You stand in front of the bathroom mirror with a bottle of skin cream in your hand. With another sigh you squeeze out the last drop and turn your shoulder. A big stripe of young skin covers your side, one of Flowey's attacks. Feeling scar tissue and skin at the same time as you apply the moisturizer is something you don't think you can become familiar with. You toss the bottle on the pile of its empty brethren and flex your arm, at least you're regaining some weight. You grab your crutches, not leaning that much on them.

You prepare some breakfast and eat it in the morning sun. It will be a bit annoying for today's lesson but you're still happy to have it in your face. To hear birds chirping, breathe fresh air again and feeling a light tan form on your skin, it's good to be back home. You almost doze off in the warmth, but you catch yourself. The clock tells a different story though. How are you going to get there in time now? You'd need an extra pair of legs. You laugh at the idea, peek out of your patio door and call for it.

"Destination reached," your wheelbarrow informs.

You remove your arm from your eyes and blink to readjust them to the sunlight. The wheelbarrow bends down and you mount your backpack and take your crutches. Your vehicle walks to a parking space and squats down.

"How about you lean yourself on the wall instead? Tuck your legs in while you're at it," you ask it.

It obeys your command and disguises itself as a normal wheelbarrow, with flashing lights. You awkwardly tuck a crutch under your arm as you reach for the door handle. It opens from the other side and you almost fall over.

"Yo, the teacher is back!" you hear MK shout with the handle in his mouth.

A field of necks tilt upwards and smiles erupts on every face.

"Who's ready for some science?" you ask them.

They all cheer and make clouds with their mouths. You smile with them and make a cloud of your own.

"Welcome back, my child," Toriel says from the back of the group.

"Say, would you like to see the headmaster make a cloud?" you ask your students.

They turn their heads toward Toriel. She's taken back by your proposal, "Oh, a cloud? How do you make one?"

"Good question. Kids, how does the cloud form in your mouth?"

"Clouds form when there's cold or pressure," answers one.

"Yeah, you need to close your mouth and blow on your lips," continues another.

"And why does the cloud form?" you ask.

"Because you push the water together so that it becomes a clump."

"Wouldn't that make a big drop?" questions Toriel.

"Will only happen if you have a mouthful of water," you expand.

"Oh, I see. Fascinating."

"But enough stalling, let's see that vapor."

She closes her mouth and her face starts to vibrate. She holds it in for a long while before releasing. The cloud sails up towards the ceiling and crashes on it before disappearing. The kids go wild in awe, "Was that good?" she says with a blushing face.

"Biggest one I've ever seen," you congratulate.

"Thank you," she says and bows. She then scurries the kids outside for their recess, "So you can prepare your lesson in peace. I'll look after them meanwhile," she smiles as the last kid is outside. You nod and enter the classroom.

A bell rings after a while and soon your classroom is filled with whispers. Toriel wishes you good luck but you halt her at the door. The whispers stop, "Stay, I think you're gonna like this."

Toriel closes the door, "You sound very confident," her voice is filled with anticipation, "What is it you have planned?"

You ask her to dim the light and a couple of kids to close the blinds. The room goes dark. You didn't really plan for it to be this dark and you fumble for the on switch. White light illuminates the wall behind you and you lower a screen. You pick up a remote, "Life," You push a button on the remote and a spinning picture of a helix appears on the screen, "This, this is DNA, this is what I'm made of, what Frisk is made of, what all life is made of. This is what we humans thought, this was our truth, until you came. You are also life, but you're not made of DNA, you're made of magic."

They all pat themselves while you jump to the next slide.

"So today, I'm going to teach you how I'm made. You've already learned what you're made of, right? With Alphys?"

Toriel nods.

"So why not learn a bit about the life around you now, on the Surface?"

You flick to the next slide showing a green cell, "This is a plant cell, they're different from animal cells," a red cell materializes besides it, "The life based on DNA can be categorized into two kingdoms, the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom."

"Because of the cells?" a monster asks.

"Exactly."

"Do they have a queen and a king?"

You smile at the question, "Not really, we just call them kingdoms. Anyway, inside the cell's center there's a warehouse filled with DNA. The DNA contains all the information that makes up the cell and the life and from the DNA the cell builds thousands of proteins that perform different functions. We're are made of millions of these and they all live on their own. Like a community they work together to make, life."

