Together in Death

by DaveTheAnalyzer

*Heisei era* After the meltdown, Godzilla speaks with his enemies, allies, and others who have been claimed by his life.

Together in Death

by

DaveTheAnalyzer

Pain. Pain as such Godzilla never experienced. Heat emanated from his chest to the point every single part of him burned. He was vaguely aware of the military vehicles firing at him but their cooling weaponry wasn't nearly enough. This agony was greater than even the pain of the nuclear sub that changed him. His skin felt like lava. His grip on the world was slipping away. Unable to hold himself together, scales dripping off and sliding down, Godzilla could only raise his head and roar to the dark skies before the last vestiges of his awareness faded away and then…

Nothing.

For a long time, Godzilla was conscious of nothing. The pain had been replaced by nothing. His anger and anguish had been replaced by nothing. The closest Godzilla could feel of anything was relief. Compared to all of that, this peace was comforting. He didn't know if he could move out of it – there were many obstacles others considered unconquerable he could and did conquer – but he felt no inclination to do so. At the moment, he was content to float in this stasis for as long as possible.

Then, at some undetermined time…a trickle of awareness. Godzilla stirred, shifting, claws twitching. His feet landed on something assuring as thought processes kicked back in and he started looking around. His surroundings were black and empty, with no sights or smells to discern anything. Godzilla didn't feel like he was standing exactly but there was support below his feet that gave him the sensation of being comfortably upright. With nothing more to distract him, questions began to come in.

Location? The last thing he remembered was battling Destroyah, fiercely, unleashing fire and blood. Then the power that mutated him, a gift from man he made their curse, turned against him. Godzilla had known something was wrong after he and his son's home island exploded. His body became so hot parts of his skin glowed and he couldn't power down from the red heat ray he only used for special occasions. As his attempts to cool in the sea or soothe himself with radiation came to naught, Godzilla suspected this condition might be fatal, a suspicion confirmed when the power began to eat away at him from the inside-

A sinking realization. Death. Godzilla had died in his own fire, and this was what followed. Admittedly, he rarely thought about what might come after, more how he could and would take down the latest human annoyance or monster that dared to challenge him. There were battles he lost but he shrugged and continued living as he saw fit. Death was some remote possibility but when it finally caught up to him, nothing would follow. Well Godzilla just learned that assumption wasn't entirely accurate.

Godzilla's mind switched gears. Son. Junior had fallen at the claws of Destroyah. Godzilla had fought Destroyah in vengeance but during those rare peaceful moments, he thought he sensed there was still a flicker of life left. He tried to send him some of his radiation to revive him but it didn't seem to work. Now as Godzilla took in this realm, he couldn't sense his son. Was Junior not dead, or were his senses useless in the afterlife? No, no matter what, he should always be able to feel his son's state. Maybe a little radiation wouldn't work but if he absorbed all of his father's power…

Relief flowed in. But worry wasn't far behind. Survival? Junior was now alone in a world with many threats, including humans. Though Junior was more benign to humans, Godzilla didn't trust them not to see Junior as a threat or useful weapon. He hoped Junior would be at least cautious about getting involved in their affairs. From Godzilla's experience, Junior might be kind but he was also intelligent. He heard of Godzilla's experiences with humans and wouldn't be duped so easily. Still, Godzilla couldn't suppress his concern.

He was distracted from these worries by a sudden awareness of presences. Glancing around, he didn't see anything except…he squinted to find what appeared to be distant white apparitions, little clouds, swishing by, going in every direction. There were so many. The more Godzilla's eyes acclimated to the darkness, the more he spotted. His gaze kept darting to follow one and then the other, confused, wary. Were these the fellow dead of this realm?

He was so occupied with watching these passing spirits it took him a bit to notice the blur of white below his vision. He jerked his head to take in the loose half-ring of spirits that formed in front of him, most of them still or leaning toward each other as though whispering. Godzilla had the eerie sense they were watching him. Even as he watched, more spirits were slowing or stopping to join the crowd. As he examined these phantoms, many pinged familiarity. Had he met them before? They examined him, their fear, anger, curiosity that for someone they knew. Since fear and anger were emotions Godzilla induced with almost everyone in life, that led to one conclusion.

These were the enemies and civilians he fell in his conquests.

Godzilla wasn't sure if he should be unsettled or annoyed by this. He decided to go for annoyed. Now he was in the afterlife, he didn't find the idea of bumping into these spirits and listening to their furious misgivings appealing. He would rather rest in peace. He had little regret for his actions and wasn't going to pretend to be sorry for them. Most of the regret he did have had to do with someone fortunately still among the living. But Godzilla was stuck here among his victims. He adjusted his stance grimly. He would face whatever they had for him.

After a short span of time, a spirit twitched forward, then became brave enough to approach. This one appeared fresher, like he only passed shortly before Godzilla. He wasn't exactly sure how he sensed this but he noted the spirit was far less pale and had a more solid shape. That shape became clearer as the spirit drew closer, movement slow, unsteady, only now getting used to navigating this realm. Godzilla tensed as Destroyah stopped in front of him, staring into the former's eyes with silence.

Those golden eyes, however, spoke of great burning anger.

Godzilla was both displeased and pleased to see him. Displeased because meeting the nearly successful murderer of his son filled every part of him with a rage that made him want to tear the other monster apart all over again. But he was pleased because Destroyah's presence meant this loathsome creature had died with him and wouldn't endanger Junior again. Godzilla waited for Destroyah to act. He was unsure if fighting in life could be replicated in death but that intent wasn't there in Destroyah's gaze. It was as though he was so choked up with rage he couldn't speak. But Godzilla saw words were coming. They were building like a volcano. Godzilla was patient. Let Destroyah stew in what he couldn't have.

Then Destroyah let out a screech of fury and raw pain, a sound like the very bowels of the earth. Death?! Humans, killer! Humans! Destroyah communicated his outrage over his death, that Godzilla had to dared to contribute to it, even though humans, humans, were the ones who struck the final blow.

Godzilla understood clearly. He never figured out why he could generally understand the calls of monsters. He could barely comprehend other animals when he was a Godzillasaurus. He could read body language and vocal tone but it didn't become so clear until that nuclear sub changed him irrevocably. Then creatures radically different from him could communicate their particular thoughts even without directly addressing him. It wasn't exactly like human speech but he got most of the emotions and information intended from just a single set of vocal sounds. Now in the afterlife, without the constraints of nature, that understanding deepened even more.

So Godzilla roared back. Humans, kill? Finally. For one of a few times, he was grateful the humans were at least competent enough to take where he left off and actually finish the red monster. At least they did something right.

That pronouncement, to no surprise, was met with an increase of the loathing in Destroyah's eyes. His next screeches was filled with outrage. Survive! Awareness, new! Like most beings, he wanted to live. Only in the last few months had he gained true consciousness and he was rather keen on not losing the cruel game of life at whatever cost necessary.

Godzilla's eyes narrowed. He wasn't going to let a statement like that stand. Intruder. Son. Death, deserved. Godzilla had a low tolerance for intruders but Destroyah really and permanently ended up on his kill list when Destroyah decided to brutally murder his son and interrupt his mourning. Destroyah only got what was coming to him and Godzilla felt nothing but satisfaction over his plight.

This touched a nerve for Destroyah. He hissed lowly. Attack, pleasure. Survival. Short… He did enjoy felling potential foes and creatures who couldn't be foes. If he had to fight to survive, he might as well enjoy himself. If the prey was powerless, then it was just a game of cat and mouse that ended too quickly. He enjoyed seeing buildings and civilians crumble under him. He was looking forward to experiencing the world and finding more game to trample when he was cut down. In one way, he hadn't been around long.

Godzilla didn't have much of a code of honor in fighting – he challenged the weaker and fought dirty to survive – but the cutting down of Junior was still too personal for him to think objectively about. He growled. Gone. Son, alive. Yes, Destroyah no longer had the opportunity to seek pleasure in death. Not only that, his attempted murder of Junior was for naught. The supposed weak annoyance Destroyah dispatched was alive.

Destroyah stared, as though not registering this. He snarled. Impossible. Dead. Killed. That wasn't possible! Junior was dead, he had killed him personally. There was no way he could be alive.

Godzilla growled. Son, unpresent. Alive. Powerful. If Junior was dead, where was he? There was no way he wouldn't be right by his father's side if that was the case. Junior had risen back stronger than ever.

Destroyah shook his head. No, no. Dead! It just couldn't be. After all he did. He was definitely dead!

Feeling pleasure at Destroyah's distress, Godzilla continued. Alive. Life, opportunities. Unwasted. No denials could change the fact of Junior's life. Now with his power, Godzilla's son would fulfill the opportunities of a full life and he knew Junior wouldn't waste them, unlike a certain destruction-loving fiend.

Destroyah shook his head harder, showing all of his pointed teeth. Kin, hate! Hate! Junior's fortune only heightened his rage. He held even less patience for Godzilla's presence than was possible. Shaking, he narrowed those eyes. A low, quiet screech. Vengeance.

Faster than Godzilla could react, Destroyah closed the distance and swiped at him. Godzilla winced but those claws just went through him. Destroyah swiped again, again, each movement thrown with greater desperation, but no matter the angle or intensity, Godzilla showed no reaction.

