I'm sorry if this one took a bit longer than usual to get out. On the plus side, its a tad bit longer!
Enjoy :)
The human had returned to his throne, hands folded and legs crossed.
"The difference between us, and the problem with you, is that you treat your subjects as family, as if they were your own children"
Toriel and Asgore both regarded him with contempt. They had both known him from long before the war, and even back then he had commanded both respect and fear from monsterkind. Respect, because his devotion to humanity's prosperity was without compare. Fear, because of the lengths he was willing to go in pursuit of that prosperity, and the cold and blatant disregard he seemed to have towards almost everything else. Even now, he spoke with confidence but didn't appear smug.
"Don't get me wrong, a ruler is supposed to care and love for their people"
His gaze became more stern.
"But you're not supposed to cuddle them the way you have. You keep treating them like children, and eventually, they'll start regarding you as their parents. They'll forget their own motivations and dreams in order to not disappoint you. You will become their crutch, and in the end, a weakness"
He looked towards the sky, his face becoming contemplative.
"It used to be that when a human ruler died, their subjects wouldn't mourn their passing. Quite often, that would have to be enforced with a "day of mourning"
.His gaze returned to the 2 monster monarchs.
"You see where I'm getting at? When your 2 children died, your whole kingdom succumbed to the despair, something like that would never have happened in a human kingdom. We aren't so weak that the mere tragic loss of children will break our spirit. But you... to restore hope, you had to go to such an extent asto resort to the wholesale murdering of innocent human kids. You didn't even try to hide this from your people.A monstrous sentiment.
His eyes grew hard and accusing.
"Yet your people followed unquestioningly. They would willingly partake in this slaughter of childrensimply because you, their "parent"told them to, because they relied on you so heavily"
For a brief moment, something like envy flickered across his face.
"Not so much with us humans. Monarchs die, a new one is placed on the throne and life goes on as usual for the common folks. Our hopes and dreams does not rely on the people in power"
"That's why we won the war so easily"
Asriel stood, back to the steel wall in the disembarking hall of the ship. The ship had moored a few minutes before, and any second now the ramp would fall down, and they would walk onto Los Suenos.
It couldn't come fast enough, it was getting difficult to shut out all the whispers and accusations from the fellow monsters in the hall.
"He brutally beats a man and doesn't even get arrested? Such corruption!I didn't know the Dreemurrs would abuse their power in such a way!"
"Looks like the apple really fell far from the tree"
"I once heard that King Asgore would toy mercilessly with the human kids before he killed them. I wonder if such cruelty and callousness runs in the family?"
"Mom! I read on the Undernet that The Barrier never even existed, and the Dreemurr's only came up with that story, so they could do with us as they pleased, is that true!?"
Asriel knew the truth of course. He never intended to hurt the human the way he did, and yet the words stung. Shame filled his chest and tears pooled in his eyes. He was their prince. He was supposed to be an icon of hope and leadership, and now they feared him.
He turned to Monster Kid as his side, there at least, was one who didn't hate him.
"Man, I can't believe I missed the show. It musta' been so cool, you fighting the human!" He pouted.
Asriel couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm, perhaps misplaced as it was.
"I'll try and give you a heads up, if anything like that ever happens again" He said.
"HNNNNGGHHH! THAT WOULD BE SO AWESOME!" MK squealed.
An alarm blared at the end of the hall, followed by a cacophony of metallic clanking as the ramp finally descended. Slowly, the gathered throngs of monsters started disembarking.
Asriel waited, all too aware of the damning looks those closest to him gave him. Just as the last group passed, a single monster that looked like it was made of bricks broke off, trotted over to him and quickly spat a greasy looking glob of gravel at his feet, before hastily retreating back to his group.
Asriel felt hot anger flood into him. How dare he treat a member of the royal family this way!? He could annihilate him and his whole group with but a flick of his wrist. Perhaps he should. That would teach everyone what happened if they dared disrespect the prince of all monsters!
He felt a tug at his leg.
"Yo man, you ready to go?" MK quirped.
Asriel shook his head, suddenly feeling fearful. He had never once entertained such thoughts prior to and after being Flowey. Respect couldn't be earned trough violence and hatred.
So why did... Was Flowey...?
He felt another tug.
"Dude, are you alright?" MK asked.
Asriel took a deep breath.
"Yeah, just... I'm fine, thanks. Let's go"
It had to be settled another time. While there was no doubt in his mind that the incident with the human was a PR catastrophe for the monster royalty, it was a problem for another time, there were more pressing issues at hand.
He still had people to save.
"This... is... the... absolute... GREATEST!" MK squealed.
"I'm touring the friggin' lost home of monsters with YOUUUUU!"
