When I was writing this, I honestly did not think I was writing this.
I know, I know. It sounds really weird. But let me explain.
For the longest time, I assumed I hated my book. This book. Everytime I thought about it, I didn't like it.
Then, I went back and gave it another try because I kept seeing comments popping on it. Can't believe we're over 4K views on it too...
I came to a conclusion: I didn't hate this book. I hated how I had written it.
My story was new. It was creative. It was also handled badly in my opinion.
Funny story, while I was thinking about ASToMTR and how I didn't feel like re-writing it, an idea struck me;
What if I didn't? What if, instead, I wrote it differently?
That's what I'm doing. Currently, I'm trying to figure out how I want to write that story while trying to figure out how to write this one.
The thing about this chapter is that while I write it, I think "man I could make this so much better."
"Man am I glad I don't have to do that."
So, please.
Enjoy the first proper update of ASToMTR since November 2019.

EDIT: Whoops, looks like I forgot something...

*********

"Hey dad, who's that monster over there?" The teenage deer monster asked, question posed to his older parent. The words of his curious son did not reach his ears, being preoccupied with a report from one of his guards. The young deer tried again, receiving the response.
Annoyed, the deer turned to the humanoid goat standing next to him, the latter completely enamoured by the training session going on before his eyes. Sighing, the deer pinched the nape of the goat, knowing he hated that.

"Ow! What was that for, Mladi?!" The furry Boss monster whipped around; annoyance painted on his face. "The training fight was just getting to the good part!" In response, his nose met with a well-placed chop.
"You can get back to your fight later." Mladi Koza, monster heir to the Duke of the Vzhod region, spoke these words to his best friend with a calmer tone, hoping that the goat's stubborn-headed nature would calm down. His dad had told him that the Dreemurrs were all like that, joking that the late Darigore passed it down to King Relgore, who passed it down to Asgore. Either way, it could be hilarious or annoying. Right now, it was neither. "First, tell me who that guy is."
Asgore Dreemurr, monster heir to the Throne, glanced over at who his deer friend was talking about.

"Uh, who exactly?" Asgore asked, trying to filter out the pun as he attempted to track down the figure his royal opposite was pointing to. It wasn't easy, considering that the Gold and Silver of the Vzhod Royal Guard was blazing sunlight upon his sensitive eyes. But at last, he spotted the figure.

"That guy? Uhhh..." Asgore looked around for something to give him a clue, but no name came to match the black armoured monster that stood next to the Kings. Though, now that he looked closer...

The figure was dressed in a midnight-black armour shaded with a light-grey around the chest, the armoured neck and the thighs. Extruding from the shoulders were what could be described as a cross between mistletoe and crab claws in shape. They were bizarre to describe. Running down the arms were plating's with that same shading as before, slab on top of slab. The mask held in their hands was terrifying and awesome at the same time, with a second mask resembling a white skull with white pinpricks in the eye sockets-

"Wait a minute." Asgore blinked. "That's no mask."

"Correct, my young Asgore." An elderly voice came from behind the teens, who turned around at once. "Gerson!" They smiled, both growing up with the turtle as their guardian and grandfather-like figure. The force from their hugs nearly tackled the monster to the ground, ignoring the looks from some of the guards. Granted, they were both a head taller than their mentor.
"Hehe." The turtle matched their smiles with both eyes and mouth, embracing the two gladly. "Now then, what were you two doing?"

"Trying to figure out who that monster is!' They spoke in resonance, with Mladi adding "I can't tell if they're from our Royal Guard or just a free-lance warrior. I've never seen them before!"
"Ah, yes." Gerson's eyes changed, a look of what could only be described as playful disappointment and pride. "Worry not Mladi, he is one of ours."
"He?" Asgore asked, unable to guess whether the monster he could now describe as a skeleton had a gender. He didn't know a lot about skeletons, apart from how they were rumoured to be the strongest of all magic-users.
Oh, and how they could reproduce with any species. His father damn it, he didn't need to know that.

"Yes. That skeleton there is perhaps the most powerful of all the monsters in this age." Gerson spoke, not a trace of a lie in his words. The two teens looked shell-shocked.
"Remember his name, you two," Gerson spoke, bending the two down so they were eye-level with him. "Chances are, he'll be protecting you both as Captain of The Royal Guard."
"His name?"

