"Previously on Gargoyles..."
Vows
Demona[to her younger self]: Can't you see I am what you
will become?
Young Demona: I will never be like you!
Generations
Goliath: Demona will never change and I will never trust her
again.
Angela: You're not giving Demona a chance!
Brooklyn: Hey, she's had more chances than she deserves,
Angela!
Demona: This changes nothing!
Future Tense
Brooklyn[to Demona]: Are you all right, my love?
Demona: Yes, now that I'm back in your arms.
Goliath: You two? Together?
Puck: Was it a dream? Or a prophecy?
Goliath: I must know!
Puck: Like I'd tell you.
The Journey
Brooklyn[looking up at Broadway and Angela kissing]: Parting
is such sweet
sorrow.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
About two years after Angels in the Night
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
Music Says It All
by Slinky
Monday Night
11:18 pm
Tower
Castle Wyvern
The red gargoyle looked around cautiously before taking off
from the
castle. Then, as quietly as he could, he glided off.
* * *
Monday Night
11:18 pm
Library
Castle Wyvern
"Where is Brooklyn going?" Angela asked, looking
out the window.
Broadway looked up from the book he was reading. "Huh?
He's leaving?"
Angela pointed to Brooklyn's form getting farther and
farther away.
Broadway shrugged and went back to his book.
Angela threw one last look out the window before joining
Broadway.
* * *
Monday Night
11:32 pm
Nightstone Unlimited Company Headquarters
Brooklyn landed on a ledge coming out of the skyscraper. He
reached up and
pressed a brick. The wall in the building slid away,
revealing a
passageway.
He walked down the way slowly, as if he was unsure of what
he was doing.
~Maybe I shouldn't do this anymore,~ he thought.
But he kept going. ~This is for the good of the clan,~ he
told himself.
He reached the end of the hallway to what appeared to be a dead
end. To the
left of the end was a small alarm system.
"Verify self" a computer voice said. Brooklyn cleared his throat.
"Brooklyn," he said. The computer buzzed and
beeped.
"Voice patterns match...Password"
"Un-alone." Brooklyn smiled to himself at the
irony.
Once again the computer buzzed.
"Correct password...place hand on scanner"
A small slide came out of the wall. Brooklyn put his hand on
it and the
computer whirred.
"Hand patterns match...Welcome, Brooklyn"
The end of the wall slid away, and Brooklyn stepped inside.
"Who...Brooklyn? I thought you said you weren't coming
tonight!" came a
voice from a darkened corner of the room.
"Mmm, well, I changed my mind." He squinted into
the room. "Why is it so
dark in here?"
"It's a project I've been working on."
"What project?" he asked, curious.
"Oh, it's just a new form of photography."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," said the voice. "I'll work on
it later."
Brooklyn coughed, a pointed sound.
"So, do you want to get to work?" Demona said as
she stepped out of the
shadows.
Brooklyn eyed Demona. He remembered how he first got into
this, but why he
had agreed he had no idea. For the past month he had been
helping Demona
trust humans. He knew she trusted Elisa, now. Maybe not as
much as he
trusted her, but he knew she did.
"Brooklyn?"
Brooklyn realized he was staring at Demona. "Sorry... I
was just...
thinking..."
Demona smiled. Not her old, evil smile, but a friendly
smile. "I'm glad to
know you still do that every once in a while."
Brooklyn laughed with her.
When they stopped, Brooklyn said, "Actually, I stopped
by to ask you
something very important."
Demona looked at Brooklyn warily. "Go ahead."
"What will you do if the clan doesn't accept you
back?"
She looked shocked, as if the idea never occurred to her.
"What do you
mean?"
"I mean, will you still trust humans... or will you go
back to your old
ways?" Brooklyn asked.
Demona sighed.
"I don't know. I suppose I will trust humans, even if
Goliath doesn't
believe it."
Brooklyn grinned. "Well, I've got to go. See ya
Wednesday!"
* * *
Monday Night
11:40 pm
Inside Nightstone Unlimited
Demona watched the gargoyle leave. She sighed and turned
around.
"Oh!" She started as Elisa Mazza came out of the
shadows.
"Sorry," Elisa said. She walked over to Demona.
"You okay?"
Demona sighed again. "Elisa, how do I tell him..."
"In something that he'll understand," Elisa said.
Demona looked down. "When I first came to you, what did
you think?"
Elisa looked at Demona and said, "I thought that you
had gone absolutely
nuts." Demona looked up quickly. Elisa quickly changed
her words. "I mean,
you wanted to trust humans again, so you came to the human
that you hated
the most."
Demona turned around. "I thought it was a good idea to
trust the one human
that my daughter trusted."
Elisa put a hand on Demona's shoulder. "And it
was."
"Why did you bring Brooklyn to me?"
