Monsters and Magic
By: DJ Rodriguez
(Author's Notes: Hi everyone! Glad to see that many of you liked the previous chapter. It was not easy to do, but I did it and I am proud of it! I hope to see more of your reviews, and also you giving props to the characters that are doing their best fighting against the forces of evil. Now I really hope, and pray, that this novel of mine gets recognized by the companies Disney and Toho, and sold to them so that they can make it into a full-fledged animated movie that is hand-drawn, and lots of love, care, pride and detail is shown in it.
In this chapter, Flora and Fauna find out about Erica and do what they can to help the human spirit that is bound to Biolantte. Also, you will see the main force that is inside Maleficent's palace-fortress to get through the trap rooms before going to the Three Generals. In short, before they reach the sub-bosses, if this were a video game. I will do my best with this, as I have done with my other chapters! Also, full props to my wonderful lady love Sarah Brown for giving me the idea on how Max should change and why. Thank you, my sweet girlfriend!
I do not own Godzilla or any of the Toho monsters, nor do I own the Disney characters from either the movies or TV series. I do own my original characters, plus most of the songs here. Any song I put up that belongs to another, I will give the artist his or her proper due. Now, on with the novel!)
Chapter 27
Flora and Fauna were not having a good experience at the moment. While their friends and allies were risking it all in the physical world, they had decided to go on the spiritual level to see the human spirit that was inside the titanic monster Biolantte. The two Good Fairies were told about her from the tiny Twin Fairies, Moll and Lora. The two had told them about Biolantte's origins, and how the young female human spirit was now bound to the monster in ways that surprised them all. To the magical beings, it was quite amazing to hear about a creature who had a form of immortality. Instead of dying like most mortal creatures, the half-sister of Godzilla had the ability to become golden spores and travel into the heavens and remain there until it was time to come down and be brought back to her original physical body. To their knowledge, there was no creature in their universe capable of performing such a feat. Now, they were inside the monster that was born of science, not the natural way.
Fauna shivered as she and Flora continued to fly through the intricate vines that made Biolantte's being. She said softly to her sister, "Flora, how long do think it will be before we find this Erica girl? I'm feeling a little dizzy…". The magical beings were feeling the effects of the radiation, the very powerful poison that was the catalyst that gave birth to Godzilla and most of the monsters back in their universe. Radiation and magic usually had chaotic effects when brought together; some in good ways, some in bad ways. And for the fairies inside the half-plant, half-Godzilla creature, the effects were all bad. Their magic gave them some form of protection, but it seemed that was being drained away quickly.
The red-clothed fairy consoled her sister and replied, "Hang on there, dear. I think we're getting close to our goal. I believe we'll be seeing Erica shortly.". After passing through the maze of vines, they soon arrived at the central chamber… at the very heart of Biolantte! The two magical beings saw a white orb, pulsing with energy and life. Flora and Fauna slowly approached the orb, and it started to pulse more quickly! The two held up their hands to their faces when an immense flash of light bathed the chamber! The two let out a soft gasp, and the flash ended as quickly as it began. Flora and Fauna lifted their hands away from their faces to see wisps of white energy, which was soul energy, to see a young woman standing before them. She was wearing a white laboratory coat, which looked strange and alien to the two fairies. Her hair was short, and slightly wavy with a small bounce to it. Her eyes were black as ebony, the same like the Twin Fairies. She had an exotic look to her face, also like the tiny magical women. Standing in the middle of the green-vined covered room, she bowed to them in the Japanese traditional greeting.
The woman stated, "Hello there. My name is Erica Shiragami, daughter of Genshiro Shiragami. He is the man who created Biolantte… and also me inside of her as a means to keep me alive.". The two Good Fairies gasped at that, wondering on what could have possessed any parent to do something like this to their child. Even though they knew of the monster's origins, and of Erica, the two were still very much stunned to hear this from the daughter of the creator.
Erica explained, "I believe the Twin Fairies, the retainers of Mothra, told you about me. But, they do not know everything on my birth. Or more specifically, how I came to be part of Biolantte. Please, allow me to explain it all to you. I know that neither of us have much time in here, but I will do my best so that you two can understand.". The beautiful Japanese female spirit told the magical fairies her story; on how she was a scientist, pausing briefly to explain to Flora and Fauna that a scientist is one who studies and also manipulate life. It brought on a frown on the elderly women's features, but they held their tongue and opinions on it for now. Erica continued, stating that she died when a bomb blast killed her and some others. Her father Genshiro was very distraught, and kept some of her keep-sake flowers even after the funeral. When she got to the part where her genes were spliced into the plants, Flora raised her hand to halt her story for a moment.
Flora asked, "Dear, what are these… genes? And what is splicing?". Erica forgot that these beings did not know most, if all, scientific terms so she explained it to them in a way they could understand.
She stated, "In words that I believe you can comprehend, my father took a bit of my own soul and put them in the flowers.". Seeing that they understood that much, she continued. Erica explained that an earthquake hit and the flowers she was part of were almost destroyed, and her father was desperate to save her. So… he took a job that allowed him access to a tiny bit of Godzilla's skin, and used the G-cells to fuse it with the rose that Erica was part of. The Japanese beauty put it again in a way that the fairies understood, saying that he combined the rose she was in with a tiny bit of Godzilla's body parts. She finished it up saying that the rose not only survived, but flourished and transformed into the creature they knew very well… Biolantte. At the end of the story, Flora and Fauna were pretty much shocked on what they had heard. They now believed that this science was some kind of sorcery, similar to Maleficent's, and hoped that their charges would never partake in it.
Fauna asked, "Erica, I think I understand why your father wanted to save you. But… I believe he may have gone too far.". The daughter of Shiragami nodded, replying that in the beginning she was surprised to be among the living, even though it was in the form of roses. She did understand, to a degree on why her father chose to save her like he did, but it still messed with the laws of life and nature. And now that she was fused with a part of Godzilla, she was now a half-sister to the King of the Monsters that was always at odds with humanity.