Nothing. Dead. Harm, none. Gone. Godzilla felt nothing. They were already dead, they couldn't harm each other. He could have felt something if he chose to but Destroyah didn't hold that power over anyone anymore. His life was gone, his purpose in life was gone and he didn't have anything to accomplish even with his death.

Destroyah staggered back. He was trembling, with anger, helplessness. He opened his mouth. Purpose! More! Continue! His life still had purpose, his killings had purpose. There must be more. He must still be able to hurt or exercise power in some way. It couldn't end like this. Purpose! He had a purpose!

Turning around, Destroyah opened his wings and flew away, his form dissolving into a streak of fog that became indistinguishable from the other spirits passing by. Godzilla watched with a beat of grim satisfaction. At least one part of his life had been put to rest. He might still sense Destroyah whenever he was nearby and took note to familiarize himself with the feeling so he could give the creature a wide berth.

Godzilla noticed the crowd of observing spirits didn't shrink. Some have left, intimidated by the showdown between two gigantic beings, but just as well it had attracted many curious passersby. Godzilla swept his gaze at them and growled lowly. Did these spirits have any other thing they could occupy their time with? Most were human, they must occupy themselves in some way. Godzilla vaguely remembered in his rampages some humans lingering around and gawking while others screamed away in terror. Some things never changed then. Being dead only encouraged them to observe the giant monster, since if Destroyah couldn't hurt him it wasn't likely he could harm them. That didn't spell well for Godzilla getting some peace to himself.

Another spirit detached itself from the crowd to approach. Godzilla felt another sense of déjà vu and it was as unwelcome as Destroyah's. The more the spirit's features cleared, that arrogant gait speaking of adjustment to the afterlife, the greater the unwelcome feeling. Godzilla had good reason not to be happy with this second visitor. SpaceGodzilla hadn't gone as far as Destroyah but he screwed with his son with similar malevolent intent.

SpaceGodzilla's muted expression was filled with the bitter anger of a swollen ego taken down several levels. But there was a dash of pleasure present. Opening his jaws, a scream like sharp crystal echoed out. Here? Soon? Amusing. SpaceGodzilla was taking some enjoyment out of seeing Godzilla dead, and at his prime at that. After all that fighting, it turned out Godzilla didn't live that much longer after all.

A displeased rumble shook out of Godzilla's throat. Life, choices. Pride! Yours? A part of him did wish he lived longer, if only for his son. But with the limited options before him, Godzilla chose the best that was available and he was proud of his choices. Meanwhile, SpaceGodzilla blew every choice in front of him when he couldn't leave well enough alone. What did he have to be proud of?

Wincing, SpaceGodzilla gave another of his crystalline screams. One. Amusement. Plan... Human giant, nothing! He desired being the only Godzilla and sought to dominant the territory that was rightfully his. Having fun doing it was the logical way to conduct his goal, really. When Godzilla turned out to be a bit stronger than expected, SpaceGodzilla trapped Junior in his crystals to mock his originator and flew away to recharge so he could defeat him once and for all. It was the kind of quick planning SpaceGodzilla prided himself in. It should have worked, even with that robot MOGUERA being a pest.

Godzilla exhaled through his nostrils sharply. Pride, weakness. Power? Failure. But it was SpaceGodzilla's arrogance that made him underestimate both MOGUERA's pilots and Godzilla. Just because he was born with great powers didn't mean he was infallible. His weaknesses were sniffed out and exploited only because SpaceGodzilla didn't think cover for them. SpaceGodzilla only had himself to blame for his own demise.

Incensed, SpaceGodzilla flashed his claws, snarling. Plan, everything! World. Failure! He had did and thought about all the possibilities over how to win against his counterpart. SpaceGodzilla didn't waste a moment in fighting. It was the world had failed him, unfairly turned against him to make all of his hard work come to naught. It made SpaceGodzilla so frustrated he raised his head to roar in anger.

Godzilla wasn't moved. Failure. Torment, weakness. Anger. Death. No, SpaceGodzilla was at fault. His tendency to slacken when torturing his prey, drawing out the pain for his pleasure, only did him in when the prey got back up and returned the pain hard. Even when going all out, SpaceGodzilla only did so until he could make his enemy soft enough to play with again. That habit, with the overconfidence that implied, doomed SpaceGodzilla from the beginning. By spurring Godzilla's anger first instead of delaying to power himself up, SpaceGodzilla had sealed his own death notice and he had better just deal with it.

From SpaceGodzilla's growl and the glare that followed, an extreme blowback was coming. Godzilla prepared himself for the responding scream, the stream of denials, even for him to try to physically attack him. Godzilla watched every claw twitch and struggled breath as SpaceGodzilla attempted to deal with the rising anger struggling for a way to express itself.

Then to Godzilla's surprise, the discontent drained from SpaceGodzilla, leaving him lowering his eyes bitterly.

Fault. Unseen. Truth, fear. Peace?! That point was right. SpaceGodzilla's death was his own fault. He had felt entitled to being the only Godzilla and to victory, so defeat was a somewhat distant concept. Though Godzilla and MOGUERA challenged him, he hadn't really comprehended he mightn't survive until his space energy tower was collapsed. SpaceGodzilla fought back desperately, with barely any plan, so it wasn't exactly surprising even with his power, Godzilla struck the killing blow. Those thoughts had grown in the corner of SpaceGodzilla's mind ever since his stay here but he ignored them, terrified he wouldn't know what to do with himself. Now he looked at what he did in his brief life and found it all set up his own destruction. He gritted his teeth. How could he make peace with that?

SpaceGodzilla's stance slackened. Though resentment still dwelled in his gaze, there was no fire behind it. SpaceGodzilla had wasted his brief time as a living being and he had to put up with it for the rest of eternity. Seeing SpaceGodzilla's bitter, defeated expression as he turned away stirred something brief within Godzilla's chest, vanishing before he could examine it. SpaceGodzilla departing back became phantasmal as he shifted to his spirit form, which zoomed past the crowd and disappeared in the blackness

Godzilla glanced at the crowd with unease. He wasn't sure what that meeting did to him but he wanted no one else to else to approach. He didn't like the emotions it stirred. For several seconds, Godzilla hoped their inaction meant they got the message and would disappear back to their territories in this realm. But alas, spirit number three made tentative, jerking spirts toward him.

A prickle across his skin made Godzilla frown. There was something about this one that read different from Destroyah or SpaceGodzilla. As it changed into its mortal shape, his far smaller size and tailless gait made it clear. He was a human, an unfamiliar adult male wearing strange clothes who raised his head up with a strange mixture of hatred and longing.

"You!" The man raised a shaking finger at him. "Knowing my luck, you would have lived until the sun exploded. Your kind is cursed. If I didn't get involved with you monsters, I might still be alive!"

Godzilla twitched and squinted down. Who was this human? What he was talking about concerning the sun exploding? Humans couldn't find a way to kill him or other monsters, so surely they weren't powerful enough to destroy the sun, right? Still, this human apparently dealt in the world of monsters. There was a lot Godzilla didn't know about how he threatened humanity. Did he really have to deal with those who he killed without being aware of?

"It isn't surprising you don't recognize me." The man said. "My name is Okubo Susumu and I was involved with G-Force's T-Project. I should have been able to sell it to the yakuza but then SpaceGodzilla came and killed me when he overloaded the equipment."

Godzilla twitched his head back, not understanding most of this man's references. G-Force? T-Project? What was he babbling about? The bit he did grasp only left him annoyed.

SpaceGodzilla. Anger, target. Why didn't this human take his grievances to SpaceGodzilla? From the sound of things, he was the killer. Okubo had a few years to grumble to him about this, even if the latter likely wouldn't care. Why was it Godzilla who Okubo had an issue with?

"Ah right, we can communicate here." Okubo's eyes wavered but the anger still remained. "I should have expected you to be this flippant. SpaceGodzilla might have killed me but it was you who drew me into your world! If we could control that power…"

There was longing in that last sentence. Godzilla stirred with some unease. Power? What power? But Okubo's furious gaze had lowered, only half-paying attention to him as he muttered to himself with a furious tone.

"…a great opportunity," he was saying. "If we could control Godzilla, it could've changed the balance of..."

Godzilla froze. Hearing the word "control" so closely with his human assigned name unleashed a suspicion in his mind. He stepped forward, causing Okubo's muttering to stop. Control?

Okubo's head snapped up. "Oh, you heard that?" He tried to sound casual but there was a flare of nervousness in his voice. "It's nothing. Just funny human business, we like mumbling nonsense…"

Still, there was a wariness in his expression, as though a part of him now questioned, for more reasons than common-sense caution, why he approached Godzilla in the first place. This man was hiding something.

Staring down hard, Godzilla growled. Explain… If Okubo had any sense of self-preservation, he would explain what "nonsense" he was referring to and what it had to do with Godzilla.

"Well, uh…" Despite himself, Okubo's gaze flickered. "It's about a project with some connection to you but it's tenuous. I'm sure it would be difficult to under-"

Boom! Godzilla stomped closer, causing the observing spirits to jump. His gaze burned into Okubo's.

"Alright, alright." Okubo stepped back, terrified. He took a breath. "Project-T was a program to control you. The intent was to prevent anymore fighting. It wouldn't have been fun but at least it would be better than killing you, right? We – we even shot a controller into your neck and got you to obey a few commands but then SpaceGodzilla interfered and the project got cancelled."

