Notes: And we're back!

Shoutouts to edboy4926, 54godamora, and Miss Queen B for reviewing; you guys are awesome. :D

Music for this chapter: a few songs, actually! For the first scene,"King Ghidorah Theme" (a remix of Ghidorah's theme from the Japanese Heisei movies), by Philip Andersson; for the middle scenes, "The Key to Coexistence," "Goodbye Old Friend," and "Rebirth," from the KOTM soundtrack; and for the last scene, "Mothra Theme" (a remix of Mothra's "Sacred Springs" theme from the Heisei movies), also by Philip Andersson.

Also, a warning: this chapter contains some significant feels. Proceed with caution. XD

Chapter 7: Resurrection and Reunion

Rodan dove through a layer of dense clouds, his wings swatting several metal birds out of the sky as he spun in the air. As he burst out of the clouds and circled, looking for any fresh enemies, he still couldn't help but feel stunned by the sheer power that Ghidorah had unleashed in just a few hours. The heart of the immense hurricane that the Golden One had crafted was no longer a mere storm, but a terrifying vision of hell unleashed.

The humans' riverside city had been almost completely obliterated by the flood that had swept through the area, generated by a combination of the torrential rain and the massive storm surge that had rushed up the river. Most of their nests had been fully submerged or washed away, with only the tallest buildings still rising above the churning water. The raging winds had coalesced into dozens of tornados that were swirling through the area, some of them turning into waterspouts as they sucked up water from below. The sky above was a mix of dark gray clouds and sickly yellow light, and a constant rumble of thunder mingled with the sounds of explosions as they rang out from below.

To the humans' credit, it hadn't taken long for them to respond. After only a few hours of Rodan's sitting around, slowly getting bored and starting to hope for something interesting to happen while Ghidorah continued building up their storm, the two Kaijus had sensed a large group of approaching creatures, which had turned out to be a school of strange metal fish and a flock of the odd metal birds that Rodan had fought earlier, led by the same sleek black flyer that he'd chased away from his island before running into Ghidorah. He'd been very surprised when the Golden One had explained that these strange metal creatures were actually artificial creatures, created by the humans to fight enemies that were too large and powerful for the little mammals to combat on their own.

Despite a valiant effort, however, the humans and their metal pets were failing. Many of the metal birds were gone or tumbling out of the sky, trailing flame and smoke as they plummeted into the roiling waters below, while most of the metal fish were also broken and burning, many of them having already vanished below the surface.

A blur of movement off to one side drew Rodan's attention, as he saw one of the largest remaining metal fish launching a volley of its strange, glowing stingers up into the clouds. The stingers exploded, lighting up the immense form of Ghidorah as they burst out of the clouds and plunged down towards the metal fish, slamming feet-first into it with incredible force. The metal fish lurched forwards in the water, already beginning to tilt and buckle: a flight of metal birds swooped in, launching more stingers at the Golden One without much effect.

Rodan's eyes narrowed when he saw the large, dark flyer accelerating towards Ghidorah, and he dove to intercept it with a challenging shriek. The dark flyer rolled to one side and dropped away to avoid him; Rodan tilted his head back, clapped his wings together with a crack of thunder, and rocketed back up towards the clouds.

In the same motion, Ghidorah also leapt into the air, swatting two metal birds like insects with a sweep of their massive wings. The metal fish that they'd struck snapped in half, midway along its length; the two halves settled back onto the water for a moment, but the Golden One wasn't done yet. Crackling beams of lightning poured from all three mouths, striking the broken metal fish like a trio of hammer-blows: explosions flared up along its length, and then the entire "fish" blew apart in a massive fireball, sending burning debris flying in every direction. Ghidorah soared back into the swirling vortex of clouds that had formed at the heart of the storm, a chorus of cruel laughter ringing out and mingling with the thunder as they disappeared from view.

Rodan felt a brief pang shoot through him as he rose higher into the air and saw just how many of the humans' metal creatures were sinking, broken and shattered, beneath the waves. After everything that Ghidorah had told him, and especially if the humans really had killed the King, he was willing to believe that they could pose a legitimate threat. And if getting rid of them would satisfy the Golden One and get them to leave this world forever, then he was willing to help eliminate the humans if that was what it took. But deep in his mind, he was still conflicted. All three of his former companions had cared for the humans, and they had fought to protect the little mammals time and time again… and now here he was, fighting alongside their ancient Enemy against the creatures that they had been trying to protect. And some part of him was instinctively recoiling at what he was doing.

You're failing them, that part of his mind whispered, an intrusive thought that chipped away at his concentration.

No, Rodan thought, shaking his head and scowling as he focused back on the matter at hand, flying in circles around the vortex and shrugging off a few volleys of small fire-stingers from the humans' remaining metal birds. I need to do this. Once the humans are gone, the Golden One will leave. If I have to get rid of the humans to protect everyone else, then I will. Their lives aren't worth everyone else's.

But how do you think your friends would react to what you're doing? that part of him pressed. How do you think he would react?

That stung, and Rodan felt a twisting sensation in his stomach as his vision blurred for a moment, before he shook his head more forcefully. No! he growled. I know how he'd feel about this, but it doesn't matter. I don't have a choice. If I don't do this, they'll kill me… but if I do, I can help save everyone else.

Oh, please, his other internal voice mocked. You know that's not why you're really helping them. You can tell yourself that all you want, but it's a lie. You just don't want to die, and you're willing to sell out everything you've ever cared about, turn your back on everything that you all fought for, if it means you get to live. That voice fell silent for a moment, and then continued: What would they think of you – what would he think of you – if they could see you now?

Rodan squeezed his eyes shut for a second, trying to suppress his pain and guilt. They'd hate me, he admitted. Gojira and Mosura definitely would, at least. Anguirus… he might not, but… there's a good chance he would too. His eyes snapped open again, burning yellow. But I don't have a choice. I don't like this, but I have to see it through. Gojira and Anguirus are dead, and I don't know whether Mosura is still alive or not, but even if she is she's no match for them by herself. He glanced over his shoulder to where the Golden One's outline was still visible through the clouds, haloed by crackling arcs of lightning. This is the only way. Once the humans are gone, Ghidorah will be too, and then all of this will finally be over. The rest of the world will be safe, and I'll finally have peace again. Now shut up already!

