Disclaimer: See the Prologue.

Chapter 20: Duty of a Mother

The lab was charred beyond recognition. Piles of glass and metal smouldered, still warm from the recently extinguished fires; it's once monochrome shell had been left a blackened, twisted mess. The labs downfall was permeated with the stench of death, its carcass engraved with unholy tattoos of blood and carnage. Smoke still hung in the air like an eerie fog floating over the dank remains.

The screams and cries that had once echoed throughout those underground halls had long since faded away, leaving only a few meagre whimpers and groans. They were ghosts against the backdrop of creaking of metal, bending and buckling in on itself from the stress caused by the blaze. It was ironic that the labs destruction had been caused by one of the most powerful emotions on the planet.

Love.

In the centre of the lab, the Prince cradled his mother in his arms, surrounded by their friends and compatriots.

With shaky arms, Cronos drew his fragile mother carefully against him. Most of his strength had been sapped by the phoenix, left to function on will alone now. After all, she still needed him.

Uranus was in a daze, not quite knowing whether she was coming or going. She was still in one piece, which she was thankful for, but her body was completely drained. Both mother and son had exhausted their energy completely. It was sheer luck alone that they had both come out of it without permanent physical scars. The scars of the mind, however, would take longer to heal.

Shina awoke with a start, finally battling back to consciousness. She jolted forward in Long's arms, nearly falling out of his grip, though thankfully, her flailing arm latched around his neck and she clung on tightly. It took her a moment to remember where she was. It alarmed her that the sudden shock to her system had caused her to falter so comprehensively. It hadn't particularly helped that Cronos had bled her energy like free flowing wine. She'd never pictured herself ever being so weak.

"Easy. You will be alright." Her eyes met Long's as he softly spoke to her, carefully cradling her against him.

The position made her feel awkward, especially as she wasn't used to being so fragile. "I think… I can stand."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes… please… put me down."

He obliged, a little reluctantly, though he'd learned over time how volatile her temperament could get if people went against her word.

When her feet touched the floor, she realised just how weak she was. Her legs shook, feeling like they'd turned to jelly. Her knees ached painfully and she could feel them ready to fold under her own weight. But she refused to admit that she needed some help. Instead, she focused all her energy on staying upright in one position. It was obvious she wasn't quite right but nobody planned on saying anything. They didn't want to face her wrath.

Shina's gaze drifted over to Cronos, who was gently gazing over his mother. There was such love in his eyes, a love unrivalled by any other. He must have felt her staring as his attention shifted and he slowly turned to look back at the leopard Zoanthrope. His love reached out to her, too. She bit her lip softly, wanting to look away bashfully, but decided not to in case he thought she was upset with him.

There was also a great amount of thankfulness in his eyes for what she'd shared; not only friendship and affection, but her power, which had helped him to save his mother. She'd given him the strength to save them all from an unimaginable fate. Underneath that, there was a hope that she would forgive him for hurting her. Shina simply smiled, having been able to read the feelings in his tender eyes. She nodded a silent response to unspoken words, a few seconds before her knees gave out. Thankfully Long was quick to catch her. She quietly thanked him for his support.

Uranus, now fully aware again, sat up in her son's arms, clinging gently to his shoulders for support.

"You're safe," he told her softly, to which she smiled gently in understanding.

"We should leave here," Jenny suggested. "This place doesn't look too stable right now."

"You're right," Alice agreed, turning towards the Prince and Uranus. "We'll lead you out of here."

Long managed to remove his flowing tunic, while still supporting the French woman, and rested the garment across the shoulders of the azure-haired woman. Shina followed his example and slipped her jacket off, tossing it onto the floor beside Cronos.

"It's not much… but it will cover your, uh, dignity," she muttered, looking away. It was just fortunate that Uranus's body was covering up that particular 'part', otherwise it might have been even more embarrassing.

"Thank you both." Cronos bowed his head, taking the jacket and tying it precariously around his waist, after which he secured the silk tunic around Uranus properly. It billowed, slipping somewhat on one side due to its size, but it dutifully covered her nude form. He rose, weakly, refusing to put his mother down. He would push himself to the very end, just to make sure she got out of that damned lab safely.

Uriko and Alice were on either side of the Prince for support as they took them towards the exit. Jenny led the way up, scanning around for anymore potential threats, though it seemed like everyone had been chased off by the flames. The path was clear ahead and she motioned for them to continue.

Shina's legs had given up completely and Long had once again picked her up. She wanted to complain but held her tongue. She was starting to feel a little bit sick, and however much she wanted to buck it up, she was sure she would end up collapsing if she tried moving on her own power. It didn't hurt to rely on someone else for a little while.

After climbing up through smoke tinged gloom, they finally made it back up to the room with the entrance to the labs. There was an array of different people there, from a few scorched scientists to a gathering of armed guard; these ones, thankfully, were some of the good guys.

It was no less than a disordered mess in there now.

Long sat Shina on a chair at her request, while Alice and Uriko found a seat for Cronos and Uranus. The Prince's last ounce of strength gave up and he lay on the couch, unable to move.

Uranus rested his head atop her lap, gently stroking his hair. "You don't have to try so hard."