Godzilla stared, and almost sighed. Now he considered it, there was a time around SpaceGodzilla's first appearance where he had some gaps about what he was doing and how he got somewhere. He had been aware that some object had been shot into his skin. After that Saegusa Miki woman psychically broke it off, he turned to roar at her in acknowledgement. So all this lined up. But there was something in Okubo's face, tone, that indicated he was still hiding something.

He looked down, growling. Power? What did Okubo mean when he mentioned power?

Okubo pressed his lips together, eyes flicking away. "Power? All these questions. As I said, the power I referenced is only related to you in terms of…"

It was clear from how he trailed off he was attempting to think up an excuse but Godzilla's hard stare indicated what would happen if the man stymied him. Okubo froze, thinking a million miles for a second, before relenting.

"You're that power, it's about controlling you," he said in a rush. "I had an official position in G-Force but I actually worked for the yakuza, an organized crime group who had a high interest in your power. With you, we could control nations, gain wealth beyond your understanding. We only needed Saegusa Miki to get it to work, but when the trial run failed, we took her and copied her psychic mind so we could operate you independently. It should have worked. But something went wrong with the program and then Saegusa's men, and shootouts, and SpaceGodzilla, and-"

Okubo broke off, anger and fear churning through his pants. Godzilla had listened closely but had trouble comprehending most of these concepts. He observed human activity and his mind brushed with Miki's a few times but they lived such strange lives that thinking about it too much gave him a headache. What he could understand was that Okubo and his unapproved associates tried to hijack a project to peacefully tame his threat and use him to exercise power over others. The concept of being used as a tool for human power games made something in Godzilla twist in anger. He growled lowly at Okubo, who froze. He seemed to have an idea this would come but that didn't make him dread it any less.

"Y-you can't hurt me here." Okubo said defiantly. "Some of my dead associates tried and nothing happened. You can't possibly be the exception."

Ray? Temptation. Godzilla mused if he could use his heat ray in this realm. You couldn't kill the dead but who knew what might be possible for those with a strong enough will. He had few problems testing it out on this small and greedy human. Okubo stumbled back.

"I didn't exactly seek this lifestyle, you know." he said. "There are far more important people you should be aiming that ray at. They were the ones in charge. I was drawn into the yakuza world. I thought it would advance me into a comfortable life but it addicted me to power. I'm not – I'm not responsible for this!"

Okubo panted, glaring at Godzilla, who got the gist of the rant. A lowly lifeform decided to claw up the food chain and became twisted by their newly-gained power. It was a common story even in the wild and Godzilla could only curl his muzzle in disgust.

"Don't give me that look." Okubo said. "Few would have turned down your power. We could have extorted millions, billions, with you. It's just not fair. I put in years of hard work. It should've set me up for life but instead it all came crashing down because of three men, a psychic woman, and an oblivious space monster. I knew it was dangerous, why couldn't I have been more patient? Why did I get involved with this dangerous world in the first place?"

Godzilla mused. Choice, abnormal. Consequences. Waste. Since most human led lives that didn't have anything to do with monsters, and if it did, it involved booking it to the nearest shelter, Okubo's misfortunes were the result of his own choice. Because he involved himself with monsters, his chances for death increased. He wasted his life and those were the consequences of following his greed instead of finding something more meaningful.

"No!" Okubo tensed, glaring up. "My life was not a waste! I was going to control you and have power over the world. I would have gone down in history."

Failure. Reality. Screw up. But that didn't happen. Okubo's plan was a failure. It would have always been a failure whether he survived or not. That was the reality. That the human wasted his life on such a hopeless task only showed how much of a screw up he was.

"I am not a screw up!" Okubo glared, panting. "What would you know? You have no scientific background! The project was flawed but all it took was some tinkering and it would have been dreaded the world. And I was almost there." His voice became feverish "My life is not a screw up! I would have done something spectacular. I would have! I did not waste my life!"

Turning from Godzilla's gaze, Okubo ran as fast as he could, becoming a spirit that flicked out of sight. He was probably going to go to his usual territory to soothe in his denial about how much of a screw up he was. If he still hadn't faced his disastrous choices a few years after his death, then it wasn't likely he would do so now, though maybe having them pointed out by the most infamous monster of all might rattle him enough to change his tune.

Godzilla didn't feel a flicker of pity. That human's selfishness dug him his own grave. He couldn't find anything tragic in Okubo's hinted choices. The world was filled with such screw ups and if they fell, they only got what they deserved.

Spirits continued watching Godzilla. He hoped his intimidation of Okubo would disincline the others from approaching. A long pause raised those hopes but they were dashed when another spirit came forward. This time it was another monster, long features becoming clearer as he closed in. Godzilla tensed as he faced another former enemy, one who now had all his heads back in place. King Ghidorah stopped and looked Godzilla up and down with a strange mix of emotions.

King Ghidorah hissed, an outraged sound of thunder. Killer! Life, destruction. Death! He also had a bone to pick with Godzilla. If he hadn't been a factor, then King Ghidorah could have lived. He had just gotten used to his new life as a single entity monster. He relished in finally interacting with his environment, using his gravity beams to explode buildings and making structures crumble under his strength. But he wanted more and before he got it, Godzilla killed him. From the glare, King Ghidorah blamed all the cut short opportunities on him.

Not acquiescing to that grudge, Godzilla growled back. Death, destroyers. Unchallenge. Life. Since King Ghidorah, he had met many similarly destructive monsters and they could only look at themselves for their deaths. If they hadn't challenged Godzilla or invaded his territory, then they still might be alive and even be able to continue the destructive actions they found pleasure in. King Ghidorah was no different.

If anything, that made King Ghidorah angrier but not for the reasons expected. His hiss-growl was laced with frustration. Maybe. Humans, controlled. Modified, abandoned. He might have ordinarily went after Godzilla of his own free will. But he had been controlled by human parties, first to destroy cities and fight Godzilla and then outfitted with metal for the rematch. When he served his purpose, they abandoned him to the waves barely aware of what was happening. King Ghidorah could never control his own life, and it was only a dream he could never fully comprehend.

Control. Humans? Death, choices… First that Okubo tried to control Godzilla and now King Ghidorah had been controlled as well. What was it with humans and their desire to control beings larger than them? Godzilla felt irked his body had been jacked for the agenda of someone who should by all rights be powerless. If King Ghidorah had gone against Godzilla of his free will, at least those consequences would be derived from his own actions, rather than what others chose for him.

King Ghidorah examined him with vague interest. ? …power, same. Pain. Rest, control. Godzilla's outraged reaction was surprising but encouraging, so King Ghidorah would let him in on a little secret – he was born from the same kind of radiation. He could still recall the pain and confusion from that flash of light on the island and the agonizing hours thereafter. When he finally gained his current form, he felt the impulse to sleep for a long, long time. He only awakened when fully controlled.

Godzilla raised his head with shock. Now that he thought about it, there was always something about King Ghidorah that had a resonance with him, a feeling of familiar power. So that was where it came from.

Though confusion welled up. Humans, long-lived. Plan? Location, too? King Ghidorah hinted he had been controlled for a long time. It was possible for someone born at the time he was a Godzillasaurus to still be around when King Ghidorah appeared. Shindo was proof of that. But why would they wait to use King Ghidorah when they could strike against a military not yet used to monsters? And how had Godzilla got into the sea when the radiation-filled submarine struck him? The last thing he remembered was lying on his island, wounded and close to dying. As a Godzillasaurus, he could swim and breathe underwater, but how did he get there? Was he also in a sense manipulated by humans for some unknown but failed goal? The thought made him more confused and angry than ever.

King Ghidorah observed. …interesting. Still, killer. Anger. He only understood a bit more about the force controlling him but he found it mildly intriguing his foe's life might have also been manipulated. He hissed, though. It didn't matter if both parties might have been corralled into fighting each other, King Ghidorah still held a grudge for Godzilla taking his life.

Godzilla grunted. Controllers, responsible. Anger. If he was so furious, King Ghidorah should take it up with the humans who controlled him. They were the ones responsible for guiding King Ghidorah to his eventual death and who robbed him of the chance of an independent life.

When King Ghidorah hissed, slight amusement came in. Already. Controllers, dead. Amusing. Oh, he had made sure to do so. The two humans who did most of the controlling died and he had tracked them down when first made aware of their passing. Though he couldn't hurt them, he made his fury quite plain and detailed what would he had done if he had caught them while they had been alive. King Ghidorah had once in a while come around to remind them of their sin and their trembling fear always left him in a better mood.

Godzilla grunted with approval. Greedy. Punishment, amusing. Watch. He never thought he would agree with King Ghidorah on anything but he backed his spirit here. There were many greedy humans who needed to know their place. The mental image of some vague humans cowering below the leering three-headed beast gave Godzilla much amusement. He found some hostility toward King Ghidorah draining. Maybe next time, Godzilla could watch.

King Ghidorah's hostility faltered. Maybe. Alliance? Uncertainty. Having Godzilla watch was a possibility he might consider, though not anytime soon. His expression was the uncertainty many had when becoming even a bit friendly with a previous enemy. Confusion about whether to become friendlier or not reigned. King Ghidorah couldn't decide right now. He needed time to mull over the positives and negative of meeting again with his killer, if he would like and be comfortable with that kind of thing.

