"You take care of the little ones now Papyrus. Drive safely."
"WOULDN'T DREAM OF DOING ANYTHING ELSE, SAFETY IS MY MIDDLE NAME ALONG WITH GREAT! COME NOW CHILDREN, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM AND SPAGHETTI!"
Like a drilled military the kids produce umbrellas from their backpacks and open them, fittingly it sounds like a machine gun firing. The lobby grows quieter as Papyrus leads them outside, the last thing you hear is a blue four legged monster questioning whether or not snails would work as dessert.
"Toriel, you wouldn't know where Asgore is do you?" Undyne asks with her hands tinkering with her hair.
"I'm afraid you're more familiar with him than I am," Toriel replies.
Undyne removes the rubber band from her mouth and continues tinkering, "He told us he would meet us here, maybe he's running late. Can we join your lesson while we wait? I want to see a human teacher in action."
"If it's OK with them," Toriel says while looking at you.
"Um, sure, I mean, might as well start with two before jumping to a whole class," you answer while shrugging your shoulders.
"Good thinking, child. Are you ready?"
"I hope so."
The four of you enter the classroom and Toriel erases the notes from the previous lecture from the whiteboard. Alphys takes a seat and Undyne finds a pen and paper. She writes something down and walks out to the lobby.
"I'm just leaving a note if Asgore comes," she says as she returns. She takes a seat next to Alphys.
Toriel finishes cleaning off the whiteboard and hands you a book as she proceeds down the classroom.
"This is the book I want you to teach, I'm going to give you a couple of minutes to familiarize yourself with it," she explains as she seats herself next to Undyne, the stool creaks.
You make your way behind the teacher's desk and start exploring the book, "Using Magic: How to ensure steady usage and growth of inherent abilities," by Rauhot Loschar.
"Magic?" you question.
"Hm?" Toriel answers.
"You want me to teach magic, but, humans can't use magic," you explain.
"Yes, you can, you made the barrier," Undyne chips in.
"You didn't say that it was magical, I thought it was some sort of, I don't know, but not magical."
"But Papyrus said that you had plenty of books on magic in your library. Why would he lie?" Toriel wonders.
"There are books about magic it's just that they're."
"Then you do know about magic, can we continue with the lesson?" Undyne cuts you off.
"They're more like illusions. Like this," In one move you bend your right thumb behind your fingers and cover the other one with your finger leaving the nail visible. You make sure that it looks that the two thumbs are actually one. You scan your audience. Undyne is leaning forward with her eyes wide open, her mouth is open in suspension. Alphys is cowering literally waiting for the magic to happen, tail in hand as usual. Toriel has her hand on her mouth in deep concentration.
You wink twice with your eyebrows and exclaim a magical phrase as you pop the upper half of your thumb from your lower half. The shock of your successful illusion knocks both Undyne and Alphys back screaming, tables and chairs go flying and you throw your hands up.
"Nononono, see, my thumbs are here!" you say, flicking your thumbs in the air.
"You can grow them back?" Undyne yells out in confusion.
"No, Undyne, I never pulled it off, it was just an illusion."
They scramble back on their feet but the first three rows are now in severe disorder.
"Never ever do that again!" Undyne demands.
"I just wanted to show what the difference was. You have proper magic, this is just fake."
"I-i-t l-looked r-real," Alphys stammers out while tapping her claws nervously.
"Now now, Alphys, calm down," Toriel pleads in her trademarked soothing voice.
"I promise that it's only used for entertainment, I didn't mean to scare you," you reassure again.
"Human, though I respect your creativity with the source material I can't have you scaring your pupils. Please stick to the book," Toriel explains in a surprisingly serious tone.
"Yes, sorry, of course."
The first page contains a foreword from Asgore, "For the strengthening and pursuit of magic learning in our younger generation I offer this book my blessing," from Asgore Dreemurr. There's another foreword. "hOi," by Temmie. Powerful, you think. The bottom corner is taken up by a picture of what you presume is Rauhot, he looks like the monster equivalent of Mister Lister. You pray that it is not the case. The next page proofs that there is no God.
Step 1: Comfort.
As the magic starts to present itself in the child it may feel uncomfortable. Depending on the magic type there could also be shift in moods, drastic ones if left unattended.
That is not to say that you should discipline the child for those mood shifts but instead you should talk with the child, ask them how they feel and try to understand what they are going through.
Step 2: Open up
Magic is based on emotions, but letting your emotions get the best for you is seldom a good idea. As you talk with the child, share with them your own experience, tell them how it felt for you. As the presence of the child's magic becomes stronger the emotion it requires grows. This can manifest in outbursts of rage, decisions that may seem rash or illogical, and sometimes an excessive amount of crying may erupt. If your magic allows it, link them together, having a sturdy soul to lean against can help immensely.
