Monsters and Magic
By: DJ Rodriguez
(Author's Notes: Hi everyone! Thanks to my beautiful and critical-eye gifted girlfriend Sarah Brown, I fixed a little mistake that was in the chapters. So, everything has been corrected in each and every chapter. I will make sure to get more input from my lovely lady in the future.
In this chapter, the royal children are still having fun with their new friends from another universe. That is, until two beings that Melody knows very well come in and almost blow their cover. Also, the adults continue to both prepare for Melody's party, and also to get any and all information from both Shadowsneak and his injured men before assigning their trial. And finally, you will see romance bloom between some of the children. In this story, it is Mainard/Tracy and Kathrin/Edgard. I'm an old-school Disney classic fan! Always have, always will! Also, hope you all liked the last name I gave to Ariel and Eric.
And on another note, I just hope all of you liked my song. I thought it up quick, which still surprises even me. I do not own Godzilla or any of Toho creations, nor do I own Disney or the characters, except the OC's I created. Also, one question: If Disney and Toho made this into a movie on the big screen, would you watch it?
Now, on with the fanfic!)
Chapter 6
The day was warm and mild, with a light breeze that played on the faces of all who were outdoors and enjoying the weather. The royal guards Godfred and Nicholas could attest to that, both taking a snooze in the carriage that was being used to carry the royal princess Melody and her five royal friends that arrived yesterday. This was good for the children that the guards were still snoozing, for they were enjoying the day with their new companions that they met last night. Right now, all were playing in the ocean while the monsters looked on in a mixture of amusement and confusion. Amusement that human children enjoyed splashing and yelling loudly in the ocean waters, and confusion because they had never felt these kinds of emotions before. The Twin Fairies were on the beach, but staying close so that Mothra could keep an eye on them. The two mystical beings were building a sand castle, mimicking Kathrin who had opted to stay in the sandy earth rather then go back out into the ocean.
Kathrin looked at the fairies little sand castle, giggled and stated, "That's a very good start, Moll and Lora. Maybe later on, we can make a HUGE sand castle! One that would be like a home for you.".
The two mystical beings spoke as one, "Thank you for the compliment, dear Kathrin. However, our home is anywhere with Mothra with us.". The young lady looked over at the large brown worm, who squeaked at her that caused Kathrin to smile a little more. For some reason, she too also felt more comfortable in Mothra's presence. Similar to how she felt when she was with her parents, Snow White and Florian. Kathrin continued to make her sand castle, only now putting more detail into it and wanting to make it a little more larger for her new friends.
Meanwhile, Dianne and Edgard were having a water splash fight against Mainard and Tracy. Brother & sister were doing well so far, soaking their two opponents to the bone while the two had to retreat a little so they could get a better view with their eyes. Meanwhile, Melody was collecting some sea shells and sand dollars that were on the beach. She soon found a beautiful, large conch shell that seemed to call out to her. It was a dazzling creamy white outside with a light pink inside, with the outward designs solid and intricate at the same time. She smiled and thought, 'I bet Godzilla would like to see this!'. She ran over to where the huge saurian was at, which was at the edge of the beach, sitting down and looking outward at the ocean.
Melody called out, "Godzilla! Hey, Godzilla! Look at this! A conch shell!". The King of the Monsters tore his gaze away from the sea to look down at the human whom he felt a strange attachment to. The beautiful raven-haired human smiled at him as she lifted her find to him. Godzilla cocked his head to the side curiously, wanting to know why this shell was so fascinating. Melody offered the shell to him once more, and the saurian gingerly picked up the shell with his right claw. He lifted it to his head to examine the object which caught the attention of the human girl, seeing that it was indeed an odd shell. But, he could not comprehend what was so fascinating about it. After some time staring at it, he then gave it back to Melody before staring out at the sea.
The princess was a bit confused on Godzilla's behavior, wondering why he was gazing out into the sea like that. She turned to her right to see the Twin Fairies putting the finishing touches on their sand castle, and walked up to said mystical beings. Melody kneeled down in front of the two beings and asked, "Excuse me, but do you know why Godzilla continues to look out like that at the sea? Its like he's a sentry or something, always on guard and such.". The Twin Fairies looked at one another for a moment, nodded then rose back on their feet to give the answer to Melody's question.
Moll started out, "Godzilla is searching for any signs of danger and such, searching for anything that he considers a threat to him. He has been like this ever since he changed into what he is today.". Kathrin and Melody were a bit intrigued by this, the daughter of Snow White halting her construction of her sand castle for a moment to hear more.
Lora continued, "You see, Godzilla has only known one thing in his entire life; fighting. He has fought not only humans back in our universe, but also many other monsters that sought to either destroy him or intrude on his territory. He has fought Rodan and Anguirus before they reached an understanding, one might say. He and Mothra also fought, but the guardian of the Earth always seemed to push Godzilla back until he left on his own. He is rarely at peace, and even when he is still, he seems to try and sense things that are wrong and go to them.".
