“Dragons and Monsters”: A GOT + Godzilla AU
So, I've been looking over unwritten fics of mine, a lot of them being Godzilla crossovers that amount to “What if Godzilla (and other monsters) was in X setting ?”
This one being “Godzilla in Westeros”.
I had two different stories in mind for “Dragons and Monsters”.
1. “Version A” is set after season eight, but I couldn't think of a story for it besides a :Daenerys resurrection” story and having Ghidorah as the antagonist. I ended up putting a pin in it but may revisit when Snow is out/finished.
2. “Version B” is a Canon Divergence, starting in season four, before diverging completely at season six. "Version B" is the most complete, having thought out the story, monsters, human subplots and even shipping.
While I haven't been able to get around and write these fics, I have been writing layouts for what they'd include. Since “Version B” is the only one where there's a complete story (revisions aside), it's the layout I'm about to share.
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In this version, features three members of Godzilla's species. There's an adult we’ll just dub “Godzilla” or “The Adult”. There's a juvenile called "The Hatchling". And there's the third one, which attacked Westeros and Essos centuries ago. We're learns the original” Godzilla's story over time.
Godzilla's species has a similar growth/maturity factor to dragons, which we see with the Hatchling; at the time of Watchers on the Wall, it's a newborn; by Battle of the Bastards, he's grown to preadolescence; by The Long Night, he's grown into an adolescent stage.
Now for the layout.
1. Divergence: Seasons Four, Five and Six
Starting at The Watchers On The Wall, it would turn out there's a dormant egg of Godzilla's species not too far off from Castle Black. During the Battle of Castle Black, the egg hatches, and the Hatchling is frightened from the violence. Despite being the newborn, it is big/strong enough to burrow a small hole in the Wall in a panic, which it escapes through. This spectacle causes a significant distraction in the battle, cutting it short.
Because of this distraction, one divergence is Ygritte being among the surviving Wildlings but is kept prisoner. Through out the first third, Ygritte and Jon have lingering feelings for each other that slowly boil over. Ygritte ends up joining the mission to Hardhome, but doesn't accept her feelings for Jon until after his death and resurrection. Even then, they don't become an item again until they sleep together just before Battle of the Bastards, which Ygritte also fights in.
Seasons Five and Six otherwise play out the same, with few differences. Notably, the Hatchling being on the loose in the North. The Hatchling keeps to itself mostly, sometimes experimentally eating livestock, trees and wildlife. It usually flees when attacked, even if human weapons do little serious harm. Ramsay often leads hunts for this creature. Even if he fails to kill it, he's satisficed in scarring it all the same, bragging about it to whoever's listening.
Meanwhile Beyond the Wall, another monster, Anguirus, sleeps not too far from the Three Eyed Raven's cave. He is kept asleep through Bloodraven warging him every so often. Anguirus is portrayed as not very aggressive, usually fighting in self defense.
It's unclear if Anguirus is naturally docile or if Bloodraven's influence tamed him. During the events of The Door, Anguirus awakens when the Army of the Dead attack, fighting them off, which gives Bran and Meera more time to escape. However, Anguirus ends up waking Bran before the Three Eyed Raven's "transfer" is complete.
And unfortunately? It comes too late to prevent "Hold the Door".
When Sansa and Theon escape Ramsay, they - and Brienne and Pod - encounter the Hatchling in the Wilderness, where it eats Ramsay's dog. Having grown a little more, the Hatchling developed an aggressive streak, but is docile towards most humans. Seeing some of the scars Ramsay inflicted on Hatchling, and hearing Ramsay brag about tormenting the beast, causes Sansa and Theon to have pity for it.
The Hatchling later appear during Battle of the Bastards, taken the North as its "territory" and associating Ramsay and his army as a threat. The Hatchling finishes off the last of Ramsay's army, nearly attacking Winterfell, before sensing the "tormenting creatures" are gone, and departing to the wilderness.
Meanwhile, in King's Landing, Margaery finds out Cersei's plans for the Sept, earlier than in canon. When she tries to get everyone out of the sept, Cersei's plans go up in smoke when an adult Godzilla suddenly makes landfall in Kings Landing. Right when the High Sparrow invoked the gods' wrath and judgment, no less!
This Godzilla's rampage/stroll causes enough of a distraction that Margaery manages to get Loras out of the Sept, narrowly avoiding the worst of the destruction.
