Genshintale

"I must say, these two are the most mysterious and interesting pairs I've ever seen. Even for Descenders. Especially how life towards them seems to be repeating no matter how many times they died. Doesn't that bother you Ronova?"

A cool voice spoke as a woman with white hair, a white dress, and a blue gem on her hair, like a hairpin. She is watching two people on a screen projector; those two are Frisk and Chara. She was very interested in what she felt within them.

"It does, it goes against what I am. But unless both of them were native to Teyvat then I couldn't really do anything. Their willpower is more than an average human should have. You can see the deaths from them as if it weren't the first or last time they'll ever die. But they know that true death will someday come for both of them."

Another cool voice spoke as she had pale skin, long, thick, white hair, golden eyes with 7-petaled flower-shaped pupils. Her outfit is shades of black, red, and gray, a black tracksuit, under a dress with a skirt. She even has accessories on her hair, shoes, and gloves.

"Their life and death are from another world, different from what we use for life and death here. You know this Naberius, that even if we intervene with their lives, it would cause unexpected consequences. That soul is formidable even by the world itself."

"Ah, quite a response from you. Though I must say, had one of us instead of Istaroth been able to speak with them, I wonder if things would have been different had we decided to use our powers."

"...I would rather not imagine the possibilities. Although I am amazed, Asmoday, that your powers have brought two outlanders to Teyvat. To think it went as far as a whole different world where the Heavenly Principles aren't in charge."

Ronova spoke to the Shade named Asmoday. She has free-flowing cloud-white hair, a tall, slender body, amber eyes with a small line going horizontally across her pupils. Her outfit is white, black, and red. She screams of someone with a greater purpose.

"As I said to you both before and to the Heavenly Principles, I personally had nothing to do with bringing those outsiders, my cubes, or perhaps my power acted on its own without my knowledge and brought those two to Teyvat. I already explained this to the Heavenly Principles but they hadn't acted or decided what should be done yet."

"Is that so? We'll learn what will be done to those Descenders once Istaroth arrives. The meeting will start once she gets here. Perhaps she already learned so much after being tasked with watching those two in Mondstadt."

Ronova said as she watched the projector showing the two individuals. Then to the strange thing with two golden lines in the middle of where three of the Four Shades are gathered. Somewhere, perhaps up in the heavens, a place where there are four stairs on four different sides, having three of the Shades.

"Oh! There she is now!"

Naberius saw the Shade of Time approaching down her section of the stairs as she greeted her fellow shades. Her appearance was quite different when she met Frisk and Chara. Her eyes now look golden, and her dress is white with a mix of gold and blue. Around her was something that resembled a clock.

"Hello, everyone. I am neither late nor early."

Istaroth spoke to her colleagues as the three of them looked at her, each of them knew that she would make a joke of her powers but greeted her nevertheless. Before anyone said anything, all four of them felt a powerful presence looming over them. But each of them knew who it was, the Heavenly Principles.

The Heavenly Principles watched as the Four Shades turned and bowed to them. They then made a gesture-like signal that made the Shades look towards each other, then at Istaroth. Asmoday then spoke to her.

"Istaroth, have you learned anything from those two outlanders?"

Istaroth closes her eyes, recalling her first meeting with the two people she was tasked to watch. She couldn't help but feel respect for the two of their ways of helping humanity to be what Boreas and Decarabian should have been aware of. She also couldn't help but smile at the antics the two showed in these few weeks.

If she is honest with herself, she hopes that she'll become a friend of theirs as she can see that both of them wouldn't mind making friends with anyone no matter their status. Frisk obviously would act on anything possible, even go as far as to flirt with anyone or anything.

She wouldn't be surprised if Frisk started a conversation with her by using flirtatious words. Had they done that during their first meeting, she would have found it pleasant and bold for a mortal to say such words to her. Still, she looked at Asmoday as she spoke with calmness.

"For your information, their names are Frisk and Chara Dreemurr. As for your question, I did learn something, it seems that they both carried a power that was mine, Ronova and Naberius. Time, life, and death, all three onto what is carried within their memories and soul."

"Soul? You mean that broken red heart of theirs? It looks mysterious to be a soul. As for the memories, did you happen to know their history?"

Naberius asked as she was interested in how a red heart that was in two pieces was keeping them alive.

Even the Heavenly Principles look interesting, but are still cautious of the two individuals that arrived in Teyvat. It was a miracle that they hadn't done anything yet, but that didn't mean the two were out of range of their watchful eyes.