Kathrin asked a good question, "Go to them? Why would Godzilla go towards something that is wrong or bad?". In her view, if you sensed that something was wrong or/and bad, you would go the other way to get help.
The two fairies stated as one, "Godzilla has a unique sixth sense, one that no other has in our world. It gives him the time he needs to travel to exactly where he needs to be. It was that sixth sense that guided him to you two and Dianne when you were in trouble last night at the forest.". The two young princesses were indeed amazed for the abilities the King of the Monsters possessed; a powerful heat beam of sort, a healing ability that surpassed any known to mankind, and now a sixth sense that let him know where he needed to be. However, the girls were also sad that their friend had only known about fighting. Though they knew that animals did fight often, it was often to protect territory, mates and food. But, they sensed that Godzilla was much more then a base animal, and it saddened them that all he ever knew was to fight to survive.
Melody asked another question, "Do you think that Godzilla can change? Can he learn that he can do something other than fighting?".
Moll answered, "We do not know. However, we have seen that his time here with you children is changing him. Little by little, and the change is spreading through Rodan and Anguirus as well. And we believe it is for the better.". That perked the two lovely ladies up a little, knowing that their influence on the former titans was positive. Melody and Kathrin could only hope that this continued, and perhaps… maybe one day, they could introduce the monsters to the populace and there would be little to no disastrous consequence. They heard a yell behind them, and they turned to see Rodan and Anguirus now in action. Mainard and Tracy were laughing loudly as they rode on the neck of Anguirus, the large spiked shelled monster swimming in the ocean as the children rode on him in a safe spot. Rodan was gliding over his ally, Dianne and Edgard laughing as they were in the air on the pteranodon's back. Though small in form, the monsters had enough strength to do this kind of thing.
Lora had a large smile on her face as she stated, "I can see very clearly that your presence here has changed the monsters for the better!". Mothra squeaked in agreement, the female worm very much pleased to see her fellow monsters actually getting along with humans. Melody and Kathrin were also extremely pleased with this development, and Melody wanted to capitalize on it. She got up and quickly took Kathrin by the hand, and rushing over to where Godzilla was at. Kathrin was a bit startled by her friend's actions, and more so when Melody looked at the saurian and asked this question.
Melody asked Godzilla, "Godzilla! Can we please ride on your back in the water? We want to have some real fun with you!". The King of the Monsters looked down at the small human, a little bit perplexed by this strange request. Never once had any living thing wanted to actually be in contact with him due to his size, fierce nature, and radiation. However, he was sensing that no danger was nearby and something tugged at his being. A strange, unfamiliar feeling that told him to trust the two females and to comply with their humble request. The large saurian rose up fully on his legs, nodded and started to walk towards the beach. Melody and Kathrin were a little confused by Godzilla's action, until they saw him slowly kneeling down and putting his claws down to the ground with his palms open. The Twin Fairies stated that he was waiting for them to climb into his claws so he could put them on his back.
The princesses eyes widened, and soon a smile spread on their faces. Melody exclaimed in delight, "Yes! Thank you Godzilla! Thank you!". Kathrin also stated the same sentiments as they got closer to their new friend, Melody going to Godzilla's right side while she took the left. The saurian hefted Melody up on his right side with his claw, while doing the same for Kathrin on his other side. Both girls got as comfortable as they could on his shoulder area, and hung on as Godzilla started to enter the water. The great green beast waded into the water, then when he was waist deep, started to submerge. The two little ladies squealed in delight when the water was at their legs, and then started to move around as Godzilla swam about.
This little action did not go unnoticed as Mainard and Tracy plus Anguirus saw what Godzilla did. Laughing loud and proud, he looked to his monster companion and exclaimed, "Alright! Now we have some friendly competition! How about we have a race to see who's the best swimmer?". The spiked-shelled being roared loudly, as if in approval. Tracy agreed with her friend in total confidence and joy, and Anguirus turned around to swim towards them.
Melody and Kathrin were enjoying their little swim-along with Godzilla until they saw Mainard and Tracy coming up to them fast on Anguirus. The saurian stopped his little swim and rose up, the girls gasping a little and trying to settle themselves after Godzilla's shift in body. Mainard and Tracy were grinning at them and the son of Belle asked in a confident tone, "Hey! How about a race, one to see who is the fastest? Us and Angurius here are ready to take on all comers!". The spiked-shelled monster roared out, his competitive nature now taking hold. While he was known to have a fierce and tenacity of spirit in battles, never-say-die in the face of any opponent, it would seem that the monster also liked to compete with his friend/ally when it came to contests of strength and/or speed. Godzilla growled at Anguirus, who returned the favor without backing down.
