Izuku sat under the tree, listening intently to Toriel's words as she guided Asriel through Monster Magic and how to summon it. "As you've likely already learned-" she began pointedly - Izuku's notes were suddenly very interesting, "-Magic comes from the SOUL. So when you first learn how to cast magic, you will begin by summoning your magic." Toriel explained. "However, Magic is admittedly very characteristic. It manifests as a representation of our individual strengths and weaknesses. It is, in essence, an extension of ourselves. For example:"

Toriel was smooth with her movements, holding her hands to her chest to draw magic from her SOUL and into her hands. She demonstrated by spreading her arms out beside her and blasting the area with a ring of white flames that surrounded them like a ring. "Fire can represent a relentless fury and destructive passion. Without training, this force could very well be one's demise." The flames extinguished and a small white flame materialized in her palm, floating just above it like the fire on a candle wick. "But it can also be a protective warmth and guiding light. Both aspects are a perfect representation of who I am and how I see myself. Most, if not all magic is personalized in this manner." Izuku jotted her words down on the paper (summarizing as well as he could to save space) with a visual representation as a side note. It was a small doodle of two flames, one bigger than the other to represent the difference of power and purpose.

"Hm. Okay, that makes sense I guess," Asriel hummed. Asriel copied Toriel's previous movements, tongue stuck out in concentration. A flickering glow illuminated the room, one a bright flame, the other a colorful spark. Toriel kept the small flame in her hand, gentle and calm as she guided Asriel through the motions. Asriel held a sparking flash, shifting between a star and an explosion. Sometimes it would look like a shaky blob, and Asriel would get excited when it did, then distraught when it popped like a balloon.

Izuku looked back down to his notes and scribbled some more. Magic was characteristic, so Asriel trying to copy Toriel probably wouldn't work like he thought it would. Toriel is a mother and a queen, strong-willed and protective, so her magic reflects that. Asgore is a father and a king, powerful and dutiful, so his magic reflects that. But Izuku didn't know what Asriel was yet. Sure, he was a prince, but he didn't know what being a prince meant. Izuku didn't understand all the implications himself, so he hadn't any room to speak in that regard, but his point still stood.

Asriel was a child. He was high-spirited and adventurous, so his magic would reflect that. But what of when he got older? Would his magic change or remain the same? And what about the other point Toriel made? What are Asriel's strengths and weaknesses and how would they affect his magic's form? Asriel was creative and curious, but he was also stubborn and reckless. His art held so many stories of his travels and wonders throughout the Underground, but he was also careless of his surroundings and often took dangerous paths with no regard for himself. He always seemed eager to learn new things but seldom wanted to put in the effort.

Why, the only reason Asriel even wanted to study magic right now was because Izuku read the book aloud to him. Sure, he was around the age at which Toriel would have taught him regardless, but having the idea already in his head made it easier on his poor mother. Having a goal in mind was a good enough incentive to keep him going when he couldn't get it right the first few times, and thus had a lower chance of giving up. Izuku had seen how quick he was to give up on his studies when there was no immediate result and had to bait him into finishing the task with a race.

Asriel often said that all kids are like him and that Izuku's just weird. Not that either of them knew any better, since there were no other children for them to socialize with.

His recklessness came in the form of climbing the trees and walls. He would grab onto the vines and branches and use them to scale the wall and creep along the cracks before jumping back down and then daring Izuku to do it too. Izuku would sometimes entertain him just to see his smile, but other times he'd tease him for being "a true mountain goat". And it was made all the funnier when Asriel would groan at his "stupid puns". Nobody could say Izuku had no sense of humor (Toriel wept when he made his first pun).

Izuku continued to ponder Asriel's magic and what would represent him the most. Something equally bright and colorful as he is, no doubt. At the moment, though, he could only conjure a tiny, barely stable firework. So while his color theory was true (certainly a bright and colorful display, it was) it still held no real form. Maybe something familiar then? What was the most common variable with Asriel? He took an interest in flowers like his father and held a love for art like his mother. And while his interest in the two was the same as his parents, it came in a much different form. Asgore liked gardening, but Asriel liked harvesting them. Toriel liked knitting lovely sweaters, but Asriel liked drawing cute designs for them.

