A modern AU that nobody asked for but I decided to write anyway :P This one was already written and was sitting on my drive for forever. I'm happy to finally have finished it!


Hargon said he'd consider their words if they defeated the master of destruction. Thousands of years into the future, he gets a chance to do so.

Friends

Malroth swung his club extra hard, mortally wounding the High Priest. Hargon let out a pained cry and hunched over, pain radiating throughout his body. He was going to die, and for good this time; there weren't enough medicinal herbs in the world to cure this kind of mortal wound.

"Making friends? Building for fun?" he scoffed. "The thought alone makes me want to retch..."

Malroth and the Builder remained on-guard, watching silently as Hargon's last bit of strength dwindled. It wouldn't be long now until the High Priest would be gone, and then they'd have to take down the ultimate god of destruction.

"However..." The destructive young man cast a curious glance back at his best friend, who shrugged, unsure as to what their enemy was about to say next.

"If... and only if... you can destroy the Master of Destruction... I will... consider... what you have said..."

...

...

"Oi, Builder."

She'd been having the strangest dreams lately. She couldn't exactly remember any of them but she knew they certainly weren't like any other dreams she'd ever had. These ones filled her with dread and made her feel a longing, like she'd forgotten something important. But what?

"Builder."

"Mmh... Five more minutes..."

"You don't have five more minutes, you're late. C'mon, you gotta get up."

The blonde groaned. Part of her wanted to fall back asleep in hopes of that dream continuing so she could remember what it was about, and part of her was also feeling lazy. Mornings used to be her strong suit, but now, at nineteen, she loved getting to sleep in.

A firm hand shook her again, more insistent this time. "If you don't get up, Professor Shane's gonna lock you out and count this as an absence. You know he's got it out for you. He'll use any excuse he can to make your life more miserable so don't give him one."

The young woman in question yawned, cracking open her eyes. Malroth, her best friend since middle school, was standing at her bedside, arms folded across his chest. His hair was tied back in its signature ponytail and he was wearing his favorite outfit: a bone necklace that he'd gotten at some old antique shop, a purple muscle shirt, a pair of orange joggers, and red and gray sneakers. He already had his backpack on; he was ready for class unlike the sleepy girl before him.

"Alright, alright, I'm up..." she muttered, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's seven forty-five."

That woke her up. "What?"

Malroth gave her a knowing look, hands on his hips. "I told you, we're gonna be late."

The blonde scrambled out of bed, almost tripping over her own sheets in the process. She hurried towards the bathroom and rushed to get cleaned up for the day, mentally kicking herself for sleeping through her alarm again. Lulu would surely be waiting to give her an earful if she didn't make it to class on time. The pinkette hated having to suffer through World History by herself, or worse, alone with Malroth. All three of them were best friends, but Lulu and Malroth bickered like siblings, with Builder often playing the role of mediator.

At least Malroth had woken her up today. That would spare her a lecture, at least from Lulu, anyway. Goddess knew how many times Lulu had stomped up here to give her an earful for sleeping in late.

After tugging a comb through her unruly locks, the blonde tossed her hair up into pigtails and rushed back out into her bedroom to grab a pair of leggings, a red and white tunic top, boots, and her favorite yellow scarf. Malroth was sitting on her bed, scrolling through his phone, and she went back into the bathroom to change. Once she was finally ready for the day, she grabbed her backpack and hoisted it onto her shoulders. She made sure everything in her apartment was turned off before waving to Malroth.

"You coming?"

"Yup." He turned his phone off and they set off towards Awakening Community College. The campus wasn't exactly far; it was relatively close, which often meant Builder allowed herself to hit the snooze button on her alarm. Which lead to mornings like these, when she was running late and Malroth or Lulu had to come wake her up, lest she miss classes.

Everyone nicknamed her "Builder" due to her creative exploits in the art department. She was talented in everything she did, whether it was printmaking, painting, welding, sketching, woodwork... She was a bona fide artist through and through. Malroth, on the other hand, wasn't good at art. He wasn't a writer, certainly couldn't make anything, and he wasn't good at cooking, having nearly burned down Builder's apartment the last time he'd tried to surprise her with a home-cooked birthday dinner. He was, however, unmatched in sports: everyone wanted him on their team. He'd won quite a few trophies in high school and now, in college, he was already on his way to earning more.

