Author's Notes and Disclaimer: Hello, everyone, especially all you lovers out there. First off, I think you can guess where I got the title from. I mean, come on, that's easy. Now, this rather long one-shot comes from looking at fanart of Mothra riding on Godzilla; specifically pictures done by DeviantArt artists legendofthedeep ("aLL ABOARD THE BARABOAT" (why the title is this, I have no idea)), FallenAngel5414 ("Legendary cute couple"), ClevzX ("A Relaxing Ride"), and DragonDogFilmsG ("Where the night meets the sea"). Not to mention reading quite a few Mosugoji fluff and romance fanfics (blushes in embarrassment). I saw some of this before and after I saw "Godzilla: KOTM", so this idea has been in my head for a while.
Now, to make things clear: If you don't like this kind of stuff, don't read. If you wish to comment, leave constructive criticism, but NO FLAMES. Second, there are no citruses to be found here; this is simply a romantic fanfic with maybe some tension in the romance department with moments of "Will they kiss or won't they?" While I am currently not engaged in a relationship, I've read some romance and fluff fanfics, plus I've seen different romance scenes in movies and such, so I've got some idea on how to write this. Now, if anyone has any problems with certain details, this is me trying to get into the heads of a couple whose relationship has stepped up from simply friends but are afraid to take it any further, and that can lead to some…moments and feelings. Again, don't like, don't read. I don't own Godzilla and Mothra; Toho, Legendary, and Warner Bros. do (well, Toho, mostly). Also, some Japanese words and phrases are used here and are given with their English translations. If the meanings are erroneous, thus meaning I've used the wrong word or expression, let me know, please.
Now, to set the time. This takes place later on after the fic "Inside". By now, Godzilla and Mothra are pretty well-acquainted with each other. They've also met other kaiju, some bad and some good. Mothra's also convinced her two fellow Guardian kaiju, Gamera and King Caesar, to let Godzilla in among their ranks, and although he has been proving himself well, they're concerned that Mothra's feelings for Godzilla are clouding her judgment. This could be problematic in the future, but for right now, any kind of trouble seems too far away to affect these two.
Now, if you've got your partner with you, cuddle up and prepare to read this story. Who knows, you may see a parallel to your own relationship.
If there had to be one thing Godzilla loved to do, it was float in the ocean. The water was cool, calm, and gentle. It was the one element he knew he could relax in, with no risk of hurting himself. In it, he was free to lie with his back down, giving him a splendid view of the sky.
Yes, mind-bogglingly, despite being a massive creature, Godzilla was actually quite buoyant. Perhaps it had something to do with his amphibious nature. Of course, if anyone saw him floating, they would've mistaken him for an island. Until they got close enough, that is.
Anyway, that was what Godzilla had been doing for a good part of the day; just floating on his back off the coast of Infant Island, his temporary home that he shared with the main inhabitant, Mothra. Said Divine Moth was currently observing him with amusement. He looked like a massive, rocky, breathing islet in the ocean…but he also looked like he was waiting. Daring her to come over. She just giggled and went back to her grooming regimen.
A minute later, she looked back at him. Still snoozing. Still floating, the front half of his body and head out of the water. Daiei, he looked inviting.
Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. She was not going to fall for it. If he was thinking of charming her over, he could forget it. Once she got over there, he was going to dunk her. She was sure of it. She knew he knew she couldn't swim, but that didn't lessen the temptation on his part to do so.
But still, what was the harm? The two had been together long enough to know what was and was not acceptable for each other and had earned a considerable amount of trust from each other as well. He may be playful at times, but he wouldn't do anything malicious to her, she reasoned. Besides, it was a little warm today; the cool sea breeze could do her some good.
She looked around, making sure no-one else was present, then glided over to the floating saurian. Caution took over as she came down gently; she didn't want to wake him. When she did, he slightly stirred, making Mothra go stiff, but the moment passed and she sighed in relief.
Mothra felt a pit of anxiousness growing in her stomach and she felt warm as her heartrate picked up pace. She had been in his intimate space before, but that was on his head, not his body. This was…a different experience. As Godzilla breathed, she moved up and down with his chest. His breaths were louder and his scales looked more detailed up close. She noticed his brow looked rather ornate, those scales looking larger and more prominent than the others. There was also the slow swish-swish of his tail underwater as he kept himself afloat. And there was another sound, too; one she only became aware of a mere second ago. It was one that she knew was there, but never thought of hearing before.
I was wondering when your curiosity would make you come over, came a playful, deep, gentle, smirking tone into her mind.
Mothra's wings flared up and her blue eyes widened in surprise. Apparently he wasn't in as deep a snooze as she thought, and had been waiting for her.
Oh my—Great Tanaka! You…you…you baka! Mothra screeched mentally.
The tone made Godzilla wince and open his amber-colored eyes. Mothra stiffened when she saw those golden-brown eyes up close, her abdomen beginning give her an unfamiliar sensation.
"Ow," Godzilla groaned, a smile still present. "Who're you calling an 'idiot', Ms. Curious?" he asked. "If you didn't want to come over, you could've just ignored me."