Doing his best to squash the nagging voice in the back of his mind, Rodan focused his attention back on the business at hand, snapping at a couple of metal birds as they flew past him. He had to finish this. Getting rid of the humans was the only way to get rid of Ghidorah now, and that meant he had to see it through no matter what.

Regardless of the guilt and anger that were seething inside him, and the painful memories that were haunting him with every move he made.

At the center of the vortex, Ichi smirked as he surveyed their surroundings. As he'd expected, the humans had launched a counterattack, but luckily they didn't seem to have advanced quite as much as he'd feared. The weapons that this armada of watercraft and aircraft had unleashed were rather potent, but not enough to seriously harm them. Nothing that these humans had thrown at them so far was anywhere close to the level of the explosive weapon that had brought down the Lizard King. Meanwhile, the brothers' storm was continuing to grow and spread, already blanketing a significant portion of this world's surface. If they could maintain it long enough, ecosystems across the planet would begin to collapse, robbed of the sun's energy and drowned by torrential floods of water. Soon enough, there would be no place on this world where the humans could find sanctuary.

While Ichi was calmly satisfied with their progress and with their victory over the humans' military forces, his brothers were each reacting in their own way to their current situation. Ni was cackling gleefully, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of the battle: he took out one of the humans' aircraft with another quick-charging bolt of lightning, grinning widely as his eyes burned in the semidarkness. "That's what I'm talking about!" he crowed, laughing as he began seeking out another target. "C'mon, give it your best shot!"

San, however, seemed less enthusiastic about the situation. Instead, he was currently watching the fire-wing who was circling around them, with an oddly-wistful expression on his face that was rather unusual for him. He was usually quite cheerful and happy most of the time, so this sober expression was strange.

Ichi frowned when he saw his brother's expression and leaned over, bumping his snout lightly against San's horns with an unusual level of care. San? he inquired, reaching out through the brothers' mental link. Are you all right?

"Huh?" San turned to face him, blinking. Oh, yeah, I'm okay. Sorry. I was just… thinking about something. He frowned, looking back up to where the fire-wing was circling outside of their vortex.

Ichi raised an eyebrow ridge. About what? he questioned, nodding up towards Rodan. Him? What about him?

Oh, it's nothing, really. It's not really about him. It's just… San looked down for a second, then shrugged his neck in a rippling motion. Working with other Kaiju like this again… it reminds me of the old days. Of them.

Ni swung around when he heard that thought, his eyes widening in realization. A rush of memories flashed back and forth through the brothers' minds, many of them carrying images of two other Kaiju: one, a patchwork creature with black armor plating, a single red eye, and a pair of long, curved talons in place of hands; and the other, a bipedal insectoid monster with a star-shaped horn and two spinning drills for arms. In all the years of Ghidorah's long life, those two creatures had been the closest thing that the Golden One had ever had to friends, although they had parted ways from them a long time ago.

Don't go gettin' sentimental on us, San, Ni muttered after a moment. Sure, it's nice not having to do all the work ourselves for a change, but that asshole up there is nothing like them. He'd never understand us the way they did, and we damn well can't trust him the way we could with them.

Regrettably, Ni is correct, Ichi agreed. It is helpful to have servants for a change, but that fire-wing and the other Kaijus that we have bound are not like those two were. Those were truly our allies, while these are nothing more than pawns that would never side with us if they had any choice in the matter. His lip curled disdainfully as he looked up to where Rodan was still circling the perimeter of the vortex, chasing several human aircraft. Even that one only aids us out of cowardice, and his desperation to preserve his own life.

I know, I know. San sighed, nodding. Sorry, I just… got a little nostalgic, I guess.

I understand. Ichi chuckled softly, actually feeling a little sympathetic towards his brother for once. San had always been thoughtful and curious, much more so than Ni: that went along with his enhanced observation skills, but it sometimes meant that he overthought things. Don't worry, little brother. Once we're done with this planet, we'll be able to take a nice long rest while we seek out another one... hopefully one that doesn't have any tiny sentients on it. In all honesty, he would enjoy that very much. They'd been trying to complete their purge of this planet for so many years that it would be a tremendous relief when it was finally done and they could move on.

Luckily, their purge was now well underway. The brothers could sense their brainwashed Kaiju thralls at work, rampaging across several continents and decimating one human city after another, while their storm was getting bigger and more powerful with each passing hour. Before long, their job would be done, and the tiny sentients would finally be eradicated and purged from the face of this planet. And then –

"Stop."

What the –?! Ichi recoiled as if he'd been struck, snarling. His brothers did the same, their eyes flashing and their necks contorting as they looked around for the source of that call. Above, Rodan let out a loud squawk as he heard the same noise, and veered sharply in the air before catching himself.

"Stay where you are," the voice intoned. "Do not move." It resonated with both Ghidorah and Rodan on some level other than mere sound, reverberating through the air around them. Through the brothers' mental connection with the other Kaiju that they had awakened, they could feel that their unwilling servants had all been much more deeply affected by the voice: it was overriding their telepathic commands, freezing the lesser Kaiju in place.

A moment later, the call repeated, echoing through the storm again. "Stop. Stay where you are. Do not move."

"What the hell is that?!" Ni snarled, baring his teeth as he glared off towards the horizon.

"An Alpha call," Ichi realized, his eyes narrowing as he realized what the force behind the strange voice was. It wasn't the Lizard King, but it sounded a lot like him. Who…? After a moment of contemplation, his eyes widened in recognition. Of course!

Ni and San exchanged wide-eyed glances as they also recognized it: the voice making this call was the same voice that had awakened them from their slumber beneath the ice. It was much louder and more forceful now than it had been before, but the tones were unmistakably the same, and the brothers snarled as the call echoed across the world again.

"Stop. Stay where you are. Do not move."

The humans' remaining aircraft and watercraft were retreating now, abandoning the flooded city and fleeing out towards the open sea. Normally Ghidorah would have pursued them, but they were too focused on this bizarre turn of events to do so, and craned their necks as they gazed north, in the direction where the voice seemed to originate. Rodan swooped in and landed on a half-demolished building nearby, staring in the same direction.

