Chapter Eight

It was not unusual for a man to become drunk with the power of leadership. The higher the post, the more the power, and the more that that person would grow accustomed to being utterly unquestioned. So perhaps the President shouldn't have been judged too harshly for his gloating after he sent both Santos and Salno away.

He was still at Camp David and back to barbecuing on the lawn. He was leaning back in his lawn chair, smiling, and his plate of ribs still greasy. "I tell you Frank, all them French Euro trash needs is a kick in the pants! I showed them!"

Vice President Smith barely stirred as he nursed his water. "They weren't from Europe, sir."

"What?"

"I said that neither of them was from Europe. Secretary Santos is from Mexico and Princess Salno is from Selginia."

"Oh." The President reached for some liquor. Much of the protest against his idea for the meteor had come from Europe. He took a sip. "Well, just an honest mistake Frank, that's all."

"Sure."

"What's the matter Frank? You've been like this ever since those two left. Is it because of them? If it is, don't worry, they'll be ok."

"I hope so, sir," said Smith. After that, things calmed down, though there was storm within Vice President Smith brewing on. Not for the first time, he asked himself why he chose to serve a man who was such a pompous idiot. Regardless of that, his thoughts were interrupted by a call on his cell phone. "Yes, what is it? ...Oh, I see... Was anyone hurt? ...That's a relief... yes, I'll tell him right away."

He just closed his cell phone when the President asked, "What was that? What happened?"

The Vice President looked at his superior squarely before going on. "Well sir, I have some terrible news. You're ancestral home was... it was just destroyed in a wildfire. It had already burned all the way to the ground by the time firefighters had shown up. But don't worry, nobody was hurt."

"My house... I grew up there! I spent my entire childhood in that house..."

"Sorry sir," said Smith. "At least your father's safe."

"Well that is a relief." The President though about what the Elias said about Ghidorah. It had to be a coincidence. Regardless of that, he said, "Alright, let's get packed up. We leave for Washington tomorrow."

The wind sliced away off Fairy Mothra's wings as she and her two riders reached their destination of Infant Island. A sickening pall hung over Moll and Lora as they rode on through the night. All through their journey, past land and sea, they had been sunk in this miserable state. Normally they enjoyed flights on Fairy, they enjoyed the rush and the passing wind, but now they just loathed it. As they approached their Island home, they saw the lights of several campfires and knew that the men and women from G-Force had arrived. Moll and Lora looked at each other and allowed themselves a brief smile; at least they could have some respite from their sorrows.

They guided Fairy down to the treetops. As they reached the outskirts of the village they set Fairy down near a small stone. But no sooner did they get off when someone grabbed Lora and put a blade to Lora's throat. "I got you now! Any last words?"

Lora calmly looked at the blade. "Hello Belvera. Anything new?"

Belvera stepped from in back of her pouting and sheathed her sword. "How did you know it was me?"

Lora smiled. "Because you've been playing that game ever since we were children, that is to say for several thousand years."

With a smirk on her face, Belvera sheathed her sword and said, "Well you can't blame a girl for trying."

"One more thing..."

"What is it?" asked Moll.

"Umm... back when you were with that human... he didn't hurt you. I mean, are you all right?"

"Yes we are," said Moll. "We already told you telepathically. Lora and I are alright."

Belvera breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

Lora giggled at the thought. "You worried about us? Is that right? Could big bad Belvera actually be concerned about someone?"

Blushing furiously, Belvera said "Oh you shut up!"

"Say it sister."

"Say what Lora?"

"You know what Belvera. C'mon you can do it!"

"Oh alright. I... I love you," she whispered.

Unable to resist, Moll said, "Would you say that again, I couldn't hear you."

"Alright, I love you!" said Belvera. She stepped back. "There I said it. Now promise that you'll never say anything about this to anyone. If you do, I'll bury you. Got that!"

Moll and Lora looked at each other and said in unison ever cheerful. "Got it."

Lora said, "Y'know Belvera, you had a tough time saying it but you did it anyway. Things like that show why you have the triangle of courage."

Belvera smiled. "And that you have the triangle of love and Moll has wisdom. So whatever, c'mon. The G-Force guys are waiting for you back at the village."

The three sisters mounted their aerial steeds; Moll and Lora on Fairy, Belvera on Garu-Garu; as they completed the final leg of the journey home. As her miniature cyborg dragon flew on and dodged branches and leaves as he did, Belvera looked towards her sisters. "It didn't go to well with the human, did it?"

Ever in the role of the spokeswoman, Moll looked from Fairy's back and said "No. We tried to reason with him, but he shut us out completely. He just wouldn't listen about King Ghidorah and the sphere."

Belvera smirked. "You shouda mind controlled him!"

Her younger sister sighed. "I would have if Lora hadn't stopped me."

Bristling at that comment the youngest of the Elias said, "You two know it wouldn't have worked. They would have had some psis ready to snap him out of it. And the man gave instructions to open the sphere no matter what. What did you want to do? Mind control an entire nation's government?"

Turning away, Belvera reluctantly nodded. "You have a point. All we can do is hope that Mothra succeeds."

"And Princess Salno" added Moll. "She's going to lead a protest against opening the sphere."

Ever the pessimist, the eldest Elias sister hit Garu-Garu's head. "Yeah her winning has the odds of you having reasoned with that Devlin Emmerich guy."

"Well at least we tried," said Lora. "But I still can't see why he wouldn't listen to us."

"Ha! Oh really?" Belvera looked from Garu-Garu's back. "As I remember you two goody goods once shut down a factory of his from before he took power on account of it was polluting some river and proving a monster maker. But even if not for that, it still wouldn't have worked. I mean think of it. We exist to protect the environment. The man you tried to reason with has never done anything but destroy it."