"I…uh…I thought…I thought you were asleep," Mothra argued, trying to push past her surprise and the tingling sensation in her body.
"I was napping," he clarified. "Big difference. Are you feeling OK?" Godzilla asked, concerned, feeling something off about his friend. "Do you need to get off or…?"
"No! No, I'm fine," she said quickly, pushing all her internal bothers down. "How are you?" she asked.
"I'm OK," he replied, not entirely convinced by her answer. "I got a good amount of shut-eye in, so I'm well rested. Aside from that—(a slight giggle)—you're kinda tickling me, and I didn't even know I was ticklish!"
This was surprising for Mothra as it was for Godzilla. She felt the scales on his stomach were as hard as everywhere else on his body, but maybe they were more sensitive underneath? Oh well.
"You're really light, though. And very gentle," he added, his words starting to come out as purrs.
Yet another loop Godzilla threw Mothra for. She could never conceive the fact that Godzilla was capable of making that sound, but he was. She could feel it from the top of his chest.
She trailed her right arm down to Godzilla's heart area. She could practically feel it against his rib cage, just as she could feel her own against hers. There was the sound again; loud, quick, gentle, and rhythmic, like a tribal drum. It was close. Very close. The world was slowly disappearing…
Godzilla stretched and shook himself, startled awake by his own synapses. His movements brought the Divine Moth back to reality.
"Well…umm…. Wow, that was…errr…"
"Awkward?" Mothra offered sheepishly.
"Yeah," Godzilla agreed. "Very."
A moment of silence passed while the saurian and the moth cleared their thoughts.
"So, ahem," Godzilla began, clearing his throat, "what do you want to do?"
Mothra was quiet a bit longer before responding, "I…don't know."
Oh dear. Oh no, he groaned. What did I do? I didn't mean to scare her! Tanaka, what was I thinking?! Now she probably thinks that I planned this to—O-o-o-o-o-o-ooh! What do I do?! How can I make it up to her?
Maybe I should've said something other than 'I don't know', Mothra thought, seeing the swirling tumult of anxiety in Godzilla's eyes. Now he's worrying that I thought that he was going to do something dirty to me. What's going on with us? With me? Ever since Godzilla decided to stay with me, I've often felt strange, she remembered. Feeling warm, more friendly than motherly, my heart skipping beats and giving off warmth in my being whenever he looks at me or does one of those surprises of his. When he's low nowadays, or away from me, my heart aches and I get worried. I know the Elias told me about how humans fall in love…is that what's happening? If it is…I wonder…does he…?
"Hey," Godzilla spoke up, cutting off Mothra's chain of thought. "I've got an idea: Do you wanna go somewhere?"
"Oh? Where?" she asked.
"I dunno," he shrugged. "Is there someplace special that you want to go to? Maybe a place you've traveled to before or one your ancestors went to?"
Mothra combed through her memories, current and genetic, but couldn't think of one off the bat.
"Have you ever left the island before? Aside from when you were a larva," Godzilla asked her incredulously, an eyebrow raised.
The answer was as plain as her antennae: "No".
Godzilla's expression was disbelief. Mothra felt a smile coming over her; he looked adorable with his eyebrows out of their usually furrowed position.
"Ma'am, you need to get out more," Godzilla chortled. "Come on," he insisted, "if there was one place on this Earth you've learned about that you absolutely wanted to see, what would it be?" he asked.
Mothra kept thinking on that. Then, she remembered something. "Once, I think, my mother passed over an island that seemed to have stars on its beach," she said.
"A beach with stars on it?!" Godzilla exclaimed. "Pardon me for using a human expression, but, get outta town!"
"No, I mean it," she said seriously, though a giggle slipped. "She was curious about it, but she had a mission to do. Later, she asked Moll and Lora about it, they told her it was an island called 'Maldives', off the coast of the human country of India. To get there from here, we'd have to pass Australia and the Indonesian Islands. Go south then west."
"Hm. It'd take a while, but we'd be able to get there in a reasonable amount of time," Godzilla decided.
"Oh, I almost forgot: the stars on the beach can only be seen at night."
"That's all right. If we get started now, we could be there in maybe two, two-and-a-half days? That's counting the detour around those places you mentioned and if the weather doesn't turn foul."
Mothra grew confused. A human plane could take approximately 10 hours to go from the Japan area to the Maldives. At their size, they could be there in less than that.
"Yeah, you're right," Godzilla conceded. "But it would kinda ruin my offer to take you there if we went separately," he added, pouting a little.
"Oh, all right," she acquiesced, smiling. "You can be my escort."
"Great!" Godzilla's whole face brightened.
Mothra quickly glanced at the water and put out some words of warning, "If you even think of diving with me aboard, I'll hit you so hard…"
"Well, in that case…" Godzilla trailed off, beginning to submerge.
