"Your Grace, I have reports that somehow the beasts have ceased their attacks across the known world! This might be our chance to fight back!"
"No."
Bran's impassive response brought confusion to everyone in the Great Hall, save for Brienne, Podrick, Gilly and her sons.
"Retaliation will only raise more unwanted casualties. We must evacuate the city and head for Blackwater Bay. The Ironborn are already sailing here and will grant us refuge on their ships."
Without question, the audience dismissed themselves to fulfill their king's words. Podrick was swift in escorting Bran away from where the Iron Throne was formerly stationed.
"Your Grace, are you sure that we can evacuate all of King's Landing within these next few hours?"
"We can save as many lives as possible Ser Brienne," was his answer. "The worst is yet to come."
Brienne and Podrick shared a glance of fear at their king's ominous words, but they nevertheless kept their emotions to themselves.
Birds flew across the clouded and bleak sky as the streets of King's Landing bustled with people packing their families, possessions, pets, livestock, and other things that they may need. Gold Cloaks of the City Watch and Lannister soldiers monitored every corner of the city to make sure that no one was left behind. However, they did not bother to check on the seemingly abandoned Dragonpit.
Harper made sure that she was well hidden whilst continuously pressing her index finger on the rippling blue circle of the ORCA. She had set the volume of the speakers into a deep infrasound level so that no one may suspect her whereabouts. Harper had not parted her finger away from her mother's invention and could feel its muscles' declining strength, yet her will to save the world and reuniting with her loved ones prevented her from backing out. A growing squall of wind soared from the East and Harper started to notice her breaths taking a more vaporous form. Golden lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the Narrow Sea as heavy rain soaked all of the Crownlands in showers of water. With the weather growing wetter and colder, Harper decided enough was enough and turned the ORCA off before placing it in her backpack and felt a great tremor as if something gigantic and conspicuous crashed on the roof above her.
Screams of terror could be heard across King's Landing when the people witnessed the monstrosity that landed on the ruins of the Dragonpit. His appearance alone caused the diminutive humans around Him to exclaim "gods help us!" and "the Targaryens have sent their devil!" with frenzied voices. As the storm howled, Ghidorah raised all three of His heads and hurled King's Landing into a state of anarchy with His cries.
"BIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDI!"
Ghidorah's right head began surveying the area whilst the left head hissed at the stampeding humans. The middle head barked to make sure that the other two could discover and eliminate the problem.
As fear slowly took control of her body, Harper stood against the dusty wall in complete silence. There was also a part of her that wanted to run as far away as possible. Opposing ideas waged war in her mind, though they both wished to keep Harper alive. The conflict ended when Harper looked back and found herself in the sight of the leering Ghidorah.
"Fuck!"
Harper bolted away just as Ghidorah unleashed His gravity beams on the Dragonpit and its surroundings. Stones crumbled, trees were charred, and the Dragonpit was turned into cinders. The escaping Harper used her right hand to cover her head. The path she took was slippery and muddy, whilst falling debris relentlessly forced her in making sharp turns. One misstep caused her to slip and slid down a slope until a fallen blackened boulder stopped her from skimming further. The impact dazed Harper as she tried to regain her bearings and used the boulder as leverage. When she looked up, Ghidorah believed that she was cornered. The human girl who interfered with His plan could not escape. Confident that His victory was secured, Ghidorah leisurely rattled His tails, reared on His hind legs, and spread His wings as His throats hummed and sputtered with power. He would never let vermin tarnish His reputation, His authority, His…
BAM!
A stream of blinding blue fire crashed onto Ghidorah's chest. The incredible force of the impact sent the three-headed Titan off-balance and His fall flattened whatever was left of the Dragonpit. Every human in King's Landing was staggered in speechlessness. What kind of power could challenge something so huge, powerful and essentially god-like?
"SHKREEEEEEEE-Oooonghhhh…"
Every ear in King's Landing could hear the roar from the East. Nobles and commoners alike were startled when a colossal dark figure with blue dorsal spikes strode through the mists that cloaked the Narrow Sea. With streaks of lightning silhouetting Him, His arrival provoked cries of uneasiness throughout the city. Harper was one of the few who smirked with bliss, for when the known world was its knees, Godzilla would rise.
Godzilla let out another roar as dozens of fighter jets and aircraft zoomed over Him with the Argo at their rear. Sailing behind His tail and beside His legs were ships of the Iron Fleet. Their black sails flapping with the golden kraken of House Greyjoy and their crew cheering with weapons in their hands. To the Ironborn, it was a historic day to sail and fight alongside their god, for He had truly proven that what was dead may never die, but would rise again, harder and stronger. Yara stood on the deck of the ship with pride, a contrast to the concerned frowns shared by Tyrion, Samwell, Davos, and Bronn.
"Okay, the ORCA's last activity was three minutes ago right around the Dragonpit. We'll help Godzilla in keeping Ghidorah occupied."
"Copy that Sam," Anthony replied over the radio as he, Lauren, Jackson, Draennar, and four other soldiers were all aboard in the cabin of an aircraft that was hovering at an altitude that was greater than the rest.
"I suppose you have enough vessels to shelter the evacuating people?" asked Tyrion as his voice cracked with static.
