Tangled Mothra: Catastrophic Concert

by Japan Boy

Two of four Disney / Toho short stories: as Patricia, Nathan, & Rapunzel Benice perform a benefit concert in Honolulu, the city gets attacked by a very vicious & literally fiery creature...one that Mothra & Battra have both faced a very long time ago, which it all but yearns unrelenting revenge upon. Kindly review if read.

TANGLED / MOTHRA:

CATASTROPHIC CONCERT

2017 by Anthony Ogozalek

PROLOGUE

The mouth of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, Friday, April 1st, 2016:

Since receiving its offering four months ago, the beast fed on it for all that time, getting a little bit stronger each day as it consumed its life – or lifeless – essence, one day at a time. When it first arrived, it was too weak to eat but the littlest piece, but eventually it was able to collect more every day & regain its strength.

Once it ruled the skies over these vast chain of islands centuries ago, until it was defeated by a pair of certain winged enemies in which it longs to crave its vengeance upon.

When it does escape its prison, it will find its hated enemies & roast them alive before doing the same to all of the world & all its forms of life in which they so fiercely protect.

It's almost at full strength now: just a little more time, & it will finally be able to burst free to wreak vengeance & havoc upon the world once more.

Eager as it is, it has waited many years to get loose.

A couple more days won't hurt.

The glow inside the volcano gets brighter, ready to erupt.

CHAPTER I

Honolulu, Hawaii, Saturday, April 9th, 5:00 p.m.:

Hawaii's capital & largest city enjoyed the shining sun overhead, bustling with life as people put theirs into it. Over five-&-a-half decades since achieving statehood in 1959 along with Alaska, the chain of islands endured much before & after its induction into the United States: the introduction of the kapu system, the building of heiau, the arrival of British Captain & explorer James Cook, the wars & diseases that killed many people during the 1700s & 1800s, the Puerto Rican immigration to the islands, the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, its volcanic eruptions & series of typhoons, it endured much since the initial first settlement by the Polynesian dating back to as early as 400 CE.

Today, it's become a popular hotspot for vacationers/travelers from America, Japan, & various other countries.

On this particular day, it's one for Patricia, Nathan, Eugene & Rapunzel Benice at the Luana Waikiki Hotel & Suite as they prepare for a concert set to be taking place over at the Aloha Stadium, located near the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites.

Maximus waits inside his specially-made trailer on street level as Pascal does so inside, watching Rapunzel pacing back & forth with worry in her in her blue jeans, white shoes & light-fabric red sportscoat. Her husband Eugene had been dressed in white pants, black shoes & yellow sportscoat, with Patricia & Nathan both being attired in black jeans, shoes & sportscoats that were decorated with shining jewels along the backs & fronts along the sides. Rapunzel's also had jewels, but multi-colored instead of just clear.

Like everyone else, Pascal was worried for her.

"Will you stop worrying, Rapunzel? It's gonna be okay", Patricia assures her with a motherly tone & a grin.

"How can I quit worrying, Patricia? I'm nervous about tonight…and I don't even know why!", Rapunzel says.

"Come on, blondie: it's no different from when we performed karaoke with Merida, Anna & Elsa, or even during the Halloween show at the Los Angeles Forum, or the Hollywood Bowl's Christmas celebration only four months ago!", Eugene said. "And that particular event was televised coast to coast! Don't tell me you've developed a case of stage fright all of a sudden!"

"It isn't that, Eugene: you know I've danced & sung in front of an audience before, from way back in Corona and when we got unexpectedly thrusted into this era."

"Then, what is it?"

Rapunzel took a deep breath & let it out in a sad sigh before she sat on the bed & explained.

"Maybe it's because I keep seeing Emiko Sugimoto's friend Ayana Tazaki in my mind: when we've learned from Gus, Merida & Tajima that it was her who piloted Mecha-King Ghidorah & tried to kill Godzilla with that cyborg monster before Emiko helped to open her eyes & see the truth just before crashing into the Black Hole Aliens' base of operations, that pain spread through me like a cancer, making me wish that I could've done more to save her. How Merida felt when we flew over Ayana's burial site in the Pacific is how I still feel even now. It'd almost convinced me to not do the Christmas show, & I'm starting to get second thoughts about tonight's performance, if we're being honest."

The group was silent as they pondered Rapunzel's words, their thoughts all being that of the young Japanese girl's torture at the hands of Mugal, Tsuda & the rest of their Black Hole Aliens: from the death of her parents to making her into an unfeeling engine of vengeance against Godzilla, she suffered unimaginably before the tide turned to help save the Earth…but at the cost of Ayana's life at the young age of 12.

Her own guilt of Ayana's demise was starting to weigh her down. Big time.

"Is that why you haven't been on stage performing with Nathan & myself since December, Rapunzel?", Patricia asks in a compassionate & motherly tone/face.

The former blonde nodded solemnly.

Nathan came to her with a fatherly tone/face of his own.

"Rapunzel, we were all devastated by Ayana's death, hon. Not one day goes by that we don't carry that burden upon us, but tragic as it was, try to keep in mind that she died helping to give us a fighting chance in ridding the world of an evil greater than all the crime families on the planet put together. Ayana would never want or allow for Mugal & his aliens to be the dominant species on Earth, & we should all honor & respect her decision, no matter how hard it may be for us. And her brave actions is just one of the many reasons as to why Patricia & myself do what we do."

"Nathan's right, Rapunzel", Patricia says, stepping in. "Granted, what we've done for many years even before we'd became husband & wife did make us rich & famous, but the money & fame is second-fiddle…it always has been. The real reward for our line of work is in knowing we're singing to our heart's desire & raising money for all those affected by disasters, be it natural ones or when Godzilla or any other monsters cause mass destruction in a metropolitan area. That's why we're singing here tonight, in Honolulu."

"Because of what happened in London last month", Rapunzel said as the others nodded.

"Gus, Elinor, Merida & Angus are all okay, thank goodness, but there have been a good many others who weren't as lucky as they'd been", Eugene says, taking his wife's hands in his. "That's who we're singing for this evening – just as we did back in Los Angeles at Christmastime. Listen, blondie: if you want, I'll go up on stage with you by your side, & we'll all perform this evening like the one big, happy family that we are. Does that sound okay to you?"

Rapunzel looked at her husband's eyes & saw the same determination & compassion she saw in him when they've first made a strong kinship with each other after barely escaping the royal guards & Stabbington Brothers from the Snuggly Duckling pub years ago. He'd been that way to her ever since, giving her the freedom of making her own choices, unlike when Mother Gothel kept her as a prisoner for nearly two decades.

He really did make a difference in her life, & she couldn't be more grateful to him for it.

"Thank you, Eugene…you really are so sweet", she says kindly. "But, if it's all the same with you…I'd still like to perform solo with Patricia & Nathan this evening. If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course I don't mind, Rapunzel…it's perfectly all right by me! Ladies' choice entirely. Just promise me that if you do feel you need an extra hand by your side as you're performing…"

"I'll lasso you up on stage, or better yet, have Maximus throw you up on it", Rapunzel joked with a giggle. "And it is time to try to put the past aside & move ahead in life. It's what Ayana would want me to do."

"That she would, Rapunzel", Patricia says, smiling. "And Nathan & I do miss having you singing with us on stage, sweetie. Time to get back into the groove, wouldn't you say?"

Rapunzel nodded happily.

"And Rapunzel? It's unlikely, but if you do get stage fright, here's a little trick I learned during my first time", says Nathan as Patricia shook her head with a huge grin, knowing exactly what he's going to say. "Just simply picture the entire audience wearing nothing but their underwear, & you'll breeze right through it!"

Eugene & Rapunzel stared at him like they'd never seen him before.

Then they all broke out laughing their heads off, with Patricia joining in as she just couldn't resist. Even Pascal was rolling on the floor!

"I'll…be sure to keep it in mind, Nathan", Rapunzel says once she ceased laughing & rose from the bed. "What say we get to where we're supposed to be before we manage to forget our purpose here in Honolulu?"

A slight rumbling in Rapunzel's stomach was audible to all, & the former princess of Corona blushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Me thinks a little nourishment is in order first, blondie", Eugene says with a smile.

Famished indefinitely, Rapunzel nodded with a grin.

5:15 p.m.:

The restaurant & bar on the ground level was averagely filled with many patrons but not overcrowded, giving the Benices plenty of room to eat & have their privacy like everyone else. A plate of well-cooked fish with vegetables on the side made for their dinner before the big show, with Pascal hidden in Rapunzel's purse: he was asked to remain within it at all times during their meal, & will receive a treat for his behavior should he do so.

It still didn't stop him from poking his head out & looking around, though: he saw people eating their foods, & their wonderful aroma struck Pascal's nostrils with an irresistible urge to just rush out & snatch away even a piece for himself without being seen. But being the loyal friend he is to Rapunzel, he'll stay put.

