This world was not what he had come to love.
For countless millennia, he had waged war and risked his life to protect the Earth and its inhabitants. He had seen eras begin and end, species be born and go extinct, and civilizations rise and fall. Once, he had been this world’s king, it's benevolent ruler who struck out and crushed any who sought to harm the Earth. When the foul reared their cruel heads, unleashing destruction for their own narcissistic desires, it was him who all the weak and fearful turned to for salvation.
But here he was now, languishing in depression in an underwater crater, as the surface world became the playground of self-proclaimed gods.
One day, a colossal asteroid fell upon the Earth, much like the one which had taken the lives of the dinosaurs. The surface world was torn apart by the cataclysm, especially when they arose. The Draconians.
Physical manifestations of concepts, whether literally or because they happened to embody certain characteristics so fully that they might as well be. These deities made themselves known in the wake of the mass extinction, unleashing even worse destruction. Power struggles between beasts with abilities beyond that of even most Titans, the survivors never stood a chance. Despite all opposing each other like petty warlords, the new gods mangled the broken world to fit their desires, subjugating the remaining humans and forcing them into worship.
And he, the world’s supposed protector, had not been there to stop them in the first place. The initial impact had instigated great chaos in the hollow Earth, plunging him into a coma due to simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he finally awoke, beneath vast layers of crumbled stone, the world he had come to love was nothing like he remembered.
He had not been there for his subjects, both human and Titan alike. Whenever he tried to call out for the fellow giants which had guarded nature with him, he would receive nothing. Whether they were all dead, or if some survived in obscure pockets and remained utterly hidden in fear, he did not know. It was obvious to him that most of them were dead, most likely having tried to stop the reigns of tyranny and meeting death in return. He had heard some of their dying calls when one did emerge from hiding and lash out.
It was through these that he was able to piece together another thing that tore at his soul. The Draconians could die, but they would not stay dead. Somehow, someway, they could return to the realm of the living. Then, what was he, or anyone, to do to stop this?
A colossal, grey-scaled body began to shift. He started to swim, just to feel something physical, to move at all. Immense arms and legs, composed of the strongest musculature the Earth had created, moved for the first time in months. A powerful tail kicked up a cloud of silt into the waters as it shifted. Jagged spines protruding from the living monolith’s back waved back and forth subtly.
Yellow eyes, filled with weariness, observed where a kingdom once stood.
Shortly before the cataclysm, Godzilla had fought his nemesis, a golden dragon who had sought to tear Earth asunder and reconstruct it in their twisted image. Due to human intervention, he had almost died in one of the battles. But the thing about humans, something he had realized a long time ago, was that when they committed atrocity, other humans would be there to remedy it the best they could.
So, at the cost of the ancient city and the life of one man, they had revived Godzilla and increased his power even further.
Swimming over this desolate crater, he aimlessly drifted. What was the point of this all? Was he truly going to just abandon all he had strived for, and just let new colossi rule? The fact that he had chosen to get up at all clearly meant there was something in his heart, otherwise, he would have just continued to lay down until he faded away.
It was then that he saw it, lying on the rim. It was a glimmer of white within a mound of silt. The former king swam up to it, brushing away some of the filth to reveal more of what lay beneath. The sight of bones began to reawaken memories, causing him to frantically clear off more and more until it all became painfully clear.
Before him lay the skeleton of a quadruped, with small spikes running down his back, a maw of sharp fangs, and crown of horns.
***
The blackened skies crackled with sickly yellow lightning. Hovering in these horrid heavens was the golden fiend, three heads looking down with foul sneers and glares that radiated pride.
Throughout the city of stone and wood, titans waged war. Those fighting on the side of Godzilla, for the Earth itself. Their opposition, those on the side of King Ghidorah, fighting for the sake of preserving themselves for fear of the false king’s wrath.
The king of the monsters looked up at his towering foe, made even grander looking with their lofty position. Directly above him, shining like a glorious beacon, the queen of the monsters.
