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So this affects how monsters are integrated into society. While there are schools in the Hidden Valley, sometimes monsters are chosen via the Dark Mirror, or as NBC and RSA chose their students. There are a lot of steps that go into it, as governments and monarchies get involved, since Princes and high-profile students attend those schools, so they don't want the risk of anyone getting eaten or attacked (looking at NRC egos). So there are treaties that say the monster students have to be on exceptionally good behavior, or it could cause conflicts. Since that monster student is representing them as a whole. As well as the elders of their clans warning them about humans and giving them tips on how to survive. Some thrive being surrounded by other species and are genuinely curious about humans, beastmen, fae, and pixar monsters. While others not so much.

In the year Yuu arrived, there are a couple of monster students who attend, some from the TFC universe and Pixar monsters. Like everyone else at NRC, they aren't impressed with Yuu and also think they cheated their way there. Since they see a little more value in humans with magic and see them having magic as something they can use, while they view magicless humans as less and more like food.

I like to think that while monsters mainly live in the Hidden Valley, there are some who live elsewhere, depending on what kind they are. Sea monsters obviously live in the sea, either in the Coral Sea or as nomads. So characters like Azul, Floyd, and Jade have seen them and heard of them. Someone like Rielle has heard of them but never really saw one until he left home.

Characters from Shaftlands, especially Cater, who moved a lot when he was younger has seen monsters. Due to Shaftlands being a big landmass, and while I imagine it is developed, there are areas where monsters live. Monsters who are more adapted to lakes and rivers also live in those areas. So characters who come from those areas have seen monsters. Especially Vil, due to his career, most likely has worked with monsters in films or seen them working behind the scenes. Jack, due to being a Beastman, most likely interacted with them more due to not a human and due to being a child, would play with an occasional monster child. Epel, due to living in a small town, has heard horror stories of monsters growing up; a long time ago, there was a village where monsters would pick off humans. Pixar monsters would occasionally come to trade or buy, and is mostly used to them, not the TFC monsters.

Characters like Rollo, I feel, wouldn't mind monsters as much; he just wouldn't like them due to magic, or from what we've seen, the circus members having their abilities. Some students attend NBC who are monsters, and he doesn't like them due to their magic. Other characters who live in more human-populated areas like the Queendom of Roses aren't used to seeing them at all. Characters like Ace, Deuce, Riddle, and Trey haven't seen one until NRC. I imagine that when Yuu first sees a monster, students, of course, stare and think that this is normal and look back at Ace and Deuce, and they also have gob-smacked looks on their faces.

In areas of the Scalding Sands, there are monsters adapted to those areas but live away from human settlements, like Silk City. Kalim and Jamil have seen and encountered monsters who occasionally come to trade or have been kidnapped by poachers for money.

The Sunset Savanna is where there are more monsters. Characters like Leona most likely saw them due to politics and eventually when he came to NRC. Ruggie most likely saw them due to his life in the slums, where poachers would catch stragglers. Or anyone unfortunate to be caught.

So, anyway, what's taking over my brain is how monsters would exist in Twisted Wonderland. I've said earlier that there are two different groups. The ones based on the Monsters, Inc. universe and the ones from the TFC universe. Like, for the most part, we know the monsters from monster inc don't eat people. In the beginning, they used fear from kids' screams for power; then it changed to laughter. This could have contributed to the other species in twst not seeing them much as a threat despite their appearances.

Meanwhile, the monsters from TFC appeared via random rabbit holes or underwater caves for sea monsters or monsters adapted to bodies of water. Anyhow, a new world where they could thrive as they were people unaware of them. This made hunting easier until they encountered other species like Beastmen and Fae who weren't as tolerant and could sound the alarm, which brought alert to the monsters from Monsters, Inc. not knowing what they were or where they came from, as they have no familial relations. Also, in my headcanons, more predatory species of Beastmen and Merfolk ate humans, and it's well known that Fae are tricky, so humans kept their distance. But it's like you going into the woods, jungle or a place where there are predators; you know they're there, you just hope they don't decide you're food, which applies here. Humans know the risk of fishing or hunting as that would put them at risk with other species, but it is what it is; this is only when humans venture into places like those. So when people started to go missing close to towns or places where humans were, that made it especially scary as they started to suspect that the other species were encroaching to hunt them.

This eventually led to other species discovering them. This, in turn, made humans, beastmen, fae, and merfolk more wary of monsters. Which, as you can imagine, is not great. I can imagine that there were discussions that led to conflicts, especially if humans were getting all riled up and scared and attacking monsters, which was used to defend themselves. I imagine in the end there was a sort of truce that allowed the tfc monsters to live with the Pixar monsters to keep them all in one area known as the Hidden Valley, despite everyone knowing where it is.

Of course, the tfc monsters need to eat humans, so like Ernesto and Gino. There are poachers who hunt humans and other species to sell them to the monsters. Eventually, as time passed and new generations of monsters were born, either amongst themselves or the Pixar monsters, they began to show signs of magic and not rely as much on human meat as their predecessors. Yes, they can eat it, and it's exclusively eaten as a treat or something at celebrations.

I also mentioned that there are schools in the Hidden Valley. Due to the nature of Twisted Wonderland and the focus on the villains, the most popular and well-known trade school is based on Monster Inc with the notable figures there being Waternoose, known for being a brilliant businessman who took others into consideration as well as Randall, his number two, a figure who encourages others and promotes comradeship. It's more where monster students go to learn more about the world and find a job that benefits them.

The other school is based on Monsters University, which is a magical institution like NRC and RSA. There, the head figure is the Dean from MU Dean Hardscrabble, who was known for being firm but believed in her students and their abilities. That is mostly where monsters with magical aptitude go.