Suddenly, his senses go on high alert as Pascal felt something unnatural hit: he looked around to find out where it was originating from, & he feels the strongest vibes of it from a man walking in the entrance. He was in a white business suit, shoes & hat, with a thick gray beard. Pascal has a very bad feeling about him, & while Rapunzel & company were all busy enjoying their meals, he snuck out & away without a sound or any of them noticing his absence.

Yes, Pascal did promise to stay put in Rapunzel's purse, but the bad vibes he was getting from this man in white was all but too strong for him to resist.

Like a mouse, Pascal scurried across the floor & over to the bar, where the man in white sat by his lonesome. The green chameleon scampered up the side & used the cover of glasses & bottles of ketchup & such to keep out of sight from everyone including the bartender, who was taking down the man's order & went back to the kitchen to fulfil it. Pascal had noticed a poster on the wall & looked at the man again, seeing something of a connection.

It made his flesh tingle.

When the bartender returned, he had a plate of well-cooked fish, mashed potatoes & gravy. He was even offered a can of Coke as the man nodded. The bearded man then asked if he could have some privacy, & was granted his wish.

That was when Pascal made his move: making sure he wasn't seen by the man or anyone, the little chameleon came closer & was only a foot or two away hidden behind a jar of pickles as the man placed a cracker on his mashed potatoes. When he turned to get a napkin, Pascal used his tongue to snatch the cracked in the blink of an eye. As the man turned to his plate, he found the cracked mysteriously gone.

Undaunted, the man placed another cracker on top of his mashed potatoes.

Again, Pascal snatched it away with his tongue when he turned to get the salt & pepper.

And again, the man was surprised & stupefied to see it disappear without a trace.

Feeling he must be hallucinating, the man placed yet another cracker in the same place while he stealthily searched the immediate area for anyone who might be playing games with him.

All he found were people enjoying their meals in quiet chatter.

Once his attention was elsewhere, Pascal took his cracker in the same method.

The man was once more stunned to see his cracker gone while he turned away.

This time, the man placed the cracker in his mashed potatoes & kept a cautious eye out for anyone daring to remove it from his presence. When his eyes darted to the left, Pascal again snatched it with his tongue but this time, the man saw & caught a glimpse of pink flash by on his right. The man saw a spec of movement if only for a split-second, seeing a bit of green from behind the pickle jar.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion, & he'd be ready for the little beast in his next encounter.

Picking up another cracker, he dangled it over his potatoes & taunted the little lizard, daring to try & take it from him again. Looking from behind the pickle jar, Pascal attempted to snatch the cracker between the guy's fingers, but now he was ready for him: he placed the cracker just out of his reach as the chameleon came back emptyhanded, making the guy grin with satisfaction. Pascal tried several more times to get the cracker, but the man in white & gray beard kept it out of his reach every time, chuckling with each miss.

That was when Pascal got creative: crawling under the counter, he snatched the cracker from the man's fingers from a different position, which was between a pitcher of beer & the bread basket, catching him totally off-guard. Unhappy with this turn of events, the man got desperate: using a piece of string with a hook on one end, the man placed another cracker on the hook & dangled it for Pascal to see. The little chameleon saw the cracker & snatched it with his tongue, but realized it was on a line: the man giggled softly seeing the little lizard struggling like an actual fish, finding his predicament highly amusing. Pascal pulled his tongue back with all his might, & after close to a minute, he managed to do so, taking only a piece of it off while he ate the rest.

Now the man wasn't being amused anymore: looking around for anything to turn it in his favor, he then spotted the pepper & grabbed it along with another cracker. Sprinkling it all over, he placed it on his mashed potatoes & allowed for Pascal to come & take it away, which he did. Seconds later, the little chameleon felt his mouth get hot & his sinuses acting up before letting out a sneeze that sent him flinging over to the pickle jar, hitting it with his eyes googling.

"Gesundheit!", then man said in a mock gentleman manner before allowing himself a laugh, amused in making the little lizard sneeze & hurt itself. Shaking his head, Pascal turned red from anger & wished there was a way to get even with him for his outrage. Seeing the unopened can of Coke, Pascal grew a devious smile from his lips: while the man laughed, Pascal took the soda can with his front paws, shook it up good, aimed it directly at him & popped the top. The soda fizzed & sprayed all over his face, soaking him as his hat flung away & his gray beard loosened & fell off, the latter of which was nothing more than a disguise. The man was transformed from an aging man to one that looked to be in his mid-30s in a second or two.

Pascal rolled across the counter in hysterical laughter, unable to contain himself.

"You think that's funny, do you?", the man said as his voice rose in volume, reaching for his back. "Well, laugh this off, you little whippersnapper!"

In the blink of an eye, the man in white pulled a Glock handgun as Pascal caught sight & took off before the bullets started flying across the counter, smashing glasses, bottles & anything caught in their path. People started running out of the restaurant screaming in fear once the gun sounded, wanting to be as far away from the chaos as possible. The bartender shouted for him to cut it out as he saw the man shooting up his bar with his weapon.

The man did stop, but not because he was told to: on the wall he saw a poster of a man who was wanted by the police for assault & burglary, which included a reward of $5,000 to anyone with tips leading to his arrest.

His name was Lael Qadir…and he was that man!

Just then, an array of Hawaiian police entered the restaurant & charged Lael, who was stupefied that his cover was blown thanks to that little lizard. The authorities tackled him as one & wrestled to get the cuffs on him, but Lael was much more agile than he looked: he slipped away from the police & ran for the exit as people cleared the way, not wanting to get shot or even become a hostage for the lunatic. Police called out to him to stop in the name of the law, but Lael blatantly ignored their order & ran for all of his worth to freedom.

"Ha ha! Nice try, coppers, but you'll have to get up even earlier than that to catch Lael Qadir!", he bragged. "There ain't nothing I can't get myself out of or face victoriously!"

Lael was ten feet ahead of the cops & reached the hotel's main entrance.

Once he was out into the open, he gets all but clobbered in the face by a hard left fist & an even harder right hoof as Eugene & Maximus strike on opposite sides of the wanted felon, his face in a mask of surprise before he collapsed on the pavement.

"Except maybe for us…right, Maximus?", Eugene said with a grin as the Andalusian grinned himself with a nod.

Patricia, Nathan & Rapunzel do the same as police are get the dazed thief in handcuffs & custody.

Even the people from the restaurant & hotel were impressed, & clap in appreciation.

Before the police can do the same, a black sedan suddenly took off in a hurry, with the cops suspecting the driver is Lael's accomplice. Eugene suspected the same thing & signaled for Maximus, who nodded & rushed over to pick Eugene up before they gave chase.

Please be careful, Eugene, Maximus, Patricia, Nathan & Rapunzel thought as Pascal rejoined his master & friend on her shoulder.

The sedan headed south down Kalakaua Avenue, passing other cars & pedestrians who scrambled to get out of his way as some shouted their disapproval of his driving. Maximus raced Eugene down the street at full throttle before catching up to him near Lewers Street as the one-time Flynn Rider jumped from the Andalusian's back & grabbed the car door by the open window & hung on for dear life.

Lael's getaway driver couldn't believe it, as the shocked expression on his face shows!

"My god…are you crazy?!", he cried.

"Dude…you'd be surprised how often I get asked that!", Eugene says with a suave tone & grin.

Using one hand to hold on for dear life, Eugene lashed out with his other like a striking cobra & grabbed the steering when before forcibly turning it to the left. The maneuver put the sedan in a fishtail spin as Lael's getaway driver cried in fear & panic while the car does wild donuts on the street before Eugene saw Maximus close & used his talents to jump on his back safe & sound. Fighting for control of his vehicle, the sedan's driver slammed on the brakes & came to a complete stop before he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Safe at last!", he exclaims.

The good news is, he has stopped safely.

The bad news, however, is that he stopped his sedan right in front of the Honolulu Police Department on the Waikiki Beach & right across the street from the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa.

Matters are made even worse when several officers aimed their guns directly at the sedan's driver, who now has no choice but to raise his hands in surrender, which he did.

"There you are, boys…the getaway driver of wanted felon Lael Qadir, signed, sealed and delivered right to your doorstep!", Eugene addressed the cops atop Maximus. "Oh…and you'll be extra happy to know that Lael himself is also in custody over at the Luana Waikiki Hotel & Suite as a bonus!"

Eugene suddenly notices the spa resort over one his left.

"Take a note, Max…we must try out that spa before we depart Hawaii!", Eugene told the Andalusian, the latter of whom nods before heading back towards the hotel.

The Luana Waikiki Hotel & Suite:

Like Eugene stated, Lael Qadir is placed in the back of a patrol car when horse & rider return to their family.

"The cops got the message that Lael's driver is in custody!", Nathan said. "Way to go, you two!"

"Just doing our part like any good citizen, Nate!", Eugene said as he dismounts Maximus & Rapunzel comes up to greet her husband.

"We'll say you did!", said one cop with a grin. "We've been after Lael & his accomplice for months without success until tonight! I must say, sir…that's quite a horse you got there!"