Erica spoke, "I agree in some respects, but we can talk about that issue later. Right now, I need your help. That witch, Maleficent you call her, she is using some strong magic of sort that binds the monster's minds and wills to her! I have been trying to break free, but it is of no use.". For the young woman, trying to even curb or re-direct Godzilla's natural tendencies to fight was a huge chore in itself. Erica and Godzilla's spirits often fought for more control of the body, and more often than not it was the saurian's spirit that won out. Now, both parts were being bound and held by Maleficent's strong magic. Flora and Fauna looked to see that what the Japanese spirit said was true; all around them within the confines of the green vines were black entities with a tint of venom green on them. These were the tendrils of Maleficent's magic, and they were swarming all around.
Flora looked to Erica and stated, "Miss Shiragami, we do not have much time! What you told us is of great importance, and could be useful later on. But we need to know… can you knock out Biolantte for a good amount of time?". The white-aura spirit replied that she would need a boost of great willpower and spirit to even attempt to do such a thing. Flora and Fauna looked at one another, nodded then closed their eyes and concentrated. Erica was wondering on what they were doing until she saw that they were glowing red and green respectively, and the two elderly fairies told her to take their hands. The Japanese beauty complied, taking both of their hands and the three forming on what seemed to be a ring of white, red and green. The black and green magic within the vines were now rapidly pulsing, and soon came out from the plants to swirl around them to form a dome. Fauna exclaimed that it must be Maleficent's magic trying to stop them somehow.
Flora looked to Erica and stated, "My dear, we must act quickly! We're using the last of magic to give you the power you need! On the count of three, we release it all! One… two… THREE!". The three soul constructs focused all of their energy into a single point, then released! It sent out a shockwave that quickly expanded and vaporized the black, venom-green tinted magic that tried to engulf them! The power of the two Good Fairies and Erica pulsed outward and everywhere, sending a strong shock to the Godzilla section of the heart and mind. Erica could feel the saurian part of the plant monster give a strong resistance, but was ultimately knocked out by the joined pulse of magic and will. While the Japanese female spirit did not have control of the body, at least she was able to put the creature to sleep now thanks to her new friends. She turned to see that Flora and Fauna were fading, their spirits going back inside their physical bodies on the outside.
Fauna whispered to the former scientist, "Dearie… we're going back to the real world. We promise though… after all is said and done… we'll do something to free you from the cycle.". Erica was surprised to hear that, the beautiful lady having giving up some time ago of trying to be free from the cycle of life and death that Biolantte was able to keep repeating. Soon, the two magical women were gone and Erica was all alone. However, that did not mean she was going to be idle. While she was unable to move the body, that did not mean that she could do some rearranging of the mind. She knew that if her half-brother Godzilla would burn her with his flame like before, Biolantte would be reduced to spores once again and be scattered all over this world! Erica knew with all of her being that she could not let this happen! So, she started to do some work while the black/green evil magical mind gunk that belonged to Maleficent started to creep and seep into the vines again. The former scientist had to hurry, and hope that what she did would come to pass in her and the heroes/heroines favor.
~Back in the real world~
Flora and Fauna emerged back in their bodies, tired and exhausted very much beyond even their limits. The two panted and sighed as they rolled off Biolantte's head, using the very strength to beat their wings and float down to the ground. Once they were back in the grove, coming over the battle that was going down below, Flora and Fauna made it back to Merryweather's side before collapsing next to her. Fauna landed her blue-clothed sister's right side, and Flora on her left. The two were now exhausted, no energy remaining. Their magic was recharging slowly, and whatever magic energy was still left in them was purging the radiation off of their beings. It would take hours, maybe days for them to be back up at full strength. The Twin Fairies and Princess Kathrin went to the two and Moll inquired, "What did you two do to Biolantte?". The daughter of Snow White and Florian gently titled the heads of all three Good Fairies and showed them Flora and Fauna the fruits of their work. Even the fighting down below was on a bit of a break when they saw what had happened to Biolantte.
During their trip to the inside the creature, on the outside Biolantte was frozen solid. Only her massive heart was beating, and some were perplexed by this sudden stillness. All of a sudden, the half-sister of Godzilla roared loudly and was pulsing in different colors! Her head crocodile-like head was giving off colors of white, red and green while the rest of the body was pulsing black with venom green tinted into it. Biolantte's tentacles thrashed around, destroying much of the surrounding forests and also taking out some of Maleficent's minions in the process. The heroes/heroines down below did the smart thing, acting quickly and running and/or diving out of the way of the thrashing plant vines. It lasted for about a few minutes before Biolantte was still again, her body seemingly out of energy. The flashing lights vanished, and that is when they emerged. The evil soldiers of Maleficent were screeching and howling, wondering why such a titan was now still and such. The humans gave a loud cheer, and the company of Maleficent saw that things were looking quite grim for them. The vulture-like demon captain screeched and ordered his soldiers to retreat, which they did gladly. The citizens and civilians cheered as they saw the vile creature retreat, but Jackson was disturbed when he saw the sinister grin on the vulture's face before he too ran with his troops.
"YEAH! ALRIGHT! WE DID IT!" many of them yelled, very glad that they had won this skirmish. Many were hugging with their friends and family, glad to have survived such an attack. Max bounded over to Kathrin and slobbered all over her in happiness, the princess giggling before getting the animal a bit more under control. Cateline had used her magic to turn Max from an English Sheepdog… to a large and powerful gray wolf! This wolf was larger than even the normal alpha gray male wolf, and Max was looking at himself while the demonic soldiers that tried to pin the dog down with their weapons were in shock at seeing a top predator before them. The furry friend of the Marcel family growled, then howled loudly for all to hear! Most of the fighters, both good and bad, paused for a moment to look at the transformed animal. Sarah, Joshua, David, Regina, and Carlitos all cringed a little upon seeing the gray wolf form, remembering on the day a pack of them tried to come to make them lunch some time ago. Max then barreled towards the demonic minions of Maleficent, taking down all that tried to stop him! He crushed some with his powerful jaws, shaking them before tossing them away harshly towards their companions that tried to charge at him. His new form gave him more speed and agility as well as strength, and he ran circles around the much larger soldiers who wielded double-bladed axes and/or large warhammers before taking them down with the help of his new allies of course.