Asriel also liked the stars in their storybooks. The five-pointed shapes that peppered the black sky in the drawings sparked a feeling of wonder and awe in Asriel. Animals in The Sky was a book about the constellations and their stories. Izuku read it religiously. Asriel, on the other hand, preferred Laika the Space Dog. It was his favorite story. Asriel and Izuku both liked stars but in two different ways. Asriel liked the stories that spoke of humanity's dream to touch the stars, while Izuku simply enjoyed the stories told by them.

Izuku was interrupted by a sudden flash of light. Asriel whooped in joy as he held a colorful flame in his hand that shifted between a white light and a bright rainbow. Toriel looked stuck between shock and amazement, while Asgore was acting equally as excited and proud of Asriel as the boy was of himself. Izuku smiled at the family and nodded in approval when Asriel called for his attention, "Izu, look! I did it! I finally did it!" he cheered.

Asriel bounced the ball of fire between his hands as if it was hot to the touch. Though, with how little control Asriel had, it just might be. Toriel demonstrated how to dispel his magic by clenching her fist, causing the small flame to lose its source and fizzle out. Asriel followed suit and sighed in relief when it worked. He then proceeded to summon and dispel it a few more times until he could comfortably call upon the spell with ease.

"Alright, now that you've learned how to summon your magic, let's work on controlling it." Toriel made a show of swirling the flames around her in a beautiful dance. The flames twirled and floated like ribbons before swirling back into her palms and dispelling once more. Asriel and Izuku both clapped at the display, Toriel humoring them with an elegant bow. Asriel summoned his fire once more, this more familiar with the feeling. He scowled in deep focus for a few moments then moved his hands to a more parallel position that cradled the flame. A twitch of his fingers got the fireball moving back and forth.

Asriel watched his fireball loop around in a circle like a dog chasing its tail. Toriel wasn't as amused as Asriel was but accepted the small amount of progress nonetheless. Asgore decided it was his turn and stepped forward. "Summoning magic is a personal magic that, while slightly more difficult, is seen as second nature to most monsters," he explained. Asgore demonstrated by summoning a red trident adorned with a small red flower on the guard. Asgore held the trident in front of him like a flag, "For example, this trident symbolizes my need to achieve and protect the dreams of Monsterkind." Asgore told of the connection between magic and its meaning, and how its purpose affected its form. Izuku jotted everything down on the paper, making little doodles on the side for reference.

Ariel wasn't able to summon a weapon, but a small star made for a proper bullet attack. Izuku would almost call it cute if he hadn't seen the damage it did to the wall. Both Dreemurs praised him greatly for the unexpected achievement. Asriel then summoned both attacks and shot at the floor a bunch. They both decided to put the summoning magic on hold for a bit in favor of a brief lesson on Affinity Magic and Bullet Patterns. Izuku jotted down a brief explanation to the side of the first portion as a note.

Bullet Patterns were how Monsters fought in battle, and the bullets themselves took the form of one's Affinity. Izuku assumed it was like a fighting style, a flow of movements that only the style user could make. For example, while Toirel's attacks were like an elegant dance, Asgore's were that of a fierce warrior. Asriel's bullet pattern was a bit chaotic at first, but he eventually got the hang of it. It looked like a cluster of stars falling from the sky, leaving craters in their wake. Izuku felt the urge to make a wish.

Eventually, they returned back to the previous lesson and after a few tries, Asriel finally managed to summon a weapon. Two glowing white twin blades appeared in his hands, jagged and uneven with a hilt that curved upwards with little wings on it stopping at the grip. It became even more impressive when he waved it around and a rainbow afterimage followed its path. The world went silent in that moment and no one dared to breathe. Three beats of silence, and the room was filled with roars of excitement. "Oh, my son that was amazing!" Asgore boomed, picking the boy up and swinging him through the air. Toriel smiled with her teeth, practically buzzing herself. "I agree, well done Asriel," she spoke sweetly. 

Izuku stared at the twin blades, wondering what a weapon like that meant. He jotted down a note about personal and mental well-being affecting a summon's appearance just under his question of Monster vs Human SOUL magic. If a trident meant honor, then what did a blade mean? And what about the rainbows? Was it like the rainbow fire or the shooting stars? And what about other weapons? What about swords and spears? What would all of those things mean? What would they represent?

