Tales from the Surface 2
"Ambassador, is this story really appropriate?" The teacher asked, looking concerned. "I really don't think the kids like hearing this. Besides, it's historically inaccurate!" But Frisk wouldn't hear it. It infuriated them that once again, history had been rewritten by some bigoted, racist people to put them in favour, to make them look like paragons!
"I think I know what happened, since I was there!" Frisk snapped. "Kids, do you want to know the truth, or the lies that your books are telling?"
"The truth!" The children chorused, a few throwing their books on the floor, one even out the window. Frisk had to hold back their urge to scream a battle cry, one Undyne would have been proud of, and throw a book out the window.
"Looks like we've got a bunch of lil' Undynes in the room!" Asriel laughed, seeing the monster kids start an uproar, and the humans join in for fun.
"Children, children. Let us calm down!" Toriel said amidst the chaos. Frisk didn't mean to do it, but they'd caused the students to rebel and start to throw books around, as if they were toys. "Please, sit down!" The paparazzi at the back of the room loved it, for different reasons.
Monster Riot in School! The headline of a human newspaper would read. Ambassador Uncovers Education Scandal! Another paper was titled. A lot of human media was in support of the monsters, but the larger fraction was the opposite, claiming that monsters were a parasite, a threat to humanity.
"Can you do something?" Frisk asked Asriel, who held his hand up with authority, causing the monsters to hush instantly. Though many of them lived on the surface, they still served the royal family.
"Children, you have not even heard the best part of the story!" Asriel smiled, "Settle down, and we'll continue…"
.
.
The first of the group to turn and face the sound was Frisk, alarmed at the sound. No doubt the others didn't know what a gun was.
"Beatrice?" the voice owner asked. A young policeman, probably not even out of his teens, shakily held a pistol, looking bewildered at the sight before him.
"Beatrice?" The man asked, lowering his gun slightly.
"Simon?" Frisk gasped.
"We thought you were dead. Where've you-"
"Human! You are the first to meet the Great Papyrus!" Papyrus announced joyously. "Mascot for monsters and-"
"S-stay back!" Simon peeped, jumping back and pointing the gun at the skeleton's head. "What the fuck are you!?"
"What am I? I'm Papyrus, Papyrus the skeleton!" The name owner beamed, thrusting forward an open hand, eager to make friends. "Let us shake hands and consolidate this new friendsh-"
"Stay back!" Simon warned. "I will shoot you! C'mon Beatrice, let's go home."
"Who is Beatrice?" Toriel asked, looking at Frisk, concerned. "Are you… Is he your family?" This was the worst possible outcome at that moment. Frisk did have a genetic family, and this was how they were meeting?
"Simon is my brother," They answered, moving between the confused Papyrus and Simon. "But you're my family now!"
"That thing is your what?" Simon gawked.
"She's not a thing, Simon!" Frisk snapped, spinning around to face him. "Toriel is my mother! She's taken better care of me than our real mum ever did!" Simon grunted, grabbing Frisk by the shoulder.
"I'm taking you back to the station, Beatrice. And these…monsters I'll, I'll call arrest them!" Alphys gasped at the thought, whilst Undyne hissed and Asgore huffed, steam escaping from his snout.
"You will do no such thing, human." Asgore finally spoke up. "As the king of monsterkind, I forbid it." Simon scooped up the child in his arms, causing them to kick and scream at him. "Dispatch, this is B-64. I have a strange situation that requires backup." The police officer said into his transceiver. "I've found five strange humanoid creatures along with Beatrice Everdeen. They seem sentient and hostile."
"No!" Frisk squealed, slapping the device from his hands. "Put me down! I want to stay with the monsters!"
"Simon," Toriel said, almost growling like an animal. "That is my child you have in your arms. Put Frisk down. Now." Simon responded by pointing the gun at her, aiming straight for where her heart would be, if she had the same body as a human.
"Mr. Simon," Asgore approached him, we do not wish to cause a scene. "All we want is to live here peacefully. And for that, we need the human child." As Asgore spoke, Papyrus was still getting closer, unbeknownst to the officer. His plan was to do something that always made Frisk feel better, and that was to cuddle! Frisk loved a good hug, especially when they were not feeling well. Much like this human, he presumed.
"Why would you need my sister?"
"She's our ambassador!" Papyrus beamed, scaring the living daylights out of Simon. "Here, have a-"
BANG!