"We're using every resource we have," Draennar answered. "Our best course of action is to find Harper and use the ORCA to lure Ghidorah away from the city."
"Easier said than done," commented Bronn.
"Colonel, all squadrons are locked on target," Rick informed.
"Protect the known world at all costs."
Harper bore witness as the Argo and the fighter jets deployed their missiles at Ghidorah. Despite His disorientation, the Titan managed to shield His body with His wings, forcing the missiles to bounce off and explode in the surrounding forests or any unoccupied part of King's Landing. Knowing the risks of being out in the open, Harper dashed away from her current location to find refuge in the city.
Godzilla growled allowed fury to surge through His body, ignoring the evacuating humans and determined to finish what was started. Ghidorah hissed and rattled, He also knew that they had been through this long enough and the cycle must end. Only one could reign and live.
"SHKREEEEEEEE-Oooonghhhh…"
"BIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDI!"
The waves stirred when Godzilla charged out of Blackwater Bay to make landfall and Ghidorah rushed in by leveling everything under His feet. Just as He predicted, Godzilla stretched His clawed arms and planted them perfectly on Ghidorah's side heads. The power of their collision created a shockwave that sheared roofs away from many houses and buried much of Flea Bottom in a hill of debris. As the evacuating aircraft touched down on the outskirts of King's Landing, people ran out from the gates as MONARCH personnel struggled to keep them in an organized line. The Ironborn were not far behind, for they had flotillas of rowboats heading upriver towards the Blackwater Rush.
"The Drowned God and the Storm God clashed once again," proclaimed Yara as she and the Small Council sat on the lead rowboat. Bronn was holding a device called a handheld transceiver in his right hand, something that he and the others would need in communicating with MONARCH in this dark hour.
"Yeah, and King's Landing is in deep shit for the 30th time in history."
"We can always rebuild Lord Bronn," replied Davos. "If there's still enough in the treasury."
"I won't be too hopeful if I were you."
"Gilly, my boys…"
"Not to worry Grand Maester," assured Tyrion. "We'll find them and our king when we land."
The crew of the Argo watched from the flight deck as Ghidorah used His heads to push Godzilla away, but the latter merely skidded over several buildings before sprinting back and barged His adversary back with His claws.
"Am I dreaming or has the big guy been working out?" quipped Sam.
"You're not," Rick responded with merriment. "Serizawa did give that lizard a power-up!"
"He sure did," added Diane with mild amazement in her voice.
Tycho Nestoris was sitting in front of a computer that suddenly showed a beeping red mass in the middle of the circular radar.
"Uh, what is happening here?"
Rick darted to Tycho's position to diagnose the situation.
"Oh, this is bad!"
"What is it?" probed Diane.
"Godzilla's radiation level is spiking up! We've got about an hour until He wipes King's Landing off the map! Sam, this place is going to be in your 'Top 10 Places I Must Never Set Foot On' list!"
"Drae, are you still there?" Sam spoke over the radio.
"I'm here Sam. What is it?"
"Listen, you and the others need to find Harper and the ORCA and get the hell out of there! It seems that the warhead's effect on Godzilla worked a little too much! In less than one hour, He's about to explode and take all of King's Landing with Him!"
"For fuck sake! I guess the Six Kingdoms will need to find a new capital!"
"We'll worry about that later!" Tyrion shouted through the radio. "Our main priority is getting the people out of here. Drae, you do what you need to do."
"I know Lord Tyrion. Good luck."
"Touching down in 45 seconds."
Jackson's announcement prompted the soldiers in the cabin loaded their guns in preparation for the calamity they would run into. Draennar merely closed his eyes as the aircraft touched down and proceeded to deliberately unlatch the rear door. When there was nothing to keep them in, two of the soldiers immediately ran out to the rain, only to be vaporized by separate strikes of golden lightning. The rest of the group was more fortunate for they were only showered by torrents of water whilst the battle between Godzilla and Ghidorah was occurring at a considerable distance. Draennar was the first to reach the Dragonpit and ran across the ruins to find the one he lost.
"Harper!"
Ghidorah landed close to the Dragonpit before Godzilla clawed His rival's right head. Ghidorah's left head tried to bite back, but a slam from Godzilla's tail sent Him stumbling to His side. Godzilla seized the chance to pin Ghidorah down, but Ghidorah belted Godzilla aside with His wing and was successful in standing back up. Fighter jets kept on peppering Ghidorah with missile barrages, but the latter was more occupied in fighting Godzilla.
"No sign of her anywhere!" shouted Lauren. "She must have left the area!"
Above the extraction group were the Titans who were still locked in their violent battle. Godzilla attempted to slash Ghidorah's middle head with His claws, but all three heads lashed out like vipers and clamped their jaws on Godzilla's throat and flanks.
"We need to leave! She's not here!"
Jackson and Anthony sheltered Draennar as Lauren and the remaining two soldiers head for the aircraft. Before they could enter, one of Ghidorah's tails landed on the aircraft, sending Lauren and her two comrades flying. Upon landing, the two soldiers were crushed into blooded pieces by crumbling debris of the Dragonpit. Lauren survived but screamed when metal shrapnel pierced her right thigh.
"Lauren!"