"How does magic work then?" another monster asks.

"That I don't know, there's not been a lot of studying of magic since we humans don't use it anymore."

"Sometimes magic gets weird, bad things happen," another monster adds.

"The same can happen with DNA, it can be damaged and that can cause the cell to break down. It can also become hostile towards the life."

The classroom door is opened and the light is switched back on. You see a group of people in suits standing in the doorway.

"Speaking of hostile," you say in your head.

"Please, continue with the lesson," they motion for you to continue, "We don't want to disturb, just spectate."

"Is that why you switched on the light?", you beckon for the door, "Leave, I'll teach you this in private later."

"Can't, we have a strict schedule. We'll move to the back of the class if you feel that we're in the way."

They shuffle past Toriel, ignoring her stern gaze, and position themselves at the back wall and look around for chairs. They spot a stack next to you but you ask Toriel to turn off the lights again.

"Sorry, need to continue the class. Got lots to get through, right, Toriel?"

Despite the darkness you see her nod.

"Now, where was I?" you look towards the back of the room, "Oh yeah, cancer. Sometimes the DNA can get corrupted, start acting strange and maybe even harm the life. The easiest way is to remove the harmful cells but that can be tricky. It's nothing we usually want in our life. I guess you have something similar?"

Toriel nods.

"Teacher, I saw a very tiny human when Papyrus drove us here. What are they called?" another monster child asks.

"Babies," you answer.

"How are they made?"

"Babies get their DNA from both their mother and their father. Half from one and the other half from the other," you explains as innocent as possible.

Another small hand is raised, "How do the babies get the DNA?"

You shift your eyes to Toriel but she shakes her head, "Um, when a mother gets, uh," you try to explain.

"Just like how you were made, your mother and father love each other and decide to share their magic together, creating you. We do something similar but we share DNA instead of magic," the explanation comes from the back of the room, "Strict schedule, you looked like you needed some help."

Toriel and you look at each other confused, "Yes, thank you. Moving on," you nod.

You spend the remaining of the time talking about how cells reproduce and the difference between animal and plant.

Toriel flicks the light back on when you end the lesson.

"Pages thirty to thirty five is your homework, see you tomorrow," you finish.

The kids wave goodbye and head for the door with Toriel leading them. You sit down and start with some paperwork. Frisk walks up to you and give you an apple.

"Oh, thank you, Frisk."

They open their mouth but are pushed away by a suit, "Go out and play, the grown ups need to talk a bit."

"Just talk?" you retort with a raised eyebrow..

"Just talk, alone", they nod to their group and they leave. They take a seat on the other side of your desk, "I said alone, that includes you, kid."

Frisk emerges from the side of your desk.

"Wait with Toriel," you say with a forced smile.

Frisk gives the suit a look and then exits the classroom.

"Cute kid. Yours?" the suit asks.

You cock your head, "Hilarious. What do you want?"

"You've any idea how the monsters came in possession of it?" they asks again as they reach into their suit.

"Not a clue," you clamp your hands together, "Anything else?"

You're handed a letter. You take it and flip it around, "What's this?"

"Court order, delivered with less spit this time."

"Not without my lawyer, I refuse," you inform and throw the letter on the desk.

They look at their watch and dial up a number.

"Could you get the lawyer on the line?" they ask.

You hear some motion through the phone.

"Hello?"

Its your lawyer.

"Hi there, were you just handed a letter? A court order?"

"Yes, but."

The suit ends the call.

"You are summoned to a trial to discuss and decide legislation regarding the monster's political power and citizenship."

You pick up the letter again.

"Since you've been socializing with them you are to act as a witness to their personalities and actions. You are also forbidden from any further interaction with them until the trial is over."

"What?" you exclaim.

"Since you're acting as our witness you are free to walk around us humans. Compensation for lost work will be handled after the case is closed," they relax their pose, "Finally, I hate that talk," they lean over your desk, "Listen, we just want to make sure that their relocation to the surface goes smoothly. We don't want another incident. You have to understand that."

You scratch a scar on your arm, "Of course I do, but banning me from seeing them?"

"We don't want to have an unfair trial as it would reflect badly on both sides. You will of course not see or hear anything from us until the trial. See it as a vacation, to recharge your batteries."

You narrow your eyes, "Am I free?"