Kathrin giggled again and said, "Good boy, Max! Who is a good boy? You are, you are!". The large wolf panted happily and licked all over the princess's face, then turned to see the children. The little ones were close to their parents, very fearful due to the attack they had witnessed days ago. Max whined a little, wondering why the children were afraid of him. Cateline saw this little problem and decided to help the furry ally with this.
She turned to the small children and said, "Come on, dears. There is nothing to be afraid of. Though he looks like a wolf, he is still a dog. And apparently his name is Max.". Kathrin took over, saying that the wolf was Eric's companion Max. Now that got the attention of everyone, since the citizens and civilians had all come to know and love the sheepdog. Regina asked if that really was the furry family member of the Marcel's, and she got her answer when Max bounded towards her. The small girl was a bit frightened and prepared to scream when she was soon covered in dog drool. Max was licking all over her happily, giving the small little lady a bit of a tongue bath. Regina actually started to laugh at this, and after a few moments, she gently pushed the muzzle away and looked into the wild animal's eyes. It took a moment or two, but Regina saw that this was the Max that would play with her and the other children when the Marcel family came to the village. The eyes were the same, a light blue color of iris around black pupils.
She squealed in delight, "Max! Oh, it's really you!". She then hugged him, and the other kids slowly started to see that this was indeed the furry friend of Eric. Sarah was the first to come over, and Max slobbered all over her playfully! She giggled in delight, and soon the other children came closer to receive the same warm, if wet welcome from the dog-turned-wolf. The parents and adults breathed a huge sigh of relief, glad to see that their little ones were alright with this creature. It seems that small ones could see through physical beings while adults needed a little work in that area. Everyone gathered together to take a bit of a breather from the fighting they all had been going through.
Jackson called out, "Is everyone okay? Sound off, please! I need to know if any of you need some serious medical attention!". At this point, anyone with serious injuries was going to be a bit of a problem, if what he suspected was true. One by one, his own men claimed to have superficial injuries and such thanks to their armor and training. While the demonic soldiers were many, strong and wild… they really lacked the discipline needed to keep their minds on other things. In short, they were short-sighted and the human soldiers used it to their advantage. They evaded their blows, parried/countered their attacks, used the environment to their advantage and also relied on one another to aid the other out when need be. The demonic minions of Maleficent only had a single-minded purpose, and that was to attack their foe at close range. William sounded off that he had a bad cut on his leg, using his sword as a crude cane of sort. Indeed, there was a long gash on his right leg, a bit of blood pouring from the wound. He received it when he got careless and frightened when a large pig-like soldier came at him with its huge double-edged sword. He tripped and though it saved his life, he received a moderate sized wound. He was saved by his mother Minnie, who used a running shield technique at the right moment to send the large warrior off its hooves and down to the ground where her female friends took it from there.
The civilians also took some damage, a bit more serious then the soldiers but nothing life-threating. Oliver's parents, Karl/Kamau and Chloe/Chidimma, were a bit worse for wear but they simply shrugged it off. Karl was like the lion from his ancestral land, plowing down enemies with a spear he carved from a tree branch earlier. He stood his ground, using his massive strength to bat away the demon soldiers and also using various poking attacks to keep the minions of evil at bay. He yelled savagely like the king of beasts, stunning the screeching humanoid demons before he punched them back with his fists! The armor the bad ones wore offered little to no protection to Karl's fists, and while not as strong as Minos, he was strong enough! He got slashed and stabbed in some places, but said spots were non-vital and the African blacksmith simply shrugged it off like it was nothing. Apparently, working at the forge built up his endurance to impressive levels. His wife was also magnificent on the battlefield, darting this way and that like the speedy cheetah and also showing prowess like the lioness! Chloe was keeping her distance from the malevolent minions, and using the environment to her advantage in such ways that it impressed the other heroes/heroines. She used a makeshift spear, given to her by her husband, and also the shield that the fairies made to excellent use. She thrust and parried the weapons of the demonic horde very well, and also did some acrobatic flips like a certain mandrill/baboon creature in an area that was told of in legends, a place she heard as a child called the Pride Lands. While agile and quite swift in both reflexes and attacks, she still got nicked by the sharp weapons from her enemies. Though injured, they were not mortal wounds so she just took them before giving the ones that inflicted said wounds some painful retribution.
Hadrian's parents, Nasser and Nura, also had their fair share of battle and battle wounds. The Arabian couple showed that they were a team to be taken seriously. Nasser showed that he was good with a scimitar, which was conjured up by the Three Good Fairies before the fight actually started, and was slashing through any demon soldier that came his way! His stance was solid like the rock, but his limbs were swift like the wind in the desert lands. He parried the weapons that the horde tried to crush him with, and cut through any opening he found in their armor with precise and swift slashes from his sword! He knew how much power to use, and also how to quickly retract before moving on to the next foolish soul. He did get cut here and there all over his body, but they were shallow cuts at best and also his wife came in to help him out! Though she was a woman, Nura showed that she could fight with the best of them! She used her shield to excellent use, and also did some impressive acrobatics that would make any street rat in her former homeland proud. Like the sand itself in the Middle East, she slipped through the ranks and delivered critical hits to the enemy! Though not as strong as her husband, Nura showed that she was more precise and methodical in her attacks. Any opening she found, she pounced on it like the desert cobra. True, she got cut and also hit once with a powerful mace to the leg by one of the larger soldiers, but thankfully her friends came to her aid.