Godzilla growled evenly, understanding. He watched as King Ghidorah backed away and dissolved into a spirit before shooting off. King Ghidorah hadn't been the only one uncertain. Godzilla was himself bemused he almost had a friendly conversation with one of his enemies. He wasn't sure how to deal with it or if future, friendlier meetings were something he really wanted. He would have to make time to think about it later.

It would have to be later because two spirits were already shuffling toward him. They had a similar feel to Okubo. Oh great; more humans. As they drew closer, he noticed one had red hair while the other was an older brown haired man whose body language hinted he used to have the bearings of a leader. Godzilla wasn't an expert on different kinds of humans but these had different complexions from the usual ones he terrorized. Did they hail from a different territory? How did they get involved in his rampages? Even as he glared down, they tensed but didn't stop until they were within hailing distance. The pair stared up in silence, working up the courage to speak.

"You!" The brown haired man said. "I thought someone like you would never die."

"Unlikely but I understand the feeling." The red-haired man said. "With our luck and how much radiation that savage time had, I wouldn't have been surprised if he had lived for a long time."

Godzilla felt a stirring of confusion. What were these humans talking about with "savage time?" The brown-haired man gazed at him with anger, his red-haired companion glancing nervously behind them.

"Should we really be doing this, Wilson?" The red-haired man asked. "We don't want to make him angry."

"Well, I'm angry." Wilson snarled. "It was because of him we weren't able to see the future that was right, Glenchico. Our ship was teleported near him and the first thing this animal does is blow us up. We couldn't even die in our own time."

"Yes but I don't think he's going to much care." Glenchico said. "Unlike a pet, we can't exactly use the usual methods to make him understand or feel guilty."

"I don't care!" Wilson pointed at Godzilla. "Remember that saucer that appeared while you were attacking the three headed monster King Ghidorah? The mysterious silver thing you just looked at and blasted on a whim? Well Glenchico and I were inside that craft. You killed us with your impulsivity!"

Humans were operating that strange machine? Godzilla glanced at the pair with annoyance-tinged puzzlement. He had seen humans control many strange vehicles before but that saucer was on another level. He didn't much like it suddenly appearing near him while a battle was going on, so he blasted it before it could become a threat. Since then, with so many strange going-ons, he barely spared another thought for it. Godzilla's expression only made Wilson more furious.

"Of course we had to jog your memory." Wilson snapped. "Do you remember anything humans do around you? Do you understand the consequences of your actions? The very world could have been different if we survived."

Godzilla growled. Annoyance. Sense? Explain. He was getting really irritated by this aggressive tone from a mere human. He had no idea what Wilson was talking about. He could barely comprehend these two humans were connected to the saucer. He would only have an idea if they explained themselves.

"I shouldn't be surprised I have to explain everything for this beast to understand." Wilson muttered. "Very well."

"Wilson, please." Glenchico put a hand on his compatriot's shoulder. "You're not thinking clearly."

"I'm fine." Wilson shook the hand off. "This monster should know the importance of what he ruined."

"But should we really tell him about what we did? I mean," Glenchico whispered but it was still audible, "we don't want two monsters angry at us."

Wilson glared at his companion, but that faltered to uncertainty and he sneaked a look to Godzilla. Anger burned in Godzilla's stomach. That wary look was too reminiscent of Okubo with his sudden recalcitrance. Narrowing his eyes, Godzilla growled. Hiding? Relevance?

"Hiding?" Wilson repeated, stepping from Glenchico, fashioning a glare at Godzilla. "What are you on about? We aren't hiding anything."

Godzilla growled, glaring down at them. The pair faltered, unsureness settling in, but they rallied.

"We aren't hiding anything. Really." Glenchico insisted. "We only had a misunderstanding over your relevance to our death. Our apologies, it was a silly mista-"

Stomp! For the second time in death, Godzilla brought his foot down. He has more than lost his patience with humans hiding information from him. Heard! Relevance?! Don't patronize him! He heard what they said and he wanted to have its relevance explained to him now. Else.... Blue light started gleaming between his teeth, spines flashing with power.

Wilson and Glenchico staggered back, eyes wide, terrified. Their movements were stiff, mouths hesitating; they clearly didn't want to reveal anything that might put them in further hot water. But the glow grew brighter. Though they intellectually knew he couldn't harm them, decades of survival instinct made them relent.

"Okay, okay!" Wilson said, sighing. "We should have known a creature that survived as long as you have must have some intelligence." An ominous growl, and he continued quickly "We were the ones who had you transported off your home island as a Godzillasaurus! If you could remember, that was the reason you were in the ocean. We wanted to get you away from the island so – so the atomics tests wouldn't mutate you into Godzilla."

Godzilla stared daggers into the nervous and defiant men. So, he had been screwed around with even during those simpler times. It wasn't enough that Okubo person tried to make him a weapon. These two men had moved him so he wouldn't be a threat. That all this manipulation had been happening without his awareness wasn't surprising, but it didn't please him. He valued control over his life and it angered him to hear someone was able to wrest it away even in a small way.

It did explain how he got into the ocean but there were holes in the story. Time? Foresight? He was puzzled; how could such young humans be involved with an event so long in the past. Was it related to the "savage time" one of them mentioned? How could humans have the foresight to see his threat?

Wilson and Glenchico exchanged glances, but the latter sighed.

"Oh, it's not like we can break the laws of time here anyway." Glenchico took a deep breath. "We can travel back and forth in time. We come from a future where that's possible. You were a part of history, a part of group memory in a sense. With our technology, we went to your time to try to make sure you never mutated. We thought transporting you from your island to the sea would mean your first attack and Biollante would never have happened. We thought we could really change history…"

Godzilla listened, trying not to goggle. Time travel? That was a thing? Sure, he heard many creatures wish they could change past actions but literally doing that – he was struggling to wrap his mind around it. He suspected his raids on cities made enough of a mark that they'd be talked about for generations to come but not to the extent that some would go back in time to change them. He was incensed his past was open for manipulation, though objectively, he understood why. Threat, eliminate? Sparing. Was this done to eliminate him as a threat? It would spare the humans of one danger, even rewriting the lives he taken and maimed.

"Yeah, that is one way of describing it. Eliminating a threat." A warning growl made Wilson grimace. "To be more specific, eliminate a threat to our plans. In our future the country you terrorized would have become a dangerous superpower. To forestall that, we introduced a monster of our own, and changing your past would eliminate a dangerous third party. We planned to have King Ghidorah reduce Japan to rubble in such a way that they would have had little choice but bow to our demands. It should have worked, except…"

"…a nuclear submarine sank at the exact place you lay." Glenchico said. "Nuclear power was so plentiful in your time that placing you in a random location didn't make a difference. Your first two major attacks still happened. It was as though destiny was trying to make sure you would be mutated."

Godzilla closed his eyes, wanting to rub his temples. So these were the humans who created and controlled King Ghidorah. That explained Glenchico's nervous backward glance. They wanted to make sure Godzilla was never mutated to remove an obstacle in bringing down Japan, the land he terrorized, a purported future threat to other lands. That he was considered only a piece in a larger game angered him, as did the concept they could remove him so easily

Yet it stung that, no matter what happened, he was always going to be mutated into this form…

Wilson continued talking. "Then you had another dose of radiation when one of that country's businessmen sent his nuclear sub to you. It made you more than a match for King Ghidorah. Rhough even then, we would have been victorious if our teammate Emmy hadn't got in the way."

"That Emmy…" Glenchico sighed, lips curled in disgust. "I thought she was loyal to the cause. She had to have second thoughts about her countrymen. We should have killed her at the first signs of intransigence."

"I thought catching her in the act would be enough to keep her obedient." Wilson said. "I never thought she would go so far as to rebel against us. I knew we were right not to give her all the information but…" he glanced up. "You have Emmy thank for that victory with King Ghidorah. She sabotaged our control of the monster, and was the one to teleport our ship to your location so we couldn't escape into the future."

"We could have been back in our future, to help rebuild our home or make sure some other country didn't take Japan's place as a superpower." Glenchico said, frustrated, "At least we succeeded in actually changing the past. There was never any record of a King Ghidorah or his fight with Godzilla, and with recently dead Japanese talking about a recession, there's no hope for them becoming a superpower now."

"That's right!" Wilson rallied. "I would have liked to really burn that nation to the ground but those people will just have to accept their position as a lowly, struggling country," he smirked. "Some savior Emmy is. Her people might barely be an equal among the other countries by the time our century arrives."

Glenchico nodded. They had the smirks and lifted noses of those who thought a certain group was beneath them. Godzilla never cared for these conflicts between humans but this smug attitude from those who made selfish errors of their own disgusted him.

Godzilla growled. Emmy, intelligent. Superior. Survivor. Whatever her other qualities, this Emmy seemed far more intelligent than the pair and it was because of that she won the survival of the fittest fight in the end.

Wilson and Glenchico's smug expressions faltered as he spoke. After he finished, it took several moments for their hackles to raise.

"No she wasn't." Wilson said. "She was lucky!"

"She didn't think to cover her tracks much." Glenchico said. "We could've had her before she knew it."

Intelligence. Overlook. Winner. Still, this Emmy had the intelligence to take advantage of the pair's lax confidence and succeed in her goals. They might have had some successes, but Emmy was the one to survive. If they had the smarts to actually off her, then they would be the ones living to see the fruits of their labor.