Chapter 20 - C'mon Carol! It's Suspicious!

It had been a day since the traveling circus arrived in town.

You know it’s wrong to assume the worst of people. 

You should know.

But even you can’t deny that everything is suspiciously falling into place.

The dreams, the circus appearing, even the young woman who went missing the other day.

You can’t help but think of Playful Land. How Ernesto and Gino could make it quickly appear and disappear with the unfortunate. Even though they both turned a new leaf, with Ernesto becoming a school teacher and Gino attending school just as Ernesto wished.

Though you had bigger things to worry about, especially the scene in front of you.

Carol, your coworker, who you admired. She was serving a customer in a pristine light blue suit. Though he feels off to you. His eyes feel hollow and dead in a way almost as if they weren’t capable of reflecting light, his skin looks too rubbery, almost as if it's being pulled uncomfortably, his smile looks fake, and you’ve seen fake smiles over the years. This guy could give Jamil and Azul a run for their Madols.

Though you couldn’t help but curl in on yourself at his voice. It had a slight upbeat tone that, to someone inexperienced, sounded charming. Though you could tell that he was lying from his tone, carrying something sinister underneath. 

“Here you are, sir, one coffee.” Carol gave a bright smile towards him. Giving him a pleasant smile, showing her experience in this line of work.

“Thank you, my dear.” He took a sip, “This is a wonderful cup of coffee. Does this cafe have a secret form of brewing?”

You couldn’t help but let out a small groan. Man, this guy is laying on thick.

Carol let out a small chuckle, “None, sir. It’s just brewed the same way as any coffee. Though it could be thanks to Yuu.” She looks over her shoulder, giving you a teasing smile which you return, but freeze when the man switches his attention towards you.

You can’t help but look away, feeling a shiver run down your spine. You fiddle with the espresso machine, hoping that you appear busy, and hope that a customer needs something, preferably away from his line of sight.

“Give her my compliments, then.” He took another sip, and you hoped that was the end of it, and it seems that Carol thought so too.

“If there is anything you need, sir?” She gave a customary question.

He put his cup down and hummed. Almost too quick to notice, at least to Carol, you could see the way his eyes became a tad bit lifeless before a charming smile appeared on his face.

“Ah! That reminds me! Have you been to the circus?” 

“Uh… no, sir.” His question seemed to confuse Carol and you.

“It’s simply because I have some leftover tickets.” He reaches into the breast pocket of his suit, pulling out two bright pink tickets. 

“Oh no, sir. I can’t accept.” Carol waves her arms in front of her.

“It’s fine, my dear. I wanted to go with a friend, but they cancelled at the last minute. As luck would have it, I will be swamped with work and not able to attend. If you’d like, you can take someone with you.” You saw the way his eye flickered in your direction.

It felt like you were going to throw up. That familiar feeling of dread settled in your stomach as Carol seemed to consider her options. You saw the way her eyes flickered to the tickets, and feeling like you had to do something, you walked over the counter and headed their way.

“I’m sorry, sir. But store policy says that employees can’t accept any gifts from customers.” That seems to snap Carol out of it.

“She’s right, sir. Thank you, but I can’t accept.” She shakes her head, and for a moment, the man is silent, and you can see the way his jaw clenches before smoothing out.

“I see. That can’t be helped.” He calmly places the tickets away, and you relax a bit. 

“Hey, Yuu! Carol! Take these orders to their tables!” You swivel your head towards your boss and salute him.

“Yes, sir!” Before heading over, and in your peripheral vision, you see Carol walking away from the man. The rest of your shift passes without incident, well, other than the pink clowns distributing flyers inside the cafe.

Afterwards, you and Carol are cleaning the cafe, ready to close up shop.

“Hey, Yuu?” You hum.

“Why did you say that to the customer? That policy only really applies if it’s a conflict of interest.” She was right, your boss was a bit more lenient when it came to gifts, since, for the most part, everyone knew of someone in town.

You turn towards her, “Carol, he was giving me a bad feeling.” You cringe at the unimpressed look she gives you, before she sighs.

“You’re right, but you know he wasn’t really doing much.” It’s true, other than the feeling and the fact that he looked off. He was being a respectful customer, maybe a little forward with the tickets.

“I mean, yeah, but…” You trail off, clenching the broom in your hands.

“I know that the town is a little on edge right now. But don’t fall for the lies people are saying.” She tells you to wipe down some tables.

“Carol, you didn’t notice.” She looks at you, confused.

“He was off, but he also looked wrong.”

“Yuu…” She warned.

“Carol, he looked weird. Like, don’t tell me you didn’t notice how pale he was. His eyes, too they felt empty…” She sighed at your words.

“Then the tickets! It’s a good thing I stopped you from taking them.” You sighed in relief, and you noticed Carol furrowing her brow slightly.

“You didn’t take it right?” She didn’t say anything and continued cleaning.

“Carol! That’s not safe! You don’t know who he is–” 

“I met him before. So he’s safe.” She looked at you a bit angrily.

“Look, all I’m saying is that he’s sketchy, and even if you know him, it can be dangerous.” You backtrack, not wanting to anger her.

“Why do you care so much anyway?” Carol asks you, crossing her arms.

You sighed, “You promise you won’t freak out?”

“Depends…”

“Okay, you know my whole runaway saga, right?” You ask her a bit sheepishly.

“Yeah, you made quite the uproar when that happened.” She sighs and shakes her head.

“Well, I went to a boarding school and all that. But that’s not really important.”

“Well, one day my group of friends was in town after their basketball game, and they lost by the way. So we were just hanging around town, and then we were approached by two people. They offered us special tickets to their amusement park. Not only were the tickets free, we could also go on any ride we wanted, and we didn’t have to pay a dime for food and drink.” She looked a bit confused.