"Golly, calm down there tons-a-fun. How do you even stand this heat?" Asriel asked, holding a paw to his forehead trying to shield himself from the sun. His robes were enchanted to be cool if the weather was warm, and heated if it was chilly, yet the tropical sun of Los Suenos appeared to be too much for even boss monster magic.
"I'm very thick-boned" MK said, as if that answered anything. He then began bouncing up and down in excitement again.
Asriel held up a paw, and looked around nervously.
"We, uhh, wouldn't want to attract too much attention". Asriel said, almost a whisper.
"What are you talking about!? It's the first time any of us have been here! Let's tear it up!"
"I'ts actually my second time" Asriel said matter-of-factly, with a raised finger
"About a year after the barrier fell, I came here with my parents. Mom and dad wanted to see how much of our culture was preserved on the island."
His face fell.
"They were... kinda disappointed.
He looked at MK, as they continued their walk down a shopping strip. Stalls and tents with hawking shopkeepers at either side of them. The air was filled with music, the scent of local food and the promises of "great deals!".
"Most of the humans who live here are actually descendants of the army that conquered our kingdom. They, uhh, don't really sport a very monster-friendly attitude"
"No kidding?" MK answered and looked around. Most people didn't appear to notice them, wha-
Wait, there was a shopkeeper that regarded them with a disapproving glare. Over there sat a fletcher, who spat at the ground as soon as he noticed MK looking at him.
Suddenly, a man going the opposite way as them went out of his way to bump hard into MK. He stumbled with a yelp and fell, waiting for the imminent impact of head on ground.
A hand grabbed one of his horns and gently pulled him upright. He looked up at his savior, finding Asriels worried face.
"You alright?" He asked.
"Yeah thanks" MK answered, looking around at the market with newfound eyes.
"So you're telling me we're on an island full of monster-hating bigots?" MK uttered, sounding more surprised than dissapointed
"It's not as bad as it used to be. Last time I was here, dad had to guard our hotel door at night, to make sure we didn't get attacked while we were sleeping" Asriel reflected. He really hadn't enjoyed his last trip to the island. He once told Frisk that the surface was full of Floweys, and in no place was that more evident than on this island. It was like being surrounded by versions of his former self. Honestly, it had been a bit of a traumatic experience.
But he was older and stronger now. He wouldn't be deterred by petty prejudices.
"Yoooo! Azzy, check this out!"
Asriel followed the squeal, finding MK, having apparently completely forgotten their conversation, jumping up and down at a booth selling what appeared to be rocks encased in enameled glass.
MK gingerly thrusted his head forward, a souvenir was placed upon it.
"It's fragments of the old Monster Palace! I gotta show this to mom and dad" He scowled and looked down.
"Once they stop arguing, that is..."
Asriel picked up the small glass container, and turned it over in his hands, studying it from all angles.
"It's fake" He muttered.
"What!? No way! The guy said it's 100% legit!" MK gasped, face crunched into a mass of shock and disappointment.
Asriel pressed a finger to the container, and sent small magical tremors into it. Slowly, it began dissolving and sand ran out onto the ground.
"The royal palace was built using Tyrite, a material that requires magic to produce"
He casually tossed the now-empty container back to the furious looking shopkeeper in the booth.
"That there is nothing more than sandstone"
The shopkeeper returned the gesture with a curse, muttering something about "Those fucking animals!"
The 2 continued their walk down the market.
"How did you know that?" MK asked with childlike wonder in his eyes.
Asriel smiled a bit sadly "I read about it once... In the librarby, and because the The Royal Palace doesn't exist anymore"
"It doesn't?"
"No, after the humans had driven us out, they began tearing the palace down, stone by stone, and built this town from the materials" Asriel said, and stretched his arms out, encompassing the buildings around them.
"Man, that sucks" MK pouted and casually kicked a stone away.
Asriel sighed "Yeah... it really does" From what he had read, the old Royal Palace had been considered the 8th wonder of the world at the time, and he longed to somehow see it for himself as it looked back then. Perhaps, someday, he would get the chance.
Yes, someday he would make all these monster-hating scumbags pay. He would force them to tear down their own homes, he would force them to rebuild what their ancestors destroyed! It would be justice, it would be right, it would be...
Asriel shook his head.
It would be completely wrong! What was he thinking!? Where were these dark thoughts coming from?
Sam yawned loudly and stretched, as get got up from the couch. All this waiting was unbearable when there was such a prize as the prince of all monster running around, just waiting to get a bullet in his hairy head.
"By the way, Raul said the mark was traveling with a companion, any intel on that?" Sam asked, as he made his way over to the rented hotel rooms kitchen area.
"Uhh, not much" Lee muttered, not even bothering looking up from the briefing papers. "Not even a name, actually, he's just called "monster kid". Appears to be well liked by quite a few of the higher-ups in Ebott, but other than that... What the hell are you doing?!"