From there, Westeros has two Godzillas on their hands, on top of the looming threat of the White Walkers. Anguirus also enters the mainland, soon encountering the adult Godzilla, though the two seem to befriend eachother. The adult Godzilla is initially aloof and indifferent towards humans. At first, destruction he causes is accidental, but he attacks when provoked further (almost every time he sees or senses an army).
2. Ships and Pairings. Yes, this is getting a segment.
Let’s talk the three (or four) main ships in this story.
1. Sansa x Margaery and/or Daenerys.
After Margaery and Loras escape King's Landing, having narrowly avoided a Godzilla “attack”, they are presumed dead. Hiding in the wilderness, they get word the Starks have retaken Winterfell, and make their way to the North. Upon reaching Winterfell, they are accepted by Sansa, but their stay initially has to be kept secret.
In most revisions, Sansa and Margaery either become an item, or at least heavily teased. The two end up trauma bonding over everything they've been through (in some revisions, sleeping together as a coping mechanism). Margaery serves as a "Counter Littlefinger"; she sees Sansa is playing "the game" and is willing to lend a hand for Sansa’s benefit. Margaery is too burnt out and vengeful to care about her former ambitions; she just wants to see Cersei brought down.
In this AU, it'd be Sansa and Margaery who travel to Dragonstone as ambassadors for the North. Tyrion vouches for Sansa to Daenerys. With Olenna already throwing in her bid for Daenerys, Margaery helps bridge things with the Starks and Targaryens.
Olenna has Margaery stay at Winterfell, pragmatically keeping up the façade of her death and protecting the last Tyrell's from the inevitable siege on Highgarden. Sansa and Daenerys get off on a better foot than they did in the show; most of the Jon x Daenerys interactions are swapped out in favor of Daensa/Daensaery is also teasing.
2. Bran and Meera.
Due to Anguirus waking Bran before the Raven's transfer is complete, Bran doesn't fully become the Three Eyed Raven. Instead, Bran "flickers" back and forth between being himself and being the Raven. 55% of the time, it's Bran in the driver's seat; the other 45% it's the Raven. Bran also developed attachments he can't/won't let go of to fully become the Raven; such as his family, especially after seeing/hearing/feeling Rickon's death.
Bran and Meera also develop romantic feelings for each other, and Meera ends up staying in Winterfell. There’s no "You died in that cave", no "You don't need me anymore." Instead, Bran and Meera trauma bond over everything they went through, and simply don't want to separate after everything. Breera ends up becoming one of the story's main ships.
3. Jon and Ygritte.
When Jon's made King of the North, it's discovered Ygritte is pregnant with his child. Jon, unwilling to father a bastard, marries Ygritte, and has the child legitimized in the Stark name. This controversial move risks Jon's standing with the other Northern Houses. Ygritte is made Queen Consort...and is a total fish out of water.
Ygritte has no know-how, nor interest in being a "Southern Lady", despite Sansa and Margaery's tips and suggestions. Though she jokingly feigns ignorance and wonder at the first feast she attends. Ygritte often joins hunting parties or goes on her own to hunt or hike. Ygritte's a real outdoorsy type, only staying bedridden as her due date nears, and a week or so after giving birth. Out of Jon’s family (or their partners) she get’s along the most with Meera.
The baby's named "Eddard" - nicknamed "Little Ned". The moments with "Little Ned" with his parents, aunts and uncle are meant to feel bittersweet. On their own, they're pretty wholesome moments, but the Starks and co all have that lingering dread with this child being born in a world where Titans are on the loose, and the Army of the Dead is on the horizon.
3. Other Monsters featured + their interactions with humans
With the Hatchling still loose in the North, the Northern Houses debate on what to do about it. Some consider killing it, others consider taming/weaponizing it/ The Hatchling leaves people alone most of the time, spending its time in Lakes and Rivers, but often has passive encounters with the Starks and co when he wanders close to Winterfell. Meanwhile, the adult Godzilla also swims in Westeros' lakes, seas and rivers. People quickly put together he's seeking his presumed offspring.
Both the adult and juvenile's presence draw other monsters into Westeros. These include Varan and Baragon. They ain't that deep. They're fighting fodder. They show up, cause trouble, and get their asses kicked by Godzilla.
That said, this is is a reference to the original plans for GMK; where Godzilla would have fight Baragon, Varan and Anguirus, before Toho decided Mothra and Ghidorah were more marketable.