As Draennar, Jackson, and Anthony rushed to their colleague's side, Ghidorah used His jaws and wings to lift Godzilla to the air before slamming Him through the wrecked city. Clouds of debris buried dozens of buildings and people that Ghidorah's move created, but Godzilla was quick to respond by firing His atomic breath. The blast hit Ghidorah directly in the chest and sent Him jumping to the air temporarily until He placed all four of His limbs to the ground, skidding backward towards Visenya's Hill and the newly rebuilt Great Sept of Baelor. Unbeknownst to them, Harper was in the direct path of Ghidorah. She placed her arms above her head in an instinct to protect herself, but her eyes began to notice what was far above the battle.
The gloomy and gray clouds progressively blossomed with vibrant colors that illuminated the rain. What was initially believed as whispers grew louder with every second to the point when a shaft of light sliced through the storm and…
"CREEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Mothra dove down at full speed directly towards Ghidorah. The three-headed Titan unable to react to Her entrance for in a fast motion, She fired a net of silk that instantly webbed all of Ghidorah's heads to the side of the sept. Ghidorah struggled to free Himself as Mothra's circled King's Landing with her resonating chitters. Harper naturally grinned with relief at the Titan's punctuality. The evacuating citizens of the city were more staggered by the arrival of this new creature, but something about an enormous yet colorful insect conveyed elegance and beauty instead of fear.
"I was wondering if that huge moth will come to aid Her king," Davos remarked. He and Samwell were still helping people in getting on the rowboats. Samwell was more fretful by the thoughts of seeing his family in the crowd.
Ghidorah's right head managed to break free from the silk and attempted to free the other two by biting onto the white and glutinous snare. This distraction gave Godzilla the opportunity to sprint towards Ghidorah and shoved His rival through the sept, demolishing the grand temple of reverence for the Seven once more. Yowls of torment escaped Ghidorah's mouths, which were silenced when He collapsed onto the remains of the sept. Godzilla snorted at the successful outcome with pride, assured that the tide of the battle had turned in His favor. The beleaguered Ghidorah then looked back to see the stationary Godzilla and Mothra who was circling back from the horizon. As the Daughter of Harmony made her descent through the gale in full speed, Her scythe-like forelimbs were poised to a striking position. Her fixation in plunging onto Ghidorah distracted Her from the fiery winged shadow that was trailing Her from the East until it swooped down and…
"KRAAAAAOOOOOAAAAA!"
Rodan blindsided Mothra by tackling Her with His talons. The collision sent the airborne Titans to spin through the wind and tumble onto the roofs of some buildings before taking the fight to the sky. Godzilla was thinking about aiding His queen, but the recovering Ghidorah was a greater concern. Every human was appalled by the eruptive appearance of this ferocious bird-like beast seeing how He chose to attack Mothra. King's Landing became a battleground to four titanic monsters, which escalated the pandemonium of fleeing the city more than ever.
"Quickly!" yelled Davos! "Get on the vessels!"
Samwell grew more anxious that his family was nowhere to be found, and this prompted him to run against the direction of the line and towards the city. Tyrion, Davos, and Bronn took notice of the Grand Maester's actions, rolling their eyes with exasperation before chasing after him.
Lauren cried with pain as her colleagues vainly tried to remove the shrapnel, but every movement caused more blood to pour out into the drenched earth.
"Colonel, Griffin is wounded and our aircraft exploded to pieces! We need help as soon as possible!" The only response the transceiver made to Jackson's words was only static. Draennar soon heard the neighing of a horse coming from the West, along with what appeared to be the boisterous sound of wooden wheels.
Riding down from the western hill and towards the group was a horse pulling a wagon that currently had a very familiar person on it.
"Gia?" Draennar asked with confusion.
"Get your asses up here!"
Instinctively, the group carried Lauren onto the Wagon before they all climbed aboard. Draennar took his seat next to Gianna as the latter directed the horse to trot away from the ruins of the Dragonpit.
"What are you doing here?"
"Finding my daughter," answered Gianna. "That's all that matters now."
"So your noble plan for the known world doesn't work smoothly, does it?"
"I didn't know that Monster Zero wants to eradicate humanity!"
"Watch out!"
Jackson's shout alerted Gianna of a fighter jet that crashed onto a bell tower, and she hastily directed the wagon away from the abating structure. The group was forced to take another path and they narrowly skimmed below Mothra and Rodan who were grappling through the storm.
"Well, we discovered that the First Men called Monster Zero another name, and it's Ghidorah."
"Ghidorah. That sounds a lot catchier than Monster Zero."
"You'll have to thank Ishiro for discovering that, even though he gave his life to revive Godzilla."
"Wait, Ishiro's dead?"
"Heads up!"
Gianna commanded the horse to stop just in time to see Samwell, Tyrion, Davos, and Bronn in their path.
"My Lords!"
"What the fuck is this bitch doing with you?" questioned Bronn.
"That's not important right now!" Draennar cut in, though everyone turned back to see Ghidorah trying to blast Godzilla and the surrounding buildings with His gravity beams.
"If you want to live, I suggest get on the wagon!"
Realizing the real threat, the Small Council darted towards the wagon and took their seats alongside Jackson, Anthony, and the wounded Lauren. Gianna then commanded the wagon to move forward.