The pair were shaking…with anger, the anger of that which hit too close to home.

"How dare you speak to us like this!" Wilson snarled. "We are humans more advanced than you can comprehend."

"It doesn't matter if we died." Glenchico looked away. "Our plans changed the world more than you ever could. It shows who has the greater power here."

Godzilla's nostrils flared. Power, death. Human. Normal. Yet with all of their advanced technology, Wilson and Glenchico still died. In the end, they were as mortal as any other human and their technology, no matter how advanced, couldn't shield them from their mistakes.

Some of Wilson and Glenchico's rage gradually filtered away, making room for misery.

"I guess that logic has…validity." Glenchico said. "We thought because we were from the future they wouldn't be able to outthink us but we were proven wrong. It makes sense. People like them build the future we come to live in after all."

"We underestimated Emmy as well." Wilson said bitterly. "We thought because she was part Japanese she wouldn't have the nerve to work against us. But she helped those savages and was smarter than we realized. Now we can't be with the comrades of our time and enjoy the fruits of our labor." His fists shook. "Damn it. Damn it all. We tried to cut off Godzilla's birth but going against that destiny only blew up in our faces…"

Bitter and defeated, Wilson turned around and Glenchico followed him as they walked away, dispersing into white spirits that sailed off. Godzilla watched, not due to any sympathy but for the mentions of destiny.

He lowered his eyes. No matter what happened, he was always going to be maimed by radiation, the sin of man. He was always going to carry this cursed fate. Now he wouldn't want to go back to being a Godzillasaurus but at the same time….wouldn't that have been a more peaceful life? Guarding his territory, feeding on the game, knowing nothing of the bigger world than the island, the sea, and the stars above. A quiet existence but still a worthwhile one. Even if he had died that day from the American assault, it would have been normal way to go, not with lasers or acid, or a malfunctioning radioactive heart. It stung that he never had a choice in that kind of life, that it was always out of reach…

Godzilla shook himself. Unlike those future people, he couldn't change the past. He adapted and made the best of his actual life. He conquered enemies, established territory, saw many views he would never had in an ordinary life. He had much to be proud of. He met Junior. Disregarding everything else, he wouldn't trade those short years of being a father for anything in the world.

As he finished sifting through these emotions, another spirit came forward. The confidence and lack of fear in its approach irked Godzilla. Who could he be? At least Destroyah, SpaceGodzilla, and King Ghidorah had some defeat-related misery that dented the anger in their movements. But misery wasn't present here. Haughtiness was the main description in this spirit's motions, which came in the form of wing flapping. Crimson eyes glowed, examining Godzilla with that of one who had a long memory and never forgot about his enemies.

Battra opened his mandibles and let out a call. Mutants, beyond. Knowledge. Annoyance. He was aware that mutated beings like Godzilla were able to enter the afterlife too, also having met the likes of SpaceGodzilla and King Ghidorah, but he wasn't pleased by this.

Godzilla bared his teeth. Life. Power, none. Earth? As a fellow lifeform, Godzilla saw no reason why he couldn't go where any other could. Battra was no authority over him, no matter how much the former rambled about how he worked based upon the will of Earth's spirit, whatever that meant.

Battra hissed. Protector, truth. Humans, blight. Punishment. Battra hadn't made up the claim he was a representative of the Earth's spirit. It was as real as the wind and ocean waves, and Godzilla had better respect it. He had reemerged to deal with many threats, including humanity. Humans have been maiming the environment in search of comfort for too long. He just begun their long due reckoning when Mothra and then Godzilla got his attention.

…Agree. Mutate, attack. Unpleasant. Reluctantly, Godzilla couldn't help but find himself agreeing with Battra. Humans were a blight. They were the ones who mutated him and kept attacking him whenever he exercised authority over his territory. There were a few decent ones but on the whole Godzilla would have been happy if they had never been around.

Battra called out, still not contented. Blight, still. Mutation. Humans, many. He believed that Godzilla himself had done damage to the environment. Being mutated by human means, he could spread as much harm with his radiation as humans could. Due to the number of humans, though, Godzilla wouldn't be able to do damage as swiftly or extensively. So Battra had considered humanity a more primary threat.

Godzilla growled. Intention, none. …maybe? Humans, threat. He felt revolted at being bunched up with humanity as a threat to Earth. He never went out of his way to harm the environment. Then again, on reluctant consideration, there were some examples, marine life that didn't react well and plants that changed in his presence. So maybe Godzilla did cause some harm to the Earth. But he found he couldn't be too concerned. The humans left a greater impact anyway.

Battra grumbled lowly, almost reluctant. Yes. Mothra…kindness. Threat, greater. Sacrifice! He did believe getting rid of humans was a greater priority. He wanted to get rid of Mothra, who also got in the way of his last purge of a blightful people. But despite his ruthless attacks, Mothra healed Battra after his fight with Godzilla, communicating Godzilla was a greater threat in that he made humanity pursue actions even more detrimental to the environment. So Battra joined her and sacrificed himself to defeat Godzilla. After her honorable determination to protect the Earth, he couldn't help but be moved to assist her. Battra had put aside his own wellbeing for the Earth and from how his head was raised, he didn't regret it.

Protector, Earth? Confusing. Alive? Battra giving his life to something as vast as the Earth was something Godzilla had difficulty comprehending. It was like giving your life for some territory that no loved one was going to use. Godzilla had sacrificed nearly dying time and again to protect his territory but Battra's dedication seemed a bit different. It was like the territory was his loved one, as though Battra believed the whole Earth, his territory, was a living being.

Battra stirred. Earth, life. Threat, any. Foreign. Death…savior. That was because the Earth was alive, he insisted. The oceans and winds were like the blood streams of the world. It was within its body life was allowed to flourish. Battra's duty was to protect the planet from any threats, whether they flourished from life on the planet or a foreign body that was going to destroy the Earth. Battra wasn't able to deal with that incoming threat but he was confident that someone else had already taken up his sword.

Suspicion. Protector, commonality. Son. Stubbornness, unshared. Godzilla had a suspicion of who that someone was. But Battra's unwavering dedication to the Earth reminded Godzilla of his dedication to his son. He had been willing to die for Junior if it meant giving him another chance at life. In a way, Battra and Godzilla had this fierce determination to protect loved ones in common. Though Godzilla didn't think he was stubborn in the annoying way Battra was.

Battra ignored that last swipe. Mothra. Foreign, destroy. Precedent. Protector. He confirmed Godzilla's suspicions. Mothra had indeed gone to space to destroy the meteor that would wipe out all life. It was just like the space rock that wiped out Godzilla's kin millions of years ago. Knowing Mothra, she would definitely succeed and return to Earth to continue her protection of all innocence.

Son? Unthreatening. Mothra…protect? Godzilla wondered if Junior would count among those innocence. While he was more threatening to humanity, Junior was a kind soul who would likely not follow in his father's footsteps. All of his annoyances with Mothra were swept aside in concern for his son. The humans seemed to hold a bit of trust, or at least fearful respect, in Mothra. If the humans attempted to go against Junior, would Mothra intervene?

Battra answer was reluctant. …yes. Kindness, great. Protector. He had his own misgivings but Mothra would seek to protect him. She was the compassionate sort who saw the potential for greatness in even those Battra had a hard time seeing deserved it. Mothra would recognize Junior's kindness and come to his aid against any threat.

Godzilla growled lowly. Assuring. Pain. Information, assuring. At least his son had a reliable ally on his side. That put a bit of a dent in his worry. Grudgingly, Godzilla expressed his appreciation. Battra was a pain in the hindquarters but at least he felt the impetus to hand over that information and Godzilla doesn't begrudge him much for their previous fight.

Battra looked away. Truth. Ally, enemy. Always. He wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He was merely being truthful. He would be truthful to even his most hated enemies. So if Battra and Godzilla crossed paths again, then that would continue, regardless if it was negative or positive. Farewell. At any rate, Battra was finished here.

With a flap of his wings, Battra turned around and became ethereal as he glided away. Battra turned to lock eyes with Godzilla for only a second before speeding up and disappearing like the rest.

But a spirit was moving toward Godzilla even before Battra vanished, with a gait that indicated confidence and an easy manner. Nostrils inhaling, Godzilla could smell this spirit was human even before he gained the shape of one. It was a bit annoying that this human was moving with more ease than his greedy compatriots. The man, Japanese and much more fit than Okubo, paused in front of Godzilla and put his hands on his hips as he examined him, though there was a tightness to the laidback stance.

"So you have joined us at last, Godzilla." The man said. "I thought you were the type who would never join this death party."

Godzilla grunted. Identity? Who was this person? As he looked more closely, familiarity did flicker in, like this was an individual Godzilla met once, in a manner that was memorable. Still, the number of human names he memorized could be counted on one hand and he wouldn't need to use all of his digits.

The human shook his head. "Not surprised someone as big as you wouldn't remember a little guy like me but here's a memory jogger. I'm Gondo, the one who shot a shell into your mouth when you approached my building. As thanks, you toppled it around my ears. It was in '89, after you fought that giant flower in the lake."