As they hurried towards ACC, they both couldn't help but appreciate the sights around them. New Cantlin City was definitely a great place to live; it was where monsters and humans lived together in harmony. The streets were filled with regular humans and creatures of varying shapes and sizes, and the best part was that no one batted an eye at each other. It wasn't perfect, of course—there were still some tensions between monsterkind and humanity—but for the most part, everyone was rather tolerant.

Malroth and Builder made it to class with only a minute to spare. Just as they'd expected, Lulu was sitting at her usual spot, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the desk impatiently. She raised an eyebrow at Builder, who grinned sheepishly.

"Honestly, Builder, you need to start going to bed earlier," the pinkette admonished.

"I was going to, but then I got this great new idea for my Drawing II midterm," Builder explained. "It's gonna be so cool, I already sketched it out and worked out all the details of—"

"Sorry I'm late, man. I, like, got stuck in traffic. Wasn't part of the plan, man." Professor Shane strode into the room, a thermos of coffee in one hand with a briefcase in the other. As he set his things down on the desk and logged onto the computer to take attendance, his single yellow eye sweeping over the room. When he saw Builder was in her seat, on time and right where she should be for once, the shaman snorted. "Finally made it to class on time, eh? That's good, man. Keep it up and I won't have to dock your attendance grade, man."

Builder held back a groan. Sometimes it was better to not react. Malroth, on the other hand, grit his teeth together at their professor's rudeness. He wanted nothing more than to tell his professor to take that attendance grade and shove it where the sun didn't shine, but that wouldn't do anything except get him thrown out of class (not like it would be the first time, but still). Builder must have sensed her friend's ire because she flashed him a reassuring smile; some folks were just jerks.

As the day went on and the trio of friends eventually separated to go to their respective classes, Builder's day improved immensely. She hurried to her Drawing II class, eager to get started on her latest idea for the upcoming midterm. When she entered the room, she set up her work station and played on her phone while waiting for the professor to show up; she'd need his approval to go ahead, anyway. The other students chatted quietly among themselves, everyone sitting at their usual tables.

Builder happened to look up just as a tall, thin student shuffled into the room; he was a monster with blueish skin, webbed ears, massive teeth, and half-lidded, yellowed eyes. He would have looked menacing if not for the shy, kicked-puppy expression on his face. He scurried to a table towards the back of the room and seemed to avoid making eye contact with anyone. For some reason, he looked incredibly familiar to Builder, who couldn't take her eyes off of him. She couldn't place where she'd seen him, or if she'd seen him, for that matter, but she definitely recognized him from someplace.

"Good morning, class."

The soothing masculine voice that boomed throughout the room grabbed Builder's attention, forcing her to look away from the obviously-new student. Everyone returned the greeting in unison, earning a smile from the gentle soul currently placing his books down on his desk. All of the students had respect for Pastor Al, a local religious authority who was passionate about gardening and the arts. He was renowned for his calm, gentle demeanor and he encouraged all of his students to be the best they could be. Builder herself could attest that if he hadn't pushed her to think outside the box sometimes, she wouldn't have become the great artist she was today. Her friend Rosie had even become a successful horticulturalist thanks to the pastor's guidance and encouragement.

The class proceeded as it normally did for a good twenty minutes or so. Pastor Al wasn't the best artist in the world, but he was certainly a great teacher all the same, patient and kind when helping his students figure out how to improve their pieces. Once he finished filling everyone in on what the next project would be, the class then broke off into their own mini-groups and set to work on the drawing assignment for the day.

Builder grabbed her sketchbook and walked up to her professor. "Hey, Pastor Al! Could you approve this for me?"

"Certainly, Builder." A proud gleam entered the magus's eye. "On top of things as always, I see. Let's have a look at what you've got, hm?"

She opened the book to her latest sketch, explaining her vision as best as she could manage. When she was finished speaking, Pastor Al nodded.

"You may go ahead with it. I look forward to seeing the finished product."