"What happened?" Davos asked.
"Ghidorah happened!" Anthony replied as he and Jackson tried to pull the shrapnel from Lauren's thigh.
"If you do that, she'll lose more blood." The soldiers blinked at Samwell's advice before turning to Tyrion.
"He's the Grand Maester, he's trained in these kinds of things."
"The best thing we can do is to slow the bleeding." Jackson and Anthony followed Samwell's counsel as they pressed their hands around the wound. The action prompted Lauren to exclaim, but she knew that it was for the best.
"I thought your priority is evacuating the people?" asked Draennar to the Hand of the King.
"The Ironborn and your comrades can take over," was Tyrion's response. "Our priority now is finding the king, his guard, and the Grand Maester's family."
"And Harper," Gianna added.
"Right, and Harper."
Mothra managed to hold onto Rodan's back, but Rodan countered the movement by spinning around and successfully shaking Her off of Him. Mothra then went on the defensive by luring Rodan high and away from King's Landing, but Rodan anticipated this and fired a ball of lava from His mouth that hit Mothra's thorax. Mothra was somewhat dazed by the attack, with parts of her wings and fur singed by the intense flames. But She could not give up and jackknifed downwards onto Rodan, sending both Titans hurling through the golden tempest.
Godzilla gripped his claws onto Ghidorah's side heads and locked His jaws onto the middle head. Ghidorah cried in agony from His rival's attack as fighter jets and the Argo launched more missiles onto His torso. The dragon-like Titan grew tired of how His plans being continuously foiled and decided to have currents of yellow electricity coursing through His body. The action momentarily shocked Godzilla and forced Him to release His grasp on Ghidorah. Godzilla's eyes widened when He saw that lightning started to stream above Ghidorah intermittently. Realizing what was about to happen, Godzilla retreated from Ghidorah, just in time as a substantial bolt of lightning struck down on His rival. A blinding light radiated around Ghidorah's body until it dimmed with an ever-growing hum. As the buildings around Him smoldered and dissolved…
CRAKRATRABRADRAGRA!
Ghidorah flared His wings to the sky as dozens of lightning spewed from every orifice in His body, brightening and deafening the entirety of King's Landing. The bolts arced and sprang from one fighter jet to another, disintegrating and mangling them until they exploded into smithereens. The intensity of the heat and light involuntarily caused Godzilla to cover His eyes and stumble backward before grabbing onto buildings to regain His sense of balance. He grimaced when He felt stinging sensation in certain parts of His scales as if the attack successfully scorched them.
"Godzilla will reach critical mass in twenty minutes!" informed Rick as the people aboard the Argo struggled to maintain balance on their feet or their seats.
"Call all remaining fighter jets to retreat!" Diane shouted. "Aircraft with maximum loading capacity must leave the area ASAP!"
The Argo flew away unscathed with the aircraft carrying the refugees following behind. The surviving citizens of King's Landing had been evacuated, with the last rowboats paddling away from the beach and towards the Iron Fleet. Yara and her crew could only watch as Ghidorah's electrical storm ravaged the capital of the Six Kingdoms.
"The wrath of the Storm God is upon us!" exclaimed Harrag. "It's truly the end times!"
"No!" replied Yara. "We must not lose faith in the Drowned God!"
Burning debris fell from the clouds like ash and Godzilla did His best in retaining His stance. Ghidorah had finished performing His shock attack and grinned to see His rival was starting to lose concentration. But Ghidorah would never underestimate Godzilla and prepared for His next move.
The cliff below the Red Keep quaked when Rodan pinned Mothra against it with His clawed wings and talons. Rodan was about to deliver a severe blow when one of Mothra's scythe-like forelimbs struck Him in the forehead, which staggered and prompted Him to lose His grip and fly away. But Mothra knew that He wasn't done and scaled the cliff steadily. Rodan circled Blackwater Bay before continuing His torture on Mothra. The orifices around His wings ejected waves of blazing fire that made Mothra cry in distress. Unsatisfied with the results, Rodan tried to crush His adversary's head with His beak. She dodged the first peck, and then the second, and in His third attempt…
CRACK!
Rodan froze in place, for He felt a solid and rigid sensation stabbing His left shoulder. It was Mothra's secret weapon: a retractable stinger hidden within Her abdomen, and it pierced straight through Rodan's geothermal armor. When She pulled it out, orange lava-like substance trickled from the wound. Using the remnants of Her strength, Mothra used Her forelimbs to push Rodan off as He let out a screech of excruciating pain while flailing into the sullen sea.
Gianna's wagon continued through brave the derelict path of King's Landing, only to be stopped when it came across the severed wing of a fighter jet in the middle of the street. One of the edges was thrust into the base of a partly emaciated house while the other rested on the top of the exposed wall of another damaged house on the other side. It was the perfect diagonal barrier.
"Looks like we'll need to push it."
Draennar and Gianna nodded to each other and Bronn's suggestion when a muffling sound could be heard from the ruins.
"I think there are people trapped in there!"
Tyrion, Davos, and Bronn conceded to Draennar's notion as they searched the house. When they opened the door, the rooms and furniture were crushed into pieces and a great stone slab where the muffled sounds originated from. The trio effortlessly turned the slab down, freeing Bran, Brienne, Podrick, Gilly, and her sons.