"I-I..." Elisa stuttered. "I knew he hated
you the most, so if he forgave
you, than the rest of the clan would."
Demona turned back to Elisa. "Do you really think the
clan will accept me
back?"
Elisa frowned. "I'm not sure, but eventually you will
be accepted back into
the clan. That is for sure."
Demona smiled. "And what about..."
Elisa laughed as she started to leave. "That is
entirely up to you."
* * *
Tuesday Morning
12:07 am
Courtyard
Castle Wyvern
Brooklyn tried to casually sneak back into the castle, but
to no avail.
"Hey, Brooklyn! Where did ya go?"
Broadway's voice boomed over the courtyard. Brooklyn sighed
and yelled,
"Just out." He ran into the castle before Broadway
could answer back.
~Wednesday is the last night I'm gonna lie to my clan.
Wednesday the truth
comes out,~ he thought as he walked down the spiral stairs.
* * *
Tuesday Morning
12:08 am
Courtyard
Castle Wyvern
"Hmm, well, that was weird," Broadway said to Angela.
"He's hiding something," Angela said, looking
where Brooklyn had been just
a minute ago.
"He's always hiding something- that's the way he
is," Broadway said. "Come
on, lets go back inside."
* * *
Tuesday Morning
5:46 am
Tower
Castle Wyvern
Brooklyn hopped onto his perch next to Goliath. He noticed Angela giving
him funny looks when she thought he wouldn't see.
"What is it?" he said, finally.
"It's just that you've been disappearing every so
often," she said. "And
you seem to sneak out of the castle, as if you were afraid
of being seen."
Brooklyn's heart stopped for a moment, then realized that
she was
questioning, not accusing. "Can't a gargoyle have time
to himself?"
"Well, I..." The sun rose, freezing them in that
stance.
* * *
Tuesday Night
9:29 p
Tower
Castle Wyvern
The gargoyles broke out of their stone skin and went their
separate ways.
Brooklyn went to the gardens and looked out at the city.
"Brooklyn!"
Brooklyn turned around to see Xanatos. "What?"
Xanatos held out an envelope. "Someone sent me this,
but it has your name
on it."
Brooklyn took the package and opened it. Inside was a tape.
"It looks
blank." Then he shrugged. "Thanks, Xanatos."
He went to the stereo room. He put the tape in the player,
and pressed a
button. A song came on, which he had heard many times before
without really
noticing the words. Alanis Morisette- "Head Over
Feet."
"I
had no choice but to hear you
You
stated your case time and again
I
thought about it
You
treat me like I'm a princess
I'm
not used to liking that
You
ask how my day was
You've
already won me over in spite of me
And
don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And
don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I
couldn't help it
It's
all your fault."
Brooklyn knew there was more to the song, but he couldn't
listen to any
more. Lexington came in the room and said, "Hey, I
thought you liked Alanis
Morisette. Where'd you get that tape?"
Brooklyn turned and said, "You don't want to
know." Then he ran out of the
room.
Lexington barely had time to catch up with him. "Hey,
Brooklyn, what's
going on?"
Brooklyn turned to Lexington with eyes glowing white.
"I already told you-
YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!" he growled. Lexington backed
up a few steps.
Brooklyn ran to the edge of the castle and glided off.
Broadway came out with Angela. "What was that all
about?"
Lexington shrugged. "He got all excited over this song
he was listening
to."
Angela said, "Lex, do you think you can catch
him?"
Lexington nodded. "Definitely." He glided after
Brooklyn.
Broadway looked at Angela in astonishment. "Why'd you
do that?"
"He's not telling us something- and that something is
important."
* * *
Tuesday Night
9:53 pm
Inside Nightstone Unlimited
"You sent that tape!"
Demona looked at the red gargoyle and sighed. "Yes, I
did."
"But...why?"
Demona stood up. "The words in that song are exactly
what I feel for you. I
couldn't tell you in person, and you liked that
singer...so..."
Brooklyn looked at her in pure shock. "How long have
you felt this way?"
Demona shook her head. "I don't know. It just sort
of...happened."
"Couldn't you wait until tomorrow?"
Demona stepped forward to him cautiously, as if she were
afraid he would
hit her. "No, I couldn't have! Things like this don't
wait, Brooklyn. I
love you. Don't you love me at all?"
Brooklyn was speechless. ~What do I say?~ he thought. He
sighed. "I don't
know."
Demona looked down and turned around. "If you don't,
I...I... understand.
I don't see why you would love me- after all, I tried to
destroy the human
race, I tricked you into stealing the Grimorum, I..."
Brooklyn put a hand on her shoulder. "Stop it."
Demona looked back at him.
"That's behind you now. You trust Elisa, and you aren't
trying to destroy
the human race again. You never will. Not anymore."