“Stay with me.”

“Even though we told them we had school and couldn’t go. One of the men was very insistent and said that we could come meet him in the early hours of the next day, like around 5 or 6, I forget, with anyone we wanted to bring.” That made a bit of an alarm show up on her face.

“That sounds…”

“Sketchy, right? Well, that’s what I told my friends, and they could forget about me going with them. Though word spread out, and two of my upperclassmen decided that I had to go, so they abducted me from my bed and took me with them. Since I make situations amusing and interesting.” She looked shocked.

“Well anyways thats the not the point. We get there, and we have a great time, honestly. We were dumb teenagers, and I forgot what I was worried about until the time came to leave.” You swallowed before continuing.

“We were walking around the park, and there were no people. Not only were all the employees gone too, but our phones weren’t working. They had no signal, and we couldn't contact anyone.”

“We were walking around when we heard crying and screaming,” You paused, “We s-saw people being carted away in cages, crying for their parents. Parents begging them to spare their children, and for someone to help them.” You watched as Carol’s face paled.

“Wait! So you mean–!”

“Yeah, it was all a trick. A human trafficking operation, and we were the unlucky souls.”

“I was captured with some of my friends, while the others ran to come up with a way to get out of the amusement park. Carol, they did something to me, and I started to lose feeling in my whole body, starting from my legs, and the feeling rose, until I couldn't even talk, and after that, I don’t remember.”

“Yuu!” She walked closer and hesitated, wanting to place a hand over your shoulder.

“Well, apparently, the men had a change of heart and let us go. After that, we didn’t see them for a few years. All I know is that they’re adjusting to normal lives.”

Carol was silent, processing, “That’s why that man was weird to me. He was offering free tickets. They cost almost a hundred dollars each. If they cost that much money, he could have tried selling them, since the circus is popular. Also, I went to buy some tickets for my friends, and the tickets are yellow. Not pink.” She widens your eyes and takes out a pink ticket from her pocket. It looked almost like the yellow ones you bought, but it seemed thicker.

“So maybe he’s a con-man. Maybe he’s part of human trafficking. Maybe it’s just a way to cause trouble for the circus. You’ve seen people harassing them on the street.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to be careful, Carol.” She stayed silent the whole time you were cleaning, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw her staring at the pink ticket before ripping it and throwing it in the trash.

After that, you both bid each other good night and went home. You can’t help but feel like you dodged a bullet with Carol.

Chapter 19 - A Whole New World Part 1

Pierrot had been goaded on by Harlequin to follow you on your day off. He felt conflicted, on one hand, he knew that he couldn’t move so fast, it would scare you more than you showed. But as he walked towards your apartment with Harlequin unfortunately in tow, he couldn't help but feel excited.

You had been busy the past couple of weeks, even when you both met. He could tell that your attention lay elsewhere. It was a boon of sorts, as it allowed you to not notice anything amiss with the circus. But he could tell by the flickering of your eyes that you knew something. 

You had been busy, not even appearing on the weekends. You seemed to disappear and then reappear at the beginning of the week to work. His mind went to the conversation he managed to sneak in at your shift yesterday.

“Will you come tonight?” He whispered to you, hoping you’d say yes.

“Sorry, Pierrot. But I’m really busy, especially tomorrow.” You grimaced as you thought about whatever occupied your mind at the moment.

“With what?” He couldn’t help the coldness that infected his tone, and winced when you gave a surprised look his way.

You shook your head and sighed, “My alma mater is having an event, and I got roped in to help.” You looked tired at the prospect.

“My old Headmaster roped a bunch of us to join in.” You rolled your eyes at that.

“Look, I would… like to go to the circus…” You masked a grimace at your words, not meeting his eyes, “But life calls you know?” 

“So maybe another day, alright?” Before he could say anything, another customer called upon you, giving him an apologetic smile, you went to attend to them.

As luck would have it, Jester had given them all a day off. Considering it was October, Halloween was a couple of weeks away, so they had a bit of planning to do. Especially, with Doctor excited about the upcoming holiday.

Dressed in more casual clothing, they would follow you, and Harlequin, for once, had agreed not to tell Jester, also curious at your disappearances.

“A school event? You know she’s lying. The local schools around here don’t have anything like that, Pierrot.” Harlequin’s grating voice cut him from his thoughts. 

“Perhaps, she’s busy? Or maybe meeting with someone… special?” Even underneath his face mask, he could tell that Harlequin’s grin widened as he let out a growl.

Pierrot remained silent, though Harlequin's words were working, planting images in his head. Images that he refused to analyze for his own sake. You wouldn’t lie to him. Never would. You were kind and thoughtful. Yes, that makes perfect sense, you didn’t want to trouble him–

“Ugh! You’re drooling.” Harlequin spoke, and he felt the fabric of his own mask, damp.

“Let’s just go!” Pierrot spoke up and sped up, with Harlequin following him.

They entered your apartment, and as expected, you weren’t there. 

“Where could she have run off to?” Harlequin looked around, unimpressed. Pierrot ignored him and began to look around for any clues.

“Ha! Look at me. ‘I’m Ticket Taker, and I always talk about responsibility and Jester!’” He heard Harlequin impersonating Ticket Taker in front of the floor-length mirror in your living area.

“Ooh! I got it! Magic mirror on the floor!” Pierrot came into the room to see Harlequin waving his arms in front of the mirror.

“Where has Pierrot’s little dear run off to!” He cackled as Pierrot sent him a glare.

“‘Why, she is simply with a strong, capable–” Harlequin voice became a tad deeper before he was cut off when the mirror began to glow.

This caused Harlequin to back off, retreating backwards. As the mirror began to show you.