"Thank the seven, you are alright!" Podrick immediately hugged Tyrion and Bronn as Davos did the same for Brienne and Gilly.
"It was becoming too chaotic out there," explained Podrick. "The other Kingsguard didn't make it. We had to protect His Grace."
"You truly are chivalrous knight Pod."
Podrick could only smile at Tyrion's compliment.
"I believe we must leave this place if we are to survive."
Bran's advice motivated everyone to abandon the place and back to the wagon. Samwell gasped with exhilaration before he embraced Gilly, Little Sam, and Little Jon. Meanwhile, Draennar, Gianna, and Jackson were nearly finished in pushing the fighter jet wing away when Draennar noticed a familiar-looking backpack laying on top of the felled logs beside him.
"Gia!"
Gianna and Jackson turned to their right and saw Draennar retrieving the backpack. If the backpack was there, it could only mean one thing.
"Harper!"
The trio shouted for her name while searching the ruins, and the worst nearly came when Gianna saw a hand that was not covered by the top of a dismantled table. She rushed to the place and realized that the rest of the body was underneath a bathtub.
"Over here!"
Draennar, Jackson, Brienne, Davos, and Bronn regrouped with Gianna to lift the table away. It took seconds for them to throw the obstruction away and successfully freed Harper, who was in a state of unconsciousness. Gianna grabbed her daughter and cradled her with Draennar by her side.
"Harper? Harper?"
"Please sweetie. Wake up. We're here."
Draennar and Gianna sobbed and pleaded for a full minute, not wanting for Harper to be taken away this soon. Hope was restored when the young redhead gasped and coughed for air with opened eyes. The first things she saw were rain, lightning, and Gianna beaming at her.
"Mom?"
Joy overwhelmed Gianna and Harper to wrap each other in a loving embrace. After all the twists and turns, they found a way to be together again. Harper turned to her left and became elated by to see the grinning Draennar.
"Drae?"
Instinct drove Draennar to envelop Harper in his arms and Harper reciprocated the gesture with the same amount of positive energy. The pair then gazed each other in the eyes and defused the tension with a deep, passionate kiss.
The sight prompted Bronn to nudge the Davos in the arm as well as returning the former smuggler's grin, Jackson and Brienne to beam at each other, Gilly to rest her head on Samwell's shoulder, and Gianna to smirk with maternal pride. Upon ending their kiss, Draennar and Harper could not help but giggle with joy.
Affection had to be cut short as Godzilla and Ghidorah were still engaged in their grudge match. Ghidorah suddenly took to the air and flew towards Godzilla before constricting His rival's neck with His tails. The impact pushed Godzilla's feet through the ground and His tail barely scathed the walls of the Red Keep as Ghidorah took the matter to new heights. Ghidorah's vast wings aided by His greater size and mass allowed Him to hoist Godzilla further and further, and the humans could only watch before they disappeared above the clouds.
Godzilla struggled in wrestling Himself to freedom, but the grasp of tails around His neck grew tighter with every second. The flow of air that would pass into his nostrils and mouth grew shorter in supply. Greater elevation meant a slimmer chance of breathing properly, and Ghidorah knew this. Despite His fierce attempts, Godzilla's growls of determination shrank into wheezes of anguish. His vision was blurring, His breathing was waning, and the pulsing glow of His spikes was fading. The last things He successfully perceived were the stars glimmering from the heavens and Ghidorah cackling as He loosened His grip. Godzilla felt His heartbeat rush against His chest when wind and velocity shrouded His entire body. The sheer cold transmuted into searing heat and fire started to emanate around Him, and He could not help but howl in agony.
Draennar's group and the Ironborn witnessed with disbelief as Godzilla plummeted through the clouds like a flaming comet. His wailing resonated into their ears and hearts, to see such a powerful and deified entity thrown down like a child's toy. The flames continued to wreath around Godzilla to the point when…
BOOM!
The thunderous crash flattened the Red Keep to its very foundation, ending its reign of nearly three centuries. Its aftershock trembled Aegon's Hill and every street in King's Landing, followed by a wave of light dust that rippled throughout the city. Even Draennar's group felt the tremor, which also shook the severed fighter jet wing to fall flat and freed the path from its barricade.
Ghidorah dove down from the skies and crushed the northeastern walls of King's Landing on His feet, roaring satisfyingly at the sight of His debilitated foe. Godzilla was still alive, but the physical stress and the trauma from the impact barred Him from returning on His feet. He groaned feebly at the nipping sensation that the rain gave to His wounds. However, the sensation diminished when He felt something slinking onto His side. Godzilla's amber eyes flickered open as He steadily turned His head to the side. The gentle chitters did not provide Him the need to guess who was keeping Him company.
Despite the tattered state of Her wings and fur, Mothra made sure that She was able to crawl up to Godzilla. She could barely keep her blue eyes open, but nothing would stop her from soothing Her king. The battle had exhausted both Titans, pushing them to their limits as the alien invader was at the brink of triumph. Mothra refused to accept defeat, for as long as Godzilla was alive, Ghidorah will never achieve victory.