Pamela and her two sons showed that they could lend a helping hand! The two boys, once they saw that all of their traps were done, put on an excellent display of teamwork! Though a bit husky and such, Joshua and David were brothers who could read one another's moves and used that to their advantage. When they saw Nura get knocked down by one of the larger boar-like soldiers, they jumped into action! They climbed up and crawled on the armor to the top of the demon soldier's torso, and the boar-humanoid demon did not like that one bit! The small-brained brute tried to grab the young ones, but they proved that size did not matter much when it came to speed. They were quick on their reflexes, dodging and evading its grabs. Nura saw this opportunity to flee, thanking the two boys for their help. Joshua went to the top of the head and tapped on the helmet of the demon-boar. He taunted, "Hey, pea-brain! Try hitting me now when I got nowhere else to go!". The foolish boar squealed in anger and brought his mace down where the young man stood! Or at least… where he was when Joshua slid down at the last moment, using the backside of the monster like a slide to get down. The boar soldier smashed himself on the head with his own weapon, and the brute saw stars before falling down unconscious. Joshua and David, who was waiting at the bottom, high-fived one another before turning around to come face-to-face with a crow demon minion!
The feathery fiend cackled and was about to grab the two children, when it felt someone tap it on the shoulder. The evil crow minion turned around, and found a shield smacking right into its face! When the shield left, the two boys saw the crow's beak badly bent out of shape with its tongue hanging out before it fell to the ground out-cold. The one who smashed the shield into the minion's face was Pamela, and the mother looked scary when angry! The middle-aged woman growled, "No one touches my boys!". Joshua and David thanked her, and the lady brought them into a fierce hug. It seemed that the bond between family was strong, and even more so when the two went with their mother to help out more of their friends.
Sarah Brown was helping Regina and Carlitos, the three little ones standing over the children's parents. Regina and Carlitos's mother and father were badly injured, and thus unable to move. They would have fallen prey to the hideous slaves of Maleficent had it not been for the heroic actions of their little ones and the Brown family! Mr. and Mrs. Brown held the creatures at bay while Sarah and her brother aided the other two in moving the injured adults to a safe place. Sarah's brother, Brad, showed that he was strong when two lizard-demon soldiers tried to blindside them! He hefted a large tree branch that had broken off some time ago and used it as a club to bat away the mean ones! He protected his sister Sarah while she helped Regina and Carlitos secure and hide their parents in a large tree hole. It was not the best of choices, but they had no other option. When the adults were secured, the young ones decided to help out the adults! Sarah took a small dagger that was on the ground, one that was from some of the demonic soldiers and exclaimed, "Come on! It's time to kick some bad guy butt!". The two little ones agreed and were right behind her, Brad joining them as they charged towards the malevolent minions that were harassing Mr. and Mrs. Brown! Though small and young, these kids showed that they were more than willing to fight! Regina bravely led three of the demonic soldier on a little chase, before Carlitos used a branch he was bending back as much as he could to snap! He released it, and the snapped branch smacked the three lizard-like demons hard in the face.
"That will teach you, you big meanies!" Regina exclaimed before high-fiving her brother. The two then looked up to see a pig-demon soldier bearing down on them with a spiked club! It would have been the end for the brave kids, but it wasn't when Sarah and Brad showed up! Sarah stabbed the demon soldier through its left foot, causing it to howl and clutch its foot in pain. It hopped one its good foot for a moment, until Brad bent down and had the brute trip over him. The pig-demon fell into the one of the trap holes that was filled with water, and when it made contact… it LEAPT high into the air, squealing loudly that was a pain to the ear drums. It sounded like it got dumped in acid, and the left foot that was injured seemed to be sizzling. It seems that when water came in contact with demon blood, it made for an interesting yet bizarre reaction like it exploded like a firecracker. The pig-demon squealed loudly in so much pain as it dashed through the woods, retreating fast and furious back to the palace-fortress.
Brad called out, "Never mess with my friends and family, demon!". It seemed that the older brother of Sarah took looking after his family and friends quite seriously. The three little ones and the near pre-teen boy cheered before going over to help the others.
The battle was furious all around, and it ended when Biolantte thrashed around and sent a majority of the demonic minions flying before the massive plant creature settled down. Now everyone was taking a breather, and getting patched up by Cateline and Rosalie. The two magical beings were exhausted, both physically and magically. They were never meant for combat, but they chose to stay and help out no matter what! It seemed that they were different from most magical folk, who more likely would take flight and live to fight another day. Thankfully for the group, the two were well-versed in healing spells and took care of the major injuries. The small ones were mostly superficial, and most likely heal better on their own. The two also took care of Regina's and Carlitos's parents, healing their serious wounds and letting the superficial small ones heal. The Twin Fairies, Moll and Lora, inquired again on what Flora and Fauna did to Biolantte to knock her out for the count. The humans were also curious as to this as well, and the two Good Fairies told them on what happened when they were inside Biolantte's mind. Upon hearing their tale, most of the citizens and civilians were very much surprised to hear more about Biolantte's origins.
"… And that is what happened. We helped Erica to knock out Biolantte, combining our magic with her spirit energy. I do not know how long the monster will be out, though." Flora finished up, sighing and resting beside her sisters. The three Good Fairies were still not up to half strength, let alone full and they needed some rest. Cateline, Rosalie, and all of the rest were just stunned to hear about Erica and how such a sweet girl could be fused together with Godzilla in such a way! Kathrin turned to the Twin Fairies and asked if they knew about this. The tiny women answered that they knew most of Biolantte's origin and of Erica's fate, but they did not know the true extent on how she came to be bonded with Godzilla's being. The parents were wondering on what could have possessed Genshiro Shiragami to do something to his own flesh and blood.
Captain Dashboard was having his own thoughts, filing away the tidbit on Erica and Biolantte for the time being. He looked at everyone and stated as he stood up, "Everyone, we need to rest and strength up. I fear that we only won round one… round two may begin very soon.". The entire group turned to look at the elderly captain of the Royal Guard, and Will asked on what he meant. The father sighed, hoping that if they all got out of this in one piece, he would instruct his son on military-like thinking… but only after his moral compass and mind were back on the straight and narrow. He answered William that he saw the look on the face of the vulture-like captain of the demonic horde, and he assumed that the entire lot retreated… only to come back with reinforcements, to most likely finish them all off with a massive surge of numbers. His hunch proved correct when the wind carried to them the sound of a horn, one coming near the palace-fortress! Though it was faint, telling to all who were experts at sound and distance that the noise was about three or so miles away… it did signal that more trouble was heading their way.
