A shorty today. Enjoy!

The Ancient Alpha

…

No matter how hard she tried, Amara's lungs refused to cooperate. The Hollow Earth Godzilla freeing itself let out another low roar as Kong jumped towards it, his axe aimed at its head.

The Godzilla raised an arm and Kong's axe glanced off the crystals that grew from it. Glimmering shards fell to the ground like glass. Kong looked at his axe that still glowed a similar color, then back at the titan. Now that Kong stood close, the size difference became evident.

This Godzilla was twice the size of him.

"Do you have asthma?" Whyley yelled over the quaking earth around them.

Amara shook her head frantically. She couldn't take her eyes off the Crystal Titan. Godzilla had been right. There was already an alpha here.

But why couldn't she breathe?

The perimeter of her vision darkened.

Then she felt it.

Him.

The Godzilla pulled a leg out. She and Whyley fell as it slammed to the ground. Kong was going after it again. This time dodging the Godzilla's arm and jumping again. The axe connected with its neck.

The Godzilla screeched. The crystals on its back lit up as it curled into itself. Kong leaped back towards Jia and the others a moment before beams of blue light burst from the tips of the crystals on its back and tail.

Arms wrapped around her as Whyley threw them to the ground. Amara was barely conscious of the beam that hit the ground beside them. Of the rock and dirt that pelted them. The intense heat.

Her vision grew ever more spotted as she stared past Whyley's face to the earth-sky.

"Stay awake—"

A pillar of blue radiation erupted from the spot she fixated on. It hit the river that ran past the temple then stopped.

Amara gasped for breath.

Water fell from the hole like a massive waterfall. It hit the gravity inversion and splashed like an upside down fountain.

A roar much like the Hollow Earth Godzilla echoed around them. Godzilla appeared, falling from the sky.

The other Godzilla looked up to him. Godzilla's spines already glowed brightly. Hollow Godzilla's lit up as well.

Then, instead of hitting the inversion and falling back into the sky, Godzilla froze in midair.

He released his atomic breath, hitting the other Godzilla.

But it was unaffected.

Then it made only a subtle movement. It lowered its head.

Godzilla roared as he was forced down towards them. His body impacted the earth sending out a massive shock wave. Even Kong stumbled backward.

Pain shot up Amara's hip to her shoulder. Hot and bruising. She'd only just begun to catch her breath.

Godzilla rose as his ancestor fully emerged from the massive crater.

Kong pounded his chest, now roaring at both Godzilla's. While one looked down at him, the other's eyes found Amara.

When their eyes met, the wave of relief was quickly overshadowed by pure anger.

Before she could even formulate something, anything to say to him, Kong lunged forward at the Hollow Earth Godzilla. The singed fir on his arm still smoked as he went for the Godzilla's neck again.

Godzilla got up slowly, following Kong with his eyes.

The crystals once again lit up on Hollow Godzilla's back. Just before Kong made contact, another array of beams shot out in every direction.

But it missed and Kong's axe imbedded into its neck. Hollow Godzilla wailed as Kong pulled it back out and jumped away. Godzilla took the opportunity.

Exhaustion crept through Amara's body as he charged up his atomic breath. Her leg ached. Every ounce of her being wanted to lie down and sleep. And she would have if not Whyley holding her up.

Heat seared the air as Godzilla released his atomic breath. It hit the other Godzilla in the face before it could recover. It let out another roar. The crystals on his back began to pulse. The sound mimicked Godzilla's when he charged his attack.

There was a weird feeling in the air. Like a breeze without wind. The Godzilla opened its mouth, blue mist formed in its throat.

The hairs on Amara's neck prickled.

Kong seemed to freeze. Godzilla roared.

There was something about this Godzilla. Something about the feeling that overcame her as it charged its own atomic breath. Something about Godzilla's lack of action. Even he knew there was no way to stop it. No way he was strong enough to.

This Godzilla dwarfed him in size. Did that mean it was that much more powerful too?

Was this the end?

Leave!

The thought entered her brain, jolting her from her paralyzed state. She whipped her head towards the others who looked on in terror.

"Whyley, we have to go!" she yelled.

The vapor in Hollow Godzilla's mouth grew brighter as did the crystals on its back and under its feet.

"Where? There's nowhere to go." His eyes never left the Godzilla. His voice was broken. Dissonant.

Amara forced her legs to work, pulling herself up and dragging Whyley with her. "The temple, the river, anywhere but here!"

Whyley shuttered but seemed to snap out of it. "O-okay, let's get the others."

Now that the ground no longer shook, they ran towards the rest of their party who were yelling at each other, voices barely distinguishable over the pulsing.

Jia bolted from the group and ran towards Kong. It was enough to spur him into offense once again. He pounded his chest.

Amara almost made it to the others when Whyley grabbed her arm and stopped her. He pointed at the ground.

"What the?"

The glow of the crystal in the rock was receding towards Hollow Godzilla. Like it was sucking the radiation from everything around it.

Her eyes trailed up from the stone to Godzilla. The pulsing blue of his dorsal plates was fading too. He looked down at her, eyes half lidded.

Go, Amara. Quickly.

It's taking your energy!

As long as Kong and I stand, he will leave you.

"G doesn't look so good, Amara. Come on!" Whyley pulled her forward.

It was as if the entire Hollow Earth darkened when the last of the glowing crystal earth vanished under the Godzilla's feet. He now glowed blindingly bright, his back like white fire. Vapor poured from between its teeth.

They reached the others. Whyley urged them to run as well.

"The river!" Amara yelled at them. "Jump in the river!"

"Jia!" Ilene screamed, only now noticing she was missing.

Whyley snapped his head in the direction Ilene was looking. "I'll get her."

Amara had never seen someone run so fast. She pushed Ilene towards the water with the help of Nathan. Ren was already at the shore, looking between Kong and the Godzillas.

Then everything happened at once. Whyley grabbed Jia and sprinted back to them. Kong pounded his chest and leaped towards Hollow Godzilla. Hollow Godzilla snapped its jaw shut and faced Kong.

Whyley got to them. Jia was hitting his back, tears streaming down her face. Without a second thought, they jumped into the river.

And then blinding light.

Amara surfaced. Her face was instantly hot from the beam. It was aimed at Kong who leaped out of the way. He held out his axe into the beam. It began to charge with radiation, glowing brighter and brighter until it was indistinguishable from the beam. It shook violently. And shattered.

The beam hit the mantel side of the Hollow Earth. With a massive boom, an explosion erupted like an atomic bomb. The earth-sky disappeared behind black smoke.

Only then did Hollow Godzilla close its mouth.

Kong clutched his arm as he backed away.

Godzilla on the other hand, stumbled as he too took a step back, almost into the water.

She looked to him and the river. He read her thoughts instantly and took another step into the river. The water rushed at them, pushing them downstream with the sudden tide.

…

That's right, I've taken a bunch of abilities from a bunch of Godzillas! Did you catch them all? heheh.