Mothra's wings began to pulse with a mosaic of colors and She let out a shriek of defiance before gracelessly flying at full speed towards the usurper. Ghidorah's throats shone and hummed with electrical energy and when it was at its zenith…
TRAM!
"CREEEEEEEEEEEE-Eeeeeeeeeeee!"
All three gravity beams struck the Daughter of Harmony in tandem, pushing Her back towards Godzilla and encasing Her entire body in a brilliant golden light. Mothra's cry echoed throughout the Crownlands until there was nothing left of Her to be heard or seen. The horrified Harper allowed Draennar to drape his arm around her since his dismay was as equal to hers. In Mothra's stead were threads of blue light, floating down at a fluid pace to be absorbed into the body of the wailing Godzilla.
From the sorrowing tune it produced, Draennar, Harper, and Gianna did not need to theorize. Godzilla was mourning the death of Mothra, the death of His queen. The wails seeped into the minds and hearts of the humans. MONARCH personnel, the people of King's Landing, and even the Ironborn felt tears cascading down their faces. How could creatures so massive, so powerful, and so inhuman, proved that they were more selfless than humans could ever be?
With Mothra gone, Ghidorah had one less Titan to take care of. He was tempted to make lamentation Godzilla's own grave and He was certainly not concerned about Godzilla recovering from the fall. Just then, all three of Ghidorah's heads slowly sensed something within Godzilla. Flickers of red spark materialized within the orifices of His body. The scent was exquisite and alluring, almost like the energy that He and the other Titans would usually feast on, to rejuvenate. Realizing what it was, Ghidorah skulked towards Godzilla like a pack of hounds in pursuit of their next victim.
"We need to lure Ghidorah away from Godzilla so He can get back on His feet!" Draennar said as they all climbed aboard the wagon and continued their journey, this time with Bronn taking the reins. He then brandished the ORCA, revealing that part of the glass screen was cracked.
"It doesn't look too good," commented Gianna.
"But it might still work," Harper responded. She successfully activated it but nothing happened when she tried to make it vocalize.
"Shit! Come on, come on!"
"Barnes! Barnes, do you copy?"
Diane's voice rang through Jackson's transceiver and he was quick to pick it up to update his superior.
"Copy that colonel! Griffin's hurt but we're still one piece as of now!"
"We're picking you up. Godzilla will explode in about ten minutes. I need a rendezvous point."
"Uhh, we're still in King's Landing. Somewhere…"
"Tell her we'll be at the Gate of the Gods," Tyrion chimed in. "It's in the western corner of the city."
"We'll be at the Gate of the Gods, the western corner of the city."
"Western corner, copy that."
Within seconds, everyone in the wagon could see the aforementioned great gate, or at least what's left of it.
Godzilla was about to take His first step in standing up when Ghidorah's necks slithered around His body and coiled around Him like pythons preparing to squeeze the life out of their prey. Instead of gasping from asphyxiation, Godzilla yowled when He felt piercing pain on His neck, His chest, and His left thigh. Red streams of energy started to flow out from Godzilla's body and into Ghidorah's throats.
"Oh no," Gianna said when she looked back. Everyone else turned to the line of her sight and was muddled by what they saw. The expression in Draennar's face confirmed that he was just terrified as Gianna.
"What's happening?" asked Gilly.
"He's draining Godzilla's life force for Himself! It's a slow but painful process! Harper!"
"Still working on it Drae!"
When the wagon advanced through the smashed gate at a slower speed, a familiar whirring came from the clouds of the East, and an aircraft could be seen gliding up above.
"That's our ride!" exclaimed Anthony, right when one of the wagon's wheels bumped onto a rock and shook nearly everyone off their seat. The ORCA leaped from Harper's hands before it fell onto the road.
"The ORCA!"
"I'll get it!"
"Mom!"
"I'll be back sweetie, I promise."
Gianna gave Harper a quick kiss on the forehead before jumping out to the soaked path. The road was slick but Gianna was able to recover the ORCA and ran back onto the wagon. She tapped onto the screen several times until the blue circle almost rippled with the infrasound it intended to produce.
"Work, damn it!"
"Hurry up colonel, you said we don't have much time!" advised Jackson to his transceiver.
"Landing in the middle of a storm as huge as this is not something you do everyday Barnes," Diane replied.
Draennar and Harper were helping the others in disembarking the wagon. Gianna was occupied in getting the ORCA to work seamlessly. She was on the verge of a breakthrough until her eyes caught the sight of the injured Lauren and the battered King's Landing. All of this would never happen if she hadn't grown so impatient and reckless. She became uncertain of what to do when all of this came to its end.
"Gianna."
The MONARCH doctor turned to Bran when he called her name. His blank stare could be seen as cold and detached, but she knew that there was something deeper behind those eyes.
"You know what to do."
Those five words filled a deep and empty hole within her, and she only gave the Three-Eyed Raven a solemn smile in return.
When the aircraft landed, its rear door opened and allowed Rick, Sam, and Tycho to run into the rain and meet up with their associates.
"Come on! We've only got less than five minutes!"
Jackson and Anthony hauled Lauren between their shoulders together with Samwell's family following behind, Podrick wheeling Bran with Brienne and Bronn flanking them, Tyrion and Davos running together, while Draennar ushered Harper in his arms. As for Gianna, she walked much slower than the others until she stood right by the horse, caressing the ungulate's mane as if encouraging it for one last task. She then reached into her pocket and activated her transceiver.