The looks on all of the heroes and heroines faces showed that they were filled with despair, that the next battle would be their last. Regina went to the Twin Fairies and pleaded, "What about Mothra?! Is she done with her changing thing?!". Moll and Lora were downcast, and gave the little ones and the others their answer. As it turns out, a majority of Mothra's power and abilities were taken from her nearly two weeks ago when they cut off the summoning spell from inside the magical tunnel that brought them to this universe. Among those abilities was the speed transformation process, which allowed Mothra about twenty-four hours or less to change completely from worm to moth. Now even with their chanting and prayers, the transformation process was only sped up a fraction of what it normally would be. Lora finished it up by saying instead of twenty-four hours, Mothra would most likely emerge in twenty-four DAYS. That brought some doom and gloom to everyone, and many were wondering on what to do next. Angelica and Pamela went to Fairy Godmother Cateline and Enchantress Rosalie and asked if they could take their little ones far away from here. Sarah and the other children yelled out now, yelling that they wanted to stay with their parents. The adults ignored their children's pleased and looked to the magical beings.
"How I wish we could grant your request, everyone. But, we do not have the magical strength or power to do so. Rosalie and I are exhausted, and it will take hours for our magical powers to be back at full strength. We are in the same predicament as our friends, the Good Fairies." Cateline stated tiredly before plopping down on the ground near the cocoon of Mothra, Rosalie doing the same. The five magical beings were now on the bench, so to speak. And Captain Jackson saw that this was indeed a turn for the worse. He looked out into the distance, looking at the palace-fortress and hoping that the main force were close to putting an end to this nightmare. Otherwise… the nightmare would return full force, and there would be no future for them.
~At Maleficent's Palace-Fortress~
While the others at the grove were taking a breather from their fight, the main force were still taking their paths to their first test rooms. Fatima was walking down a narrow stairway that spiraled upward, and also that the steps were gradually vanishing. In a few minutes, the steps vanished and the only thing in place were long poles that continued the trek upward. The beautiful mature blonde wife of Minos looked at the situation, then looked down to see that down below were plenty of earthen spikes that would skewer anything or anyone that fell upon them. She looked up at the stone poles and smirked widely, rubbing her hands together and stated, "My friend, this little challenge is nothing to me! Let me show you how it's done!". She took a few breathes before leaping from the small stone platform she was on! Most would call her crazy to do such an act, but this is what she had been doing for a majority of her lifetime. Fatima grabbed onto the pole and swung around it expertly before standing on it and jumping with precise strength and coordination. It seemed that her reputation as a Human Bird of Prey was well earned, as she showed grace and agility just like the birds that ruled the top of the flying food chain. The trek up was a bit long, but it was good for Fatima who treated the challenge like it was a game of sort. In matter of minutes, she reached the top!
"Whoa… where am I?" she asked herself when she finally reached the top. It appeared that she was on one of the flat-top areas on the roof, which was on the far left and overlooked a bit of the ocean. Around her were various conical spires and also earthen roof tops that would be easy to set foot on, if you were light and agile enough. She looked around, expecting unwelcome company to drop in. She hit the nail on the head when from a higher rooftop was General Springy, the former human bandit Monster member grinning evilly at the beautiful blonde female before he leapt high and landing down in front of her. Fatima was disgusted on what she saw, which in her view was a large humanoid toad that looked to have a bit of a hygiene problem.
"Hahahahaha! Welcome, little intruder! Welcome to your doom! I am one of the Three Generals that control Maleficent's army! Call me… General Springy!" the frog-like, heat generating general cackled. Fatima replied that she would rather call him ugly, but the agile general actually took that as a compliment. He paced back and forth a bit, examining Fatima with a crucial eye that made the blonde beauty very uncomfortable.
"I was expecting the royal children… maybe even the monsters that guard them! But sadly, it seems you are the only one who made it. It's not going to be very fun to fight a woman." Springy commented, making Fatima fume at being dismissed so easily. However, she realized that she could make this work to her advantage. If he underestimated her, he would be caught off guard by her agility and speed. It was all she had, and was confident that she could beat this minion of Maleficent.
"My name is Fatima, frog-man. I am here to help the others put down your mistress! Now, tell me where she is or it'll be me smacking you around like a rubber ball!" she stated with confidence, showing that despite her age and looks, she could fight with the best of them. However, Springy merely laughed and replied that she had no chance against him because she was a woman, and insulted her even further when he said that he would use her for his own personal pleasure. Now THAT got her seeing red, and she was about to attack… when someone came in to do the smacking for her. A loud, familiar roar filled the air and the two knew who it was. Springy's smug smirk quickly was replaced by a nervous frown when he turned around… and got smacked in the face by two red clawed feet! Fatima smiled widely to see that it was Rodan!
The former titan of the skies had been circling around the area, trying to see if he could attack the structure and do some decent damage. However, after some time flying around, he saw that the structure was pretty solid and despite being made of earth, it was hard enough to resist big impacts for a bit. Rodan got a bit frustrated when he smelled and sensed something, a presence that was different yet familiar at the same time. The large flying dinosaur turned towards the place where a piece of the palace-fortress overlooked the ocean and he landed on one of the roof edges, his claws digging into the earthen surface. He then saw from his vantage point a being, one that looked a little familiar. However, the smell and look of the target was different but only by a subtle amount. He then heard the voice of the being, and recognized it to be one of the pesky humans that he defeated some time ago, in the forest and at Godzilla's bonded human's dwelling! The frog-like human now looked even more like a frog, and he looked larger and a bit more dangerous when Rodan sensed intense heat coming from his body. But, the former ruler of the skies had lived in active volcanoes so heat was a bit more welcoming to him. The only exception was Godzilla's blue flame, which Rodan did not like at all. The large pteranodon then saw someone emerge from a hole in the ground, and saw that it was the blonde female human that he met before with his bonded human Dianne, and her chosen male human Hadrian.