"You have no idea!", Eugene & Rapunzel say in unison with grins as husband & horse engage in a fist-hoof bump of achievement. Several of the cops gathered around Maximus, Eugene & Rapunzel to get their photo taken with the Andalusian & his rider in commemoration of a job well done before taking off with their most sought-after suspect.

"You knew that man was a sought-after thief…didn't you, Pascal?", Patricia asked the little chameleon, who stood upon Rapunzel's shoulders like a bold soldier & gestured a hand over his eyes indicating he saw suspicion once the man in white entered the eatery. He also indicated he smelled the crook by touching the bridge of his nose & giving out a few sniffs like a dog.

They laughed at his antics, clearly impressed.

"Not bad, Pascal…for a Sherlock Holmes wannabe!", Nathan said.

Pascal was slightly taken aback by Nathan's remark, but was reassured when the guitarist patted his head for a job well done, making the chameleon smile.

"Well, not that we didn't have an eventful dinner & everything, but…maybe we should all be heading on over to the stadium for tonight's main event?", Rapunzel suggests.

"We're not getting any younger, blondie!", Eugene says, getting grins from all.

Aloha Stadium, Halawa, 7:00 p.m.:

Since its opening on September 12th, 1975, Hawaii's Aloha Stadium has been the place for the state's popular area for numerous baseball, soccer, rugby & football games, including several Pro Bowl games. The Benice family were led by limousine into the stadium at the VIP entry point, where they were taken to their dressing quarters within the interior that's reserved mostly for football players. Technicians set up the stage in the very center of the field in which Patricia, Nathan & Rapunzel will be performing this evening, from lights & microphone stands to giant speakers & cameras that will broadcast the event on television. Once the Benices get settled in their dressing rooms, Maximus waited outside, relieving the guards as they nod their thanks & leave them in privacy.

"Quite swank!", Eugene said, seeing their dressing quarters.

The room was pretty spacy, with rows of what appeared to be lockers & seats, minus the doors, with padded cushions for sitting down on, each one with the letter 'H' painted/stenciled on. An open compartment lay overhead – which was much smaller – and a large flat-screen television was placed upon a wall. On the ceiling was an oval-shaped vent of some kind which blew air into the room, presumably to cool off the players after they literally work up a sweat.

"What do you think, Rapunzel?", Patricia asked.

"It's certainly…impressive!", she replied as Pascal nodded.

"That's what we thought ourselves, Rapunzel", said a pair of female voices.

From behind a corner, two small women only six inches tall made themselves known to the Benice family. Both are dressed in orange outfits as the identical ladies each had long black hair with a small flower on one side.

Their faces lit up with joy as they recognized these little beauties.

"The Shobijin!", the Benice family call out as said twins get kindly escorted by Pascal onto a bench before heading back to his master's shoulder.

"Greetings to you, Benice family", the Shobijin say. "It is wonderful to see you all again since that fiasco back in Los Angeles four months ago with the Fleming & Sugimoto families."

"Oh, so you know that Merida, Elinor, Kristoff, Anna & Elsa have…", Eugene started to say.

"Yes, Eugene: as we are with you & your wife Rapunzel, we both know – along with Grand Pabbie – that they have adopted the last name of their adopted families, & are all proud to bear it."

"You certainly got that right, ladies!", Rapunzel said. "It's too bad that you both weren't present to see the Christmas show we did in December: you would've definitely enjoyed it, had you been there!"

"Oh, but we did, Rapunzel: on the day of your holiday concert, we simply closed our eyes & allowed our hearts to give us a vision of it as it happened. We were very pleased by what we saw."

The Benice family was astonished by this.

"Did you see our show by…your telepathy?", Nathan asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes: we are able to open our hearts to a specific place, & we can see what occurs there in real time. That was how we were able to view your Christmas show…even though we were many miles away."

"Impressive, ladies!", Patricia says. "But this time, you're here in person & can watch it live on the television!"

"On this occasion, Patricia Benice, we wish to be in person to do exactly that…and to be with our friends again."

"Glad to have you aboard, ladies!", Eugene says. "Pascal & I will be watching the show from here with you, while these three get on stage tonight! Speaking of which…it's less than an hour away, so if you three want to fix yourselves up for the main event, now's the time!"

Patricia, Nathan & Rapunzel look to each other.

"I suppose a little touch-up can't hurt", Nathan joked, getting giggles from the ladies. "Shall we?"

"We shall!", they say together.

Eugene & the Shobijin grin.

The mouth of Mauna Loa, 8:00 p.m.:

The glow was at its most intense, & what lied beneath could not be contained any longer: now that its strength was at its peak, the entity felt the need to bust free & exact its revenge on those that imprisoned it for many years. The volcano rumbled with a fury it has not expressed since March to April of 1984, & finally the mouth spits out a glob of its volcanic content with a thunderous boom that probably would've deafen anyone too close.

Miraculously, this glob was the only thing that emerged from Mauna Loa, with only very little lave flowing from the lip in thin streams that would undoubtedly cease in a matter of minutes before they cool & harden as part of the ground.

What broke out of the largest volcano on the Hawaiian Islands rose steadily higher like a balloon glowing with hot lava surrounding it. A hideous cackling originated from this object that continues climbing, its noise audible even from its current height.

After reaching a certain altitude, this glowing object changed its course.

It was heading in a northwestern direction.

CHAPTER II

Aloha Stadium, 9:00 p.m.:

Once the concert got started, Nathan & the band of four worked the instruments – guitar, drums, etc. – and backing vocals while Patricia & Rapunzel perform lead vocals as they've so far given the audience a wondrous show that had them cheering for more. From within their quarters, Eugene, Pascal, the Shobijin & even Maximus were all viewing the grand spectacle of tonight's concert as Patricia, Nathan, Rapunzel & their band perform great classics like the Pretenders' 'Brass In Pocket', INXS' 'The One Thing', & many others. Some are even slow ballads like Billy Idol's 'Eyes Without A Face', among others.

People were definitely getting their money's worth tonight!

Fredley Park, London, England, 8:00 a.m.:

The Flemings – Gus, Elinor & Merida – watched the spectacle in the morning hours within their living room as the concert was live, being broadcasted in many countries; some will get to see it live as it happens, while others will watch a rebroadcast of it once the concert is complete.

The Flemings had to get themselves up before 7 in the morning to view the Benice's performance, but for them, it was more than worth it!

Tokyo, Japan, 4:00 p.m.:

The Sugimoto family – Tajima, Hidemi, Akemi, Emiko, Kristoff, Anna & Elsa – had an easier time tuning in to see the concert, since it was in mid-afternoon when the show began. Outside in the back, Olaf & Sven viewed the concert upon the snowman's Apple iPad.

Like the Sugimoto family, they were enjoying every second of it!

Aloha Stadium, Honolulu:

Rapunzel, Patricia, Nathan & the rest of their band were on a roll, & their momentum couldn't be stopped by nothing short of a hurricane or earthquake. After finishing up their rendition of George Thorogood & the Destroyers' 'Bad to the bone', they move on to their next number that was originally done by the Boston New Wave band Face To Face, who had a hit with this number back in 1984, from their self-named album & released as a single.

As they did, the band started the song with a guitar/drum combo before Rapunzel & Patricia do their best impression of lead vocalist Laurie Sargent:

I'll be your loaded dice

You're holding all the cards

You set the tone whenever I'm with you

You make up all the rules

In this game of fools

I see your signals change

They go from green to red

It's always stop & go

When the colors are changing

Never let on, never let on

Look to the left, look to the right

Why can't you look me straight in the eye?

10-9-8

I'm always counting down

You feel the pressure when you're under the gun

6-5-4

I'm always counting down

Isn't it funny, I never get to one

I'll be your only chance

I play the only role

I go the distance whenever I'm with you

You make up all the rules

In this game of fools

You keep me in the dark

I'm walking on the wire, I'm on the edge

It's always my time for falling

Never let on, never let on

Look to the left, look to the right

Why can't you look me straight in the eye?

10-9-8

I'm always counting down

You feel the pressure when you're under the gun

6-5-4

I'm always counting down

Isn't it funny, I never get to one

(Never let on, never let on, never let oooooooon)

(Never let on, never let on, never let oooooooon)

10-9-8

I'm always counting down

You feel the pressure when you're under the gun

6-5-4

I'm always counting down

Isn't it funny I never get to

10-9-8

I'm always counting down

You feel the pressure when you're under the gun

6-5-4

I'm always counting down

Isn't it funny I never get to

10-9-8

I'm always counting down

You feel the pressure when you're under the gun

6-5-4

I'm always counting down

Isn't it funny I never get to oooooooooooooooooooone

The rest of the song the band plays as Rapunzel throws a green paper airplane before looking skywards, exactly as Laurie Sargent did in the actual music video. The crowd cheered raucously before they start their next number, this time a return to performing INXS. Nathan begins with a guitar strum before things get going as the ladies get their hidden Michael Hutchence out once more as they perform this rocking tune from INXS' 1985 album 'Listen Like Thieves':

Playing in the dirt

We find the seeds of doubt

Don't water them with your tears

Don't think about all the years

You'd rather be without

Eden lets me in

I find the seeds of love

And climb upon the highwire

I kiss & tell all my fears

Falling down the mountain

End up kissing dirt

Look a little closer

Sometimes it wouldn't hurt

Playing in the dirt

We find the seeds of fun

And we scream like alley cats

Tearing down what we attack

To prove that we are one

Cutting through the night

We find the seeds of lust

And lose our minds on one intent

These passions never seem to end

Falling down the mountain

End up kissing dirt

Look a little closer

Sometimes it wouldn't hurt

You know it wouldn't hurt…hey!