Istaroth looks down as she recalls the memories that she secretly saw when being with Frisk and Chara. Her powers of time allow her to view memories within the two when she locks her eyes with theirs. Neither one suspected that she was viewing their memories as time of their pasts flowed through her mind.

Some happy memories that filled Istaroth with happiness that she hoped to see when the war was over, some bad memories that made her question how humanity would be, and how it affected the two Dreemurrs.

She even wonders about something that plagues her, how the two were able to stay alive when the soul of Frisk was split apart. She first assumed that it was Naberius and Ronova's powers keeping them both alive, but she couldn't find any trace of their powers within them. As if it were a whole different power entirely.

"Both of them came from a village known as Ebott Village/City on a planet called Earth. It was quite a famous place as there is a mountain called Mt. Ebott next to it. Tales of children going missing when they climb the mountain and never return."

She explained the home where Frisk and Chara once were, and she then continued.

"From what I gather, Chara was the very first human who climbed the mountain, while Frisk was the eighth. And it turns out there were monsters sealed away in Mt. Ebott, as it turns out there was a war between humans and monsters, with the humans winning and sealing them away underground with a magic spell."

When she explained, Asmoday couldn't help but speak when she heard the last part.

"A magic spell? Perhaps humans in that world have access to magic to make a spell. But was it a simple spell or a powerful one?"

"As it turns out, the humans have seven of their strongest magicians to create a barrier so powerful that only a powerful soul can pass through it. It is said to be broken by a powerful force that is equal to the seven magicians, or… Using seven different human souls."

Naberius and Ronova had their eyes widen at the mention of seven souls. They thought there was only one type of soul, but hearing there were seven different souls, it made both of them feel uneasy.

Suddenly, both of them felt the Heavenly Principles react quite violently, as if they figured out something.

"From Frisk's memories… Six humans went to the mountain, fell down, and never returned alive. Each of them was either killed or gave up their soul willingly to be used to break the barrier. Chara died, but his soul wasn't among the six other souls, as it could have broken the barrier much earlier, but Frisk was able to survive, and the barrier was broken by another means for the seventh soul."

"Seven children, seven of them died just for monsters to be freed."

Naberius spoke with her expression horrified by the image of children being killed. She viewed humans and anything that has life as her own children, and to have six young ones dying was horrifying enough for her to endure.

Istaroth further explained while feeling the immense gaze of the Heavenly Principles. It was obvious that they didn't like what they were hearing.

"It turns out both sides lost children on the day Chara died, which led the monsters to declare war on the humans despite being sealed underground. There was another reason why the monsters wanted to gather the seven human souls. If any monster absorbs a soul, its appearance changes and becomes stronger. But if all seven souls were absorbed… It can make a monster a god."

"A god!? A god that only needed seven children's lives!?"

Naberius couldn't help but screech as if the whole war was just sacrificing children. The area around them grew cold, which signified the anger of the Heavenly Principles.

"Still, without the sacrifice of Frisk's soul, the barrier was broken and the monsters were finally free of their imprisonment and returned to the surface. None of the monsters… Well, except for one who not only manages to absorb the human souls, but also all the monster souls. But he gave them all back but the human souls were sent to the afterlife."

That didn't comfort Naberius at all, even in the slightest. But she then realized something very important, she felt six mysterious life forms emerging within Teyvat, at first she thought it was something within the seven nations, but when hearing about the souls, perhaps just maybe…

Meanwhile, Asmoday noticed Istaroth was hesitant about the one monster who absorbs everyone's souls. So her gaze grew more serious as Istaroth felt uneasy about looking directly in Asmoday's eyes.

"Istaroth, you know who the monster is, don't you? Why don't you explain?"

Istaroth didn't speak for a moment, but the intense stares of the other Shades had made her sigh as she braced herself for what she was about to say.

"The monster is Frisk and Chara's brother, Asriel Dreemurr. He was the one who first found Chara when he fell down, took him to his family, and became his brother, and best friend. Before Chara died, he asked Asriel to take him to the village to see the golden flowers that bloomed there as only a monster and human soul can bypass the barrier.

Asriel went to Chara's village while carrying Chara's corpse, but he was attacked by the humans who mistook Asriel for having killed Chara and absorbed his soul. He didn't fight back but didn't escape uninjured. He died when he made it back underground as both of their souls were lost forever. But many years later he was brought back to life by a scientist by making a serum containing the soul's determination.

