Undisclosed location

"Akiro, are you here?!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Gin exhaled heavily as he flopped down onto a sofa, glad to be able to finally rest his back against the soft furniture. The night was coming to an end, and hiding for much of it to avoid detection had taken a lot of energy from him and he needed to recuperate. Even though he was a Yokai, he still needed to eat and sleep like any other Yokai, or human even for that matter. At least he had someone he could count on to help him lay low whilst he set his plans in motion.

As he waited for said person, Gin took off his glasses and looked around the room, taking in the grey walls, the armchair sitting across the coffee table in front of him, the drawn curtains, the few pictures of the seaside that hung on the walls around the room and a coat rack in the corner. Besides those and a few other things, it was very bare. Tidy, but largely empty. There were three doorways in this front room, one being behind Gin (this one being the entrance to the place he was at now); one on the wall to the left that led into a kitchen, and the other on the wall a few feet behind the armchair that led to a bedroom, though the door was closed, so Gin was unable to look inside.

Contrary to what you might think, my dear readers, he had not fled to a rundown area or to a hidden realm outside a highly populated. Rather, an apartment within the town of Sakurashin itself was where he was hiding. And it was not a bad one either; not a suite but certainly a level higher than a ghetto. He just had to hope that no one in the apartment complex recognised him, which was highly unlikely, and that Ao did not find him using her ability to read minds.

Ao. Remembering her name made him feel melancholic, sad, regretful even. How could he …

No! He repressed these thoughts. He had to focus on more important things now, not ponder and cry about petty feelings for family! There was a mission to complete and that was what he was going to do.

Though only if someone would get in here already! "Akiro!" Gin called out again, this time his voice more demanding.

"Alright, I'm coming for God's sake!"

A man about 5ft 7 walked out of the kitchen, an annoyed look on his face that told Gin: Can't someone get some time to do a little sorting out?! He was wearing a blue top and a pair of baggy jeans, his bare feet lightly hitting the floor as he walked into the front room. At first glance he looked like any normal person, which would, in turn, lead people to question why he had allowed the currently most wanted being into his home. Gin, however, knew better. The deep blue sea eyes, brown hair and two empty glasses in the man's hand told reminded him of who this person, or Yokai was.

"Took your time!" Gin commented, emphasising this by looking at his empty wrist as if he were a teacher scorning a pupil for being late by looking at their watch.

Akiro ignored him and set the glasses down on the table. "Well sorry, Your Highness!" he replied, giving a mock bow to highlight his distaste with the attitude of his 'guest' (for lack of a better word) as he sat down in the chair. "But some of us do have things to sort out around our apartments, not go running around causing chaos on the streets. It's a wonder that you weren't caught, given what I've heard on the radio."

"Oh please, they were no real threat to me," he retorted.

"Then why were you trying to hide, seeing as that would explain why you came here so early in the morning?" he pointed out.

Gin said nothing but instead shot an annoyed at Akiro, who responded by raising his eyebrow and giving him a look that showed his question was not only a complaint, but also slightly rhetorical, as if he had witnessed everything that unfolded hours earlier. You know that you're not invincible and, therefore, still prone to being harmed just like any other Yokai or human.

Gin tutted and indicated at the empty glasses. "Well, aren't you going to pour me a drink?" he asked rhetorically.

Akiro rolled his eyes and, looking down at the glasses, clicked his fingers. A level of water appeared out of nowhere and rose about half-way to the top before stopping. Gin grabbed it quickly and emptied the glass in one gulp before Akiro had even put his to his lips.

You will no doubt be wondering how someone like Akiro would end up housing the wanted Yokai, Gin. Well, this water manipulating human/spirit had been drawn into the villain's arms like Morino, the mayor of the neighbouring town who had, along with is assistant, Shinozuka, recently clashed with Hime and the gang, and others had. Gin had played on their desires and wants to rid Sakurashin of someone they deemed to be unworthy of her title. With Akiro, though, it was slightly different. Whilst the spirit did respect the mayor and her crew for keeping the town safe from any danger, particularly from anyone who tried to use the Nana-Gou, he too wished that she would be replaced with someone more 'acceptable' as he had put it. Having said that, he abhorred any violent overthrow of established positions of power, even the very thought of violence altogether disturbed him, and Hime was no exception. He knew that such things would only lead to ruin and chaos rather than anything prosperous. History had shown it a hundred times over.

It's for the best really He had told himself some time ago. She's a lovely person, but she's too young. Someone else needs to step in and take control. And I know that I'm not the only one who thinks like this. But she won't give up power, and that, combined with her attitude, is really going to affect the whole town one day.