"Diane, I need you to do something for me."
Rick reached for a wrap of white bandage in the aircraft's medical bag as Jackson and Anthony placed Lauren down on the cabin floor. The shrapnel was still on her thigh and more blood oozed out from her flesh. Jackson then placed his hand onto the shrapnel with Sam, Samwell, and Brienne preparing to do what must be done.
"On the count of three, pull it out together and I will wrap this bandage around her. You okay with that Griffin?"
"The sooner the better."
"Okay. Three!"
Lauren screamed when the shrapnel was extracted from her skin. Rick was quick in wrapping the bandage until no blood could leak out from his colleague. Sam then tossed the shrapnel out from the rear door and was about to return to his seat when he saw something in the rain that created bewilderment in his mind.
"Guys, why is Gianna still out there?"
Unsettlement swelled through Draennar and Harper when the name alone came up. They looked out to the opened door and saw Gianna with her wagon being arranged to the direction of King's Landing. Her left hand was holding the reins while the ORCA was clasped around her right one. Gianna turned back to see the baffled reactions of her daughter and the one she looked to as a son. She responded with a smile that could only be described as bittersweet and mouthed 'I love you' before the aircraft took to the air and hovered towards the Narrow Sea.
Harper and Draennar shouted and cried with disbelief, and it took Anthony, Davos, Sam, and Bronn to pull them away from the door. Everyone was distraught by Gianna's choice, which urged Jackson to walk towards the flight deck and questioned his piloting superior.
"Why?"
Diane could barely maintain her signature stoic demeanor, but she knew better than keeping her subordinates in the dark.
"She wanted to do the right thing."
Upon reentering King's Landing, Gianna could see the torment that Ghidorah was still inflicting on Godzilla. She stopped the wagon when it had reached the center of the city and released the horse so that it could gallop to freedom. With the ORCA now in both of her hands, Gianna made her stand and slammed her finger to the screen.
Ghidorah abruptly ceased from siphoning the energy within Godzilla, which in turn released Him from His predicament. That noise, the pulses, it was identical to the one He listened to in the Land of Always Winter and during His flight from Dragonstone to King's Landing. His heads scoured wherever it came from and hissed together to the remaining, lone human.
Fear did not skulk around Gianna when Ghidorah propelled Himself to the air and cast an immense shadow to the heart of King's Landing. Ghidorah was mildly amused that she was not intimidated. The left head tilted with curiosity, the right head growled with anger, and the middle head watched with silence. Gianna held her ground when the glow in Ghidorah's throats rushed with gleaming energy and shut her eyes close when the light materialized.
Harper fell to her knees when Ghidorah concentrated His gravity beams at one location, for she understood what it meant for her mother. Draennar was just as appalled. Unable to hold their tears, the pair collapsed and wept into each other as the loss of the one they found was a shattering toll. Rick, Sam, Jackson, Lauren, and Anthony grew numb upon witnessing their colleague's sacrifice. Little Sam and Little Jon wept with their parents. The other passengers could only sit in silence, unable to utter the slightest word to describe the tragedy.
The center of King's Landing was momentously branded into ashes and cinders. Nothing of wood, stone, or metal was left undamaged. The ORCA was destroyed, with its pieces scattered all over the street. The only thing that remained intact was Gianna. She was able to lean her head to the side for her condition was beyond saving. As rain and lightning jested from the clouds, Ghidorah landed before the human who openly opposed His supremacy. Annihilating her on the spot would feel to quick and straightforward. He wanted her to see Him before she expired.
Gianna watched as the six red eyes of the three-headed Titan glared down upon her, rattling His tails and smiling with pride to see the human's resistance deteriorate. Whatever last words she needed to mutter would never mean anything.
"Long live… the king."
A shift of temperature crept through the air. Water from the sky started to evaporate before they could even splash the ground. The sea boiled and the earth cracked under the augmenting torridity. Anything of stone and steel was reduced into puddles of molten slag. Ghidorah could hear a humming sound emerging from the veil of smoke and dust that swathed Aegon's Hill. All three heads roared at this new challenge. But 'new' was not the best adjective as the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, revealing to the humans and the appalled Ghidorah…
"SHKREEEEEEEE-Oooonghhhh…"
Godzilla, alive and in a grander light. Scarlet lava-like hues blazed throughout His body and His eyes. His dorsal spikes shone red as the crimson dawn. The intense heat He emitted burned and liquefied everything in His vicinity. Whatever was happening, Ghidorah could sense the power that He could take. His plans were hindered when Godzilla lowered His head furiously as incredible levels of energy hummed through His glowing dorsal spikes at a sporadic scale. This time, Ghidorah was prepared and was certain that His wings would shield Him from the expected.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM/CREEEEEEEEEEEE!