Step 3: Reassure
This phase is something all monsters go through, and though it may take a toll on the child, remind them that it's something natural and that they will be stronger because of it. Their magic is nothing to be afraid of. They will get through this, with your help, they will.
Step 4: Encourage
All magic is unique but sometimes the usage won't present itself so clearly, find something positive about it and polish it till it becomes clear. Remind the child that all magic is useful, everything from conjuring to destroying. As with the latter, if the child expresses fear over its abilities, remind them that they control their magic, not the other way around.
You finish skimming through the list, at least their Lister is better than your.
"Human, I just remembered, the first fifty pages are dedicated to monster parents, the second half is for teachers," Toriel says with a little blush.
"Figured as much," you reply and flip the pages.
As a teacher you are an extension of the guardians, not a replacement. You should teach the fundamentals about magic usage and the expression of one's soul, split your classes between exploring both in similar detail, they are not the same thing. Show off your own magic and explain to them what they can accomplish but keep in mind that you don't promise too much. Using prominent monsters as examples, like Undyne and Asgore, is an effective way of stirring growth.
As the different magics start to appear you might find yourself with the thought of splitting them up depending on their type of magic. Don't! You may risk imposing an us versus them mentality. An example of playing to conjuration and destruction magic is to let the conjurers try to build something that's really difficult to destroy. If it breaks by the other kids' magic, ask them how the conjurers could improve their design, make them work together and build their magic together.
Great information, but how do you translate it? It seems like magic is best taught practically, using games and group projects. What about that soul stuff? You find it in the index and flip to the appropriate page.
A monster's soul is their source of magic usage and is just as unique as the magic it manifests. A child's soul is very moldable and with the right guidance, that hopefully being you, it can grow to expel great magic.
In contrast to the practical teachings of magic the soul is best encouraged through deep thought. The seed is experiences and the fertilizer is reflection, an hour of silent reading or discussion about something relevant to the life and on goings of your pupils. Make them think about the world, the insight will help them understand themselves and their soul will grow along.
Contrary to popular belief the soul is not the source of ones magic, it is a catalyst in which magic can manifest outside the body. Monsters are made of magic and by learning more about how magic works and how one works magic you can increase the effectiveness of the souls. But to grow it you need to learn about yourself, why are you here, what is your purpose.
Both disciplines are worth chasing, they're equal in enhancing ones magical abilities. Why schools should pursue the latter is to even out the high intense lessons of magic usage with the somber, more quieter lessons of soul growing. The exploration of magic outside of school should be encouraged of course but the curriculum should give the student some high intensity lessons and some lower intensity lessons so that they don't get bored.
"Do you feel comfortable starting the lesson?",Toriel interrupts.
"This stuff still feels foreign to me," you comment as you scratch your head.
"I know that it is asking much," Toriel pleads, her voice filling you with love and confidence.
You close the book and sigh through your lips.
"Screw it, let's start."
"That's the spirit human, fill me with your knowledge. Make my brain explode from the information!" Undyne cheers.
"J-just do what comes natural," Alphys adds.
You take a deep breath.
"I apologize if I'm interrupting. I saw your note Undyne and I'm off to meet the mayor, wait for me in the lobby," Asgore's head says before retreating back to the lobby. There's a moment of silence. Toriel's annoyed face is staring at the door before she motions with her hand for you to continue.
"So, yeah, welcome to your first lesson in magic and soul usage. For a starter, why don't we go around the class and introduce ourselves and our magic?" you start, "Starting with you."
"Well, my name is Toriel. I'm the headmaster for this school and my magic is fire and healing."
"Hello Toriel, looking forward to seeing your magic," you reply.
"Greetings everyone, my name is Undyne. I'm the head of the Royal Guard and my magic is conjuring spears and green magic."
"Nice to meet you Undyne, you're gonna have to explain what green magic is later."
You shift your eyes towards Alphys.
"U-um, h-hey, I'm Alphys and I-i'm the Royal Scientist, I think. My m-magic is, uh."
Her grip on her tail hardens.
"Relax Alphys, you don't have to share if you don't want to," you assure, "So, now that we've gotten to know each other, how about we start with some meditation."
A blue arm is raised.
"Yes, Undyne?"
"What's meditation?"
"Meditation is when you relax yourself and try to find your center, a sort of, exploration of the soul. It's a popular human tradition."
"So how do we meditate?" Toriel wonders.
"We can start off by finding something more comfortable to sit on."
"So human schools are just sitting around being comfortable? Awesome," Undyne cheers.
