::Another step....Each one was harder to take than the last. He panted for breath, casting a glance over his shoulder, looking at the blood-trail that was behind him. He was almost home, but he had no strength left. His mate was gone, his family, recently formed, was dead......And after the attack by the supporters of Proposition 37, he was severely maimed and bleeding to death. His right wing was gone, and so was half of his right foreleg.:: "No......More.....I.....Can't......." ::The green dragon laid down on his side, expelling another breath.:: "Mother......Father......Did......I do something......wrong?" ::His eyes slowly closed.:: "My.....family.....mate.....lost everything.....Why fight.....?"

::His eyes were barely able to crack open as he looked up at his mother, and his throat was dry, his voice raspy and weak.:: "Mother.....Please....." ::He extended his throat to her.:: "Show me......mercy.......I would.....Rather....." ::He coughed hard, a body rattling cough, spitting up blood.:: "I would rather......It be you, to take my life. They......Took everything.......My....mate.....my.....children.......I've nothing left......Please......Show me mercy......"

Fiona would be seen some where behind Matthew, determined to reach her mate despite her own injuries. A wing had been torn to shreds, and her back leg was dragging at a very awkward angle. 'Matthew' was all she said, as she kept trying to reach him.

I've been trying to help you Matthew, but you didn't want to listen. Still, she wouldn't leave her son's side, she would let him use her side to help himself to his feet.

Slowly then, she would help him move toward where he'd heard the call from his mate.

::There was no need for that. As his mate came into view, his body filled with strength. And he hobble/hopped to her on his three legs as fast as he could, lowering his head to nuzzle her.:: "Fiona! Your alive! ::As fast as his body filled with strength, it fled him, and he sagged down to the ground. He needed to rest, and though the bleeding had stopped from his wing and foreleg, he was still severly drained of blood, and he layed his body over his mate, determined to protect her no matter what.:: "They hurt you.......I'm sorry my love........They'll harm you no more, I swear it!"

'We were never meant to cheat death in the first place.'

"Sento..." Naria's tears rang free as she looked over his newly dug grave. The body within hadn't even been buried. Her sobs shook her whole frame while her hair hid her face from view.

Even then, she had lost three children due to this. Maverick was missing, presumed dead. Aris and Sileth....Both gone to the same horrible cause. There was no use in fighting it. They were gone to her and she knew even then reviving them would end all the same. One of them dead.

Still, the pain was harder each time. He was gone, the last mark of their life was in the shape of a son. She had gone away to her aunts homeworld to have their child, only to miss his last few days living. It was painful to know she was never going to be able to say goodbye to the man she loved.

'We were never supposed to cheat death...'

She would give anything for Sento to cheat death just one last time.