It was a nightmare. An absolute nightmare.
Fallen had, in her haste and zeal to defeat Leviathan on her own, intercepted and challenged him in the middle of the Pacific Ocean midway between the Bering Sea and the peninsula city of Nemuro. Ken and company had discovered her movements thanks to the efforts of the Shobijin, and had flown out on a personal aircraft to witness the event. They had to bring Sayuri within range of Fallen so she could convince the ailing Kaiju that this was not her fight alone and that she had to flee and survive in order to preserve and honor Godzilla's memory.
But it was not going well.
The team was already in place watching the battle unfold in the waters beneath them. Fallen was keeping up well against Leviathan, but its size advantage and its four tentacles kept Fallen almost literally in a bind as it began positioning itself for a more lethal strike. Fallen's left hand was wrapped tightly against her torso by one tentacle while her legs were bound by another. The third tentacle tried to bind her mouth but she bit down on it before it could complete its intended action. Now flailing wildly in her mouth as Leviathan slowly moved about behind her and began lining up a strike with its claws towards her neck aimed at the base of her skull. If it succeeded, it could paralyze Fallen like any other biped by severing the nervous system connection.
"Pilot, dive down there right now!" Ken ordered.
"Are you insane?!" The pilot retorted.
"NOW!" Ken repeated.
"No way, sir! I agreed to fly you out here! I didn't agree to get close to those things!"
"Oh move over!" Keiichi said as he shoved the pilot out of the way and took over the controls. He pushed the plane's nose down and began a dive to get them closer to the action against the pilot's physical and verbal outrage and protests, and finally Sayuri was within range. She clasped her hands together, channeled her courage, and forced her way into Fallen's mind.
Behind you! She screamed in Fallen's head.
Fallen turned her head just in time to see the strike coming and lurch backwards pulling the tentacle into the path of the incoming claw. The massive tearing claws ripped through the leathery flesh of the tentacle and severed it without protest causing Leviathan to shriek in pain as it let go of its victim and retreated back and away several hundred yards. Fallen released the flailing tentacle remnant from her mouth and looked up to see the plane beginning to level out above her. Her eyes narrowed and she released a warning roar towards the aerial vehicle before turning to face Leviathan once more.
Sayuri was then forcefully shut out and thrown back into her seat by Fallen's sudden backlash.
"Sayuri, are you all right?!" Akiko asked.
"Yes. I'm fine. But she's blocked me out."
"Can you force your way back in?" Akiko inquired.
"I don't know. I can try."
"Just be careful. We don't need you entering a coma like Miki did when she started Godzilla's heart." Ken warned.
Sayuri nodded and composed herself before closing her eyes and concentrating on her task. But Fallen was resisting her. Now that she was consciously aware of Sayuri's presence and intended intrusion. she was fighting back. She intended to do this alone after all. But Sayuri refused to let her have her way.
"Keiichi, loop us back around and stay above the fight. The further we move away the harder it is for Sayuri to do her job." Ken ordered.
"Got it. Heading back around." Keiichi replied.
"You people are nuts!" The pilot yelled.
"Just shut up back there!" Keiichi barked.
"Focus Keiichi. There they are." Ken said.
"Right."
Keiichi moved the plane closer and came down a bit lower towards the fight. The sounds of the monsters resuming their conflict was almost deafening even inside the plane. Fallen's roar alone was easily hitting over 300 decibels, and Leviathan's was just slightly softer, probably 280 decibels. But both of their roars, despite the distance of several hundred meters, were incredibly loud in the plane and hurting the team's ears. Ken finally couldn't take it anymore and brought out small ear plugs for everyone to wear which was a great relief. It didn't stop the sounds, but it did muffle them tremendously.
Down below, Fallen and Leviathan were squaring off once more two tentacles being launched at Fallen directly while the third tried to wriggle through the water out of her sight to the side. He was attempting to puncture Fallen's hide beneath her arm and perhaps break into a lung. If he could do that, he'd win for sure.
Sayuri's eyes watched the fight warily as she once again forced her way into Fallen's mind and showed her what she was seeing. Fallen knew the third tentacle was coming, and even though she was able to grab the two in front, she turned her head just in time to open her jaws and release her thermonuclear breath on the third tentacle as it burst forth from the water. It singed the leathery flesh and burned its way through to muscle and bone before the tentacle retreated into the water. But this disturbance came with a price. Fallen's focus had been split, and one of the tentacles in front of her managed to wriggle free from her clutches and jammed itself into her right shoulder. The tentacle pierced her hide and sent spurts of blood into the air and the sea below as Fallen screeched in pain.