As confused as Ghidorah was by this strange voice, their response to it was automatic. Another Alpha call, especially one that was actively interfering with their plans, amounted to a direct challenge, and it didn't take long for them to make a decision. "Change of plans," Ichi called out to Rodan, glancing in the fire-wing's direction. "Clearly, whoever that is, they aren't on board with our mission. So we'll have to deal with them before we can get back to work."

Rodan nodded. Unlike all of the other Kaiju under Ghidorah's control, he hadn't been frozen by the Alpha call, mainly because they weren't controlling him telepathically so the call wasn't disrupting any kind of psychic connection. "Makes sense," he murmured, frowning as he gazed off to the north. "Who is that? I've never heard them before today, but now I've heard them twice."

Ichi's head snapped around at that, his eyes narrowing. "Twice?" he questioned, Ni and San both perking up as well.

Rodan flinched back a little as all three heads swung around to regard him, but he nodded slowly. "Uh… yeah," he replied. "I heard a voice that sounded a lot like that one earlier; they pulled me out of hibernation, telling me to wake up. I don't know who it is, though."

"Interesting…" Ichi frowned, considering that. "That's quite the coincidence."

"Yeah," San agreed. "That voice woke us up too, right? It was quieter then, but I'm pretty sure it's the same as this one." He nodded to the north, just as another call swept across the landscape, carrying the same repeating order.

"Stop. Stay where you are. Do not move."

"We will do no such thing, you insolent pretender," Ichi muttered in response to the distant voice. His eyes flashed, and he flared out their wings as his gaze locked back onto Rodan. "Follow us," he ordered. "Stay close, but keep out of our way when we get there. Whoever is sending out that Alpha call, we will crush them ourselves, and then we can get back to work. Do not interfere unless we tell you to do so."

Rodan nodded, inclining his head in acknowledgment.

All three of Ghidorah's heads called out simultaneously, a trio of cackling roars and a rush of wind echoing around them as they leapt into the air. They circled over the flooded city once before heading north, disappearing into the clouds with the fire-wing close behind them.

Deep beneath the Earth, in his underwater temple, the King was dreaming again.

In the dream, he sped through the complex web of his underwater tunnels, the walls of shimmering stone rushing past him on all sides as the racing current pulled him along, until he finally emerged into the much larger cavern that housed the humans' city. No wounds plagued him, and his body sliced through the water with ease, but he was tired and felt the urge to return to his temple, to rest and recover his strength.

The city was the way it had been in days of old: most of the immense cavern was above the water, while a portion of it housed an immense saltwater lake, hundreds of feet deep, that was connected to the tunnel entrance. He surfaced into that lake, blinking and snorting as the light of the cavern reached his eyes. This far underground, no sunlight could ever reach this place, but the Underworld had its own light: dense layers of bioluminescent mosses, lichens, and other plants carpeted the ceiling and walls of the great cavern, glowing in a multicolored tapestry of blues, greens, oranges, and purples. That natural light, combined with the orange-yellow glow of the countless torches and fires that were used to help illuminate the humans' city, made it bright enough for the King to easily see the entirety of the cavern.

Curiously, however, while the city was fully intact, its occupants were nowhere to be seen. The King gazed around the cavern, letting out a low roar to draw the attention of anyone who might still be here, but there was no response. The human population of the ancient city was still gone, as if they had all just vanished into thin air.

The city was split in two by a broad, deep channel filled with seawater, a natural feature of the cave that allowed the King to swim leisurely up through the cavern without disturbing the city. A soft orange glow also radiated up through the water from the river of molten lava that flowed slowly along the bottom of the canal, originating from the lava tubes in the secondary cavern beyond this one.

As he approached the end of the canal and the entrance of the smaller temple cavern – which was also whole once more, the immense gates intact and undamaged – the King sensed something that sent a chill down his spine. He surfaced, lifting his head above the water and craning his neck as he looked in that direction.

Lying beside the canal, near the ancient gates, was the one thing that didn't line up with the way the city had been back in the old times: the skeleton of Anguirus, still lying where he had left it all those years ago. It looked extremely out of place now, lying on dry ground and surrounded by an undamaged city, but the presence of the skeleton added to the eerie atmosphere that had been created by the total absence of any humans.

Swimming to the side of the canal, the King clambered out onto dry land and leaned forward, examining the skeleton. It remained motionless, silent as ever, its eyes just dark, empty holes in the hollow skull.

But then a flash of green light filled the empty sockets, and the King jerked back in shock, so fast that he almost fell back into the canal.

And then... the skeleton began to move. As it rose up, ghostly flesh and scales materialized over the bones, and the green eyes blazed in the multicolored twilight of the cavern. Finally, the figure settled into physical form, its massive club-tipped tail waving slowly back and forth behind it.

The King's eyes were wide and stunned, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He took a step back, his tail splashing into the canal again, as he stared in disbelief at the Kaiju who now stood before him.

"…Anguirus?" he breathed.

The ghostly image of the spike-shell smiled and nodded in response, sitting back on his haunches. "Hey, Goji," he greeted the King with a casual wave of his front paw. "Good to see you."

The King finally snapped out of his shock, as a slow smile spread across his face. "It… it's good to see you too," he murmured, before his smile flickered and he glanced around at their surroundings as an ominous thought occurred to him. "Wait. Does this mean…"

"That you're dead?" Anguirus finished, chuckling softly and shaking his head. "Nah. Don't worry, you're not. I don't think so, anyway."

"Well, that's good." The King snorted, glancing around at the empty cavern. "So why am I here?"

Anguirus shrugged, the bony club on the end of his tail scraping against the stone as his tail dragged back and forth behind him. "Your guess is as good as mine, pal. This is your dream: I'm just livin' in it. Figuratively speaking." He snickered a little at that, and the King echoed the quiet chuckle despite himself.

Tilting his head back and stretching out his front legs, Anguirus leaned forward and looked up at the King again, frowning curiously. "So… c'mon, Goji, what's going on? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here if you didn't need to get something off your chest."