Tracy smirked and stated, "It seems that wither they are monster or human, boys like to show off! So, how about it Melody and Kathrin? Want to go along with this little game?". Melody and Kathrin looked at one another, nodding their heads and the two turned back to the daughter of Cinderella. Melody replied that they were more than happy to play this game, and Godzilla was ready to show that he was faster in the water then on land.
Mainard then yelled out, "Okay then! From here to the large rock in the ocean, and back to the beach! First one to land on the sand first wins! Now, on your mark… get set… GO!". As soon as he yelled that out, Angurius and Godzilla surged on with their human companions in tow. The princesses and the prince all yelled in delight as the water was splashing in their faces as the monsters swam as fast as they could to the rock in the distance. Little did they know that the rock belonged to a certain seagull, one who was friends with both Melody and Ariel. On said rock was a small crow's nest and some wooden planks that were sunk near the rock, apparently the objects that belonged to a ship that most likely sunk near the area. Near the crow's nest was a small anchor of sort, and on said nest was a seagull.
The rock was the home of… Scuttle the seagull, the funny feathered friend that aided Ariel and Eric on a number of occasions! Right now, the so-called expert on humans was taking a nap. He was very lazy on this particular day, and he was so out of it thanks to the warm sun and cool breeze that he did not even register the roars/cries of the monsters. He was on his back, just soaking up the sun's rays while he was relaxing and taking it easy. He let out a yawn and muttered, "Mmmm! This is the life! Just me and my little piece of home. No crazy sea witches to chase after, Ariel and the humans are safe, and also no more whacking me on the head! Ahhh… I could get used to this.". He turned over on his side, his back now turned towards the sea, and also towards the monsters that were closing in on his rock! Anguirus reached the rock first, Mainard and Tracy reaching out to touch the crow's next plank before their monster companion turned to head back to shore. The spiked-shelled being turned hard fast, causing water to splash up and soak Scuttle!
The bird stood up slightly from his nap, paying little mind that he was soaked to the feathers now. "Huh? Who's there? What's going on?" he asked in a groggy voice, looking around to see if anyone was there. His back was still turned to the one who soaked him, and it was still turned when Godzilla finally arrived a few seconds later. Melody and Kathrin reached out and touched the rock before yelling at Godzilla to go and catch up with their friends. The saurian growled and surged on ahead, putting some power into his tail to give himself a little more thrust. Unfortunately, was he turned around, that huge tail of his was raised up high and brought down hard in the water! The result was a little tidal wave that knocked Scuttle clear off his feet, and sending the surprised bird into the ocean! Melody and Kathrin cheered their companion on as he gained on his opponents.
Scuttle rose back up from the ocean, looking like a drowned rat and coughing up much sea water from his beak. He choked out, "BLEAH! ACK! BRRR! What in the-?! Who did that?! Come on, show yourselves!". It seemed that the little dunk had ruffled his feathers quite a bit, and who could blame him? Someone had disrupted his peaceful nap, and in the process just dunked him into the cold ocean water. He searched around to see if anything was there, and that is when he turned around to see some objects in the distance, he assumed those where what soaked him and ruined his nap. He flew over to them, but he wasn't at full speed due to the water on his wings dragging him down a little.
Scuttle exclaimed, "Come back here! I want to explain something to you that's called common courtesy! You should know better then to wake someone up from a nap, especially if you dunk them in the ocean!". He called out more, but they didn't seem to hear him. He tried to gain some ground on them, but something occurred that even he did not expect. He saw a shadow on the ocean, right above where he was flying. Scuttle looked up, and only saw a dark-reddish form come out and sweep past him faster then any animal he knew of! He yelled in surprise and fright, then he stumbled somewhat during his flight and was swept up in the draft from the objects streaking ahead of him. He lost altitude, skipped on the water a couple of times like a small stone, before falling into the water. The feathered-brain fowl coughed up seawater as he stuck his head out from the ocean, wondering what just flew past him.
Edgard and Dianne were riding on Rodan, and when they saw the little race between Godzilla and Anguirus with their friends on top of them, they decided to join in. Dianne exclaimed, "Come on, Rodan! Let's show them who is really the fastest!". The large pteranodon squawked once before going down a little, gaining speed as they skimmed over the water. The twins of Aurora yelled in delight at the speed they were going, but their little joy was cut short when they heard a squawk and a splash in the ocean. They looked around, looking what made the noise. When they found nothing, they scratched their heads for a moment before shrugging their shoulders and resumed enjoying the little flight. Even though Rodan was shrunk down, he was still quite fast in the air. Though, the large flying dinosaur wondering if he could even get up to the Mach 5 speed he was used to when he was his normal, titanic size.