Godzilla needed several moments to make the connection. After that flower monster, he went through a city where he was fired upon from many buildings, with one human boldly firing a shell into his mouth. That man had acted rather blasé, at least until Godzilla made his displeasure known by collapsing the building he was in. He thought no more of the event except that something about his body didn't feel right thereafter, only magnified after fighting Biollante. He felt so sluggish he didn't feel like moving much for over two years. Godzilla looked at Gondo suspiciously. Drained. Relevance? He wondered if he had anything to do with that period.

"You could say that." Gondo answered. "Man, it's really weird understanding a monster just like those psychics. Yeah, those shots us soldier boys put into you had fancy bacteria that made you not want to do anything. I heard there were hiccups but apparently they did their work for a little while."

Godzilla made a displeased grunt. Unpleasant. Death, unsurprising. As a monster of action, he didn't exactly enjoy being zapped of energy. He didn't like being shot in the mouth either, so Gondo shouldn't have been surprised when Godzilla lashed out.

Gondo's easygoing demeanor faded.

"Oh, you're acting righteous because you couldn't do anything for a few years," he said. "Well what about the rest of humanity? We couldn't live in peace when you killed people with your petty tantrums on our cities. Of course we would defend ourselves by coming up with fancy ways to limit your threat."

Godzilla bared his teeth. Punishment. Territory. Problem, leave. And it was natural for him, cursed with this form by selfish humans, to teach them a lesson. The places humans claimed were part of Godzilla's territory and if they didn't like what he did, they should move away.

That didn't go well with Gondo either.

"It isn't exactly easy to move hundreds of millions of people to another part of the world," he retorted. "Japan isn't responsible for whoever mutated you, anyway. We don't use nuclear weapons. Even if we did, we can't control everything our leaders do – they often get away with things the public don't approve of, so you were a bit mis-targeted towards who you punished."

Godzilla sniffed derisively. Rulers, overpower. Knowledge? World, large. But the human public outnumbered their leaders, so they should be able to change whatever sins their leaders commit. Besides, he couldn't exactly know which group of humans were responsible for mutating him. The world was much larger than his territory.

"Yes, the world is big." Gondo said. "But it's also complex. If overthrowing leaders were so easy, wouldn't we be doing it all the time? Besides, not all of us know or have the time to learn about these sins. So in the absence of your thoughtfulness, I sacrificed myself to make sure my fellow humans could have at least a few years of peace. I hope Chinatsu and Yuki were able to enjoy them…"

Gondo looked down, thoughtfulness mixed with sadness. It was a combination Godzilla was becoming no stranger to. He had surmised humans had relations just like other animals and would probably be depressed that, dead or alive, they wouldn't see them again among the living. Gondo looked up.

"If I survived, I could've seen my sister and partner get married," he continued. "They always had chemistry and from what I heard, I would've been happy to see them finally tie the knot. My death must have caused them some pain. But they'll cope with it. I don't need to come down and remind them to like some weird spiritual advisor."

Confidence. Interesting. That was a nice confidence, Godzilla mused. He was beginning to have that feeling for Junior. It was a confidence borne from personal experience. The trouble for him was he didn't spend as much time with Junior as Gondo had with his loved ones. He didn't know everything about how Junior would cope with his absence. Those thoughts were thrust into the background when Gondo returned his gaze with traces of anger.

"Oh now you find us interesting. Wonderful." Gondo said. "I still can't forgive you for the many lives you hurt or taken. That's something you can't undo. However, you did take down some monsters that gave you some competition on the threatening humanity front. Wouldn't want you to team up with others to make the world an even worse place than it already is. So basically, thanks for not making any friends, especially of the wrong sort."

Godzilla almost snorted. Strange. Nature, solitary. Amusing. Not making friends was a weird thing to get thanked for. He wasn't a sociable sort and it was hard to get on his good side, so it wasn't a difficult goal to accomplish. Gondo had a strange sense of humor. It amused Godzilla.

Gondo smiled tightly. "Good to know my jokes go over well with the greatest monster of all. I have to tell my parents that when they pass. Still, there were some happy moments related to you. There's that marriage I just mentioned, helped by their membership to that organization related to you, and Junior, from what I heard, led to some happiness for you and the humans who know him. Caring for your son might be one of your few redeeming traits."

Godzilla grunted. Praise, unneeded. Strange. Courageous, rare. He didn't expect or need a compliment. Still, it was interesting that someone he killed and who held an understandable grudge was willing to concede to this positivity about him. Gondo was strange, among the stranger humans he met. Willing to go up to Godzilla, not cowardly or greedy like the others, standing his ground when Godzilla challenged him. There were many humans in the world but he had a sense those like Gondo would be statistically small by comparison.

"You could say that." Gondo said. "I would like to think there aren't many like me. With the world as big as it is, who knows, there might be more than a few who would walk up to chat with the monster king."

Being told there might be many humans willing to talk with him was an enlightening but certainly unentertaining prospect. Unwanted. Human, bearable. Godzilla didn't want to be bothered any more than he had to be but if there were others like Gondo, it mightn't be the most unbearable thing in existence.

"Likewise, I guess." Gondo shrugged, smirking briefly. "You might be needlessly grumpy in addition to all of your bad deeds, but this wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience. If we ever bumped into each other again, I wouldn't mind another chat. So long, Godzilla."

Godzilla tailed lashed. Meeting. Fine. As far as he concerned, Gondo could meet him if he liked. He was challenging but not annoying like some humans.

With a saluting wave, Gondo turned and casually walked of, becoming indistinct as he turned white before shooting off. That was as dramatic an exit as the man probably liked but Godzilla barely paid attention.

Another spirit decided it was his turn to approach. Even before the wings came into shape and fierce eyes above the prominent beak became visible, familiarity flared in Godzilla's body. This monster gave Godzilla a power in those last couple years, a final act to care for someone precious. When Rodan finally paused and made eye contact with Godzilla, it felt like in some ways seeing himself. Whether it had because of the influence of Rodan's power or their shared concern for Junior, Godzilla didn't know. But whatever it was, the reunion was tense and awkward.

Though they both loved Junior, Godzilla and Rodan had been hostile in their brief acquaintance. They had fought over ownership of Junior. Rodan's sacrifice he only learned about after he awakened from near death. Godzilla only lived for a few years protecting and raising Junior, so he didn't know how Rodan would make of his early death. After all of that, those tensions weren't likely to go away.

Rodan examined Godzilla, also uncertain. Finally, he called out. Brother? Condition? Warily, he asked how Junior was doing and his state the last Godzilla saw him.

Godzilla gave a low rumble. Alive. Protected. Power, his. Junior was alive. Godzilla had done his best to take care of him, even destroying a monster that trapped him in crystals. Time was short but their bond was strong. The radiation Godzilla gave off in his dying moments had revived Junior and made him almost as powerful as his father. Junior would struggle but he would be survive.

Subtly, Rodan relaxed. Relief. Imperfect…too. Humans, kind? He was relieved Junior was still alive after all the danger he had been through. Godzilla didn't sound like he could completely protect him but, Rodan admitted grudgingly, he had lost Junior before he had been born and it was only by pure luck the humans he ended up with didn't harm him. At least, Rodan hoped they didn't harm him, or he would find a way to come back from the dead and bring his wrath upon them.

Godzilla snorted. Kind. Son, them. No, the humans didn't cause Junior any harm. Junior was insistent they were very nice and the woman who took care of him was the one who pushed for him to, despite his reluctance, stay with Godzilla. Another woman Godzilla had a bit of familiarity with also soothed Junior in a way that encouraged the child to join him before they departed to the sea.

Rodan breathed out, amazed. Kind? Allies. Protector, longer. So apparently there were decent humans after all. At least Junior might find some allies in them if humanity ever decided to harm him. Rodan would only be able to watch from the afterlife. He wished Godzilla could have lived longer so Junior could be protected until the younger saurian was experienced enough to protect himself.

Godzilla agreed. Death, undesired. Uncontrollable. Choice. He hadn't been planning to die so soon either. But circumstances beyond his power led his radiation to get out of control and it was only a matter of time before he would have died. So both Godzilla and Junior made the best of a terrible situation. If in Godzilla's position, Rodan would have made similar choices.

Rodan closed his eyes and opened them. Understood. Appreciation. Association, okay. He understood. He didn't like it but he felt some appreciation toward Godzilla for his efforts with Junior. Whatever their rivalry, they held the same affection for family that wasn't of their blood. He wouldn't mind speaking with Godzilla again.

Godzilla growled in agreement. Together. Son, too. Among those he met in the afterlife, meeting up with Rodan was the prospect he looked most forward to. He could put aside their brief rivalry among the living to be on amicable terms. And when Junior passed on – and he hoped it wouldn't be for a very long time– the three of them could have a pleasant time talking or sparring. Not only for Junior's sake but because Godzilla and Rodan might actually appreciate each other's company.

Rodan concurred. Pleasant, future. Done. Farewell. That arrangement for the three of them did sound pleasant. He was starting to look forward to it. In the meantime, though, with nothing else to say, they shouldn't waste words. Until their next meeting, he could only bid farewell.

Godzilla gave a parting growl. Flapping his wings, Rodan turned and became white and less distinct as he flew away, becoming another spirit among those passing by.