From above, the volcanic avian chirped with anger. Rodan’s mate had been slain by the invader and he was determined to get vengeance. Beside him, Mothra chirped, ready to end the golden demise once and for all.
And by Godzilla’s side, unafraid of the devil laying siege to creation, his other closest ally. Anguirus, the Fierce Prehistoric Dragon. The brown-scaled saurian let out a sharp roar, mocking King Ghidorah and showing only the stubborn fury that had gotten him to be the Alpha’s second in command.
As one, the king, queen, rogue, and general charged into battle, their cruel adversary swooping down to meet them for the battle to determine the fate of all.
***
What would Anguirus have thought of his current state? Languishing in misery as the surface was assailed by selfish divinities. The spike-coated titan would have been outraged at such a shameful display. Yet, he would have been encouraging as well, demanding that Godzilla go up and face them all, being by his side all the while.
Looking up, the alpha titan made his decision.
Soon, the waters near a beach began to recede. They rushed forth in the form of a tsunami, dampening the sands as the towering form of Godzilla arose. He planted his feet on the soggy beach, staring off into the horizon. The moon dangled in the sky like a gem, illuminating the darkness.
He could have trekked across the world, hunting them all down one by one. But, if they were truly able to come back from death, what would be the point? No, he had an idea. The Draconians were all connected, this he could tell. They all arose at the same time, their auras all felt similar, and their battles had reshaped the Earth in an almost purposeful manner despite being madness.
Perhaps, if they all died, they would remain dead?
It was foolish, but he saw no other course. And so, with that, he breathed in deeply. Godzilla leaned forward, letting loose the mightiest roar the world had heard in a long time.
Most did not hear it, for when the call had traveled out, at a certain point it turned into a signal that most ears could not pick up. But the ones he needed to hear this declaration, they heard it all too well.
Surrounded by molten rock and towering fires, he resembled a crimson Tyrannosaurus Rex. Stripes black as the night ran down his back. The eyes of a tyrant surveyed the decimation, basking in the death and destruction. Diablo, the god of evil, destruction, and fire had been spawned by Hell itself.
The frigid tundra was calm, the cold wind blowing gently through it. Standing tall, surrounded by bowing and chanting people, was a bipedal ape. His skin was the color of the frost around him, his voluminous fur silver and brown. This deity looked upon his people fondly, smiling. Blizzard, the god of nobility, wisdom, and water fought to preserve life and its natural progression.
Death’s stench permeated the air, as did the grotesque sounds of feasting. A pile of mutilated corpses was taken into the maw of a yellow and purple theropod, who devoured it like he had not had a meal in eons. Remnants of past meals eaten minutes ago stained the ground around him. Sauron, the god of hunger, thirst, and eternity had an unending void in his stomach that he was forced to nigh-constantly fill.
Filth and bodily waste caked every surface of the “city”. People who had given into their most base instincts, even more, primitive and simple than the first humans had been, populated this cesspool. And at the center of this, rested their lord, laying in a bath of diseased waste. Another bipedal ape, with deathly grey skin and garnish pink fur. Chaos, “god” of decay, evolution, and witchcraft had once been a man before hubris overtook him.
Maddening baffling filled the grassy plains as droves of people praised their goddess-queen, speaking words that even they did not understand as their minds were slowly shattered. She let out laughter that would make the bravest warriors fall into the fetal position in terror. Resembling a blue cobra with spindly limbs like that of a dinosaur, she basked in the growing madness. Vertigo, goddess of insanity, sorcery, and the moon had once been a sorceress from another realm, hellbent on global domination.
Below the Earth’s surface sat a beast loved by many. For his worshippers were treated with respect, the god of balance, earth, and peace meditated in his chambers. He resembled an ankylosaur, only bipedal, yellow and brown scales covered his body from head to toe. Armadon felt that something was coming, though not aware of what this potential threat was he needed to prepare all the same.