"I…" The King sighed heavily, looking down. Under the current circumstances, there was really only one topic of conversation that came to mind. "I don't know if I can trust the humans anymore," he confessed. "Mosura reminded me that they've always been complicated creatures and that not all of them have always been on my side, and I understand that, but… ever since I came out of hibernation, it's like they've completely forgotten everything we've done for them. They would've been wiped out thousands of years ago if it wasn't for us, by the Golden One or by other hostile Kaiju; we saved them from extinction, time and time again. Hell, you died fighting that golden bastard because we were so dedicated to protecting them!" He scowled. "I don't blame the humans for that, of course, but ever since I woke up sixty-five years ago, they've attacked me almost every time I've shown myself, as if they don't know me at all and just see me as another threat. Even if not all of them are like that, it sure as hell feels like it."

Anguirus nodded soberly. "Yeah, I get it, man," he agreed. "But you gotta remember, the humans have much shorter lifespans and memories than we do. It's been a long time since you guys all went to sleep, so it makes sense that they might not remember you." He smiled a little. "And Mosura told you, didn't she? Even if not all of them remember, some of them do. Her Singers don't keep any secrets from her, so they must've been telling the truth when they told her about some humans who still support you guys."

Another sigh escaped the King's mouth as he nodded. "I know," he admitted. "But… I'm just having trouble convincing myself, because it sounds too good to be true. After everything I've seen since I woke up, the idea that the humans actually do still remember the old ways… it just doesn't seem likely to me." He shrugged, his tail flicking up into the air behind him and slapping heavily against the ground. "I just don't know. I trust Mosura, and she trusts her Singers, but nothing I've seen in the last sixty-five years has convinced me that they're right."

At that, Anguirus chuckled softly. "Really?" he spoke up, drawing the King's attention back to him; he frowned when he saw the amused grin on the spike-shell's face, but Anguirus's smile never faded. "You really think you haven't seen anything that shows the good in humans since you woke up?" he continued. "Because I wouldn't be so sure about that."

The King arched one eyebrow-ridge and snorted. "Oh, really?" he questioned. "And why's that?"

Anguirus's grin widened. "Forgetting something? We're in your head right now, buddy. I'm not actually here, but I know everything you've seen and done since you woke up. And I know for a fact that you're wrong about them." His eyes shone brighter, and the cavern around them began to darken, the multicolored glow of the moss and flames fading away and leaving them in shadows. "Here. In case you've forgotten, I'll show you."

The dream shifted again, and suddenly the King found himself in another familiar setting.

It was five years earlier, and he was in the middle of his battle against the pair of Jinshin-Mushi. Despite being stronger than either of the parasites individually, he had been on the verge of defeat, worn down and exhausted by their relentless tandem attacks, until a sudden, massive fireball – most likely the humans' work – had erupted from the underground nest that they'd constructed, leaving both parasites stunned and horrified. They had both abandoned the fight and raced off to try and save their eggs, which had given the King the time that he'd needed to get back on his feet.

Lumbering up the hill behind the female, he began charging up a blast of his fire-breath, and unleashed it as soon as she spun back around to face him. Blown back by the beam's impact, she had stumbled and fallen against one of the humans' buildings before crashing to the ground. The King smirked and loomed over her, inhaling deeply and beginning to charge another blast even as she struggled to get back up. Before he could finish preparing his next blast, however, the male swooped down and hit him from behind, knocking him off-balance and quickly diverting his attention. Roaring angrily, he lumbered after the retreating parasite, striking out and missing several times, before the male dove back towards him, spun in the air and slammed down on the King's back, clawing at his neck and head.

The King stumbled, snarling in pain as the parasite bit down on the side of his neck, but he swung his body to one side, off-balancing his enemy long enough for him to clamp his jaws onto one of the male's wings. The male screeched in pain, but the King bit down hard, chitin crunching between his teeth as he swung his opponent in a full circle, smashing the male's body through several of the humans' taller nests. Finally, he let go, flinging the parasite away and sending him tumbling through the air before he managed to balance himself out, favoring the injured wing.

As the parasite circled around for another attack, an idea came to the King's mind, and he grinned. Taking a couple of steps to one side so he was standing right next to one of the largest human nests in the city – one so large that it rose well above his head – he spread his arms wide and laughed. "Come on, then!" he challenged. "Give me your best shot!"

"Gladly!" the male spat. He took the bait, diving back towards the King with his claws flared out, letting out a challenging shriek…

And then, just before the male could reach him, the King spun on his heel and slammed his massive tail into the diving parasite, smashing him into the tall human nest with bone-shattering force. A sickening crunch echoed through the air as the male was crushed by the sheer force of the impact, several limbs snapping as a jagged shard of metal punched straight through his neck. He let out one last choking rasp, and then went limp as the red glow of his eyes went dark, his broken body embedded in the side of the humans' nest.

The King nodded in satisfaction. "One down," he panted, taking a few deep gulps of air as he tried to recover some of his energy. He turned away, looking around as he tried to locate the injured female parasite, but he was brought up short by a grinding, rumbling sound of stone on stone. He turned back towards the tall human nest, just in time to see that it was now shuddering and swaying visibly. The impact of his tail and of the parasite's body had destabilized it, and it was now about to collapse.

The only problem was, the King was standing directly in the direction that it was collapsing. He had just enough time to exclaim, "Oh, shit…!" before the massive human nest toppled like a falling tree, its main structure crashing down right on top of him. The impact knocked him flat on his face, smashing him to the ground and burying him beneath a massive pile of rubble.

For a long moment, the King could barely move. Eventually he found the strength to push himself up onto his hands and knees, shoving away some of the rubble and freeing his head and arms, but he was still utterly exhausted. He hadn't had a fight like this since before he'd gone into hibernation; his whole body ached from the damage done by the parasites, and his energy was significantly drained. He slapped one clawed hand down on the ground and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing heavily as he tried to resist the urge to collapse and pass out.

Then, however, something prompted him to open his eyes and look up. At first he didn't know what it was, but as he blinked and shook his head, his blurry vision came into focus, and he saw a lone human standing before him, a few yards away on a patch of open ground. Normally he didn't see humans up close, but he could tell that this one was just as battered and weary as he felt: it was swaying unsteadily on its feet, as if it might collapse at any moment. But somehow, it was still on its feet, still walking. And while his telepathy wasn't as skilled as his Queen's, when he focused more intently on this human, he could sense some of its emotions. There was weariness there, and pain… but there was also strength and determination, a will to continue fighting that was truly impressive for such a small and fragile creature. And as the human looked up at him, he sensed an impression of quiet awe, even respect.