You seemed to be talking to someone unknown. You reached into your bag and looked a bit panicked before seemingly apologizing and running off. Before the image dissipated, an image of a majestic castle appeared before disappearing.

Harlequin became more serious and started to poke around the mirror.

“This isn’t like Ticket Taker’s mirror…” He hesitantly put a hand on the mirror, and nothing happened. He didn’t fall in or get pulled in like unfortunate visitors. Harlequin began to ask about names.

“Show me, Jester.” Nothing.

“Ticket Taker.” Nothing.

“Doctor.” Nothing.

“It’s not working.” Pierrot also laid a hand over the mirror.

“Tsk. Then you try something else. See if it works.” Harlequin sent a glare his way as he tapped the mirror with a claw.

“Show me, my lady, please.” He asked, and the mirror began to glow, showing an image of you walking with haste somewhere before disappearing.

“Interesting.” Harlequin voiced out, “Why would a human possess such an item? And how?” 

“I’m not sure…” Pierrot trailed off.

“She has this enchanted mirror that only works on her, but not us.” Harlequin finished his examination of the mirror and stepped back.

“Well, now we have something to use against her.” Harlequin’s voice became crueler. 

“Harlequin…” He warned.

“Come now, Pierrot, don’t tell me you’re not interested.” Harlequin stepped closer to him, smirking.

“What other secrets is she hi–” He was cut off as the mirror began to glow.

“Take me to my living room, please.” Came your voice, and they both quickly hid in your apartment, not wanting to be seen. If they could see you, then there was a chance they could be seen as well.

Pierrot watched as your leg came through the mirror, and then the rest of you. You stumbled a bit before straightening yourself. You were dressed rather normally, almost a bit formal, but still casual.

“Never gonna get used to that.” You told yourself as you shook your head. You looked around your apartment, and he was glad that the lights were off, providing him and Harlequin more cover to hide.

“Where did I put it…” You spoke and headed to your room, hearing you rustle around for something. Before coming out with a… camera of sorts. It looked old, but well cared for.

“Okay… Got to make it in time for the tournament.” You stepped to the mirror.

“Magic Mirror, take me to Ramshackle Lounge, please.” The mirror glowed again, and you stepped inside. 

He waited a bit before coming out of his hiding spot, putting a hand over the mirror as the glow dimmed

“Well, that’s new.” Harlequin’s voice came behind him.

“So it’s a portal. That’s how she’s been able to come and go.” Pierrot kept his eyes on the mirror, watching Harlequin get closer.

“We should follow after her.” That caused Pierrot to whirl around to glare at him.

“C’mon, aren’t you curious. Don’t you want to see where she had been these past few weeks?” Harlequin tried to tempt him, and couldn’t deny that it was working. Harlequin looked almost bored, tapping his mask

“I know I am. Of course, if you don’t want to go, that's fine." Before a wide smirk came on his face, “I’ll just go myself, and surprise the little dear.”

That caused Pierrot to grab him by the scruff of his collar, the other quickly getting out of his hold.

“You will not–”

“Go alone. Perfect then! I can’t wait to see the look on her face!” Harlequin looked excited, before putting the face mask on better and stepping in front of the mirror. Pierrot stood next to him, unwilling to let the menace beside him win at the chance at getting near you. That would ruin a lot of things, but the call of you was stronger. He had to know what you were doing and with whom.

“So what did she say… Ah yes! Ramshackle Lounge!” Harlequin spoke loudly, and they watched as the mirror glowed. Before he was pushed out of the way.

“See you on the other side!” Harlequin cackled before flinging himself in the mirror, and Pierrot quickly went in after him with a growl.

It was a strange sensation, like he was being pulled in many directions. Almost as if his very being was being pulled apart, and being made again. Then a sensation of a sudden drop. Before he fell on his face, next to him, he heard a groan. Pierrot lifted his head to see Harlequin lying on the floor.

Lifting his head, he could see that they were in a lounge, with deep green walls, wooden floors, stripped couches, paintings hanging from the wall, and a large window, showing the bright blue sky. Looking behind him, he saw that they had fallen from a mirror over a fireplace. As stairs led to the upper floors of the building, they were in. It felt cosy and comforting.

Next to him, Harlequin also lifted his head, looking around the room curiously. 

“This isn’t what I was expecting…” Harlequin spoke at last, before standing up. Dusting himself off.

Pierrot felt a deep sigh leave him, annoyed with Harlequin, “That’s because you don’t think.”

Harlequin ignored him and began to cautiously explore the area, and he followed after him. As much as he despised Harlequin, he knew that they would have each other’s backs in this unfamiliar situation. 

Harlequin made his way to the stairs and cautiously began to climb them, and Pierrot made sure to have a hand in his pocket, knives at the ready. It seemed as if there was no one here; the second floor had doors lined around the corners, but they heard no rustle of clothing or sounds of life. They quietly made their way to the upper floor and found three doors, and still no sound of life.

Pierrot sniffed at the air and caught the faint scent of you, behind one of the doors. Before he could get near, he heard a door creak open. He whirled around to see Halrequin opening a door and stepping inside. Shooting one look at the other door, he followed after him.

Inside was a study of sorts, an old desk in the middle, with bookshelves and furniture.

“Twisted Wondeland…” Harlequin looked down at a terrestrial globe on the desk. Pierrot approached him as Harlequin began to voice out areas on the map.

“Land of Dawning, Queendom of Roses, Coral Sea, The Hidden Valley?” The map wasn’t anything they were familiar with, the land masses were completely different, and territories that were unknown to him, in all the centuries he’s lived. Pierrot was aware that humans would change the name of an area or continent, but this was unknown.