The minute the cold Pacific water touched her, she practically jumped into the air with a squeal. Godzilla quickly resurfaced, laughing at her reaction.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he apologized, still smiling. "I'm sorry. Please come back down, Mosu. I swear, that was only to get that out of my system. I swear! I won't do it again! Please, come back down. Please? Please?" he begged, making puppy-dog eyes at her.
A quick sweep of his mind showed that he was telling the truth, so Mothra came back down, tickling Godzilla again. He then put his arms by her sides, so that she wouldn't slide off accidentally, he explained. He then paddled his feet, and, using his tail like a rudder, they began their journey to the Maldives.
Mothra had been jarred a bit by the start, but she soon found it to be a smooth ride, like gliding through the sea. She felt Godzilla using his muscles to move his legs and keep his body steady. Despite his bulky body type, Godzilla was physically strong. He breathed in time with his leg movements; breathe in, left up, right down, and breathe out, left down, right up. Mothra was in awe at how Godzilla's physical aspects and mental aspects seemed to be opposites of each other, but all together, they made up this one, unique being. Her friend.
Deciding to take advantage of the ride's perks, she let her left main arm hang out to skim the water. She beamed as she felt her appendage push through the water, sending out other waves than the ones Godzilla was making. She spread her wings out, letting the sun filter the colors. Red, orange, yellow, white, and amber colored the blue ocean, and gave Godzilla a spectacular sight that made him smile and his heart glow with her wings.
Godzilla sighed softly, "They are so beauti—OOF!"
Mothra rocked when her ride came to a sudden stop. "Are you OK?" she asked.
Godzilla chuckled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Ow. Ooh, yeah," he groaned, rubbing the top of his head and still chuckling. "You?"
"Startled, but uninjured," she replied. "What happened?"
Godzilla winced, "I—heh!—I think I hit my head on an underwater mountain or, or something."
"You what?!" she squeakily giggled.
"I hit my head," he repeated, not quite believing it himself.
"Well then, watch where you're going," she lightly scolded him, still giggling.
Godzilla playfully rolled his eyes and groaned in the same manner, "Yes, mom."
Mothra was outright laughing now, her melodic peals ringing out across the ocean. She was laughing so hard, she buried her face in Godzilla's sternum just to try to calm herself. Once she stopped, she gently nipped Godzilla on the nose, like a kiss, like a mother would kiss her child to make their pain go away.
"You all right now?" she asked, her tone coming out more sweet than usual.
"M-hm," he replied, grinning ear-to-ear.
"You know how to get where we're going?"
Pretending to look offended, Godzilla replied, "Milady, do you know that I've been given one of the best nautical senses of any animal? To ask that is to insult it!"
That little speech made Mothra giggle all over again. "Now you're bragging," she said, playing along.
Godzilla snorted. "No, I'm not! No other animals know these oceans better than I!"
"How about the whales?"
"…OK. Yeah, they do."
"And the sharks?"
"Them too."
"The dolphins? The rays? The squids? And all the other fish?"
"OK! OK! I get the point!" Godzilla chuckled good-naturedly. He prepared to move off, then got confused, then pointed south and mumbled aloud, "That way. Right", making Mothra laugh more. "Oh, a tip?" he offered. "Try to relax. It'll be a while before we get there."
Soon, the only sounds that were heard was the whooshing breeze, the splash of the waves, the cries of the sea birds, and the swish-swish and breathing of Godzilla as he continued on his course with his passenger.
Mothra lifted her head, letting the breeze play with her fluff and antennae. She watched the sea birds as they hopped from island to island. In the distance, there were other landmasses, most likely Australia as they took the long way around. She lifted her wings in a vertical position, so now any passersby would see what looked like a gray, floating island with a warm-colored sail. After a while, she folded her wings back down. With the breeze, the smoothness of the ride, and Godzilla's warmth, she felt drowsy. She covered a yawn with an arm and settled herself, laying her head on Godzilla's chest.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. There it was. The sound she had been starting to hear. Had felt. It was right under her antennae. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Godzilla's heartbeat was strong and loud, but she didn't mind. It was like a soothing drum playing a lullaby to her. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. As she listened, she smiled. His heart was big, but gentle, just like him. This heart had been through so much pain. It seemed to tell her more than words could ever say. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. She snuggled closer to that beautiful sound as she drifted to sleep, her own heartbeat matching the one she heard. Love-you, she thought she heard her heart say to his. Love-you. Love-you. Love-you.
Godzilla scanned the horizon ahead. According to his senses, they had to be getting close. It had taken them near three-and-a-quarter days just to get there, and that was with the detour and avoiding all the human traffic. Soon, some small, scattered islets came into his upside-down vision.
Is that it? he asked himself. "Oh, what am I saying? Of course that's it," he chided himself aloud. "We're here," he called gently to his passenger as he stopped. "Mothra?" he asked after a pause. "Mosu?"
Something fuzzy snuggled itself into his chest. Lifting his head up slightly, he found the Divine Moth sleeping soundly, a happy sigh escaping her. She must be having a good dream, he thought. Makes me sorry to wake her up now. So peaceful. So strong. So beautiful. Godzilla felt a twist of warmth in his chest and he sighed deeply. "Mosu," he whispered, gently caressing her soft head with a finger. "Mosu, time to wake up."
