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Zilla had been alone for as long as he could remember. Even on the day he popped from his basket there was no one around. That was okay though. Being alone made him strong. He’d always had to fight and struggle, and he always triumphed. Now he was considered one of the strongest beings of his kind. He’d even been awarded the title “King of the Kaiju.” So, yeah, he didn’t think about his solitary lifestyle and upbringing as a negative thing. It’s just how it was. Then Gojira came around and started making him think a bit more about it. She hadn’t been welcomed at first. He threatened to eat her a couple of times to make her go away, but she persisted. That annoying persistence ultimately paid off too. She was his family, as much as he was loathed to admit it, and he’d protect her with everything he had. Granted, he still had the urge to squash her whenever she started in on him needing to make more friends but those musings faded away as quickly as they popped up. The worst part was that Godzilla often found himself thinking over her statements every now and then. They’d randomly run across his mind, catching him off guard. Minutes would pass before he’d pull himself from the reverie and silently declare he was perfectly content with how things were. Yet, inevitably, it’d happen again...and again...and again. And always more so around the spring months. Why? He had no clue. Maybe something in how life renewed itself or something of that nature. Whatever the case, Zilla knew it wouldn’t be long before that familiar pang of contemplative longing would strike, leaving him wondering about the ifs and maybes and could-bes.

WC: 291

Clouds were moving in fast. A storm wouldn’t be far behind. He didn’t have to see the sky to know that was the case. Not only had it grown darker but he could sense the tingling in the air. It rolled over his coat, settling across his body like a familiar comfort. “Thunderstorm again,” his deep voice rumbled. That’d be good. There hadn’t been a good thunderstorm for awhile. Mostly simple rain showers. Zilla would need to get back soon if he wanted to fully experience and enjoy the oncoming torrent.

Turning around, he started to head back the way he’d come. Home, or what was currently called it, wasn’t far. As he lumbered forward, a snatch of wind blew over him, carrying with it something he didn’t expect- a voice. Godzilla stopped in his tracks and looked around. Sure enough, there was someone there. A decently sized Soquili from what he could tell, though still smaller than himself. Not surprising since he had yet to meet anyone quite his size. Zilla frowned. Another Soquili meant being social, and he wasn’t sure he was up for that. Yet he couldn’t be rude. Antisocial he might be but rude he was not. Heaving a resigned sigh, the Ulun’suti rotated to face the newcomer. He tried to appear non-threatening...a difficult task given his towering physique, responding back with a tentative, “Hello,” in turn.

Zilla waited patiently for the other Soquili to get closer. Since the other called out first, he’d give him the chance to talk before saying anything else himself. His dark eyes watched the figure approach, studying him as he moved and wondering what he could want.

WC: 277

Cordial but cautious. That was the impression the new arrival gave Godzilla. Friendly enough to provide a name and seek help yet wary enough to remain out of striking distance of an attack. It spoke to the experiences the slightly smaller Soquili had faced. The Kaiju felt a surge of appreciation for it. He’d encountered quite a few who had been too trusting and even more that weren’t trusting at all. If he thought about it on a deeper level, he supposed that was one of his reasons for remaining solitary. Easier to avoid deciphering the motives and influences of others.

Cocking his head, Godzilla stared intently at the other, deliberating on how best to answer. Like him, Ryuunosuke had claws on all four feet and was mostly darker in color; although, he did have splashes of color which gave an exotic feel as well. Could be from a warmer climate, Zilla thought to himself. If that were the case, from what he knew of beings acclimated to that type of weather, Ryu would be in for a difficult time. The weather in this area was fickle, especially during the current time of year. Which means, he sighed, that I’ll have to offer him shelter until it passes. There weren’t a lot of suitable locations for shelter, and he’d settled in the best one.

He disliked the idea of having to entertain a visitor, but Gojira’s nagging voice popped into his head again. Zilla looked down. “Name’s Godzilla, but most call me Zilla. You picked a bad time to travel though here. Storm’s are rough.” He jerked his head towards the darkening clouds. The static was already building in the atmosphere. “This one feels bad. You’ve got good instincts about finding shelter…” Hesitating, he added, “There aren’t a lot of options. To be frank, I took up the best one but...it’s big enough to share until the storm passes…Or I can show you the second best, although that one can have a bad draft. Up to you. Either way, shelter’s this way.” Godzilla waved his tail, indicating the nearest mountain, and started walking. He’d leave it up to Ryuunosuke to decide if he wanted to follow or try his hand at fending for himself.

