Prologue
'Setfri… all of you… I'm sorry but… I value experience more than loyalty.'
…
'Tch, it's not like we were ever going to amount to anything. We'd just be a burden on them in a world with no place for weakness. No place for mercy…'
The date is 216X.
It's been a year since the Barrier was broken and the monsters returned to the surface. They've spread far across the country, exploring the world they'd dreamed of. Very few remained near the mountain that was once their prison. Frisk wanted to join them, but their job as Ambassador kept them back. Toriel and Asgore stayed too, the former because she couldn't bear to leave her child, the latter because he needed to accompany the Ambassador as the (ex) King.
Upon reaching the surface, the monsters were surprised to discover that humans could use soul magic once again, but only with the help of Augmentors. These were a specialized technology, developed by the government team studying the nature of magic, the MRD. They allowed the human wearing it to use spells, specific to their soul trait, to a degree akin to monster children. It was a start, but with practice, one could bring their skill up to a level close to the wizards of old. Experienced users with a trait of Kindness could form spears from their shields, and ones of Determination could fly for up to a minute.
Some individuals, thought to be descended from the wizards that created the Barrier, could even use magic without an Augmentor.
…
Frisk wasn't one of them.
But they did have something no one else had. Something that the MRD would do anything to get to…
Frisk gazed out the window, head slumped against the glass, watching the trees move by. They'd forgotten how tiring school could be.
Toriel, the head teacher of the magic faculty, and Frisk's mother, piped up from the driver's seat.
'So, my child, how was today?' she asked.
'Fine. Nothing interesting happened,' Frisk lied.
Toriel didn't look convinced.
Astra: Frisk, don't lie to your mother. Something did happen, and it wasn't pretty.
Figna: If you had let me out nothing would have happened!
Miseri: You would have killed them! Besides, we can't exactly show ourselves.
Right. Now that they were on the surface and no longer bound by the magic of the Underground, Prolis could telepathically communicate with their owner. Their ability to 'hear' almost anything that's said was merely a side effect.
Frisk: Alright then, I'll tell her. Though knowing you can hear any conversation I'm having is rather disconcerting.
Icara: We can choose not to listen in, if we want…
Astra: Dammit I told you not to tell them! Now we'll have to…
Frisk: You said it.
Astra: … Fine.
Frisk turned away from the window, instead staring at the floor. They exhaled.
'Someone attacked me today.'
Toriel visibly stiffened.
'What happened?' she questioned in a serious voice. It reminded Frisk of the one she used in the Underground, when they were trying to escape the Ruins.
'I don't know what his motive was. He just sort of… attacked. He had a stick. I managed to dodge the first couple swings, but then some of his friends ganged up on me. A teacher came to break up the fight, but I still got hurt. Luckily the teacher was able to heal, thanks to his trait, but…' Frisk trailed off.
'Yes?' Toriel urged.
'Figna wanted to "protect" me.'
Toriel waited a couple seconds, as if trying to decide how to respond.
'I see,' she eventually said. 'Thank you for telling me, Frisk.'
Frisk flopped down, laying on their bed. What a day. This wasn't the first time someone had attempted to harm the Ambassador. Not everyone accepts sudden change.
Figna: You know I really meant it. Our job is to protect you and that's what we'll do.
Not again.
Frisk: I'm just not sure I can trust you. I know you're extremely impulsive, and I've seen what you can manage.
Astra: They're just following their Essence Title. We all are. We're just doing what we were created to do. You know that. Even after a year, you still haven't let us do our job. We sit around here and wait.
Icara: Just as we always have…
Frisk: Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. We've been through it too many times, I can't let the other humans know you guys actually /i do i exist. I'm sure I've shown you the articles. People have been trying to find Prolis since the Wizards first hinted at them in their logs.
Astra: Yes, but-
Frisk: No! I Command you, as your Possessor, to stop talking about this subject!
A creak as Toriel opened the door. Frisk had exclaimed out loud.
'My child, are you alright?'
Frisk sat back down, breathing heavily. They had gotten extremely worked up over seemingly nothing.
'They annoying you again?' Toriel said quietly.
'Yeah…' Frisk answered.
Experience over loyalty… had that been a good choice?
'I think it would be best if you gave them a chance. One more.'
Miseri: Frisk. Please. I have something I want to ask you.
This was new.
'I… I guess you're right. Thanks, Mama.' Frisk said finally.
Toriel smiled slightly, then shut the door.
Frisk: Miseri. You've never said anything whenever we have an argument. Why now?
Miseri: Normally I'd just sit and watch but… while you and Astra were debating, I remembered something. A possible way for us, more specifically, Figna and I, to join you in the Overworld.
Frisk: I'm fine with you but… what about them?
Figna: Don't talk about me like that!
Miseri: They should be nothing to worry about. As long as I'm around, they should stay relatively docile.
Frisk: Why didn't you tell me this before?
Miseri: I didn't feel it necessary. Until today, you hadn't been in much danger. But after that kid attacked you…
Frisk lay back down on their bed, considering.
Frisk: What'll it take?
Miseri: Do you happen to know where Alphys put the Determination she extracted?
Frisk: …
Astra: Yeah. In the bottom drawer of our freezer. She didn't want it, so Icara and I took it and put it there. Some six tubes of it. The drawer itself's been duct-taped over though.
Guess they had that problem solved.