Her pain didn't last, however, as Sayuri was taking drastic measures to protect her. Sayuri shouldered Fallen's pain, literally, taking it from her mind and releasing it into her own body. It was agony to an extreme and it nearly made Sayuri scream in pain to do so. But Fallen's focus was saved, and she lunged down and clamped onto the tentacle with her jaws before using her crushing bite force to sever the tip from the rest and pull it free from her flesh. Leviathan shrieked, and Fallen let the tentacle piece fall to the water before grabbing the one still caught in her claws and pulling Leviathan in close. He tried to fight, but Fallen's overwhelming physical strength pulled him in despite his struggling.
Her spines burst to life, and her new attack was forming. White hot energy around her spines superheated the air and caused Leviathan's flesh to begin to smoke as she pulled him in closer and closer. He flailed with his arms, but she endured the strikes as she pulled him in one last time and opened her mouth aimed directly at his head. But before she could release the attack, Leviathan brought two of its wing-like blade protrusions on its back up and around to shield itself from the attack. The white thermonuclear breath drastically seared the flesh down to the bone, but it stopped there. Leviathan bellowed in pain and returned its blade-like wings to their resting position behind it and pushed Fallen away.
She fell back into the water and disappeared beneath the waves. As Leviathan recovered from the ordeal it stayed very still to feel the water around it as Fallen began swimming in circles around him beneath the surface. Leviathan tracked her movements as she circled beneath him and timed his next attack carefully. Raising two of his massive 300 meter tentacles up together, he prepared to slam them down on top of Fallen as she circled him. One… Two… Three… Four…
THWACK!
Leviathan's tentacles slammed down into the water with such force that they sent a wall of water up several hundred meters into the air. They cut through the water like knives, but the result of the attack remained unclear as it the waters continued to settle in the aftermath. As the team looked on, Leviathan appeared to be searching for something.
"Did he hit her?" Akiko asked.
"I don't think so. If he did he probably wouldn't be looking around like that. My guess is that if he caught her he'd be continuing his assault." Ken said.
"I guess you're right. But then where is she?" She asked.
Akiko looked to Sayuri who was watching the waters intently.
"Any ideas?" She asked the girl.
Sayuri's eyes scanned the surface of the water before darting to the space behind Leviathan.
Sure enough, the waters behind Leviathan exploded and Fallen leaped out like a breaching shark with jaws agape and clamped down onto the base of one of Leviathan's blade-like wings. She used her body to press the others against his back so he couldn't use them against her, and began squeezing her jaws shut tighter and tighter against Leviathan's struggling and shrieking in pain and anger. But there was nothing he could do now. His arms couldn't reach behind him to stop her, and now it was too late. Her jaws clamped shut completely shattering bone and ripping flesh and muscles free as she pulled the blade-like wing clean off of his back and let it drop to the waters below.
Leviathan shrieked in agony before spinning around violently with Fallen clinging to his back. Bringing his tentacles up he pointed them directly at her and bound them together to increase their strength. With his tentacles primed, he speared Fallen in the lower back piercing deep into her flesh just above her right hip. Fallen shrieked in pain and let go of his back which allowed the blade-like wings to rake her chest causing four massive gashes to appear as she fell back into the water.
"Fallen!" The group cried in unison.
The ocean began turning red as Fallen disappeared beneath the surface, but it wasn't just her blood now. Leviathan's back was dripping blood as well staining the water directly beneath him as he trembled in pain and anger at his opponent's success in tearing one of his wings off.
"Is she all right?!" Akiko screamed.
"I don't know! I can't see anything down there!" Ken replied.
"Hey, Sayuri. How is she?!" Keiichi asked.
Sayuri scanned the reddening waters with a concerned expression. She was uncertain of Fallen's condition at this point. With those four gashes and now a massive puncture wound in her lower back, it was anyone's guess if she'd be able to recover to continue the fight. She didn't doubt Fallen's durability, but fighting with wounds like that… Could she really?
Sayuri closed her eyes and concentrated on the space below her. Leviathan's presence was the strongest, which was not a good sign. But Sayuri pushed further to sense Fallen and finally found her after another few moments. She was getting weaker thanks to those two attacks, but she was still enduring. Sayuri concentrated on Fallen for a moment and forced her way inside her mind.
Fallen, can you hear me?
Silence.
Fallen, I know you can hear me. Whether you like me or not, whether you want my help or not, you must listen to me! You have let the power you absorbed from Godzilla cloud your judgement and have engaged in a fight you cannot win on your own! Get out of there! Right now!
Fallen retaliated, but Sayuri stood strong against her rejection.
Fallen! Listen to me! Your power is corrupting you! You've even threatened to kill your own sibling! That's not behavior Godzilla would tolerate if he were still alive and you know it!