Demona turned around and smiled. Brooklyn could see tears in
her eyes.
Before he could stop her, she ran into his arms. He stilled
for a moment,
than put his arms around her.
* * *
Tuesday Night
9:59 pm
Outside Nightstone Unlimited
Lexington gaped at the sight. ~Demona loves Brooklyn?~ he
thought in
amazement. ~What's going on here?~
* * *
Tuesday Night
9:59 pm
Inside Nightstone Unlimited
~I never thought I would be holding a sobbing female in my
arms.~
Brooklyn backed away from the embrace. ~Especially Demona,~
he thought.
"Do you want to go to the rest of the clan
tonight?"
Demona almost panicked. "NO!" Brooklyn eyed her.
"I mean, Elisa has to be
there too. She won't be there tonight, only tomorrow
night."
Brooklyn sighed. "You have a point there. Goliath is
only going to listen
to her."
Demona smiled, then ran a hand through Brooklyn's white
hair.
Brooklyn thought a moment, then said, "Why do you love
me?"
Demona continued stroking Brooklyn's hair. "You helped
me trust humans, you
forgave me for all that I've done, and..."
Brooklyn looked at her, almost fondly. "And what?"
She put her face close to his. "And I think you will
make a better leader
than Goliath."
Brooklyn backed away from her. "Hold on there..."
Demona pulled him back. "Stop. Shhh," she told
him, and kissed him gently.
Brooklyn looked shocked and tried to resist her for about
half a second,
then he closed his eyes and kissed her back.
* * *
Tuesday Night
10:05 pm
Outside Nightstone Unlimited
Lexington backed away from the window in shock. He shook his
head, then
glided off.
He landed at Castle Wyvern, where Angela had gathered the
rest of the clan.
Angela looked at Lexington. "Well?"
Lexington looked at everyone in the clan. "Okay, from
what I just saw, it
goes something like this- Brooklyn has been helping Demona
trust humans,
and he ended up with more than he expected."
Hudson stared at Lexington. "What are ye saying,
lad?"
"Demona sent Brooklyn a tape with a song on it."
Goliath said, "What about this song?"
"Demona knew about Brooklyn's taste in music, and sent
him an alternative
song." As the clan looked at him, puzzled, he sighed
and said, "Maybe it
would be better if we listened to the rest of the
song."
A minute later, they were all in the stereo room.
"You're
love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You're
so much braver than I gave you credit for
That's
not lip service
You've
already won me over in spite of me
And
don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And
don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I
couldn't help it
It's
all your fault
You
are the bearer of unconditional things
You
held your breath and the door for me
Thanks
for your patience
You're
the best listener I've ever met
You're
my best friend
Best
friend with benefits
I've
never felt this healthy before
I've
never wanted something rational
I
am aware now
I
am aware now
You've
already won me over in spite of me
And
don't be alarmed if I fall head ov-"
Lexington shut off the player. "Get the idea?"
Angela was staring at the stereo in shock. "My
mother... loves Brooklyn?"
Lexington nodded. "That's what she said."
Goliath said, "Did they say anything else?"
"Something about tomorrow. I couldn't hear much- I was
listening through a
window."
Goliath thought a moment. "It seems Brooklyn has been
hiding this a long
time."
Angela looked at Broadway, as if to say, "I told you
so."
Goliath continued. "We will wait until tomorrow. We
will see what happens
then. Do not tell Brooklyn that we know his secret."
Hudson glanced out the window. "Here comes the lad
now."
Goliath nodded. "Remember...do not let on that we
know."
* * *
Wednesday Night
9:43 pm
Tower
Castle Wyvern
When the gargoyles woke up, Elisa was already there.
Brooklyn turned to his
clan.
"Would you mind waiting for just twenty minutes?"
Without waiting for an answer, he took off.
Goliath looked after his young second in command.
"What..."
Elisa pulled him back. "Whatever it is, it must be
important."
Goliath looked at Elisa in shock.
* * *
Wednesday Night
9:50 pm
Inside Nightsone Unlimited
"Brooklyn! You're here!" Demona ran into his arms.
"I was afraid you
wouldn't come."
Brooklyn pushed her back a little. "And why wouldn't
I?" Demona smiled.
Brooklyn said, "We'd better go. I only told them to
wait for twenty
minutes."
* * *
Wednesday Night
9:57 pm
Tower
Castle Wyvern
"Brooklyn?"
Goliath, even though he knew Brooklyn had been with Demona
all the time he
was gone, he was still shocked at the sight of Brooklyn not
fighting her,
but holding hands with her.
Brooklyn jumped off the edge of the castle. "Goliath...
I..."
Elisa stepped forward. "I'll start."
The entire clan looked at her in pure shock.
"ELISA?!" Angela said.