The King tilted his head slightly as he gazed down at the human. Fascinating, he thought to himself. Even after all this time, even though the humans all seemed to have forgotten him and the alliance that they had once shared, they still possessed the qualities that had convinced him to respect them so long ago. This small, determined fighter was proof of that.

After a long moment, other sounds broke the silence: the hoarse, clattering cry of the female Jinshin-Mushi, accompanied by the soft popping noises made by the humans' fire-stingers. The human that had been gazing up at the King turned away, looking in the direction of the sounds… and then, to his surprise, it started running towards the noise of battle, hurrying away from him and disappearing into the clouds of dust that surrounded them.

A soft chuckle echoed deep in the King's throat. "Truly impressive," he murmured. His eyes narrowed, his faint smile fading as his expression hardened into resolve. If a human could get up and keep fighting no matter how injured they might be, then he could do the same. No amount of weariness or pain would stop him: he had a job to finish, and he would see it through to the end.

"You can sleep when this is over, Goji," he growled to himself, his eyes flashing as his claws dug into the ground. "But… not… yet!" He snarled and heaved his body upwards, shaking off the rubble as he hauled himself painfully back to his feet. As his head rose up out of the billowing clouds of dust, his gaze swept across the darkened human city and quickly locked onto the female parasite, who was now on the move and heading for the bay.

Trying to escape, are we? the King thought to himself, his teeth grinding together in a fierce grin. We'll see about that. He started towards the water, his eyes shining in the darkness as he summoned up all the energy he had left. That human had inspired him to get back up and keep fighting… and he wasn't going to stop until the battle was over.

"See?" Anguirus's voice echoed in the King's mind as the dreamscape faded away, his surroundings melting back into the darkened Underworld cavern as the ghostly image of the spike-shell appeared before him. "There are still good humans out there, Goji. They're not all on your side, of course: they were never that simple. There's good and bad in every species. But there are humans who still care, who are still willing to help. You just have to be willing to take that step, to trust them, and they'll do the same."

The King chuckled quietly, his voice echoing through the darkness around him, before his smile faded and he slowly shook his head as he looked back up at his friend. "How do you know that?" he questioned. "How can I really be sure, after everything they've done, that there are still humans out there who really deserve my trust?"

Anguirus just smiled. "Two reasons," he replied, as flickers of light began to leak through the shadows around them. "First: like I said, I'm not really here. We're in your head right now. Which means that I'm only saying this stuff because, on some level, you already believe it." He shrugged, his image becoming blurred and indistinct as the light overcame the darkness, although his smile never wavered. "And for the second one, well… just wake up and see for yourself."

As the darkness melted away, the King never took his eyes off of Anguirus. "Thank you, my friend," he murmured. "You know I miss you, right?"

Anguirus chuckled. "Yup. But don't worry, pal." His smile widened, even as his image dissolved and melted away into the light. "Whenever you need me... I'll always be here."

As the King slowly drifted back to consciousness and his eyes flickered open, he couldn't see anything for a moment: his sight was still too blurry to make out any details. But as he blinked a couple of times to clear his vision, he saw something that made him briefly question whether he was still dreaming, because it didn't make any sense.

He was back in his temple, still sprawled out on the huge stone slab, his body still aching in a thousand places from the amount of slowly-healing wounds that the humans' poison had inflicted. But something had changed. Something was climbing up the long stone staircase that led up to the altar: a single human, carrying something in its arms.

What…? The King blinked again, half-expecting the bizarre image to disappear, but it didn't. It was definitely a human, its head covered by a strange helmet, with some sort of small object cradled against its chest. It was moving slowly, clambering up the stairs with a great deal of effort, but still it came.

How was this possible? The King was baffled for a long moment, trying to figure out how a human could possibly have gotten all the way down here, until he remembered the Queen's message earlier. She'd told him that the humans who were allied with her Singers – "Monarchs," they called themselves – had been planning to bring some sort of sustenance down to him, to help speed up his healing process. He'd had no idea how they planned to do that, but maybe the object that this human was carrying was connected?

Frowning, he inhaled as deeply as he could, reaching out with his senses as he tried to figure out what the human was holding. As the human finished climbing the stairs and reached the altar, his senses picked up unmistakable traces of radiation… and then his eyes widened in surprise and alarm, as he realized what it was.

That object wasn't a fire-stinger: it was one of the humans' radiation-filled stones, the ones that could explode with a power far greater than anything that their normal weapons could produce and douse their surroundings with vast amounts of radiation. He had seen those before, not long after he'd woken from his hibernation, when the humans had left a few of these stones on remote islands for him. At the time, he'd been unsure of whether they constituted an attack or a highly-unorthodox type of offering; the massive explosions that they generated had been annoying and rather painful, but the radiation that they contained had been more than enough to replenish his energy reserves after his long sleep. Eventually they'd stopped leaving those stones out for him, but he'd fed enough by then so he hadn't minded.

But if the amount of energy that he could sense was any indication, this exploding-stone was far more powerful than the ones that he had fed on back then. He was concerned by that at first, until he felt a sudden rush of relief as that realization sank in: that meant that this stone's power should be more than enough to heal and refuel him completely, even in his current state. These humans really were trying to help him, just as his Queen had claimed.

But… The King frowned as his eyes drifted back down to the human that stood before him, who was now setting up the exploding-stone at the far end of the altar. While the blast from that stone wouldn't be lethal to him – or at least he was reasonably sure that it wouldn't be – no human could survive being anywhere near an explosion of that magnitude. If the human didn't leave and move to a safe distance from the cavern before the stone exploded, it would certainly be killed.

But when he looked more closely at the small figure, he realized that there was no point in trying to warn them. The human's limbs were trembling, its breath coming in ragged gasps, and after a moment he understood why. Back in the old days, the humans who had inhabited the ancient city had been much more resistant to radiation, enough that they'd been able to live down here without any trouble, but they had only been able to withstand the heightened radiation in the temple cavern for short periods of time. That was why they had built the immense gates of metal and stone which had once sealed off the entrance to this cavern, opening only when he needed to access the temple. He had contributed some of his own fire to the forging of those gates, and he remembered their purpose all too well: to shield their city from the brunt of the energy that radiated from the lava tubes.