He began to think of two things. One; in a rather hypocritical way, maybe it was time to accept that she was the mayor and let her get on with it, however much he despised it. Truth be told, she had done good things for the town and made it clear not long after taking office that she wanted Yokai and humans to get along as if they were brothers and sisters. Other candidates at the time of her election had only feigned such things just to win the position, but she meant it. As young, and to him, unqualified as she was, even he had to admit she had a level of disposition that he admired about her.

The second thought in his mind was, again being rather hypocritical, that maybe someone should do something about her, even going as far as to remove her completely from the scene. He shuddered mentally at this, knowing that thinking of such things made him hate himself and would also lead to the very thing he did not want to see happen. Yet, maybe it would be the only thing that would save the town from certain destruction.

"I know what you're thinking," Gin's vice snapped him out of his thoughts. He was looking at Akiro with an expression that said: I'm on top of things. "And don't worry, everything will be fine."

Akiro shifted a little in his chair, looking away from Gin as he drank his glass of water. "I hope so," was his reply, setting his glass on the table next to Gin's. "So what do you have planned?" he asked after a moment's silence between them, though he dreaded what he was about to hear.

"Facing them head on wouldn't be the smartest thing to do." Gin explained, getting up from the sofa and walking over to the window. "And it would be a waste of time, considering what I really came here for." He added, pulling back one of the curtains and looking out over the city, taking in the bright lights below the star-filled sky as if it were a representation of light and beauty against the dark and horrific.

"You know can't fight him alone. You will die!" Akiro pointed out to him, concern in his voice. "You know what your ancestor said to you all those centuries ago; it will be suicidal to even try and stop him."

"Well I have to do something!" Gin rounded on Akiro, giving him an angry glare before looking back out the window at the town before him, looking down at the street to see cars drive by and the odd person walking along the pavements. "He shouldn't have been allowed to remain here after what happened with Ghidorah. That kind of Yokai is a danger and he must be destroyed."

"Look, even if you do find this thing and face him, how are you going to fight him? You know that Godzilla is a dangerous creature and he will kill you without any effort on his part."

Gin rounded on him. "That is why I won't be facing him alone." He replied.

Akiro' face darkened with terror for a brief moment, eyes growing as wide as dinner plates. His lower lip quivered a little as if he was going to suddenly break down and beg not to be dragged into a fight with Godzilla. If that happened, he would surely die along with Gin. Part of him even started to wonder if the Yokai in front of him was insane. If so, he would have to do something about him.

"Don't worry!" Gin sighed. "You're not going to fight him." (Akiro breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this) "But I need your help in finding a way to contact Manda."

Akiro gave him a puzzled look. "Who?" The name clearly meant nothing to him, which did surprise Gin. He was more irritated though.

He face-palmed and gave him an annoyed expression. "Seriously, Akiro?" he asked, partly hoping that this water spirit/human was only joking but the blank face told him: obviously not. "I thought you would have known." Another huff escaped his lips but he decided to continue.

"Manda is a water dragon from the Otherworld and, unless he has been tuned, is still somewhere in this world. He is not the most powerful creature, but he will at least give us a chance to fight Godzilla effectively." He explained. "As I said, we need to find a way to summon him."

"What? To here?" Akiro asked.

"Hopefully not, but if it comes to that, then I'm sure the mayor-" the tone of his voice on this word sounded as if he was repulsed by having to acknowledge her as such, even if it was in a disgraceful way. "-will be smart enough to have everyone evacuate."

Akiro nodded slightly, though he was a little uncertain about one aspect of this plan, one that really made him feel conflicted. "What if Godzilla decides to come for us instead?" he asked anxiously.

Gin did not answer, though the way the determined look in his eyes faded at Akiro's question was more than enough of one for the water Yokai. He resumed looking out of the window, taking in the many lights of the town, many of them being a symbol of the warmth and safety for the families that lived here; both human and Yokai. For a moment, he was lost in its tranquillity, its seemingly endless and effective way of keeping back the darkness and making the people here happy like their own personal paradise. It began to pain him a little that he was trying to undertake such a dangerous and momentous task with the probability of innocents getting caught in the middle being exceptionally high.

No! He shook these thoughts from his mind, focusing on the larger picture at hand. No matter what happens, Godzilla has to go.

"No matter what happens," he muttered, his voice just loud enough for Akiro to understand what he was saying. "I have to do this. The world will be a better place without him."

Akiro could only wonder if the same could be said for Gin.

Author note: Hey fellow readers and writers. Just as a way of making a point, the reason I decided to use Manda in this FF instead of another creature like Mothra or Anguirus or Megalon whatever is because he, like Ebirah and Varan, is rather underrated and so I think should be included more.