"A few months ago I was given a letter that requested
me as a police
bodyguard for a Miss Dominique Destine. I was forced to take
the job. When
I got there, I saw it was Demona.
"But she wasn't trying anything. She asked for help.
She wanted to trust
humans, but she didn't really know how. So she thought she'd
ask the one
human her daughter trusted." Angela looked at Demona
and smiled grimly.
"So I showed her a lot of good in humans- like what I
showed you, Goliath.
She wanted to be accepted into the clan again, so I asked
Brooklyn to come
by to my apartment. He was the one that hated her the most,
so if he could
accept her, I sort of figured...well..."
Goliath put a hand up. "That's enough." He looked
at Brooklyn. "Brooklyn,
you should have told us what was going on."
Brooklyn looked down. "I know."
"You should have told us what you were doing."
"I know," Brooklyn sighed. Then he looked back up.
"So...what do you say?"
Goliath thought for a moment, then said, "It is not all
my decision. This
will effect the entire clan, I cannot decide for all of
them."
"So this means..."
"Give a few nights for a decision to be made."
"But-but..." Brooklyn stuttered.
"Come back on Friday night after the sun goes down. We
will meet here.
Until then Brooklyn, you are to stay with Demona."
"Huh?!" The entire clan was looking at Goliath in
shock. Demona simply
stood on the edge of the castle, listening.
"Goliath?" Goliath looked at Elisa when she spoke.
He seemed to have
forgotten she was there.
"Those are my orders," he said sternly, then
turned around and walked into
the castle.
Elisa's shoulders went down in defeat. The rest of the clan
looked at
Demona, who was standing behind Brooklyn.
Hudson stepped up to Brooklyn. "Lad, ye know ye should
have told us."
Brooklyn said, "If I did, Goliath would've gotten super
mad at me."
"Goliath would've known that ye were doing it for the
good of the clan."
Lexington stepped shyly up to Demona. "Do you really
trust humans?"
Demona looked down at the small gargoyle. "I don't
fully trust them, but I
do trust Elisa as a friend."
Hudson frowned for a moment, then said, "Do ye,
lass?"
Demona nodded, almost shyly. Then she smiled wryly.
"She did save me from
having all my employees run away in fear."
Broadway said, "Huh?"
"I lost track of time during a meeting when Elisa came
in and got me out
just before sunset."
Broadway, still confused, said, "Never mind."
Angela smiled at her mother. "I'm glad you are giving
humans another chance
after being betrayed so much."
Demona looked down. "I realize now that those betrayals
were often my
fault."
Brooklyn had backed away from the group, watching. Though
all seemed
uncomfortable, the clan seemed to enjoy Demona's company. It
was as if the
clan was reunited again.
* * *
Wednesday Night
10:22 pm
Library
Castle Wyvern
Goliath watched the clan talk to Demona. He had walked away
only so he
wouldn't have to say any more to Demona or his young second
in command.
He found himself thinking back to before the massacre,
before the betrayal.
He thought of the times he and Demona were together, of when
they had
chosen to mate. He or Demona couldn't of been any older than
the trio or
Angela.
He let the memories wash around him. Did Brooklyn now share
the same kinds
of moments with Demona as he had with her?
He tried to stop himself. ~I don't have any feelings for
her, not anymore!~
he told himself.
The memories kept coming, almost taunting him. The mating
season, when the
gargoyles were fertile and could have their children. He
remembered he and
Demona, his angel of the night, and how they participated.
He looked down sadly at Angela, who was talking excitedly to
her mother.
The mating season was coming up again. Who would choose who?
Angela then turned to Broadway, who smiled secretly at her.
Goliath sighed, and looked at Elisa. She was talking to
Hudson. All the
thoughts he had been thinking about Demona were slapped
away. He loved
Elisa now, more than he had ever loved Demona. Elisa was his
new Angel of
the night, and the day. No matter what side Demona was on
now, he would
always love Elisa.
Then a thought come to him. The dream Puck had given him in
order to get
the Phoenix Gate, and the taunting words when he left.
"Was it a dream? Or a prophecy?"
In a flash, he was out of the room.
* * *
Wednesday Night
10:37 pm
Nursery
Castle Wyvern
"PUCK!!!!!"
Owen, unfazed by Goliath's temper as always, was setting
Alexander down in
his crib.
"If you do mind, Goliath, young Alexander is trying to
sleep."
Goliath growled quietly. Owen left the nursery and closed
the door.
Owen turned to Goliath. "Is there something I could do
for you, Goliath?"
Goliath growled and said, "The dream you gave me- how
much of it is going
to come true?"
Owen showed no emotion on his face. "I cannot tell you
much. It is
forbidden." Goliath began growling again.
"However, I will tell the part
about Lexington or Xanatos will not come true," Owen
said in his usual
monotone.