"To walk around and continue with a normal life, yes. No monsters though, and no magic as well."

"Science?"

"Science's not magic, you're free to come up with a new type of medicine if you'd like," they suggest with a smile.

You flip the letter between your fingers.

"Do you understand everything? Is anything muddy?" they reach into their suit again, "If not, then please sign here."

A piece of paper is brought before you.

"If you don't understand you'll have to be placed in custody. If you understand the terms you are free to go to the moon for all we care. You just need to be present at the trial."

You grab a pen and sign your name.

They roll up the signed document and place it inside their suit,"We don't mean you or the monsters any harm. We are just doing our job, to ensure the safety of our people. Monsters are back, they've escaped from a prison that was erected by us, and they possess powers we're not capable of wielding. There's also the case of the missing children. We need to sort out that situation at the very least."

They scan your face but you're not convinced, "Listen, I want to have a soda with them as much as you do. You are our greatest asset, but you're also their greatest asset. They have a connection with the humans through you and we have a connection with the monsters through you. We made it a priority to have you on our side, humanities side, and luckily we got you before they did. Just avoid any contact with them until after the trial and I'll treat you and the female goat to lunch. Sounds good?"

You let the question hang for a bit before nodding.

"Great, see you in two weeks then."

"Wait, before you go. How did you know about the monsters reproduction?"

They sit down again, "I didn't, still don't. When you have kids of your own you'll learn how to explain things like you know them. You know how to explain things that you do know. You're a good teacher, hopefully you'll spend your free time whipping up something good for your pupils when you return."

They stand up and extend their hand. You lean on a crutch and take it.

"Enjoy your vacation."

They leave and you lean back in your chair while examining the paper you've been given. It's heavy.

Toriel enters after a minute. You halt her at the doorway.

"What's the matter?" she says with worry on her face.

You stretch yourself and hand her the paper. She places a hand over her mouth as she reads it.

You lean back in your chair, "Guess you have to ask Alphys to fill in for me tomorrow."

She reads it through again, "But, why would they do this? We just want to get back to our real home, not start another war. We just want to live together, us monsters and you humans."

You look at the scar on your other arm, "All monsters?" you ask her.

"Yes, we all want to get back to living with you, together, in peace," she sees you examining your wounds, "He's not one of us, he's pure evil. Nothing good has ever come of him."

"Didn't he break the barrier? With the help of the seven human souls?" you don't get an answer, "How did he get the human souls? Did they fall down?" she looks away, "Toriel, did you hold the humans hostage?"

"No, I protected them from Asgore," she says with a raised voice. She fails to catch her words and tears form in her eyes.

The paper falls gently on the ground as Toriel closes the door behind her and you hop over to it, struggling to pick it up. You read it through again. A thought forms in the back of your head. You didn't want to admit it before but the evidence just ran out the door. Flowey was right. You pack your things and notice the apple Frisk left. After some debating in your head you take it with you.

A whistle calls for you as you step outside, "Need a ride home? I'm afraid I can't let the skeleton drive you home. Though it pains me to say it, his car is off limits as well."

You look over to your own vehicle, "You got space for my wheelbarrow?"

"Is it repaired? By the monsters?" they ask as they roll it towards their car.

"They only trimmed it a bit, increased its capacity and speed," you lie.

"With magic?"

"A better battery and a more efficient engine."

"No magic?" they ask again.

You shake your head, "No magic."

They shrug, "Well, you signed the document, and help you lift it in the trunk of the car. When they close it they spot a foot hanging under the handle. You twist your tongue trying to come up with an explanation.

"Looks like they also put in a more comfortable handle," they say with a wink.

"Yeah, sure. Thank you."

They round the car and you seat yourself on the passenger side.

"I'm just doing my job, and my job description is protecting this country," they explain as they pull out from the parking lot.

"Yes, I understand that," you look outside the window, "Still."

"Yeah, I know. I take no joy in being the bad guy, trust me."

You sigh, "I want to."

"You've not had much human contact these past weeks?"

"No, not really."

You see Papyrus' car pass you by.

"This trial is going to be held behind closed doors, with both human and monster juries."

You tilt your head towards them, "I know, I read it."

"What I'm saying is", they explain with their hand, "that perhaps you should balance out your connections, seek out some humans to befriend, make the trial as fair as possible. It is going to decide the future of our coexistence," they give you a smile, "No pressure."