All was silent in the forest, the monsters and Frisk too shocked to react. The first to make any noise was Papyrus, who made light wheezing noises. He looked down to see that his perfect white shirt now had a hole punched through it, speckles of dust blowing out of it.
"You…" Undyne snarled. "You hurt PAPYRUS!" A spear of pure blue energy phased in her hand, and it's tip was planted in a tree, inches from Simon's head. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY, PUNK!" The police officer dropped Frisk, running for his life down the mountain.
"Targets are hostile! I repeat, targets are hostile!" Simon screamed into his transceiver. The man was gone before they knew it, leaving the bewildered and shock party to themselves.
"Papyrus!" Frisk gasped, running two his side. "Are you alright? How much HP did you lose?"
"He shall be alright," Toriel cooed, placing her paws over the hole, a warm green glow emanating from the gap between them.
"F-Frisk…" Papyrus started, looking at the young child closely. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't help you."
"What're you talking about? You saved me!" Frisk threw her arms around the skeleton, much to his surprise.
"I'll be alright, Frisk," Papyrus mumbled in a comforting tone, hugging them close.
"We need to be very careful," Asgore instructed. "We've already upset one human, and our next impressions are critical to the future of monsterkind!"
"Well that punk deserved it!" Undyne glowered, trying to justify her actions.
"He hurt Pap, and no one hurts-"
"Wh-where is sans?" Papyrus asked, looking around at his friends. "Where is my brother?"
"He took a shortcut down the mountain," Frisk answered, pulling away from the embrace.
"Of course he did!" the skeleton grumbled, struggling to stand up. "Trust my brother to go wondering of at a time this. Come on!" Papyrus took a few wobbly steps, but was soon on his feet heading down the path, Asgore supporting his shoulder.
"How's his HP?" Frisk asked, walking next to Toriel.
"He has stabilised," Toriel answered, looking at the skeleton with concern. "His HP dropped down to 80 form 680. What a devastating weapon to hurt a creature in such a way!" Frisk nodded in thought, wondering if their actions in letting Asriel destroy the barrier were a good choice. Could humans really be trusted? What if they didn't like monsters, and they chose instead to attack them instead of being nice?
"Toriel," Frisk started. "I was wondering about-" her sentence was cut of by her walking into Alphys. The rest of the company stood frozen, watching the army of gun barrels pointed at them.
.
.
"Is that all of them?" a police officer asked, looking at the five monsters and one human child bound and at on their knees.
"Sir, we've found another!" a voice announced as they pushed a small figure to the ground, a figure wearing a blue hoodie and slippers. "It was skulking around the camp."
"Heh, good one." sans chuckled as his face hit the dirt. "Looks like we're really boned now."
"sans!" Frisk gasped, watching him be so roughly treated. The child shimmied over to him as best as they could, given that they were all tied up. "What do we do? I don't remember this at all!"
"Neither do I," he mumbled back, barely audible. "Guess this is the first time that we got out of the Underground, huh?"
"Should I-"
"Not yet," the skeleton interrupted. "We should see what happens first." Both of them knew about the timeline resets, and the effect that they had on the mind, but also the world around them.
"'What if any other monsters come up to the surface?" Toriel asked, looking at them nervously. "If they were to be caught..."
"You needn't worry," Asgore assured her. "The Royal Guard and Mettaton have secured the palace until they receive word from us." They hushed, sensing that the humans were listening to their conversations closely.
"What do we do about the girl?" Simon Everdeen asked to a rough, intimidating man, clearly the chief of the police, judging by the number of medals he had and all the scars on his face.
"You sure she's the one?" the man grumbled in response.
"Positive, sir."
"Call her parents, but only let them in after I'm done interrogating this freak show." The man approached the prisoners, glowering at them.
"Which one of you is in charge?" The monsters looked at each other, now knowing how to reply.
"I am," Asgore finally answered, standing up. His golden plate armour glinted in the dusk's dwindling light, whether it was a magical enchantment, or the steel, it was enthralling to watch the king of monsters rise to face the man.
"Come with me. Bring the She-goat and Beatrice." Toriel put her hands protectively on Frisk's shoulders as the three were pushed by gunpoint into a large, military–styled tent. The inside was adorned with cork and whiteboards, photos of Frisk and her other people, pictures of their house, the school they used to attend, writing, all meaningless to the monsters and child. The three were forced into hard metal chairs on one side of the centre table. The other chair was occupied by the man, who now was now looking through a folder filled with papers.
"Start talking," he grumbled. "What the fuck are you? How do you have Beatrice Everdeen?" Asgore and Toriel looked to each other, as if they were in marriage counselling.