Falling down the mountain

End up kissing dirt

Look a little closer

Sometimes it wouldn't hurt, yeah

Get up, get up, get up

Get up to the top, yeah

I'm falling down the mountain

End up kissing dirt, oh yeah

I'm falling, falling, yeah

Cutting through the night

We find the seeds of lust

And lose our minds on one intent

These passions never seem to end

Falling down the mountain

End up kissing dirt

Look a little closer

Sometimes it wouldn't hurt

A fading music chorus ends the song, getting a raucous but happy chorus of cheer from the audience. The next one on their agenda for tonight is the title track from a same-named album in 1981, recorded by the J. Geils Band. A shout-out of the song's name & the sound of cameras clicking begins the rock song as a synthesizer piano & drum beats gets the ball rolling as the band also adds backing vocals in spots:

I could see it was a rough-cut Tuesday

Slow-motion weekdays stare me down

Her lipstick reflex got me wound

There were no defects to be found

Snapshot image froze without a sound

Thursday morning was a hot-flash factor

Her face still focused in my mind

Doo-dloo-dloo

Test-strip proof-sheet love is hard to find

Doo-dloo-dloo

Friday night, we danced the spotlight grind

Doo-dloo-dloo

Stop time heart for me if she's not mine

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, whoo, & I freeze

Now I'm looking at a flashback Sunday

Zoom lens feeling just won't disappear

Doo-dloo-dloo

Close-up, dark room, sweet talk in my ear

Doo-dloo-dloo

Her hot-spot love for me is strong

Doo-dloo-dloo

This freeze-frame moment can't be wrong

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, whoo, & I freeze

(Musical interlude)

Shoot, shoot, doo-dloo-dloo

Shoot, shoot, doo-dloo-dloo

Shoot, shoot, doo-dloo-dloo

(Second musical interlude)

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, freeze frame

Freeze frame, whoo, & I freeze

(Third musical interlude)

Yeah

Freeze frame, oh yeah, freeze frame

If I could freeze frame, freeze frame, freeze frame

If I could freeze, she's real, whoo, freeze frame

If I could freeze, she's ahhh, freeze frame

If I could shoot, shoot, doo-dloo-dloo, freeze frame

If I could shoot, shoot, doo-dloo-dloo, freeze frame

Sounds of cameras clicking was mixed in the band's vocals ended their number, with audiences roaring & taking a plethora of shots from their own cameras & cell phones. Rapunzel & Patricia still didn't end there, as they went right into their next rocking song that was a single for the band Queen, from their 1978 album 'Jazz'. It was the flipside to 'Bicycle Race', & the two Benice ladies begin singing with the band that had no music until after the first verse of four lines.

The girls bring out their inner Freddie Mercury on this one:

Are you gonna take me home tonight?

Ah down beside that red firelight

Are you gonna let it all hang out?

Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!

(A guitar solo by Nathan gets things going, followed by drums)

Hey!

I was just a skinny lad

Never knew no good from bad

But I knew life before I left my nursery

Huh!

Left alone with big fat fanny

She was such a naughty nanny

Hey big woman you made a bad boy out of me!

Hey hey!

(A second guitar solo & drums, with hand clapping & a 'whoo!' by the girls ensues before things go full blast)

I've been singing with my band

Across the wire, across the land

I've seen every blue-eyed floozy on the way

But their beauty & their style

Went kind of smooth after a while

Take me to them dirty ladies every time!

Come on!

Ohhhhh won't you take me home tonight?

Ahhhhh down beside your red firelight!

Oh and you give it all you got

Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!

Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!

(A third guitar solo briefly takes the reigns)

Hey listen here!

I got mortgages & homes

I got stiffness in the bones

Ain't no beauty queens in this locality

I tell you!

Oh but I still get my pleasure

Still got my greatest treasure

Hey bog woman you gonna make a big man out of me

Now get this!

Ohhhhh you gonna take me home tonight

Please!

Ahhhhh down beside that red firelight!

Oh you gonna let it all hang out

Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!

Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!

Get on your bikes & ride!

Nathan & company finish by guitar & drums with the girls giving a shout here & there before a well-done ending by said instruments exactly as Brian May, Roger Taylor & John Deacon did so themselves. The crowd's appreciation was as boisterous as ever, making the band, Nathan, Patricia and Rapunzel grin big to each other.

Something suddenly caught the one-time princess' attention, & her grin slowly faded away as her face started taking on a worried look. This didn't get unnoticed by Patricia, Nathan or their band.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel, you okay?", Patricia asked through her microphone, her voice amplified for all to hear.

To their astonishment, the crowd was beginning to get quieter as some were also staring where Rapunzel was.

It was from beyond the stadium, & Patricia, her husband & crew looked towards that very same direction.

Their eyes widened as a ball of fire in the far distance was getting larger in their sights.

And it headed right for the stadium!

"RUN!", Rapunzel shouted before she, Patricia, Nathan & their music band made haste in getting themselves out of the fireball's path only seconds before it crashed onto the stage, breaking it apart & sending pieces of it flying everywhere. The musicians were barely able to escape being crushed from above as the object – a burning passenger bus loaded with people inside – roasted buried in the ground from the impact, the smell of metal & flesh burning stinging their nostrils.

People who were cheering at the concert in amusement were now screaming for their lives, & they rose from their seats & started heading for the exits when they all heard a boisterous cackling: everyone stayed quiet for a few moments before a large bright shape suddenly passed over the stadium almost in a flash before disappearing altogether & letting out another cackling, reigniting the people's fears & resuming their mad dash for freedom.

Even by just a glimpse, Rapunzel & her crew saw the thing had a pair of wings & what'd looked like a beak in the front.

What we just witnessed…was that a bird?, Rapunzel thought as she heard Eugene calling out to her, Patricia & her husband.

Past the burning bus she did see her own husband, along with Maximus & Pascal near the large entrance, racing at full speed towards her, being careful not to get too close to the vehicle on fire. The Andalusian stopped as Rapunzel got aboard with Patricia & Nathan by their side.

"You guys okay?!", Patricia called out to her band.

"Close shave, but we'll live!", said one of the drummers. "What was that?!"

"Don't know, but let's not stick around here to find out before it decides to come back & think this place is like an all-you-can-eat buffet!", Nathan said. "The last thing we want is to be on its menu!"

"I hear that!", said one of the guitarists as the others nodded before they ran full throttle for the entrance.

Sounds of explosions erupted beyond the stadium, & more flaming objects appeared over the rim & started hitting bleachers/seats – some were empty, others were not.

Rapunzel & company cringed at the sight of seeing people killed, their hearts being heavy.

"Come on, folks: we better follow their example!", Eugene says, getting motivation from all to retreat like everyone else who's able to. They race over to their dressing room & part with their band there, assuring they'll be perfectly fine.

With no time to argue, the band parted ways as Rapunzel & company enter the room to meet with the Shobijin. The little women were viewing the carnage & destruction in the areas of Aiea Heights, Forest City & even in Honolulu itself. This time, they get a better view of the creature causing all the chaos: it was a giant bird with a wingspan of 150 meters, & had a long feathery tail that sported a plume of them at the end, like a peacock's. Like a bird of prey, it had sharp claws on its three-toed talons, & the beak was pointed with sharp teeth inside.

It looked like a bald eagle, but its head sported twin crests in a V-shaped position, & the entire creature glowed in a yellow fiery aura. The bird beast shot forth a yellow beam from its beak which incinerated Airport Honolulu & surrounding structures in fiery holocausts. It even melted the concrete where it touched.

"What is that?!", Nathan wondered, unable to take his gaze off the screen.

"This beast is known as Manu Ahi, which is Hawaiian for 'fire bird'", the Shobijin say as all eyes turn to the little ladies. "He was born from the very heart of the Hawaiian Islands, set out to punish an ancient civilization. He would've all but succeeded in his task, were it not for the intervention of Mothra & Battra, along with a few other creatures assisting them. They fought Manu Ahi in a violent conflict that devastated a good portion of the mainland until, finally, Mothra & Battra drove Manu Ahi into the mouth of Mauna Loa, where the beast seemingly perished. Unfortunately, that was not the case, as we can clearly see."

"When did Mothra & Battra first fight & defeat Manu Ahi?", asked Eugene.

"Nearly 3,000 years ago."

