The Gathering of the Seven.
Chapter Two: Companion.
The Wildlands.
He was fourteen years old. He kept telling himself that as he quietly crept out of the estate, keeping his tachi sheathed as he saw an Aoi guard in the distance, making sure that Kenchi, Izanagi's Velociraptor who was covered in red and green feathers, was sleeping peacefully. The guard coughed, and left, and the young kaiju quickly made his way down the wooden stairs, making sure to slide the door closed quietly, and then quickly made his way to the tall wooden gate.
"Don't go….. please…."
A soft voice from behind him stopped him as he reached the gate, and the Gojirasaur turned around. "Please…. don't leave…." She was a Gojirasaur like him, although she was only a year younger than him, and compared to the black clothes he was clad in, she wore a light white nightgown, which contrasted with her physical appearance. Unlike him, her scales were a light purple and her body frame was smaller as well, her muscles and chub not being as prominent as his were beginning to be. Her tail was longer than his, and unlike him, she had much more jagged looking dorsal plates, which were a mix of red and purple in color. Finally, she had a slightly shorter muzzle and snout than his with a few fangs poking out of the top of her mouth, two ears like his with three rows of spikes on her head, and orange-red eyes, much like her father's eyes. She had gripped his hand, her soft four fingered scaled hands holding on gently as he looked away from her, and sighed.
"I have to do this… I'm sorry Rin. The longer I stay here… the longer I put your family into danger." The other Gojirasaur was still holding on, and for a minute, he considered leaving right now, his hand against the smaller door on the gate, feeling the fiber of the dark oak. "The last thing I want is for you to die…. I can't lose anyone else…."
"Then let me come with you," Rin responded, something that made his heart stop as he looked up, seeing the stars twinkling down at the two of them. "Please… you're my friend…" He closed his eyes, and then gently took his hand out of hers, his tail swishing as he opened the door with a quiet creek.
"You're my friend too… my best friend… that's why you can't come with me… your parents have been good to me…. but… I can't wait anymore Rin… I'm sorry….."
The Ronin woke up with a jolt, and felt the sun hit his face almost immediately, and got up from the tree he was leaning against, looking around at his location. The grass field was gently waving in the wind, the long green stalks almost rustling like fur on a mammal. The Ronin touched the stalks in front of him gently, feeling their dampness as he sighed deeply, and closed his eyes, before walking forward, and looked up in the sky. The grass felt wet against his feet, and helped cool him down a bit as he stood in the field. Aside from what appeared to be a bird or a pterosaur flying high in the deep blue sky, there were very few clouds. The Ronin breathed in deeply, and turning around, his tail flattening some of the field, he started to walk away from where the village had been. As he moved on, the sound of rustling came from behind him, and the Ronin stopped, listening as he heard it stop as well. He moved forward again, and heard the rustling once again, and then quickly whirled around as he used his tail to swipe where he thought the legs of the new arrival was, and drew his small blade, getting on top of the kaiju. "Woah! hey, it's me… remember?" The Ronin had pinned down Ryu, the Anguirus squirming a bit as he held the blade to his throat. Realizing this, the Ronin got off of him and sheathed his blade, helping the other kaiju stand up as Ryu panted heavily, his armor shifting as he scratched himself and made sure his axe was still slung to his back. "Where are you going? It's dangerous out there you know…."
"….. I'll be fine…. I don't know Ryu," the Ronin grunted, staring at the Anguirus's golden eyes, and how he seemed to be looking at him with concern. "Why are you following me? I could've killed you….."
"I saw what you did with Oliver," Ryu answered as he watched the Ronin sigh and start to walk away, beginning a light jog as he kept up with him. "And the thing is… I think you're the one I'm looking for… one who can help me end the war." At this, the Ronin stopped, and looked back at the Anguirus, before continuing on as he took out a strange bottle, and uncorked it, starting to rub the contents on him. "You took on three kaiju at once and killed them all didn't you?"
"Ryu… I'm not the one you're looking for," the Ronin sighed again, feeling the fluid run down his scales and soak in. "Tell me…. have you killed anyone yet? Have you fought others? And do you know how to even use that thing?" The Ronin stopped again and gestured at the axe on his back, before drawing out his own tachi blade and showing it to him, before sheathing it once again.
"Look, I don't know what your name is….. but I have killed before," Ryu answered, his voice lowering a bit as he removed the axe from his back, holding it in both hands. "And I know how to use this." The Ronin leaped back as Ryu suddenly swung the axe, in front of a few grass stalks, and then strapped it back onto his back, the grass falling into pieces as he did so. "It's made out of starmetal, like your sword is…. so I think Spicae or fate, or whatever you believe brought us together." The Ronin huffed again, before continuing his walk as Ryu followed him still. "Your Guardian Beast is Bumi right?"
"….. Yes…. Ryu…. Who are you really?" Ryu stopped in his tracks as the Ronin sat down, and stared at him, to which the other kaiju sat down as well. "Your armor is unlike anything I've seen before, you speak like you've experienced a lot of meetings, and a starmetal blade? Not many kaiju have those… so who are you Ryu?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Ryu answered, putting his head down, a small tear coming out of his eye. "…. I'm just like you…." The Ronin closed his eyes, shamefully looking away, before he moved closer to Ryu, and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry…. I shouldn't have done that. You seem like a good guy Ryu….. I'm sorry," The Ronin repeated, replaying the memory of the day he started his journey in his mind. After thinking for a few more minutes, he saw Ryu move his head back up again, and then asked his question. "….. do you want to travel with me? I'm heading west… because I've felt several tremors in the ground… and they seem to be coming from somewhere near Reno City." Ryu looked into the fierce eyes of the Ronin, and nodded yes.
"I've felt them too…. And what's more… I've heard rumors that a divine moth is there too… you ever see one…. friend?" The Ronin nodded no, and got up, helping Ryu up again as the two headed west some more. "So…. do you have a name?"
