Stretching my arms out, I felt better than I had been since I had fallen. The bed was surprisingly soft but cramped for my glorious five-foot-long body. What happened to the previous occupant? Maybe they left granny goat to go to monster college where they partied and drank until they were unconscious. Or maybe they worked a nine-to-five job for a mega-corporation, slaving their lives away just to make ends meet... I dunno, who was I to judge? Though It was quite strange how small the bed was, wouldn't it have been replaced as they got older? Were monster boarding schools a thing?

I was still wearing my jeans and white t-shirt, both looking a bit more cut up and destroyed to be called stylish. Unfortunately, it seemed that the only clothes Toriel had were for kids that were at least 5 years younger than I was.

Toriel was sitting on her cute little snugly couch, reading a book about… snails? She looked up at me warmly, but there was a small tinge of sadness in her eyes that made me want to hug her again.

"These ruins are part of the Underground, where monsters were trapped, long, long ago. After the war in a moment of mercy, the humans sealed the monsters deep below the earth. Monsters of all shapes and sizes reside within these depths, living their lives. I am sure you have encountered many in the little time you have spent here in the Ruins.

"Well, there were white frogs, scared moths, and the sad ghost. They seemed nice, but a little weird.

"Ah, Froggits, Whimsums, and… Napstablook. It seems as if you have not encountered all the monsters in the Ruins during your adventures" she said

"Oh. While I guess it would be interesting to meet all these monsters, I am still a bit tired from dodging all those attacks." I replied as I sat down in one of the towering chairs beside the table.

"As a human living in the Underground, monsters may want to attack you. You will have to be prepared for this situation." She replied as she took on a teachery stance, the one where they weren't about to take no-nonsense and were about to say something they really wanted you to remember.

"Many monsters will use their magic on you, magic is an expression of their soul and the very material that holds their bodies together, to monsters magic is a method to communicate with others, a way to defend themselves, and an intricate part of their daily lives."

"Unfortunately, the normally harmless magic most monsters use to 'talk' with each other is harmful to a human's more physical body. Monsters that recognize you as a human will attack to defend themselves and those who don't will send their magic at you as a way to communicate." Toriel lectured as I imagined what she would look like wearing glasses.

"As long as you SPARE the monster, the monster will realize that you do not want to fight and will in kind, choose to SPARE you. Defend yourself and solve the fight without conflict by using your words and your magic."

"Well I have been doing that, but it seems like I can only summon umbrellas." Once again trying to summon an umbrella with a flourish... but nothing happened, it felt like I was trying to tug the disobedient umbrella out of a tub of molasses.

"You can do much more than simply create umbrellas, I assure you, my dear."

"A human's soul can have seven different potential colors: Orange, Yellow, Blue, Green, Purple, Cyan, and Red. Each color represents a different trait, like patience or kindness. A human with a certain color soul will be able to use the corresponding magic tied to that trait." She said as she rifled through her bookshelf.

"So what can a green soul do?" I asked in excitement

"Humans with green souls are known for their kindness, their magic expresses itself in ways that protect or heal oneself or others. Your umbrella is just one way in which your magic manifests to protect you from harm. If you attempt to directly harm others using your magic, your magic will fail as your magic's nature is kindness." Toriel lectured as she finally found the book she was looking for, 'Defending yourself from human mages'.

Toriel appeared abashed at the title of the book, quickly opening the book and tilting the cover away from my eyes. Flipping through the pages, she quickly found the page she was looking for and started reading aloud

"Green souls, a color that is only more common than the fabled Red souls. were capable of creating armor, fortifications, barriers, and healing the injured while traversing the battlefield. They are unstoppable juggernauts that lead the charge and protect those behind them," Her words were getting more rushed and her voice took a sandpapery tone, "tireless medics that bound across the battlefield healing their allies, and spontaneous architects summoning fortifications that other humans were able to gather and reconvene at. A light of hope for the humans perhaps, but dreaded by— I think this is a good point to stop my child"

Did she remember the war? She didn't recite it like some history book, but more like a memory burned into her mind. How old was Toriel? To remember a war that humans only remembered as stories told by parents to scare their children. Centuries? A Millenia?

Smiling warmly, but gripping my hand as if I would suddenly disappear, Toriel said "We can always talk about your gift another time. Would you like to bake a pie with me?