Fallen's retaliation began to intensify, but still Sayuri stood strong forcing herself to remain in Fallen's mind. But it was getting dangerous. Fallen's mental defenses were increasing in strength making it incredibly difficult to remain like this. Sayuri was beginning to sweat and her heart rate was spiking. It was beginning to mirror Miki's restarting of Godzilla's heart two years ago which led to her coma.
Fallen, don't do this to yourself! You've defeated Spacegodzilla Fallen! You have nothing left to prove! Stop making yourself think that you need to be as powerful as Godzilla was and defeat Leviathan on your own! That's not what he would want!
Fallen's rejection finally became too much, and Sayuri was forced out causing her to gasp and open her eyes. She grabbed her chest and felt her heart rate being through the roof, but she couldn't stop. Fallen was not listening. She had to make her listen. Against Akiko's warnings, Sayuri forced her way back in yet again.
Fallen! I'm not leaving you like this! I won't let you end up like Spacegodzilla! He was power hungry and believed himself superior to all other life on this planet! Godzilla included! But he's dead now! Do not become him Fallen! You're better than he was! Please!
Fallen erupted from the waters once again grabbing everyone's attention. Her chest was torn and her puncture wound still spurting blood, but she was roaring at the top of her lungs with her eyes flashing red.
"What's happening to her?!" Akiko asked.
"I-… I don't know." Ken said quietly as he stared in disbelief.
"Sayuri! What are you doing?!" Keiichi yelled.
Sayuri was still concentrated on Fallen. Still in her mind. Still pleading with her to stop this. But it wasn't working.
"Sayuri!" Keiichi yelled again as he grabbed her arms and shook her.
"Keiichi, lay off this instant!" Ken screamed as he grabbed Keiichi's arm and squeezed down hard.
Keiichi let go and winced as he backed down.
Sayuri pushed further and harder, but she was now drenched in sweat and her heart rate was reaching dangerously high levels.
Fallen, please! Don't do this to yourself! Power is not everything, and yours is insufficient to end this on your own! Please!
Fallen's eyes flashed once more, but this time they remained glowing with an ominous crimson coloration. When she next roared it sounded like two roars in one. Her signature roar of the Godzilla family mixed with another higher pitched roar that was more of a screech. As she roared a burst of concussive air pressure exploded out from her chest impacting Leviathan and shaking the plane causing it to momentarily lose its stability. Thankfully the pilot had resumed control and stabilized it against the pressure wave, but it was becoming too dangerous to remain in the area. He ascended and began flying away from the battle.
The team looked on as the two titans engaged in battle once more, but it rapidly became apparent who was going to emerge victorious as Fallen was forced beneath the waves after a vicious string of attacks by Leviathan. As Leviathan grew smaller and smaller on the horizon Ken and the others all sat down.
Their hearts were teetering on the edge of breaking being held steady by the faintest thread. Sayuri had passed out from her efforts, but was steadily breathing as Akiko cleaned her face of sweat with a wash cloth. The team waited for almost twenty minutes before Sayuri awoke.
"Sayuri… What happened?" Akiko asked.
Sayuri was so tired she almost couldn't speak anymore. Akiko put a hand on her shoulder and Sayuri's eyes trailed ever so slowly over towards her.
"Sayuri?" She asked again.
Sayuri swallowed a lump in her throat.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I failed." She said quietly as tears welled in her eyes.
The team's hearts sank.
"What do you mean you failed?" Keiichi asked forcefully.
"Keiichi, back the Hell off!" Ken demanded.
Sayuri drew one arm over her eyes as her tears fell behind it, and Akiko leaned down to rest her forehead against Sayuri's own.
"It's okay sweet heart. You did all you could," Akiko cooed.
Sayuri was too broken hearted to reply. All she could do was weep as the team was left to wonder if Fallen had survived her battle.
The team's answer came a few hours later when they returned home. On the news, Fallen had collapsed shortly after making landfall in Tokyo Bay. She was still badly wounded, but she was alive. Wherever Leviathan had gone it was far enough away to give her space. With his own injuries to tend to he likely had retreated to the Bering Sea which seemed to be his favorite place to rest. This was confirmed the next day on a news broadcast, which meant that Fallen was safe for the time being.
But the team was growing more and more concerned by the minute. Even with a full day to lay on the shores of Tokyo Bay, Fallen hadn't moved an inch. She was breathing, but slowly and with difficulty. Her regeneration seemed to either not be working, or working much slower than it was supposed to. Whatever was going on was beyond their understanding, and the team had no choice but to observe and hope for the best.
If Fallen didn't rise within the next day or so…