk with kindness, I didn't know how they'd react to me…
...but if they wanted peace for humans and monsters, I don't think I should have been afraid.
Maybe around the second night… a few of the monsters were sitting around a makeshift fire, talking to one another. I won't lie, I was intent on eavesdropping on this group of monsters. They seemed to be the ones with the most knowledge, so why not? It was dark out, and if I stayed far enough away, I should be able to hear them.
Why did I even decide to do this in the first place?
From my position, leaning against a tree far off, I watched down upon their little gathering. All of the first monsters I had seen on the cliff were situated there. Granted, a flower I had neglected to notice was with Frisk… and… Was it moving?
The flower turned its head, glaring off in my direction. In a reflex reaction, I sidestepped behind the tree, not even daring to breathe, lest the flower tell anyone else I was around. Most of the monsters weren't too intimidating, but being spotted by one wasn't exactly my cup of tea. To avoid any chance of getting spotted, I threw my hood over my head, covering my hair.
Holding the flower was the human once more. They seemed to never even flinch around the monsters. It was as if this whole experience was natural to them. For a human child, these things could be a perfect depiction of a night terror.
...And the most confusing bit was that the monsters treated them like a long-time friend. What had happened before they came out of that mountain?
Well, my question would be answered bit by bit, just not in the way I expected.
"So… we've been here quite a long time… haven't we?" Asgore asked, his expression turning to one of half excitement and half worry. "Shall we attempt to reveal ourselves to the humans?" They shouldn't even bother. Humans were unaccepting as far as they had shown me. What use was trying to enter another race into society?
Furthermore, what stopped them from killing these monsters just as quickly as they killed the first…?
"Humans are strange… whenever they see something… unlike them… They are filled with nothing but fear and malice…"
This wasn't good. They were going to be killed, or if humans decided against their initial sense of fear, they'd never be accepted… The monsters didn't know what they were getting themselves into…
"I think it is a wonderful idea!" The boss monster, Toriel, spoke up. No, it really isn't a good idea. "After all, we have been hiding for nearly three days now. Wouldn't it be nice to finally introduce ourselves?" Yeah… wouldn't it be nice throwing yourselves to your own deaths?
Frisk nodded, explaining something to the monsters. I couldn't hear it, as they were using… sign language? I could have sworn they had talked before. Before I could register what they were trying to say, another monster spoke up.
Well… as far as I knew, the flower was a monster. It let out a groan of annoyance, "Do you really think the humans will accept us so easily?" Its face was morphing into something terrifying. "They'll kill you all. Every. Last. One!" Finally, someone who was actually not completely optimistic about this whole thing.
With a small 'ack', Flowey flinched backwards as a spray of water pelted his face. It came from that smaller skeleton, Sans. "Piss off petals," He said with a smug look on his face.
"U-Um… maybe Flowey is a… a teensy bit right…" Alphys started, stuttering through her words. Great, a scientist's opinion on the matter. Maybe she could talk some sense into the monsters. "W-We can't all just r-rush out into a mob! They'd be terrified!" They'd be terrified anyway…
Undyne leapt up from her sitting position on a log, "Come on, Alphys! We can't just stay here forever! If we don't tell the humans we exist, how are they supposed to show me the GIANT SWORDS!?"
I was beginning to question the sanity of these monsters… Maybe this was some lucid dream I was having before I died or something…
"Yes, I can see why all of us going out at once may spark… some difficulties… However, staying here forever will just delay the inevitable." Toriel seemed to be insisting upon still going out… "I think that humans would be rather interested in magic! Maybe we could reforge what we had in the past and teach them again."
I had to double-take to realize what she had just said. How had I been so stupid? The food that they ate seemed to magically disappear when eaten. The tendencies to understand each other without any interaction was obvious… Then, there was the fact that some of them probably had actively been using it this whole time. For instance, the fire they had created. It had seemed weird that they were able to ignite it that quickly, and for the flame to rise with no effort...
Sans… despite his grin seemingly being closed, spit out his water he had been drinking. "Are… are you crazy?" I mean, no offense, Tori, but a human with magic could be devastating… After all, that's how they made the barrier in the first place…"
So, not only was I a threat to humans, but I also was a danger to monsters…
Alphys was seemingly getting more engaged in the conversation. It could have just been paranoia of doing something stupid… "Y-Yes… I don't think that w-we should go that far j-just yet… I-I mean… if you took that… mixed with our tendency to crumble i-if killing intent is there… we'd be killed if it g-got in the wrong hands…"
That sounded strange, and possibly even more of a problem for them than they thought. What if their own people misused magic? They were… too similar to me.
"Looks like someone here actually has a brain!" Flowey teetered back and forth in his pot with a sing-songy voice. Flowey was becoming relatable. "You, Toriel and Asgore, should know better than anyone." His face morphed into one similar to theirs. "They were the ones who killed your son!"