Goliath relaxed, a little.
* * *
Wednesday Night
10:59 pm
Tower
Castle Wyvern
"I thought I told you you were to stay with
Demona."
Brooklyn cringed slightly, but Goliath didn't notice.
"I am staying with
Demona. She just hasn't left yet."
Goliath growled again, and Brooklyn recognized the signs of
a full-fledged
roar coming on, directed at him. Brooklyn backed away from
the clan,
pulling Demona with him.
"But we were just leaving," he said. The clan
looked at him in pity. All of
them had seen Goliath get mad, and it was even worse when it
was directed
at one of the clan.
Brooklyn dragged Demona over the edge of the castle and they
glided off.
Angela watched them, and then made a decision.
"I'm going with them." She dived off the castle and
glided after them.
Goliath ran up and said, "Angela!" Hudson pulled
him back. "Let the lass
go, Goliath. It's her own choice."
* * *
Wednesday Night
11:08 pm
Sky
"Brooklyn, Demona, wait up!"
Brooklyn looked back and spotted Angela hurrying to catch
up. Demona smiled
as her daughter glided up next to them.
"I want to stay with you tonight," Angela said.
"Very well, my daughter," Demona said.
They glided to the Nightstone Unlimited and went inside.
Brooklyn plopped
down in a chair. Angela began looking around.
"This is an amazing building!" she said to Demona.
"And you own it?" Demona
nodded and then looked at Brooklyn.
Brooklyn was looking out the window in a dream-like fashion.
Demona came up
next to him. "Brooklyn?"
He looked at her and smiled tiredly. "Is something
wrong?" Demona asked.
Brooklyn sighed. "I guess I kind of feel like I should
have told the rest
of the clan. I made me, and not to mention Elisa look like
traitors."
"No, you didn't," Angela said. She came up next to
Demona and smiled at
him.
"You looked like an angel blessing the clan," she
said. Brooklyn grinned an
old friendly grin.
"That's what your name means," he said. "Me,
I'm a bridge." Angela backed
up and looked down, unsmiling. Brooklyn looked at her.
"What is it?" Brooklyn said, worried.
Angela looked at Brooklyn and her mother next to each other.
"Lexington
followed you last night, Brooklyn."
Brooklyn stood up quickly. "WHAT?!"
Angela almost winced, but stopped herself. "He followed
you, and then came
back and made us listen to that tape." She glanced at
her mother. If
gargoyles could, she could've sworn Demona was blushing.
Brooklyn glared at Angela for a moment, then said, "Did
they...understand?"
Angela nodded.
"So did I."
Demona leaned against Brooklyn, as if trying to prove to
herself that it
didn't matter what Goliath thought. Brooklyn put an arm
around her.
"Do you care?" Demona said. Angela looked up at
them again.
"Well, I suppose I should be, but I'm really not,"
she said. " I'm just
happy for both of you, and I guess it is better this way
anyway."
Demona looked at her daughter, puzzled. "What do you
mean?"
Angela smiled. "Oh, nothing." As Demona eyed her,
Angela added, "I tell you
later."
* * *
Thursday Morning
4:54 am
Entertainment Room
Castle Wyvern
Broadway looked out the window again. Lexington looked up at
him, worried.
"Broadway?"
Broadway looked at Lex quickly and shook his head.
"Sorry." He glanced out
the window again. "I guess she's not coming back
tonight, is she?"
Hudson put a hand on Broadway's shoulder. "The lass can
take of herself,
and can make her own decisions."
Broadway still sat by the window.
Lexington and Hudson sighed.
* * *
Thursday Morning
4:54 am
Outside Nightstone Unlimited
Elisa looked up at the Nightstone Unlimited building. It was
one of the
tallest in New York City. She sighed and walked inside.
The security guard stopped her. She flashed her pass at him
and walked on.
She came to a door much like the one Brooklyn had been
using, though out in
the open.
"Verify self"
"Elisa Mazza." *buzz beep*
"Voice patterns match...password"
"Un-alone." *buzz buzz*
"Correct password...place hand on scanner" Elisa
reached and put her hand
on the board. *buzz buzz beep*
"Hand patterns match...Welcome, Elisa"
Elisa sighed again as the door opened. She walked inside the
elevator and
pressed a button.
When it stopped, she was in the room where Brooklyn, Demona,
and Angela
were in.
"Hi, guys."
Angela looked up and over at Elisa. Brooklyn still looked
uncomfortable.
"What's Goliath doing?" he asked with pleading
eyes.
"I don't know. He kind of disappeared after you guys
left," Elisa reported.
"I do know that he talked to Owen for some
reason."
"Owen? What would Goliath talk to Owen about?"
Demona asked, puzzled.
Elisa looked at Brooklyn and frowned.
