Author's Note: Before I begin, I want to let you all know that this is my first published story, and it's based on the basic Undertale game mixed with a character concept I have been developing in my head for a while now. I apologize ahead of time if there's slow updates to this. I hope you all enjoy! This story is heavily inspired by Toby Fox's game Undertale. Also it's like 9:30 at night right now so if there's any grammar or spelling mistakes please let me know. Also this is just the prologue so I hope you all enjoy the introduction to Crys! (Yes the character is named after my pen name I am not creative when it comes to names)

**PROLOGUE**

"Long ago, two races ruled over the surface of the earth: Humans and Monsters. They lived together peacefully for generations, but one day Humans grew jealous of the Monsters' powerful control over magic. This jealousy sparked a war so great, it divided the two races forever. The battle was long and gruesome, with many deaths on both sides. However, through the long-fought battle, the humans gained the upper hand, and emerged victorious from the war. 7 human mages, rare humans with an affinity for the magic thought exclusive to monsters, combined their efforts to seal the monsters deep beneath Mt. Ebbot. They used their gifts to create an impenetrable barrier, sealing the two races apart for all eternity. Anyone who climbs Mt. Ebbot and falls in will certainly fall to their death, for no monster will show mercy to a human."

16-year-old Crystal Draconis finishes reading the passage in her textbook Myths and Legends of Ebott Village. Sighing, she looks out the classroom to stare at the distant mountain. Surely, merciless magical creatures like the monsters can't exist beneath that behemoth of rock and stone in the distance? Her hand absentmindedly doodles a small dragon in the corner of her notebook, circling the mountain lazily. Are monsters really violent creatures like the passage implies, or are they simply villainized by the writers of history to justify the war? She may never truly know.

Crystal has never been a 'normal' kid. Ever since she was little, she's always been the odd one out. Her mannerisms, her outgoing nature… her appearance. Sure, she's always considered herself a human. Her parents are humans, the village is humans… but nobody can deny the curved white horns that are constantly peeking from her head, the unnatural purple streaks in her hair, the odd amethyst coloring and slit pupils of her eyes, the white scales peppering her body like freckles, the long reptilian tail and bat-like wings that hang from her back and spine. The physical description of Monsters in the books fits her more than most of the humans around her. As more of her classmates around her finish the passage, they turn to look at her, murmuring to themselves and eyeing her as if she's going to attack any minute.

After what feels like hours of staring, the teacher finally stands once more. "Alright class," Mr. O says, snapping the gaze of my classmates away from me, "Now turn to page 125 and read the passage." The sound of pages flipping is heard as everyone turns to that page, and Crystal too flips to the next passage.

"It was only a few years after Chara's disappearance when the Monsters surfaced once more. It was a tall, freakish goat monster, holding the young 10-year-old's corpse in its paws. It stepped into the village without fear, a silent threat to all of humanity. Before it could harm any more of our people, it was driven from our town with mortal wounds. It is a miracle no human was injured. Nobody shall climb the mountain, for the monsters kill even children without remorse." Alongside the passage is drawn a windigo-esque drawing of a goat, carrying a dead child in one arm and a fireball in the other, a menacing inhuman grin spread upon it's mawed face as it gazes at the reader on the other side of a page.
Crystal reads the passage over and over, glancing at the gruesome image of the monster next to it. Did this event truly happen? After a couple times reading it, Crystal notices eyes on her again, as if they were appraising her to see if she too was a murderer. Luckily, before many people can think much of it, Mr. O steps in.

"After reading the two passages, what do you guys think of the monster legend? Do you think it is true?" Mr. O's gaze surveys the room, and he points to the class jock.
"Yeah, definitely. I mean, if a freak like Crystal exists and she's practically a monster already, they are obviously real." The jock says this in a matter-of-fact tone, and half the class chuckles or nods at his assessment. Mr O merely sighs, neither confirming nor denying, and continues with the lesson.

For the rest of the school day, Crystal gets called a monster repeatedly, eventually cracking. As soon as the bell rings, she weaves through her jeering peers, wincing as people step on her tail and body check her on the way to the door. As soon as she leaves those menacing doors, she doesn't stop. Maybe… Maybe the legends are true. If the monsters truly exist, maybe they aren't as merciless as her classmates. Maybe… maybe they will treat her as an equal. Her steps hesitate as she thinks of her family. Her kind parents, her dog that greets her with kisses whenever she gets home. Do they harbor silent doubts and regrets about her form? Sometimes Crystal's parents whisper amongst themselves, casting glances at her. Sometimes, late at night, the dog will get scared of her before remembering who she is. Is she really a merciless freak like the monsters in the textbooks? If so, her parents would be happy if she disappeared.
Following her own flimsy logic, Crystal decides to pass her house, the insults of her classmate echoing in her brain. She'd help everyone if she were just to leave. She's a freak, a monster. She should join her kind.
Crystal enters the forest, walking fast and determined to get rid of the burden that she is on her family and her village. Determined to leave the place that she knows doesn't want her. Determined to go where no human returns alive. Determined. Crystal continues to power walk through the forest towards the mountain. Towards Mt. Ebott.
Eventually she reaches the base and begins to climb, her thoughts only of ridding herself from burdening others. When she finds a cave, she enters it, wondering if this is where the mages stood in the story, so many years ago. One, two, three steps, and she stands above a hole. A hole so deep she cannot see the bottom. One more step, and there's no going back. One more step, and she'll either die or be in the realm of monsters, something the textbooks say is a place full of murderous predators. One more step, and she will no longer burden her family with her inhuman presence.
Just.

One.

More.

Step.

And she falls.