Frisk had completely locked up, while Asgore brought himself to his full height. "I understand that you are Frisk's friend, and I will treat you that way…" A lone fireball appeared in the king's left hand. "Talk about that again, and you will not be unscathed…"
Flowey leaned backwards, his petals shriveling in fear. "H-Hey… take it easy. I'm just saying that Asriel wouldn't want his parents going the same way he did…"
Asriel…
"You remember that name… don't you?"
"Let's just be strategic about this!" Flowey exclaimed, trying to worm his way out of the grave he dug himself in.
Asgore sighed, letting the fireball fade away. "Then, what do you suppose we do?"
"I HAVE AN IDEA!" Papyrus launched up into a standing position, a finger pointing into the air. "IF IT IS LARGE NUMBERS WE CAN'T HAVE, WHAT IF WE WENT IN THIS SMALL GROUP, AND TALKED TO THE HUMANS!"
A moment of silence passed, most likely due to no one having thought of that at all…
"It's been decided…" Asgore's low voice said. "We leave tomorrow. Undyne, tell the rest of the monsters, please."
"On it!" The fish monster yelled, barreling into the woods. The rest began dispersing shortly afterwards. Well, it seemed like that eavesdropping moment was over… At least there would be less of a chance for an immediate attack, but… how would they be able to integrate at all? Humans could and would shoot them down if anything went wrong.
But, it would be too risky to try to talk to a monster. There was no way of ensuring my safety at a-
"Sup kiddo."
"AH!" In a yell of surprise, I fell backwards, seeing a monster standing in front of me. I hadn't noticed him at all, but there was one who had seen me.
He stared down at me, those glowing pupils analyzing just what I was. That stagnant grin on the skeleton's face did not help any matters. I couldn't tell whether it was one of amusement or malice. "Wow… you're clumsy…" He seemed to laugh a small bit, extending his hand. "Here, lemme help you up."
I was hesitant to take his hand. Should I do it, or should I get myself up? Well, in fear of angering the monster, I took his hand.
Only for a fart sound to echo through the air.
"Heh… the ol' whoopie cushion in the hand trick… it's always funny." Sans let out a laugh at my surprised and fearful look. His pupils floated back to me, seemingly staring into my soul. "That's your cue to laugh… or…"
I knew I wouldn't have held off long enough. In that one moment, there was a small moment when my eyes had shown their true colors. "H-H-Hi?"
"Hm…" He seemed to think for a moment, but never commented on if he saw anything. "So you're a human… huh?"
I was terrified. He didn't seem like much of a threat, now that I was standing up.I was still taller than the skeleton, but that didn't change that he had some strange aura about him… It also didn't change the fear of him suddenly snapping my neck if he felt like it…
This was what humans felt, wasn't it?
"Y-Yes… I-I'm human…"
Shoving his hand back in his pocket, he inquired, "So… what is a human doing out here so late at night?" He was onto me…
"I…"
"That comedian…" For the first time, I had heard that thought in my head distinctly. I knew I had not thought that. It had just appeared… Was I… going insane?
"I-I got lost…" I lied, knowing that it wouldn't be good enough.
The skeleton let out a sigh, his pupils dimming. "Welp, I don't think that's enough for ya. You do know why I'm here, right?" I gulped in fear, shaking my head. "Listen, bucko, you have a LOVE of three, and that isn't easy to come by."
"W-What do you-"
"To put it simply, you killed someone." A chill went down my spine. He knew far too much without knowing anything about me. "You've been lurkin' around here for awhile now, thinking I wouldn't notice ya…"
I took a step backwards in fear for a moment, before the fear contorting to something else. "And you, assuming things that you don't understand…" My eyes freely started burning now, unafraid of being revealed. "How about you back off, and stop trying to read my soul or whatever you monsters do."
"Jeez, take it easy." He gave a shrug, narrowing his eye sockets. "Here, I'm a curious skeleton, so I wanna know somethin'." His pupils disappeared, blank voids being left behind. "Why are you here?"
I let out a sigh,fear beginning to once more wave through my soul. "I came because of the fact that you monsters are about to throw your lives away, trying to make peace with humans."
"Hm, how so?" He tilted his head a bit in question.
"Humans…" I started, remembrance flashing through my head. "Humans don't understand things that are different from them very well… They… they'll kill you all if you make one wrong move…" My knuckles began turning white. "They taught me that already…" I closed my eyes, the flames snuffing out. "If they decide against you… w-well… I don't think I want to repeat that again…"
Sans seemed to go silent for a moment. Those pupils just seemed to scan me as if I was some fragile being. "Here, how about you lay low until we reach civilization. If you know your way around here more than Frisk, then you'd be helpful."
"But I never agre-"
"Oh relax…" He spun on his heel, turning back to where the other monsters went. "Don't go telling me that you wanna go alone. That'd make you a liar."
He faded into the darkness, leaving me with my own thoughts.