The Triceraton Chronicles OVA:Twist of Fate Part 5

“You look well my son.”  Izayoi had a motherly smile, but at the same time Ronan could see that it was full of exhaustion and worry.

Leo stood back with Iviana, she leaned in.  “How did she find us?”

“I don’t know, but this place is turning into a royal retreat.”  She said with a grunt.  “I suppose Zanramon will be showing up for dinner next.”

“Mother, what are you doing here?”  Ronan knelt in front of her and placed his hands on top of hers.

“I came in search of my sons.”  She said softly.  “And at last I’ve found you, one of you at least.”  She said with a gentle sigh.

“How did you find us?”  He asked.

“You think your mother knows nothing of the world beyond the palace?”  She said with a eloquent smile.  “I’ve been known to employ certain methods of my own.”  Through the corner of her eye she looked up at a window, the outline of a Tricerton was there, but in the next moment it was gone.

“You were that worried about us?”  Ronan asked, and her eyes quickly returned to him.

“Of course I was.”  Her hand reached out and touched his face.  “You’re my son.”  Her expression changed slightly.  “Where is your brother?”

“Zesh,” He said his brother’s name as he remembered that he too did not know his brother had left the palace until yesterday.  He turned to Iviana as if asking her where his brother was.

Ivana stood there with her arms crossed.  “He and his friend went with Tawn and Kalliestrate to get some medical supplies.”

“Mother tell me, why did you not just send the guards after us?”  He asked.

“What would be the point of that?” She said looking at her darling son.  “You would both only run away again.”  She smiled.  “I’m your mother, you don’t think I know you better than that?”

Ronan looked up at his mother with a worried expression.  “Why have you come mother?”

Her smile faded and her hand retracted from his face.  “I’ve come…to bring you home.”

Ronan shook his head.  “I cannot return.”  He said as his eyes met Leo’s for a brief second. “I’ve found where I want to spend my life and the Tricerton I want to spend it with.”

“Ronan, there’s something I feel I must explain to you.”  She said as she stood and brought him to his feet as well.  She looked to Iviana and Leo.  “I’d like to speak with my son alone.”

“No.”  He interrupted her before the two could leave.  “Whatever you have to say to me you can say it in front of Leo.”

“Ronan…”  Leo felt a little awkward, she wasn’t quite sure what to do.

“It’s alright.”  Izayoi’s expression was still unreadable, but traces of kindness shown through to the two females standing there.  “If my son does not mind, then neither do I.”  She turned back to Ronan.  It seemed as if all the years of her life were reflecting in her face.  She took a breath as if she feared she may not breathe again, and then let it out in a soft sigh.  “Since the day you and your brother were born I always knew that each of you would be destined for greatness.”  She looked at him now as a full grown Triceraton, not just the hatchling she’d brought into the world.  “Even on the day of your hatching I knew this.”  She felt a strong pride in her own heart for her sons.  “I have watched the two of you grow in strength, in wisdom,” her eyes passed over Leo.  “And in love.”  She looked to her son again.  “But you my son are the one that has been chosen for a purpose.  You know that you were always meant to rule.”

“Why me?”  He said shaking his head.  “Why not Zesh?”  He said as he turned away.  It was obvious he was speaking with an angry heart.

“You know Zesh has always lead his life with his heart, and his heart alone.”  She touched her chest to feel the beating inside.  “You Ronan think not only with your heart, but also with your head.”  She took a step closer.  “You have always been a natural born leader, you feel responsibility more strongly than your brother or any other Triceraton I’ve ever known.”

“I don’t want to be Prime Leader.”  He said with anger in his voice.  “I don’t want to rule.”  He turned to Leo.  “All I want is spend the rest of my life with her.”  His eyes were as deep as and loving as she’d ever seen them.  “I love her.”

“Ronan you must return.”  Izyaoi pressed.

“I will not!”  He yelled.