Unlike humans, monsters don't bleed, but their bodies turn to dust, and Asriel had the flower seeds stuck onto him that began to grow after he died. The very first golden flower that carried his essence. But because of his soul being destroyed, Asriel became a flower with no soul, soulless, even calling himself Flowey the Flower as he was no longer Asriel Dreemurr."

Ronova was first astonished that a monster scientist was able to bring back another monster that contained no soul. But immediately felt insulted hearing someone cheat death. But continue to listen in.

"He was different, a flower that believed only killing was the way the world operates. But thanks to Frisk and the human souls, they were able to restore Asriel's soul and change him back to his original self. And—"

"Istaroth, I believe we stray from the original topic far enough."

Asmoday interrupted Istaroth as she realized she was explaining the brother of the Dreemurrs and the story of what she thinks is ironic "Undertale," not the Dreemurrs themselves. She sighs as she goes back to the topic at hand.

As for the Heavenly Principles, while they are "seemingly" intriguing in the story, they knew they must confirm whether the two of them are a threat or not. Just feeling their gaze made Istaroth speak back to the topic.

"My apologies, both of them have a huge amount of determination, which can persist through death and go back to a certain time before being killed. Anybody can have an amount of determination but these two have the highest amount. Their willpower can make them determined to achieve anything even with so many struggles."

"A power that is determination?"

"Yes, and no, the name 'determination' was something the scientist came up with; nobody knows what the true name of the power is. They all figured that determination was the right word for the power that comes not only from the red soul but also from other souls, even if the others only have a little of it. It can be positive or negative depending on their behaviors."

"Hmm… Is there more within their memories? I feel like you're not telling us everything."

Asmoday spoke as she could feel gaps and unconnected bridges in her analysis.

"I am, it is just their determination or perhaps their own willpower that is blocking me from seeing all of their memories, a certain history they do not want anyone to know. Perhaps they have a reason to hide them as both believe it would cause tension and harm."

"So, they're afraid that they'll be seen as inhuman or like a monster?"

Naberius spoke softly as they looked back at the projector, seeing the conversation of both Frisk and Chara speaking about a corrupt power.

"It does seem both of them care about the people they've befriended. And are willing to do what it takes for them to have freedom from that storm god. Perhaps it is for the best; neither he nor that wolf was ever a good candidate for the title of Anemo Archon."

"Speaking of the title, my lord, if I may be bold to ask. Are you sure that Wind Spirit will be a good Archon? I did see the future, and it seems that he does watch over humanity, but lazily, along with grief that never recovers. Would it be best for someone, perhaps a Mondstadt native to become a god of that nation?"

Istaroth spoke with her tone having a mix of doubt and apologetic. She'd seen what would happen should Barbatos become the Anemo Archon. Ronova just scoffs as she looks at Istaroth.

"One mortal god is already enough within the nearly complete Seven. Still, I must say that it is impressive that a mortal was able to slay the Pyro Sovereign and ascend to become the Pyro Archon."

But what the others didn't know was that she had made an agreement with the Pyro Archon for using her powers. If the Heavenly Principles were to find out, she would deny being involved and claim her powers were stolen. But should it fail… Then she will deal with the consequences.

But the Heavenly Principles, who would later find out about this, said something that caught the four off guard. Something neither one would think they would ever hear, especially from their lord.

"You're saying that he's the best one for the title as well as the best fit for me to grant him his title once the rebellion ends. Even going as far as to grant me permission to aid the rebels in winning their war?"

Istaroth wanted to confirm if what her lord said was true. Then, a moment later, after hearing something like a confirmation, she bowed to the Heavenly Principles.

"Then I shall follow your instructions, my lord! I'll— Huh? Wait…! A-Are you sure?"

With one more confirmation, she agreed with a hint of fear. Once that was done, the meeting was concluded with everyone going back to their respective places, roles, and missions to maintain order within Teyvat.

But Istaroth could still see the echoes of what the Heavenly Principles wanted her to do once the soon-to-be Anemo Archon was declared to rule his nation. It was so serious that she wanted her to ensure the two people she grew interested in were prepared for what would happen.

"Bring those two Descenders up to Celestia, I wish to speak with them to ensure neither of them will do anything that will declare a threat to Teyvat. As well as getting the whole story of their past and present, before I can make my decision."