"Mauna Loa is said to be the largest & most active volcano in the world!", Patricia said. "If Mothra & Battra really did throw Manu Ahi inside it, then he should be nothing but ashes! How is it that he's able to resurrect himself like this?"

The Shobijin look to each other before they answer.

"It may have been due in part of Mothra & Rodan, albeit unintentionally", they said.

"Why? What did they do?", Rapunzel wondered.

"After they've defeated the Black Hole Aliens' creature known as Bagorah in Russia's Volgograd four months ago, Mothra & Rodan had taken Bagorah's corpse over to the mouth of Mauna Loa & dropped it inside. Little did they or even we knew, Manu Ahi's spirit was still alive from deep within the volcano, waiting for the chance to be reborn. He must've fed upon Bagorah's corpse to help him regain his strength until he was finally strong enough to be able to break out of his prison of nearly 30 centuries. And now that he is loose again, Manu Ahi yearns to finish what he started all that time ago."

"Meaning, he'll burn down Mothra & Battra & all of Hawaii until they're nothing but ashes!", Eugene said.

"Not to mention do the same to the rest of the world!", Rapunzel adds.

The Shobijin nodded.

"Manu Ahi is just as fiery-tempered on the inside as he is on the outside", they said. "Once he gets done burning the entire Hawaiian region and kill Mothra & Battra, we have no doubt that he will do the same to the entire planet."

"With the literally fiery power Manu Ahi has in his possession, he could very well do just that!", said Nathan.

"Unless Mothra & Battra stop him again!", Patricia says. "Have you girls had any luck reaching them?"

"We've been in touch with Mothra & she told us she was on her way, having sensed the danger here even before we did", the Shobijin said. "As for Battra…there's no telling where he is at the moment. All we can do is hope & pray that he will be present to stop this great evil along with Mothra, for she cannot do it alone."

The sound of explosions on the flat-screen television brought everyone's attention back to it.

Honolulu:

People on the streets scrambled to escape Manu Ahi's destructive reign, pulverizing a good many buildings with his heat beam & his own body, plowing into them either feet or head first. For some of these buildings, the inside lights up & explodes outwards, the destruction looking very much like the scenes from the 1996 film 'Independence Day'. While there were a good number of people that were able to get to safety, there were those not so lucky: an entire building on the corner of Fort & South Kukui Streets was blown apart from the top down when Manu Ahi fired his heat beam right onto the roof, causing it to get blasted top to bottom, wiping out several lives within & even outside the building as flaming debris went flying in all directions, hitting other buildings, vehicles & more people.

Manu Ahi let out a cackle that depicted him highly enjoying the chaos he was causing.

His joy was short-lived when several missiles were fired at him from F-15 fighter jets, which explode several meters before they could even touch him physically but did gather his attention. Cackling angrily at the interruption, Manu Ahi soared off after these interlopers & dealt with each one quickly & decisively: with some he used his heat beam that blew away fighter & pilot with no chance for ejection to safety, while with others he just plowed into them with his body, the intense heat of it detonating them like airborne firecrackers.

The firebird let out another satisfying cackle once all his airborne enemies were wiped out, sending them all to fiery deaths as they plummet to the ground below.

His hearing picked up a group of families with young kids only several blocks away, & having worked up quite an appetite, Manu Ahi decides to get a little nourishment. He flies straight towards the little morsels who were running away from the fiery horror that has struck their home, with some of the women carrying infants that were crying from all of the chaos surrounding them. Manu Ahi cackled eagerly, already tasting the flesh of human beings within his maw & down his gullet.

He opens his beak as he turned it sideways to gobble up as many people as he can in one bite.

Not one person gets eaten: from behind, a pair of yellow beams strikes Manu Ahi that penetrated his fiery shield & struck him on his actual flesh, causing him to cry out in pain & cease his mad dash for nourishment. The firebird looked up to see a giant butterfly with a 70-meter long body & 170-meter wide, multi-colored wingspan. It had a brown underside, with six legs capable of grasping objects. A pair of blue multifaceted eyes were fixated on the firebird.

Mothra has arrived in Honolulu, ready & just as determined to put an end to this longtime enemy of hers as Manu Ahi is in frying her in unrelenting vengeance.

Ignoring the still-fleeing humans, Manu Ahi cackled in rage & charged the oncoming lepidopteran, firing his heat beam from his beak. Mothra easily dodges this before retaliating with her antennae beams: these get dodged as simply by Manu Ahi before scraping himself across Mothra's left wing. The heat scorched it some on the top but still did no further damage to it, as Mothra let out a screech of slight pain but a lot of annoyance. Making a quick U-turn in mid-air, Mothra now faced Manu Ahi in a deadly game of chicken, each one ready to put down the other by whatever means necessary.

Closer & closer they get, with neither backing down.

When they get to a few meters of crashing, Mothra made her move: she immediately gets above Manu Ahi & hits him with a barrage of her stingers as she passes overhead, the points staying sharp even through his heat shield & piercing his flesh underneath. The firebird screeched in pain & surprise as the stingers struck, when anything else would've been melted before it even got close. Infuriated, Manu Ahi shot his heat beam at Mothra, who moved out of its path so that the projectile only struck the top of the Maui Enterprises Building located in Honolulu's center, exploding only the top five-six floors as debris rained down on the streets.

Luckily, those floors were all but evacuated.

Enraged, Manu Ahi fired his heat beam again at the same time Mothra fired her antennae beams, both striking in the middle. Both firebird & butterfly push with their weapons to the fullest, each wanting to be the one to make contact with his/her foe. The spot where the beams connect grows brighter until the pressure builds up a little too much before it goes off with a powerful blast that knocked Manu Ahi & Mothra backwards; Mothra landed atop the YMCA of Honolulu, while Manu Ahi crashes into the KITV Building, demolishing both structures with their tremendous weight.

With the firebird, it also gets melted down into puddles of slag from his literal body heat.

But as dazed as he was, Manu Ahi was the first to rise from the blast, & he was already airborne & heading towards Mothra's direction. The giant lepidopteran had some trouble getting herself up, & her hesitation gave her a scorching upon her back as Manu Ahi shot his heat beam, causing her to cry out. Going around for another shot, the firebird fired his beam again, but now Mothra was airborne & avoided a second deadly burn on her person. She led Manu Ahi away from the city of Honolulu to a more secluded area to do battle with her fiery foe, of whom shoots his beam repeatedly at the fleeing butterfly. Mothra dodged each strike as the beams hit nothing but empty air, infuriating the firebird.

Switching to another tactic, Manu Ahi gained more speed & cut his distance between him & Mothra in half. Now at closer range, he flipped his feather plume forward & shot forth a volley of them in the same manner Mothra can do so with her stingers. And just like the butterfly's weapons, these were sharp & penetrated Mothra's body & wings. Immediately, she felt herself getting warm internally & woozy from Manu Ahi's new method of attack, & she was losing altitude fast.

Mothra landed hard on her stomach upon the USS Oklahoma Memorial on Ford Island right above the Battleship Missouri Memorial, emitting a cry of pain when she touched ground. She fought to get herself up, but finds she could not: her limbs & entire body was burning up inside, & the beams from Manu Ahi were not helping to improve on her condition.

From the base of the Ford Island Bridge, Rapunzel, Eugene, Patricia, Nathan, Maximus, Pascal & the Shobijin twins (in a makeshift box which Patricia holds) watch as Mothra crashed onto Ford Island itself, the feathers Manu Ahi stuck her with still there where they landed. The firebird uses his clawed feet to grab the Battleship Missouri Memorial ship & rise in the air before dropping the very ship – which was the site for surrender of Imperial Japan on September 2nd, 1945 at Tokyo Bay, where General Douglas MacArthur was present for the presentation of surrender – onto Mothra's back & was all but totaled when it made contact.

Unable to rise, Mothra can do nothing but endure this pain which made her cry out in agony.

Manu Ahi kept the pain momentum going by spitting his heat beam at the downed butterfly, badly scorching her fur as her wails/ chirps become louder & more intense with every strike the firebird achieved on her.

Manu Ahi's beams hurt Mothra even worse than if she got hit by Godzilla's heat ray…and for Mothra, that's saying something!

The Benice family, animal friends & Shobijin feel helpless, not being able to help Mothra in any way.

Landing on the remains of the Battleship Missouri & putting pressure on Mothra's back, Manu Ahi bends down & lights up his beak, readying himself to deliver a killing blow to Mothra's head & explode it with one blast.

His power reaching its peak, Manu Ahi attempts to let loose.

CHAPTER III

Ford Island:

A pair of powerful purple beams struck the firebird in the back, throwing Manu Ahi's aim off-course & hitting only houses, the ground itself & the USS Utah area. Manu Ahi, the Benice family & Shobijin turn to see another big butterfly with a 73-meter long body & 180-meter wingspan. Unlike Mothra, this one was much darker in color, including the wing patterns. The three pairs of legs were thicker & more sturdier than Mothra's, & the head/face looked more menacing, with a pair of crimson eyes & horns alongside the top of the head. At the end of the abdomen was a pincer capable of grabbing an enemy with amazing strength.