As Halrequin continued to look at the globe, Pierrot made his way to the bookshelves. Reading the spines of the books.

The History of Twisted Wonderland

Potions & Their Uses

The Rules of the Queen of Hearts

The Many People of Twisted Wonderland

He felt Halrequin approach behind him.

“What is this place?” Harlequin asked, confused, reaching for one of the books.

“I don’t know…” He said at last, watching Harlequin flip through a section about humans. Before flipping to a page titled.

“Beastmen?” There on the page was a picture of a man and woman, human in appearance, but with animal ears and tails. Their eyes were slitted, and claws at the end of their fingers; they resembled lions. Dressed in what appeared to be armor and masked.

“‘Many different types of people live in Twisted Wonderland. This includes the Beastmen. Mostly found in Sunset Savannah. Here we have an example of the lion guards of the royal family. While there are many different species of beastment…’” Harlequin read out, and flipped through the pages, going over many examples of different animals and where they mostly lived, as well as a bit of history.

They flipped over to pages of Merfolk, looking at the pictures with a sense of shock, and then a section of the Fae, and finally, they made their way to a section about “Monsters.”

“‘While the origin of monster kind is a secret known only to the elders of their clans. We know they are long-lived species and began to appear in tales of yore, mainly hunting humans for food, as well as other species for survival…’” They stared in shock when the book showed an image of a monster, one that resembled Doctor, with their large feathered wings and intimidating figure. This wasn’t an error as they flipped through the sections, finding monsters that were the same species as they were. Images of monsters that could have been relatives staring up at them from the pages of the book.

They closed the book and stared at each other, and it seemed that Harlequin realized something, his eyes narrowing.

“She knows.” 

“She’s only seen us like this; there’s no way she knows.” Pierrot knew immediately what Harlequin was implying.

“Her eyes show more than she tells. You know deep down that she suspects something.” Harlequin spoke a bit more firmly.

“You will stay away from her! Never again–”

“Never again will I what, Pierrot?” Harlequin snarled at him. Pierrot remained silent. Harlequin ran his hand over his face and sighed.

“We’ll find her and see what she knows. If she knows this much, you know that Jester will not be pleased.” Pierrot knew that Jester had no love for humanity, but you were different, you were kind, and you loved him.

“Let’s go outside. She can’t have gone far.” Pierrot nodded, and they put the book back into place, leaving the study.

They left the building and saw that, despite the inside being well-maintained, the exterior of the building resembled something out of a horror movie. You had said ramshackle, looking at the building, it was no wonder you called it that.

In the distance, they saw a… castle? Its peaks reached skyward; it was majestic, reminding Pierrot of times of old, and of fairy tales.

It seems that there was a walkway leading away from the building into some woods. They began to walk away from the building into the surrounding woods. They could see a large dome in the distance, and the… clucking of hens?

Through the woods, they could see a large structure that housed chickens, pecking at the ground. The dome in the distance appeared to house plants and trees, but the strangest thing was that they hadn’t encountered anyone on their way.

As they continued their way through the now sparse woods, they passed a lake. Reaching the end of the lake, they saw they were at the edge of a cliff that led down to a river at the bottom. The only way to pass was through a bridge.

“We’ll be quick and cross it.” He agreed with Halrequin, crossing the bridge and going past another building with a wall. Though now they could hear sounds of people, their voices loud and people cheering.

Pierrot mentally prepared himself for what they might witness. As they walked towards a flight of stairs, they heard something in the sky. Turning to look, they saw someone on top of a broom, and next to him was a monster. They had seen this particular species on their travels, as they seemed to be talking about something. Both were dressed in black uniforms. 

They suddenly shot forward, the faint sound of laughter leaving the monster as he flew ahead, the human waving an arm in the air, cursing. 

They just looked at each other quietly. Pierrot's brain felt slow; the monster didn’t hide anything. Anyone could clearly tell they weren’t human.

They continued onwards, and as soon as they reached the top of the stairs, they began to see people walking around. Groups of humans were walking around and taking pictures. They also saw the occasional Beastman roaming around, a few Fae, but no other monsters.

“I’m so ready for the tournament!”

“Kyaa! I wanna see the star players!”

“Do you think we’ll be able to get tickets for…”

The humans didn’t look surprised for the most part when they saw them, other than the widening of eyes, and moving out of the way. Some were whispering amongst themselves. The Beastment would stare before pulling their young out of the way, or making a point to sniff at the air obnoxiously. They were heading to a building that was advertising.

“Mr. S’s Mystery Shop.” Read the signs; it appeared that some students were helping out or roaming around.

They walked amongst the crowd, seeing people coming and going up a flight of stairs. Pierrot walked first, having to pull Halrequin away; it seemed that he wanted to enter the shop. He sent a glare his way and got one in return.

They climbed the stairs and were greeted by more humans walking around. Some groups were taking pictures of the statues lining the street. Others were walking and talking, heading towards other areas. Pierrot approached one of the statues in curiosity, seeing that it was a rather proud lion. He heard Harlequin also walking towards the statues, “Kind of Beasts,” and read the inscription. 

“Ugh, humans!” A man’s voice spoke a bit disdainfully.

Pierrot turned his head to see a family walking, the majority of whom had hair colors that were various types of green, and a dark-haired man. The voice came from a stern-looking man. No, not a man. He saw the pointed tips of his ears, the slitted eyes, and when he curled his lip, showing fangs. 

“Father, be nice. Remember, we’re here for Sebek.” A woman with light green hair spoke, twisting his arm. She turned her head and winced a bit, clearly embarrassed by her father’s words. They walked past their other groups of people, who gave them a wide berth.

“A Fae family, eh?” Harlequin approached him, watching the family as well.