"Avenair Serif MS." The King dropped down to his knees, unable to comprehend that the skeleton standing there was once known as the strongest monster to exist. A monster with strength never fully seen by anyone. Memories flooded his head, threatening to make him cry. Only willpower prevented him from doing so.

Papyrus, in question, was hyperventilating again. Before he could repeat his earlier fiasco, however, Undyne wrapped him in one of her in/famous hugs. "Trust me, buddy. We're all freaking out here."
"Speak for yourself," Flowey muttered but couldn't deny that things were going on that were freaking out even her-THEM. FREAKING OUT EVEN THEM.

With no warning, the scenery changed. Gone was the homely atmosphere and familiar surroundings. Standing in its place was a huge room, monsters of many shapes and sizes walking in and out of it.
The sudden change of atmosphere snapped Asgore away from the raw emotions, bringing in new ones. Images burst into the mind of the King. Images from a bloody time that no one came victorious from. Images that, coincidentally or deliberately, mimicked the surroundings that he stood amongst.

"Supervisor Willard! Status report!" The baritone boom of the late King Relgore was as if a blanket fell over the sound of the room, muffling it for an instance. In response to the sound, a feline-like creature stood up, holding a few sheets of paper.

"Burger- I mean, Willard?" Frisk asked, the resemblance to the depressed MTT employee just short from uncanny. But where the waiter was hunched with a permanent look of dissatisfaction with the world and a cigarette always present, this lookalike stood up straight, sharp eyes and a closed mouth meaning business as he approached the King of the Monsters.

"We're in immense trouble, Your Majesty." The supervisor revealed, passing the sheets of paper to the King. "If what information kept in those sheets are true, then the war has turned in their favour."
Relgore's eyes furrowed as he continued to read through the sheets, then they changed gears and widened. "The 7 Magicians have mobilised?!"
The room halted to a stop like a car crash. Panic started to grab the room as the implications of this order started to settle like DUST.
Relgore's eyes narrowed. FEAR generated from the power of that name threatened to claw his SOUL to pieces, but rage excreted from his body like heat from a furnace.
"I will fight them." He announced, fist-clenching as his words escaped his mouth. Willard's eyes widened in shock.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty-"
"NO! I will not hear it!" the King cut him off with a growl, scaring the poor feline back to his post.
Asgore looked troubled, recalling his father's furious temper. Woe to those on the receiving end, he wordlessly recited the motto Gerson had made up for it.

Ten minutes later, the King stood tall in his battle armour, an exact match to the armour worn by the King standing amongst the living. He stood in the outskirts of the town of Ebott, ready to leave for his greatest battle. Cold eyes surveyed the battlefield while he waited. The eyes did not fail him, for in the path of His Majesty stood four figures.
"Captain MS." The King's voice boomed across towards the armoured guards, dust stirring up from the force. "Have you come to join me for my battle?"

"Far from it, Your Majesty." Avenair voice replied, mask doing nothing to muffle his speech. "I have come to advise you from approaching the Magicians."
Before the King could express his distaste, Avenair marched on. "You are indeed powerful, Your Majesty, but The 7 deem your strength as a large bird-eating spider to an eagle. You would land powerful blows but would ultimately be dusted."
"I, however, feel more confident that my team and I can defeat them." He declared, his team surrounding their Captain with pride. "Additionally, Your Majesty, you cannot fall. Upon your shoulders lies the Hopes and Dreams of all monsterkind."
"NO!" Relgore interrupted with anger "I am only a pillar to steady my people, but a pillar that can still be replaced by others. YOU are the warrior that holds the Hopes and Dreams of everyone! The most powerful of all monsters and the Elite Captain of the Royal Guard! I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to throw away your life and die!"
"Please, Your Maj-"Avenair tried again, but the King rushed forward, not letting the Captain speak.
Relgore was adamant in this. In a way, Koza was right about him. Stubborn headedness ran in the Dreemurrs. It certainly ran in his veins at this moment, alongside a deep rage at humanity for everything they did to him. Damn that MS, then. He'd do it himself if he had to.
Suddenly, it all started to blackout. Instead of orange forests and dusty grounds, darkness was his vision. He tried to fight it, but the darkness was so comforting...