Builder thanked him and hurried back to her spot. She began going through her backpack for her iPod and headphones, already trying to figure out how to start the drawing she had in mind when she heard the magus make his way towards the new student.

"Ah, you must be Hargon," he greeted. "Welcome. I am Professor Alakazam, better known by my title as Pastor Al; I'll explain what project we're working on in just a moment."

Hargon? Builder's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Where have I heard that name before? Why does that sound so... familiar?

After Pastor Al helped one of the other students figure out why their piece looked out of proportion, the monster made his way towards Hargon. As soon as the pastor finished giving him a run-down of the class expectations and handed him a syllabus, the blue monster opened his sketchbook to a fresh page and quietly set to work. Builder spared a few curious glances in Hargon's direction but mostly kept her focus on the project before her. When she'd finished sketching out a rough outline, she stepped back to get a different perspective of her drawing when she noticed that everyone appeared to be giving the blue monster a wide berth, as if he were a virus. He didn't look mean... So why was everyone avoiding him? She didn't sense anything off about him. Maybe he was just a little eccentric...?

Builder frowned at that. Eccentric or not, no one deserved to be all alone. If he turned out to be not-so-nice, she'd deal with it, and she knew Malroth would have her back either way. She glanced at her iPod and headphones before stuffing them back into her backpack, her decision clear. She quietly stood up and approached the monster's table. Hargon seemed so into his drawing that he didn't notice her admiring his work, so when he lifted his eyes to grab a few other charcoal pencils, he nearly jumped at the sight of the bubbly blonde.

"Excuse me," her voice was sweet and warm. "I really like what you're drawing. How long have you been an artist?"

He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. "Um... I-I've been drawing since I was ten."

"Really? No wonder your style looks so good! I love the way those flowers look, you blended their colors very well."

He eyed her warily as if she might attack him at any moment. "...Thank you."

Builder decided it was safe enough to sit down. He seemed to be more afraid of her than she was of him anyway. "So, did you just move here? I don't think I've seen you around."

Hargon seemed to sit a little straighter at that. "Oh yes, I was just accepted into Awakening Community College."

"Cool! How do you like it so far?"

Just like that, he wilted slightly. "It, um... it's actually my first day here."

Realization dawned on her. How stupid could she be? Of course he looked like a kicked puppy—he didn't know anyone here and he was probably nervous. "This must be your first class of the day, huh?"

He nodded.

"Well!" She grinned and, to her relief, Hargon cracked a small smile as well. "I've been going here since last year and it's a really lovely place. I think you'll enjoy your time here once you get used to where everything is."

Neither of them said anything for a few awkward beats. Hargon shifted in his seat, unsure of what to do or say, and Builder wondered if she was making him uncomfortable. After mulling it over, the blonde finally grinned, holding a hand out. "Well, it's been a pleasure speaking with you! Everyone here calls me Builder so you're more than welcome to call me that as well. I usually sit a few tables closer to the front so if you'd ever like to chat or geek out over art, feel free to come bug me."

The monster hesitantly shook her hand, and when he saw that she truly meant him no harm, he perked up. "My name is Hargon. It's nice to meet you."

"My word, Hellen! Are you alright?"

The entire class turned at Pastor Al's exclamation. Sure enough, the wrecktor in charge of Cooking 101 stood in the doorway covered head-to-toe in a thin layer of ash. Standing next to her was a familiar spiky-haired young man with a thunderous expression on his face; he, too, sported ash on his clothing.

"I am fine, Pastor," she assured. She placed her hands on Malroth's shoulders and gave him a light push, and he stepped fully into the classroom. "Please do me a favor and allow this hooligan to sit in here while we get things cleaned up. He is not in trouble, but I don't think my nerves could handle another accident."

The flustered professor rushed off before Pastor Al could say anything. After the class's attention returned to their individual projects and Pastor Al instructed him to have a seat wherever he saw fit, Malroth strode over to Builder and Hargon.

"Yo." Malroth gave a mock-salute as he grabbed a chair for himself.

"Blew up the cooking room again, did you?" Builder teased. "What were you guys making?"