Rodan saw the two humans exchange words, and also more importantly… saw that the ugly toad-like creature was distracted. The dinosaur let out a large cry before swooping down, and delivering a double kick to Springy! The attack got him by surprise and sent him flying, past Fatima and over the area! Fatima did not look back, instead she ran to Rodan and petted his chest with gratitude when he landed on the flat area top. She smiled and stated, "Your timing was perfect, Rodan! I really wanted to smack him around for his comments, but thanks for doing it for me!". Rodan did not understand it completely, but she he saw that the female human liked his performance in delivering a blow to the ugly humanoid creature, he just nodded and cawed. However, their victory was short-lived as a tip of a tongue was shown on the edge of the area, and shooting up like a slingshot was Springy! Fatima and Rodan were annoyed at the general was alive, and said being looked livid as a deep imprint of Rodan's feet were on his face. He shot into the air and landed with expert landing skill on a pointed spire on the roof.
"GRAH! You featherless freak! How dare you hit me like that!" he exclaimed, his red spot burning brightly like a furnace. Fatima merely smirked at the enraged former human, and ran to her right, leaping over the area and landing with grace and skill on another spire opposite of Springy. Needless to say, both Rodan and Springy were impressed by her show of agility, speed and precision.
She stated, "Me and my friend here are going to take you down, ugly! So get ready, because we are going to beat you down into this poor excuse for a palace!". Rodan agreed with her, taking to the skies once again and hovering over Fatima. Springy was angry, and quickly started to bounce around on the large, slanted and point in various places rooftops! Fatima followed, Rodan flying higher into the air. The agile match was on!
~With Anguirus and Minos~
While Fatima and Rodan were ready to do battle with Springy, Anguirus and Minos were looking at the first trap that was awaiting them. The path before them was wide enough for both of them to cross side-by-side, but the walls on both sides had faces of gargoyles with their mouths opened wide with spikes in them. Anguirus could sense danger here, but he could not really see it. Minos looked at his spiked companion and stated, "I hear you, big guy. This feels like a trap. But, we got no other choice then to go forward. Let's take a chance and see what happens.". The best friend/ally of Godzilla nodded and the two went forward, and they only managed to take about seven steps into the trap when it sprung! The gargoyles started to fire the spiky protrusions out at them, and the ones that were nearby and high above turned their heads to fire at an angle! The duo was surrounded, and Minos quickly brought up his gauntlets to punch away at the hard, pointed rocks while using his lower body to dodge the incoming missiles! Though he was not quick or agile like his wife, the strongman showed some good footwork and evading abilities while punching the rocks to pebbles!
Anguirus was more annoyed at the spiky rock projectiles, reminding the spiked-shelled monster of the explosive missiles and such that the human shot at him when he was his original size. The pointed rocks smashed to dust against his hard shell, but the ones that hit his vulnerable spots like his neck and head were the real problem. Though it did not penetrate through the skin, it hit fast and hard enough to do some kind of damage. Minos heard the frustrated call of his ally and exclaimed, "This IS getting rather annoying! We can't move much because of these blasted things! Any ideas?!". The mutated Ankylosaurs thought on it for a moment, then did gain an idea. Without warning, he grabbed a surprised Minos with his forelimbs, held him to his chest before curling into a ball and rolling straight on the path! The spiky rock projectiles did not stand a chance, the pointed rocks just bouncing or shattering to dust when impacting Angurius's rolling technique! Inside, Minos was holding in his lunch as he was spun around with the friend of Godzilla. Anguirus also knew where to turn on the path, like he had eyes on the outside but he was using his sixth sense to make turns and such before continuing on. In a matter of minutes, they had arrived at their destination which was a massive stone door. Anguirus uncurled from his ball technique, and let go of Minos who stumbled around a bit before grabbing onto the door get his bearings back in order.
"Oooh… that is on experience I can live without…" he muttered, trying to get his whole body steady while keeping his lunch in at the same time. He was spun around inside Anguirus like clothes in a washing machine, and he was very glad that the ride was now over. Anguirus just looked at the door, unmindful of the human's discomfort. It took Minos about three or so minutes to get back on track, and he looked up to see the door ahead of them. The strongman looked around them, seeing thick earthen walls that he knew would be near impossible to break through. And he knew that given the amount of twists and turns he felt while inside Anguirus, and the time he spent enduring the little rolling trip, that they were in the very heart of the palace-fortress. They were in deep in the castle, most likely in the center of it all.
"If we are in the heart of this place, I bet that the witch is behind this door. Come on, let's open it and take a look." he told his ally as he pushed against the stone door. He grunted and heaved, putting his full strength behind it. It only budged a little, and Minos was doing his best to try and move it some more. This large slab of stone was very thick and heavy, but it was no match for a monster like Anguirus. The spiked-shelled beast decided to aid the strong human, using his head to aid Minos in pushing the door open. It moved till it was open all the way, and they saw that an arena of sort was inside. It was wide, with plenty of room to move around in. It was lit up by eight torches that were situated in some areas around the circular arena. The two went into the room, and when Anguirus's tail tip got in, the doors slid back and slammed shut! Minos turned to see the action, very much knowing that it was magic that moved the door back in place.
"What is this? I was hoping to fight the royal brats and their large pets! But… all I got is one stranger and one monster?! This is not right!" a voice called out from seemingly out of nowhere. Anguirus bristled, very much angry to be mentioned as a pet. He was no one's pet! Minos and him moved forward towards the arena, looking this way and that for the source of the voice. It showed up, jumping from the ceiling it was clinging to and showing itself to the two. The spiked-shelled monster growled, recognizing the smell and presence of the being before it. Even though it changed slightly, Anguirus knew who it was. Minos saw a monstrous lizard-like man standing before them now, but this one was more different the minions he fought earlier. This one seemed just slightly more human then demon, if only a little. He demanded to know who he was, and that is when the big brute let out a sound that was between a sinister laughter and a hiss like a lizard.