"Take him back to the castle," Avenair commanded to a larger canine monster, passing him a glowing quartz with white sparks contained within it, "then meet back at this spot. Take no more than 5 minutes." With a nod, the monster disappeared, unaware that only 3 metres away was a group of shocked monsters foreign to both this time and space.
"He did it so efficiently..." Undyne trailed off, eyes awestruck by the power the skeleton displayed.
"Well, I wouldn't describe the attack as effortless..." Myriad muttered to himself, gesturing that they should keep watching.
Without a word, the two remaining guards stood side-by-side to Avenair while he sat down cross-legged, energy faintly emitting from him.
"He's recovering his magic." Myriad began to explain "Taking down someone as durable as Relgore isn't exactly what my dictionary would describe as "a mundane task."

"That was slightly excessive, wouldn't you say?"One of the guards asked in a quiet voice that drew forth the image of embers. They wore a coal-black armour with flames of red running across in freedom, with matching gloves. They were tall, about the same height as Avenair, with a helmet that matched his Captain's. "He is our King. And the palace will not the an unconscious king lightly."
"I KNOW THAT VOICE..." Papyrus muttered to himself, completely engaged in the memory. His anxiety was kept at bay by the memories distracting him.

"She needed something to take her mind off the situation," Avenair replied, eye-sockets closed but still glowing from within. "She is the youngest out of all of us, and after all, our enemy is not some garden-variety type."
The other one, a smaller monster with a dark-olive armour and a shell that matched the same size as their torso, laughed slightly. "Nuts to that! If you told me that none of the Collagen's Cowl standing here were scared about that upcoming fight, I would laugh at you then go and open up that store of mine with various knick-knacks and whatnot! Heck, I'd even sell my shell!"
"A shame your father couldn't join us, Dragoon," the other replied, "he would have been an invaluable help."

"That's true, Blazer," the one called Dragoon agreed, doing some odd stretching exercises that involved dislocating his limbs then popping them back in "but Old Man Shelly had to stay back and co-ordinate the defences. Being an ex-Captain doesn't guarantee an easy retirement."
"How long are you going to use that name for me?" Blazer asked, a note of playful annoyance resonating in his speech.
"I think it suits you," Avenair replied, smiling underneath his mask. Blazer only sighed.
"Captain, shouldn't you be setting a good example?"
"What, for him? It's not like he would keep it in mind."
"Uh, still here." Dragoon pointed out, a look of exasperation hidden behind the mask of his Captain. A title he would have to claim one day, even though he was nowhere near the power or intelligence of the current Captain.
But then again, his dad did mention that he hadn't seen anyone with the same power as the Captain.

"So, wait a second," Frisk requested, looking at Myriad with confused eyes "is that monster Gerson's son?"
"Yes. That is Dragoon, one of the potential candidates for the title of Captain of The Royal Guard." Myriad's exposition confirmed "Some even referred to him as-"
"'The second coming of the Hammer', I suppose?" Asgore cut the Deity off, voice heavy with exhaustion. "Owing to his iconic defence and his own variation of Gerson's Hammer of Justice."
"Quite so."

"You are 8 minutes late." The captain observed, not looking up to the new arrival who was kneeling in front of her Captain. "Was it that difficult?"
"Yes, Captain." The guard replied, breathing heavily from what mimicked exhaustion. But her companions knew the truth.

"You have no reasons to hide your anxiety." Avenair comforted, his aura slowly diminishing as he picked himself up. "All here feel fear. The 7 Magicians are unlike any we have fought before."
"I-I wasn't scared!" The monster protested, her full height towering over her Captain. "I was just tired from running from the people in the castle!"
"Don't think I'll be opening my shop soon..." Dragoon muttered underneath his breath, to which Blazer chuckled slightly.
"Wolf-" 

The one called Wolf looked up. Though her gaze was hidden, her ferocity was not. "Do you believe that I would attempt to delay this fight? This deciding fight of all Monsterkind?! Do you truly believe that I would even hesitate to take arms and fight beneath your name?! Do you believe I wouldn't die for you?!" The Wolf towered over her superior, hands clenched by her side.