On the sandy beach, Mothra was on the land and with her where the Twin Fairies on her head. The mystical fairies were now in the game, but acting as sort of referees. They shouted as one, "Come on! You are almost here! Don't slow down!". Anguirus was in the lead, but was it was being shortened by Godzilla and soon the two were neck and neck! Mainard and Tracy encouraged their spiked-shelled friend while Melody and Kathrin cheered Godzilla on. Anguirus let out a powerful lash of his spiked tail to give himself an extra burst of speed, but Godzilla let loose his long tail as well. The saurian's tail appendage was much longer, thicker and had a bit more power then Anguirus's tail, and that made the difference when Godzilla surged ahead and managed to get to touch down on land first before waddling over to where Mothra was at.
Melody and Kathrin slid down Godzilla's front body and the two exclaimed, "Yes! Yes! We won! We won!". Anguirus and his human friends came up second, Tracy and Mainard jumping off their companion and petting his snout. The prince was upset that he had lost, but he took it in stride and decided that second place was not that bad. But, he wanted a rematch. Tracy, on the other hand, was a good sport and petted Angurius's right side head, telling him he did a good job and that she was proud of him. The mutated Ankylosaurs felt a new feeling entering his body; pride and a little bit of gratitude for the human female that congratulated him. These were new feelings to him, but they were not unpleasant. The beast merely growled softly and actually nudged Tracy a little, Mainard too before going to a spot to rest a little.
Kathrin looked at Godzilla, smiling as she stated, "Thank you for indulging us a little like this, Godzilla! This was just fantastic!". The saurian understood the little human, and like his friend/ally Anguirus, he too felt a foreign yet pleasant feeling coursing through his being. He merely nodded at the princess, whose smile widened a little before she went to Mothra's side. Melody stayed by Godzilla's side, glad to see that her new friend was experiencing the good side of humanity. She was about to say something, when something flew overhead of them, fast and sure! She made a small eep and latched onto Godzilla, who looked up in annoyance to see that it was Rodan. The large flying creature made a little turnabout as it flew over them, gliding over the forest before landing perfectly beside Mothra. Edgard and Dianne laughed as they leapt off their flying friend.
Edgard stated happily, "Rodan, you are just terrific in the air! I bet you could fly faster then any feathered bird!". Dianne added in her sentiments, patting the spiked chest of the large flying dinosaur while saying that he flew wonderfully. Rodan looked at the small humans, the same feeling that Godzilla and Anguirus was feeling coursing through his body. He nodded and gently nudged the twins with his wings before hopping to join Anguirus in a little rest from the flight.
Melody looked at the scene with a bit of amusement, her earlier annoyance of Rodan flying in low and fast swept away upon seeing the former titan showing some positive action towards her friends. She then heard a muffled sound, and turned around to look at the ocean. She had a small frown on her face as she peered into the distance, and saw something coming out from the water. She squinted a little more, then her frown turned to a look of horror as she gasped when she saw that coming towards them, albeit slowly and clumsily, was Scuttle! She saw that her friend was soaked, and luckily for her the bird's eyes were covered by the wet feathers on his forehead.
Melody turned to the others and shouted, "Everyone! Everyone! We need to hide the monsters now! A friend of mine is coming over here!". Now that was cause for alarm for the children, as they did not want to reveal their monstrous friends just yet.
Dianne inquired urgently, "What are we going to do?! They can't hide in the forest! Well, Mothra can because she could be like a log or something. But not the others!". She had a point; Godzilla and his allies were not going to blend in well in the forest. Mainard was the one who provided the answer.
The little prince suggested, "Godzilla can hide in the water, Anguirus can hide in the shallow part of the ocean and be like a rock of some sort. And Rodan can wrap his wings around himself and pretend to be a large rock!". The others were a bit skeptical on this idea, but it was the only plausible one they had at the moment. The Twin Fairies readily agreed, and started to talk to each of the monsters. Godzilla and Anguirus did not like the idea of hiding from any kind of opponent, but the urging of both fairies and children convinced them to go along with Mainard's idea. So Godzilla waded into the water, slowly sinking when he reached the deep part while Anguirus went into the shallow end and lowered down to look like an odd-spiky rock. Rodan spread his wings out before folding them over himself like a bat would, now looking like a large, upstanding boulder. And this all went down just in the nick of time as Scuttle came along, the seagull landing on the beach and looking about, even though his feathers covered his eyes.
He shouted to the surprise of Edgard, Dianne, and Kathrin, "Where are ya?! Huh!? Come on out and fight like a man! Come on, show yourself!". He put his feathers up, curling up the tips to make them look like fists. He was calling out to someone, even though he still couldn't see through the wet feathers that were covering his eyes. All in all, it was a comical sight that got Melody and Tracy giggling a little.