The being replied, "I am Tightfist, one of the three Generals that oversees Maleficent's armies! I was hoping to get my revenge on the royal brats and the monsters that made fools of us last time, but it seems I am robbed of that now that I know face a puny human and just one of those brat's pets.". Minos and Anguirus were REALLY starting to get annoyed at Tightfist's remarks. The strongman punched his left fist into his right palm, and the mutated Ankylosaurs was growling, his fighting spirit rising to the top as he was preparing to put this creature down once and for all.
The strongman stated, "Careful, mistake of nature. My name is Minos, and this 'puny human' is more stronger then you realize. Now, tell us where we can find Maleficent and we might spare you a beating you will not ever forget!". Anguirus roared beside his human ally, wanting to take down this abomination as well. Tightfist then started to laugh, his body shaking as if he heard the funniest of jokes. Minos growled slightly, his lips curled into a sneer as this monstrosity was seriously getting on his nerves. It was the same for Anguirus; in the past, many monsters had underestimated him because he did not have projectiles, was not that big compared to others, and also relied more on defense then offense. But the spiked-shelled monster was courageous, had a tenacity of spirit, and did not back down when called to battle! That was one of the many things that Godzilla respected, much more so when he himself battled Anguirus long ago. It was that battle that called them to be allies, friends even in terms of respect.
Tightfist continued laughing, but was quickly shut up when Minos came at him with surprising speed for a man his age and size, and delivered an uppercut to the lizard-like general! Tightfist stumbled back a bit, touching his jaw as he felt pain tingling through it. The general was indeed impressed by the level of strength this man possessed, comparing the hit to being hit by a strong, healthy prime ox. He glared at Minos, who was joined by Anguirus, both of them ready and rearing to put this former human down. Tightfist punched his right fist in his left palm, and the spines on his back now unfolded and looking like sharp swords. His tail beat down on the ground, leaving a small imprint as the former human unleashed his claws from his hands. He growled, "Okay, you two… if it's a fight you want… IT'S A FIGHT YOU'LL GET!". The three charged towards one another, right towards the middle of the circular arena ring!
~With the Dwarves~
While the others were either fighting or going through the trap-infested rooms, the small friends of Snow White were busy on their own path. The one they chose led them deep into the bowels of the palace-fortress, but going a bit more upward then the one Anguirus and Minos took. Luckily for them, the path they took contained no traps. However, Doc was not a dwarf to take any unnecessary risks. He was ready with his pick-axe in the air, ready to strike if anything popped out at them that was not friendly. He looked to his companions and stated, "Alright me, be on alert! No telling what can pop up in here…". They were not going to be told twice, because they already had their tools out to strike at a moment's notice. The lot looked around as they walked, and soon came to a large room that had some sounds coming from there. They were voices, and the dwarves quickly slid towards their wall, their backs to it as they creeped in to get a better look.
One of the voices, a male with an old tone to it exclaimed, "Now see here, you brute! I will not clean up this filthy place anymore! You may get a kick out of watching me suffer in cleaning up this place time and time again, but no more! You hear me?! I will not be subjugated in this manner!". The voice was followed by a squeal and screech, the same kind they heard earlier when they fought against those demonic soldiers down in the dungeon. What followed next was a clatter of silverware, smashing of plates and also the sounds of an old man that tried to dodge something being thrown at him. Grumpy looked to Doc and gave a firm nod, saying silently that it might be one of the servant humans that Ariel told them about earlier. The leader of the dwarves nodded, and peeked around the corner to see into the room where the noises were coming from. Indeed, the dwarf saw Grisby dodging plates and other utensils that were being thrown at him by three demon soldiers; one humanoid hat, pig, and crow soldiers of low rank. They kept screeching and squealing in delight at seeing the human before them dance out of the way of the projectiles they were throwing at him.
Doc turned back to his fellow dwarves, nodded his head and made some motioning gestures. He told them with his hand signs that they would creep in slowly, sneak in from behind the demons, and catch them off guard before they could realize it. The plan was sound enough to the small miners and gave their leaders a nod of their heads together. "Okay men… let's go." Doc whispered as he went in first, very careful to stick to the walls and make very little sound as possible. Following next was Grumpy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, and Bashful. The six dwarves sneaked in, sticking to the walls and walking quietly. The room they entered as the Mess Hall, emphasis on mess since it was very dirty. Grisby was hopping madly, avoiding the projectiles the demonic soldiers threw at him. The soldier's eyes were closed as they laughed in wicked delight, continuing their torment of the butler of the Marcels. The dwarves successfully managed to get behind their target, and slowly sneaked up behind them to deliver a good whack with their pick axes to the head. However, a stray cobweb blew down gently from the rafters and glided under Sneezy's nose.
"Oh no… not here… no now… ahhhh… ahhhh…" Sneezy whimpered, and he started to get ready to blow a big one. The other dwarves saw this, and were about to go and try and stop him when they heard the demons stopping their fun, they all decided to duck down and unleash the force that was Sneezy! The three soldiers turned around and were very puzzled and confused on who this strange, small intruder was. Grisby was tired from his little jig, so thus fell flat to the floor, saving himself at the last second for what was about to happen now.
"AHHHH-CHOOOO!" Sneezy exclaimed, releasing a powerful burst of wind that swept the demons off of their feet, literally! The three soldiers screeched in fright and confusion as they were blown away, straight into a chute that was meant for any kind of trash to be thrown in there. The three fell and slid down the stone chute and were soon dumped into the ocean, where a loud sound of pain and misery came from them as salt water and demons did not mix at all. So while the demon soldiers swam over quickly to dry land as if their lives depended on it, Sneezy was rubbing his nose while the dwarves and Grisby rose up from their places. The allergy-riddled dwarf was congratulated by his comrades for getting rid of the soldiers, and Grisby was looking at them in fascination. He had heard about dwarves when he was a lad, but he never thought he would see one let alone six.
