Chapter Text
An ordinary child, with a bright smile and joyful disposition was running around the nearby clearing. A joy to a gypsy mother and a former nobleman that lives in nomadic life as traders.
“Frisk,” her mother would say, called her as the twilight came into view. “Enough playing, you have to wash yourself, will you? You’re already dirty and smell funny.” She chuckled to see her daughter climbing the buggy with difficulty. Frisk was a small child, small stature that looked younger than her age of ten. She helped her small child climb up to their home.
“Yes, mama,” She cheerfully answered. Frederika Albrecht, known as Frisk to her family, had lived a peaceful, happy life, and a child bursting with energy. Her mother knew that Frisk wasn’t like the girls in the towns and cities. Frisk prefers to wear shorts and pants when she goes to play outside rather than in her dresses or skirts. She was a bit of a tomboy, used to climbing trees or playing on the field chasing butterflies or picking bugs.
They live in a small buggy that carries all their supplies. Frisk’s father would always go in the morning with his donkey carrying baskets full of stuff to be sold. They would stay in that town for months before moving again.
“Would papa come home early?” The child asked, looking at her mother as she was picking her fresh dress. She and her child look similar, with bronze-skin and black hair.
“I do not know, child but he will. It was your birthday today, am I right?” Her mother would tickle her, nuzzle her and pull her in a tight hug. Glad that for sometimes, Frisk considers wearing her dress and showing it to them. She really looked pretty. Her dearest daughter that she loved so much, Frisk was her joy. Frisk was their symbol of their love and she would cherish her.
“Mama, that tickles.” Frisk would laugh at her mother’s antics. “Stop, please…” she would beg and chuckling as her mother would tickle her mercilessly. “Please… it tickles.”
“Grawr!” Suri fixed her veil before roaring like a bear. She raises her hands to tackle Frisk.
“Please,” Frisk would often tear up when she had enough. She would try to push her hands away. “Stop, it tickles.”
“Alright… alright,” she said in between her chuckles. “Will you like one?” Suri asked. She picked up a bowl of fruits that Frisk would often sneak in her clothes for a snack. “Your father would probably be late for tonight.”
“I’ll wait for papa to come home.”
“Okay,” she replied. She sets it aside and continues to mend and fold the clothes in front of her. She would wait. She and her daughter will always wait for his arrival.
It was night, a knock in the wooden wall announced her father’s arrival. “Frisk, Suri, I’m home.” Her father went to the back of the buggy. He saw his wife and daughter eating bread cakes. “You’re already celebrating without me?” He feigned his dismay as he looked at them with a silly smile.
“We’re both sorry,” His wife would say. She held his hand and invited him for dinner. “We waited but Frisk here said she was hungry. You know that she won’t eat if I or you aren’t eating together. It’s unusual.”
“Alright, I’m just surprised.” He said reaching on his back he pulled out two large hair clips made out of ruby. It was round, with golden flowery décor around it. It has three, golden, narrow strips connected under it. “It was your birthday, my dear daughter. Happy birthday” He happily greeted. Frisk was looking at his present before launching herself on him and locked him in a tight embrace. He could not be any happier with his lovely family before him.
“Thank you, papa,” Frisk happily said. She quickly took it and examined it in her small, stubby hands.
“I also gave you this,” his wife handed their daughter an embroidered headband. She fixed it on her daughter’s head before her father clipped his gift at the girl’s hair. “You look lovely!” She clapped her hands in amusement.
Suri Albrecht watched her daughter twirling on her dress, looking at herself in the mirror with glee. “Thank you, mama, papa…” the girl hugged them both. She couldn't help but happily cry for her daughter who was growing up so fast. She will be a lady soon…
She decided to spoil her for a moment. “Finnian,” she eyed her husband and he nodded. They bring Frisk outside, telling her to stand in the middle.
It was dark outside, great for a fantastic display of magic pictures, Suri thought. They brought a few lanterns to lighten the surroundings before them.
“Look, mama…” Frisk pointed to the skies that darted with countless stars. It was beautiful.” She giggled as she tried to catch one of them.
She brought her husband beside her. They were both smiling and then nodded to proceed. They had last surprise for their darling daughter.
“Ready?” Suri asked him.
“Ready.”
“What are you doing mama?” Frisk asked her parents to which Suri answered. “My dear daughter, your father and I possess magic. It’s your birthday and we want to spoil you grand this time.”
Suri and Finnian’s magic converged, birds and butterflies of different colors emerged. Then suddenly the magic pictures depicted Suri and Finnian dancing in the plaza. They look so happy together. Finnian happily provided a background sound with his lute while his wife was singing. Frisk also danced along with her mother.
Their daughter was amazed, smiling at them. Then the couple in the magic picture had a small baby with them. Frisk realized it was her. “Mama, it was me.”
“Yes, it was you, my dear daughter.” Suri would pick her up and give her a kiss on her cheek. “Our precious daughter…”
“In this world, humans do possess magic but the nobles were most benefited than us commoners. I somehow and someday wished that we can fully express our joy with magic.” Suri hugged her daughter. Finnian watched them with a wan smile. “I hope that day comes that we are free to do what we want.”
However the world will always be unforgiving. Frisk would end up losing her parents at an early age. She would one day wake up to find them dead before her eyes.
Frisk felt her dad crawling towards her. She gasped as he embraced her in his bloodied arms. “Live for us Frisk, live for yourself our beautiful daughter.” At last, he was out of breath, he performed his last magic.
Surrounding Frisk with colored little birds to comfort her, his father wished for her to go. “Live, Frisk.” Then slowly they fade into oblivion as he was nothing but a cold body.
“Mama…! Papa…!” She cried as their blood soaked on her hands. It was warm, like the warmth that her parents always provide for her. At the same time, the coldness hit her when she realized that they were gone forever.
“Why…?” Frisk would never know the culprit. She hugged them closer to her. “Mama, Papa…” she uttered, crying now that she will be left alone.
“Frisk… we look forward to this world that someday we can express our joy through magic.” She heard her mother’s words echoing.
“No matter if we feel sad and bad, we smile. We should move forward because that is the only place we can go.”
“We love you Frisk…”
“We love you…”
When dawn came, she buried them near the tree. She would never see them again and it was painful for her to bear.
At night she forced herself to sleep, with tears already dried in her face. She smiled, she smiled despite her parents’ death. “Thank you… mama, papa…”
However that smile was never real, it was a mask to hide what she truly felt. She was lonely, she was alone… she was living now for herself.