It was a creature that was familiar to human & firebird alike, & one the former group were amazingly happy to see.

"Battra!", the Benice family & Shobijin say.

Manu Ahi cackled angrily at the newcomer, but was still glad for it: he was saved the trouble of having to search for Battra, & now he can destroy both his loathsome foes in the same area.

He's already put Mothra at death's door, & Manu Ahi was ready to send Battra there.

Like a puma, the firebird launched himself at Battra, who simply lifted upwards & allowed his enemy to pass by & give chase, firing his prism beams from his eyes as he does so.

"He did know that Manu Ahi has returned & came here to Hawaii, same as Mothra!", Nathan said.

"Yes", the Shobijin said. "Just as Mothra had, Battra felt Manu Ahi's presence getting stronger by natural instinct, & flew in from the southern islands to put an end to the horrible firebird. His intervention is impeccable, & he will give Mothra a fighting chance to recuperate & help her defeat their longtime enemy."

The former prince & princess of Corona looked in Mothra's direction, their doubts soaring.

"From what we can see, ladies, Mothra can barely lift her head, let alone fight!", Eugene said. "Unless of course…"

Eugene looked directly at his wife, who understood immediately & nodded.

"Pascal, I want for you to stay here with Patricia & Nathan to guard over the Shobijin!", Rapunzel ordered her little friend. Pascal gave her a salute before scurrying over to Patricia & landing between Mothra's twin guardians, his posture like a soldier's. The Shobijin & Benice family had to smile at his attempt.

"You have the right idea, Eugene, Rapunzel", the Shobijin say as said husband & wife board Maximus. "Please be careful in the attempt, but do hurry: Mothra's wounds are very extreme, & we can feel her life essence slipping away."

"All the more reason for us not to waste any more time!", Eugene said.

"Go, Maximus!", Eugene & Rapunzel shout as the Andalusian reared up on his hind legs before going full throttle across the Ford Island Bridge before hitting same-named Boulevard, going onto O'Kane & heading down Saratoga, where Mothra lay directly ahead by several meters as Maximus came to a full stop.

Seeing their giant friend badly hurt from a close distance made them feel even heavier.

Rapunzel shook it off & turned to her husband.

"Eugene, I think it's best if I went ahead alone from this point", she says.

"I understand, blondie. Do what we're here for, or rather…what you're here for", Eugene said as Rapunzel nodded before sharing a passionate kiss.

Dismounting Maximus, Rapunzel ran towards Mothra, who caught her in her sights & barely let out a chirp that was softer than a baby's touch. Rapunzel felt like she wanted to cry, but fought the urge & remained strong.

"Mothra", she said just as softly, remembering the days they spent back in Corona, from the timely rescue from the ocean brawl between Gabara & Battra to the final showdown with the resurrected Mother Gothel in dragon form before Prince Hans, the Duke of Weselton & the traitorous palace guard Shane sent her & Merida's group into the 21st Century, beginning their new lives with Gus Fleming & Patricia & Nathan Benice.

Rapunzel doesn't know if this is the very same Mothra of that period, or if it's another Mothra with the very same attributes of the previous one(s).

But it still won't stop her from doing what she's there for: she healed her once, she will do it again.

"Hang tight, Mothra…you'll be back in flight & action in no time!", Rapunzel says, running to the area between Mothra's head & thorax.

Making sure she's in physical contact with the giant lepidopteran, Rapunzel starts to sing her 'special song'.

Over the Hawaiian skies:

Due to Battra's tougher exoskeleton, he was able to take more hits from Manu Ahi's heat beam & the firebird's own body itself even as several areas of the butterfly's body was smoking in spots from numerous hits. Battra fired his prism beams again at Manu Ahi, which struck his back & caused him to cackle in displeasure. In retaliation, the firebird flapped his feathered tail & launched several of his projectiles at Battra, who blasted some with his prism beams while dodging others.

Not even one of them made contact with their target.

Before Manu Ahi could unleash another volley of deadly feathers, Battra shot his prism beams at Manu Ahi's tail, blowing it off as every feather exploded & disintegrated, giving the firebird one less weapon in his arsenal. The firebird cackled loudly in pain from losing his tail feathers, sending him in a blind rage: making a mid-air U-turn, he charges right at Battra, who was taken completely by surprise. With no time to fire his beams, Battra was head-slammed by Manu Ahi as he goes totally hog-wild on the dark-colored butterfly, smacking his wings & raking his claws on him that was actually making Battra get driven backwards in the air before the firebird fired his heat beam at Battra point-blank range in the face, blinding him temporarily.

It was all Manu Ahi needed: like a flying ram, the firebird pushed Battra all the way over to Pearl Harbor's Waipi'O Point, forcing him to land on his back with earth-shaking force. Being upside down, Battra could not get a clear shot at the firebird, & with Manu Ahi placing his weight upon him, he couldn't get himself righted. Manu Ahi resumed his unhinged fury on Battra, his body heat searing Battra's exoskeleton wherever he touched him at; while Battra's exoskeleton is more protective than Mothra's, its durability is still not unlimited, & he was really & literally feeling the burn of the firebird as he shoots his heat beam & smacks him with his wings like a madman or a junkie who's gone too long without a fix.

Before, it was Mothra who was at death's door until Battra's intervention.

Now, it's Battra who's in that very same predicament, with no way out.

Manu Ahi was so fixated upon Battra that he never noticed the completely-healed Mothra as she plowed right into Manu Ahi, knocking him off Battra & driving him towards the water. The firebird wrapped his wings around Mothra & fired his heat beam at her, but this time there was no effect: when Rapunzel sang her special song, her healing abilities had not only healed the giant butterfly, but gave her something of a glowing shield that surrounds her entire body from head to tip & one wing end to the other.

Anywhere that Manu Ahi touched/burned on Mothra, she was instantly healed.

Over 200 years ago in Corona, Rapunzel gave Mothra a second chance at life.

Now she'd done it again, giving her the power needed to deal with her longtime foe in a more permanent solution.

Mothra shot her antennae beams at Manu Ahi in the face, forcing him to back away & allowing Mothra to give him a swat with her own wings that sent the firebird over to the exact spot where he'd taken Battra at, who was now back in the air again: once Manu Ahi was bashed aside, Battra was able to get himself airborne again despite his smoking wounds.

Manu Ahi was down for the count, but won't be for long.

Mothra had to act fast.

She heads over to Battra & faces him as they hover in the air with their wings flapping. Mothra began chirping in her perspective tongue to Battra, who responds in kind. A minute later, Mothra's antennae begin to glitter & it gets passed over to Battra, who absorbs whatever his partner gives him & starts to feel stronger already.

From their makeshift box that Patricia holds, the Shobijin make hand gestures while breaking into song:

Mahara Mahara Mosura

Tama Tama Mosura

Laban Guerra Labanan

Laban Guerra Labanan

Mahara Mahara Mosura

Tama Tama Mosura

The Shobijin were interrupted in song when Manu Ahi flew in between Mothra & Battra, breaking up the healing process. It hardly mattered: like Mothra, Battra's wounds were completely healed & back at full strength. Mothra no longer glowed, but it was of no consequence. When Manu Ahi dived towards the two butterflies, he fired his heat beam at both in an attempt to scorch them in the worst possible way or even sever their heads from their main bodies.

Neither scenario happened: what did occur was that both lepidopterans went in opposite directions of Manu Ahi's weapon, staying ahead of the deadly projectile. From both sides, the butterflies struck at Manu Ahi with their antennae & prism beams, hitting the firebird dead-on which made him cackle in surprise. While he was stunned, Mothra & Battra got above their fiery quarry & shot their beams full blast at Manu Ahi in the chest. Mothra added to the pressure by unleashing her lightning attack from her wings that stung the firebird even with his flaming body shield. Manu Ahi's brain felt like it was being poked by fire greater than his own, & his cackling of anguish displayed how little he was enjoying the torment.

But even with this stinging pain all over his body, Manu Ahi refused to give in: his burning desire for revenge upon both Mothra and Battra was too strong, & he wasn't going to lay down & die until he gets it, no matter what the cost.

Mothra & Battra knew this, & even at full strength Manu Ahi won't surrender despite how hard they're hitting him.

It was time to take drastic measures to end Manu Ahi's reign of terror, & Battra was the one to act.

Ceasing his prism beams, the dark-colored butterfly took off & left Mothra to fend for herself temporarily. He made a swoop that had him going skywards before diving like a bomber & heading directly for Manu Ahi, who was getting more & more adamant at extracting his vengeance despite the searing pain Mothra was unleashing upon him. Battra issued her a heads-up & told her to move when the time was right.