Before Godzilla could consider that conversation, two more spirits detached themselves from the crowd. They were human and even as their forms became clear, he could sense the girl was younger than the average human he met. There was something vaguely familiar about her. The man beside her was older and walked close to her. They didn't have the self-assured lack of fear that Gondo possessed but there was a sincere curiosity about them which inspired them to approach. The pair stopped several paces off.

"So that's Godzilla, Father?" The girl asked. "He's much bigger than described on the news."

"He got into contact with radiation that made him bigger since my passing." The man replied. "What I heard about the context of that event is very confusing and I'm still unsure if it actually happened."

Bemused, Godzilla rumbled. Identity? These were definitely not humans he noticed before, though that girl continued to arouse signs of familiarity. The man stirred.

"Forgive us for our rudeness. My name is Dr. Shiragami and this is my daughter Erika." Dr. Shiragami waved to the girl beside her. "We were just amazed to see a monster of your stature had passed on."

Godzilla grunted. Purpose? Stare? Leave. If they wanted to approach him just because he was a fascinating beast, they should move right along. He wasn't going to cooperate with being part of a gawking show.

Dr. Shiragami raised a hand. "We don't mean to cause you discomfort. However, we aren't merely fascinated observers."

Erika stepped forward, unsure. "Remember that plant monster with vines for mouths, that was a rose in your first encounter, and then had a head like yours in your final encounter? My father had a hand in creating her."

Eyes widening, Godzilla examined Dr. Shiragami, whose gaze lowered. The two men from the future who created King Ghidorah was still unbelievable but since they were from a time and place Godzilla couldn't comprehend, he supposed it was possible humans developed in a way that they could create monsters. But that a present time human was able to do the same, one who held hints of relation to him, was astonishing. A hotness began to spread through Godzilla's veins, an anger that wasn't overwhelming but firm. Explain.

Dr. Shiragami bowed his head. "I made a great mistake. When I created Biollante, I was desperate. Your cells were vaunted for, often dangerously. That resulted in my daughter getting killed. I combined her cells with roses' to have her live on in some way but when they got damaged in an earthquake, I asked for your cells to save her. The results were…you probably remember them well."

Godzilla did remember. Unsettling. Alive. Impossible. Seeing a plant move around both in the lake and in the later battle had been disconcerting. Plants weren't supposed to move like animals, never mind be part animal and never mind that part animal feel like himself. To attempt to keep a child alive through such a method seemed improbable, since their souls or whatever would have long left their body anyway. So Biollante was only this Erika girl in terms of biology.

"Actually, that's not completely accurate." Erika said slowly. "I don't remember being Biollante but I felt like a part of me was in those roses and then in her. After her last fight with you, it felt like that part of me left and rejoined me here. So in some ways Father was keeping me alive."

Now this was even stranger, Godzilla mused. Not only was this Shiragami human able to combine her daughter's DNA with a rose's and then Godzilla's, but he somehow infused her soul with them too. He gazed at Dr. Shiragami. Reason? He wondered why Dr. Shiragami would go this far for her, even as a suspicion formed in the back of his mind.

"Why would I go this far for Erika?" Dr. Shiragami looked at his daughter. "Because I love her. As a parent, it's a horrible feeling when your child is no longer alive while you continue to draw breath. I had to keep her living somehow, even if 'living' mightn't be how most people define it. It mightn't have been the best but…when your child is lost, you aren't exactly rational."

Erika put a hand on Dr. Shiragami's shoulder. Godzilla's suspicion was accurate. He felt an echo in Dr. Shiragami's statement. In what felt like several hours ago, he tried to give his radiation to Junior to revive him and went mad with grief when that supposedly failed. While in the process of dying, somewhere in his mind Godzilla probably hoped this release of radiation could at least revive Junior. In any other situation, that would have been considered an irrational, hopeless thought. But somehow, his radiation did revive his son. Like Dr. Shiragami, Godzilla had acted irrationally about his child's death and committed actions few would condone. He looked at the pair and made a reluctant rumble of agreement.

"So you agree?" Dr. Shiragami put his hands behind his back. "Interesting. You're being surprisingly reasonable to someone whose grief created a mutant version of yourself."

"I believe I heard Godzilla had a son recently." Erika said.

"Ah, now I remember." Dr. Shiragami looked up. "So he's still alive? I heard he's kind. I hope he has a happy life. Remaining kind is a great challenge in living."

Agreement. Hope. Biollante, alive? Godzilla concurred. Hopefully Junior would be able to lead a pleasant existence on Earth. Though speaking of existence, he wondered what happened to Biollante after her triumph. He remembered damaging her a bit in the second battle but not in a life-threatening way.

Dr. Shiragami nodded. "I didn't survive long enough to see it myself – your cells ultimately cost me my life too – but from what I heard, Biollante must still be alive in some way. She's orbiting the planet as a giant rose and though she hasn't taken any action since, I sense she would come to Earth if there was a sufficient danger."

"I believe so as well." Erika spoke up. "As someone who was and was not me, I know she'd care about the Earth's wellbeing. Being part plant, she'd be concerned about the plants of the planet if they were suddenly, widely harmed. So the Earth has more than one protector here."

"That's good to hear." Dr. Shiragami nodded. "I hope we haven't unsettled you too much, Godzilla. This talk about souls and monster-creation must be quite strange to you."

Godzilla grunted. Unsettling. Encounter, okay. Approach? That was an understatement. Meeting the person who created Biollante was still disconcerting and he probably wouldn't make a habit of meeting them. But Dr. Shiragami and Erika were at least not unpleasant to interact with. He wondered why they approached him though, since they could go on existing in the afterlife without meeting the monster they could potentially upset.

"Let's say that when we saw you here, I felt an urge to make amends." Dr. Shiragami explained. "Even if in some manner I was correct to help in your defeat, there was a feeling that using your cells might have violated some modicum of privacy. I appreciate there are no hard feelings. If we do meet again, I hope our exchanges can remain civil."

"Likewise." Erika nodded. "I hope you can rest in peace like we have."

Godzilla growled. Yes. Reunion.…Civil. He wasn't anticipating it but if it had to happen, it might as well be civil.

With nods of farewell, Dr. Shiragami and Erika turned, returning to white spirits as they left. Godzilla noticed the crowd was smaller this time. Maybe the fascination with seeing the infamous monster was starting to lose its novelty. That would be alright with him but then another spirit came forward.

Godzilla felt his breath slow as he realized who this was even before the grey hair and wide face became clear. He walked with the gait of someone who took his time due to the full implications of this meeting. Godzilla was silent. He just watched as Shindo, the man who saluted him while he lay dying as a Godzillasaurus, who consented to being killed by Godzilla, stopped in front of him. Shindo examined him, lips parted as he tried to find the words that were difficult to bring out.

"Godzilla." Shindo said finally. "Despite the circumstances, it's…a pleasure to see you again."

Breathing slowly through his nose, Godzilla rumbled in agreement. Despite the context of this meeting, there was some good feeling in seeing Shindo again. Still, the memory of killing one of the few humans he respected, who honored Godzilla as he lay dying, was painful. Death. Reason? Godzilla didn't quite understand why Shindo believed he deserved death.

Shindo closed his eyes and inhaled before opening them again. "Your question is understandable. I wouldn't have been able to answer you then but now…I asked you to kill me because I felt responsible. I thought it was because of the nuclear submarine I sent to revive you to fight King Ghidorah that the carnage that followed happened. After my death, I learned you had already been revived by a previous submarine accident but at the time…the shame of wounding you and my country was so great. I – I had to end it."

Yours? Destructive, always. Responsibility, limited. So that nuclear sub Godzilla encountered shortly before King Ghidorah was from Shindo. That explained some of the man's guilt. Godzilla had been indeed more aggressive after the encounter. But he hadn't been on friendly terms with Japan anyway. That sub encounter only resumed Godzilla's destructive rampage. Shindo might be responsible for that but not for the destruction that came before.

Shindo sighed. "That is still a heavy responsibility," he said softly. "The anti-nuclear bacteria had kept you in the ocean for three years. You might have been able to shake it off eventually but sending a sub to your location not only killed its crew but resumed the destruction of Japan. It mustn't have been enjoyable for you but I would have preferred that to inadvertently dooming my country."

Godzilla grunted. Past. Destruction, choice. Son. The past couldn't be changed, so it wasn't worth lingering on. Shindo might have started it but Godzilla was an independent being and had paused his destructive struggle for many reasons since, including raising his son.

Shindo smiled a little. "I heard you adopted a child. It's…good to hear you at least had someone to care about in that strange world, if only for a few years."

A low, faint rumble of agreement. Short. Bright. Humans, few. Son. Those years were indeed too short. Having Junior around was a light in his life. There were a few humans he was a bit warmer toward – Shindo among them – but all his positive emotions had been directed to Junior.

Shindo blinked and bowed his head with a smile. "I'm glad I'm among the handful of humans you can tolerate. It's good this Junior has led to such happiness. I hope those relationships continue, especially since all humans are mortal and those you touched will sooner or later come here and…meet you."

Godzilla tail lashed uncertainty. Alone? Some. Everyone, no. He didn't exactly want to be alone but he didn't want people to regularly stop by to have a chat either. Of course, the likes of Shindo were welcome but he didn't want everyone to become his friend or badger him about his past.