Mainard pointed to the funny feathered being and said in a high-pitched voice, "The bird is talking! T-The bird is talking, and I understand it!". Melody was a bit surprised that they never heard or seen a talking animal, but she reasoned that it must be part due to the areas they lived in. Some parts of the world had strong magic, and this unique magic allowed for animals to gain much knowledge and develop the ability to speak like humans and also think like them. She looked at the three surprised children and said that it was alright, that this was normal and that Scuttle was a dear friend of hers. She went to the bird, who was still aimlessly trying to whack whatever it was that sent him into the drink earlier. She smiled at his antics, and lifted up Scuttle's wet feathers that were over his eyes. The seagull saw Melody's cute, smiling face and he instantly calmed down.
"Oh! Oh, if it isn't my favorite human in the entire sea! Hi Melody!" he exclaimed, the seagull now trying to dry himself off so he could be a little more presentable to his friend. He shook his body vigorously to get the water off his form, and even though it worked, the feathers all fluffed up and he looked like a large wad of cotton. This got the children to snicker and giggle at the scene, causing Scuttle to look in their direction.
Melody replied, "Hi Scuttle! It's been awhile, hasn't it? Glad to see that you're okay and doing well! Oh! Meet my new friends! They came here to be at my party that starts in two days.". The seagull smoothed down his feathers to be more presentable, going to Tracy first and shaking her hand.
"Pleasure to meet all of ya! Name's Scuttle, and I'm the most expert being when it comes to humans!" he said proudly as he shook Tracy's hand first, then Mainard, Edgard, Dianne, and finally Kathrin. The kids gave Melody a quizzical look when he mentioned that he was an expert on humans, and the black-haired beauty merely smiled and gestured to go along with it. The royal children smiled a little at the funny sea bird and greeted right back at him, telling him their names and saying it was also good to see him. It felt a little weird for Mainard, Edgard and Dianne who had never greeted an animal like a human before. But, they went along with it and paid little mind.
"So Scuttle, what brings you out here? And why were you all soaking wet, and wanting to fight someone?" Melody asked. Scuttle turned to her, and a very cross look was in his yellow eyes. Though on him, it looked kinda humorous.
He answered back, "Well, I was minding my own business in my little nest on my rock when all of a sudden… WHAM! I got soaked by something that splashed nearby in the water, and when I flew over to see what it was… POW! I got knocked over by some large thing that flew faster then any kind of bird I know around here! It knocked me back in the water, and I came here to see if it landed here! I also wanted to see if that jerk that splashed me first came up here! I want a little talk with those guys… whoever they are!". The children had to put up nervous smiles, realizing that it was them and their little race that knocked the poor seagull around.
"Is that so? Well, we have been here playing this whole time and we never saw anything fly by or came near here." Melody lied, trying to settle Scuttle so he could be on his way. She knew that if the sea bird saw her friends, he would most likely panic and fly to tell her mom and dad. And that was something that had to be delayed until the right time.
"Oh… well, okay then. But, I think a little fly around the area is in order! After all, I really would like to talk to the creeps that knocked me down." Scuttle stated, making the children a little nervous. The sea bird soon flew back up in the air, and started to circle around, checking the area. The kids held their breath, hoping that the fowl fool would not spot their companions. As the sea bird flew high in the air, he noticed some unusual things down below. He saw an odd-shaped rock that seem to have spines on it, a large dark shadow in the water that was a little more darker then the surrounding water around it, a large boulder that stood up and tall on the sandy beach, and an unusually large log in the forest by the edge of the beach.
He thought, 'Boy… the neighborhood is sure getting weirder these days. I think I may need to talk to Ariel and her husband to see if they notice it too. Well, nothing here so I better get… hey!'. Scuttle soon spotted something coming from the ocean near Ariel and Eric's palace, something familiar. He then dived down to the other side of the cliff, disappearing from the royal children's view. Melody sighed in relief, her friends following suit.
The princess said, "Whew! Scuttle's gone. We were really lucky. If it had been anyone else like…". Her statement died on her lips when she looked up, and saw it was Scuttle again. However, the sea bird was not alone as in his webbed feet was an object. A bright red object with claws. Melody gasped quietly as she saw that coming in on Scuttle's webbed feet was Sebastian, her friend, musical genius… and loyal servant of her grandfather, King Triton!
~At the dungeon area inside the Marcel Palace~
Shadowsneak was in a cell beneath the palace, under lock and key plus guarded by Eric's personal guard. The leader of the Monster bandit group was formulating plans, juggling ideas in his head on how to escape from his predicament. He thought, 'The children… those women… they would be excellent hostages. However, the problem is that my men are still in the forest... IF they are alive like those little brats stated. And those monsters… what are they? And what kind of hold do those children have on them?'. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard some noise coming from above. His cell was placed near the stairs, so he got a good look on who was coming down. He was surprised to see that it was some of his men, but not all of them. The bandits were tied up in thick ropes, while one of them was in what looked to be silk like web from a spider.