“Though there was a human in the group.” Pierrot noticed that, too, the dark-haired man, who looked a bit resigned.

Pierrot decided to keep moving, his mind still focused on finding you. He walked where all the people were heading. The groups of people were all talking excitedly, while some kept their distance, the best they could.

He heard the flapping of wings and turned skyward, seeing monsters flying towards what he could see was a large structure in the distance. They made their way to a street filled with stalls, where it seemed the majority of the hub was.

“Get your delicious popcorn!”

“Hot dogs! Hot dogs!”

“Mostro Lounge is offering a limited-time meal and drink!”

It seemed that students were selling their wares to anyone willing to buy. Then came that scent, a familiar scent of their kind. Pierrot watched in the crowd as monsters walked around. Free and undisguised, they were smiling while buying this from students or talking to other creatures. 

He turned his head towards his knees when someone bumped into him, and he saw a child, their many limbs out and eyes watching him curiously.

“Oh, sorry, Sir!” They bowed to him in a way that younger monsters do in the presence of older monsters before running off towards a group of children.

“You know I can’t run that fast!”

“I want to buy some snacks!”

“My brother’s club is selling…”

“Quê?” Harlequin said next to him, also taking in the sights, with shock. Pierrot had to agree; the sight was too surreal. They both stood there in silence, watching everything around them. Some of the monsters stared at them for a bit before nodding their heads in greeting, which they shakily gave.

“Oof!” Someone crashed into Harlequin, and they saw you. You had a beastman child on your hip. Their big eyes and ears, like a hyena, were trained on him and Harlequin.

“Ah! Sorry!” You seemed frazzled before running off into the crowd. 

Pierrot began to follow you through the crowd, his eyes trained on your fleeing form. Harlequin follows him. You weaved past people, monsters, and creatures alike, apologizing, before making your way to a booth with some students sitting in it. They looked bored as you asked them a question before giving you a mic, which you tapped before speaking.

“Hello, would the guardians/parents of Uhuru Yego, come and pick your child up by the planning committee tent, please. I repeat…” You repeated it a couple of times, before a couple came to pick up their child, thanking you before leaving.

You seemed satisfied, before a small creature came running towards you, a cat of sorts with flaming blue ears. Pierrot could smell that the little creature was a monster of sorts.

“Hey! Henchman! I’m hungry, buy me something!” It spoke, tugging on your pants. You sighed but smiled at him, picking him up. You turned towards the students, thanking them before giving them the mic. They followed you as you walked to a stall that the little monster had pointed at, paying the beastman student, before giving the food to the little monster. Who gobbled it up.

“Hey, wait! You’ll choke Grim!” You scolded, and the little monster ignored you. You turned your head and made eye contact with him. You seemed confused, your brow furrowing. You squinted, and he could hear your heartbeat picking up. Before your eyes widened in realization, gaping at him. Before turning your gaze onto Harlequin and blanching. You turned to the little monster.

“Hey, something came up! Head to the coliseum.” You took the little creature off your shoulders and motioned for him to go, who shrugged before bounding away. Satisfied, you turned back towards them, and he heard Harlequin chuckle beside him before stepping forward.

“Look what we have here. What a secret, ma’am.” Pierrot glared at him, stepping forward as you looked down before looking up. 

“Not here. Follow me.” You walked towards a gap between stalls, and Pierrot made sure to put himself between you and Harlequin. The three of you walked behind the stalls and away from the groups, walking a bit before turning back towards them.

“Why are you two here!? How did you two get here!?” You seemed exasperated, looking at the sky as if it would give you the answers you sought.

Harlequin shot him a look, knowing that Pierrot couldn’t respond, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

You gave Harlequin an unimpressed look. You groaned, looking pained.

“Though this one here couldn’t stop moping about you snubbing him. Now we know why.” Harlequin looked his way, and he glared back.

“Patheic really. I had to deal with him like this for the past few weeks. Take responsibility.” Harlequin chuckled at his words.

“I really don’t have time for this. Does Jester know you followed me?” You asked, looking tired.

“No, but then again, who really knows?” You gave Harlequin a deadpanned look and said, " The culprit laughed merrily. You were silent. Before Harlequin could speak, you spoke in a low tone.

“I know it might be a lot to take in, but it’s going to be alright, you guys.” You gave them a comforting look.

“Why’s that?” Harlequin huffed at you.

“You… guys are shaking. I know it can be confusing–” 

“Shaking? I think you’re mistaken, ma’am.” Harlequin crossed his arms over his chest, and Pierrot noticed the slight tremor in Harlequin.

Pierrot flinched when a hand touched his arm, but relaxed when he saw it was you, giving him a reassuring pat. He couldn’t help the dopey smile under the face mask. You were so kind, offering a comforting hand, and Pierrot noticed a tremor that he hadn’t felt, calm. 

“Halrequin, I know it can be a lot. It was for me when I first got here. Seeing that humans aren’t the only species around.” You spoke softly, as if you were talking to a skittish animal.

Harlequin tensed, “So kind, ma’am. Though if you are offering a bit of comfort. I know a way that will give–” 

“Not like that!” You spoke a bit louder, clearly a bit embarrassed, and Pierrot shot a glare Harlequin’s way.

“It’s just that when I got here. Nobody really offered any sense of comfort, no ‘It’s going to be alright.’ So I don’t want you two to feel like your comfort doesn’t matter!” You stomped your foot, speaking a bit sadly.

“...” Harlequin was silent for a moment before speaking. “Of what? The monsters? That is quite a surprise, I tell you that.” Pierrot could tell that Harlequin was fishing for information.

“That was a bit of a shock for me, too. But don’t worry, they don’t mean any harm. Some of them are students, and some are their families who came to visit their sons, or support the school.” You reassured them.