Then all of a sudden an especially grim look came on Belvera's face. "Now King Ghidorah's coming and he's going to rain blood... AAARRRGGHHHH!" A frown crossed her lips. "We can just wait and see how the Earth is going to punish us all now."

However, such grim thoughts were far from the minds of the men and women of G-Force. They were watching the Infant Islanders perform one of their many beautiful songs and dances. It was their holiest holiday, the Feast of Plenty, and they celebrated in the crater of the extinct volcano. All the G-Force soldiers and people of the village were watching this happily as huge and grim Battra looked on from a vast stone slab carved as part of the ruined temple on whose steps was this celebration. The palm huts were empty of their occupants for they were around various fires eating and drinking as part of the Feast. The crops were good and they thanked Mothra's goodness that made it possible. They only occasionally cast a worried glance at Battra, but even he was enjoying himself.

Miki was sitting on the sand next to Kyle at that moment holding his hand as they listened to his grandfather's Godzilla stories told around the fire. The chieftain had asked for tales of the King of the Monsters be told for if they were to face him then they would have to know of him. Kyle squeezed her hand. "Miki, I... I want to tell you I'm sorry for blowing up back there."

"Back where?" she asked.

"Back when Godzilla had attacked the city and you were with the victims. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I mean you were trying to help those poor men and I just go crazy."

"It's alright Kyle; I know you were stressed out." She knew that this wasn't the first time that such an apology had been needed and it wouldn't be he last. With such opposite feelings on Godzilla, it was inevitable. But she loved him and knew that something would be worked out, wouldn't it? Bah! It would turn out alright in the end, love would conquer all. After all, they had been able to stay together seriously for four years already. She just snuggled up to him and put her head on his shoulder.

Kyle looked at her with a sad expression on his face. He ran his hand through her glossy black hair and wondered, and not for the first time, if he was good enough for her. Then he remembered what his grandfather said and reached inside his pocket to feel the small box inside, a box in which was held a wedding ring. It would be hard, but he had to believe that something world work out. He had to. With that thought, he returned his attention to his grandfather as he finished his story, the story of the beginning.

Steven Martin had held all those hearing it spellbound and in tears. They heard his last words of the tale. "The menace was gone, but so was a great man. But for his sacrifice the whole world could wake up to live again."

The people sat in silence blinking away their tears. Then their white bearded, feather crowned chieftain stood up, his staff in hand. He looked at those G-Force soldiers seated around him and said, "Soon, the beast will come and you outsiders will stand against him. For this you have our thanks. But tell us why did you join the fight against him? Why have you chosen to fight the battles of these Monster Wars?" He looked at a red haired man and said, "You rise."

"Very well, sir." He got up and addressed all those present. "My name is Private Ian Trevor and I'm from Scotland. I've been wanting for years to be a veterinarian at the Loch Ness Wildlife Park where Nessie makes her home, the way my uncle does did. But the price of such schooling is much. Then I heard that if I joined G-Force, they'd pay my way for me. I needed the money and I always wanted to see the beasties so I joined."

An Asian woman rose after. "Well my story isn't as hunky dory. I used to live in San Francisco's Chinatown as a girl. I was happy until a super oodako came and attacked. It came from beneath the sea and destroyed the Golden Gate Bridge! My father took a job offer in Norway and left. But then the day we arrived, the krakens, oodako sized squids, came and harassed the coast. I grew up there and when I could I left for Australia. As far as I knew there were no sea monsters off its shore's. But of course, I was taking a ferry ride and the Lord Howe Monster made its first appearance. I decided that that was it and said that from there on, I would decide when I would meet the monsters, not the other way around."

Another woman got up next. Speaking with an accent, he said "Crikey! I'm from Australia meself. I'm Bindy Sue Irwin and catching monsters is in my blood. I grew up in the outback, helping me dad Steve-O and grandad go huntin' monster crocs. There's been a bounty on giant Tasmanian Devils ever since they made it to Oz, not to mention Yowies and Bunyips. My father made his living catching monsters ant aking them where they'd never run into conflict humans again and raised me to do it. Then I heard of G-Force and saw that I could find some real prey here!"

The Chief nodded. "Many stories are they, and many can be told, but they are meant for another day. One final tale, you young one."

Kyle was taken aback. "Who, me?"

"Yes you. What is your tale? How did you come to fight these battles?"

At that, several soldiers grew silent; they knew that you never asked Kyle about his past. And indeed, his face grew grim, but, to his credit, he remembered he was a guest and answered the question. "Monsters are also a part of my bloodline. When my grandfather here—" Kyle gestured to Steven Martin "—saw Godzilla that was written in stone. My father had already been born and after this wanted to learn of the monsters. He married and he & my mother had two children, by brother, Raymond, and myself. After our parents died Raymond and I went to live with my grandfather. It was there that it truly began for me.

"It was the year 1985. I was playing on the floor, not a care in the world. True, I had noticed that my grandfather had been acting strangely before as if he had sensed something, but I thought nothing of it. Then my toy dinosaur hit against a man's leg. Not knowing who this tall uniformed man was, I exclaimed 'grandpa! grandpa!' My grandfather soon sent my brother and me to spend a few days with his friend George Lawrence while he himself went with 'that scary man.' I soon realized that Godzilla, Godzilla who my grandfather and parents had spoken of since I was a baby, had returned. Time passed and it seemed only right that I follow in my father's footsteps."

"Is that all?" asked the chieftain.

"Yes. That is all," Kyle coldly replied.

The tribe's white bearded leader then raised his staff for all to see. "Then this has ended. Let the Feast of Plenty resume."

And it did. The celebrations would continue well into the night and many were left happy. But even so, a worried look came across Miki's face as she looked at Kyle.