He reached up and took her hand weakly, bringing it to rest against the side of his face. "You almost died because of me. I will do anything to see that I repay you for your kindness and bravery."

"What would this kingdom do without you, hmm?" Her thumb rubbed soothing circles across his slightly flushed cheek. "Your great benevolence will save these people from ruin. It won't be your father who helps build a peaceful future between humans and Zoanthropes. It'll be you. I'm sure of it."

He hid his embarrassment while nuzzling against her hand, closing his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look into her proud eyes. She, in her own right, was a little flustered by her own words. It hadn't been too long ago that she'd crudely tried to disown him. And now, she felt honoured to be his mother, her heart welling with emotion when she looked at him. He represented a part of her she'd thought she'd lost; the part that wanted to help others while sharing her joy and happiness. The old 'her' had never truly died, it had simply grown into something more powerful and mature.

"My son…" She whispered. His tired eyes slowly opened, glistening in response. Her thumb moved to catch a stray falling tear.

From the corner of her eye, she spied Ganesha weakly coming up from the labs. He was heaving, trying to gulp down as much non-smoky air as he could. There was no way in avoiding coming up topside. The lab was just too dangerous to stay inside. He knew the kind of reception he was going to get when he appeared, and looked down from the disgusted faces that greeted him.

Uranus immediately saw red.

Cronos silently stared at the man. What could he possibly say to him after everything that had happened? He felt his mother release hold of him and rise to her feet, her own gaze burning holes through the former bodyguard.

"You…" Her hiss seemed to split the room. People quickly moved aside so not to get between them. The elder man froze, trying to muster something to say to defend himself, but there were no words to excuse him of his actions.

Cronos reached out to touch her arm and she slowly turned dark eyes back to him. It was a frightening expression, void of any sort of emotion. It was filled with deadly intent.

An empty smile started to prick the corner of her lips, further intensifying the gaze. "Don't worry. Your mother will take care of everything," she whispered, slowly turning back to her target. She moved purposefully into the middle of the room.

Alice clung onto Uriko's shoulder. "What's she going to do?" The elder Nonomura whispered with confusion.

"Her duty…" Uriko quietly muttered. Her sister furrowed her brow at this remark, but she could see her sister understood the situation.

The anger that coursed through Uranus became a power itself, spreading like a wild fire through her veins. Her dark eyes focused as she breathed in time with her pounding heartbeats. All of a sudden, she was drenched in power, her body alive and ready to face the next challenge.

She was going to get payback on Ganesha for everything he had done. He was going to feel the full force of her wrath.

A wash of blue and white light wrapped around her, coiling up her form – and with a violent burst of energy, she transformed. The room shook and people scattered into all corners, getting as far away from her as possible.

When the light faded, Uranus had been replaced by a tall, powerful creature.

The Chimera.

There were gasps and cries of shock; some people cowered, while others stared in awe of the amazing albeit fearsome creature that had materialised before them. Formed of a lion, bull, goat and snake, the Chimera was like no other creature to walk the Earth. Her steely hide glowed, pulsing with energy. Her wide, stony eyes stared down over Ganesha, hungry for blood. He could do nothing but stare back at her in horror, no energy left to fight.

Uriko was shaken, almost collapsing back into her sister at the sight of Uranus's beast form. "Chimera…"

It was a part of her too, somewhere deep down, lost beneath a mess of genetic faults caused by Tylon manipulating her body.

Alice held her tightly, closing her eyes as she buried her face into her sister's hair. Images of a time when Uriko had been cursed by such a monstrous form flashed through her mind. It seemed they could never escape these haunting memories.

Her huge blue-furred paw grabbed Ganesha by his torso and lifted him up as if he weighed nothing. She let out a deep roar and proceeded to toss the large man across the room. Onlookers rushed out the way as he went crashing into the wall, the force almost sending through the brick and plaster. Bare threads were only holding it together as he lay imbedded in it.

He was searing in pain, coughing wildly against the plaster dust raining on him. Blood pooled from between his lips; the impact had certainly done a lot of internal damage. He tried to drag himself up, but he crumpled back down, left propped up on the rubble beneath him.

Uranus threw furniture out of the way as she prowled over to him, growling fiercely. There was so much she wanted to do to this traitorous worm. She yearned to paint the room in his blood; it was a most delicious thought indeed.

Ganesha barely reacted as the Chimera grabbed him by the head, pulling him towards her. He gargled, desperately trying to form a plea but the words were lost as more blood flooded into his mouth. She picked him up, dangling him before her like a toy. Snorting, she drew her large fist back, aiming to punch a hole directly through his chest.

"PLEASE STOP!"

The desperate voice halted Uranus's action mid-motion, inches away from the large man's body. She craned her neck, looking back to her son, who was clambering to his feet feebly.

"Don't kill him!" He implored.

"Doesn't he deserve to die, for betraying your kingdom so dearly?" Jenny asked, offhand. "He almost had your mother killed and you enslaved? How can you be so merciful?"