“Students, my lady? Is this the school event you were talking about?” Pierrot asked you, and you turned your attention towards him.

“Yes, it’s an annual sporting event that the school hosts, Night Raven College’s Magical Shift or Magift for short. The school is open to the public for anyone who wants to come, and it’s streamed worldwide.” You explained with pride.

“How do you know?” Pierrot asked you.

“I used to go to school here.” You told him.

“So you have magic?” Harlequin approached you with an interested look in his eyes.

“Ha! No, I’m magicless, but I counted as half of a student so I could attend.”

“Half?”

“You saw Grim earlier, right? The little monster with me?” They nodded.

“He was the other half of the student, and together, we counted as a student. I took care mostly that he was in line, and he took care of the magic aspects.” You told them with a smile, thinking of a time ago.

“I see. Though I don’t really see a lot of monsters around, other than a mere handful.” Harlequin spoke up.

“Well, it’s not that well known, but in their homeland, they have schools of their own, but there are cases where they are chosen by other schools.” You told them.

“And people accept them?” Harlequin crossed his arms, and you grimaced.

“I mean, there are people who don’t respect boundaries. Since they rarely come out of their homeland, or live in areas where there aren’t as many humans. So it’s a rarity to see them; most people do keep their distance, like normal people are supposed to.” You looked a bit angry.

“Though some people seem to think that monsters, as well as Beastmen, Fae, and Merfolk, are fair game to grab and touch. It’s super disrespectful, and we don’t tolerate that here. Anyone who tries it, human or not, is kicked off campus.” You told them with a huff.

Pierrot felt… he didn’t know what to feel. Monsters are treated with respect, but at the same time, treated as an attraction. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Harlequin was in contemplation over your words.

“And how do you know that, ma’am?” Harlequin ended up asking you, and you gave an annoyed groan.

“When I first got here. I spent my first Halloween here, and my friends and classmates made their own areas. It was super cool, so me, Grim, and the ghosts of my dorm took some pictures and posted them on Magicam.” Ghosts? Magicam?, he couldn’t help but think.

“It went viral. So when the school let people in, for the most part, they were respectful of the rules and students. Some people asked us to recreate the image online with them. Then came the Magicam monsters.” You looked annoyed. “People who just came for likes and views. So instead of asking, they just grabbed stuff, breaking it and harassing students.”

“Tsk. I see those people are quite the handful.” Harlequin expressed his ire.

“They were, but in the end, we got rid of them.” 

“Ooh! How?” Harlequin seemed delighted at that.

“We all banded together and scared them so badly. We’ve never seen them since.” You explained with a pleased smile.

This brought a chuckle out of Harlequin, and Pierrot himself couldn’t help but feel amused at your pleased reaction. 

“Oh! They angered you. What did they do to earn your ire, dear?” Pierrot shot a look at Harlequin at his words.

“Well, they were breaking into my dorm and when I told them to leave. They just ignored me, and when they saw Grim, they pulled me by my hair to move me out of the way. Pushing me on the ground and all that stuff.” 

That made Pierrot freeze in anger. As memories of his own experiences at the hands of humans filled his head. The pain of having his hair pulled from his scalp, the fear of the humans as they tortured him, their pleased laughter, especially at his suffering when they drew blood. A deep growl left his chest, and yet you seemed to be nonchalant about the treatment against you.

Harlequin sent him a glare, but before he could do anything, you spoke.

“But I’m fine! So don’t get angry. Plus, someone might hear, and it’ll put people on alert.” You backtracked, waving your arms around. 

“Ah, you are mistaken, dear Pierrot simply has trouble breathing, that’s all.” Harlequin tried to backtrack, sending him a glare.

“I mean, it’s fine. Like it’s something you can’t help.” You shrugged.

“What do you mean?” Harlequin questioned you.

“Okay, look. I may be dumb, but I’m not that dumb. Obviously, you guys aren’t humans like me, and that’s fine. So I–”

“What do you mean, my lady? Unfortunately, Harlequin is right. My throat–” 

“Pierrot. I know that you two were walking around, and I know that you saw the other races. It’s not that surprising, honestly.” Before you looked up and frowned, “Freshmen, stop eavesdropping!” He looked upwards with Harlequin and saw two students on broomsticks looking down below, before flying away in laughter. 

“If what you are saying is true. Are you not scared?” Harlequin asked you a bit more seriously.

“Honestly, it can get scary. Not going to lie with you on that. The thing is that I’m friends with people of other races. Yeah, I know that the danger is there on the surface, the thing is that it’s really none of my business.” You shrugged.

Harlequin huffed, “Your eyes tell another thing. You are extremely curious, aren’t you?” He teased with a bit of cruelty.

“Of course! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. I never expected to see anything magical back home to begin with. But what you guys are is something that really is none of my business. I just want to say sorry. If I made you both uncomfortable being around.” You seemed embarrassed by your words and looked at the floor. Harlequin remained quiet at your words.

Though in his mind, his thoughts were racing. You knew that he wasn’t human. But you didn’t care. Oh, he knew that you were special! Even now, you wanted to make sure that he wasn’t harmed in the process.

Before you reached into your bag and pulled out two yellow wristbands.

“Okay, this is what’s going to happen. I’ll give you a pass to see the tournament. When it’s done, I’m taking you back to where we come from." You began to get closer to them, and he let you tie the wristband around his arm, taking out a marker, and writing that he had entry the event, courtesy of you.

“And after that?” Harlequin watched as you did the same with him.

You grimaced, “We’ll get to that. Right now, I have some things to get done. The competition should start soon. There's a parade that’s going to happen right now; you should go watch before heading towards the coliseum. Get an idea of what’s going on.”

