Gurren Lagann - mecha lord

Goro, kamina and simon has just made it to the surface

"Look at it," Kamina said, his voice filled with wonder. "No ceiling, no walls. Just…freedom."

Simon blinked, adjusting his eyes to the light. He reached into his pocket instinctively, only to feel something wriggling.

"Boota?" Simon said in surprise as the small pigmole popped out of his pants, letting out a happy squeal.

"What the, he must've snuck in with us!" Simon exclaimed, holding Boota up.

Kamina laughed, slapping Simon on the back. "Looks like even Boota couldn't resist the call of adventure! Good choice, little guy."

Goro, who had been scanning the horizon, cracked a small smile at the scene. "Well, at least we've got another member on this crazy journey."

Boota squeaked again and nestled back into Simon's arms, clearly unfazed by the dramatic change in environment.

—

Lagann steadily ascended a rocky incline, its powerful treads grinding over loose stones and uneven terrain. The trio remained quiet, each lost in their own thoughts as they climbed toward higher ground. The barren surface stretched out endlessly around them, with no signs of greenery, water, or life, just an endless expanse of desolation.

"Man, the surface is more empty than I thought it'd be," Kamina grumbled. "Where's all the excitement? I thought it'd be full of adventure the moment we got up here!"

Simon, sitting beside him, nodded. "Yeah, it's just…rocks and dirt everywhere." Boota squeaked softly from Simon's lap, mirroring his mild disappointment

Goro focused on navigating the steep slope, his eyes scanning the horizon for anything that stood out. "We need to get to higher ground," he said. "If there's any sign of life, vegetation, or even water, we'll spot it from up there."

Simon, sitting beside him, was more reserved"Do you think…we'll find people up here?" he asked, glancing at Goro.

Goro nodded. "If anyone's out here, they'd have to be near resources like water, food, shelter. We'll search for any signs of greenery or movement."

As Lagann crested the ridge, the view expanded before them. The terrain below looked just as barren, but in the distance, Goro's sharp eyes caught something, a faint patch of green, just barely visible against the dull, brown earth.

"There!" Goro pointed, excitement creeping into his voice.

Kamina leaned forward, squinting. "What is that? Grass? Trees? Finally, something!"

Simon perked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "You think there might be people there?"

"Only one way to find out," Goro said, gripping the controls firmly. He turned Lagann toward the distant greenery, determination etched on his face.

As Lagann trundled along, the desolate landscape began to shift. Sparse patches of green vegetation appeared on the edges of the rocky terrain, signaling that they were getting closer to their destination. The change in scenery brought a renewed energy to the group.

Kamina leaned out of the cockpit, his eyes wide with wonder. "Look at that! Is that a pigmole with horns shaped like spirals? I've never seen anything like it!"

The goat like creature stared at them, its spiraled horns glinting in the sunlight. It eyed Lagann warily before trotting off into the distance.

Simon's gaze followed the creature. "It's amazing… I didn't think animals like that could exist up here."

"Wait, over there!" Kamina pointed again, spotting a massive lizard basking on a nearby rock. Its scales shimmered in shades of green and gold, its tail flicking lazily as it turned its head to watch the strange machine pass by.

"That thing's huge!" Kamina exclaimed. "Do you think it eats people?"

Simon shrank back slightly, gripping the edge of his seat. "I hope not…"

Goro smirked, keeping his focus on steering Lagann. "Relax, it's not after us. This is probably its first time seeing anything like us too."

As they continued, the landscape grew livelier. Birds with bright, iridescent feathers fluttered overhead, and small rodent like creatures scurried through the grass. Kamina couldn't stop pointing out every new creature they saw.

"Simon! Look at that thing, it's got six legs! What kind of animal needs six legs?"

"I don't know, bro," Simon said with a nervous laugh, though he couldn't hide his own excitement. "But it's incredible. It's like a whole new world."

Goro allowed himself a small smile at their reactions. Seeing Kamina and Simon's awe filled faces was almost as fun as piloting Lagann. Almost.

The thrill of being in control of such a powerful machine was unparalleled, but watching his friends experience the surface for the first time brought a different kind of satisfaction.