Shindo's smile slipped. "People with their tics and foibles are tough. Even now, I still feel guilt for being unable to help you back in the war. No matter how many times I tell myself we didn't have the resources, I still can't help thinking about what would have happened if we had the ability and will to help you. I know this is no help and might even irritate you but – I'm sorry we couldn't assist you."

Shindo bowed. Godzilla exhaled out of his nostrils. Tired. Apologies, cease. He found being the recipient of guilt as exhausting as being the target of fury. He didn't hold much against the man, so Shindo shouldn't need to apologize anymore.

Shindo looked up with a sheepish smile. "I shall try to not to be too apologetic for my sins. I'm afraid I mightn't find that as hard as other humans. There was a time in my life where not apologizing got me ahead in business but looking back, I wonder if that was a mistake…but you heard enough of my woes. You implied you were okay with meeting me. I appreciate that – I would like us to meet again."

Yes. Pleasant. Unafraid. Godzilla wouldn't mind reuniting with Shindo. It would be interesting to have a conversation with the man while not having to worry about him being afraid.

Shindo nodded, a slight smile pulling in. "Thanks. Remember, it's okay to have relations with even those you hurt. You seem to be doing well with the likes of Rodan and King Ghidorah, so I encourage you on that path. I hope you're comfortable here, Godzilla. Until we meet again."

Godzilla growled, subdued. Shindo gave one last nod before turning and jetting off as a spirit. Godzilla turned toward the observing spirits, a bit smaller in numbers but still too many for his liking. He didn't know who else he would be facing. All the monsters who had died fighting him were accounted for, so only humans would remain to shake their fists at him. That was the reason others were still watching, right?

The reason turned out be very different when another spirit came forward.

A chill came over Godzilla. The presence was ancient, speaking of someone who had been here for decades. The suffering from nuclear radiation, the rage against the perceived perpetrators, was an echo of his. With slow steps that would have made the earth quake and cause humans to look up in dread, a being very much like him approached. Godzilla had never heard of him but he instantly recognized him as a predecessor.

The first Godzilla that reigned terror on Japan forty years ago stopped and gazed at him.

Godzilla didn't know how to respond. In a way, he should be happy he wasn't alone, but the gaze from the other made him understand meeting someone who had been cursed like him wasn't relieving but depressing. It explained some of the human behavior toward him. Ever since he first laid feet on Tokyo, there had always been a feeling to the city, a scent decades old that had been familiar in an uncomfortable way. There were still traces of radiation about that place that weren't natural, that didn't go away no matter how many rampages followed since. To meet the person who left that mark and suffered as he had left an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

The rage and agony the first Godzilla went through was still clear but there was something about his body language that indicated he was more relaxed.

The first Godzilla's thoughts were clear. You. Dis…comforting. Life…joy? He heard there had been another like him who reigned his fury on humanity. That was both disconcerting and comforting. Disconcerting in that humanity had scarred yet another of his kind and comforting in that Godzilla didn't let them escape the consequences, which lasted longer as they couldn't whip up a weapon that could instantly kill him. Still, the first Godzilla wondered if being alive longer meant Godzilla suffered longer. It sounded like he made strong bonds that gave him joy but did they outweigh the pain that came along?

Godzilla breathed out slowly. Suffering. Son, joy. Alive. There was much suffering he wished could have been avoided. But Junior made it worth it. He had been willing to shed much blood against any threat to make sure his son could live and smile again. When Junior was content, so was he. Those few moments of happiness were worth all the pain he had to go through. Even if he couldn't remain alive to see his son, Godzilla gained some pleasure at the thought his son might live longer than him and his predecessor combined.

The first Godzilla's face had some traces of envy. Alone. Bonds? …over. He didn't have anyone like that. Who he did have passed long before his mutation. Maybe a friend or child would have made it easier to live with but it was likely they would have perished along with him. But there were no do overs in life. It was futile to wonder what could have been.

Godzilla agreed. Easy? Discomfort, numbers. Cope? But that was easier said than done. Now they were dead, all their former enemies and victims could now confront them. In some sense, the act of closure made him feel better. But in other cases, he was left uneased. He touched so many that he wouldn't be surprised if he kept going through this experience for the rest of eternity. How did the first Godzilla deal with the many people who must have confronted him for what he done?

Unsure. Discomforting. Solution, time. Interaction. The first Godzilla wasn't sure about a particular answer. Being in a realm where potential friend and foe alike had to live together wasn't comfortable. Fights did happen but win or lose, scores settled or not, the only thing that seemed to really settle matters was time and even discussion.

Godzilla grimaced. Annoyance. Consequences, limited. Cope? He was afraid that kind of answer would await him. Endless arguments weren't something he looked forward to. Since he could do little more than scare others, there were limited consequences for anyone cocky enough to mess with him, no satisfaction in putting someone down permanently. How else to deter and cope with these people?

The first Godzilla closed and opened his eyes. Intimidation, limited. Interaction…Killer. Harmony. Open. Intimidation was a useful deterrence but it wasn't as much of a solution as having to talk it out with people. He had been in turns stressed and amused by the process but in the end, resolving issues did leave him one less thing to be grim about. He had been even able to hold a cordial conversation with the very creator of the weapon that felled him. Whether they liked it or not, they were stuck together for eternity and had to find some way of getting along. That didn't mean Godzilla had to do so with everyone but be open to the possibility.

Godzilla was about to retort it was easier said than done but paused. He remembered the people he met so far, some of whom he would never reconcile with. But there were others who he came to understand, if not empathize with. The talks hadn't been easy but if he saw any of the understandable people again, he wouldn't be much displeased. For a few, it might be enjoyable. He did find himself liking some of these encounters and there was an ease in him that came with addressing unfinished business. The first Godzilla didn't appear as tortured as he would have been when first arriving in the afterlife. If his predecessor followed his own advice, then such actions must have done him some good.

Lowly, Godzilla growled. Consider. He would think about his predecessor's advice.

The first Godzilla agreed. Expected. Space. Need, call. That was as much as he expected to get from his successor. He acted the same way when he died. For now, the first Godzilla shall give him the space he needed. However, if Godzilla ever wanted to meet again, then he need only roar. The first Godzilla mightn't arrive right away but he would appear and be interested in what his fellow kin had to say.

Godzilla acknowledged this with a flick of the tail. Consider. Appealing? Farewell. He would keep it in mind. Having someone of the same species and irradiated experience to talk with wasn't an unappealing idea. But until then, Godzilla bid him farewell.

He didn't waste time lingering. The first Godzilla only gave a parting roar before becoming a white spirit and zooming off.

That crowd was much smaller. After seeing the meeting between the two Godzillas, it was apparently felt for now that no one watching could top that. They stood, hesitating, unsure. Impatient, Godzilla sent them an ominous look and they scattered, presumably returning to the places that were the closest to home here. He was relieved. With no one else around, he could be to his thoughts, thoughts which were anchored among the living.

In his mind's eye, Godzilla could almost see Junior. He didn't know if this was his imagination or actual visions but he saw his son, now almost a spitting image of him, emerging from the mist. The last of the radioactivity was absorbed and Junior stood amid the wreckage, roaring as though bringing himself to consciousness in his new form. Junior swept his head about, the lone giant in the city, and let out a mournful groan that made Godzilla's heart ache. So soon after they met, Junior found his adoptive father taken away. It would shake many beings and Junior needed time to process it.

Even as Junior roared again before turning to rumble to the ocean, Godzilla knew his son would recover. Junior was kind but there was a strength there, a strength Godzilla tried to cultivate so his son could confront the world's cruelties. Junior shall mourn his father but eventually he would pick himself up and continue living. Whatever that meant, whether it included living peacefully with humanity or not, Godzilla would be watching and hoping for the best.

In the meantime, Godzilla would be acclimating to this realm. While he learned a lot, there was still so much he didn't know about. In this place, there was much to attain his attention for the eternity to come. He swept his gaze at the passing spirits. Godzilla didn't feel much remorse for his actions, either because he felt justified or couldn't muster the energy to care. He didn't regret defending himself against monsters out to get him, nor the humans who fell for getting in his way. Thinking about the many arguments in the centuries to come that would result from this wasn't very encouraging.

Yet among those he had met so far, there was commonality. Even with some of his greatest enemies, like King Ghidorah, Godzilla saw flashes of his own stubbornness or other qualities. It was nice to bury the hatchet with Shindo and Rodan, to elaborate and establish context to their bonds. If he met any of them again, their interactions wouldn't be hostile. At the very least, Godzilla would need to occupy his afterlife in some way.

There were some he would be glad to never meet again. The likes of Destroyah and Okubo could use their eternity to stew in their own misery for all Godzilla cared. For those he wouldn't feel the impulse to blast in the face, though, he thought he could be a bit more tolerant. He wouldn't have infinite patience and would bring an earthshaking foot down if the other person was being too annoying. But he would try to have an open mind, and if there was an opportunity to ease relations, he would take it.

So with spirits still swirling by, Godzilla raised his head and walked into the darkness. Where, he didn't know. But he shall find his place, and take whatever consequences and meetings that lay in this next stage of existence head on.

The End

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Note: A few descriptions of the monster's personalities I took from Rodan's Roost Kaiju Stats, which I consulted frequently when writing this (in addition to watching the movies), so I want to make sure I properly attribute those details. I'm aware the human characters aren't at times the most cared for but I hope I've been faithful to what we do know of their personalities here.