"My name is Asgore Dreemurr, the king of all monsters," Asgore answered. "And this is my-" Toriel almost hissed at him, knowing that he was going to say 'his wife', which she certainly was not.
"The queen, Toriel," she finished.
"Uh-huh, and I'm a seven story salamander," the officer retorted, full of spite. "What in God's name are you doing with Beatrice Everdeen? We've been searching for her for over a goddamn year and a half!" Asgore seemed confused at the name 'Beatrice', yet Toriel understood completely.
"This child, whom you call Beatrice, she fell into the mountain." Toriel started. "I found her, brought her in and took care of her."
"Why'd she run away then?" The officer asked. "If you've known her this long, surely you know that!"
"W-well, I never asked!" Toriel turned to the child, who was squirming in their chair. "Frisk, why did you leave your home?"
"I'd rather not say…" they mumbled, barely audible. The reasons why they left, why Frisk ran away all those years ago was a time that she didn't want to visit again. Not ever in their life. "Can we change the subject please?"
"No!" The man slammed his fist on the table, making her jump. "You tell me right now or I'll put a bullet in the dinosaur's head!" Frisk, despite being handcuffed, cuddled as best they could into Asgore's side.
"Human, to do such a thing would be an act of war," Asgore growled, his jowls rising to show his fangs. The cuffs may have restrained him, but his magic could eviscerate them in a second, as well as the human standing here. "We came here in peace, yet you have incarcerated, beaten and interrogated us like we are criminals!"
"You're a freak of fucking nature!" The officer shot up, hand going to the baton at his belt. "I'll put you all down if I have to!" The man drew the weapon, aiming it for Asgore's head. Before it came down, the chains on his cuffs shattered apart, and his red spear met the crude weapon.
"You do not know what forces you are reckoning with here, tiny man." The king snarled, the human instantly backing of in shock at the seven foot tall goat humanoid towering over him, ready to kill with a spear that formed out of thin air. "You should learn to respect true power when you see it."
"Asgore!" Toriel gasped, pulling him away from the officer. "Sit down this minute! I cannot believe you would do such a thing! The momentary distraction was enough for the man to retreat and pull out his gun. Asgore would have received a metal round in his skull, if it weren't for a man barging in and halting the fight.
"I think that's quite enough from the both of you!" The man said calmly, yet full of venom. "Please, let's refrain from resorting to violence."
"Klein," The officer spat, glaring at the man in the suit. "What in God's name are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see if what the rumours said are true, about finding Beatrice." The man looked to the two monsters standing protectively over the child. "Clearly there's a lot to discuss…"
.
.
"…And since that day, monsterkind have been striving for our freedom." Asgore said, having calmed down. The man named Klein nodded slowly, sitting opposite them.
"Sounds like a load of bull if y'ask me." The officer grunted, standing in the corner.
"I believe them," Klein countered almost immediately, much to the surprise of all in presence. "How else would you explain Beatrice being alive and well, and the creatures we've met?"
"I call it the furry potheads that need to go behind bars because they kidnapped her in the first place!"
"Pot… Head? I'm sorry, but we did not catch you name," Toriel added, eyeing the man. "Mr…Clean, was it?"
"Oh, where are my manners!" The man laughed, extending a hand to them. "Name's Darren Klein, I'm the senator for this state. I have been personally invested in the search for Beatrice, because-"
"Frisk," They interrupted. "It's Frisk, Mr. Klein." Darren Klein nodded once, understanding.
"I've been very involved in the search for young Frisk here. They're lucky to be alive."
"Well, I took good care of them," Toriel smiled, slightly proud of that fact.
"Now, onto business," Asgore cleared his throat, leaning in closer. "Monsters no longer are imprisoned underground and wish to move to the surface."
"And you want us to provide asylum for the monsters?"
"Partly," Frisk answered. "I was thinking that we could build a new town for them outside Ebbott!"
"We just lack human funds and resources." Asgore continued. "However our kind will do whatever it takes to make this a reality."
"Over my dead body!" the officer grunted.
"Jarred!" Darren turned to him. "Have some respect! You're talking to the king and queen of-"
"The king and queen of a bunch of freaks! Did you see that spear the fucker in armour had? These monsters shouldn't be allowed above ground, or anywhere! I say we take these ones to a lab and wipe out the nest." The very thought of such an idea almost made Frisk vomit their guts our, cry, and faint all at the same time. Toriel gasped at the idea, and Asgore roared a deep, bestial, roar; one that shook the whole tent.