"No," the Ronin lied, the sensation of having a companion once again making his heart beat rapidly as the two walked through the wildlands, and then noticed the vast desert coming up to them. "Well…. I do…. but I don't want to talk about it…. friend…." Ryu smiled at him, and walked up next to him, the two heading through the field as they walked together.
Deep within his heart…. The Ronin wondered how Rin was doing…
Reno City: Neutral Ground.
The dry ground crackled as the Ronin stepped forward, feeling the heat radiating from the midday sun. As he walked, he took a drink of water from his bota bag, then splashed it over his gills, and looked behind him as he saw Ryu panting heavily, while drinking from a similar bota bag. "Hey, you okay back there?" As Ryu finished drinking, he rubbed his mouth and caught up to the Ronin, putting his hand on his shoulder as he stretched and cracked his carapace. The dried stegosaurus meat they had eaten earlier had given them enough energy to last through the vast desert, in spite of the Ronin not really needing it.
"Don't worry I'm fine," Ryu panted, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he walked alongside the Ronin, "it's just the heat… and my armor… I'm kinda sweaty right now." True to the Anguirus's word, there was some dampness on his white shirt and sleeves, his dusty armor almost mixing with it and making it look dirty.
"Never traveled in the desert before have you?" Ryu looked at the Ronin, noticing how little he was sweating, especially compared to the bleached bones of what appeared to be a sailback dinosaur in the distance, several desert raptors running around as they dug in the ground for some food, smaller reptiles or mammals. "Don't worry… you'll get used to it."
"I guess," Ryu answered as the two started to climb up a small rocky hill, using their claws to keep their grip as they moved up. "You know when we get to Reno City, all I want to do is cool down in the oasis while we're there." The Ronin closed his eyes as the two of them climbed, remembering the tales of the famous oasis and how it was said to be full of food and water, allowing the city to prosper as its citizens worked day and night in the big mine next to it, harvesting all sorts of precious metals along with starmetal. At one point or another, Reno City was a prime spot for both the Grand Alliance and the Imperial alliance to trade for resources, at least until the mines shut down and the desert city had changed to become a neutral city where kaiju of all kinds could live together, and at the same time be a city for any traveler to stay.
"All I want to do is find out where those tremors are coming from, and then get supplies for the road," the Ronin replied, feeling his bag slosh around as he started nearing the top of the hill. "So, that axe…. How come you use that Ryu?"
"Oh well, it's a bit complicated," the Anguirus replied, as he reached the top of the hill, still panting as he pulled up the Ronin after him. "When I was a kid, my grandpa would always train me with different weapons, but out of all of the ones I tried using, it was an axe like this that I was the best with." Ryu gripped the handle of his axe, showing it off proudly to the Ronin, and smiled. "So since then, I've used this. How about you? That's a tachi blade right? Why that over a normal katana?" The Ronin gripped the handle of his blade, and breathed in and out, before answering Ryu.
"Longer reach, I can fight more efficiently that way," the Ronin answered, almost quietly as Ryu looked at him again, noticing how battle worn he seemed to be. The Angurius stayed quiet for some time, before he asked him another question.
"How long have you been doing this for?" The Ronin closed his eyes, and sniffed in the air, before answering the Anguirus.
"Ten years by my count. And what about you Ryu? How long have you been doing this? You running away from something" The Ronin kept sniffing, while Ryu moved to answer him.
"Just a year or so. It's…. complicated….." The Ronin stopped sniffing, and moved Ryu to the direction where he was looking, and Ryu tried not to gasp at what he saw. There was vegetation right in the middle of the desert, spanning for miles and miles as he saw various plants and flowers, with fruit growing off of various trees of all types, along with a massive lake and a series of rivers running alongside it, all into a small city made of sandstone, the buildings stand out amongst the oppressing heat of the desert. However, there was an acrid smell in the air, and then Ryu noticed the smoke and the craters in the city.
"I smell napalm…. Something happened…. Let's get down there…." The Ronin slid down the hill, followed by Ryu as they ran towards the main gate to Reno City, the smoke and craters getting bigger as the two reached the gate. The two walked past the gate, and looked around at the city, noticing several civilians surveying the damage, Ryu trying not to gasp as he realized that there were several Rodan, Varan, Zilla, and Megalon amongst other kaiju like Gojirasaurs, Baragon, other Anguirus, a couple of Gorosaurus, and even a few Battra. The Battra were big and muscular, their yellow and black spiked exoskeletons making them appear fierce along with their massive yellow and red patterned wings and their red compound eyes complementing a series of fierce yellow horns on their heads, along with their sharp mandibles. They had four arms, with their upper arms ending in clawed four fingered hands while their lower ones ended in sharp looking scythe like appendages. Finally, their legs were muscular and similarly spiked like the rest of their body, and they had two sharp talons on their feet, adding all to their fierce appearance. One of the Rodans then suddenly noticed the two new arrivals, and quickly flew over, landing in front of the two of them as the Ronin growled lightly seeing him, before he noticed a partially collapsed building and ran over as he helped lift up a support beam that a Gorosaurus and a Baragon were moving, and then pulled out a young Gojirasaur child from underneath it. The Rodan looked at Ryu, and Ryu quietly analyzed the bird, checking him over as he stared at him. The Rodan was smaller than him, and his red and brown body was fairly muscular, especially his winged arms, and Ryu could see the telltale orange glow of his inner magma at the bottom of his wings, along with a few cracks running up the wings, and a few cracks in his muscular legs, all the way down to his fierce taloned feet. The Rodan's beak was fierce looking, and his twin head crests gave him a strangely handsome appearance with his striking yellow eyes, which was helped by his choice of clothing, a sleeveless black shirt made out of silk and a pair of brown short pants, which exposed parts of his chest and thighs. As Ryu finished analyzing him Ryu then saw another collapsed building, and ran over as he saw several Battra moving the rubble away, and quickly started digging as he noticed the Ronin moving over to a crater, and pulling out an injured Megalon, who was covered in scorch marks.