Cronos slumped forward, grabbing the nearest chair for support. "Because death doesn't solve anything... Revenge only breeds further discord and sadness. How can we ever hope to grow and prosper if we only commit the same evils as our enemies?" He looked up at his mother, who grunted, looking back at her prey, though still listening to her son. "I forgive him. He had his reasons for what he did. It should be me who is to blame for his grief. I've always hurt people all my life, even if I didn't mean to…"

"None of this is your fault." Shina's assured him. "He did this to himself. He let his anger turn him into a bitter, twisted old bastard."

"It's okay," Uriko said softly, pulling away from her sister to kneel by the Prince's side. "Nobody's perfect." She took his hand, smiling one of her famous smiles.

He nodded, squeezing her hand. "You're right."

Uranus grunted and dropped Ganesha, leaving him twitching on the carpet.

The transformation shattered and the beast dissolved in a flash of light, leaving Uranus on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

Long retrieved his tunic again and wrapped it around her. Cronos, with the help of his close companions managed to move over to his mother, pulling her into the tightest hug he could give.

"Thank you, thank you…" He kept repeating softly into her shoulder.

She closed her eyes, tears silently falling.

"He's more forgiving then me," Shina muttered, smiling. "It's good we have a guy like him around." Her friends nodded in agreement.

Finally, King Orion, followed by his armed guard came upon the scene. Gado, Yugo and Kenji were close behind them.

"I guess we missed out all the fun," Yugo observed, a little disappointed that he didn't see any more action.

Orion observed the room sombrely. Smoke stained faces stared back at him. The people before him were tired, dishevelled and wounded; most were clinging to each other for support after such a terrifying ordeal. Ganesha was half dead on the floor, struggling to take each breath. And but a few strides away from him was his son, in scant clothing, clinging to Uranus – his loving mother. Her damp eyes turned to him, her face becoming deadly serious. She said nothing, expressed nothing. The silence was hurtful enough.

This is what you've done, her eyes told him. Are you satisfied?

Cronos finally looked up to acknowledge his father. For a second, there was nothing but shock on the face of the young man, until finally, some form of emotion broke as tears spilled down his face. He reached out to him.

"Father…"

Orion moved across the room, dropping to his knees as he gathered Cronos into his arms. The Prince openly sobbed, clinging to his father's robes furiously. The King remained composed, not that he could keep the tears from welling in his eyes. He'd almost lost his son because of his foolishness. He would never make such a mistake again.

Her unspoken anger was thick in the air between them, and Orion couldn't help but feel despair because of it. The woman before him meant the world to him, more then he could ever express. But he'd done so much to her, without ever thinking about it.

My foolishness is beyond doubt. How did I ever let things get this far?

Orion slowly raised a hand to her, offering some sort of support. Revulsion filled her eyes as she gazed down at his open hand.

How did he think this was suddenly going to fix everything between then?

"Uranus," he spoke as gently as he could. She couldn't keep the frown off her face. He sighed. "I should die a thousand deaths to make up for everything that has happened. Not just for today, but for the past. I thought I was doing the right thing all these years. They always said knowledge was power. But power is a dangerous thing, as is knowledge. I shall try my best to pave a road that you... no... That everyone can be proud of."

Uranus looked away, lips twisting, keeping back the angry words. She needed to stop thinking of herself for a while and start focusing on the people close to her.

Orion pulled back from his son, holding him at arm's length. Cronos was weakly holding back more tears, shaking quietly before him.

"Cronos, please forgive me," Orion appealed. "In my foolishness I made terrible decisions and travelled down the wrong road. I should have led a life without such risks, and made wiser choices. This should never have happened to you. I will try to make it up to you, if I possibly can. All I want is for you to help me build a kingdom where people can feel truly safe. I am so sorry for failing you."

The King released his son and bowed forward, kowtowing before him. Cronos was taken back. This wasn't a proud moment for his father, who was practically knocking his head over and over again against the floor, begging for his forgiveness. He didn't need to see this embarrassing display to know there was true sincerity in his words. It was unbearable to watch his father bow before him, when he felt so undeserving of such a show of respect. He grabbed the King's arms and lifted back to his level.

"Father, I forgive you." He clung to him again. "I forgive you."

Uranus watched the scene and sighed softly. Her son truly had a big heart indeed. He was a great man to offer such forgiveness to men who didn't deserve it. She felt so proud to be his mother.

Orion offered his hand again to Uranus. The look in his eyes begged for a truce, if only for a short time. With much reluctance, she gave in and took his hand carefully. His aged hand squeezed hers tenderly and tugged her forward, wanting her to join them in their embrace.

The first in a very long time... He thought.

She shuffled forward, pressing against Cronos's back. Slipping her arm around the two, she rested her cheek against her son's shoulder. Orion's hand came to lie atop her arm, softly stroking her pale skin reassuringly.

Cronos's hand found Uranus's around his waist and they interlocked them together. Through the tears, he smiled. His family was around him, no fighting, no violence; just peaceful. He couldn't have been happier.

It's over now. Uranus thought. Finally, after all this time, no more worries. The future is safe.

A/N: And so, the battle is won! What a tremendous journey Uranus has been on! But what will our azure-haired heroine do now? It's time to round out this story – on to the epilogue!