"Don't get too distracted," Goro warned, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "We still need to find somewhere safe before nightfall. Who knows what kind of creatures come out when the sun goes down."

Kamina laughed, leaning back with his arms crossed. "Safe? Come on, Goro, with me here, nothing's gonna touch us! I'll knock out anything that tries!"

Simon glanced around nervously. "I'm not sure about that, bro. What if something huge shows up?"

Goro chuckled. "If that happens, we'll just have to put Lagann to work. For now, let's keep moving, there's still a lot of ground to cover."

—

"Nice hit!" Kamina cheered as the rock flung by Lagann struck the strange bird like creature. It squawked and tumbled to the ground, its wings flapping feebly before going still.

Simon blinked, tilting his head. "What is that thing? It's so... fluffy. And weird looking."

"It's a chicken," Goro announced confidently, climbing out of Lagann.

"A... chicken?" Kamina repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What the hell is a chicken?"

Goro paused, realizing his slip. "Uh... you know, it's a bird. You've never seen a bird before?"

Simon shook his head. "I've seen the little ones that fly way up high, but nothing like this."

Kamina crouched beside the downed creature, poking it with a stick. "So this thing is a 'chicken'? And you're telling me we can eat it?"

"Yeah, trust me on this," Goro said, waving them off. "It's delicious. Tonight, we feast!"

Simon still looked uncertain, his face scrunched in thought. "Are you sure it's safe? It's got... feathers."

"That's what makes it tasty!" Goro declared, pulling out a knife to start prepping the bird.

Kamina crossed his arms, watching skeptically. "If this thing turns out to be poisonous, it's on you, Goro. But I'm not gonna complain if it's as good as you say."

Simon nodded hesitantly. "Okay... I guess I'll try it."

As the fire crackled and the smell of roasting meat filled the air, both Simon and Kamina's suspicions began to fade.

"Smells weird," Kamina admitted, "but also kinda good."

Simon's stomach growled audibly, and he glanced at the cooking bird. "Maybe it's not so bad... if Goro says it's fine."

By the time the makeshift meal was ready, all hesitation was gone. Simon and Kamina took tentative bites, their eyes widening in surprise.

"This... this is amazing!" Kamina shouted through a mouthful of meat.

Simon nodded furiously, his face lighting up. "It's so good!"

Goro chuckled to himself. "Told you. Roasted chicken, surface style."

After their little feast, the trio leaned back against Lagann, the warm glow of the fire casting flickering shadows on their faces. The night sky stretched above them, vast and speckled with countless tiny lights.

Simon stared upward, his eyes wide with wonder. "Goro, what are those lights in the sky?" He turned to Goro, as he always did when he wanted an answer.

"They're stars," Goro said, his voice calm and steady.

"Stars?" Kamina repeated, furrowing his brow. "What, like little fires floating up there or something?"

Goro smirked. "Not exactly. They're huge, burning suns, just like the one we saw during the day, but they're so far away that they look tiny from here."

Simon's jaw dropped. "Wait... there's more than one sun? That's... incredible!"

Kamina snorted. "You expect me to believe that? If they're suns, why aren't we burning up from all that heat?"

Goro chuckled. "Because of the distance. They're so far away that their light takes years to reach us. By the time it gets here, it's just a soft glow. They're scattered across the universe, way beyond anything we can see or reach."

Simon's gaze stayed glued to the sky. "So… there are places out there, like the surface, but even farther away? And those suns, they light up other worlds?"

"Exactly," Goro confirmed, his tone softer. "There's an entire universe out there. Bigger than anything we could ever imagine."

Kamina leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Hmph. So what? No matter how big it is, I'm gonna conquer it someday. The whole universe, Goro. Just you watch."

Simon giggled nervously. "You always say stuff like that, Bro."

"And I mean it!" Kamina declared, pointing dramatically at the sky. "If those stars are other suns, and they've got their own worlds, then those worlds need someone like me to show them what real manliness is!"

Goro smirked, his eyes following Kamina's outstretched hand. "Well, we've got a long way to go before that happens. But one step at a time, right?"

Simon smiled faintly, a newfound determination sparking in his eyes. "Maybe one day... we'll go there too."