"So… you two… who are you exactly? Cause it's strangely convenient that you two showed up here right after Scarab and his goons attacked us," a light voice spoke, causing Ryu to turn around to see the Rodan standing behind him, a light piece of rubble in his hands as the Ronin then ran over to Ryu, pulling a Varan out of the ruined building as the group of Battra landed, and started taking out fabric and wrapping the reptile's wounds.
"We're just a pair of wandering warriors," Ryu answered the Rodan, while the Ronin looked at the building, tilting his head as he examined it, "We were coming here because we felt strange tremors, and well… we decided to see what was causing them. I didn't expect to find this."
"Megalon did this…. didn't they?" The Ronin spoke lowly, getting up as he turned to look at the Rodan and Ryu. "Do you know why they did this?"
"He doesn't have to answer you spikeback," another Rodan called out while a crowd of various citizens gathered around the new arrivals, a few gasps going out as the Rodan stepped forward angrily, and pointed at the Ronin and Ryu. "Thanks for helping us spikeback, but this is neutral ground, so you know what? We don't need any member of the Grand or Imperial Alliance interfering in our matters. We can deal with Scarab ourselves, so leave us alone!"
"Spikebacks are for Anguirus, beakbrain," the Ronin snorted, causing the Rodan to back away as he glared at him. "And I am part of no alliance. I was not talking to you, I was talking to him, so either give me a reason to talk to you or shut up and leave." The other Rodan backed down as Ryu looked at the Ronin, seeing the coldness in his eyes, and then turned back to the Rodan who had told them of Scarab. "My question still stands as earlier….. did Megalon attack your city, and why?"
"They did attack us, but as for the why…. well…. you'll have to speak to Gojo for that. Oh by the way, my name's Ramirez, but my friends call me Rami, got it memorized?" Ramirez started walking, and gestured to the Ronin and Ryu, beckoning them to follow him. "I'll take you to Gojo, he knows more about this than I do, cause well…. I'm a wanderer like you. So I don't know how exactly all this started, even though I've been here for some time. Come on." The two followed the bird as he walked to a particularly big building with white cloth covering the windows, and then followed him in as he stepped inside, glowstones illuminating the interior of the dark building. Within the building were rows of white dirty cots, a few of them having injured civilians lying in them, and on one of the cots near a corner, was a Gojirasaur who was sitting up, his green scaled body being similar to the Ronin's in build along with his appearance, if it were not for the bandages that covered most of his body. Rami then walked up to him and tapped his shoulder, and he turned around, suddenly noticing the Ronin and Ryu, the two sitting on the cot next to his as he winced in pain and clutched his side.
"Who are…. you? Rami…. Why'd you bring them here?" Gojo winced in pain as he spoke, and tried to move his body to face them, only to cough violently as shifted over, and for Ryu to reach out and to help him sit properly. "Wait… is this about…. Scarab?"
"It is Gojo. My name is Ryu, and this is my companion," Ryu said, gesturing at the Ronin, who sat and stared at the other Gojirasaur, listening intently. "He and I are on a mission, which is why we stopped here. We've felt tremors coming from here, is that from Scarab? Who is he anyway?" Gojo nodded, while Rami also listened, looking at the two Battra guards outside of the building as they let in several nurses clad in simple white robes, who started tending to the other citizens.
"S-Scarab….. he…. He took him," Gojo stammered, suddenly slamming his fist against the wall, and breathing in deeply as he continued to speak. "He's…. He's a monster….. He took him… he took him…." The Ronin started to fidget about as he heard Gojo's tone of voice speaking about whoever "he" was.
"Gojo, Gojo… calm down," Rami reassured the Gojirasaur, rubbing his arm as Ryu leaned in closer to listen. "Use your words… Leo's life is depending on you." The Ronin listened to the name, and thought of Rin, remembering how she had looked when he left.
"S-s-sorry," Gojo groaned, clutching his head as Ryu looked at him understandably. "Scarab is the leader of a band of Megalon that I believe are allied with the Imperial Alliance, and they've been raiding us… for some time now. At first it was just for resources, nothing more and nothing less, but recently…. It was for something else….. He's not like the other Megalons…. There's something off about him…. like he has some sort of strange power that makes him bigger… stronger… and… and… and…. powerful…. He wiped out most of the Guard in his last attack….. and he took him… he took Leo…. My Leo….." Gojo stopped talking and then quietly started to sob, while Rami then pulled him into an embrace, trying to keep the Gojirasaur calm.
"Leo…. Who is he? He's important to you right?" The Ronin heard Ryu's question, and kept thinking about Rin, and prayed as he heard Gojo clear his throat and composed himself.
"Leo is a Divine Moth…. And he is…. important….. They took him to where the mines used to be in that mountain….. I don't know what he's gonna do to him…. DAMN IT! I let him down…. I couldn't protect him….." The Ronin heard what the other Gojirasaur said…. And it was then and there that he made his decision.
"I'll bring him back… and I'll get rid of them. I'll make sure they never attack Reno City or any place again." Everyone then looked as the Ronin got up, and walked to the door of the building, while Ryu ran after him, the Ronin quickly passing by the buildings as he reached the edge of the city, and saw the mines in the distance, before Ryu grabbed his shoulder. "Ryu…. I'm doing this on my own…. stay in the city and help the citizens in any way you can."
"No…. I'm not letting you do this alone," Ryu grunted as he held on, the Ronin not looking at him as he tightened his grip. "We're working together right? Then why don't we do this together? Is it because Gojo said Scarab was bigger and stronger?!"
"We're traveling together…. But I have to do this alone," The Ronin answered again, his voice almost sounding reserved as he grabbed Ryu's hand, and gently moved it off. "Please understand Ryu…. This is how I've been doing this for a long time now…. Ryu, you're a good person…. I don't want to lose anyone else again…." The Ronin turned around, and Ryu saw a deep sadness in his eyes…. the look of someone who had lost a lot, before he turned back, and started walking to the mine. "I'm sorry Ryu… I can't lose anyone else again….."