"Believe it or not..." Malroth's cheeks and ears turned pink with embarrassment. "Hellen was trying to teach us how to make grilled cheese."

"And you blew up the kitchen."

"Hey!" Malroth put her in a playful headlock and gave her a noogie. The blonde laughed and easily got out of his grip to fix her hair. "It's not my fault the pan happened to catch on fire."

"Yeah, sure. How much butter did you use?"

"I dunno. The whole stick?"

Builder face-palmed. "Malroth, oh my god."

"I don't know! Why do you think I'm taking that stupid class?" he grumbled. When he finally realized Hargon was sitting there watching the two warily and curiously, he offered a rather intimidating grin. "Hey, didn't see you there. What's up?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I almost forgot," Builder clucked her tongue. "Malroth, this is Hargon, a fellow artist and a new student here at ACC; Hargon, this is my best friend, Malroth."

Malroth shook the monster's hand before giving him a once-over. Hargon wasn't sure how to interpret the action; Builder's supposed best friend looked like he could be quite the bully if he wanted to be. He was a rather tall fellow with toned, rippling muscles underneath his muscle shirt. Normally, Hargon would have felt fear at the sight of muscles—that usually meant the owner of said muscles could dole out some serious damage if they wished; he knew from past experience—but he was more focused on the name.

"Mal-roth?" Hargon squinted at the tough young man. "That name sounds awfully familiar... Have we met before?"

Malroth grinned. "You may have heard of me. I'm pretty awesome."

Builder playfully smacked his arm. "Mal is captain of the wrestling team, plus he's dabbled in all the other sports teams on campus. One of his trophies is on display in the physical education building. He's known for being a pretty tough cookie, but he's a big softie once you get to know him."

"I am not."

The blonde grinned at him. "Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too~!"

"I'll show you who's a softie, c'mere!"

Malroth lunged for her and she squealed, leaping out of his reach. As he continued trying to reach out and pinch her, Hargon watched them with a mix of amusement and confusion. Something felt familiar about these two, like he'd known them for a long time. The dopey smile, bright blue eyes, even her stylish neck scarf... He knew he'd seen Builder before, but where? And Malroth, with his intimidating appearance and strange name... Something about him was so familiar that Hargon felt like he'd forgotten something important. But what could it be...?

"Anyway," Builder playfully shoved at Malroth and he chuckled. "Mal and I have been attending Awakening Community College since last year. If you ever need help finding a building, just let us know. We're more than happy to help and if you'd like, you can hang out with us anytime."

Now that was new. Hargon couldn't remember the last time anyone had ever willingly offered to hang out with him. He could vaguely remember his mother asking other kids to let him tag along with them when he was much younger, which was humiliating and definitely a low he never wanted to experience again. People, both human and monster alike, didn't like him. They often gave him the cold shoulder without giving him a fair chance. He'd spent the majority of his life watching everyone around him laugh and play and make friends with ease while he got to sit by himself. No matter what he did, said, or how he acted, no one wanted to be around him or talk to him. Sometimes he wondered if it was because he was ugly, or if he had an annoying laugh, or if he was just truly unpleasant company; whatever the case, all he knew was that it wasn't fun being alone all the time without any friends. He was used to it, but he didn't like it, and he had expected college to be no different.

"You really want to hang out... with me?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't we?" Malroth grinned, Builder mirroring her friend's sunny expression.

Hargon was used to people hating him and treating him like someone underfoot. The fact that Malroth and Builder were treating him like an actual person was astounding to the blue monster.

"I... I don't know what to say," he admitted. Builder, however, waved off his awkwardness and retrieved her cell phone from her pocket. She opened up an app and handed the device to him.

"Here, let's exchange numbers. That way if we don't share too many classes, we can still keep in touch."

"B-but I don't understand," he sputtered, reluctantly accepting her phone. Builder's smile dimmed some at the sadness that leaked from his voice. "Why would you want to be friends with me?"

"Well... Why not?"

Hargon wasn't sure how to respond to that, but after a moment, he decided to be honest. "I... I don't have any friends. No one's ever wanted to hang out with me before."

"Seriously?" Builder frowned. How long had this poor guy been alone?

