I had to turn off my PMs because of all the "fans of my work" are trying to sell me AI artwork. Anyways I thought this was going to be the final chapter but I'm going to break it up, so there's one more after this (and maybe a bonus one).
Hope you enjoy!
Godzilla and Kong vs. Hollow Godzilla
…
Godzilla was already exhausted. He'd clamped down on Hollow Godzilla's wrist again, only to be slashed across the neck.
She could feel it, the strain on his jaw.
While Godzilla held Hollow Godzilla in place, Kong attacked relentlessly. Puncture after puncture. Blood covered Hollow Godzilla's scales. He acted as if they were nothing more than pinpricks.
It was like he had no weaknesses. Short of ripping his arms off and waiting for him to bleed out, there was nothing. But that just seemed wrong. Godzilla had ripped the wings off Destroyer, but that fight was…dirtier. Hollow Godzilla deserved more respect.
Perhaps if the pickaxe was stronger or Kong swung it harder, or even if a weak spot made itself known…
The air began to feel strange again. The tingle of Hollow Godzilla's energy amplified around them. Once again, rocks began to float. Godzilla's dorsal plates began to glow weakly as if reacting to the surge in energy. They flickered strangely, like a bulb about to short circuit.
Hollow Godzilla's eyes glowed bright white as he let out a roar. Godzilla let go of his arm and fell back as if being pushed away by an invisible force slamming against him.
Amara stumbled back. The pain wasn't concentrated like being hit, but internal, like being grabbed by the gut and forced back.
"Whatever link the crystals have with the magnetic fields are, Godzilla must have something similar in his body."
Amara turned to the sound of Nathan's voice. He now knelt next to Whyley. Both looked similar. Ashen skin, bloodshot eyes, dirty, and slouched.
She looked back as Godzilla took another step backward from the momentum. Jia jumped as Kong took the opportunity to punch Hollow Godzilla in the jaw.
This was the perfect opportunity. The perfect distance and distraction.
She closed her eyes, willing her consciousness out of her body.
When she opened them again, Hollow Godzilla stood in front of her. Them.
Through Godzilla's eyes, it would be easier to attack.
Like a pendulum, Godzilla lurched back toward Hollow Godzilla. Just before their bodies collided, Godzilla began to spin.
The impact shook the earth. Godzilla's tail hit the back of Hollow Godzilla's leg only a second before his shoulder did. Hollow Godzilla's knee buckled. One leg wasn't enough to withstand the blow.
He toppled, belly first onto the ground. Kong was on top of him instantly, pickaxe raised. But there was nowhere to hit. Towering crystal spikes protected Hollow Godzilla from forehead to tail.
Jia raised a fist, and without looking up at her, Kong plunged the pickaxe into the back of Hollow Godzilla's hand.
Hollow Godzilla let out a dissonant wail. Kong stepped on the blunt end, pushing the spike further into Hollow Godzilla's hand and into the earth below. The sound of bones breaking was like icebergs cracking.
Godzilla stepped on his other arm. Hollow Godzilla's tail swished, the crystals on his chin dug into the rock as he struggled to free himself.
Do it, now! There was no way even it would survive Godzilla's atomic breath at point blank range.
I don't have enough energy.
You weren't saving it by using fire?
It is all I am capable of.
Then do it!
The sound of Godzilla's atomic breath charging started slowly. His dorsal plates glowed faintly, nothing compared to the bright cerulean they normally were.
Then fire.
Kong jumped back from the plume. It engulfed half of Hollow Godzilla's body as it spewed from Godzilla's mouth like an erupting volcano.
The heat stung her cheeks. Jia hid her face in her arms.
"What happened to his atomic breath?" Ilene asked from behind her.
"Not enough juice," Whyley replied. "I've seen it before when he was injured. Missile through—"
White light shone through the flames and smoke. Brighter and brighter.
Pain surged through her as Godzilla was thrown back. Rock hurdled towards Kong, breaking as they smashed into him.
Jia cried out.
Both Kong and Godzilla fell.
Hollow Godzilla ripped his hand from under the pickaxe, pulling it out of the ground.