"You never told her about Owen?" she asked,
sounding like a parent scolding
her children. Brooklyn shook his head.
Demona looked back and forth between Brooklyn and Angela,
trying to figure
out what was going on.
Angela turned to Demona. "Mother, Owen is also
Puck."
"WHAT?!" Demona growled, eyes lighting up red.
Angela looked surprised and
shocked at the sight of part of the old Demona coming out.
Brooklyn looked sheepishly at Elisa. "That's why I
didn't tell her.
Because..." The words were left unspoken.
~Because of Puck's gift.~
Puck had given Demona a "gift" over a year ago.
Demona was transformed into
a human during the day from that night on, but it was
extremely painful for
her. And although the form was useful, Demona, or any
gargoyle for that
matter, didn't like being in human form.
Brooklyn rushed forward to stop Demona from rushing out the
window. He
grabbed her and she looked at him, eyes still glowing.
"Why are you stopping me, my love?" she said
harshly. Brooklyn looked sadly
at her.
"Because if you do this, then it will ruin any chance
for you to gain
Goliath's or any of the clan's trust," He said, almost
hopefully. "Besides,
we have other things to talk about."
Demona stopped. "I can't do this." She whispered,
the light in her eyes
dying down. Brooklyn looked at her in horror, praying that
she didn't mean
what he thought she meant.
* * *
Thursday Morning
4:57 am
Gardens
Castle Wyvern
Goliath paced uncertainly. He would ask the other members of
the clan
tomorrow night. He couldn't get the image of Brooklyn and
Demona gliding
off together. The image of the enfolded hands would stay
with him, always,
he predicted. Another image flashed up. This one from the
dream Puck had
given him. The words echoed in his mind.
"Are you all right, love?"
"Yes, now that I'm back in your arms."
The image of them hugging, and looking so contented, even
through a war,
floated through his mind. Then he recalled something else.
The night in the Cloisters. The night Brooklyn had betrayed
the clan, being
tricked by Demona into stealing the Grimorum. How Brooklyn
had tricked him
into coming to the Cloisters, how he had stood by Demona,
even while she
was casting the spell. Brooklyn finally came to his senses.
Even under the
spell, Goliath heard Brooklyn's cruel words to Demona.
"I was a fool to trust you!"
Brooklyn had always been in some way linked to Demona that
no one had been
able to explain. Even back in the old times, in the tenth
century, members
of the clan noticed some sort of link between the two. When
Goliath
mentioned it, Demona had no idea what he was talking about.
Neither did Brooklyn.
But now Goliath did understand. Brooklyn and Demona were
soul
mates. He noticed the same kind of link between Broadway and
Angela when
she first came to Manhattan. He could only hope that others
noticed the
link between Elisa and himself, but he knew he belonged with
Elisa.
Goliath growled slightly as an old human's child rhyme came
into his head.
Brooklyn and Demona
Sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes Demona with a baby carriage
Goliath knew what it meant. The love part was obvious. The
marriage part
was choosing to be mates, as he and Demona had over one
thousand years ago.
The last, was the mating season, coming up fast.
~Almost too fast,~ Goliath thought.
With that last thought he made his decision.
* * *
Thursday Morning
4:55 am
Inside Nightstone Unlimited
"What do you mean?" Brooklyn asked Demona. Demona
looked up at Brooklyn
sadly.
"I don't know if I can do this..." she said.
"Do what?" Brooklyn said, almost shaking her.
"I'm not sure...but...it's like some instinct is
telling me to... turn
back..." Demona said thoughtfully.
Brooklyn did shake her this time. "Turn back? From
what? Humanity? Trust?
Me?" Demona shook her head.
"Revenge."
Angela and Elisa, who had both backed away to let them play
out their
drama, smiled at each other.
Brooklyn let this sink in for a moment, then smiled at
Demona. ~Thank you,
my love.~ He thought. He couldn't say it out loud, but at
least he could
bring himself to think it.
Demona, almost as if reading his thoughts, smiled back and
kissed him.
Elisa motioned Angela to go into another room. Elisa started
walking, and
Angela followed. Angela looked back at Brooklyn and Demona,
still in the
same position. Angela smiled to herself.
Brooklyn, for the first time in months, looked genuinely
happy.
* * *
Thursday Morning
6:34 am
Outside Nightstone Unlimited
Brooklyn, Angela, Elisa, and Demona came out of the
building. Brooklyn and
Demona leapt onto the side of the building. Brooklyn looked
back at Demona
one more time. He put a hand on her cheek.
"I'll see you when the sun goes down, my love," he
murmured, only audible
to Demona.
Demona smiled. Brooklyn turned back around and took a pose.
The sun rose,
and he and Angela were frozen in stone.
Demona continued smiling even as she went through the
painful changing into
a human.