She stirred a little, but didn't wake up. Come on, beautiful. Rise and shine, he smiled gently. She shifted to her front, not wanting to wake up just yet. Godzilla barely felt her own tiny heart beat against his chest. His own skipped a beat, making him happily sigh.
The mood was broken when Mothra stirred her wings, but they opened downward, going to the water. Godzilla recovered just in time to hold the delicate appendages above the water. Mothra stirred more this time, feeling that her wings had moved not under her own power. "Mothra, please. Your wings," Godzilla gently entreated, a little louder this time now that he had her attention.
Mothra opened her eyes and let out a squeaky yawn. She blinked a few times, then pushed herself up and found herself face-to-face with her "driver".
"Good morning," Godzilla greeted cheerily. "Or, rather, good afternoon," he corrected after checking the sun's position.
"Hi," Mothra sighed, still sleepy.
"We're here," he said.
Mothra shook her head and blinked her eyes to clear out whatever sleepiness was left in her. "Already?" she asked.
"You slept well?"
"Ooh, like a baby," she replied, stretching herself and taking her wings off his hands. "In fact, I haven't slept that deeply in what feels like a long time."
"Well, glad I was comfortable," Godzilla said, not exactly sure how someone like Mothra could've fallen asleep against his rough hide, but glad that she got some rest. "We got here a little later than I calculated, but we're in time to see the Star Beach," he added.
Mothra looked around. The Maldives were small, a scattered group of islands. A kaiju as big as Godzilla could crush one of them under his foot. The tiny beaches were brilliant in the afternoon sun, the low water level areas looking a brighter blue that showed the underwater inhabitants of the islands and their homes. It was as stunning in the day as it was at night. Now to find a spot to view the beaches properly.
"Not a lot of choice spots, huh?" Godzilla asked, noticing.
No, there weren't, she felt like replying, but that would've been too obvious.
"We daren't get any closer; we'll disturb and harm the wildlife," Mothra stated, making known her biggest concern first.
Godzilla nodded in understanding. He knew how she felt about life on Earth, and he had come to respect it almost as much as she did, which is why he had recently taken whales off his prey list. He knew that she knew that they were the biggest source of food for him, but he still did it to make her happy. And when she was happy, he was too. Besides, the first and last time he let Mothra try whale meat, at his insistence, she got pretty sick. He never, ever wanted to do that again.
"We could always…watch from here," Godzilla suggested.
Mothra let out a negative hum and shook her head. She had made up her mind that she wanted a view of the Star Beach, like her mother did, and just watching from where they were now wasn't good enough.
"And I know that I could do an aerial view," she continued, "but then you wouldn't be able to share it."
This was a conundrum. If they both wanted a view, they'd need a hill, and…well, there weren't any.
…At least, not yet.
"Mothra," Godzilla spoke, an idea beginning to form. "Mothra, could you…?" He motioned with his hands for her to take off, which she complied to. "Just…hover there for a bit, please? I'll be right back. Watch out," he warned, starting to turn over.
Mothra heightened her altitude to avoid Godzilla's dorsal spines as he rolled over and dove under the water. He made sure to give the islands a wide berth, so as not to disturb anything, as he swam to the other side. There was another, big enough island that was perfect for viewing. Now, how to start. On a whim, he started using his hands to push some of the wet, sandy bottom into a pile. Now it looked like a molehill (for a kaiju). He pulled in some more sand and packed it together. Luckily, the water was calm enough for his work not to be washed away. But just in case, he dismantled his rough draft, gathered some massive undersea boulders, and melted them together with his atomic ray on a lower level. Then he started putting the sand back on it. Yes, yes! Perfect!
Meanwhile, Mothra patiently hovered, waiting for Godzilla. However, her vantage point gave her a perfect view of her saurian friend's activities. She watched him as he swam off, then quickly returned, arms full of large rocks, stacked said rocks, and melted them together, creating a hill of sorts.
"What on Earth…? Goji-kun, what are you doing?" she whispered to herself, amazed and touched by his act.
It was incredible. As she watched Godzilla craft this hill for her, it was like watching a sculptor making a statue, or a painter create something on a canvas. She blinked to hold back happy tears. Her heart was pounding. She wanted to go over and embrace him, but she held herself back to let him finish.
Hours later, it was close to sunset, and Godzilla was just about done. He had created a hill with two parts. The first part of the hill, the one for Mothra, stood at about the nape of his neck, a good 300 feet, at least. The second part was built like a crude standing desk on a stand that in total came up to his elbow; he would step up on the lower part and lean on the higher part. The tops of both were flattened, and both were completely covered in sand. He tested his side of the kaiju-made hill to make sure it would hold. It crumbled a bit, but it was solid. Godzilla sighed; it had been a lot of work, but it had been worth it. And now, soon, he and Mothra were going to enjoy the beauty of the Maldives.