Slowly, he rose, crystals burning like white fire. He bared his teeth at the fallen Titans. Then he turned to face the cliff. To look at her and Jia. To glare at them.
The hated in his eyes… It was like Ren.
Both had lost everything. And both wanted revenge for it.
It was then Hollow Godzilla inhaled. Amara's hair flew into her face.
"Plug your ears!" she called.
A roar ripped skyward from Hollow Godzilla's throat. Claws clamped shut as every ounce of agony tore into the earth around them. Everything shook. Amara's teeth rattled.
It was the same as the carving in the temple.
Pain—no—agony. Raw, pure, earth-shattering agony.
It pulled at her heart. Threatening to tear out whatever warmth remained.
A hand grabbed hers. Jia pointed upwards at the mantle side. At first glance, it seemed dimmer than before. Almost like a dark ring was forming in the distance.
And growing.
"The Hollow Earth went dark," Ilene said. Her voice was breathless. "This is the attack that killed all the Kongs."
He's absorbing…everything.
Amara looked back at Godzilla who was slowly trying to get up despite the invisible force pushing him down.
We have to stop him before he takes it from you again!
Godzilla's arm shook as he tried to force himself up. Perhaps Kong can do more.
Like Godzilla, Kong was on the ground. He rolled boulders off his body. The pickaxe lay nearby. It too was reacting like the spines on Hollow Godzilla's back, glowing brighter and brighter as the surroundings grew darker.
Vapor began to pour from the crystals on Hollow Godzilla's back. It wasn't at all like when he charged his atomic breath.
He was absorbing every last trace of radiation remaining around them. It was the attack that killed all of the Kongs. It was almost like…he was becoming a bomb.
The same as Godzilla had done. The same thing that leveled all of Boston.
What could Kong or Godzilla do?
Godzilla had nothing left, she could feel it. Kong at least had the pickaxe that seemed to be charging. Maybe he could try and get one last hit. But it would have to be somewhere that counted. Somewhere that hurt enough to stop him.
Somewhere that would release the radiation…
Whyley's words echoed through her mind.
"Not enough juice. I've seen it before when he was injured."
That was it.
Amara kneeled beside Jia whose eyes were wide. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked on at Kong struggling to get up.
"He needs to take the pickaxe and stab Hollow Godzilla here," she said, pointing to the weapon and then to her chest between her heart and shoulder.
Ilene appeared next to Jia. "What? What is it?"
"Tell her Kong needs to stab Hollow Godzilla right here as hard as he can!"
Ilene gestured the words to Jia who whipped her eyes and nodded. Her posture straightened and she began waving her arms over her head. Kong immediately stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. She pointed at the spot on her own chest and signed something.
Kong swiftly pushed more rocks off his legs.
The ring of darkness was closing in on them. Leaves fell from the trees and landed on the ground like bits of crinkled paper.
Hollow Godzilla curled into himself. The vapor circled around him, as if being exuded and reabsorbed simultaneously. She had to advert her eyes as the crystals became too bright to look at.
The phantom pain throughout her body increased as Godzilla fought against it.
There was no way he was going to let Hollow Godzilla finish that attack.
Everything around them was getting darker and darker while Hollow Godzilla shone like a beacon.
Kong threw the last of the large boulders off of him and got to his feet. Debris fell to the ground like a landslide. He reached down and picked up the blinding white pickaxe.
With one final push, Godzilla broke through the invisible force. Amara yelled out as pain ripped through her body.
Whyley called out to her.
"Now!" she shouted at Jia.
Kong leaped forward, pickaxe poised. Godzilla closed the distance between him and Hollow Godzilla before turning and smashing his leg with his tail again.
Hollow Godzilla stumbled, moving his arms and exposing his chest. Kong swung the pickaxe out before stabbing it into Hollow Godzilla's chest.
Hollow Godzilla's claws dug into Kong's face as he screeched. Kong recoiled, pulling the pickaxe back out.
Blood poured from the wound, but only a thin veil of vapor leaked out. The stab wasn't deep enough.
It wasn't deep enough!
Godzilla stepped forward, standing right in front of Hollow Godzilla.
The sensation of pain once again began to prick at her chest, he was ready to push Godzilla away again.