And in any case, while the Underworld humans had adapted to survive these levels of radiation, the humans of the surface never had. This human was unable to withstand the deadly energies that were pouring from the lava tubes: the King could practically see the damage spreading as the energy tore through the human's body, burning away at every cell and muscle.

This human was already doomed, too badly damaged by the radiation to survive for long. Even if it was able to retreat to a safe distance before the stone exploded, it would still die, and its death then would be much more painful. That would explain why, despite the danger, it was making no attempt to leave, focusing completely on the stone. And when he reached out with his mind to sense its emotions, while he could sense fear, it was being kept firmly under control.

The King's eyes widened as he fully understood what this meant. Humans were intelligent enough for this one to know that coming into this chamber would be a death sentence… but it had come all the same, willing to sacrifice its life for its cause. For him.

"Why?" the King breathed, his voice so weak and soft that it was barely audible even to him, his eyes wide as he looked down at the human. "Why would you do this?"

But, as the King focused more intently on the human's emotions, he could understand why. While this human was afraid (which made perfect sense, under the circumstances), that fear was being held back by other emotions that were even stronger: a fierce drive to protect its loved ones, a deep sense of profound awe, and a bedrock of strong, unwavering faith. Faith in its cause, faith in its allies… but most of all, faith that appeared to be centered around the King himself. His eyes widened even further when he realized what that meant.

This human was one of his worshippers.

That clinched it. His Queen had been right: there were still humans in this time who believed in them, who remembered the kinship that had existed between humans and Kaijus back before the Cold Times… and who believed in him enough to lay down their own lives on his behalf.

A deep, soft groan rumbled in the King's chest, and he looked down to see that the human had finished tinkering with the radiation-stone and was slowly approaching him. As it walked across the altar, the human reached up and removed its helmet, revealing its face: it was an older male, his features creased with age. He was swaying unsteadily on his feet, a sign of the radiation that continued to ravage his body, but his eyes were still bright, filled with a childlike wonder as he gazed up at the King.

For a moment, this human actually seemed to be oddly familiar. The King frowned as he tried to remember where he had seen this man before, until his eyes suddenly widened as it came to him. Five years earlier, after killing the two parasites and spending the next day or two sleeping to recover some of his strength, he had awakened to find himself surrounded by onlooking humans. Most of them had only given off feelings of fear, simple amazement, or some combination of those… but two humans, who had stood apart on a large hill of rubble near his head, had been different. He had sensed this same feeling from them: genuine awe and reverence, the attitude of the worshippers who had served him back in the old times. And while he was alone this time, the male who stood before him now had unmistakably been one of those two.

The King watched in silence as the human approached him, his eyes locked on the man's face. "Thank you," he whispered. He felt a profound sense of sorrow at the thought of this human dying, mixed with a surge of heartfelt respect and sympathy. While he would not hesitate to lay down his own life for those he loved if it were ever necessary, he couldn't imagine how it must really feel for this human to be giving his life in this fashion, and he wished that he could do something to comfort the man.

The human finally reached him, standing just in front of the King's snout. He slowly raised one arm, and the King felt a feather-light touch on his nose, the sensation of the human's hand resting against his scales. Despite the enormous size difference between them, their eyes met; the connection between them was strengthened by the physical contact, and he could feel as the human's churning emotions slowly subsided to peace.

At that moment, the human spoke. The King usually couldn't understand human speech: normally it was too quiet for him to hear them properly, and he couldn't really understand their languages when they were spoken verbally. As a result, the only humans that he could typically communicate with were those who, like his Queen's Singers, had the gift of telepathy. But because this human was so close to him, and because they had a faint connection between their minds in that moment, he understood this human's thoughts… and he knew exactly what he was saying.

"Goodbye… old friend."

The King's vision blurred, his eyes locked on the man's face as he felt a rush of warmth in his heart. Thank you, he replied telepathically, seeing the human's eyes widening in amazement as he heard the King's voice rippling through his mind. And… farewell.

And then the world turned white.

The explosion swept the King backwards off of the altar, sending his body tumbling into the water below. Even as he fell, the temple chamber was torn apart around him, the walls and ceiling disintegrating as the enormous blast wave burst out into the larger cavern. In that moment, through the burning light, he caught a brief glimpse of Anguirus's skeleton as the wave of energy engulfed it, sweeping the ancient bones away and scattering them like leaves in a hurricane, before the shockwave thundered on, leveling the ancient buildings and razing the city down to its foundations.

The King's tumbling body crashed into the wall of the cavern, and he roared in pain, but that pain was quickly overwhelmed and washed away by something else: a searing, burning heat, welling up in every muscle and organ. He could feel the radiation that had erupted from the stone pouring into him, a flood coursing through every inch of his body, like a river quenching a drought. Every wound, every bruise and lesion that had dotted his massive frame, was melting away even as he looked down at himself, flesh and muscle knitting back together as his injuries closed up and disappeared, his regeneration working far faster than it ever had before. His eyes and back-plates blazed with azure light as he felt the power surging up within him, filling him to the brim with energy. Even once he was fully healed and back to full power, it felt like he was still getting stronger, his limbs contorting and his teeth grinding together as he tried to hold in a howl of pain.

And then, just as suddenly, it was over. The explosion had passed, the pain was gone... and he was reborn.

The King flexed his limbs and looked around, his surroundings now illuminated only by the orange light of the lava tubes and the blue light of his own glowing plates. The explosion had been incredibly powerful: the smaller temple-cavern had collapsed entirely, except for the natural back wall of the cave where the lava tubes emerged, and the larger city-cavern beyond it had been devastated. The city was gone, reduced to rubble by the shockwaves, and the skeleton of Anguirus was nowhere to be seen.