Speaking of Mothra, Godzilla saw her blue eyes shining in the growing-sunset sky. A true smile on his face and a sort of gentlemanly (excuse me, gentle-kaiju-ly) air about him, he held out his hand in silent invitation for her to come over. She complied. He guided her to her spot.
"You comfortable?" he asked.
She tested it out. The sand had been packed firm, and the foundation was sturdy. Of course, she was just light enough to not affect it so much. All-in-all, a fine piece kaiju crafting, something she never thought a Gojiran capable of doing. She smiled and tried to speak, but all she could do was smile and put her main arms to her chest to calm her heart. Godzilla, meanwhile, saw her pleased reaction, but then thought about all that sand that would have to spend grooming off herself later, and decided to go the extra mile.
"Hold on. Be right back," he told her as he carefully hurried off.
A minute later, he returned, his hands filled with squeezed-dry seaweed. After asking her to lift off a little, he spread the seaweed on the sandy top. Mothra came back down. The new addition still smelled a bit salty, but it was comfortable and had his scent all over. Her bioluminescence activated, bathing the area in a gentle, blue-green light. Her eyes conveyed her gratitude before she could even speak.
"Goji-kun…shin'ainaru yūjin…watashi no saiai…arigato. Arigato gozaimasu!" Mothra breathed in Japanese, the native language of their home, overwhelmed with happiness.
Godzilla was still learning how to understand different human languages, but he understood the endearment using his name, the second endearment which meant "dear friend", and the last one which meant "thank you very much". The only one he couldn't translate was the third one, "my beloved", but he got the gist of the message.
"Dōitashimashite," Godzilla enunciated slowly, trying to keep the pronunciation right.
Mothra smiled in approval. He had said the Japanese word for "you're welcome" perfectly.
"Almost time," Godzilla pointed out, switching back to kaiju-tongue.
Both kaiju looked out towards the sandy beach they were observing. The sun was gone, the purple, deep red, orange, and yellow tones still lingering in the sky. Darkness soon crept in.
"There!" Godzilla whispered excitedly, pointing toward what looked like a blue speck of light from the beach ahead of them.
The tide pulled in, bringing more lights. Soon, it was if the beach itself and the nearby water became another night sky. Godzilla and Mothra watched the phenomenon in awe, wondering how such a beautiful thing came about.
Godzilla had a theory. Two, really. "I wonder," he began, "if those stars are ones that got lost. On their way up to the sky, they somehow got turned around and fell back down here," he explained. "Or maybe," he continued, his expression turning sorrowful, "those stars were forced out of the heavens. Maybe…maybe they did something wrong. They didn't mean to, but they were thrown out anyway. Or they were so different that the other stars were scared or mad at them and they were forced to live a lonely existence down here. And every night, they look up and try to make their own sky, to show the other stars, but…deep down, they know that…they'll never go home."
Mothra listened to this and felt her heart give a twinge of sympathy. She knew what the basis for his second theory was; she was part of it. It all came from the fateful night that Godzilla followed the egg she had shared with her twin sister and found it the next morning, only for him to be attacked by her mother and kill her in a rage. That event had been the catalyst to bring this rather mismatched pair together; the deed having traumatized him and her putting her gentleness to the test in hope for redeeming him. So far, it had seemed to be working, but, apparently, Godzilla still couldn't put the past event behind him.
And he never would, either. Remembering that event was the very thing that kept leading him down the straight and narrow. In his mind, to forget it was to deny it ever happened. It was his mark of shame, his cross to bear for the rest of his life.
Mothra pursed her mandibles, then found something that her companion didn't think about. "But what about when the sun rises? Where do they go then?" she queried.
Godzilla tried to find an explanation for that one, and replied mournfully, "They…are pulled by the tide back into the sea, I guess."
Mothra shook her head, placing her left main arm on Godzilla's right shoulder. "I think," she said, "that there are a few stars up there who are sorry for them and care for them so much, that they allow those lost stars to come back up into the heavens until the moon rises again. But, one day, I know that those stars will be welcomed back up there, permanently," she added solemnly.
Godzilla looked at her, amber-colored eyes flooded with tears. You mean that? his eyes asked her.
Mothra smiled motherly at him, and nodded. I always will, her eyes replied. She then leaned closer to him, and nuzzled his cheek. Tears fell on her head, but she didn't care.
Meanwhile, some miles behind the kaiju, a few humans on a tour boat who were there to see the luminescent phytoplankton phenomenon had been and were being treated to quite a kaiju sighting. Earlier this afternoon, the alert had gone up that Godzilla and Mothra were approaching. No-one was worried about Mothra, but they were definitely worried about Godzilla. Imagine their relief when Godzilla made no move towards civilization, and then their surprise when they saw Godzilla creating a mountain! Videos of the sight had already been posted to social media forums, where Monarch and the Global Defense Force were sure to find them when searching for kaiju sightings. They were now being given the sight of a mismatched kaiju…date.
"It's quiet out there," remarked a security officer to his comrade. "I hope it stays that way."
"I wouldn't worry too much," replied the other guard. "As long as Mothra's around, that's a sure sign that tall, grey, scaly, and scary will behave himself."