After the monster nodded sadly, she offered a determined nod. "Well, you know what? I'll be your friend!"

"Really?" When she nodded again, Hargon's eyes welled up with tears. He fought to keep them at bay as he typed his number into her phone. "Th-thank you. I'd be honored to be your friend."

"Don't forget me." Malroth grinned and handed his phone towards the monster as well. "Any friend of Builder's is a friend of mine."

Suddenly, the tough young man's grin didn't seem so intimidating; he actually looked somewhat friendly. Once Builder and Malroth had given him their numbers as well, they both left to get to their other classes. They said their goodbyes, leaving Hargon with a hopeful feeling that maybe, for once in his lonely life, things would change for the better.


"Morning, Hargon!"

The next time he had Drawing II, Hargon looked up to see Builder approaching his table with her signature dopey smile. She held her sketchbook under one arm while her hands were full of different supplies. She appeared to be struggling to keep everything from falling.

It had been a few days since he'd exchanged numbers with both Malroth and Builder, and so far, the pair of best friends had been texting him memes at least twice a day. When Hargon went to text something back, they'd actually respond instead of ignoring him; he felt like he was floating on air.

"Good morning, Builder," he greeted, still a little shocked that he now had two friends, let alone one. "Would you like some help carrying all that?"

"Nope, I've got it!" She placed all her belongings on the table and began to set up her work station. "Thank you, though. What are you working on today?"

"O-oh, uh... just a still life." Hargon held up his sketchbook and she whistled.

"That looks great! How did you get the vase to look like that? I can never seem to get the top symmetrical when I try to draw them."

He seemed to relax at that. "That's easy. Allow me to show you."

They spent the entirety of class exchanging tips on how to draw various things and how to improve their skills. By the time the period ended, Hargon felt much more comfortable around Builder. As they both packed up their things to leave, Malroth entered the room and slung an arm around the blonde. He offered Hargon a friendly grin, to which the monster smiled shyly in return.

"Builder, Hargon; it's good to see you. I was just about to head out and get some food. You guys wanna tag along?"

"That sounds good to me, I'm starving," Builder agreed. She knew she shouldn't skip class, but what was the harm in one day? "Where we going?"

"Lillian's Diner. Hargon, you coming?"

The monster perked up at his name. They... They were actually inviting him out?

Part of him wondered if they were simply being nice only to lure him out, then make a fool of him. Yet the hopeful part of him, the damned part that still desperately wanted friends and had gotten his heart broken multiple times before, decided that perhaps giving these two a chance wasn't a bad idea. Builder radiated kindness and Malroth, while not as sunshine-y as his friend, didn't appear to be a malicious person.

"Y-yes," Hargon said, clearing his throat. "I'd love to accompany you, if... If it's alright."

Malroth chuckled. "Of course it is. Come on, you nerds, let's go get us some pizza!"


Lillian's was packed with students from ACC. Various delicious scents wafted from the busy kitchen and the building was filled with the hum of chatter, dinnerware clanking, and low jazz music. Hargon followed meekly behind Builder and Malroth as the hostess led them to a large booth that already had a bunch of people sitting there. The monster felt his heart rate spike when he realized all these people were Malroth and Builder's other friends. What if he made a bad impression? What if they hated him just like everyone else did?

"Malroff, Builder!" One of the burly, athletic guys rose to clap Malroth on the shoulder. "Good to see ya!"

"Good to see you, too, Dougie," Malroth chuckled. "We still on for football later?"

"You bet! The dream team is gonna win anuvver one!"

"Hi, Builder," a teal-haired girl with big spectacles and a warm, shy smile rose up to give the blonde a hug. "Skipping class again?"

"I was hungry," Builder whined. "And besides, Professor Arisplotle is cool. I work my butt off in his class so he'll let this one slide."

There were so many people greeting the pair of besties that Hargon wondered how he'd ever remember all their names. Would he even have to remember their names? What if he screwed things up and—

"'Ey, 'oo's this bloke?" A young man with red hair in a bowl-cut style was staring at the blue monster.

"Everyone, this is Hargon." Malroth nudged him playfully. "He's the newest member of our group."