Avenair placed a finger on the monster's mask, where her mouth would be. Then, he took off her helmet.

Underneath the steel-grey helmet lay a familiar sight to many who stood there. It was a muscular dark-grey wolf.
"JiMmEy HoTpAnTs?!" Papyrus and Frisk both called out in shock at the same time, hence the strange capitalisation of the name.
{That's just lazy.}
(STOP BREAKING MY WALL.)

Tears were on the wolf's face as her Captain gazed upon her. "Do you not trust me?" Her shaky voice asked with a voice full of pain. "Am I a hindrance?"
"Wolf." Avenair's voice boomed out, startling the monster into silence. "If I believed you were incompetent and a hindrance, would I choose you to fight alongside me?"
"Captain, I-" Wolf tried but was cut off by her Captain enveloping her in a hug.
"I am scared as well." Avenair admitted "I am scared of failing my people. I fear that I cannot accomplish this task for my people." Then, with a guilty look on his face, he added "in fact, I was against assembling you three at all."
"Of course you were, Captain." Dragoon piped up, walking over to the two. "You are caring in nature and didn't want us to be gravely injured, right?"
Wolf's sad expression changed to disbelief "You... what?"
Before the Captain could reply, a fist to his jaw blew him away.

Wolf glared at her partners as if to say "try and stop me." The two simply raised their hands. They knew better than to intervene between those two.
Avenair was massaging his jaw but still saw the giant wolf tackle him to the ground with plenty of time to react. Wolf was slightly alarmed, expecting the Captain to dodge her attack.
"Captain, are you alright?!" Wolf yelled into the skeleton's non-existent ears. A muffled groan gave her an answer. Dragoon started laughing immensely at the sight of his Captain being flattened by an armoured overprotective wolf with insecurity issues.
"You prick..." She growled again, keeping her Captain pinned underneath. It wasn't like he had to breathe, was it?
While the two comrades wrestled with each other, the remaining sat down together.
"They're like father and daughter, or uncle and niece, no?" Blazer murmured to the turtle, watching the skeleton flailing about while pinned underneath.
"I've never heard of a family duo that aggressive." The other shot back, chuckling at the scene. "Still, these kinds of wall-lowering moments are rare for both of them." He received a slight nod as a response.

"They almost seem like a family..." Toriel noted, looking at the four with adoration. "A family not connected by blood bonds."
"Indeed..." Asgore whispered to himself, a deep sense of nostalgia washing over him. How many years had it been when he was just like that? When his children were full of laughter and cheer? Those memories felt like the sun hidden behind clouds; he could not see them very well, but their presence was still strong.

An explosion not too far off broke the moment for the beings of both times. Avenair disappeared for an instant, then reappeared standing up, one hand placed on his sheathe. Wolf rolled forward and used the momentum to jump up and take her Captain's starboard. Dragoon's presence held the port, with Blazer holding the rear.
All was silent for a few seconds, then the four disappeared in a flash of silver.

"Hmph!" Came a grunt of exertion as yet another defensive wall crumbled before the spice-orange fists of the large Powerhouse of the 7 Magicians, sending a group of monsters flying away. "This is getting annoying. How many of these guys are there?!" She complained as she waved her hand around to loosen it slightly. Her buzz-cut amber-orange hair dripped sweat down her tanned freckled face as short fangs were run over by her tongue.

"Calm down, Aliquam," came a reply from the Sharpshooter of the 7 Magicians, her long Tuscany-yellow hair caught by the breeze as her sunlight-yellow gun knocked out three monsters at once with goldenrod-shaded bullets "it's not as if we have a lot of work in front of us." Pineapple-shaded eyelids surveyed the scene with quick, calculated sweeps, only coming to rest once she could detect no incoming attacks.

Slightly behind these two attackers was a young lad with lime-green hair and sharp eyes, lips drooped slightly. Green magic from his hands flowed into the two, evoking a sigh of relief from them. "I still don't like this. You shouldn't rely on my magic all the time. What if I can't heal something?"