The overload unleashed a tremendous wave of orange, moth-shaped explosion that obliterated more than half of King's Landing. Accompanying the blast was a familiar cry and the loudest sound anyone ever heard. It was so powerful and so strident that even Ghidorah was deafened and pushed back. Ghidorah could not even hear Himself screaming in pain as the heat from the blowback roasted the membranes off His wings until they were nothing but scales and bones. Godzilla's thermonuclear pulse had rendered Ghidorah flightless and imbalanced, for He could not lift Himself when turned on His back. The sight of the approaching Godzilla instigated Ghidorah to almost frantically back away with fear. He roared at Godzilla to stay away and desperately fired His gravity beams, but the attack only made Godzilla give His rival the closest thing to a smug and strode onto Ghidorah until…
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM/CREEEEEEEEEEEE!
The blast of the second thermonuclear pulse incinerated Ghidorah's right and left heads. The middle head could only watch and scream as the other two were immolated away in a gruesome fashion. Alone and afraid, the once-dreaded Ghidorah squealed for a quick and merciful end. Godzilla made it clear that He was not through and stomped His foot onto Ghidorah's chest. An explosion ruptured from the three-headed Titan, consuming Him and Godzilla in a conflagrant wave of light.
Both the air and sea shook as the light engulfed all of King's Landing. All humans in the area struggled to maintain their hands on whatever they were holding and to prevent themselves from becoming permanently blind.
It took a whole ten seconds for the explosion to reach its conclusion, and the world fell silent. Draennar and Harper were the first to observe the aftermath. The storm was dispersed, allowing the afternoon sun to shine and a marigold haze of dust to glide over the desolate King's Landing. The capital had stood over Westeros for more than three centuries. It supported hundreds of thousands and survived riots, storms, plagues, sieges, as well as the fiery wrath of a dragon. It only took several hours and four warring Titans to raze it into rubbles.
King's Landing looked lifeless and dreary, but the ground began to shake and piles of fallen debris gave away when something tried to delve out from it. The humans' curiosity degraded into horror when they witnessed it.
Ghidorah emerged from the wreckages with His entire head intact. He sneered with fury as He tried to shake the debris away. Appearances could deceive, however, for when Godzilla materialized from the rubbles, His jaws were clenched deep into Ghidorah's neck. Godzilla thrashed Ghidorah around like how a bear would with a freshly caught salmon. The screams that Ghidorah made showed how far He had come from a monstrous harbinger of death and destruction to a decapitated head dangling in the mouth of His ancient rival.
Godzilla understood that His mouth could not hold onto Ghidorah forever and presented an alternative when His eyes and dorsal spikes ignited with their signature blue glow. Within seconds, the blue energy also emanated within Ghidorah, turning Him into a living lantern. Ghidorah's shrieks dampened into croaks during his transformation, only to disintegrate rapidly when Godzilla fired His atomic breath to the sky and swallowed what remained. Godzilla could finally huff with satisfaction. Ghidorah, the One who is Many, was vanquished.
"I'll be fucking damned," Bronn said to his equally astounded associates.
"We should be grateful to have Him on our side," added Tyrion.
"For now."
Bran's ominous statement created an aura of mild concern around the aircraft. Godzilla did fight alongside the humans in destroying Ghidorah, but His loyalty was to the natural order. If humanity decided to cross the line, Godzilla would be there to judge its fate.
Draennar and Harper were contemplating together about everything that they witnessed, but their focus shifted when some tantalizing came to their view.
Godzilla believed He was standing on His own in the ruins of King's Landing, but the curtain of haze around Him started to vanish and unveiled the unsung witnesses who had been present throughout the battle from a considerable distance. When they reached the borders of the ruined city, Godzilla realized that they were Titans, and He recognized all of their names.
Camazotz, the Death Bat, landed on the summit of Rhaenys's Hill before twitching His ears with clattering trills.
Behemoth, the Beast of the Earth, rumbled deeply as He marched His clawed feet through the rubbles.
Scylla, the Devourer of Sailors, lurched with rustling chatters before She positioned Herself on Visenya's Hill.
Methuselah, the Bane of Swords, made His way at a leisurely pace as the trees on His mountainous back rustled.
Ramarak, the Skull Devil, crawled and heaved His bipedal body into the city while flicking His forked tongue.
Jinshin-Mushi, the Earthquake Beetle, emitted guttural yet blaring crackles as Her scarlet eyes blinked with orange lights.
Rodan, the Fire Demon, perched Himself on Aegon's Hill to spread His wings and screeched a challenge. The wound that Mothra gave Him was still shimmering on His left shoulder.
The battle between Godzilla and Ghidorah was arduous, devastating, and the culmination of a rivalry that lasted for millennia. Godzilla ended the feud to dispose of the usurper and He would secure His victory at any cost. As His nostrils snorted and His amber eyes narrowed on Rodan, the latter was rendered silent. Realizing the errors of His way, Rodan wisely lowered His head and wings to bow.
One by one, each Titan ultimately followed Rodan's lead in swearing their allegiance to the rightful Alpha. The enthralling sight also encouraged Yara and every Ironborn to bend their knees with great dignity. Without hesitation, the evacuated survivors of King's Landing knelt alongside the Ironborn to show their respect. As Harper placed her head on Draennar's shoulder, everyone knew that the known world would never be the same. Against the setting sun was a new day. Ghidorah was gone, the natural order was restored, and the time of Titans was heralded with the roar of Godzilla, the God Incarnate, the King of the Monsters.
"SHKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-Oooooonnnggghhhh…"