"Oh, isn't that just romantic?" sighed a young woman to her fiancé.
"What's romantic about it?" asked the young man rather apathetically. "It's an oversized lizard and a moth. If you ask me, something's gone screwy."
The woman whirled around to face her fiancée, very offended by his attitude. "How could you say that?!" she hissed, making her young man realize that he just got himself into hot water. "Didn't you see them arrive? Mothra looked so comfortable on Godzilla! That means they trust each other! And didn't you see Godzilla start making that mountain so that Mothra could perch on it to see the phytoplankton? That means he'd do anything to make her happy! And now, seeing them so close and listening to them? Even though I don't know what they said, one thing's for sure: judging by the tones of those growls and chirps, Godzilla seems to be lost in a dark place, and Mothra's trying to help him out of it. Being in a place like this, together, it's giving them a chance to bond. And even though it might not go any further, this relationship is deep and strong. And I can only say it's beautiful. And if all you can say is that terrible thing, then you don't understand love at all."
The young couple was quiet as the young man, as well as some bystanders who were within earshot, thought on what the young woman said.
"Mommy, does Godzilla really love Mothra?" a five-year-old girl asked, having heard the lady talking.
Sighing, the mother smiled warmly at the expectant face of her little one, scooped her up, and replied, "I don't know, sweetie. There's a lot of things about the kaiju world that we don't understand. But, considering what we've seen…well…what's happened really reminds me of your father and I from some years ago. Remember, dear?" she asked her husband, a happy, meaningful look on her face.
Her husband smiled back and nodded, putting an arm around his better half and their child.
Godzilla tried to ignore his sixth sense going off like an alarm bell in his brain, but he gave in and glanced backwards. There was a boat nearby, and full of humans, too. How long had they been there? What had they seen?
"Goji?"
"We've got company," he murmured nervously.
Mothra turned around and spied the boat. "Well, I didn't realize that we'd drawn a crowd," she admitted candidly.
"Mothra," Godzilla whispered, "let's get out of here. I don't…feel comfortable in this situation. Not that I'm not comfortable around you, it's just…Oh, how can I put it?" he groaned.
"It's not you to look…soft in front of the humans," Mothra proposed.
"I guess it's what you said humans call…male ego?" Godzilla asked.
An amused "hm" from Mothra was the only answer he got.
"Listen, if you don't want to stay, I'm not going to force you. Besides, we already came for what we wanted to see, anyway," she chirped.
Agreeing, Godzilla stepped down from his part of the makeshift hill and laid back in the water. As soon as he was set, Mothra gently floated down, tickling Godzilla for a third time upon landing. Once she was set, they departed, leaving the mountain to stand. It would later be dubbed the 'MosuGoji Perch' by tourism officials and the press.
As the two kaiju began to leave, there were audible, disappointed "aww's" from the children aboard the boat. They wanted Godzilla and Mothra to stay a bit longer.
"OK, folks, show's over," barked a crewman. "We'll be heading back in five minutes."
"Frankly, I'm glad they're gone," said the first security officer. "Sure was the strangest thing I'd ever seen, though," he admitted.
"I know what you mean," the second security officer chuckled. "But yet," he continued, thinking back to something, "just watching those two…kinda made me wonder if I ever will."
"Ever will what?" the first security officer queried.
The second officer paused a moment, then replied softly, "If I'll ever find the perfect woman to take to the most beautiful places in the world."
"Sure you will, kid," the young officer's comrade assured him.
Meanwhile, the young man watched the kaiju, the words and tone of his fiancée still turning in his mind. He had seen Mothra gently land on Godzilla; there was no fear, no distrust. He remembered the first time he had held his to-be-wedded close. There was some natural nervousness, but that had been shadowed over by how good it felt to hold someone you love. He thought back to when Godzilla had created the mountain. The first time he saw that, he had dismissed as a fluke; that nature had messed something up. But now, he remembered the internal promise he had made to his beloved, that he would do anything-sing her favorite song, give her her favorite flowers, even move mountains-to show his love for her and make her happy. Well, it seemed that Godzilla had done just that for Mothra.
The young man slowly walked over to his better half, who had moved to the railing at the right side of the ship, ready to deliver a contrite apology. He stood 36 inches away on her left, and wiped his hands as they became sweaty. What if she didn't accept his apology? Would this affect their current relationship? The latter thought scared him to death.
He took a deep breath, then began, "I've been thinking…about what you said. About Godzilla and Mothra. And…just watching them made me realize…" He took a deep breath before continuing, still nervous, "You're right; they do care about each other. Godzilla wouldn't have made that mountain if he didn't. Mothra wouldn't be so close to him if she didn't. I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I didn't care about you. And you're right, that little…crack I made was uncalled for. I'm…very, very sorry. It's just…Maybe it's the fact that all I saw was a lizard and moth and that was it. Maybe you're right: I don't understand love. I'm sorry, and…maybe…maybe you'll want to find someone who does."