As Ryu watched the Ronin disappear into the distance, he looked at him, and then back at the city, and breathed in and out, looking up at the midday sun as he weighed his decision.
After what seemed like an eternity, he made his decision.
The Temple of Leviathan: Grand Alliance Territory.
The Temple of Leviathan was once a place that was considered to be the center of all of Pangea, and a place where its citizens could gather together, whether to worship Leviathan or the individual Guardian Beasts who were once him, or to simply meet in peace. The temple was carved into the side of one of the mountains and overlooking a deep forest, towering over it as several kaiju stood inside of it, the insides of the intricately carved temple being lit by several torches and candles, and series of altars that stood in front of carved representations of the Guardian Beasts of Pangea, from Bumi the Guardian Beast of the Gojirasaur to Manda the Guardian Beast of the Sea. And inside that particular floor were the leaders of the Grand Alliance along with a few of their close allies, a few of them looking at the statues, while a few others talked with each other, and one of them stood near a balcony, looking at the forest below as he sighed. He was a Gojirasaur with light grey scales, some which appeared sharper than others, and a muscular and chubby body, with sharp jagged white tipped dorsal plates that ran all the way down his back and on his tail. He had yellow-red eyes which were dulled from years of experience, and a fairly medium snout and muzzle, with a row of five spikes on his head and two small pointed ears, his handsome looks giving away to a slightly aged looked. He was clad in a blue long-sleeved shirt with gold trim, his left sleeve being colored white, hanging loosely, and the shirt itself being open to show off his muscular chest, with a discolored wavy scar on his chest that radiated outwards like a series of vines. He kept his right hand on the main stone railing on the balcony, while his left arm was slung underneath his shirt, a heavy feeling in the arm going all the way up to his shoulder, reminding him of how it had been that way for years. A gold fabric belt ran around his waist, and it complemented the gold trim as well as his white pants, along with his shin guards, which were black with blue ropes keeping them in place. "Iza? Izanagi? Honey? The meeting's starting back up again…."
"Oh…. Sorry Nami…. I just was thinking again," sighed Izanagi, the Gojirasaur turning around to see another standing before him. Her scales were a unique shade of green, almost to the point of being purple, and she had fierce intelligent yellow eyes, along with a muzzle and snout much like his, only a bit shorter. She had three rows of spikes on her face, and pointed ears that were a bit longer than his. She was muscular, albeit with a smaller frame than his and slightly chubby, and was clad in a silver kimono with red trim, with a black pattern of clouds on it. Like her husband, she had jagged dorsal plates, only unlike him they were a shade of red and purple, and her tail was slightly shorter than his, in spite of her sharing his height. Izanami sighed as she got closer to her husband, and clutched his free hand, leading him gently back into the main area of the temple, listening as he continued to talk to her. "She left us three years ago, and I don't know what happened to her…. our Rin…. If this war doesn't end…. we'll lose her…. like Cain and Lilith's boy….."
"Iza, Iza..…. I know… I know honey," Izanami sighed, a small tear coming from her eye as her husband closed his eyes, taking his hand out of hers as he clutched it in frustration. "Right now… you need to focus on the meeting…"
"I know dear…. I know…" Izanagi whispered as he watched the rest of the leaders and other important members of the Grand Alliance approach them. "…. I promise you Nami, for Aiko and for Rin…. I'll end this war… for all of you." Izanagi kissed Izanami, feeling her warm lips against his, and then turned back, looking at the other members. He could see King Baraguirus to his right, an older light brown scaled Anguirus who was sitting in a special chair with metal wheels on it, a much bigger grey scaled Anguirus behind him holding it as the king stared at the group, a sad look in his brown eyes as he coughed some, his body shaking with each cough. He had a series of horns across his head, which were yellowing with age along with the rest of the spikes on his carapace, and a once fit body which had shrunken with age. He wore a set of plated armor which was black and blue in color, giving him a regal look, along with similarly colored wrist guards and shin guards, and a simple black shirt underneath all of that. To his left, Izanagi saw General Diana, the leader of the Divine Moths who like many other Divine Moths her age still seemed to be as youthful as ever. Her muscular and slim body was covered in cream colored fluff, with orange and brown markings on various parts of her body, with her forehead having an orange stripe in between her antennae. She had purple compound eyes and dark brown mandibles, along with four arms, with her upper arms ending in four fingered hands which were yellow and not covered by fluff, while her lower arms ended in two sharp looking scythe-like appendages that were currently relaxed, like all divine moths had. Her long slender legs ended in two-toed talons, and they, like her hands, were yellow in color. Her tail was oval shaped and while it was small, inside its stinger lay hidden. And perhaps most prominent of all were her wings, both being double segmented and having beautiful black, yellow, and orange patterns with two eyespots near the tip of them, giving her a very striking appearance. She was wearing a bronze and gold breastplate which exposed her midriff and was very regal, the same which could be said for her armored skirt and her shin and wrist guards, each designed to allow her unique body to function well in combat. Izanagi then looked at the other leaders present, Queen Ruby of the Baragon who was clad in a rock like set of armor, Prince Li, of the Caesar who wore a beautiful mix of gold and silver armor, and Victor of the Frankenstein, a strange pale almost hairless Gargantua clad in some strange armor and boots, before he looked upon Grant, the representative of the Gorosaurus, a more youthful brown scaled specimen who wore a simple set of silver armor, sighing sadly as he realized how much everything had changed throughout the years. "Hello again everyone, I'm sure you know why I have gathered you all here, so if you need to say anything, go right ahead."
"Hey Izanagi? I know I'm not William, but I've been doing my best to lead in his stead," Grant spoke up, his accent being somewhat more subdued compared to other members of his kind. "So I want to say I've been tryin to open up peace talks with the Imperials, but so far we've hit a bunch of walls doing so."