"Not really, this is unfortunately an exception rather than the rule," you explain as you start opening the various cabinets in the room looking for something more relaxing to use. No luck, they're filled with various instrument and books. At least you can use them for other lessons.
"What about this door?" Undyne asks, tugging at the handle of a door at the back of the classroom.
"Oh, I was told not to open that," Toriel answers.
"No reason?" you question.
"No."
"Huh. So no key?"
"I'm afraid not, child."
"I see," you hum out before walking back behind the teacher's desk. It is littered with various papers and documents, you make an effort not to read any of them. Come on, one of them must have, aha, nice, another one. You hold the paperclips high in triumph.
"What are those for?" Undyne questions, her fingers scratching her forehead.
"I'm guessing you can't make a key out of your magic and that Toriel don't want us knocking the door down with her magic, or with a large spear."
"That's true, I don't want to us breaking something and risk getting thrown out," Toriel agress, "but what are you going to do with those metal clips?"
"Isn't it obvious?" you say as you bend the one metal thread straight.
The clip slides in at the top of the lock.
"I'm gonna pick the lock."
"But, that's dangerous. Someone can see us! This was a bad idea, let's just go home," you said as you bounced nervously in front of your school's exit.
"Oh no, I'm not letting my sibling walk home with an F they don't deserve, we'll just add a line at the bottom and then we'll go," you brother explained calmly as he concentrated on the worn out lock.
"But what if a guard spots us, they'll call the police."
He stopped picking.
"You honestly think that this is the first time I've done this? That our school can afford to hire guards?" he asked loudly to prove his point.
"Y-you've done this before?"
"Pfft, plenty. I know this lock inside out, it's not even a challenge," he boasted, "And you know what?" he continued.
"What?" you had replied with a worried voice.
"It's better if you do it. You're gonna need this skill, trust me."
"B-b-but."
"None of that please, big brother has decided," he informed as he handed you the simple tools. "And big brother decided that you're mature enough. First."
"We apply pressure to one side using the bottom clip," you explain to your audience.
"Then you rattle the upper clip back and forth, if you're lucky, a pin might snap in place," he'd continued with a gentle hand on your shoulder.
"Unfortunately we didn't get lucky so we need to do it the hard way," you continue, feeling your friends' curios eyes in the back of your neck. A piece of Undyne's hair is resting on your shoulder. You brush it off.
"The end of that clip has a small bent in the front, use it to feel where the pin falls into place, start from the back and work your way towards yourself. Your grip is slipping, you need to pull a bit harder so that the pins stay up," he explained as your finger slipped.
You pull harder, feeling the ring that you made around your finger dig deeper into your finger.
"Did you hear that, that's the sound of a tumbler being unlocked, normal locks have about six of them," he congratulated with a smile.
"Cool," says Undyne.
"Sure is," he replied.
The ring is digging deeper and deeper as you continue. Your finger is bright red and is starting to feel numb.
"I know that it hurts but you're very close now, I've counted five pins," he reassured you after many agonizing minutes.
The pressure disappears as the last pin snaps into position causing the bottom clip to rotate with the lock, opening the door.
"See, told you, now, how to get into the cabinet?" he wondered as you two entered the darkened hallway.
"The key is in the desk," you remind him.
"Then why did you this then?" Undyne questions.
"Because I wanted to see what's behind it," you answer.
"But you said that the key is in the desk, but this was much cooler, you have to teach me this later," Undyne says while bumping your shoulder.
"Did I say that out loud? Never mind, let's see what's inside," you reply as you rub away the hit.
The room inside is dark and you fumble the wall for a light switch. The sight of felted chairs and bean bags greets you and you smile back.
"Perfect," you exclaim. You take a bean bag for yourself and invite the others to help themselves with whatever they want.
Toriel picks a felted chair while Undyne decides to share the biggest bean bag she can find with Alphys. You make a triangle in front of the desk.
"Now I want you to close your eyes and lean back into your chair. Shake your arms, get some of that excess energy off of you. Close your eyes and take a deep breath," you start after your class settles in their newfound seats. The sound of different shaped mouths breathing creates a sort of orchestra. Kinda,"Now, relax, feel your heart pumping your blood, feel it as it travels inside you. Just, be one with yourself."
You take your own advice and judging by the silence the others follow as well. You feel your heart in your fingers, you feel your rib cage expanding and you feel your tongue resting inside your mouth. You feel something else too, something, weird, sorta like, an aura or something.
It surrounds you, confining you in an energy you've never felt before. Is this, magic? You try to command it but you're not sure how. It doesn't respond. It just, exists there, with you. Your feel your curiosity grow with each passing second and after a couple you can't take it anymore. You open one eye slightly. A stunning picture hits your retina.