He felt a soft hand touch his arm. He turned his head to see the smiling face of his beloved. She moved closer to him, wrapping her left arm through the crook of his right elbow and nuzzling the side of her face into his shoulder. He responded by letting her stand in front of him, wrapping his arms lovingly around her waist, and tenderly kissing her, his tears getting wiped away by her hair. All had been forgiven.
"I don't want anyone else, just you," she whispered reassuringly, enjoying his embrace.
"And I only want you," he answered. "I would do anything for you. Anything to make you happy with me."
"Would you…build a mountain for me?" she asked, smiling widely.
Her young man chuckled warmly. "I would," he replied softly. "So that you could reach the stars."
She giggled, blushing deeply. He smiled. He loved it when he made her happy.
After a pause, the man asked, "Do you think their relationship will last? I mean, by human standards, it's not what we call natural. And…I don't want to offend you, but do you think we could be…projecting what we think about love on them? I mean, it's not like they're really human or anything…um…darn! I did it again, didn't I?"
"Mm…actually, from what little we know about the kaiju world in general, and the kaiju themselves…it might be possible," she admitted. "But…" she continued, turning herself in his arms to face him, "…I don't think that's going to stop them. Besides, who knows, they could think the same of us," she added, embracing her fiancée. "I guess it all comes down to that famous expression, or cliché, if you want to call it that: 'Love conquers all'. I think they'll be all right," she whispered, her face now close to the young man's.
"Just like us," he finished, bringing her closer to him for a passionate kiss.
Miles away, in the South Atlantic, Godzilla and Mothra had stopped their trek home to stargaze. The sky was clear, with nary a cloud in sight. The heavens above looked like a black cloak studded with jewels. The two had seen this sight before on Infant Island, but there was something special about this time. Maybe it was the fact that they were completely isolated at the moment. There was nothing but themselves, the ocean beneath them, and the sky above them.
Mothra looked up in amazement. The stars had never looked so bright before, like they were smiling. Godzilla gazed at the sky as well, then looked at Mothra. The stars reflected in her multi-faceted eyes, as if they captured them.
"It's so beautiful out here," Mothra whispered in reverent awe, as if she was afraid to break the peaceful atmosphere.
"Yes, it is," Godzilla agreed automatically, quite taken by the starlight in Mothra's eyes.
"To think, millions of years ago, humans looked up to the stars for stories, signs, guidance. They even made pictures with them."
"They did?" Godzilla asked, curiosity piqued. "How?"
"Well," Mothra began, pointing an arm at the sky towards a random star, "they just looked up, found a star, looked at the ones surrounding it, and surely, a picture came to mind." She then began tracing some stars together until, in her mind's eye, they formed a spiral. "Sometimes, the arrangement of certain stars were more obvious than others," she added. "In the northern part of the world, there are a set of stars that look obviously like a human tool that they called it the Big Dipper."
Godzilla absorbed this information with interest. "Sounds easy," he remarked.
"Do you want to try?" she asked.
"What do I do first?"
"Look around for a star, any star, to start with. Find one that catches your eye," she advised.
Godzilla roved his eyes around the night celestial display, searching for one. After scanning about three times, he found one: colored blue and very tiny. He pointed his right hand toward it so that Mothra could see. She nodded approvingly at his choice.
"Now, look at the other stars around it," she instructed. "Do you see any that could lead to an image?"
Godzilla stared at them, trying to find a picture that could come out of it, but no matter what he tried, nothing appeared coherent. He sighed in frustration. "It's no use," he growled, beginning to lower his arm. "I can't find a-"
"Goji! Don't!" Mothra suddenly cried out, grabbing his arm. "You'll…ahem. You'll lose your spot," she explained nervously, a little embarrassed by her outburst. "Maybe I can help," she offered.
Initially confused by Mothra's exclamation, Godzilla decided to accept her help. After all, she knew more about these sorts of things than he did.
Mothra analyzed the other celestial bodies surrounding the tiny, blue one Godzilla picked, found one above it, and guided his pointing finger in that direction. This continued on for a while, Mothra finding most of them and Godzilla occasionally picking out a few. However, he still had no clue how to make it turn out…until he saw a star that looked red. He glanced at Mothra, then at the stars. He saw the picture before it was even finished.
"Do you see an image?" Mothra asked, noticing the soft gasp of discovery Godzilla made.
Godzilla nodded.
"What do you see?" she inquired, letting go of his arm.
Godzilla looked at her with love in his eyes. "You," he replied dreamily. "Dancing amongst the stars."
Mothra's wings flared up again as her heart skipped a beat. Once again, she felt warm all over. Her eyes widened. Her maw opened slightly in the manner of a jaw drop. She brought up her main arms to her mouth, then bowed her head slightly to hide it behind them.
Oh no, what did I do now? poor Godzilla groaned. "Mosu?" he asked nervously. "Are…Are you…? I'm so sorry," he apologized, sure that he had crossed a line this time.
There was no response, but the Divine Moth activated her bioluminescence, making her glow a gentle blue. Yet, the light seemed brighter and warmer than usual. It mesmerized the saurian. She brought her arms down and her head up, revealing a smile. She moved herself closer to Godzilla's head.