Battra was now 60 meters & closing fast…50…40…30…20…

When Battra was 20 meters away, he gave Mothra the signal, & she flung herself over to one side as Manu Ahi saw a charging Battra as he collided with the firebird, who had no chance to counterattack or even avoid the charge. The impact was felt in the immediate vicinity, even from where Patricia & Nathan stood. Both butterfly & firebird made a literally big splash into the waters of Pearl Harbor close to the very spot where the USS Arizona sank almost exactly 75 years ago. The splash caused a large plume of steam to erupt that rose skywards in a miniature mushroom cloud, & the area where Battra & Manu Ahi hit was bubbling like it was being boiled in a pot for cooking eggs.

The cloud of steam was too thick to see clearly, but soon became less intense before Battra & Manu Ahi resurfaced.

Only, when they did, they both went through changes: Battra was back in his 90-meter larva form, with large tusks on the sides of his sharp-toothed vertical mouth & long pointed yellow horn atop his head. As for Manu Ahi, his condition was in a more anguished state: his entire body didn't glow any longer, & it looked to be like lava rock after getting cooled over a period of time.

His movements were also getting slower as he thrashed around in the water, & his cackling became that of extreme pain. His entire body still steamed from head to toe.

"Of course!", Patricia says. "Being primarily a fire elemental, it only makes sense that Manu Ahi would have a very strong aversion/weakness to water!"

"If that was all it took for Mothra & Battra to defeat him, I'm rather surprised they didn't think of doing this to Manu Ahi when they'd first encountered him all those centuries ago!", said Nathan.

"On the contrary, Nathan Benice…they did", the Shobijin said. "But back then when Mothra & Battra first fought Manu Ahi, he was more than smart enough to avoid being dunked into the water. That's why they went & did the next best thing to the firebird: either incineration or eternal imprisonment within Mauna Loa. When Manu Ahi had reawakened after completely absorbing Bagorah's corpse & gained enough strength to break free, he was angry beyond all reason & mostly lashed out without thinking clearly. It's one of the reasons why Mothra & Battra were able to defeat the horrible beast…and this time, they'll be sure to deal with him permanently."

The Shobijin's words spoke true: Mothra floated at Battra's side just as Manu Ahi's movements all but ceased, & the firebird whose flames were extinguished became no more than a lava rock statue, his beak opened in surprise & great anguish. Like the Shobijin deduced, Mothra & Battra were going to make certain that Manu Ahi never becomes a problem anymore: the Guardian of Infant Island fired her antennae beams, while Battra in his larval form shot forth his prism beams from his eyes along with his yellow beam from his large horn atop his head. All of these struck the motionless form of the horrific firebird before exploding into many pieces of inert lava rock…pieces that flew everywhere.

Manu Ahi, the terrible firebird, became as extinct as the Dodo.

Mothra & Battra share a roar & chirp of victory, seeing their longtime foe vanquished for good.

The Benice family, Shobijin, Maximus & Pascal watch Mothra & Battra as they share something that appeared to be a conversation of chirps & soft roars from both partners. It lasted for over a minute before Battra started swimming out & away from Pearl Harbor, saying his farewell to Mothra & the historic area of Hawaii that still 'lives in infamy', as once quoted by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Once he reached the Pearl Harbor entrance, Battra picked up more speed as he headed south.

His roar could be heard even from where the Benice family stood, as Maximus crossed the Ford Island with Eugene & Rapunzel in tow once Battra was on the move & rejoined Patricia, Nathan, Pascal & the Shobijin.

Mothra stayed floating above the harbor at an altitude of 65 meters.

"Battra's going back home to the islands down south, we take it?", Nathan asked the Shobijin.

"Rightfully so", they say. "With Manu Ahi now nothing more than a memory, Battra yearns to head for home, but not before offering his thanks to Mothra: not only for her unwavering assistance against the vicious firebird, but also for healing his wounds when they were most severe. Battra freely admitted to Mothra that he wouldn't have lasted another round with Manu Ahi without her lending some of her healing ability that Rapunzel used in doing so for her. Mothra had returned the thanks to Battra for his timely intervention, knowing that without it, Mothra wouldn't have survived long enough for Rapunzel to heal her fully."

"So that's what they were 'talking' about before Battra's departure…wasn't it?", Patricia asked.

"Yes. Ever since they joined forces to defeat Gothel Dragon in Corona over 200 years ago, Battra developed more respect for Mothra than he ever did previously, due to their differences in methods & temperament. Their relationship may not be as close as Gaira & Sanda's are, but know they can count on each other to defeat a mutual foe. And Rapunzel?"

"Yes?", she wondered.

"Despite not seeing you & Eugene for over 200 years, Mothra still recalls what you did for her after Gothel Dragon savagely bruised her as a larva. Tonight, it was twice in which you saved her from certain death, & she is forever grateful to you for it."

Rapunzel & Eugene stare at each other in amazement.

Even Patricia, Nathan, Maximus & Pascal were mesmerized by this revelation.

"Mothra actually…remembers that time? Even now?", Rapunzel says. "Not that I'm ungrateful for it, but…how can this be? This can't be the exact same Mothra back then…can it?"

"I think I get it, blondie", Eugene says. "Mothra's memories must somehow get passed down from each new larva of hers that she gives birth to: everything in which the adult form of her experiences becomes a repeated process to each of her young. It has to be something of a symbiosis thing, if you will. At least…that's the way how I see it."

From above, Mothra faced the Benice family & let out soft chirps for close to a minute before finishing with a nod.

"We assume Mothra's saying that Eugene is correct in his theory?", Rapunzel says.

"He most certainly is, Rapunzel", the Shobijin said. "Your husband is wise as he is kindhearted. Mothra also wishes to express her deepest apologies to you all, including the state of Hawaii & the city of Honolulu."

"You mean for what Manu Ahi did to it, & nearly to us?", Nathan asked.

"Yes. As we do, Mothra felt all but terrible that the city was attacked unexpectedly by the firebird, & that many good innocent people suffered because of the fire creature's vengeful rampage against her & Battra, with many of them losing their lives. Your concert was to raise money for those who suffered in London after it was attacked, only to have a similar tragedy occur here. That is what makes Mothra & us sad with grief."

The Benice family was quiet after that, knowing that the Shobijin were right: their concert to raise funds to help the people in London when the octo-creature attacked & Gaira & Sanda came to bring it down became a disaster nearly as big as London's own. With its failure, the surviving people & families of those that perished will no doubt want their money back from this unexpected occurrence on their fair city, not to mention those that traveled many miles to see the concert in person.

If that isn't a big kick in the pants to them, they don't know what is.

"If only there was some way to salvage something out of this", Patricia said.

As if hearing Patricia's pleas, Mothra chirped as the Shobijin translated once she was done.

"Actually, Patricia Benice…there is a way to do exactly that", they say with smiles on their faces.

"What does Mothra have in mind?", Eugene & Rapunzel say in unison.

The Shobijin's smiles grew into beautiful grins.

EPILOGUE

Four weeks later:

As fate would have it, the people who attended the concert in Honolulu did not ask for a refund on their tickets in spite of the chaos & destruction Manu Ahi caused: ironically, the disaster only strengthened the people's spirits & turned them into more eager supporters of the Benice family's attempts at raising money for not only Honolulu, but also for the people & city of London by making sales of merchandise that immediately was being sent to disaster relief in both cities.

Londoners have also done the same thing shortly after the monster attacks there, & learning of Honolulu's carnage, they were only too happy to lend a portion of their relief funds over to the 50th State of America.

It was international relations at its finest, making the planet much stronger than it has been in ages.

Working out certain details, the Benice family & the Shobijin scheduled for a new concert to take place in atonement for Honolulu. They went over it with Patricia & Nathan's people, all of whom were at first skeptical but eventually agreed to their terms: people from the United States & other countries were making their own contributions to the people of both London & Honolulu, leaving the Benice family's idea free to be commenced.

Patricia, Nathan, Eugene, Rapunzel, the Shobijin, & even Maximus & Pascal were grateful for them in allowing it to bear fruit & make it happen. And since regular people themselves were pitching in to help their fellow man from across the seas, it's a win-win situation for all involved.

Everybody was more than happy about it, & they now loved the idea.

The compensation concert the Benice family was going to perform would also be a tribute for two legends in the music industry: David Bowie, who passed away on January 10th from liver cancer just two days after his 69th birthday, & the artist known as Prince, who passed away on April 21st at age 57 from an accidental fentanyl opioid overdose.

Prince & Bowie would both be honored in this concert at the one place that was perfect to do so.

Infant Island, the home of the Shobijin twins, Mothra & all of their followers.

Patricia & Nathan's people set up cameras that will broadcast the event via satellite to televisions everywhere, being somewhat reminiscent of Elvis Presley's 'Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite' concert he performed on January 14th, 1973 in Honolulu. The Islanders became fascinated by the equipment being set up, with Patricia & Nathan explaining how their technology will work in having it shown to millions of people watching in their homes.

Mothra's followers absorbed every word.

The Elder of the island requested to send a message of peace from the Shobijin themselves to all those who would be viewing the concert.

The Benice family & their people were all too happy to grant them permission!