"Hargon, huh?" A serious-looking woman with long, pretty purple hair tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you a new student?"

"Y-yes, I just got accepted last month," Hargon replied, fidgeting nervously. The purple-haired girl nodded.

"How do you like the campus so far?"

All eyes fell on him, but they weren't the least bit hostile, nothing like what Hargon was used to. None of them were looking at him contemptuously, like he was an insect beneath their feet. All he could see was genuine curiosity. They were actually interested in getting to know him.


"Look, Hargon. Your time's almost up." A grin threatened to lift Malroth's lips as he thought of the Builder, of Lulu, of all the wonderful adventures in Furrowfield, Khrumbul-Dun, Moonbrooke, even Skelkatraz. "But in your next life, I hope you get to make a few good friends. I'm speaking from experience!"


"As I look upon all of these bri-bri-bright, shining faces, I cannot help but be reminded of my own days at col-col-college..."

As Harry Hammerhood, the beloved president of ACC, began his long-winded speech for the graduates of New Cantlin's most esteemed community college, Hargon snuck a glance at the mass of people sitting around him. They had once been strangers, but now... Now they were family.

Throughout the course of his time at ACC, Hargon's friendship with Builder, Malroth, and their rag-tag allies had bloomed and flourished. He'd gone from having no friends and wondering if he'd spend the rest of his life alone to having a whole group of people who he spent much of his time with. They'd welcomed him in with open arms, none of them the least bit judgmental (Lulu could be a bit of a pain sometimes, but she was like the older sister he never had; she always had good advice and made a mean cup of tea despite her less-than-savory cooking skills). All of Builder and Malroth's friends treated him like he'd always been part of their group, never once making him feel like an outsider.

Sitting on either side of him were the two who'd introduced him to such a wonderful group of people. Builder was on his right, a radiant smile stretching her lips from ear to ear, her graduation cap decorated with various stickers, glitter, and tiny gems. Malroth was on his left, his graduation cap only slightly decorated at Builder's insistence. Hargon, on the other hand... Well, he'd allowed his friends to make his look unique, and unique it certainly was!

The graduation ceremony continued without a hitch, and soon, everyone was lined up to receive their degrees. When Hargon's name was announced, he was shocked to hear a cacophony of cheers and whoops from Builder, Malroth, Rosie, Dougie, Digby, Babs, Anessa, Esther, Haydin, Perry, and the rest of their group. It never ceased to amaze him just how friendly and supportive they were of him.

When it came time to move their tassels to the left, the applause and cheers that rose up were almost deafening. As the students—now technically former students—made their way to find their families, Hargon watched as most of his friends took off, leaving him by his lonesome. His mother couldn't make it to the ceremony, per usual, and so all he had to look forward to was heading home by himself. He immediately missed his friends and began to wonder if that was it. Did his friendship end with everyone now that school was over? Goodbyes were a part of life and he knew that once college was finished, many people parted ways to pursue different paths. Was this it? Had he gained a degree only to lose his closest friends? Now that he'd had a taste of what it was like to have friends, no, a family, and to be loved, how could he ever go back to being lonely? How could—

"Oi, Hargon!"

The monster turned to see Malroth and Builder approaching him, both of them with their caps in hand while a pretty little ring twinkled on Builder's left ring finger. Well, at least now Hargon knew why those two had disappeared: Malroth had finally got up the courage to propose to her. As he should; the pair made a wonderful couple. Anyone could see they loved each other very much.

"We're all heading to Lillian's to celebrate," the spiky-haired male said, wrapping an arm around his fiance's shoulders. Builder was beaming, her eyes flickering to the ring that Malroth had managed to procure after months of working hard at a local construction site. "You coming?"

"R-really?" the blue monster felt a sense of deja-vu.

"Of course, silly," Builder reached over to playfully poke his cheek. "We've been friends for years. You know better than to think we'd ever leave you behind."

As they all met up with the rest of their friends, Hargon couldn't help but feel hopeful towards the future. No matter what happened, no matter what paths they traversed, he knew then and there that he would never be lonely again. He shuddered to think what kind of person he might have become if he hadn't had such wonderful friends surrounding him.