“My son, don’t you see,” she took his face and held it in her hands, it was a desperate attempt to try and get him to understand.  “You are the Home World’s only hope.  You hold your father’s blood within you, but you have a heart and mind of your own making. Unlike your father, you feel love and empathy.  Things Zanramon could never understand.”

“But what about the things I want?”  He said in a tone that was almost pleading.

“Ronan,” Izyaoi eyes alone told the story of her past.  “My love, we are all called upon to make sacrifices.”  Her eyes welled up with tears as she remembered the day she was married to Zanramon.  “Some of us must sacrifice more than others.”  The tears fell down her cheeks.  “But, there are rare times in life when the rewards that we receive,” She looked into her sons eyes.  “Outweigh the sacrifices we’ve made.”  She had never once regretted becoming Zanramon’s wife, because he had given her Ronan and Zesh.  “I knew long ago that you would be summoned to lead this world out of darkness.”  She tried to find the words to make him understand, but only a few came to mind.  “Your brother has always been a lover,” She caressed his cheek.  “You have always been a lover and a fighter.”  She loved her children both the same, but that did not blind her to the nature of their true selves.  “Zesh will fight for the ones he loves, and he will fight with strength he’s never known, but it ends there for him.”  Only one of her hands still rested against Ronan’s cheek.  “You my love, have proven over and over again that you are willing to risk your own life for more than just the ones you love.”  Her eyes were still glossed with tears.  “Yours is rare love in this life.  Its reach goes beyond even the best of us.  Can’t you see that it is your love and compassion that can save the world?”

Ronan gently but his hands on his mother’s wrist and pulled her fingers from his face.  He was about to say something, when they were interrupted.  “Iviana!”  It was Zedra.  “Iviana come quick!”

“What is it?”  Ivana turned to the white Triceraton.

“We just got a transmission from Kallie,” she said with a hastened voice.  “They’re being attacked!”

Iviana growled.  “Soldiers again?”  She demanded.

“No that’s just it.” Zedra said with confusion.  “They’re not soldiers, and they’re not after Kallie and Tawn.  They’re after Zesh.”

“No.”  Izayoi shook her head as she past Iviana.  “It’s happen sooner than I feared.”  She looked at Zedra.  “Where are they?”

Zedra looked at Iviana for permission to give away the information, to which Iviana nodded.  “They’re at the corner of Trax and Vale on the upper east side.”  She answered.

She began to make her way up out of the hideout.  Ronan was following her, but he stopped when he came to Leo.  He took her hand.  “I will never give you up.”  He promised.  “I love you.”  He leaned in and they kissed before he turned and followed Izayoi.  “Mother wait, you can’t go alone.”

“Who said I’m going alone?”  She motioned with her hand for someone to come and in the next moment something jumped from the shadows.  It was a tall red Tricerton; he had a black marking over his eye in the shape of snipers scope.

“Who are you?”  The demand came from Zedra as she, Iviana, and Leo emerged from the hideout.

The Tricerton didn’t answer, he just stood beside the queen.  Izayoi bowed her head slightly.  “Excuse his rudeness.  I didn’t employ him for his social pros.”  She looked up at him.  “But his tracking skills are the best on the market.”  She turned.  “Sloan, I need you’re fighting skills now, please.”

He crossed his arms.  “Tracking’s one thing, fighting’s another.  That’ll cost extra, especially if you want them to remain breathing.”

“No.”  Ronan stepped in.  “I’ll go with you mother.”  He gave Sloan a glare.  “He’s only with you because of money, he could care less what happens to you.”  He growled.

Sloan rolled his eyes and turned his back on the two.  “Fine with me, I wasn’t getting paid enough to deal with you anyway.”  He dropped something on the ground and suddenly a burst of smoke enveloped him and in the blink of an eye he was gone.

Izyaoi looked at her son.  “Come Ronan, let us find your brother.”

“We’re coming with you.”  Ivana said as she Zedra and Leo stood at her side.  “My family is also out there.”

x-x-x

“Get down.”  Tawn pulled Kallie into his lap and out of the range of a laser shot.  “Geeze…”  He sighed.  “Can’t we ever go somewhere without getting shot at?”