"As have my people," Ruby spoke next, the Baragon briefly stretching one of her muscular arms as everyone listened in, not noticing a new arrival shuffling in from the back. "Kabuto is willing to talk to us, and I have spoken to him a few times… and from what he's said… Gaius is the one thing standing in the way of ending this war."
"No surprise there," Diana muttered, clenching her fist angrily as some of the other attendants at the meeting started to speak amongst themselves. "I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted us all to die just because of some stupid conflict…. Just to prove that he's the rightful ruler of Pangea….. damn him!"
"I feel the same way Di," Izanagi replied to her, watching as the moth calmed down from her tirade and muttered a small apology. "…. I think we all do…. We just need to find a way to get to him…. for better or for worse….."
"I do not think we can get through to him," Baraguirus spoke, coughing gently as the leaders turned to look at him, and the new arrival stood behind Izanagi, putting his hand on his shoulder and nearly causing him to jump. "Before… before I say anything else…. It's good to see you again….. Ishiro….. It's been quite a long… time…" Everyone turned and then looked at the new arrival and several gasped in amazement, while a few others like Diana and Baraguirus smiled, along with Izanami and Izanagi as well. Ishiro was a Gojirasaur, and yet he was far taller than most of the other Gojirasaurs in the meeting, along with having a more muscular and chubby build, his chest and six-pack standing out compared to them. His scales were dark grey, almost black, which faded into lighter grey scares in his front, and his dorsal plates, which while being smaller than Izanagi's, were still just as sharp and fierce looking, albeit without any sort of tip like his, instead being the same dark grey as his scales all the way down to his tail. His muzzle and snout were boxy in shape, and combined with his intelligent yellow eyes and his ears, it gave him an intimidating yet strangely good-looking appearance. Unlike other Gojirasaur, his claws were black in color, and did not stand out much. He was clad in a white open long shirt with black trim and long sleeves, his muscular chest and belly being exposed to the elements, along with a pain of black pants and twin shin guards similar to Izangai's, only held together by white ropes.
"It's been a long time indeed," Ishiro answered, his deep kind voice echoing slightly among the crowd as he stood next to Izanagi. "I am sorry that I've been gone… just a lot happened in my life…. but now, I'm back… and I will do whatever I can to help you all end the war."
"Ishiro," Izanagi replied, looking up at the other Gojirasaur, "It's okay, we all understand. Thank you for your help. Now Guirus, what do you want to say?"
"Ah… forgive me…. my memory is not what it used to be," the elderly kaiju coughed a bit as he shifted in his chair, breathing heavily as he thought of what he wanted to say next. "Gaius will not listen…. but… sooner or later… he will fall…. through his own pride and stubbornness. And once he does… I believe then is our time to strike…. Because… because…." Baraguirus started coughing violently as Diana and the other leaders rushed to him, before he held his hand up, and composed himself again. "When my time comes…. It will come…. There is nothing you can do…. and there is nothing Gaius can do…. I believe he has a son the age of my grandson," he sighed in a mix of sadness and acceptance. "I have heard stories of him. He is named Marcus. He is far more reasonable and he is easy to talk to… and he could be the key to the war ending…. If any of us can just talk to him…. if he becomes king…. then we need to take that chance." Baraguirus coughed some more, and wheezed a bit, looking down at his hands, and sighed again.
"Guirus, I trust you, we all do," Izanagi spoke gently, gripping the edge of the kaiju's chair with his working arm. "I promise you, I'll do my best to talk with this Marcus when the time comes…. But what about you? What's going happen if your grandson doesn't turn up?"
"I believe he will…. right now… he needs guidance…. And I believe he has found someone to guide him…." As Baraguirus coughed again, then another Gojirasaur walked up, getting the leaders' attention. He had a strange mix of light grey and green scales along with orange eyes, and a series of smooth rounder looking dorsal plates which ran down his back. He was not quite as muscular as the other members of his species, and it was obvious he was slightly out of shape, but there was experience present in his battle worn armor. His strange amphibian like face made him seem almost comical, and had it not been for his armor, most would've thought of him as being that way. "Captain Orga…. What do you have to say?"
"Whatever it is, I'll bet it has to do with your mention of the prince," Victor replied as he adjusted his position, anticipating what the Gojirasaur was going to say. "And knowing Orga…. He's about to say something extreme."
"My lords, everyone," Orga answered, the Gojirasaur smiling as he bowed down, "Why wait for Gaius to die? We don't have the time… I'm sure we could easily sneak into his palace and-"
"Look at my arm Orga," Izanagi growled as he stood tall over the other Gojirasaur, his dorsal plates glowing a faint blue. "Do you see this? Do you see this scar? Why do you think we haven't attacked him directly in years? It would be suicide!"
"For an old man who couldn't keep his daughter in line like you maybe," Orga huffed as Izanami reached out for him, if not for Izanagi holding her back, "But you Prince Li, you are young and fit, surely you could-"
"I agree with Izanagi and the king," the prince spat, pointing at the Gojirasaur as he backed away. "And if anything, it would make him a martyr, and end this stalemate, and just plunge us into the war again! My brother did not die for this!"
"Neither did my Momoko or my Satoshi," Ishiro lightly growled, staring right at the Gojirasaur captain.
"I agree with them," Diana spoke next, her wings flaring out a bit as her body seemed to glow with a strange light, "my sisters and brothers have given their lives for peace for years now, and if we can make peace… then I'll take it.. not throw it all away for the sake of your ego Captain Orga." As the rest of the leaders loudly agreed, Orga growled lightly and turned away, starting to head for the temple's exit.
"Well then," the captain huffed as he brushed past Ishiro and was soon out of earshot of the Grand Alliance leaders. "Don't blame me if Marcus turns out to be a tyrant like his father…. it would be so amusing if he did…" As soon as the captain left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Izanagi turned to look at Izanami again, who had calmed down after Orga left, hugging her gently with his good arm as Baraguirus had his chair turned around, and the meeting resumed, the Grand Alliance talking well into the night, and old friends catching each other up on what was going on.