It's also revealed this wasn't the first time the adult Godzilla appeared in Westeros. He also paid a visit during "The Dance of the Dragons". The story behind that is murky and obscured by history, but leaves room open for a prequel. There was also the thirdGodzilla who appeared centuries before that, in an obscured Westerosi legend, but we learn his story down the road.
Most of the monster action occurs season sevens during battles. The fall of Casterly Rock rouses Baragon's attention ? Godzilla steps in and puts him down. The sack of High Garden brings Varan into the fray ? Rinse and repeat.
In the Battle of Goldroad ? Godzilla shows, brings both armies down to the three digits, with the one thing that can "fight" him being Drogon, who barely scratches Godzilla, and barely escapes his retaliation. When Euron attacks the Targaryen fleet ? Euron's fleet is destroyed by Godzilla and Anguirus.
Meanwhile, the Hatchling develops an attachment towards the people of Winterfell, having special fixation on the Sarks, especially Sansa. Sansa develops an empathetic connection with the Hatchling meant to parallel Daenerys and her Dragons.
When Sansa travels to Dragonstone, the Hatchling follows her ships, making landfall, causing a ruckus and begins "play fighting" the dragons; only leaving when Sansa stares it down like a scolding mother. The Hatchling also follows the "wight hunt" expedition, albeit at a distance.
4. Season Seven’s Divergence
With Sansa and Margaery being the ambassadors in Dragonstone, we actually see how Jon functions as King of the North.
While Jon has what it takes to be a leader and protector of his people...a traditional King, he is not. Jon prioritizes the White Walker threat, preparing for their invasion. The way he's running the North is borderline militant, being filtered from his time as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. This, and his marriage - and legitimizing a child - with Ygritte, strikes a blow to Jon's reputation.
Jon admits that he doesn't see himself as a ruler, even desiring a more simplistic life when all this is over, but leads and protects his people out of duty. In discussions with Davos and Bran, Jon is told he might work better as Lord Commander, but that's what the Realm needs right now. In discussions with Ygritte and Tormund, Jon is told that he might fit better as “King Beyond The Wall” than a King that “southerners” are want.
Because Margaery is accompanying Sansa to Dragonstone, Sansa has Littlefinger stay at Winterfell. Ostensibly, to keep an eye on Jon, knowing/expecting Littlefinger to try to take advantage of the situation. Unable to manipulate Jon, Littlefinger tries to undermine him, turning the other Houses against the Starks.
It turns Sansa and Margaery secretly playing Littlefinger; having just about everyone else keeping an eye on him. As per the show, Littlefinger is soon as Ned Stark's traitor.
One thing that remains intact is the wight hunt in Beyond The Wall. This time, Jon leaves a returning Sansa, Bran (and Meera) in charge of Winterfell - where Petyr's punishment is finally carried out. Ygritte has to be talked into staying at Winterfell.
Things go about the same as it does in the show, but with the Hatchling follows the expedition, with the adult Godzilla following after. Both finally meet, and inadvertently help rescue the expedition along with Daenerys.
After the Hatchling and adult reunite, they part ways with the humans after returning to the mainland. After Daenerys rescues the party, The Night King begins a backup plan. In addition to killing and enslaving Viserion, the Night King learns of a presence beneath the frozen sea...the remains of the "first" Godzilla.
5. A Nightmare from the Past
Throughout the story, we learn more of the "original" Godzilla's history.
Centuries ago, there was a war with Yi Ti that led to two islands being destroyed by wildfire. This awoke a "sea dragon" of Yi Ti and Valerian mythology; Gojira, who'd lay waste to Essos and Westeros, before retreating to the sea North of the Wall. A Yi Ti “sorcerer” was able to create a weapon capable of slaying Gojira.
After it was used, the “sorcerer” destroyed all research of the weapon and took his own life, so that it won't fall into the wrong hands. Since then, Gojira's body rested at the bottom of the sea. The Night King ends up uncovering it's remains, and along with Viserion, would resurrect it as a Wight; hereafter called Wight!Godzilla, or just “The Wight”.
The concept of Wight!Godzilla is based off of the unmade Godzilla vs Ghost Godzilla, which was scrapped in favor of Godzilla Vs Destoroyah. It would have the Heisei!Godzilla and Godzilla Junior facing the vengeful spirit of the 1954!Godzilla, with some drafts including Anguirus. The '54!Godzilla becoming an undead spirit would later be used in GMK.
6. Winter Has Come
The Dragon Pit Summit commences as normal, the only significant difference is that Sansa is in attendance, and Margaery audaciously reveals her survival to Cersei by landing with Daenerys' on Drogon.