Elisa looked at the stone Brooklyn. He was smiling a broad
smile that would
make anyone happy instead of scare off any intruders.
That night, Brooklyn dreamt of the past.
* * *
984 A.D.
Caves by Castle Wyvern
Scotland
"Young one, do you swear to remain loyal to all Early
Hatchers, and the
covenant as long as you live?"
The young red gargoyle nodded. The time of the initiation
was now, and he
was the one being initiated. He was twenty years(ten in
human years) old,
and he was being let into one of the biggest kept secrets in
the clan.
The one talking to him was the leader. He was a deep blue,
almost black,
with yellow hair. The red gargoyle looked up at him in awe.
The leader
smiled.
"This one is destined to be a true leader, come
time," he said to the
others, which the young one could not see. He was not
allowed to see who
else was here until he passed the initiation.
"Young one, as long as you are with us, you must never
tell anyone, not
even your rookery siblings, no one, except us, and only here
what you
learn here?" the leader said.
The young one nodded once more, although he could not
imagine keeping
things from his siblings. The leader smiled once more.
"Stand up, young one." He stood from his kneeling
position. The torches
around him flared up, and he could see the others. He began
to recognize
faces of the gargoyles. One stood out to him in particular.
It was the
second-in-command's mate.
The young one was surprised at this, but only for a moment.
The leader had
put a hand on his shoulder. "Come," was all he
said. The leader walked off
to a passage in the cave. The young one thought for a moment,
then
followed.
As they were walking down the passage, the young one noticed
strange
carvings on the walls. Some were in Latin, but most were in
a strange
language the young one had never seen before.
The leader saw the young one's confusion. "You will
learn the language
soon, young one. But first, you must know of our
history."
The young one looked up at the leader with interest.
"Long ago, there was a coven, like this one. It was
before the humans came
and built their stone fortress here. When gargoyles ruled
this cliff. It
was secret, like today.
"It was discovered by the rest of the clan. The entire
coven was exiled
from the rest of the clan." The young one looked up the
leader once more,
to see him shaking his head. The young one frowned at the
picture of the
entire coven being exiled. The leader continued.
"But the clan did not realize that they could not
ignore heritage. A few of
found our way to the old hideout, and we knew that there was
something
about this place. We quickly learned the old ways of the
Early Hatchers. We
learned how to identify an Early Hatcher, as we identified
you." The leader
looked down at the young one.
"Are there are any questions you have?"
"Why are we called Early Hatchers?" The leader
smiled at the young one's
curiosity.
"Most of us are hatched a good time before the rest of
the eggs. You were,
as I'm sure you've been told, I was, and quite a few of the
others were."
The young one was still confused at something else.
"How can identify one if they didn't hatch first?"
"We all have a feeling. I am sure that you have felt a
connection between
some of the others in the coven." The young one knew
what he was talking
about, and nodded.
The leader smiled, knowing that the young one would grasp
the old ways
quickly, maybe quicker than he, himself had.
* * *
Thursday Night
9:34 pm
Outside Nightstone Unlimited
The summer sun was just setting over the building. The stone
on the
gargoyles cracked, and Brooklyn and Angela awoke.
Demona was standing there, waiting, as if she had been there
the whole day.
Angela looked in the direction of the Eyrie Building sadly.
"I should go
back now. They'll think something's happened to me."
Demona looked at her
daughter. She nodded.
Angela glided off.
Brooklyn was still looking out into the sky, thoughtfully.
Demona came up
and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Is something
troubling you, my love?" she asked, frowning. Brooklyn
looked back at her. He thought for a moment.
"Do...do you remember the coven?" he asked.
Demona nodded. "I was thinking about that, too,
today." She frowned once
more. "I miss them."
Brooklyn nodded, agreeing. "But we still did promise to
remain loyal the
rest of the Early Hatchers, and not tell anyone else. I have
stayed loyal,
and you have."
Demona studied him carefully. "I remember when you got
initiated into the
coven. The leader said that you would take his place, when
the time came."
She shook her head. "But that time never came."
Brooklyn looked back out into the night. "I wonder why
we both thought of
this at the same time." They both sat there for a while, letting the
memories of the coven wash around them.
Brooklyn shrugged. "Oh, well. Probably just
coincidence. C'mon, let's go
inside. I think it's going to rain," he added, looking
up once more at the
threatening sky.
Demona nodded. They went inside the building, hand in hand.
* * *
Thursday Night
9:54 pm
Tower
Castle Wyvern
Broadway looked nervously up at the sky. Lexington say him
do it, and shook
his head.
"Broadway, will you relax? Demona wouldn't hurt her
daughter, and I
personally can't picture Brooklyn trying anything," Lex
said, trying to
sooth Broadway. Broadway shook his head.