The water was churning violently in the aftermath of the explosion, but the King could still make out the openings to his underwater tunnels on the other side of the flooded cavern. Growling deeply, he pushed off the wall and propelled himself forward through the swirling currents, heading for the tunnel entrances. Fighting his way through the vortex of water and debris, he finally reached the outer grotto that housed the tunnel openings. Since he was presented with several options, he inhaled deeply, letting water flow over his gills, until he picked up the by-now-familiar scent of metal, oil, and radiation that was characteristic of the humans' strange diving-fish. Tracing that scent to one particular tunnel, he accelerated towards it with a sweep of his tail, plunging into the opening and letting the high-speed current propel him into motion. The rock walls barreled past him on all sides, shimmering with iridescent light, and his mouth curved in a fierce grin as he swam faster.

In no time at all, he reached the surface, bursting out of the hole in the sea floor with a triumphant snarl and relishing the rush of cold water that washed over him as he emerged into the ocean. He circled around the rift once, his senses focusing as he looked for any signs of human activity, until he finally spotted the distinctive form of a large diving-fish wallowing on the surface high above him. Nodding, he swam up towards the surface, going more slowly now as he took stock of himself. His full power had returned, gloriously and triumphantly, and he felt stronger now than he had ever been before.

His plates hummed and crackled with burning blue light, the King slowly broke the surface and rose majestically out of the water, directly in front of the humans' diving-fish. Waterfalls cascaded off of his body as he rose up, floating waist-deep in the ocean. As he looked up at the dark clouds that filled the sky, his eyes narrowed in anger and he let a pulse of energy ripple up his plates. A moment later, he threw back his head and let out a thunderous roar, as a brilliant jet of blue-white fire erupted from his mouth. The beam speared into the dark clouds overhead, cutting through the darkness of the storm as his roar drowned out the thunder. It was a primal signal to all who heard it, a challenge to the usurper who had dared to steal his throne, and a declaration that he was alive and well.

As the echoes of his roar faded away, the King looked down at the metal diving-fish, and his eyes narrowed contemplatively as he saw a group of humans huddled on its back. Despite the fact that his doubt in the humans had been countered by the sacrifice that his worshipper had made, he still knew full well that not all humans could be trusted these days, and he wanted to make sure that these were the right ones. He also couldn't help but feel annoyed by the fact that while they had helped him, they had also destroyed his temple in the process.

Leaning down slowly, he gazed intently at the small group of humans, watching them carefully to make sure that none of them were going to try anything hostile. His gaze settled momentarily on an adult male who stood at the front of the group, sensing an unusual mix of emotions within him: the same awe and amazement, but mingled in this case with fading traces of anger and sorrow. Before he could get any more of an understanding than that, however, the King's attention was drawn past the leading male human, to a young female who stood close behind him. The reason for that was obvious enough, as he could sense the distinctive psychic energy radiating from her. This female was one of his Queen's Singers, which meant that these were indeed the "Monarch" humans that she had told him about.

Relaxing a little once he felt assured that these humans did not pose a threat, the King focused on the young Singer. Greetings, young one, he projected telepathically, using his mind rather than his voice because he knew she would be able to understand that. When he saw her jerk back in surprise, he nodded and smiled faintly. It's all right. I know that you serve my Queen, and I promise that I will not harm you.

The Singer nodded slowly, her eyes wide and startled as she gazed up at him. I… I thank you, my King, she murmured back, using her own telepathy. My name is Ilene. It's… it's truly an honor to meet you.

The honor is mine, I assure you, the King quipped, a soft rumble echoing in his chest that most humans would not be able to recognize as a chuckle. You and your allies have saved my life this day, and I do not take that lightly. I am in your debt. His smile faded and he lowered his head slightly as he thought back to the human who had saved him. But there is something I must know. The human who gave his life for me… who was he? What was his name?

The Singer – Ilene – closed her eyes tightly for a moment as he felt a surge of grief rise up within her, before she shook her head and fought it off. His name was… Serizawa, she replied quietly. Ishiro Serizawa. He was my teacher, and he was like a father to us all.

The King's eyes drifted half-closed as he felt a rush of sympathy for her. He knew what it was like to lose someone who was that important to you, and for a human such losses might hit even harder since their lives were already so short and fleeting. I understand, he replied, nodding solemnly. I am sorry for your loss, young one. But know this: while he may be gone from this world, he will live on forever in my memory. And I will always be thankful to him – and to all of you – for what you have done on my behalf.

Despite Ilene's tiny size in comparison to the King, he could tell in that moment that she was smiling, joy mingling with her grief. Thank you, she replied quietly.

The King nodded, smiling faintly. I must go now, he continued. The Golden One seeks to destroy this world, and they must be stopped once and for all. His eyes narrowed and he snorted as he lifted his head and gazed off into the distance, towards where he could sense his enemy's distant presence. Thank you, young one. Perhaps we will meet again, after this is over.

With that, the King turned towards the distant presence of his enemy and dove back beneath the waves as he began swimming towards them. As he did, however, he reached out with his mind as well, homing in on another presence… one that was far more welcome.

As soon as she found what she'd been looking for, the Queen had turned and accelerated back towards the point where the humans had headed down into the underwater tunnels. She'd been forced to fly almost halfway around the world during her search, but even from thousands of miles away, she could feel the sudden surge of energy that poured through their telepathic connection, the flood of power coursing through her King's body as his wounds healed and he roared out in triumph. She felt a rush of joy welling up in her heart and answered his call with a trilling cry of her own, forcing more strength into each wingbeat to give herself more speed as she raced across the sky towards him. Their connection drew her on like a magnet, back to full strength and guiding her towards him as clearly as any map.

As she'd done when she was searching for Ilene, the Queen had been flying high above the clouds generated by the Golden One's storm, enabling her to fly faster and hopefully helping her to avoid detection. Once she was close enough, she folded her wings back and plunged down into the storm, dropping swiftly towards the earth until she finally broke through the clouds and flared out her wings to slow herself down, hovering above the ocean.

Beneath her, the surface of the water was suddenly lit up from below by a flare of deep blue light, before it burst asunder as the King surfaced. His rows of dorsal spikes surfaced first, followed by his head; his eyes widened as he saw her, and a smile spread across his face. "Mosura," he breathed, his voice echoing through their connection as well as the air.

The Queen didn't hesitate: she dove towards him, her wings glowing brighter, and practically slammed into him as she wrapped her forelimbs around his neck and wrapped her wings around him in a tender embrace. The King hugged her back more carefully, a deep purr echoing in his chest as he rubbed his cheek against hers. Their bioluminescence was shining, his plates and her wings humming and flashing in rhythm, as they gently rested their foreheads together and sent a surge of energy flowing back and forth through their connection.