In a peaceful valley sat a tribe of meat-eaters. The god of the survival, protection, and harmony sat among his kin, basking in the sun’s light. Feathers pointed out the back of his neck, patterns of orange, black, and white covered the raptor’s body. Talon was filled with joy as he watched the future of his species play in the fields of his people’s land.
Birds chirped outside his domain, the early morning rising, awakening what remained of animals in the area...except from one. From his cave laid the god of the hunt, combat, and honor. A bipedal brown and orange cat with gigantic twin fangs hanged from his maw, Slash Fang rested. Yawning as a few of the sun’s rays past through cracks in the cave.
The gods were shaken from their respective stupors when the call of Godzilla reached them, challenging all of them.
Diablo snarled in outrage. How dare he be challenged by a life form who wasn’t even a god!?
Blizzard sighed. Something about this call made him think that it was a being that, on any other occasion, he would have fought alongside. But, if it sought to destroy him, so be it.
Sauron’s eyes widened. Such a powerful call, such a massive being to have made it. Such a bountiful feast!
Chaos awoke, sending small rivers of filthy water flowing from the pile that had formed his bed. He would feel no remorse in destroying this challenger, drowning them in filth for daring to provoke him.
Vertigo flinched, then looked towards the direction of the call. Another fool to fall before her. Did this one truly think it could overcome her magic?
Armadon looked to the surface, feeling a strange familiarity with this roar. Yet the wrath filling it still spurned him into action, especially with how it sought his demise as well.
Talon felt his heart sink. Some beast had arisen from the ocean, and the call alone convinced him it was something immense in all regards. His loyal followers, both raptor and human, would be powerless if it came for him here. For the sake of his spawn, he knew he must fight.
Slash Fang grinned, flexing his claws as he awoke. He emerged from his cave, feeling his blood pumping at the thought of fighting such a mighty-sounding foe. For it to challenge all of the gods, it was either totally foolish or something none of them had ever seen. Either way, the sabertooth was happy.
All the while, in an absolutely gargantuan crater, something waited. Gestating in a grotesque cocoon in the center, necrotic and pulsating. It stirred at the sound of the call, then went still.
Not yet, considered the mind within. Soon.
Hours passed, and even as the gods managed to catch glances of each other during their travels, they did not engage each other. This needed to be dealt with first, no matter what. The lords of Urth congregated, approaching the beach where their challenger awaited.
All eight barely kept themselves restrained as they moved near each other, wanting to lash out and rip into their rivals. This faded, as did the blind pride of those more self-absorbed when they reached their destination.
Godzilla made all of them look small. Even Sauron, the largest among them, felt himself feeling diminutive before this. And as the alpha titan’s eyes passed over them all, the gods felt some fear creep into their hearts. Not enough to make them flee, but enough to make even Diablo and Vertigo consider that there was a chance of failure.
For the eyes were the windows to the soul, and in this soul, they saw wrath to incinerate all the Draconians had built, backed up by the power to make it so.
As the eight gods before him stared upon his form, memories flashed in Godzilla’s mind. Each beast reminding him of an enemy or ally of his past. The disgusting, rooting ape reminded him of the smog monster that descended from the stars. The red theropod bellowed fire from his nostrils, though they did not always get along, this made him miss Rodan once more. The spiked beast resembled his best ally of Anguirus, and though faint, he did recognize this one. The gigantic feline stood on his back legs, ready for combat, his stance resembling the guardian of Okinawa. The noble ape filled the monster king with rage, his fateful battle with Kong flashed before his eyes, the ancient rivalry boiling his blood with anger. Though he had met many theropods, he couldn’t help but think of Gorosaurus when he looked upon the yellow and purple Sauron. As the raptor circled around him, he was reminded of the mutant iguana he once faced. Whatever this serpentine beast was, he could feel the pure insanity surrounding it. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the invasive Skull Crawlers due to their snake-like appearance.
All was silent for a moment, no one making a move. The tension swiftly built higher and higher, emotions rising like a rocket. And then…
With a chorus of roars, all hell broke loose.
