Author's Note: Alright, not too much to report. I would like to thank those of you who have given feedback, it has actually been very helpful. Even some of my Tumblr readers have given very useful feedback. Anyway, on to the story.

Ch. 2: The Beginning of the End

Emiko looked at her father in disbelief. He had just told the most bizarre story she had ever heard, and he seemed to believe every word of it. She didn't know what was more troubling: that her father had gone insane, or that his story was actually true. After a while, she nervously asked, "So what do you think made this... winged creature awaken?"

Yamane answered wearily, "I suspect the creature has been in a coma ever since the bomb went off, during which time it has probably mutated. I theorize that the vibrations we made when we walked near it and disturbed its nest woke it up."

"So why didn't it attack you? Why do you think it just flew away?" said Emiko.

Yamane said, "The Americans analyzed the eggs and found that they had been rendered infertile by the radiation. The creature must have been able to sense that. I believe that it is currently searching for a new nesting site."

"That's troubling." said Emiko in a worried tone. "A creature that size won't be able to find place large enough very easily. "

Yamane nodded. "There is an even more disturbing problem. As terrifying as the winged creature may be, there is another creature of equal or greater power." said Yamane.

Emiko asked, "How do you know that?"

Her father answered, "The creature was asleep when we set foot on the island. Something else sank the Fortunate serpent. "

"Do you think we should be worried, Should I tell my fiancée to prepare the Self Defense Force for an attack?" asked Emiko.

Yamane said, "No, I think that would be a waste of Captain Ogata's time. Until we know the nature of this threat, there is nothing we can prepare for. Besides, we would just look like loons. Unfortunately, we have to wait until people are attacked to do anything.

####

A news reporter surveyed the destroyed village. The government had not been very helpful in giving information about the disaster. He suspected that was because they didn't really know, and didn't want to admit it. Only one survivor had witnessed the attack, a fisherman by the name of Akira Watari. Authorities had found him sleeping in a fishing boat. When he awoke, he had desperately wanted to believe that what had happened was a nightmare. Now he was talking with the reporter's translator, Raito.

"What does he say he saw?" asked the reporter.

Raito answered, "You're not going to believe this, Steve, but he says a giant dragon did this. He said it resembled a creature from local legends called Gojira."

Steve thought to himself for a moment. After a few seconds, he said, "So what exactly is this Godzilla thing or whatever? Aren't Japanese dragons supposed to be friendly?"

Raito said, "Yes, but this one was an exception. Gojira was a vengeful, angry deity who hated humans for what they did to their environment. He would regularly raid and burn villages in a way more typical of a European dragon."

Steve took a moment to think some more. This kind of story had to be handled delicately. He didn't come all the way from Seattle to return with a story about a mythological beast devouring a small Japanese village. He finally said, "I think it's safe to say that this man is traumatized by what he saw. The most logical explanation is that he was traumatized by whatever he saw, and associated that with a figure from his childhood nightmares. "

Raito said, "There is one more interesting detail. According to preliminary tests y the authorities, the area is slightly radioactive."

"Are we in any danger?" asked Steve.

"No, it looks like these are only trace amounts. We should be fine." answered the translator. "This story is getting weirder and weirder by the second, isn't it?"

Steve replied, "And I don't think it's going to stop. I'm going to set up an appointment with a local nuclear scientist, Dr. Yamane. But before we go, there's one thing I want to see."

"What would that be?" said Raito.

"Follow me up this hill." answered the reporter. They walked up, carefully avoiding pieced of debris that had once been people's homes. At last they reached the hill, and had what was once a peaceful view. It had been changed thanks to the crumbled buildings and raging fires that still took place throughout the town.

"Do you see it yet?" asked Steve. Raito shook his head. Steve said, "Look at the shapes in the sand. Doe they look like anything?" Raito looked harder and still saw nothing. Then he saw a large indentation in the ground.

It looked like an enormous, four-toed footprint. There were several of them spread throughout the wreckage. Some of them had the remains of buildings crushed into them. "What could possibly have done this?" asked Raito.

Steve replied, "I don't know yet. But it's my job to find out.

####

The city of Los Angeles was enjoying another day of its typically fantastic weather. Apart from the potential for earthquakes and wildfires, the climate was one of the most celebrated features of the region. People went on nice walks through the park and spent hours on the beach. The sun beamed down on them, making them all feel a brief moment of serenity before returning to their busy lives. Then that ray of sun was cut off by a dark shadow that passed over the city.

A giant, winged shape zoomed through the sky, leaving a shrill humming noise behind it. The winged creature circled the city, taking in the various features of the landscape. This area would not do at all for a nest. It was too cramped, not containing nearly enough places for hatchlings to roam about. Also, it was filled with the tiny animals that had awakened him.

The winged monster was beginning to suspect that the creatures that had awakened it were also responsible for the fire that had destroyed his home. If this were true, they had killed his children.
He decided that they represented a threat, and he would not be able to build a nest in peace as long as they existed.

He decelerated and made a downward curve. He zoomed towards the ground, as the citizens below could do nothing but watch up in terror. At the last second, he curved up and few towards the clouds. The people breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then the creature flapped its wings and sent a gale of wind towards them. The people were flung up off their feet and flew through the air. Cars and trucks were swung off course and into buildings.

The monster flew between buildings, accelerating to supersonic speeds. Ripples in the air emanated off the creature and slammed into the sides of buildings, shattering the windows and blowing down their frames. A series if bright explosions erupted in the wake of the creature's flight pattern.
It twirled in a spiral and drilled directly into a skyscraper, plowing through it and the tower behind it. Both collapsed to the ground behind him.

The small spikes that dotted the monster's back began to glow with red energy, as did its eyes. It gave a low, guttural cry and unleashed a stream of heat from its mouth. The red beam hit a few small buildings on the ground, which were obliterated in an enormous fireball that sprung forth from the ground. The creature began firing several blasts throughout the Los Angeles, which was slowly engulfed in the rising blaze. It fired one blast at a giant, gleaming skyscraper, which was sliced neatly in half. He top half slid to the ground, crushing several smaller buildings beneath it.

The sun set on a ruined city. The survivors ran for their lives. None of them knew where to go, or which direction they were headed in. They didn't even have time to think about whether their friends and families were alive. Their instincts over rid any emotions, and simply told them to run. So they did, and never looked back.