Toriel has a white heart hovering outside her chest, but it's not made of flesh, it's made of energy. The same energy that's around you? The heart is pulsing. It expands and contracts in a rhythm you can't put your finger on, it's not like a beating heart. She seems untouched by the phenomena.
You turn your head towards Undyne and Alphys. They're cuddled up against each other, one arm behind the other one's back and the other hand locked together. They're missing the floating heart but they have the same glow. It starts off in one color and mixes in the middle creating a beautiful display. Are they, together, in soul? Should you be watching?
You also notice that their glow is leaking, onto you. Toriel's is doing the same. What does that mean? Are you all linked? Can they feel you? You feel honored by their action, if it was conscious. You also feel ashamed, you're just receiving it, but you can't feel yourself giving something back. You decide to ride the high and focus on what it feels like. It feels, nice, you think, yes, definitely nice.
A loud bell snaps you awake and you see the glow disappear as you lunge your eyes open. Like a flash the glow leaves the room dark for a moment before your eyes readjust themselves. The bell continues.
"Sorry, it's mine," Toriel says while blushing as she answers her phone.
"HELLO TORIEL, THE KIDS ARE NOW SAFE BACK HOME WITH THEIR PARENTS! I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW TO PICK THEM UP AGAIN!" Papyrus says. His voice is leaking from the phone.
"Thank you again Papyrus, I'll see you later."
"IF UNDYNE IS THERE PLEASE THANK HER FOR THE TRAINING SHE GAVE ME EARLIER!"
Toriel looks at Undyne for an explanation but she is met by a rolling eyeball.
"If I meet her I promise I'll do that," she reassures.
The phone closes.
"So human, while we were meditating, did you feel something, weird?"
"You're talking about the glowing?"
"I think so."
"You've never felt something like that before?"
Her head lowers.
"Not something I want to talk about."
"Was it embarrassing for you? Did I do something wrong?" you worryingly ask. Did you infringe on them somehow?
"Don't make me repeat myself, please," she pleads.
"I just want to know whether or not to use it in my teaching, that's all," you try to explain again but her head stays lowered in thought.
"No, it was not embarrassing. It was comfortable."
"For us too," Undyne adds.
"It's just that, it reminds me of something that I'd rather not go back too," she says quietly while rubbing her arm with the other.
"Was it because of the fact that I'm human? Did I, interrupt some flow of magic or something?"
"No, on the contrary," she lifts up her head, two dark lines are going down her cheeks, "You added something."
"So does this mean that I can include it in my lessons?"
She stands up with her head still lowered, "No."
"Why not?" you ask with a raised voice as you shoot up from your chair.
"I'm sorry human, it's my fault, I shouldn't have been so quick. You can't teach the kids magic."
"W-what?"
"Alphys will teach them, I'm sorry human," she states without looking at you.
"That's not fair! You said that I added to the experience and now you're just going to steal my idea?"
"I can't risk jeopardizing the kids."
"What do you mean jeopardizing? I would never harm them, I let you sleep in my house. I trust you," you confront with your hand towards her.
"I'm sorry, I just can't risk," she tries to explain while shifting around uncomfortably, still avoiding your eyes.
"You're hiding something! The thing I added, what was it?" you demand.
"Human, don't," Undyne starts.
"Don't step in my way Undyne, stay out of this," you threaten. She's taken back by what you said, good, "Is it because I'm human, Toriel?"
"Yes."
You stumble backwards, "Yes?" You feel your face return to a normal expression, your flexed cheeks relaxes, letting blood back into circulation.
"I thought that human influence on monsters was rare, that only a handful could do it, but, it seems like all humans have this ability."
"But, what if I learn to control it?" you try to save.
"With the kids? No, out of the question. I have to stay firm on that," she explains firmly.
"Can't I teach something else, Alphys was supposed to teach science right? Maybe we can swap?"
"Seeing as science is based on magic, no," Undyne scoffs out.
"No, it's not," you scoff back.
"Yes it is," Undyne counters, seemingly unaware of your previous threat.
"OK, then what is electricity?" you ask with a smug grin.
"M-magic," Alphys answers.
"Why does some things float and other things sink?" you ask with a less smug grin.
"Magic floats, if you have magic, you can float," Undyne explains.
"Why do you need to breathe and eat?" you ask with a furrowed brow.
"To refresh our magic, it's not s-something we can naturally produce," Alphys says.
"But what if you don't use magic? Like say, a human?" you ask with an eyebrow raised.
"Then y-you eat because, hm," Alphys tries to explain before placing her hand on her chin.
"So this means that everything you know about science is based on magic?" you ask the group.
"Yes, Alphys is the smartest monster and she only uses magic in her science experiments. It's what we've always done," Undyne gleefully explains.
Interesting.