“C’mon, I’ll walk you both back.” You tried to walk forward, but Pierrot grabbed your arm and pulled you back. He didn’t want to let you go. You knew, and you didn’t mind. Rather, you cared about his comfort. His face hurt from the size of his grin, even underneath the mask.

“Are we holding hands? Don’t mind if I do!” With that, Harlequin grabbed your other hand, pulling you towards the booths, and Pierrot could tell that he was grinning madly under the face mask. You sputtered in protest, but let yourself be pulled by both of them.

Emerging back into the street, it seemed that the people around them had formed a crowd, people excitedly chattering and taking out their phones. Students also littered the crowd.

“Oh, I can’t wait!”

“Mommy, I want to see big brother!”

“Savanaclaw is going to win! I can feel it!”

"Diasomnia, I know you can make that comeback!"

“Man, I’m so jealous. I want to be part of the games!”

“Alright, you two, I've got to get to the coliseum.” You attempted to pull your hands out of their grips.

“Will we see you?” Pierrot asked you.

“Trust me. You’ll see me.” Reluctantly, he let go, and Harlequin did as well. You sighed in relief and waved towards someone in the air.

“Epel! Give me a lift!” They watched as a purple-haired young man came down from the sky, pulling you by the arm, and lifted you on the broom. Pierrot didn’t like the way the young man grinned at you, and you rolled your eyes. You gave one last wave before they watched as you sped away. He heard you shirek that you weren’t ready as the young man laughed. He heard laughter from above and saw a redhead laughing as a dark-haired young man shook his head in amusement.

“Alright, we would like to extend a warm welcome to the visitors who came today! I hope it wasn’t too hard to get here!” A loud, boisterous voice of a man came from the nearby speakerphone. As people began to cheer and laugh.

“Now, let's have a warm welcome to the players of today’s tournament! Make some noise for the students of Night Raven!”

People started to cheer as a group began to walk forward on the path.

“Due to the unrelenting efforts of the Fairest Queen! Welcome the students of Pomefiore!”

Students holding a banner of an apple or skull with a dagger going down the middle. The crest had the elegant script of the name the announcer had mentioned. Dressed in Japanese-style clothing, with shades of deep purple, blacks, gold, and as they walked, the interior of their clothing was a deep red. The students were beautiful in appearance, walking with pride, some were human, while some were Beastmen, and a single monster in their group.

“Based on the severity of the Queen of Hearts! Welcome the students of Heartslabyul!” 

The cheers started up again, as another group of students came after, holding a banner of a half-red, half-black heart, with small suit cards, with a golden crown on top. They dressed in white uniforms that seemed to be mismatched. In shades of reds, blacks and whites, with hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades drawn over their eyes, they appeared to resemble playing cards. The group consisted mainly of humans and beastmen.

“Based on the Sea Witch’s compassion! Welcome the students of Octavinelle!”

The cheers got loud as the next group walked by. They held a banner with a silver spiral shell, in shades of purple, with what appeared to be octopus tentacles and what appeared to be a flower. The students dressed in what appeared to be dark suits and grey scarves walked by. With accents of lavender in their uniform, some looked almost bored as they walked by. They had fedoras with ocean-inspired pins on their clothing. They appeared to be human. There was a single monster, but it seemed strange; it was found at sea and normally couldn’t walk on land.

“Based on the elegance of The Fairy of Thorns! Welcome the students of Diasomnia!”

The crowd got louder at that name, as some of the Fae around preened with pride. The students carried a banner with the crest of a dragon, and elegant horns fixed on top, with thorns. They were dressed almost in military style clothing. Accents of shades of green, their unformed seemed to have spines that reminded him of scales. He could hear Harlequin hum with interest at their uniforms, and finally, a hat that reassembled small horns. There seemed to be some Fae and humans in a group, with a single monster.

“Based on the deliberation of The Sorcerer of the Sands! Welcome, students of Scarabia!”

The crowd around them whistled and cheered. As students held a banner of what appeared to be a cobra biting an image of a building similar in design to the Taj Mahal. The students of this group were dressed in what Harelquin called “Street Fashion.” Their clothing seemed to have an inspiration from Middle Eastern clothing, with modern twists, dressed in sleeveless vests with shades of red and maroon. They were all human.

“Based on the diligence of The Lord of the Underworld! Wish good luck to the students of Ignihyde!”

There were fewer cheers. As students walked with a banner of Cereberus, with a blue flame and a skull. The students of this group seemed nervous. Their eyes were darting around, and their hearts were thundering. They seemed to be wearing a jacket with geometric patterns, and blue-ish pants, with boots. They were also human.

“And finally, the winners of the Magical Shift tournament for the past three years! Based on the tenacity of the King of Beasts! Give a round of applause for Savanaclaw!”

The crowd around them exploded. The students proudly held up a banner with the crest of a scarred lion. The group consisted of Beastmen and monsters, dressed in black leather sleeveless jackets, jeans, and biker boots. They smiled arrogantly at the crowd, clearly enjoying the praise.

They all walked towards the entrance of the coliseum ahead. People cheered and took pictures of the students.

“Yeah, big brother!”

“Go, Savanaclaw!”

“You can do it, Senpai!”

“You'd better win!”

“I’m so excited!”

The air was alight with excitement as the students walked farther away, disappearing inside the coliseum. 

“Are you all ready?” Cheering. “That’s what we’d like to hear! I, Ashton Vargas, swear to you that your students have what it takes!”

“Now, those with entry, if you would please make your way to the coliseum entrance. The tournament will begin soon! In an orderly fashion, of course!”

The crowd around them cheered as they all began to walk towards the area ahead. Pierrot and Halrequin gave each other a look before following the crowd ahead. Their curiosity had been piqued.