When Army of the Dead breaks the Wall, the adult Godzilla and Hatchling sense something is up. The Hatchling hasn't grown out of his attachment to humans and returns to the North on his own to defend his "territory". The adult Godzilla follows behind, both to protect the Hatchling and sensing that something is up. Anguirus following after.
Here’s a visual demonstration.
The Long Night starts more or less the same as the show.
Key differences being Ygritte is present, and while initially hiding with the other non-combatants, helps hold off the Wights as they infiltrate the castle. Meera is protecting Bran along with Theon.
The tide begins to turn when Godzilla, the Hatchling and Anguirus show up. They ultimately decimate the army of the dead, bringing them down to the three digits. Notably, the Hatchling ends up saving people in the crypts, and kills Wight!Viserion.
The three monsters prove to be such an overwhelming force, that the Night King is seemingly forced to flee when cornered at the weir wood tree At first it seems like victory, but the titans are acting like something else is up. Suddenly, an otherworldly roar reverbs throughout the night...
Wight!Godzilla emerges from the darkness, and with no way to fight it, with the survivors are forced flee further South. Godzilla, and Anguirus try to fight it, but it overpowers them, and drives off the Hatchling. At best, the monsters just gave everyone time to flee. The third act focuses on survivors and refugees fleeing south, with the Army of the Dead and Wight!Godzilla trailing after, laying waste to Westeros throughout.
Bran tries to warg the Titans to hold back the army, but Godzilla's mind is too strong. At best, he can only call out to the Hatchling to follow them, with the adult following behind. Rhaegal is killed at sea by Wight!Godzilla, along with Anguirus, but the latter's body is salvaged by Godzilla and the Hatchling. There's a sequence where Godzilla and the Hatchling incinerate Anguirus' body in a pseudo funeral sequence.
It's also revealed that Wight!Godzilla isn't entirely mindless. A sliver of his former self remains and is just as vengeful towards the world as he was in life. That vengeance drives him moresp than the Night King's power. Even when the Night King is eventually destroyed, Wight!Godzilla is kept "alive" by his own unstoppable rage.
The battle between Daenerys' army and Cersei's still occurs, but in a different context than The Bells. This time it's a bid by desperate refugees and soldiers trying to find safe haven. Even if it means taking it from the Kingdom that betrayed them.
Since Daenerys doesn't go through everything she did in season eight, she doesn't become a Mad Queen or start burning the city. Instead, she's so desensitized by everything else, that she doesn't care that she won the Iron Throne. When she finally takes her seat, it'd be described as her flopping down in exhaustion.
I guess you can say she's "burnt out" (ba dum tss).
Cersei isn't killed, but is is deposed, imprisoned and we get a sequence of Sansa and Margaery holding their victory over Cersei. Though this sequence is more hollow and bittersweet than cathartic. Sure, Cersei's miserable at her loss, but Sansa and Margaery know what's coming. They all know it's a temporary victory, something Cersei cynically laughs at.
7. Empire of Dirt
With the Army of the Dead, and Wight!Godzilla on the horizon, the new plan is to evacuate the last of the civilians by boat while the remnants of their armies hold a last line of defense. Since the Night King is still after Bran, Bran is kept in the Red Keep, with both Arya, and Meera at his side.
Among those who make it to the ships are Sam, Gilly, Little Sam, Varys, Tyrion, Missande, an imprisoned Cersei, and Yara. The Ironborn's army is tasked with protecting the boarded civilians. It takes some talking, but Ygritte is made to board as well with Little Ned.
Those who stay and fight include Jon, Tormund, Arya, Brieanne, Jamie and Grey Worm. Drogon prepares to join the fight, but keeps pushing Daenerys away when she tries to ride or command him. The implication being that Drogon is expecting to die and doesn't want to take his mother with him.
With that Daenerys is eventually forced to join the refugees.
Before the Army of the Dead reach King Landing, the Hatchling appears in Blackwater Bay, with the adult Godzilla following behind, hoping to put down Wight!Godzilla. Before Sansa, Margaery and Daenerys can board their ship, Wight!Godzilla attacks the docks, forcing them to stay ashore and get caught up in the chaos. If that wasn't enough, wights begin to board the ships, prompting those aboard to fight them off.