"You speak of starting another war between our species," Asgore glowered, trying his best to remain calm. "If I must cut you down now to make sure me people are safe, I will." Before either of them could act, a wave of vibrating pulses throbbed through the tent, followed by a cloud of dust. When it cleared, a skeleton was standing next to Asgore.
"sans?" Frisk gasped, "What're you-"
"Hey kiddo," sans grinned at the child. "Thought things were getting a little heated in here." The skeleton seemed to ignore the shouting of the officer, and approached the man in the suit, who was preoccupied with silencing the officer and wrestling the gun from his hands.
"Human," sans hissed, a hostile ad evil voice. "Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand." Senator Klein stiffened up, turning around slowly. Seeing the outstretched hand, he opened his and brought them close.
'sans, no!' Frisk thought, pleading for him not to do what they thought he was. sans gave them a quick grin, a glint of blue in his eye…
.
.
"And do you know what was in that hand?" Frisk asked, looking at the class. Both the students and the media up the back were enthralled at the woman's tale. Toriel smiled, nodding in approval. Many years of work in the embassy and negotiation with humans had left Frisk a mature, smart woman. One that people either admired, loved, or feared. "Take a guess!"
"A sandwich!" A student piped up.
"A pillow!"
"Nicecream?" the teacher guessed. Asriel chuckled and put his hands to his mouth.
"In his hands was… A whoopie cushion!" Asriel made a huge raspberry with his paw pads, causing the children to erupt with shrieking laughter. Toriel shushed the class, shooting her son a look.
"Well, I think that's enough of the Ambassador and Prince talking to us for now, they're very busy people!" The teacher announced, and the students thanked their guests in a monotone chorus. Frisk and Asriel followed their mother into her office, sealing the door behind them so that no paparazzi could get in.
"Been busy Mum?" Asriel asked, sitting down on the couch.
"Things have been quiet, thankfully." Toriel answered, sitting opposite her son. "How are your studies?"
"There's almost no time to be at school anymore," Frisk answered. "Work never stops for us!" Though it was a hard life for the two of them, things were good. Asgore was still a massive help with negotiations and running the embassy, they got to work with their friends almost constantly. Papyrus and sans had taken on the roles of Frisk's personal bodyguards, Undyne was Chief of the Monster Police, and Alphys was always researching ways to improve life for both man and monster.
"I'm sure your teachers have taken your occupations into consideration." Toriel smiled, sipping at a mug of tea.
"Should I have finished telling the story?" Frisk asked. What happened after sans shook Klein's hand was both successful for the Monsters, though there were things that still affected Frisk to this day.
"If you are talking about what happened with your brother, I think it was wise that you stopped there." There was so much more to that tale, more than Frisk liked to remember…
.
.
The sound of the blurting fart filled the tent, along with the chuckling of the skeleton. After that, silence. Senator Klein started to smile, and soon he was laughing alongside the skeleton. Frisk almost fainted, and Asgore sighed a heavy sigh of relief. Toriel was still in a state of shock, barely able to string words together.
"Fuck the lot of ya then." The police officer huffed, storming out of the tent.
"So, now we can finally talk business." Asgore cleared his throat, ushering the skeleton out of the tent. "We would like to begin relations between our two nations. Our people have been trapped underground for thousands of years, and wish to assimilate to the surface." The man nodded in thought, taking out a pen and writing on a notepad.
"How many monsters are living underground?"
"12, 763, 210." Toriel answered.
"No, now it is 12, 763, 225." Asgore corrected, silently ignoring the huff of annoyance from his ex-wife. "The 9 amalgamates have been brought into our society, and some of the residents of Snowdin have had 6 bunnies!" Frisk clapped in delight at the news, overjoyed that new life had been brought into the world. Senator Klein raised his eyebrows in surprise, his hand on his chin in thought.
"Over 12 million…" Klein mumbled. "I don't think the government can afford that many people- monsters, sorry."
"That is quite alright," Asgore nodded, well aware of this fact. "We will provide our own materials and labour to build the houses for my people. All we want is the land to do so."
"You mean, leasing land? Or…?"
"Owning the land."
"You see," Toriel explained, seeing Klein's eyes widen. "When Monsterkind lived on the surface, the lands around what you call Mount Ebott were sacred to us. We lived here for generations."
"We claim ownership to these lands by right of historical integrity and-"
"Stop," Klein held up a hand. "For now I can organise that the national park is yours, but other than that, you'll have to negotiate the Prime Minister."