“I don’t understand it.”  Kallie crawled from his grasp and was beside him now.  “Why are they after Zesh?  He’s not a criminal, he’s a prince.”

“Good question.”  He said as he looked at the prince who was holding Una close to his side.  The ones shooting at them were not dressed like soldiers.  They were all in solid black uniforms and wore breathing masks to hide their faces.

“Seize fire.” A voice commanded.  It was the leader of the attackers.  “You in there.”  He yelled to the shattered store front.  “We could care less about the rest of you, just give us the prince and all this goes away.”  The clicks of laser guns could be heard.  “Or we can kill you all right here and now and take the prince anyway.  Your choice.”

Zesh looked down at Una.  “I’ll go with them.”

“Zesh!”  Una clung to him.

“Una it’s the only way they won’t kill us all.”  He said as he hugged her.  He pulled her back so that he could see into her eyes.  “Remember, I promised to protect you.”

“You can’t do this Zesh.”  Tawn shook his head. “It’s not right, and I’m not gonna let you hand yourself over to them.”

“I’ll give you to the count of five.”  The commander held up his gun as did the rest of the attackers.  “One, two.”  He cocked is gun.  “Three, four,”

“I’m going out there.”  Zesh went to get up, but Tawn grabbed his tail jerking him back.

“Five.”  The sound of laser fire could be heard but also the sound of struggling.  The four Triceratons realized that the laser guns were firing in all sorts of random directions.  

They carefully looked out from the shop and what they saw made them smile.  “Hellhounds to the rescue.”  Tawn grinned as he spotted Ivana and Zedra right away.

“Let’s go.”  Kallie smiled as she got up and quickly made her way towards the fray.

“Right behind you babe.” He ran after her.

Zesh looked into the ongoing battle.  “Oh no.” He saw his brother amongst the fighting.  “I’ve gotta help my brother okay.”  He nuzzled Una’s forehead before he went to move, but he felt a grasping hand on his own.  He looked back and saw her staring up at him.

“Zesh.”  She said with a stare that he recognized right away.

He sighed.  “Alright, but stay close to me.”  She nodded and jumped out of the window to follow him.

The fighting was an intricate mix of mini battles, none of which were easily won or lost.  These Triceratons in black were not like ordinary soldiers or guards.  They were much better fighters and well trained, they were worthy foes.  “Heya!”  Ivaian landed a massive punch to one of them.  He was blown out of breath, but no sooner had she gained an upper hand when another one jumped on her from behind.

Kallie and Tawn were fighting back to back.  “You doing okay back there?”  Tawn grinned as he kicked a laser gun from his attacker’s hands.

“Doing just fine.”  She answered as she slammed her knee hard into the side of her opponent.  Their stability was not to last.  A male Triceraton, much bigger than Kallie slammed forward with his horns poised to strike, Kallie jerked up a long laser rifle in both hands, holding his horns at bay with all her might.  “Uh, get off me you big behemoth!”  She growled.  Tawn was now busy with three Tricertons attacking him at once.  He felt the sting of their claws every time he misjudged their attacks.

“Stay behind me Mother.”  Zesh crouched into a fighting position as an oncoming Triceraton lunged at him, but he went low and rammed the male’s feet out from under him and sent the Triceraton flying.  The victory was short lived as a Triceraton tackled him from the side and the two went down into a struggling mass of fury.  

Una wanted to go to his side, but Zesh’s mother held her close.  “No my dear,” she warned.  “If you interfere he will lose for certain trying to protect you from a misplaced blow.”

The battles were fierce as every Tricerton fought, but one voice rang out over them all.  “Hold it!”  For a moment everyone stopped and looked up.  It was the leader of the black clad Triceratons.  He was large and he was strong.  He stood there holding a white Triceraton by the collar, the struggling female was Zedria.  “If any of you care about this little white rat you’ll drop your weapons and surrender.”  He held her higher and she only growled and fought harder to get down from his grip.  “And I’d do it fast, she’s starting to irritate me.”