The Night King reaches the Red Keep seeking out Bran, physically overpowers Jon repeatedly, while Arya and Meera fight him through ranged and sneak attacks. Meanwhile, Godzilla, The Hatchling, and Drogon, face Wight!Godzilla. Drogon, despite giving it his all, is unable to do any real damage. The Wight bites out Godzilla's gills, leaving him to die while it directs it's attention to the fleeing civilians.
The Hatchling looks over the wounded adult, before reluctantly feeding off his radiation (by drinking up his blood). When Sansa, Margaery and Daenerys are caught up in this, it falls to them to lead remaining civilians to safety - on foot - barely dodging Wight!Godzilla and holding off the Army of the dead throughout.
The Night King is destroyed as he reaches Bran, but I never could decide who dealt the killing blow; sometimes it's Arya; sometimes it's Meera. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. The Night King's army is destroyed with him...except Wight!Godzilla, who only appears to stall.
Bran reasons that nothing they can do can stop Wight!Godzilla, so he wargs into Drogon to pick him, Jon, Meera and Arya up and take them a safe distance. As Wight!Godzilla awakens from his dormant state, either Bran has Drogon attack it further or Drogon does so out of his own volition. This allows the survivors to make it a safe distance on foot or by boat.
Drogon flies out of reach, and The Wight begins its advance to the survivors...only to be attacked by the Hatchling, now empowered by the adult's radiation. The Hatchling overpowers Wight!Godzilla, forcing him onto the Red Keep, before incinerating him with three nuclear pulses. King's Landing is destroyed beyond repair, while the survivors can only watch from a distance.
After the adult Godzilla bleeds out, the Hatchling, now a sub-adult, approaches his adopted mother, Sasna the survivors as they regroup. The Hatchling is seemingly growing out of his attachment to humans, but there's still enough in there for him to give his mother his goodbyes regard them before he departs back to the sea.
8. Kingdom of Ashes
In the aftermath, there's no King's Landing, no Iron Throne, nothing to win.
The invasion caused a near societal collapse of Westeros, and thousands leave Westeros entirely. There's no real monarchy, but continued alliances between Houses trying to maintain stability in their Kingdoms. Some houses try to take over what they see as free real estate, leading to small scale wars, and bandit attacks. For many houses, the priority is handling the refugees, with many castles being granted as refuge.
The North is granted independence. It's the closest Westeros has to a continued monarchy. Jon abdicates the North to settle down with Ygritte, with Sansa as de-facto Queen, and Margaery as her wifehand. It's the most stable Kingdom (though thousands of Northerners have left to make a new life beyond the wall). No one's willing to challenge Sansa's rule, as there's lingering fears the Hatchling will return to protect his territory.
You'd think Daenerys would be dejected that everything she went through was for nothing, but she realizes that she's better as a liberator, protector and conquer than an actual ruler. She still has her army, and Drogon, and in the interests of the alliances she built, she puts them to good use.
Daenerys is not the Queen she'd hoped to be, but she's still protector of the realm, stopping bandit raids, warring houses, and providing aid to the downtrodden. She primarily lives in Dragonstone, but often pays Winterfell a visit as part of their - ahem - “assured alliance”.
Like in the show, Jon leaves Westeros going Beyond the Wall, but in a different context. Here, he’s opting for a simplistic life, and considers his duty to the realm fulfilled, and is joined by Ygritte and Little Ned. And while Jon might not have it in him to be a traditional King, he has what it takes to be a "King Beyond the Wall".
The Night's Watch is all but disbanded, but their castles are granted as refuge. Whatever is left of the Night's Watch and the Free Folk look to Jon as a leadership, which is the role Jon accepts. Taking the role of King Beyond The Wall, and de-facto Lord Commander, Jon ultimately settles into Castle Black with his family.
Bran, having not fully become the Three Eyed Raven, marries Meera. Though they're more "outdoorsy", having little interest in politics or lordship, spending their time travelling throughout the North. They spent so much time travelling, that the hobby stuck with them. They usually move between Winterfell and Castle Black over the years.
Now paraplegics are capable of having sex and producing children; and since the North still has a semblance of a monarchy, when Bran and Meera eventually have a child, the child is made Sansa's heir. I don't see Sansa having children of her own, nor do I see her taking “Little Ned” as an heir.
In the last scene, Bran gets a glimpse into the far future; it's revealed the Hatchling would become the Godzilla of a modern age. During this glimpse, the new Godzilla is seen battling a giant, golden, three headed dragon in the middle of a city.
This glimpse was triggered when Bran and Meera spot what appears to be a golden shooting star fly over the horizon...
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