"Thank you," Asgore nodded. "Are there any other terms?" Senator Klein was silent for several moments, contemplating how to address the issue.
"There is no way that the humans will be able to take on such a large number of monsters at once. You'll need to assimilate them slowly." The Queen and King looked to each other, and then at Frisk, their Ambassador. Nods all round.
"Deal!" Frisk held out her hand, Klein shook it, grinning.
"Now, Frisk. I think someone has already contacted your parents. They should be on their way to pick you up." Frisk almost screamed, but the lump in their throat blocked all the air from escaping.
"My child?" Toriel put a hand on Frisk's shoulder, seeing them stiffen up.
"Is everything okay?" Asgore asked, before being batted away by the Queen.
"I'm sure it's just the air in here," Klein opened the door for them. "Why don't you spend some time with your brother?" Undyne and Papyrus were at the king's side as soon as he exited, like they were his guards.
"So how'd it go?" Undyne asked, as someone released the group of monsters from their handcuffs and restraints.
"We have a home," Asgore smiled. Undyne picked up Alphys and spun her in a circle happily.
"Y'hear that Alph? We're gonna live on the surface!" Simon, one of the police officers walked past them and approached the skeleton brothers.
"I-er…" he started. "I'm sorry I shot you. Are you alright?"
"Fear not human!" Papyrus responded. "The Great Papyrus has never been better! I understand, I frightened you!"
"Just don't let it happen again." sans grunted, still suspicious of the man.
"It won't! You two seem to be close to my sister, so that makes you a friend in my books."
"Wowie! A new friend!" Papyrus beamed. "Humans and monsters will surely get along if you are all as nice as you and Frisk!" Simon couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief. The rest of the police force looked on, wary of the monsters. No longer were their weapons drawn, but their hands were never far from them.
"Excuse me," Toriel interrupted. "If I recall correctly, you are Frisk's brother?"
"I am," Simon answered. "What's up?"
"It's Frisk," Toriel nodded to where the child was hiding beneath Asgore's cape, hugging the king's leg tightly. "They have never been like this! Senator Klein mentioned that your parents had been contacted and-"
"Ah, shit." Simon cursed, kicking dust into the air. "L-look, ma'am, just try to remain calm. Everything will be alright. Y'see our parents were-"
"Where is she!?" A shrill, barking voice cracked the air. "Where is Beatrice?" hearing the voice, Frisk squirmed, burying her face into Asgore's fur. The Monsters around them looked on in confusion, wondering why their friend and ambassador was acting so oddly. A pair of grotesque, overweight people cat a swathe through the police and park rangers busily disassembling the camp.
"Where is our daughter?" The man bellowed, the rolls of his chin fat gyrating as he spoke.
"There she is!" The woman pointed to Asgore. "Underneath that… thing!" The man trudged over to Asgore, standing up to the King.
"Move," he grunted. "That's my daughter, hand 'er over!" Asgore looked at Frisk, unsure of how to act. The man took this as an act of protest, shoving Asgore and snatching Frisk up. Frisk resisted as much as they could, trying to tug her arm from his grip. The man brought them to the woman, who had dropped to her knees.
"Beatrice!" The woman forced Frisk into her arms, almost crushing them. "I was so worried about you!"
"I-I'm sorry…" Frisk mumbled, separating from their mother. The smile on the older woman slowly turned into a frown, and then a snarl.
"You little bitch!" She roared, striking the child with her meaty, sweaty hand. "Do you know how humiliated I've been?" Frisk reeled back, a red mark already welling on her face
"The media hasn't left us alone! I was the laughing stock of the country!"
"I-I'm sorry!" Frisk shrieked, trying their best to scurry away.
"Frisk!" Toriel gasped, running to the child, only to be stopped by the man.
"Stay the fuck 'way from her," he growled, puffing out his chest. "What the fuck kinda crettin' are ya, anyways?"
"Leave my bestie alone!" Undyne shouted, sprinting to save the child, only to be stopped by the man.
"You're coming home right this minute!" Frisk's mother ordered, grabbing frisk by the waist and dragging them through the dirt.
"No!" Frisk wailed, tears streaming down her face. "Mummy! Help me!" Toriel's maternal instincts kicked in, but the behemoth of a man repelled her from getting any closer. In Firsk's eyes, the world seemed to loose colour, reverting only to black and white. In their mind's eye, a screen floated up. Beneath it, where there should have been four orange boxes, there was only one. Fight.