The Hellhounds looked at each other, and then to Ivian, who did not even have to think about it, she dropped the Triceraton that was in her grip, and then she dropped the firearm at her side to the ground.  The other Hellhounds followed suit.  Kallie looked to the side and she felt her heart quake when she saw Tawn drop his weapon and surrender as well.  In that moment she felt so close to him, whatever fate awaited herself and the Hellhounds, he had now brought it upon himself as well, and without hesitation.  Oh how he must love her.  

“Stop.”  All eyes suddenly shifted to the owner of the voice.  Standing there, a few yards down from the one holding Zedra, was Ronan.  “Release her.”  He said as he clenched the gun in his grip.

“Or what young prince?”  He asked as he held Zedra a little higher.

“Or nothing, release her and you will have what you came for.”  He dropped his gun.  “I’ll go with you.”

“Ronan,” Tawn took a step forward.  His duty as a solider flared up inside him at the sight of a royal son turning himself over to a devil like this.

“It’s alright Tawn.”  Ronan didn’t break eye contact with the black ops leader.  “Whoever he is, he knew he wouldn’t get Zesh and me without a fight.  Now he’s getting me without even breaking a sweat, it’s an offer he can’t afford to pass up.”  He narrowed his eyes.  “Not with so many of his Triceratons already lost.”

The unnamed leader had a grin forming on his lips.  “As much as I hate to admit it, you are correct my prince.”  He looked at Ronan with evil delight as the royal male made his way up to him.

“Iviana.”  Leo’s eyes were glued to the top of the heap.  “We have to do something.”  Her voice reflected more worry than one could imagine.

“We will.”  Iviana said as her own eyes were watching Zedra.  “When an opportunity presents its self.”

When the prince finally stood before Zedra’s captor the male held up his gun and aimed it at Ronan.  “Now, no funny business, unless you want to see the color of your insides.”  He now had no use for Zedra, who he dropped from his grip.  “Run along home now you worthless brat.”  He grinned as he stared at his prize.

Zedra’s eyes turn to fire.  “No one calls me a worthless anything!”  She lunged forward and raked her horns across the back of his leg, at that moment Ronan made his move.
“You little bitch!”  He turned and without hesitation pulled the trigger.

Zedra’s eyes were closed as she felt something heavy on her chest.  It was as though she’d had the wind knocked out of her.  She opened her eyes to see that Ronan was on top of her.  “Ronan?”  She grunted as she tried to move.  “Ronan get off.”  She shoved him to the side as she sat up she saw her attacker lying on the ground.  Between his eyes was a small trickle of blood, it was from a bullet hole.

She quickly looked over her shoulder and saw Iviana at the bottom of the hill, she was lowering her arm.  In her hand was the pistol, steam still flowing form the barrel.  Zedra let out sigh of relief.  She was watching the others making their way up the hill, when something else distracted her.  She realized that there was something wet on the front of her.  She looked down and saw a red stain on her chest.  “Huh…”  She realized it was blood.  She felt herself over right away, but she quickly began to realize that the blood was not her own.  She slowly looked over at Ronan, why had had he fall on top of her, why was he not awake.  The worst possible answer came to light.  “Oh no!”  She rolled him over and saw the huge red stain covering his chest.

“Ronan!” Zedra turned quickly as she saw Leo coming towards her followed closely by Zesh, Iviana, Tawn, and Izayoi, as well as the others.  “R-Ronan.”  Leo dropped to her knees beside him.

“Leo move.”  Kallie moved her to the side right away as she went down by Ronan.  “He’s still breathing,” She said as she checked his heart rate and began putting pressure on his wound.

“My son.”  Izayoi’s eyes shook as she saw the bloody mess that was her first born.  Her fingers wrapped around his as she sat opposite Kallie.