Shadowsneak got up and went to the bars of his cell and exclaimed, "Hey! What happened to you all?! Talk to me now!". The bandits were very groggy and did not speak, only moaning and groaning. It seemed that the ordeal, both in the forest and with the march back to the castle was a bit much for them. One of the captains, dressed in royal blue while the normal guards wore red uniforms, came to the cell and slammed a thick stick against the metal bars. The loud sound and vibrations caused Shadowsneak to back off a bit from the cell door. The captain wore a neutral expression on his face, and the guards that watched over the cell took a step or two to the side so their leader could get an more clear view of the prisoner.
The captain stated in a firm tone, "My name is Captain Mario, 1st captain of the Marcel's royal forces. I am here to ask you some questions on the night you were captured, to see what you were doing in the forest.". Shadowsneak glared at the captain, seeing that he was more physically fit the other soldiers and deduced that if he tried to fight his way out, it would be futile at best. He looked to see that his men were now in cells, but two of his top fellow bandits were not among them.
Shadowsneak demanded in a soft tone, "There should be more… where are the rest of my forces?". The captain shook his head and answered that they were in the infirmary, getting healed before they would be put into cells.
Captain Mario added in, "One of the larger members of your band is one of the critically injured… well, burned badly to be more precise. He is burned terribly, but is yet still alive. He will be treated the most, and it WILL be a miracle if he can even walk after the treatments are done.". Shadowsneak was now thinking fast about the situation. Apparently, his men HAD the children in their grasp before the monsters came to save them. And if Tightfist was burned badly, he deduced that one of the behemoths could breathe fire! It was the only explanation for the burns!
Captain Mario gazed down hard at Shadowsneak as the bandit went to sit back on his stone bed, apparently lost in thought. He turned to look at the stairs, apparently to go back up. He looked at the prisoner and stated, "Prepare yourself, for in a few minutes I will be back down to start the interrogation officially. Just remember this, Shadowsneak. Trying to escape from this place is very bad for your health, and you will not be at full strength since your forces are quite literally out of action for a good long while.". He turned started to walk back up the stairs, leaving the guards to watch over the prisoners. Shadowsneak was now in thinking overdrive, trying to see how he could salvage the situation.
He thought, 'If it is true that Tightfist and the others are in the infirmary, they won't be of use to me until they fully heal. And I need to escape from this place quickly! But how…?'. One had to give this to the bandit leader; when it came to coming out of tight jams, he was an expert. The middle-aged man started to plan and go over scenarios in his head, trying to figure a way out before he was sent to trial.
~Upstairs in the castle~
While the bandits were locked away in the cells below, everyone was getting ready for the party that was to start in two days' time! The servants were checking on decorations that was to be hung up in the right places for the party, Chef Louie was going over some recipes for the food he would prepare for the birthday celebration. The proud chef was determined to make some of the most delicious confections known to man, for the party guests to really enjoy his work. Ariel was with the other queens in the living room, going over some plans for the party like what games to put up, and also what kind of entertainment should be brought for Melody's 13th birthday bash. Florian and Philip were working with some of the servants upstairs, making sure that the upper levels would be welcoming as much as the downstairs. The royal women were going over a game suggestion from Belle when they heard the front door open, and coming in was Eric, Asce and Léandre entered. It seemed that they had returned from their little mission in the woods.
The wives went over to their respective husbands, hugging them tightly before asking their questions. Ariel asked Eric, "So, did you find anything in the forest?". The king nodded his head, answering that they found some things there… but only came up with more questions. The red-headed beauty gave her husband a quizzical look, and Eric shook his head and gently guided his wife to a nearby room. Once he and Ariel were in there, they closed the doors to make sure that no one could peep or sneak in. He turned to his wife and Ariel saw the confused look in his face.
Eric never kept anything from his beloved mate, even this. He started out, "Ariel, what we saw in the woods… it only brought more questions then answers. We saw a huge crater, I believe they were made from the falling stars we saw last night. Then we found a trail that led to Shadowsneak's bandit companions… but here is the weird thing. The ones I found were webbed to rocks, like if a lot of spiders had come out and webbed them up in their silk. And one of them, a giant called Tightfist… he was burned. Very badly. He was still breathing and alive, but his entire front body looks like it was hit by intense flames.". Ariel held a hand to her mouth, stifling a gasp upon hearing that piece of information. Eric continued, explaining what happened when he reunited with his friends who found the other half of the bandit crew. On how they seem to be cut up in some areas of their bodies quite seriously, and how strange holes were in the area where the two princes found them. And also, he told her on the strange footprints and drag prints they found. Eric omitted to finding the dagger and the blood he found, not wanting to scare Ariel too much.