An arm wrapped in an ocean-coloured sleeve placed itself onto the troubled youth. "You worry about us too much." the lady comforted, deep-blue eyes strengthening the child's shaky resolve. "All here are prepared to die. This is not a war where everyone wins."

"Speak for yourself, Caeruleum." Called a cyan-haired male, lazing around on top of a tree with nothing to really do. The invasion on the monster camp was going surprisingly well. With any luck, they would be done before reinforcements arrived. "I signed up because the benefits are really nice. Who wouldn't turn down free spa sessions?"

The monsters were watching, wordless. Each one of them understood the situation.

"I would honestly be surprised if the reason was anything else, Galben, my dear brother." The Sharpshooter taunted, smirking to herself. Her response was an annoyed huff as she jumped down and put a finger inside her ear. "Just shut it. Mauve is calling."

"Um, Ms Caeruleum?" Viridi asked, "Where did the captain go?"
"Ah, he'll be around. Most likely, he's scouting the area." Caerulem responded. She was used to the red-haired Captain disappearing randomly, but it didn't mean she had to like it.
"No, he's in the town at the moment." The Sharpshooter corrected, sharp eyes piercing the physical barriers that were being torn down by her associate. "He's staring at someone, I think..."
Her eyes widened.
"Flava!" Galben called out with slight worry in his voice. "We've got a real problem now."
"I can see that." Her eyes furrowed. "It's the Collagen's Cowl."

"We can't hold them off much longer!" A monster cried out as the Orange Magician approached him from the right. Staring down the sunset-blazing fist, it knew that, very soon, it would die. The fearful expression never left its face as regrets ran through its mind. It whispered an apology as it braced for death.
The Magician only chuckled and went for the punch. Dust exploded from the monster like a firework, causing her to cough slightly. "Aw, gross. Monster essence."

The Town Mayor was crying. All his people were dying, and all he could do was hide. His will to help was strong, but his will to survive overpowered even that. Silently, it called for help. Anything to help his people. Just, something. "Please..."

"Do not panic." A voice suddenly whispered from next to him. "We will take care of these intruders."
With a start, the monster turned to reveal Blazer, Second-in-Command of the Collagen's Cowl. The sobs turned to laughs of disbelief, which the Second-in-Command ignored. Turning to ash, the monster disappeared.

"Avenair Serif MS, of the Collagen's Cowl?" The Captain of the 7 Magicians called out, slow-burning red sword gripped tightly in his right hand.
"And you are Captain Rubrum." The other noted, left hand placed on top of the sword. Aliquam had stopped, unsure of what to do. "I see you've been killing my kind, despite them pleading for MERCY."
"It was not my first choice." Rubrum defended, crimson eyes holding a slight regret. "But monsters are powerful. Left alone, you might be a threat in the future."
"So that's what they've ordered you to say, is it?" Dragoon rumbled, eyes filled with fury. "Pathetic cowards."
"Calm, Dragoon." Blazer ordered, appearing next to the enraged turtle. "And you two, Wolf."

Behind Aliquam assembled the remaining Magicians, each with weapons drawn. "It's a pity we have to fight you," The WeaponsMaster of the Magicians grumbled, brandishing a cyan dagger "you're basically our monster counterparts."
"I'm honoured to hear you think of us in that way," Avenair bowed slightly "so I apologise if my team are too harsh for you."
"You are a bold... man." Viridi tried, emitting a laugh from Wolf and a few of the Magicians. Embarrassed, he hid behind Caeruleum.
"Enough pre-banter." Rubrum barked, his team falling in line at those words. "Avenair Serif MS, do you and your team agree to surrender?"
The unsheathing of the bright silver blade was his response. White pinpricks met crimson pupils.
And the most glorious battle of monsterkind begun.

********

THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO DO FOR A FLAMING ASToM CHAPTER!
Regardless, I hope this was worth the wait. It probably wasn't but that's just me.
At any rate, I'm not uploading for a while again. I've got a lot of assignments to do.
Thank you so much for waiting for this long, and I'll see you next time.
-T-Dude
P.S. Sometimes what seems like gibberish may just need a different way to look at it...