WC: 374

Godzilla’s pace faltered for just a second before he caught his stride again. He hadn’t expected the other stallion to pick up on the storm. Cocking his head, he surveyed Ryuunosuke more closely. “I didn’t know anyone else could sense storms. I’ve always been the only one.” The Kaiju peered skyward. “Except I sense the lightning. Not the water.” It was for that reason he could tell the severity of the storm. Typically, when a storm rolled in, it possessed some level of electricity he could sense. The higher the level, the more severe the storm tended to be.

Another wave of static crackled across his coat. Yes, his first impressions were correct. This storm was going to be one of the more intense ones. “Hmmm,” he hummed his hello noncommittally, lowering his head. The stallion didn’t like traveling much himself. He preferred to stay in one place if possible, and well away from others if he could. Of course, there was always his familiar nagging him to be social or find a herd to barter with. The more he thought of her, the more he knew she was going to have a field day when she heard about his having company.

Realizing he hadn’t answered Ryuunosuke, Zilla shook his head. His tail swayed back and forth as he strode across a field. “I haven’t seen anyone like you before. At least not exactly like you. Seen a lot of other brightly colored ones but nobody through here. It’s why I picked this place.” It was quiet with little to no travelers. A perfect place for a solitary Kaiju to take up residence. Casting a sideways glance, the stallion said, “If you got separated by nature, then you’ll have a hard time finding your sister. Nature doesn’t hold back its power...as I’m sure you understand.” He wasn’t going to tell Ryuunosuke that he’d probably never find his sister...that it would be impossible in such a vast land as this. Because he’d seen the impossible done before. Heck, he himself had achieved an impossible feat when he’d been crowned King of the Kaiju. No, if anything, it might be improbable for the smaller stallion to find his sister but not impossible.

Zilla wondered though...where Ryu hailed from. He’d only heard of two areas where volcanoes and earthquakes struck with such frequency as to wipe out herds or drive them from the land. One of those was because of another Kaiju. A Kaiju Godzilla had needed to battle for his current title. For the moment, however, he chose not to delve into that question. The storm was moving in swiftly and they still had to top the rise. “We should get moving. Storm’s almost here.” He picked up his pace, trusting that Ryu would keep up with him, and led the way to his shelter. Two more minutes of walking would find him guiding the other into his cave just before the awaited storm let loose.

WC: 494

Lands filled with others who possessed elemental abilities? Godzilla had never heard of such a place before. Granted, he had met others with elemental affinities but they were few and far between. Those he did meet never talked about their families or how they came to have their elements, nor did they care to explain about their breed; instead, most of those encounters ended with him either fighting the individual or scaring them off due to his stature. Interestingly enough, he had also never encountered a water or lightning elemental. Fire, earth, and shadow, yes but never the other two. Now that he pondered it, he wondered how many of each there were in the world and of their difference in strengths. Were the Kaijus considered the strongest of these element wielders?

Shaking his head lightly, he pulled himself to the present and to Ryu. “Yeah, it will take some time before it passes. There is a lot of lightning stored in the heavens today. I suspect we’ll see quite the show." His strides were long and even but quick as he spoke. They did not need to be caught in the middle of the spectacle. Zilla was certain he could fend off the lightning well enough if needed, but he preferred not to demonstrate his abilities if he could avoid it. His power was magnificent yet it had not always been received well. So, he continued on with Ryu in tow, reaching the cave he called home mere seconds before the torrent began.

The larger stallion strode inside. With a height of twenty feet and a width of thirty, the cave entrance provided plenty of room for Zilla and his company to pass through. The further they moved in the cave, the higher and wider the space became until it opened into a massive cavern. It was easily a hundred feet to the ceiling, which had obviously been cleared of stalactites for caution. The walls surrounding them were smooth and broad with holes carved here and there for storage. As for the floor, it was mostly level, with only a dip or two near the center and a small group of stalagmites at the far left. The stalagmites were where Zill and Gojira slept.

He turned to look at Ryuunosuke. “You are welcome to stay til the storm passes. The cave has good acoustics so we will be able to keep track of the storm without having to bother sensing it.” The Kaiju gestured with his tail, pointing to the right of the cave. “There’s a smaller cavern through there if you want some privacy at any point. But do not mess with the small alcove. That is my bonded’s.” That done, he settled himself to the ground, leaning against the back wall in order to continue facing Ryu and not seem rude. He thought back to what the other had said earlier, about his sister and how they had been separated and about how only the spirits could bring them back together. Zilla had to admit, the stallion had heart. Many others would have long since given up the task. “Your home,” he began, curious about the disaster that split the siblings. “You said it was destroyed by volcanoes? Was there anything...odd about the disaster?”

