Chapter 11

The woman quivered as she made it up the steps.

On some days, the temple would shine from the sun's stern glare.

When she walked into the large dim room inside, her nervous breaths were the only sounds she could hear, the sun was not the only thing that would glare at her.

She stopped.

There, within the darkness, the imposing gaze of something large dawned down on her, as if telling her that if there was resistance, there would be blood.

She looked forward.

In front of her, were many baskets. Each was filled with gifts, for all she knew.

The woman held one as well. That's why she was here.

With each step, she shook, making her way slowly to the row of baskets.

When she walked there, all were open. Much like what she expected, there were offerings.

The woman stared down at her basket and blinked.

Hopefully, it was enough.

As she lowered herself, the woman placed the basket in front of the row, for it to see.

She squirmed a few steps back as two glowing red eyes descended as if seeing what she had offered.

With that, the woman closed her eyes and internally prayed that it was satisfied.

She opened them.

The pair of eyes stared with a fit of unbridled anger.

A screech echoed several times throughout the temple.

The line of people outside lowered their heads.

By now, even though she saw only one pair of eyes, the woman felt another pair of eyes on her.

As sweat dropped, fear crept in as the woman sprinted away.

What came next, was the surge of energy, as if it was collecting within a single spot.

The woman didn't know what it was. She needed to escape.

A red beam crackled through the air.

There was nothing left.

Only a screech.

A metallic screech.

___

"Moth? Is that you?"

He had heard that voice before, even the roar of success afterwards.

Anguirus walked over to the moth. He had a grim expression.

"Are you still alive?"

"Yes," Darthra's voice was sombre and hoarse as if he had been there for a few days.

The barren surroundings confused Anguirus.

"What happened?"

"Godzilla,"

"Oh," He nodded, "whatever your friend did, they were able to affect me, too,"

Darthra looked at Anguirus in confusion.

"You can't see it from there," He chuckled, looking back, presumably at the hole, "but I was caved in. Not a problem, if I wasn't resting,"

Anguirus shook his head.

From the way Darthra looked, the fight must've been pretty bloody, with the obvious winner.

"You're lucky, moth," He said, stepping on the earth.

Darthra screeched softly in agreement.

"I would've missed your company," Anguirus chuckled, "more so, be glad,"

"For...what?"

"You lost...and lived. That's only one of many,"

As he gazed at Anguirus, Darthra felt his heart jabbed with a claw.

"I'm...a failure,"

"Huh?" Anguirus looked at him, "you said something?"

"I...lost," Darthra answered, dragging it out, "I don't think I deserved to live,"

What he would hear was the most heartwarming laugh from a kaiju. From Anguirus for crying out loud.

"Don't do that," He rebutted, "don't let one action sway who you are. This is only for a short time."

This was something Darthra wanted to argue against.

It wasn't one action if it carried over from a past life. Though, why would he tell Anguirus that?

"But...I," He tried to talk, but he couldn't.

The ends of Anguirus' mouth rose a little.

"Remember, this is one small endeavour. It may break you, or even destroy you, there may not even be a shaft of hope."

He looked down at Darthra.

"What we tend to do, however, is think and believe there is no hope, when it's right in front of us, thinking of how stupid we are."

Anguirus had a frown.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Darthra was so confused.

"Remember when I said that you can lose once to yourself?" He asked, "I forgot to tell you the after of that,"

Darthra's blue eyes stared at Anguirus with bafflement.

"When you are broken, is when you are truly tested," He answered, "one can prove whether they can fix themselves, or leave the cracks open and die,"

"Only themselves can do that,"

He directed that at Darthra, who was on his feet, his head lowered.

"I understand," He moped, "when I get my wings back, I think I need to leave,"

Anguirus looked sad but nodded.

"I'll be here," He turned around, "I won't leave this place, even with the...newer spacing,"

"Well then, if you leave," Anguirus continued, nodding in respect, "I hope your luck stays with you forever,"

As Anguirus walked away, Darthra had much to say.

For those few days, he kept telling himself the same thing.

Each time, it was rubbed in.

He was devastated.

'I won't bother to listen,' Darthra thought, 'even now, I can only call myself a failure,'

The air around him stilled.

A drop.

After a while, the rain began, pattering the soft ground, damping it, and Darthra.

However, he was not bothered.

'About time it rained,' Darthra looked up, droplets wetting his fur, 'cloudy all the time,'

There was something else he noticed.

His antennae.

Darthra nodded as he shook.

'My wings,' He turned left and right.

No wings for him.

'How long will they take?' You could see a frown on his mandibles, 'What if Minus One attacks...'

His eyes widened when he thought of her.

'Oh my word,' He sighed, 'I'm going to lose again if she appears,'

The battle was fresh in his memory.

'Why did I do that!?' Darthra slammed his head on the wet earth, shaking some water off his fur, 'If I only wasn't so scared, I would-'

He paused.

'-still be a failure, like now,'

Darthra felt his heart sink. Frustration brewed below the cuteness of his moth face.

'Crap,' He looked around, the splattering rain hitting everything in a circuit of wetness, 'I'll die if another kaiju appears,'

As he stood there, nonchalant about the rain, Darthra scoffed.

'I love the rain,' He thought, turning a foot on the wet ground, 'yet, it feels as though it betrayed me,'

'No, I was the one who did it,'

Darthra turned in the direction of where Anguirus went.

He then laid on his back, his underside battered by the rain.

'What he said doesn't apply to me,' Darthra thought, exhaling, 'because I have failed many times before,'

Those melancholy thoughts pressed him.

'I suppose everyone was right,' He felt like he was going to cry, 'about me,'

The clouds above with the rain falling around him provided some comfort.

'Why do I find solace here?' Darthra wondered, 'I know I'm a kaiju, but even now, the comfort it brings...is immaculate,'

The rain brought back memories.

Not so good to remember, but they were memories nonetheless.

Darthra was reminded how he would play late into the night, the rain dripping down his window. The chips and cool drink. Sometimes a kaiju movie. Maybe he would sleep, and the rain would aid him through and through.

It was as if Darthra could vividly see the memory within the droplets around him.

He sighed.

'That time...' Darthra relaxed, 'it was like that time,'

The rain increased, but he didn't mind.

What kaiju would mind, anyway?

'I...miss them,'

He shifted on the spot, making himself more comfortable.

'Doesn't matter if I'm a failure, I miss them,'

Darthra scanned his surroundings, the empty landscape slowly flooded with the endless encore of water.

'Where do I go?' He thought about what he said, 'What's the point of doing something when you don't even know what your goal is?'

Darthra's eyes widened even more.

'What is...my goal?'

To be honest, he could've said that he wanted to survive. Or even get stronger. Maybe he wanted to go back home, despite there being no chance of that happening?

No, everyone could say their goal is to become strong or to survive.

At this point, Darthra would die before even finding a way back home.

'What would be a failure's goal?'

As he thought that, the rain did their thing, adding their touch to his problems.

Like always.

___

A/N: Sorry for the late update.

Please notify me of any errors.