But Godzilla was faster. He bent his arm back, and with as much force as he could muster, thrust his arm into the wound.
Blood sprayed around Godzilla's elbow. Hollow Godzilla stilled. His eyes turned downward to Godzilla's arm buried in his chest.
It wasn't until Kong landed a flying punch across Hollow Godzilla's jaw that he staggered backward. Godzilla pulled his arm back, leaving a gaping hole in its place.
Vapor began filling the area. Godzilla breathed it in.
It was like eating after weeks of starvation. Like weights being lifted off her arms and legs. Like brain fog lifting and thinking clearly again.
Godzilla absorbed more and more of the radiation. Finally, his dorsal plates began to glow. And as his grew brighter, Hollow Godzilla's faded.
Kong went for Hollow Godzilla's face again, landing another punch. Shards of crystal went flying. Blood streamed down Hollow Godzilla's jaw. He swung back at Kong, but was too slow.
A humming noise filled the clearing as Godzilla began charging his atomic breath.
Kong grabbed Hollow Godzilla's bad arm and pulled it back, exposing the bloody hole in his body.
Godzilla fired. The blue beam of concentrated radiation shot through Hollow Godzilla's chest, shattering many of the huge crystals on his back.
Heat seared her face before she could lift her arms to shield herself. Ilene and Jia huddled into each other.
The little light left of Hollow Godzilla's spines faded back to blue.
Then he fell.
Amara stumbled when his body hit the ground.
Kong put a foot on Hollow Godzilla's shoulder and let out a roar. He dropped the pickaxe and pounded his chest.
Ilene cheered, stopping short when no one else joined.
Even Godzilla stood in silence, looking down at his kin.
Hollow Godzilla's body rose and fell like a living mountain.
He's still alive?
Godzilla's amber eyes turned to her. Not for much longer.
Hollow Godzilla snarled. His body began to twitch as if trying to get up. His tail rose before falling again.
Does he really have to die?
Do you wish him to continue to live like this?
Ren's face flashed through her mind. Underwater. Hatred in his eyes.
Dying angry and alone… it was just so cruel.
Ren had accepted death over her help His hate for Godzilla extended to her. It was as if she had been the one to take everything from him…
But she hadn't.
It was no different for Hollow Godzilla. His hatred for them was an extension as well. None of them had done anything to him, and yet, he despised them.
Jia looked up at her, expression as if she was thinking the same thing. She was the only one who could understand as well as she did.
Kong extended his hand, fingers brushing against the cliff in front of them.
"What are you doing?" Ilene yelled as Jia jumped on.
Jia signed something.
"No, you are not going down there. There's nothing you can do to help!" Ilene said signing back.
Amara got onto Kong's hand as well. "We're the only ones that can help."
Ilene's shocked expression disappeared as Kong lowered them onto the ground.
Hollow Godzilla glared down at them when they approached. His head was tilted to the side.
Jia held onto her hand tightly. Blood coated the ground under their feet. Warm wind hit their faces as Hollow Godzilla growled at them.
Jia stopped. Even when Amara ushered her forward, she didn't budge. So, she let go of Jia's hand.
Alone, she faced the enormous head of Hollow Godzilla, teeth taller than her, yellow with blood. It was almost like when she approached Godzilla for the first time, scared he would eat her.
But Hollow Godzilla only glared. Slitted blue eye staring into her soul.
She reached out until her palm landed on scale.
The pain was immediate. Not physical pain—no. It was the pain of longing. Of loss. The turmoil of losing the one you love most and the knowing that you'll never see them again.
It was crushing. It was agony.
"I'm so sorry," she said through the growing lump in her throat. "What happened to you was…unimaginable."
There was more she wanted to say, but the feeling of absolute loss…it was all consuming.
It was then that Jia's hand found hers again. She blinked the tears away to see Jia slowly reaching up to Hollow Godzilla's nose. When she finally touched him, it was as if a loop had been created.
Jia's emotions joined hers. Like shedding light into a dark tunnel, their combined feelings were strong enough to break through to him.
You didn't deserve it.
The thought entered her mind, much like Godzilla's did, but this was lighter, sweeter, a whisper on the wind.
Amara looked up from Jia. Neither of you did.