Lee had watched with disbelief as Sam had put a kettle of water to cook over the gas-stove, and gently placed something inside a microwave standing on a shelf above the stove.
"What? I'm hungry!" Sam retorted.
"Goddammit! I told you to eat an hour ago! The mark has arrived, we're about to leave!" Lee burst out angrily, jumping up from his chair.
"I wasn't hungry back then!" Sam whined back.
Lee fell back down to his chair, shoulders sunk with resignation.
""I wasn't hungry back then?" What are you, 5 years old?"
Sam was slookingdown in shame, looking very much like a berated 5 year old, despite his large frame.
"No matter, get over here, we still need to go over our plan of attack" Lee said wearily, unfolding a map of the city on the table.
Sam slowly trotted over, afraid that the measliest noise would reignite the others ire.
"C'mon, you fucking man-child!" Lee snapped. Sam jumped at the remark, but luckily in the right direction, and he landed right at the edge of the table, opposite from Lee.
"Now, see here" Lee said, as he placed a twitching finger on the map.
"This is only hotel in town that allow monsters accommodations, and thus its safe to assume the mark will be staying there during the night. Now-"
"Why only there?" Sam interrupted
Lee took a deep breath "Because, about 99,9% of the people who live here grew up on old-as-fuck salt dating all the way back monster-human war" Lee replied, hands clasped together and a fake smile on his face, talking as a kindergarten teacher would to a non-understanding pupil.
The non-understanding look on Sam's face gave him ample reason.
"THEY'RE RACIST ASSHOLES! THAT'S WHY!" Lee shouted furiously and slammed a fist down on the table, knocking over several poor empty coffee cups. Sam yelped and jumped back in response.
"Get back here, you fool... Now, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, the Prince of Monsters will be staying here, most likely with this "monster kid" fella'. We'll need to get the exact room number, and then tonight, we'll-"
He smelt smoke on the air, and looked up to scan the room. The source was quickly located; the microwave, once a cheap and old piece of cooking hardware, now looked like a gateway to hell, with flames bursting from the enclosed space.
Lee sighed "What did you put in the microwave, Sam?"
Sam shrugged, still blissfully unaware of the inferno taking place not 3 meters behind him "Some kind of local thing. A bit of meat, fish and vegetable rolled into this square-like piece of bread"
Lee nodded solemnly ""Mukva", it's called "mukva", local delicacy... and they usually sell it wrapped in tinfoil, right?"
"Uhh, I guess?"
Lee looked up at his woefully inept colleague. He could feel tears gathering in his eyes.
"You did... take the tinfoil off before you put it in, right?" He whimpered.
Sam shrugged again "I don't think so, why?"
Lee's gaze returned to the gates of hell with rising despair and sinking heart. It was incredible that such an old piece of junk could contain such fiery fury, but even now flames were leaking out, licking across the gas-lit stove standing beneath it.
"Sam... from the bottom of my heart, I truly, earnestly, fucking hate yo-"
MK trotted along down the shopping strip, noticeably more casually than he normally would. The recent revelation about the history of the island, as well as the scam with the old piece of the palace, had put a serious damper on his once sunny disposition.
Equally as disheartening, was his companions sullen demeanor. Asriel walked, hands in pockets and face cast downwards, looking as if the whole world rested on his shoulders.
The whole scene was terribly awkward.
MK deeply wished that something, anything would happen that could occupy them. A friendly face, a conversation, perhaps finding a place to eat at.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
Or an entire floor of a nearby hotel building suddenly exploding into flames, blasting both of them off their feet. Now there was something to take their minds off things.
"WHA- WHO- WHE-" MK spluttered as he tried to pull himself up from the ground, his ears still ringing and head throbbing.
"MK! ARE YOU ALLRIGHT?" He heard Asriel call from somewhere in the surrounding smoke and dust.
"YEAH... WHERE ARE YOU?" He called out.
No answer.
"ASRIEL, BUDDY, I CAN'T SEE YOU!"
Still no answer.
Everywhere he looked was complete chaos, the entire market was engulfed in dust, people were screaming, running to and fro.
"CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE!"
"GODAMMIT! MY EARS! MY EARS!"
"THE MONSTERS ARE BACK! THE MONSTERS ARE BACK!"
MK looked up and down, left and right but couldn't catch sight of Asriel. People were pushing and showing, sand was getting in his eyes, the sun burned like a bit-
He caught a sudden glimpse of purple out of the corner and his eyes and spun to it. There, climbing up a drainage pipe towards the inflamed hotel floor, was his friend.
MK had a moment of severe fanboyism. The way the sun shone, the way Asriel was heroically climbing towards certain danger, the way his cape billowed off his shoulder in the wind, as the roaring flames ineffectively dances across it looked so awesome!
MK actually drolled a bit.
He shook himself out of it.
Not willing to miss his hero in action a second time, he dashed towards the burning hotel building.