"I missed you so much," the King breathed, his voice a little unsteady as he closed his eyes and let himself relax into her embrace. "It's been so long… I almost can't believe you're really back."

The Queen smiled, tears welling up in her own eyes as she hugged him back. "It's real, Goji," she murmured soothingly. "I'm here. I'm so sorry that it took so long, but I'm really here."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke: they just held each other, eyes closed, emotions and memories flowing smoothly through their connection as they shared everything that they'd each experienced since the last time they had seen each other in person. While the Queen winced in horror and hugged the King a little tighter upon witnessing the horrific damage that the humans' poison-weapon had inflicted on him, his most recent memories helped to alleviate that concern. She pulled back a little and looked up at him, her mandibles parting in her equivalent of a soft smile. "Really?" she inquired.

The King nodded, his own smile becoming a little more melancholy. "Yes," he confirmed. "You were right. It's not just your Singers: there are other humans who still remember the old ways, who are still willing to place their trust and faith in us." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as the image of that human – Serizawa – flickered behind his eyes again. "Even… willing to die for us."

"I know, Goji." The Queen brushed one forelimb lightly against the side of his face, gazing into his eyes as he opened them again. She could see all of his memories now, so she knew exactly what had happened and how deeply it had affected him. "I understand, my love. I'm sorry. But he did what he had to, and he made the decision freely. I can see my Singers' memories too, and there was no other way: one of those humans had to give their life to save yours, and that man would never have let anyone else die in his place." She smiled sadly. "From what I can see of him in my Singers' memories, he reminds me of you."

The King chuckled softly, before his gaze was drawn up to focus on the horizon as a strange sound reached his ears. "Do you hear that?" he questioned.

The Queen frowned, also turning her head in that direction, as the noise repeated. It was a voice, calling out from a great distance away but clearly audible to them. After a moment, she recognized it. "I know that voice," she murmured thoughtfully. Now that she focused more intently on it, she could tell what it was saying.

"Stop. Stay where you are. Do not move."

"I've heard it before too," the King agreed, his eyes narrowing. "I've heard it a couple of times recently: once when you awoke, and then again when the Golden One escaped from the ice." He looked down at her curiously. "Do you know who it is? It almost sounds like one of my kind, but it's too different for that."

The Queen nodded. "Yes, I do," she replied. "It's not actually a Kaiju at all: it's some kind of noisemaker that the humans have invented, blending your voice with the voice of a young human girl. I met her when I hatched, and she seemed harmless enough... although others were not as friendly." She quickly shared with him the memory of her awakening in the temple, and her interaction with the human girl Madison before the girl and her mother had been abducted by the strange black-clad humans.

"Interesting." The King tilted his head thoughtfully. "So you think it's those hostile humans, the ones who attacked the girl?" He snorted. "Their timing isn't ideal, in that case. If they're trying to challenge me, they'll have to wait until we're done with the Golden One."

"I'm not sure." The Queen shook her head. "But based on what they're saying… I don't think that call is meant for us." Her eyes brightened as the realization came to her. "Of course! Whichever human is making that call right now, I think they're actually trying to stop the other Kaiju that the Golden One is controlling. That should be helpful for us: even together, we wouldn't stand a chance against Ghidorah if they've got a dozen other Kaiju backing them up. But if the humans can neutralize the others by sending out their own fake Alpha call…" She trailed off meaningfully.

"Then all we have to do is take out the Golden One, and the others won't be a problem anymore," the King finished. His teeth gleamed in a fierce grin. "Very clever."

"In that case, we should hurry," the Queen decided. "There's no telling how long the humans will be able to keep that call up for, so we'll need to find the Enemy quickly." A moment later, her eyes widened and she looked off into the distance. The King did the same as he heard another distant call: the cackling howl of the Golden One, roaring out in defiance.

"That's not good," he muttered. "They've heard that call too, and they're going after it." He scowled. "Not on my watch."

"Agreed." The Queen smiled and leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the forehead, before her wings flicked out and she pushed off of his chest and arms to leap back into the air. "Let's get moving, then! There's no time to waste."

Nodding in agreement, the King dove back beneath the waves and started swimming towards the source of the humans' fake Alpha call. The Queen shot back up into the clouds and disappeared from view, but they maintained the link between their minds, keeping up a steady stream of plans and strategies as they prepared for the battle to come.

By the end of this day, they silently vowed as the King powered through the water and the Queen soared through the darkened sky, this war will finally be over.

One way… or another.

Notes: I think you guys all probably know what's coming next.

So, for anyone who may be curious about Ghidorah's introspection in the first scene: yes, those two Kaiju that they were reminiscing about, their former allies, were Gigan and Megalon from the classic Japanese Godzilla films. Those two, along with a few other Kaiju & aliens from the Japanese movies, will be featured in a Ghidorah-centric prequel that I will eventually be writing, explaining more of my take on MonsterVerse Ghidorah's backstory prior to their arrival on Earth.

Also, just as a note for Goji's dream: yes, that human he saw in his flashback to the final battle of G2014 was Ford Brody, during that scene from the movie where the two of them come face-to-face for a moment. I loved that moment from the movie, and I felt like it could be a really good way to help Goji remember that even in the modern era, humans do still have redeeming qualities to them.

And, of course, the big one: my apologies to fans of Serizawa. I promise, that scene was just as painful for me to write as it may have been for you to read. 'XD I do plan to diverge from canon more significantly later on in this 'verse, but as much as I love Serizawa's character, unfortunately it just didn't make sense to me for him to somehow live through that scene. I thought about trying to figure out a way for him to survive, but there really wasn't one, so I opted to pay additional respect to him instead by having Goji actually communicate with him in that moment and then having Goji talk to Ilene & Mosura about it afterwards, showing just how much it meant to him that there are really still humans in the present who care about him and that Serizawa was willing to make that kind of sacrifice for him.

Only two chapters remain in this story! Next time, the King, the Queen, the Demon and the Devil converge on Boston, and the battle for the fate of Earth begins.

Stay tuned!