Eric looked to his beautiful wife and finished saying, "Ariel, I think our children are keeping something from us. First the falling stars, the lights we saw from the distance, the strange way we found the bandits, the unusual tracks, and now what one of the bandits was screaming about earlier. I believe that Melody and the others had help, and they are intent on keeping the identity of their new saviors from us.".
Ariel was now confused as she was trying to come up with some sort of explanation in her head on why Melody would want to keep the identity of the ones who saved her a secret from them. She looked to her husband and whispered, "Eric, should we confront Melody on this? Should we try to talk to her?". He answered that he didn't have the answer to her question, but for now to let this play out. He said that they needed to have some faith and trust in Melody's decision, and that she would tell them when she was good and ready. Pushing the issue would most likely make the situation worse instead of better. Ariel understood that better then anyone, given her past history with her own father and all. So, she nodded and stated that she would not push the envelope with her daughter. Though, it did not make it easy for her.
Eric gave his lady a small smile and said, "Come on, let's go out with the others. If we explain to them why it's so important to not push the issue with the kids, I'm sure we can find out what they are hiding. But in a way that won't blow up out of proportions for either side.". Ariel nodded, a larger smile on her face. Leave it to her husband to be both wise and smart. She took his hand and the two left the room, to speak to the others about this development. The royal couple was hoping that the situation would reveal itself soon, and above all that the children would be kept safe and sound.
~Back with Melody and Co.~
Melody and her friends were having a bit of problems of their own. Before them now was a little Jamaican crab that was currently arguing with Scuttle, who had returned with said crab. The daughter of Ariel looked to her confused friends and said, "Everyone, this is Sebastian. He's a close friend of mine, same with Scuttle. He's a bit quick-tempered and hasty, but he is a genius when it comes to music. Please don't ask, I can't say much more on a promise I made.". The five royal kids looked at Melody in a puzzled manner, but just nodded their heads in acceptance of this. Of course, certain ones such as Mainard and Tracy wanted to know more and made mental notes to try and coax some of the answers from their friend later on. Right now, there were other situations to deal with.
Sebastian was arguing with Scuttle, yelling, "What is da matter with you, mon?! Just scooping me up when me and Flounder where just coming up to the palace! I swear by all that swims in the sea, you are da craziest living thing on this world!". Scuttle took that as a compliment, saying that he tried his best. That got the crab even more infuriated, and when Melody heard that Flounder was here, she quickly looked up to see the little yellow fish swim to the surface near their position. Now she REALLY believed that the situation was slipping out of their control.
Scuttle said, "Calm down, Sebastian! Calm down. Look, I'm sorry about the little grab-and-go, but I thought you would like to talk to her first when I saw you.". He pointed at Melody, and when the musical genius turned his head and saw her plus her company, his little frown turned into a small smile as he scuttled away from the sea bird to go to the princess.
Sebastian stated happily, "Melody! Ah, it's good to see you young lady. How much you have grown! You be turning into one fine beauty! And… oh! Who are these friends with you?".
Melody showed a nervous smile and introduced her friends to the Jamaican crab, "Sebastian, meet my friends who came with their parents to celebrate my birthday. Meet Kathrin, Edgard, Dianne, Mainard, and Tracy. Everyone, this my good friend Sebastian.". The children said their hello to the small red sea animal, who returned the gesture. For certain children, this was a bit much to be seeing and talking to animals who could talk like human beings.
The loyal servant of King Triton turned to Melody and motioned with his pincers to lower herself, or to pick him up. When she kneeled down and scooped him up in her hands, Sebastian whispered, "Melody, your grandfather sends his regards and love. But, I have another reason here, and dat is the king senses that something is wrong. His trident went off yesterday, glowing something powerful!". To her, that was serious news. She knew the power of the trident, and if it did go off, it would stand to strong reason that something was wrong. She was now wondering if sensed her friends falling from the sky. Sebastian continued on that he and Flounder was here to see if anything suspicious or weird happened, to make sure that she and the family were safe. Melody shook her head to get back to the present.
She told her small friend, "No, nothing suspicious or such has happened here. Just me and my new friends enjoying the quality time together.". She let off a nervous smile, but the musical genius saw right through it. He gave a small 'hmmm' sound to Melody, then he jumped off and scuttled the children. Scuttle also took the opportunity to fly over and land by his friend's side, also wanting to see what was up. Even though he was not too bright, he felt that something was a bit off here.
The small crab looked to the nervous children and asked, "Excuse me, young ones. But I have a question I need to ask of you. Have you noticed anything suspicious or unusual lately? Have any of you come across something that seemed… peculiar?". Mainard was sorely tempted to make a smart remark, wanting to say that seeing a bird and crab talk like humans WAS unusual. However, he felt a hand from Tracy and the young lady shook her head slightly in a negative. She knew that any kind of smart talk at this point would be bad news. Kathrin answered that they had not seen anything unusual since they arrived, and that everything was calm and okay.
