Undertale Fallen Determination: Book 1

Chapter 8: The Clearing

"Again, Wingding, focus your magic." Semi was instructing Gaster on his magic. I didn't know what it was, but it was supposed to be very powerful. The kind of magic few could even learn how to use, much less master. For Gaster to be able to use magic like this at such an age... it was incredible.

Like Gaster had promised, he and Semi brought me to the "Clearing", which, pretty much was what it sounded like. It was a flat dirt plain, surrounded by rocks and plant life, about 100 yards in diameter. The perfect place to practice magic.

Gaster had multiple bones summoned, levitating around him. His eyes were glowing, the same red in the right and purple in the left I saw when I first joined their family. It was a little unnerving for me, to see that again.

Gaster's breath slowed (don't ask me how or why skeletons breathed, cause I don't know), and he closed his eyes. I could still see the glow behind his eyes (and again, I don't know how skeletons can move their faces like that).

Suddenly, I had a cold feeling, like my guilt was coming out. It was faint, but there was a purple aura on Gaster's bones, as well as his hands. It lasted for almost ten seconds, then faded, along with the feeling.

"Good job, Wingding," Semi said, "that was an excellent display."

"What was that?" I asked. "It was... terrifying."

"Powerful, but still unrefined magic," Gaster replied.

"That was 'Karmic Retribution', Chara," Semi told me, "it is skeleton combat magic, that takes its power from the sins of its enemies. The more guilt in their soul, the more damage it causes. And as Gaster said, his command over this magic is still unrefined, unmastered. His consumption of energy is still unbalanced, and you probably felt the excess magic... and considering... oh, I'm so sorry. I should have warned you."

"It's... okay, I'm just... why would monsters have magic like this. I thought they were made of kindness."

"And who told you that?" Gaster asked.

"My... parents." It hurt me to call Asgore my "parent". After what he did... cast me out... just because I... I...

"Is that so? Even I can agree that monsters are misleading each other."

"What?"

"Though I wouldn't put it that way," Semi replied, "Wingding is right. Monsters believe that they are made of kindness and compassion, though they are only half right. ...Tell me, Chara, what fuels magic?"

"Um, some kind of energy?" I answered.

"Well, that is partially true, your stamina, or soul-energy, more accurately, is necessary to 'power' magic. Without it, you would just exhaust yourself. But that is not what controls it."

"Emotion," Gaster said. "It is why, when you got angry yesterday, you lost control, and your magic... well."

"What DID happen yesterday?" Semi asked. "Neither of you will tell me."

"It's not important at the moment," Gaster answered, "what is important at this moment, is explaining to Chara the truth behind monsters."

"Um, yes, magic is controlled through emotions. And because all of us monsters are made mostly of magic, or magic matter, to be more precise, then we really aren't made of kindness, more like... 'feelings.' Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad."

"Think about what happens to a monster when they get depressed," Gaster said. "They become comatose and they don't tend to wake back up."

"'Fallen Down,' right?" I replied. "That's what it's called."