Chapter 8

A/N: Notify me of any errors.

____________

To get his mind off the pain, Dominic began to nibble on the crocodile corpse.

'I do not feel disgusted at all,' He thought, his mandibles closing down on the light green skin, 'the only good thing about this moth,'

With some effort, Dominic chewed off a piece big enough for his mandibles.

He swallowed it all.

'How weird,' Dominic felt no different, 'that's a new taste,'

It was a shame to him that it didn't taste like fast food or any junk food.

There was no description of how it tasted, but it was hard to chew.

As he chewed off the small pieces, time went by.

Dominic took a step back and stared at the missing skin.

'How long was I at that?' He turned, 'Oh...'

There was no more pain.

'I can assume that's regeneration,' He frowned, 'Or I was overreacting,'

'I feel refreshed too,' Dominic moved a bit, away from the hole and the corpse, 'I can do my training,'

While he concentrated, he wondered where Minus One was.

'She's destroying the world for all I know,' He flapped his wings lightly as his antennae lit up, 'While I'm here-ggh,'

Dominic groaned in pain, the hue of the charged-up antennae grew yellow, throbbing with energy. It travelled around his body with each pulse.

'Ugh...' Dominic kept himself together, 'It's painful to have all this energy explode inside me-'

He halted everything he was doing. The antennae dimmed.

'Pause.'

'Why did I use explode?' He rustled his wings, 'okay,'

Without another thought, Dominic continued for the day.

Even for a few more days.

To watch a giant moth stare one way for several days and nights would be quite fascinating entertainment.

Almost no breaks in between.

Dominic wanted to do something new. Something for combat. Not only for Minus One but for anything in general.

As dusk came, he grew agitated.

"Oh my WORD!" Dominic screeched, slapping the ground with a wing, 'This isn't doing me any good,'

"Hey, moth,"

Apparently, all those days had inflated his guard and tension.

So, when Anguirus called out to him, Dominic shot up into the air.

He gazed at him.

"Don't trust me?" Anguirus chuckled, "My company may not be that good. I apologize,"

Dominic, with a sigh, descended to the ground, staying on guard.

"Why are you friendly to me?" Dominic asked, out of frustration.

"Follow me," Anguirus turned and walked away.

By now, Dominic had calmed down from his outburst.

'Okay,' He followed him, though still distant.

In the end, he had to be careful.

The place where Anguirus would lead Dominic to was the beach he landed on.

"Come," He looked at Dominic, motioning to the spot next to him.

"..." Very carefully, he landed, the sand giving his feet quite the memory.

The trio of colours melted into the sky once again, creating a mixture of beauty.

If only Dominic was not so tense.

"You're wondering why I'm friendly, huh?"

Dominic looked at Anguirus. An inch was added between them.

"Yep,"

"How do I say this again..." He looked at Dominic, showing no signs of aggression, "respect goes both ways,"

He could see the puzzled expression Dominic made.

"I have a rule that I stand by," Anguirus answered with efficiency, "It only needs your action,"

"Oh," Dominic replied, "So, because I didn't attack you, you didn't attack me?"

Anguirus nodded as if he had stated the obvious.

"Even now, that rule still applies,"

A piece of dread fell when those words were spoken. Dominic couldn't help it.

"Now, moth. I'll lend you my attention," Anguirus spoke, "what has you so...eager?"

As if he was a loaded cannon, Dominic answered quickly.

"I'm being chased by another creature..."

He paused.

'Would this Anguirus know? Will it respond if I call it that, or what?'

"Well then," He watched Dominic humorously, "you have your problems, young moth,"

No matter what, Dominic had to say it.

"Does the name Godzilla mean something to you?"

After hearing that, Anguirus had a widened gaze.

"That really is a big problem," He admitted.

"I know, right?" Dominic looked at the sand, "I'm trying to think up something, but I can't beat her,"

The gaze Anguirus gave him generated a tinge of fear.

"Listen, and listen well," He looked at the sea, the waves moving with a hint of rhythm, "I've had a fair share of battles. Some victories. Some defeats. All of them are various. Yet, one aspect stayed the same,"

"What was it?" Dominic asked.

"My confidence," Anguirus answered, laughing heartily, "No matter what, I went in with this...delusional thought that I could win,"

"call me crazy, foolish, arrogant. That is needed for us to survive in this world." He looked at Dominic with a stern glare, "Most of them, I was lucky. They were stronger and more experienced than I was. But I still would fight, why?"

Dominic turned his head to the side curiously.

"I'd fight an enemy that's stronger, that could kill me without effort, thinking I could win, than fight a weak enemy I could easily beat, thinking I could lose."

That kept Dominic silent.

"You can be beaten numerous times by your opponents, but lose only once to yourself."

"And once..." Anguirus continued, "You're defeated by your mind, you become...broken,"

"B-Broken?"

"You doubt yourself. You never think about winning, only failing. If you're broken, the battle's half done. When your life is at stake, your enemy only needs to finish you off."

A lump appeared In Dominic's throat.

Anguirus glared at him as if interrogating him.

"Young moth, are you broken?"

He stayed quiet.

But maybe, was Anguirus right?

Dominic opened his mandibles, but a chuckle cut him off.

"I apologize once again," Anguirus said, blinking, "My tangents are quite putrid, and are half true,"

He shook his head and turned with his back to the sun.

"You'll still experience the world, moth," He chuckled in between, "Don't let my way of thinking control your actions,"

"However, for as long as I lived, there are two types you will meet in your lifetime."

Dominic listened.

"Those who survive, and those who think they can't," He breathed, "your question should be:'

"Which one am I?"

Anguirus couldn't help but laugh again.

"Well, would you look at that," He stared at the sun, "I began once more,"

"I'll leave you to enjoy the sun, moth,"

Anguirus left.

What he departed behind, was an area full of fear, doubt, and maybe failure.

Dominic had many questions.

He looked to his left. He saw a massive pile of bones. That's where the corpse went after those few days.

The sand pulled Dominic in, as a whirlpool began to swish and swirl around his head.

'I must not waste time,' He didn't think Anguirus would break into a speech like that, 'I should train

'Should I?'

His thorax pulled tight with worry. If he could, Dominic wanted the world to swallow him up at that moment.

'He's right,' Dominic stared at the sun, ignoring the pain, 'I don't need to listen to his thoughts,'

'Yet...'

That feeling.

The one that gripped itself and carved so deeply into Dominic.

'Oh my word, stop being such a wimp,' He told himself, 'I can find a wa-'

'You can't,'

That's right. Dominic attempted to lie to himself.

'Was he right? About all of that?' He felt uneasy, 'it's just chance, that I'm...'

'No...'

A leg of his dug into the sand.

'I can't be that. No way,'

'How can I prove it? I tried something that didn't work for a few days straight. I can't fight Gojira.'

The bottom of his head hit the sand and sent some flying.

'I'm confident. That's right. It's too early for it. But I was like this in my past life...No, no, no! I can win, but I lost against a crocodile. I ran away when I could've spoken. I failed when I tried to do better.'

As the war of Dominic's mind raged on, the sun touched the ocean, as if slipping under the blankets for a good night's sleep.

In conclusion, his head hung against the sand, his wings down and his feet limp.

With one convincing statement:

'I am not broken.'

Was it really convincing?