WC: 547

He eyed the other stallion curiously. Never before had he encountered someone like Ryu. Someone who, although they had only just met, was asking after another he had yet to meet at all. It both surprised Godzilla and intrigued him. He wondered if the stallion’s separation from his sister made him react to the circumstance as he had or if that was simply how he was. Part of him wanted to believe it was strictly the former. That the male was compensating for that loss by helping whenever and however he could. Another part felt it was the latter. And still, a small portion of himself, somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind asked why it could not be both. Whatever his reasons, Godzilla found Ryu’s concern for Gojira refreshing and comforting, allowing him to become more at ease around the other. “No,” Zilla shook his head, smiling, “She will be fine. I sincerely doubt the heavens would be able to do anything to her. She is...how should I put it?...Tenacious?” He chuckled. A sound that, despite its softness, resonated throughout the caverns, deep and rich. “I imagine she’s challenging the rain as we speak. Probably cursing the lightning as well, thinking I may have something to do with it.” His smile widened. The hint of impishness there would indicate his guilt at having played such a prank or two.

His expression sobered, however, at Ryuunosuke’s depiction of the events separating his herd and family. His was a tale the Kaiju had heard before. Either through rumors or from the individuals who lived through it, the stories of herds being forced from their homes, of deaths and partings had been stories he encountered time and again in his wanderings. Godzilla liked to hear these tales. Not because he enjoyed them but because it allowed him to gather information on others of his kind. The Kaiju were powerful elementals who possessed immense capabilities. It had become his responsibility to maintain a check on them. Which is precisely why he inquired about the events of Ryu’s past. Zilla bowed his head, pondering over the description and comparing it to others. “Your herd was fortunate,” he said after a moment. “The creation of a new opening is rare from what I understand. You were certainly given a second chance and took it. I am sorry that the conditions shifted again. The laws of nature can be...fickle at best. But, if it makes you feel any better, at least the eruption was indeed natural. I fear it might have been worse otherwise.” He did not elaborate further. Despite finding himself comfortable with Ryu, he did not know how the other would feel at the suggestion a Kaiju could cause such travesties if they so desired. No, best to stay quiet and push the conversation in a different direction.

“Mmm,” he hummed in agreement. “Wandering can be tiresome. That is true. My bonded and I have wandered for a long time. Ever since I can remember really. It has gotten more difficult as I have gotten older. To be constantly on the move. I typically do not remember where I have been before. However…” Godzilla looked into Ryuunosuke’s eyes. “...That is the beauty of wandering. If you wander long enough, you forget, yet you also might end up finding the same place you have forgotten.”

WC: 561

Godzilla tilted his head to the side. His dark eyes seemed to gleam in the dim light of the cave. He had never thought about his wanderings in that way. Could wandering with someone have helped? He took a moment to ponder those words, racking his memory for the times before Gojira had been with him. The times that he had moved throughout the lands for movement’s sake so that he would not be a bother. Had he nearly lost himself? He did not think so. True, as much as he was loath to admit it to her, having Gojira in his life had certainly added something to it. Perhaps that was the grounding effect Ryu spoke of. “I...cannot speak to that. I have wandered for a long time and Gojira has been with me for most of it. The times when I did not have her felt different, yes, but…” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I will say this, there is a difference with traveling with someone. I would not say it has kept me grounded but I can admit there was something lacking beforehand. If you tell her I said as much I will deny it though.” There was a hint of jest in his tone when he said the last. Gojira often made a point of saying how he would be lost without her around so he could not risk adding to her ego. His grin sobered slightly as he continued, “As for your memories...is it so bad for them to intermingle with stories and dreams? Is that not what history is shaped by anyway? And if they are fond ones then I see no qualm with mixing them.”

The large stallion lay in silence for a time, listening to the other speak of his sister and how they had become separated. It was clear how much the smaller stallion loved his sibling. Godzilla felt a pang in his chest. Curiosity bloomed inside. What would it be like to feel love for someone like that? A love so deep that one would choose to leave all others behind for it. He had never experienced such a feeling. In fact, he had only ever had Gojira and, while he might be affectionate, he could say it was nothing more than that. Releasing a quiet breath, Zilla shook his head, “I do not think you can ever resolve it...and I do not think you should try. What is done is done. These are things that can never be changed. What you are doing now is all there is left to do.” He shifted where he lay. “It is not selfish to want your family back.” He himself had wished at times to have his own family return. Not that he had ever known them from the beginning. But then, that had made the desire even stronger at times. It had been one of the many struggles of his early life. To know where he came from and what he was. To know where he belonged. After so many years, however, he had long since decided he was better not knowing, especially after he had learned about the Kaiju. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The storm continued to rage outside.

WC: 543