He went to the six miners and said, "Thank you, thank you for your help! But, who are you exactly?". Doc introduced them as the seven dwarves, and that they were sent by Ariel to rescue them. Upon hearing about the former mermaid, Grisby asked if she was alright. Grumpy answered gruffly that she was okay, her and the others being rescued by them and now off somewhere in the palace-fortress. Happy asked where Carlotta and Louis were, and the servant of the Marcels answered that they were nearby, possibly in another room close to where they were. Doc then called out for the others to be prepared, and started to march out to find the other rooms. Grisby joined them, saying he would be safer with them then trying to go out of this place by himself. However, a thought came to his head as he counted the dwarves.
He asked, "Excuse me, but if there are seven of you… how come I only count six?". Doc and the others stopped in mid-march, and looked to see that they were indeed missing a dwarf! They looked all around and also where they came from, and could not find their youngest member.
"Where in the heck did Dopey go?!" Grumpy exclaimed, very much irate for their colleague to go missing, especially at this point!
~With Godzilla and the others~
Godzilla was leading the pack, the humans behind him as they went down the path that led to Shadowsneak. Said path went up and down like small hills, but nothing dangerous was laid for them… yet. While the King of the Monsters took the lead, Beast was following behind. The prince turned animal was looking here and there, his senses much more attuned then the others. The royal children, Hadrian and Oliver followed Beast while the adults pulled the rear. It was a simple but protective tactic, the children would be in the middle while the kings and queens would be on either side, to make sure nothing would get to them. Though the royal adults were still a bit sore, tired and hungry from their torment here in the palace-fortress, they pressed on because this was a fight that they intended to finish… for better or for worse. Same for the pre-teens, since they were determined to see this thing through no matter what! After ten minutes or so of walking, they came to the first trap room. They were met with a large, solid stone door that had the insignia of a gargoyle with its wings fanned out and in an attack posture.
"A gargoyle? Why that insignia?" Beast asked to himself, not liking the smell or looks of it. Godzilla did not heed his words, nor care. All he knew was that the familiar, yet at the same time different smell of the enemy from several days ago was close by, and he intended to settle the matter with the human that tried to end him and his four bonded humans several days ago. He pushed open the door, which was easy while it would have been very difficult for a normal human, and stomped in. The others soon followed, and when a shadowy figure came in at the last moment, the doors slammed shut. Everyone turned around, all knowing that it was magic that pushed the door closed. They now saw that they were in a large room, one easily the size of the living room back when the place used to be the Marcel palace. Plenty of room to move in, especially for Godzilla. However, all around the place were twelve statues, all large gargoyles that were roughly the same size as Beast. The humans shivered as they saw the creatures, who were all frozen in attack position.
Florian whispered, "I will give credit to the witch, she knows how to make rock statues. I never seen gargoyles such as these.". The queens and princesses nodded, but when their gaze fell on the lone female gargoyle… they all shuddered, feeling as if the creature was sizing them up before doing something wicked. Sebastian came out from Melody's hair, while Jaq, Deline, Gus and Rosette came out from Tracy's pockets. The tiny animals scuttled this way and that, looking in awe at the statues while wondering what it was they were feeling. Animals like them had a sixth sense when it came to danger, and right now their senses were going a little crazy. Godzilla went the door that was in the opposite wall, but he tried to push it open, it did not budge. He growled and tried to push it harder, but that is when something sent his own sixth sense off. He growled and looked around the room, Beast doing the same as his senses went off.
"Everyone, together NOW!" he exclaimed, and just at the right time too because the statue that Melody and the others were looking at… came to life! All of the humans banded together while Sebastian and his new furry friends scuttled away to hide underneath in a hole in the wall. A shadowy figured followed close behind, jumping in the shadows in a hurry when the statues started to move and come to life! The male gargoyles all reared up on their hind legs and let out a roar of power, the rock shedding from them like eggs. They were now sporting colors of red and silver, quite unique to anyone's eye. Their eyes glowed yellow as the Life Stones within them activated, and they all saw the beings as intruders. The one that really surprised them was the female gargoyle, who came to life in a rather aggressive and wild manner! Its eyes were glowing red, and it seemed that she was different from the rest. She was light blue in color, the inside of her leathery wings purple. She wore a dark white cloth that was held together by a black belt with an amber lock, and wore a shirt cloth that had one strap missing on the gargoyle's right side. It did little to cover up the ample bust of the female monster. On her right arm was a band of sort made of gold, bronze earrings on her ears, and wore a bronze crown on her head. Her hair was a thick dark red color, her lips the same color and her eyes going from solid red to black as the night. Her long tail was swaying a little behind her, giving off the touch of her being a mistress of the night.
"Ahhhh, humans! What a delightful target for us tonight. And two beasts… one furry, the other with green skin like that of an ancient tree. Interesting… well, I hope you all said your prayers because you all are going to die right here! Just so you know… the name of your executioner is Demona. My clan… ATTACK!" she exclaimed before she screeched, her eyes going blood red again before she leapt into action! The magic of Maleficent made her to do less banter, more fighting. Godzilla roared loudly, wanting to battle against these stone creatures that came to be flesh and blood somehow. The Beast did the same, roaring before pouncing one of the male gargoyles! The adults told the kids to stay back before going into battle, but the pre-teens ignored them and decided to help out as well! It was going to be humans plus monsters vs. gargoyles!
(Author's Notes: I will end the chapter here at this point. So, what do you all think? Who will win their matches?! Rodan and Fatima vs. Springy, Minos and Anguirus vs. Tightfist, and right now Godzilla and the humans vs. the gargoyles! Also, who do you think the shadowy figure is that came in with them, that followed them all this time? I will give you a hint… it's not Shadowsneak! And also, what did you think about the heroes/heroines in the grove? What did you think about their fight? And what do you think Erica is doing to Biolantte's mind at this point?
Next chapter, you will see the fights between the two generals and their opponents, and also see the fight between Godzilla and his friends against the Gargoyles! Plus, you all will see the little guys in action! It will be their turn to shine in the next chapter! Also, you will see Max use his new form's abilities that will hopefully keep the ones in the grove safe. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please… give the characters like the Good Fairies props, for it isn't easy to go toe-to-toe with monsters like Megalon and Biolantte!
R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave long reviews!)