Godzilla grew nervous; he wanted to move away, but he couldn't. Her literally and figuratively glowing blue eyes locked on his amber ones. Slowly, his nervousness fell away. This was his best friend, who had taken care of him all this time; why should he be afraid of her? His breathing slowed, but his heart beat harder. Their maws were inches apart…but she moved higher and did a forehead touch instead. They both sighed, but was it out of relief or sadness?
"That was…very sweet…" Mothra whispered breathily, trying to calm down after that very arousing moment.
Godzilla hummed a thank-you, not wanting to jar Mothra. She crawled back to her original position.
"Goji?" Mothra queried, slightly wary of her friend's silence. "Talk to me. Please."
Godzilla smiled that smile that was cute and gentle at the same time. "Are you OK?" he asked gently, wanting an honest answer.
Mothra was quiet while she ran her self-diagnosis. Her heart was still going a bit fast, but it was slowing down, and the strange, tingling sensation in her abdomen had just about ebbed away. Aside from an odd feeling of disappointment, she was fit as a fiddle, and told Godzilla so, while keeping the rest hidden.
Godzilla raised an eyebrow. He was sure that she wasn't telling him the whole story, but, after all, he did make her flustered. And it wasn't like he hadn't felt strange either.
Mothra, despite whatever problems they had early on, was a good friend. She always made him feel safe. She always had a kind word to say. As time went on, other things began coming up: When she lit up, he felt that he lit up with her. When she was down, it was like a blade that stabbed his heart. Her laughter made him laugh, too. When she had held him to her heart, he was brought back to faint memories of his own mother holding him close, as well as when he found the twin larvaes' egg. He was still trying to figure out how Mothra could fall asleep and be comfortable on his scales. Minutes ago, he had been so nervous, then she looked deep into him, and it felt like he was floating on air with her. Then she got closer and his insides felt like they were on fire as his heartbeat went into overtime.
It was a strange experience, to be sure, but the moment had passed, and all was right with world again. He regarded her response a bit longer before accepting it.
"You wanna head home?" Godzilla asked.
"Not yet," Mothra answered, getting drowsy. "Let's stay a bit longer."
Godzilla sighed, agreeing. He laid his head back, looking back up at the starry sky. He thought back to their conversation at the Maldives, about the stars. He himself had felt like one of those stars on the beach: lost and cast out due to his own fall from grace. He thought he would end up alone in the world, but then this bright, blue star came and carried him back up. Now, life wasn't complete without her.
"Mothra, I've been thinking. About what you said. And…I'm really glad you came into my life. Even though I didn't act it at the time," he admitted, a rumbling chuckle coming from his chest. "I'm wondering, if it's possible, would you like to…to stay…with…?" He trailed off, once again feeling a fuzzy head nuzzling his chest. "Mosu?" He lifted his head up. "Hello? You asleep?" he asked.
A soft sigh and feeling her shift her body around to get in a more comfortable position gave him his answer. Godzilla shook his head in disbelief. She did it again. Why, and how, was he so comfy? He shrugged it off after not coming up with any answers.
He kept his breathing slow, so as not to rudely awaken her, and she moved her head slightly. She sighed contently, satisfied with her position. When she did, he realized what she was using for her pillow: not only could he feel her furry head with his scales, but also with his steadily-beating heart. It was then he realized that not only had she captured his heart, she had become it. He had fallen in love with her. Gently, he licked the top of her head, giving her a goodnight kiss.
Sweet dreams, my dear heart, Godzilla thought as he settled into sleep. Very sweet dreams.
So the two Titans slept, the heavens their canopy, the dark ocean their bed. And in their dreams, their hearts told each other more secrets than either of them would ever say in the waking world.
And…done. (sighs) Wow… Was that beautiful, or what? Ah, these two, in love with each other, yet they can't seem to bring themselves closer. But I think that's OK; just the way they act around each other and the way their very beings (like their eyes) seem to communicate with each other just shows their love for each other. And of course, the flusters; especially the ones Goji gets. Oh, the poor guy. Now, come on, don't tell me none of you guys out there haven't been in Goji's shoes at least once or twice. Same with you girls; I'm sure many of you have had moments like Mothra had.
I hope you folks enjoyed the scenes with the humans on the tourist boat. It's interesting seeing a relationship (even one considered "strange") from an outside POV.
And just how does a Divine Moth fall asleep on a giant, radioactive saurian anyway? Ah well, we may never know.
Now, I realize this story may have been as cheesy as all get-out, but I think you can see some things that many wished were in such a relationship: They think about each other, they are respectful of each other's boundaries, one is willing to go the extra mile for the one they love, they trust each other. And, to top it all off, remember that these two have been brought together by a common incident that left them both hurt, so these two are essentially healing each other. And although Godzilla will not let himself forget what he did, he is willing to let Mothra help pick up his broken pieces. Who could ask for a better friend/lover/partner than that?
As always, please read and review. Thank you.