Kaiju Paradise Shorts + Headcanons (DISCONTINUED)

Spirit

It certainly wasn't easy to see in the dark. So who could blame the poor scientist when she slipped on a puddle of water in the middle of a blackout? Well, clearly a lantern shark wouldn't let her make that mistake twice. The massive, glowing creature took the opportunity to grab the woman and pull her backwards into the water.

She screamed until she was fully submerged. She screamed until her lungs were full of water. She even screamed until she was no longer human. From what the shark who grabbed her could understand, she was cursing them out. Unfortunately, harsh words wouldn't get her out of this.

The newly transformed lantern shark slid up out of the water and onto the stairs. She looked at her useless hands. Though they made it impossible to wield weapons, they did come with a set of claws. Looking at her body, she could only think of one word. Nox.

She knew that the word was related to nighttime, and that nighttime was very dark, like she was. Like the entire facility was at the moment. So that would be her name. Nox. She liked it. As she continued to examine her new body, now focusing on her tail, a voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"How long ago did you turn?"

She whipped her head around, seeing another gootraxian. This one was fox-like, light blue, and had two tails. It was leaning on the railing next to her.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at the fox.

"Surely you still have a sense of time. What's the last thing you remember?"

Nox tried to ignore how the fox's voice sounded almost distant. It sounded like it was coming from around the fox, not from the fox itself. The voice had a strange echo to it. Still, Nox had to answer.

"I came out of the water... 10 minutes ago?" She guessed, still wary of this gootraxian.

The fox nodded, then held out a paw.

"Ghost fox. Well, that's what the humans call me. I've always been partial to the name Spirit, though."

Nox took their paw.

"Nox. Do you know what the humans call me?"

"You're a lantern shark. Well, it's nice to meet you, Nox. I come here often, so I try to befriend all the sharks. Your kind can be quite territorial."

Nox let go of their paw and nodded.

"Just don't cause any trouble." It was almost an automatic response.

Truly, she didn't care for a single shark in the water, nor for the water itself. Though, maybe she would one day. The ghostly fox hopped over the railing and landed on a floating crate. It sat there and looked into the water.

"Do you remember anything from before... this?" Spirit gestured to Nox's body as they spoke.

Nox was silent, trying to conjure up some sort of memory of "before". Apparently, she took too long.

"I didn't think so," Spirit said, "None of them do. Except for us."

"Except for...?"

"The other ghost foxes, I mean. I don't remember my human name or what I looked like, but I remember things I used to do. I used to work here, as I'm sure you did."

Nox felt like she should remember. Why did the fox remember?

"You know, I wish I had been a shark. You don't have to remember anything. You don't have to run for your life or shock people until they pass out just for a moment of peace. You just come out of the water, show off your fangs, slash at them a bit, and they're gone."

"You remember...? What do you remember, though?" She asked, confused.

"I remember what it was like on the surface. Oh, right, you probably don't remember that either. We're trapped in an underground facility. The elevators out of here are broken. They have been for a long time," Spirit studied Nox's expression before continuing, "How long? I don't think the humans even know anymore."

"How many times have you done this?"

"Every time a new shark appears, I talk to them. That, or the other sharks tell them about me. They tell them Spirit is allowed within their waters. I truly mean no harm, you know. I just like to sit at the water to think. That's the only thing that's safe to do here."

"If you get into trouble with a human-"
"I know. I always come right here and hide in the water. I know you'll protect me. Thank you." Spirit frowned slightly, continuing, "Don't let me infect them though. Who would want to be burdened with such memories of the past? You don't know what you're missing and that's why you're content to stay here. Try to keep it that way."

Nox felt calm, and was about to slide back into the dark water when the fox spoke up.

"Oh, Nox. If you ever see a human with a taser, please keep them away from the water. They'll end up like me." Spirit swished their tails as they spoke.

Nox had to admit, the fox was a sorrowful sight. Spirit always seemed to be on the verge of tears. They both looked and sounded the part. However, they didn't seem to be seeking pity, so Nox did not stick around to comfort them about their woes. Instead, she slipped back into the dark, flooded abyss of the stairwell.