When it became time to broadcast, the Shobijin's message became a beautiful & emotionally touching one that made everyone listening feel like part of the islanders even from many miles away.

Five minutes later, the concert was well underway.

Rapunzel, Patricia, Nathan & their band wound up giving a three-hour performance!

Paying tribute to the two aforementioned late legends, they performed the songs of Prince during the first half of the show, followed by David Bowie tunes in the second: Patricia wore an outfit that was in the style of Prince's from his debut film 'Purple Rain, while Rapunzel dressed in David Bowie's style of a beige suit & part of her face done into his 'Ziggy Stardust' persona. Each one was a close rendition of their original songs, performing them just as they did in life flawlessly, their songs ranging from 'Little Red Corvette', 'Raspberry Beret', 'Beauty & the Beast', 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire)', & this number that was one of the final tunes Patricia & Rapunzel would perform on this Saturday evening of May 7th, 2016.

It was 'Ashes To Ashes', from David Bowie's 1980 album 'Scary Monsters'.

They got to the end of the tune, singing with grace & style as Bowie himself did:

I'm stuck with a valuable friend

I'm happy, hope you're happy too

One flash of light but no smoking pistol

I never done good things (I never done good things)

I never done bad things (I never done bad things)

I never did anything out of the blue (I never did anything out of the blue)

Woh-o-oh (Who-o-oh)

Want an axe to break the ice (Want an axe to break the ice)

Wanna cone down right now (Wanna come down right now)

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky

We know Major Tom's a junkie

Strung out in Heaven's high

Hitting an all-time low

My mother said, to get things done

You'd better not mess with Major Tom

My mother said, to get things done

You'd better not mess with Major Tom

My mother said, to get things done

You'd better not mess with Major Tom

My mother said, to get things done

You'd better not mess with Major Tom

From behind, Mothra sits & watches as her home becomes a spectacle of activity.

Like those of the Shobijin & islanders, her heart soars from the wonderful vibes the concert was giving off.

Mothra has never been happier.

MEMORIALS:

Arthur Janov, Psychotherapist who Founded 'Primal Scream' Therapy, 93 (1924-2017)

Robert Yates, Pioneering NASCAR Champion Owner, 74 (1943-2017)

S.I. 'Si' Newhouse, Former Long Island Press Owner & Media Titan, 89 (1927-2017)

Robert Hales, Top-Ranking Mormon Leader, 85 (1932-2017)

Dave Strader, Renowned Hockey Broadcaster, 62 (1955-2017)

Tom Petty, Beloved Quintessential American Rocker, 66 (1950-2017)

Ralphie May, Stand-Up Comedian who was Featured on 'Last Comic Standing', 45 (1972-2017)

Walter 'Bunny' Sigler, Philadelphia Soul Singer, Songwriter & Producer, 76 (1941-2017)

Connie Hawkins, Hall of Fame Basketball Player, 75 (1942-2017)

Y.A. Tittle, Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback, 90 (1926-2017)

Donald P. Myers, Former Writer for Newsday, 80 (1937-2017)

Christian Risner, 3-Year-Old Boy who Inspired Celebrating Christmas in September in his Southern Kansas Hometown

Jalal Talabani, Iraq's First Kurdish President, 83 (1933-2017)

Eberhard van der Laan, Popular Mayor of Amsterdam, 62 (1955-2017)

Rufus Hannah, Advocate for Human Rights who Performed in 'Bumfights' Videos, 63 (1954-2017)

David Patterson, Navajo Indian Code Breaker During World War II, 94 (1923-2017)

Jimmy Beaumont, Lead Singer of Doo-Wop Group the Skyliners, 76 (1941-2017)

Armando Calderon, Former President of Salvador, 69 (1948-2017)

Jerry Kleczka, Former Representative of Wisconsin, 73 (1943-2017)

Jean Rochefort, French Film Star, 87 (1930-2017)

Bob Schiller, Emmy-Winning Comedy Writer of 'I Love Lucy' & Other Sitcoms, 98 (1918-2017)

Hayden Kennedy (27) & Inge Perkins (23), Mountain Climbing Couple

Grady Tate, Prominent Jazz Drummer & Vocalist who Also Sang Many 'Schoolhouse Rock' Songs, 85 (1932-2017)

Daniel Webb, Former Relief Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, 28 (1989-2017)

Roy Dotrice, British Actor Best Known for Playing Leopold Mozart in 'Amadeus', 94 (1923-2017)

John Dunsworth, Actor Best Known as Mr. Lahey in Comedy Series 'Trailer Park Boys', 71 (1946-2017)

Harriette Thompson, Three-Time Cancer Survivor & Marathon Record Setter, 94 (1923-2017)

Mychael Knight, Fashion Designer for 'Project Runway', 39 (1978-2017)

Danielle Darrieux, Leading Actress of French Cinema for Over 80 Years, 100 (1917-2017)

Rita Henley Jensen, Leading Pioneer of Women's Journalism, 70 (1947-2017)

Gord Downie, Frontman for Beloved Canadian Rock Band the Tragically Hip, 53 (1964-2017)

Bunny Sigler, Singer/Songwriter/Producer who Helped Create 'Philadelphia' Sound, 76 (1941-2017)

Ben Hawkins, Former Wide Receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, 73 (1944-2017)

Robert Fenn, Milwaukee Speedskating Coach who Mentored 2-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Shani Davis, 73 (1944-2017)

Nora Johnson, Author of The World of Henry Orient', 84 (1933-2017)

Murray Seeman, Former Great Neck Estates Mayor & World War II Veteran, 103 (1914-2017)

Michele Marsh, Emmy Award-Winning Television News Anchor at WCBS/2, 63 (1954-2017)

Helen Devos, Michigan Philanthropist, Political Donor & Mother-In-Law of U.S. Education Secretary, 90 (1927-2017)

Richard Wilbur, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet & Literary Translator, 96 (1921-2017)

Arthur Cinader, Founder of Preppy Fashion Powerhouse J. Crew, 90 (1927-2017)

Bill Kaufman, Longtime Reporter for Newsday, 84 (1933-2017)

Joseph Leahy, Professor who Survived University of Alabama Massacre in 2010, 57 (1959-2017)

Howard Carroll, Lead Guitarist of Grammy Award-Winning Gospel Group the Dixie Hummingbirds, 92 (1924-2017)

Marina Sturdza, Romanian Princess & Humanitarian, 73 (1944-2017)

Brent Briscoe, Actor Best Known for 'Twin Peaks' & 'Parks & Recreation', 56 (1961-2017)

Don Pedro Cody, Prolific Character Actor, 79 (1938-2017)

Al Hurricane, Known as 'The Godfather of New Mexico Music', 81 (1936-2017)

George Young, Producer for AC/DC & Songwriter/Guitarist for the Easybeats, 70 (1946-2017)

Paul Weitz, Retired NASA Astronaut & First Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger, 85 (1932-2017)

Robert Tilearcio, Firefighter for the FDNY, 58 (1959-2017)

James Clayton, Editorialist who Helped Topple Supreme Court Nominee, 87 (1929-2017)

Jack Bannon, Actor Best Known as Art Donovan on TV's 'Lou Grant', 77 (1940-2017)

Daisy Berkowitz, Co-Founder & Former Guitarist for Marilyn Mason Band, 49 (1968-2017)

Donald Bain, Prolific Author & Ghostwriter, 82 (1935-2017)

Robert Guillaume, Actor Best Known for 'Soap' & 'Benson' Television Shows, 89 (1927-2017)

John Mollo, Oscar-Winning Costume Designer for 'Star Wars' & Others, 86 (1931-2017)

Alison Robins, Self-Taught British Spy who Listened to Nazi Messages During World War II, 97 (1920-2017)

Antoine 'Fats' Domino, Legendary Hall of Fame Pioneer of Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues, 89 (1928-2017)

Dennis Banks, Co-Founder of the American Indian Movement, 80 (1937-2017)

Fred Beckey, Legendary Mountain Climber, 94 (1923-2017)

Keith Wilder, Singer for 1970s Disco/Funk Hitmakers Heatwave, 65 (1952-2017)

Dr. Michael Guttenberg, First Responder on 9/11, 50 (1967-2017)

Jane Juska, Novelist of Later-Life Sexual Pleasures, 84 (1933-2017)

Judy Martz, Former Governor of Montana, 74 (1943-2017)

Muhal Richard Abrams, Influential Free Jazz Pianist who Co-Founded the AACM, 87 (1930-2017)

Lennox 'Red' McLendon, Globe-Trotting Photographer, 74 (1943-2017)

Roger Erickson, Iconic Minnesota Radio Host with WCCO Partner Charles Boone, 89 (1928-2017)

Frank Barron, Acclaimed Writer & Reporter Editor in Hollywood, 98 (1919-2017)

Salvador Minuchin, Psychiatrist who Revolutionized Family Therapy, 96 (1921-2017)

Robert Blakeley, Designed Iconic Nuclear Fallout Shelter Sign, 95 (1922-2017)