After the meeting was over, Izanagi and Izanami, along with Baraguirus, thought about their missing loved ones, and prayed for their safety to Bumi and Spicae.
The Abandoned Mine.
The sand and light brown ground had given away to a far darker grey type of sand and a rocky terrain, something the Ronin noticed as he reached a small outcropping, and silently bent down as he looked at the mountain before him. The sun was still out, and the Ronin growled lightly as he sniffed the air, and noticed the entrance of the mine, a rectangular shape carved into the mountain, and emanating from it, the smell of Napalm. Moving down from the outcropping, and moving over to a stray boulder, the Ronin ducked down behind it as his tail thumped on the ground, and he put his hand on his wakizashi handle, noticing two fairly stocky shapes in front of the entrance. There were two Megalon, one being mostly yellow with jade colored horns, claws, and drills, along with having a white and black striped shell with orange compound eyes, and the other was a dirty grey with brown drills, claws, and horns and with a blue and red shell with green spots on it. They both wore the same dark curved and spiked armor on their bodies, and they both carried serrated blades, like the robed kaiju in the forest had, only far bigger. The Ronin then put his hand on his tachi blade, and listened as he could hear them talking, hoping to hear the news of this Leo. "I hate this so much, why do we 'ave to wait out 'ere while the boss gets to 'ave fun with that moth!?"
"Cause boss believes somebody's gonna come and rescue that little cocksleeve. HAHAHAHA, oh what a joke! Did you hear the way his little squeeze screamed when boss drilled into 'im?" The Ronin's dorsal plates started to glow blue and harden up as he could hear the high-pitched giggling of one of the beetles, remembering the bandage on Gojo's chest, and his heart thumped in his chest, as the two unaware guards continued to talk. "Oh and the way those traitors screamed when we blew the whole lot of em sky high?!"
"I guess that is a benefit to this job," the other guard spoke, his voice being slightly deeper than his companion. "And for what it's worth, at least that thing ain't so useless after all… Boss said somethin' bout 'is scales or blood bein' magical? Said 'is boss would be happier if he harvested em?"
"Oh I don't know, one thing is for sure, nothing will get past us!" The Ronin leaped out from behind the boulder, and fired his atomic ray full force as the guards suddenly gasped in surprise, blowing the yellow one into the wall as he unsheathed both of his swords and ran towards the other guard. The guard's drills started to whirl rapidly as he quickly swung his sword at the Ronin, who countered with his wakizashi before quickly dodging several drill strikes as the other guard got up, and took flight, his horn glowing yellow as he fired lightning bolts down at the warrior. The Ronin leapt back as he dodged each lightning strike, and then swung his tail and swatted the beetle out of the air as the other flew at him with his drills fully out. The Ronin saw this and quickly slashed with his Tachi, and watched as thick yellow fluid sprayed out from the two halves of the guard, while the other recovered and screamed angrily as he swung his sword wildly at the Ronin, who then started to duel the beetle with both his blades.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" The Megalon's drills kept whirling as the Ronin kept his attention on the serrated blade, making sure to block each wild blow with his swords until he quickly got an opening and slashed off the beetle's claw with his wakizashi , sending the black blade flying away. As the beetle screamed and thrust his drills at the Ronin, the warrior fired another blast from his mouth and watched as the beetle's head exploded, and the drills died down, the corpse falling to the ground next to the pieces of his companion. The Ronin panted heavily, and shifting his wakizashi to a reverse grip, started to head into the mine, his footsteps echoing as he traversed the long dark tunnel, the only light coming from flickering torches on the wall. There was faint buzzing sound down a certain tunnel, and from it, a sharp smell of napalm, something that only increased as the Ronin went down the tunnel.
"DERE HE IZ BOYZ! GET IM! RIP IM TO PIECES!" The Ronin stopped as he heard a multitude of roars and cries, and then saw several Megalon charging at him from the other end of the tunnel, each of them holding black obsidian weapons and a few flying as they shot horn lightning at him, something which the Ronin blocked with his tachi before sending it back at them, and then charged into the crowd himself as they all tried to dogpile him. A tail swipe sent most of them flying, and several quick slashes dismembered and disemboweled quite a few of them, yellow staining the walls and floor as the Ronin quickly grabbed one Megalon and used it to defend against several drill attacks at once, before tossing the corpse at another who hacked up napalm, and watched as the bomb exploded and ignited its user causing him to scream in pain. The Ronin then looked at the group who was left, and charged his atomic ray as they roared in fury, and leapt at him, before he too leapt at them, holding off multiple strikes from their drills and swords and axes with his own, feeling a few strikes tear into his shirt, and cut into his scales, some blood flying out as he let his atomic ray fire out, blowing back his attacks and killing several who got too close, before he quickly closed in and killed the rest. The Ronin panted heavily, his dark clothes and silver armor stained with dirty yellow and red, his shirt ripped as his dark scaled body bled in several places and slowly healed as he looked at the corpses at his feet, and continued his way down the tunnel, taking time to clean off his swords.
"Woah." A faint orange glow became clear, and the Ronin walked further, until he stepped out into a large cavern and stopped as he observed his surroundings. It was lit with orange glowstones in the walls, with tunnels on the sides and various pathways that went upwards, leading to more tunnels in the walls, along with what appeared to be angular metal carts and various tools lying around, their red and brown crumbling appearances showing their age. It was then that the Ronin saw something at the other end of the cavern, or rather two things. One was a grey stone throne, carved to look like a bug's wings in flight along with a singular horn on top and was currently empty. And next to the throne was a tall metal cage, black in color and locked shut with chains, and within, a Divine Moth. The moth was curled up in a fetal position, until they suddenly noticed the new arrival, and stood up, gripping the bars with their upper arms. The moth was a little bit shorter than the Ronin, and from his lean but muscular build, the Ronin could tell the moth was a male. His whole body was white with black markings, and he was clad in a loincloth, itself being white with a gold belt and black blue, and gold patterned decorations in the front. On the left of the loincloth appeared to be a small blue dagger that was sheathed, evidently left on him because it wasn't considered to be a great threat. Like all Divine Moths, he had the regular upper arms with four clawed fingers, which were grey in color, along with the two lower scythe arms, and intelligent stare in his bright green compound eyes and feathery antennae. His tail did not have the stinger out, and was merely resting against his loincloth. His wings however, were folded against his body, and the Ronin could not tell what the patterns were. As he walked up to the cage, the moth looked upwards and only said one thing to the Ronin.