A shutter of sadness quacked through her mind. Her soul.
We don't want you to be alone.
We're sorry for what the Iwi did.
More and more sorrow broke through the anger.
We want you to be at peace.
We want you to be happy.
You don't have to be alone anymore.
It was like a damn breaking. The rage, the bitterness, the jealousy— it was consumed by an all encompassing sadness…
And then she was standing in a clearing. Far below was a tiny human barely big enough to see, yet the only thing she could look at.
Hollow Godzilla moved closer, but the moment he moved, the tiny human ran, climbing through the stone wall the Kongs had built around his resting place.
…
The human was back. It was odd, the feeling when she returned. Though she did not come any closer, she did not run when he moved this time. Not until he was much closer and caught a glimpse of her face.
Dark brown eyes and blue markings stood out the most.
…
He had killed another Kong. Blood and fur still stuck to his claws. This one had killed many of his kind, wearing their teeth around his neck like a prize.
The girl's people were tied to the apes, many sharing a life bond with one. Was that what was happening to him? Did this girl share a bond with him instead? No other human would still remain close.
Killing the Kong almost made him feel remorseful, but he did not regret it. He looked down at the girl who stood by the Kong's body. Perhaps the feeling wasn't his.
…
He was tired. The Kongs were fighting in groups now, making weapons from the bones of the bodies of his descendants. As he lay, blood seeped from a wound in his side.
It wasn't long before the girl found him. A feeling of anxiousness crept into the back of his mind whenever she came lately. She was sneaking away from her village to see him more and more often. He lifted his head. She had a hand on her side and walked with a slight limp. But when she removed her hand, there was nothing there.
She came closer and closer. Skittish, ready to bolt at the smallest of movements. He remained still.
It wasn't until she was beside his head that she stopped. She stayed like that for a long time. Feelings of curiosity grew stronger as she stared.
When would she realize he wasn't going to hurt her?
It was then that she moved. He hadn't expected to feel her touch, yet he did. With it came a rush of emotions. A rush of memories that weren't his.
Her life flashed before his eyes. She was young, running around with other children, not a care in the world. Then older, dancing around with her family in celebration of her birthday. More time passed as she interlaced her fingers with the rest of her people and faced her sister who had been bonded to a Kong.
She had seen his life too. Long ago when the Hollow Earth was young. Watching the plants grow and different creatures come into being. Going to sleep and waking up to his kind being killed by the Kongs.
…
She rarely returned to her people now. He moved slowly, slowly enough for her to keep up on the bird creature she often rode. She liked to dance in the glowing fields, so he would use his energy to make them brighter. Yet, no matter how bright he made it, her light always shone through.
…
It wasn't long after that her visits dwindled again. Her people were growing suspicious of her behavior since she asked them to stop sending the Kongs after him. Eventually, she only snuck away to warn him of attack plans. Strategies they would try. She wanted it to stop but didn't know how…
Until she didn't return. A sinking feeling consumed him. She needed help.
It had been a long time since he came so close to the humans, but something was wrong. Very wrong.
She was there, bound in front of her people. She wanted him to leave. Pleaded him. But he wouldn't. Instead, he approached, roaring again. They would feel his wrath if they did not let her go.
It was a small movement. Her eyes went wide.
His neck…it was as if a Kong had stabbed him. But there was no Kong. It wasn't his pain. It was…hers.
Her thoughts were blurry as they reached out to him. His heart slowed in time with hers.
It couldn't be. Her light dimmed. It dimmed until she became indistinguishable from the other humans.
Her thoughts went blank. Silence. Nothing. Like a void forming where her warm presence once was. Consuming everything until even his eyes went dark.
Remember her.
Time went back again. Back to the glowing fields. She was there, facing away from him. Two other girls were with her. One older with green eyes, and one younger with similar dark brown eyes.
She turned from the other girls. Beaming as she smiled up at him. When she reached out, he lowered onto his forelimbs. Lower and lower until his chin rested on the lichen. She pressed both palms against his nose.
All her warmth filled him. Filled the hollow space inside his chest.
She wanted him to finally be at peace.
He closed his eyes, letting out a long breath.
For her, he would.
…