“It’s my fault.”  Zedra said as she started at the unconscious male.  “If I hadn’t made that jerk mad.”  She glared at the dead Triceraton.

“No.”  Iviana put her hand on Zedra’s shoulder.  “You offered us an opportunity to help.”  She looked down at her medic and her patient.  “Ronan simply took an opportunity as well.”  Iviana was not about to let Zedra blame herself for what had happened.  “If not for you, he’d be gone with that trash.”  She glared at her victim.  “And we may have never seen him again.”

“We have to get him back to the hideout right away.”  Kallie said as she jumped to her feet.  “That bandage won‘t hold pressure for long.”

“I’ll carry him.”  Zesh pushed to the front of the group.  “He’s my brother.”  He knelt down gently scooping him up in his grasp.

“Let us go quickly.”  Izayoi was looking at the battle field.  “We should leave this place before those brutes return in greater numbers.”

“She’s right.”  Iviana began to lead the way. “Move everyone.”

x-x-x

A few hours had passed since the group had made it back to the Hellhound’s den.  Iviana was sitting on a stool as a pale yellow nurse looked her over.  “It was very kind of you to come Alathea.”

“When Drex told me what happened I couldn’t refuse.”  She said as she cleaned a bad scrape on her left arm.  “I could never refuse him.”  She said again, but her tone was of deeper emotion this time.  Any Triceraton could see that she was in love with Drex.

“Iviana.”  The two females turned as the male of their conversation approached, he bowed his head and raised it once more.  “How are you?”

“I’m fine Drex.”  Iviana gave him the same nod that he had given her, one of leader to leader respect.  “Thank you for bring Alathea.”

“Well it sounded like Kallie had her hands full, and she’s had to care for my clan so many times that it was the least I could do.”  He looked to his female companion.  “As always, I am in your debut Alathea.”  The pale Triceraton blushed, she couldn’t help it.  She was always like this whenever she got caught in Drex’s eyes.

“W-Well.”  She smiled.  “I have to check on the others now.”  She nodded to them both before moving to her next patient.

“Can’t I see him now?”  Leo asked as she caught Kallistarte just before she was about to reenter the op room.

“Leo, I promise you’ll be the first to know when he’s awake, for now you’ll just have to be patient.  I’m doing all I can for him.”

Leo nodded.  “Yes, I know you are, I’m sorry Kallie.”  She sighed.

“It’s alright.  I know you’re worried.  We all are.”  She gave her friend a pat on the shoulder before disappearing into the operating room.

“Excuse me.”  Leo turned to see who had called her as she didn’t recognize the voice.  “Hello, my name is Alathea, Kalliestarte told me I was to tend to your wounds.”  Leo didn’t have the strength to argue.  She followed her over to a table and took a seat on it.  “You have a pretty nasty gash on the back of your shoulder.”  Allie was inspecting it carefully, she continued to ask Leo if she had applied any medication and how long the wound had been open and exposed as it was.  “I think we’ll need to run some blood tests, a wound this size is prone to infection.”  She was rummaging through a bag that she had brought with her.  She pulled out a small hand held device.  “I’ll need just a little of your blood.”  Allie carefully extracted some blood from the open wound on her shoulder and began to run the tests.

Leo sighed as she ignored the prick she got when Allie took the sample.  All she could think of was the last 72 hours.  How could she have ever guessed that she would be here now?  She had always assumed her worries would be reserved for her family her gang.  She would never had imagined that a Tricertaon could steal her heart, but Ronan had.  He had her whole heart and she’d given it to him willingly, and even now, with all the fear of what could happen next, she wasn’t sorry that she loved him, in fact it only made her feelings stronger.  She could only hope the he would live to feel the same way.

“This can’t be right.”  Allie was staring at the results on the screen, she pushed several buttons.

“What’s wrong?”  Leo was suddenly brought out of her daze.  She wondered if she were perhaps sick.  “Have I gotten an infection?”

“No.”  Allie looked up slowly at her.  “…You’re pregnant.”