"We're not alone." Suddenly from above, something landed right in front of the Ronin, and the first thing he could see was a big muscular chest right in front of him, causing the warrior to step back as he looked at his new enemy.
"So it is you who has eliminated all of my men and dared disrupt my harvesting of this moth's essence," the Megalon rumbled, laughing immediately afterwards as he stared at the Ronin he towered over. He was a massive specimen with big rippling muscles with all six of his limbs being far bigger than the previous Megalon the Ronin had encountered. He wore black form fitting armor on much of his body, and it had spikes that curved out, adding more to his appearance. He was golden in color all throughout his body, tail, and shell, with the sole exception of the claws on his hands, his two massive ridged and spiked drills, the two claws on his feet, his mandibles, and finally his massive horn, itself with multiple antlers curving outwards as it crackled with electricity. They like his armor were black as well. His red compound eyes stared down at the Ronin with a sick glee, and it seemed as if darkness seeped out them, much like the Ghidorah in the forest. He carried two weapons with him, a war hammer in his right hand with a gold long handle and a head that was black with silver spikes on each side, and in his left hand was holding a far simpler silver broadsword, its blade being blocky with its tip being cut at an angle, and a hint of gold decoration near the edge of the circular crossguard, something which caused the Ronin to growl as he got into a fighting stance, preparing to face down the new enemy. "Does my broadsword make you angry child? I, Scarab, have earned the right to use the blade of Cain Hazuki."
"It is not yours," the Ronin growled as he charged at Scarab. "It belongs to me!" Scarab laughed again as he roared and charged at the Ronin, the latter quickly dodging as the beetle swung his hammer, and used his tachi and wakizashi to block the incoming strike of the shrieking drills, leaping back as the beetle fired a lightning bolt which tore up the ground. The Ronin then quickly blocked a blow from the broadsword with both of his blades, his eyes burning as he stared up at the laughing beast.
"Hm hm hm. So you claim it is yours boy," Scarab chuckled as he swung his war hammer down, watching as the Ronin leapt out of the way again. The beetle then blocked a blow from the tachi blade with his drills, before he swung his war hammer again, and this time, hit the Ronin in the side. There was a dull clang, and the Ronin groaned as he felt his under-armor dent, and a striking sharp pain buzz in his side as he went flying and hit a cart. "Do you know who I am?" The Ronin got up, and quickly charged his atomic ray as he looked at the broadsword, barely noticing the beetle's drills whirling and his horn crackling with electricity. "My lightning has torn the skies asunder, and caused the gods themselves to weep!" The Ronin fired his atomic ray as Scarab did the same with his lightning, and the two beams exploded as they hit, causing a flash of yellow and blue to overtake the whole mine. "My napalm has reduced whole forests to cinders, and left them barren forever!" The Ronin quickly leapt, ignoring the pain in his side as he watched the place where he was standing be consumed by a burning fire, which spread quickly and covered that whole area. "My tunneling has caused whole towns and cities to be consumed by the very earth they sit on!" A sudden violent tremor overtook the ground, and the Ronin went flying as Scarab flew out of the ground, dirt flying everywhere as the war hammer hit the Ronin in the chest. As he recovered and landed near the throne, he coughed up some blood, and then looked up at the Megalon, and saw his target…. the hand still gripping the broadsword. "I AM SCARAB! AND I WILL WIPE YOU FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!" The beetle's shell opened, and his wings unfurled as he flew at the Ronin, right as the Ronin charged with both of his swords out, his eyes on the hand with the broadsword. His rage burning, the Ronin barely felt the drills graze his back near his dorsal plates, and nor did he feel the air whooshing above his head as the war hammer swung, only the sound of squelching as he used his blades to quickly slice through the beetle, coming out of the other side as he saw him crash into the massive throne, his hand flying through the air spewing dark blood as it landed next to the Ronin, still gripping the broadsword.
"I told you…. that's… mine…" the Ronin coughed as he got down to one knee, and looked at the broadsword lying on the ground as Scarab got up from the shattered throne, his red eyes brimming with hatred as he looked at his stump, and he approached the Ronin, his footsteps echoing as the moth in the cage quickly sat down, his green eyes wide in horror. As Scarab got close to the Ronin, the latter got up, switching his katana into a reverse grip and holding his tachi up, coughing some more as he felt some blood trickle out of his mouth. "What's the matter? Not gonna brag? Was I the first guy to hurt you?" Scarab's drills started to whirl, and as he raised them up to strike….. out of nowhere came a massive boulder which slammed into the beetle and sent him flying into the flames he had created with his napalm.
"Leave. Him. Alone." The Ronin turned around, and he could see in the bright glow of the mines Ryu standing there, his axe gripped in both of his hands as his spikes on his carapace seemed to get far bigger than they had been, before hardening completely. The Ronin thought back to his spikes before, and suddenly remembered how they had seemed to be deceptively softer than they looked, since he had carried his axe on his back. And now since he was in battle…. It was time for them to harden. "Are you okay?" Ryu ran over, and helped the Ronin stand up fully, before the Ronin turned to look at the Anguirus, noticing the burning determination in his minds.
"I told you stay back… I could do this alone…." Scarab had gotten up at this point, and he seemed to quickly douse the flames, his golden body being blackened in some areas, along with the stump on his arm being completely cauterized as he glared at the two of them. "I don't want to…."