However, Flounder decided to make himself known as he swam up towards them. The kids looked at him, and they felt that they were going to see a fish talk now, and they were not disappointed. Flounder asked, "Hey Sebastian, maybe they know of the monster that the other fishes in the sea have seen earlier?". Melody and the others tensed at this part. They temporarily forgot that Godzilla went out earlier to check out the ocean, so of course he would be spotted by some sea life. Melody had no doubts that seeing something like the King of the Monsters would scare the living daylights out of small sea creatures.
Sebastian glared at Flounder for letting that little information slip out, but there was not much to do about that now. He turned to the children and explained, "Sorry for dat interruption, kids. But my friend Flounder and I heard from some of the local sea life in this part of the ocean that they saw a large monster. A huge dinosaur-like creature! Can you imagine anything so silly?". The kids let out some nervous laughs and such, and Scuttle decided to get in on the little bandwagon too. However, the crab, sea gull, and fish never noticed certain something's rising from their hiding positions. Their backs where to the subjects they were now talking about.
Scuttle commented, "Yeah! I mean, can you imagine? Real live monsters? Dinosaurs? Now that is crazy talk! I'm telling you, those fish friends of yours probably saw some kind of shadow or something that spooked them.".
Flounder replied, "I dunno… they really seemed to be freaked out about. And also that this monster was not like anything they had seen before.". Unbeknownst to them, Godzilla had rose out from his position in the ocean. Anguirus had also moved from his position in the shallow part of the ocean. Rodan had unfurled his wings, creating a small gust due to the rapid movement. And Mothra was now crawling from out of the forest and onto the beach, the Twin Fairies upon her head. The children were now so tense, it showed on their faces. Flounder saw it and was puzzled, but Sebastian and Scuttle were too immersed in their little discussion on how ridiculous it would be for a monster or dinosaur to even exist in this day and age.
Scuttle stated firmly and loudly, "Why, if monsters and dinosaurs still existed and where here right now, may lighting strike me where I stand!". It was then that the two heard some soft breathing come from behind them, and Flounder heard it too. The three turned around slowly, and sure enough… they were staring at the towering forms of Godzilla, Rodan, Anguirus and Mothra. The saurian lowered his head to look at the two life forms, and the sea bird and crab did the only thing they could do at this point… their eyes rolled in the back of their heads and they fainted on the spot. Flounder was so terrified now, he was shaking in the water, frozen on the spot. Melody went over to check on him, while Kathrin and Tracy tended to Sebastian and Scuttle.
Edgard looked at the scene with some amusement, then looked up at the sky. He turned to Mainard and Dianne and inquired, "So, should we see if lighting really does strike? I bet Scuttle would make a good roasted bird.". The two chuckled at the little joke, but they knew that some explaining was in order. Both for Melody and who she really was, and also to explain to the animals on why there were monsters here.
(Author's Notes: Whew! This was a bit tough for me to write. I guess the more deeper you go into the story, the harder it is to keep on writing so it turns out well. Oh well… I will just simply do my best, and hope for the best!
Also, here is an answer for one of you reviewers who asked me why Maleficent's monsters are not shrunk, but Godzilla and the others are. Let me explain; when the Twin Fairies used their magic to cut off the summoning spell that Maleficent used, something chaotic happened. When two different kinds of magics, from two different universes mixed, random and unexpected things happen. In this case, when the mystical twins cut off the summoning spell that gripped Mothra, Anguirus, Rodan and Godzilla, they were cut loose and sent plummeting to the earth.
However, due to the different natures of the magics, a majority of the monsters strength and energy followed the summoning spell. This caused the monsters to shrink, while the others still inside the summoning spell remained unaffected. Also, the power and energy of Godzilla, Rodan, Anguirus and Mothra were transferred into certain objects. I'll give you a hint: Maleficent is in possession of these objects, but she does not know why the objects still glow even though she spent their magical energy on the summoning spell. See previous chapters to find out what I mean, please.
Now in the next chapter, Melody has to come clean with the others on who she really is. Her heritage, why she seemed not surprised to about sea creatures that talk, and a little more. Also in the next chapter, the parents go over on how they can coax their kids into coming clean with them without messing it up. And finally, Maleficent changes her plan on what she must do in the future.
I really hope to make this story worthwhile, and also to finish it in time for Godzilla's return debut to the big screen! I urge any and all of you to find and watch the Godzilla series… all of them! The originals, not the current remakes the movie studios did. I have the originals on VHS, and they are always a blast to watch!
R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave long reviews!)