Magic had three forms so far: Normal Magic, Affinity Magic, and Summoning Magic. Normal Magic seemed to be genetic but still had to be taught. Normal magic is the easiest to use as it is a basic spell that anyone with magic can do. Normal Magic seems genetic, so there's no telling what Izuku would get. Affinity Magic was slightly harder, as it was often based on self-discovery. Summoning Magic is the most difficult as it is mostly a personal and highly advanced skill to achieve. These things were made clear by watching Asriel's progress and comparing the speed at which he learned them. Conjuring magic itself is easy enough - it's just energy, after all. But actually using its different forms is a whole other matter, hence why Asriel struggled with his fire more than he did the stars.

That said, seeing as Toriel and Asgore were both very powerful monsters, Summoning Magic clearly had nothing to do with strength or magic levels. It only left even more questions about the twin blades Asriel summoned. Was it about SOUL types? Magic types? Personality maybe? Asgore said a weapon's appearance had meaning, so what did twin blades mean? Perhaps he could visit Toriel's library again to see if there was anything on weapons and their purpose.

So many questions...

Izuku looked back at the family and saw Asgore teaching Asriel how to properly swing a blade with a stick he found. Izuku watched intently, branding the image before him into his brain with a deep fascination. A few minutes of knife drills later, Toriel came out with a training dummy and snacks. Izuku got up and took the snacks from her hands and set them next to the tree as she instructed - the training dummy was quickly shredded into a mess of string and cotton.

Once the food had been carefully placed out, the family sat down and picked out their respective meals. Izuku was the last to move (he knew to respect authority) for his own food and grabbed a veggie sandwich and some fruit. The bread was soft and light, wheat bread for sure, and the inside was filled with juicy tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, and sweet but slightly bitter cucumbers. Each bite was more delicious than the last and left him disappointed when it was gone. Mourning the loss of his meal, he moved on to the small bowl of fruit. Banana slices and mangoes were a star piece, but the strawberries and tangerines left a nice aftertaste, so he saved those for last.

Once Izuku was quite finished, he pulled out the thermos of Vine Tea and carefully poured everyone a glass. It was warm and rich in flavor, which he found he liked. Unlike the recent surge of vegetables and fruits, there weren't many herbs in the underground so spices and teas were rare. That said, there was an abundance of trees and vines to choose from, so they made do with what they had. Golden Flower Tea was Asgore's favorite, though there weren't enough in the garden to splurge on like there were with the plentiful vines that decorated the chiseled walls of the Underground.

Perhaps it would serve him good to watch Asgore brew a pot.

Asriel hopped up from his spot on the blanket and dashed back to the dummy. Izuku sat content with his tea and notes as he watched his best friend train his blade work. The tenacity that burned in Asriel's eyes brought forth another memory from before one where he stood outside a gift shop looking at the display. An odd-looking doll sat in the middle, surrounded by similar items. Izuku looked over to the right and saw those red eyes from his nightmares, but this time filled with a burning determination.

"Hey, Izuku, when you get your quirk, let's be heroes together! You can be my sidekick!" Kachan promised.

Izuku felt bitter about promises. He didn't like how the twisting doubt in his gut felt, a feeling that always promised pain and betrayal. He promised himself that he would protect Asriel and get the Monsters to the surface somehow so Asriel could see the stars like he always dreamed. Asriel declared himself Izuku's friend, and Izuku would make certain he didn't regret it. Never again.

So no, he didn't feel bitter about this promise.

Izuku would do whatever it took to keep this promise. He'd do anything in the world to keep his friend by his side because he refused to lose another. Izuku would read every book, study every topic, train with every weapon, and do it to perfection so he could be the ultimate friend. He would stand by Asriel's side until the very end, or die trying. Izuku stared at the book in his hands, an idea slowly forming in his mind.

Maybe... he had a chance to do just that.

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(Hello one and all, I hath returned from the grave once more.

I kept toying with this chapter for a while - too long, really - but I've finally delivered. Life tip: try not to stress too much about the end result and focus on doing what you can.

But anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you again in the next chapter!)