"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."
"Yes."
"Now, the point here is... monsters don't need kindness to live. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't have it, just... think about it. We're all trapped down here. We all have to depend on each other, so of course, everyone would be kind to each other. It's an easy misconception."
"Do you think that applies to all monsters?" I asked. I was referring to Asgore, and partially to Gaster, who hadn't treated me kindly since I got here.
"I don't know, but if you wanted a good example of monsters not surviving off of kindness, look no further than our ancestors."
"But Semi, I thought during the war, the monsters didn't kill anyone. I mean, they didn't get any human souls."
"That is debatable, but that's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about the ancestral skeletons. Tell me, what's inside of you... and all humans, I assume."
"A... skeleton... right?"
"That would be right, human," Gaster replied. "There to support your body's structural frame, I believe."
"Well the first skeletons, as in monster skeletons... they were actual human skeletons. They used to be humans, but more than just that, they were powerful wizards. But they were murdered, and with their remaining magic, they were reborn as the first skeletons, referred to back under our ancestral name of... revenants."
"So... they were made of..." I started.
"Rage," Gaster finished, "and vengeance. And it wasn't unjustified. This is when karmic retribution was first created, powerful magic made to bring both justice and vengeance to their killers... and to all enemies of monster kind."
I knew Gaster was referring to me, and that idea was terrifying. He was this 'revenant,' and I was his enemy. If I couldn't befriend him...
"That last bit may be a bit a stretch, but yes," Semi explained, "soon the revenants were introduced as a member of the monster kingdom. Many became some of the first knights of the original Royal Guard. Many settled down, had children, and the monster species of 'skeletons' was born."
Semi then knelt down next to me, and said, "but enough about that. I want to see this magic I keep hearing about. Gaster wanted you to come with us for a reason."
I wasn't sure why Gaster wanted to see my magic. I wasn't very good at controlling it, and wasn't very powerful, especially compared to Gaster. But I decided to oblige.
I stepped back from Semi a bit, raised my hands in front of me, and focused. Sparks flew from my hands, and then... a red fireball appeared in my hands.
"Wow," Semi said, "I never would have imagined..."
"You remember that we are trapped down here because human wizards created the barrier," Gaster replied. Of course, one more way to make me feel guilty.
"I'm not very good," I said, "and I lost control yesterday, I almost-"
"I'm fine," Gaster interrupted, "you simply lost control in your anger. I'll admit, I've done that before."
Semi sighed. "Do you want me to help you learn to control your magic, Chara?"
"Wait, what?" I replied. "How can you train me in fire magic. Do you know-"
"No, I do not know how to use fire magic. But it doesn't matter. You already know the magic, you just need to learn how to control it." He raised his hands and summoned two small bones, one in front of the other. He then started spinning them, one of them spinning faster than the other. "Try this."
I looked at my fireball, and then imagined it spinning. I closed my eyes, focusing.
When I opened my eyes, my fireball was spinning around, slowly, and reshaped into sort of a galaxy kind of spiral shape.
"Good," Semi replied. "It'll take time to master, and you'll have to expand your own magic by yourself, but I'll help you learn to control it."
Gaster scoffed and then got and up and began to leave.
"Wingding?" Semi called out. "Are you okay?"
Gaster didn't answer back.
I dispelled my fireball, and sat down. I assumed Gaster just wanted to see more of my magic, and get an understanding of how I got it, not to have Semi promise to teach me.
Would Gaster ever try to warm up to me? I just wanted to be his friend. I wanted people to care about me. Why wouldn't he open up to me?
Why did he hate me so much?
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Author's Note: Not too happy with the ending, but this chapter does point out some history of the monsters, especially skeletons.
Where did the "revenant" thing come from? It actually came from a Culture Shock video release on the Game Theory channel a few years ago, theorizing that Sans may be a revenant. The revenant in this AU will not be exact to the lore described in that video (I didn't even remember all the details of the video hadn't watched that video in a while), but that is what's based on.
Normally I'd have a link to the video here, but I can't have links on Wattpad (apparently, while you can highlight text, you can't copy it, only share it to Facebook (why?), and links don't work normally, and who wants to copy it by hand). I also can't tell you where to find it on YouTube, because for whatever reason, it's unlisted (but it still exists). I couldn't tell you why. But links do work on DeviantArt and Archive Of Our Own, where I also upload this story, so look up the descriptions for those stories to find the link.