You look out the window again and try to process everything.

After a while they drop you off outside your house and wave goodbye. You wave back and wait a minute before you command your wheelbarrow to get back in its shed. With your head heavy with thoughts you make lunch and sit yourself outside on the patio. A breeze passes you by and you reach into you pocket and hand the paper to the space beside you. A hand grabs it.

"No more ketchup for you for a while, sorry man," you say to the empty air in front of you.

You're handed back the letter with a note stuck on it. It almost flies away as a gust of air tucks it.

"This note is not written to anyone in particular and is in no way associated with any form of interaction. I just want to say that we're not holding anything against whoever reads this note, whatever they decide to do. Whoever reads this will be missed if things go bad and will also be welcomed back if they decide to. Whoever reads this should also buy more ketchup."

It appears that word travels quick. You fold the note in half and place it in your shirt pocket before finishing your meal. You read through the court order again and decide that you need some legal advice.

The iron gate squeaks as you open it. You look around to make sure that you're alone and walk up to your family.

"Hi again. Better late than never?" you take a seat on a nearby bench, "Sorry."

You listen for something but no one comes.

"I'm going to trial, don't worry, it's nothing illegal. I should probably start at the beginning. Monsters are real, I found them on our plateau, in a cave. Crazy, huh?"

Still nothing.

"I was offered a job, as a teacher. The kids love my lessons," you laugh, "but I think I might have overdone it with the mouth clouds," you shrug your shoulders, "Eh, it is cute and the kids like it so no harm done, right?"

You feel your smile fade away and you lean down on your knuckles.

"The monsters, they're, were, not good people. They've done some horrid things, but they've not showed anything here. They've talked about a new chapter, but still."

You feel your thoughts overwhelm you.

"I don't know what to do. I'm about to decide if they should live here, with us. But they've killed kids. They wouldn't hurt a fly up here but down there? One almost killed me! Can I forgive them for that?"

Your head disappears into your hands and you let it sulk there until you hear gravel being trampled on. You shoot up and dry your face.

"We here to respect the dead?" you hear the man ask.

"You think my family's curse is going to spread to the other graves if I continue?"

You hear him walk closer to you, "With monsters walking the Surface, bringing magic back from the Underground, you'd have to be a fool not to think that something is about to go amiss," he stops beside you, "Mind if I sit down?"

You scratch your nose, "It's your graveyard."

The pastor seats himself on the other side of the bench, "My child, please listen."

"Why should I? Wouldn't I melt from the holiness of your words as the cursed being that I am?"

He puts a hand on your shoulder, "You're upset."

You pick it up and throw it back at him, "Of course I'm upset, I wouldn't come here if I weren't. Don't pour salt in my wounds, please. Not again," you massage your forehead.

"If you think that I'm going to forgive your parents for what they did," the pastor says quietly.

"Ha!", you laugh, "You act surprised that monsters walk the earth despite seeing one in the mirror every day?" you stand up, "What do you want? Leave me alone."

He walks in front of you, "Don't think that I don't weep for your parents. I weep for all that I have under my wings. I won't forgive them, but I will mourn their deaths."

You look down, "I don't know if I can apologize either," you pick up your crutches, "but I appreciate it, father."

He catches your eyes, "I also weep for those that are not in my garden. Especially the kids that lie below us."

"What makes you think that they died in the Underground?"

"Don't be naive, I'm very familiar with the legends. Despite them being only that they hold cultural value to us."

"So, you know why we went to war?"

He shakes his head, "No, there's not a single book containing anything about the Barrier and the war."

"So the only ones that would know are?"

"The monsters, yes."

You pinch your nose.

The pastor steps out of your way, "They have that name for a reason, don't forget that. Don't let the poor children's deaths go unpunished, that is all I ask of you."

"After all you've said to me, my family. You think that you're in any position to make demands?" you scoff out.

They lift up their shirt and you see a huge scar going across their back. It looks like yours, the same clean cut and width. He sees your reaction and releases his grip from his frock, "Some legends are true and some turn to dust. Keep that in mind, my child."

You scramble for your crutches and hop for the exit. The iron gate squeaks as you close it. You look back and see the pastor kneeling before your family. A wind disturbs a nearby aspen. They wish you good luck.