"I don't want to lose you either okay?! I'm not going to let you die here alone," Ryu snapped, causing the Ronin to look at him in surprise. "We're in this together now…. you and me… please… let me help you…." The Ronin could see the Anguirus had no intention of backing down, and glancing at the fallen broadsword, he turned back to him…. and slowly nodded. Ryu then noticed the broadsword, and watched as the Ronin quickly sheathed his wakizashi , and picked up the broadsword. "That's the blade of Cain Hazuki isn't it?"
"It's my birthright," the Ronin answered as he held it alongside his tachi blade, and waved it around like it was nothing. "And I will carry its legacy." With that, Ryu gripped his axe and the Ronin carried his swords as they charged at Scarab, who charged at them as well, roaring angrily as he fired out his horn lightning and then thrust his drills at them. Ryu leapt over the drills and quickly swung his axe, breaking through the beetle's armor and digging into his upper shoulder, while the Ronin leapt over the drill coming for him and with both swords, quickly sliced off the beetle's wings as his golden shell opened up. They fell to the ground as black fluid spewed out of the stumps, and as Ryu drew out his axe, the Ronin quickly came back around the front and blocked the war hammer with both of his swords, allowing the Anguirus to quickly move past him and chop off the other lower arm, causing the Megalon to scream in pain again as more black fluid spewed out of the stump. The two warriors then turned, and with one slash in tandem with their weapons, they quickly slashed the beetle's stomach and chest, causing more dark fluid to spray out and for the beetle to go flying back as more of his armor shattered. As he got up, he starred at the two of them, seeing how they were prepared to strike the finishing blow, and then laughed as both Ryu and the Ronin suddenly heard whispering voices in the air, and looked around as they kept their weapons drawn out.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Had I just been one of my normal men, oh that would be enough to kill me," Scarab boomed, his voice echoing throughout the cavern as it seemed more darkness started to seep out of his red eyes, and the lightning crackling from his horn started to turn blood red. "But I am no normal Megalon…. I AM AN ACOLYTE! AND THIS IS MY POWER GIVEN TO ME BY MY LORD AND MASTER!" The Megalon's body then started to pulse and rumble as the darkness increased from his eyes and both the Ronin and Ryu watched in horror as Scarab started to grow in size, the rest of his armor flying off as his muscles tore through his exoskeleton, and his drills seemed to split his upper arms as they grew far sharper than normal. Out of the stumps of his lower arms, bladed limbs shot out with the blades appearing to be ridged and curved, and out of the back where his wings used to be, additional smaller limbs shot out of the stumps with bladed scythes at the end much like the moth's scythe arms. The sides of his head also pulsed as two antlers shot out and started to crackle with red electricity as well, causing dark fluid to leak out the sides as he continued to grow in size, the Ronin only coming up to his thigh by now. Finally, the two warriors watched in horror as the beetle's heart burst out of his chest, and pumped as the giant stared down at the two of them, the loud heartbeats echoing throughout the cavern as both Ryu and the Ronin looked at each other, while the moth sat down in his cage, and quietly began to mutter something under his breath as he clasped his hands together.
"We're in this together now Ryu….."
"You bet we are…. Now let's kill this son of a bitch."
Author's Note: Hey everyone, it's me again, and I am back with a new installment in Godzilla: War for Pangea. I am very excited to share this chapter with you all, as it was a fun one to write personally, and it also helps expand far more on this world. As this story keeps on going, you will see more stuff like this, whether it is the Grand Alliance or the Imperial Alliance meeting to discuss the war and also offering more insight into the past of this world, or about the Ronin and Ryu wandering through Pangea and trying to track down the third faction while meeting new characters and learning more about each other, or even seeing Lord Hedorah and everything that he has planned with his dark master. Now here is the voice cast with quite a few new additions.
Jonah Scott as the Ronin (Heisei Godzilla).
Carrie Keranen as Rin (Mix of Godzilla 2000 and Vs Megagurius).
Griffin Puatu as Ryu (Heisei Anguirus).
Yuri Lowenthal as Leo (Mothra Leo).
Dante Basco as Helios (Legendary Ghidorah).
Quinton Flynn as Ramirez (Legendary Rodan).
Paul St. Peter as Lord Hedorah (Both Showa and Final Wars Hedorah).
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Grandmaster Mars (Grand-King Ghidorah).
Orson Welles as Anti-God.
Patrick Seitz as Izanagi (Kiryu Saga Godzilla).
Ken Watanabe as Ishiro (Legendary Godzilla).
Vanessa Marshall as Izanami (Godzilla 2000).
Richard Epcar as King Gaius (Showa Ghidorah).
Phil LaMarr as King Baraguirus (Showa Anguirus).
Johnny Yong Bosch as Gojo (Adult Godzilla Jr) and Prince Li (Showa King Caesar).
Laura Bailey as Queen Izel (Fire Rodan) and Queen Ruby (GMK Baragon).
Fred Tatasciore as Vladimir (Organic Gigan) and Grant (Gorosaurus).
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kabuto (Megalon).
Dee Bradley Baker as Siegfried (Varan) and Victor (Toho Frankenstein).
Clancy Brown as Scarab (Original Megalon Design).
Mark Hamill as Captain Orga (1964 Godzilla).
Susan Eisenberg as General Diana (Mothra Mix).
Next time in War for Pangea, the Ronin and Ryu continue to battle the mutated Scarab as they continue to try and rescue Leo, will they be able to take down the monstrous beetle? And what will happen when the Ronin talks more about the sword of Cain Hazuki, and why it is his birthright? Will our two warriors gain a new ally to go with them on their journey? And what will happen when Lord Hedorah learns of the Ronin fully, and what does he have planned? Find out next time in Godzilla: War for Pangea!
See you all next time and stay safe. Don't be afraid to leave feedback or recommend this fanfic to anyone seeking Godzilla fanfiction out there.
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