"That's not what I'm worried about," he said. He
turned back to the sky.
And saw a winged form gliding towards them. Broadway
immediately smiled and
ran to the edge of the tower. Angela landed beside him. She
smiled back at
him and they hugged.
Lexington felt a twist. Broadway found love, Brooklyn found
love, where did
that leave him?
He sighed and left the tower. He went into the entertainment
room. He found
Hudson sitting in front of the television, Bronx napping
peacefully next to
the chair. He began to leave.
"Is there something ye would like to talk to me about,
lad?" Hudson said,
muting the television.
Lexington looked back at Hudson. There was no way Hudson
could have heard
him sneaking away. ~Oh, well,~ he thought. ~You can talk to
someone now.~
Lexington turned around.
"Hudson, how do you know if you are ever going to find
someone you love?"
he asked. Hudson's face melted into understanding.
"There is a legend about soul mates, someone for
everyone. Some people meet
them, some people don't. Ye can sometimes recognize the bond
between the
two, even before they do."
Lexington remembered. "Is that why everyone said that
there was something
between Brooklyn and Demona? Before the massacre, I
mean?" Hudson nodded.
"That was the bond everyone noticed. Neither of them
bought it, though,
when someone tried to tell them." Hudson stopped, and
looked at Lexington's
face. "Lad, are ye worried about never meeting
anyone?" Lexington
reluctantly nodded.
"Well, don't ye worry, lad. I'm sure ye will,"
Hudson said, turning back to
the television. Lexington raised his eyebrow and left.
* * *
Thursday Night
10:06 pm
Inside Nightstone Unlimited
Brooklyn was looking out of the window once more, Demona
along with him
this time. Brooklyn looked down at her.
"Demona, what's wrong?" he asked. Demona looked
up, then closed her eyes.
"Brooklyn, what will you choose if they don't accept me
back?" she said.
Brooklyn took a deep breath. "I...I want to stay with
you," he said. "But I
have a responsibility to the clan. I can't abandon
them."
Demona turned her head away, so he couldn't see the tears in
her eyes. "I
understand," she whispered.
Brooklyn turned her head back towards him. "No, you
don't."
Demona sighed. "I do. I understand that you can't leave
the clan for me.
You need to help protect the city."
Brooklyn looked at the sky again. ~I'm sorry, my love,~ he
thought.
* * *
Thursday Night
10:34 pm
Library
Castle Wyvern
"Lad, are ye sure about this?" Hudson said to
Goliath.
"Everyone must vote. Everyone must agree, though. If
one person says no,
then she is not welcome, and Brooklyn will be exiled from
the clan," he
said.
"Father, no!" Angela yelled. "Brooklyn was
only trying to help the clan,
and he might be exiled from the clan because of it? He means
too much to
everybody!" Goliath looked at his daughter.
"That is my decision, Angela," he said sternly.
Angela looked away.
"Fine, but I think you are making the wrong
decision."
"Angela, you may have the first vote." Angela
looked up.
"I want Demona back in the clan. She is my mother, and
no matter what she
has done, I love her," she said with emotion.
"Broadway?"
"I would like her back in, and I don't want Brooklyn
gone. I grew up with
him!" he said.
"Lexington."
"Sure, I'm in," he said, distracted.
"Hud-"
"Yes. The lass trusts humans now, and we can't live on
always against one
of our own," Hudson said, looking at Goliath.
Goliath was silent for a moment. "I will never trust
Demona again."
Angela looked at Goliath in horror. "Father..."
* * *
Friday Morning
12:25 pm
Inside Nightstone Unlimited
Brooklyn was looking out of the window. ~How could this be?~
he thought. ~I
have the strangest feeling that the coven still lives...~
"My love?" Brooklyn looked at Demona, who had a
worried look on her face.
"Yeah?" he asked, looking back out the window.
"You have been preoccupied ever since you woke up
tonight. Is something
wrong?"
Brooklyn shook his head. "It's not important."
"My love, if there is something I can do, or..."
Demona started.
"I DON"T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" he yelled,
eyes flaring up brightly.
Demona backed up, surprised.
"My love..." she said.
Brooklyn turned around, growling under his breath. He
stalked outside the
building to where he had slept. He looked up at the sky.
~Where are you when I need you, Leader?~ he thought to the
heavens.
Demona watched him quietly in the shadows.
* * *
Friday Night
9:47 pm
Courtyard
Castle Wyvern
Lexington watched with sorrowful eyes as Brooklyn and Demona
landed
together. Tonight would be the last night he would ever see
his rookery
brother as part of the clan.
Brooklyn seemed to notice that the clan had saddened eyes,
all looking at
him. He ignored the fact, and walked up to Goliath.
"Well? Have you made a decision?" Brooklyn said,
without his usual wit.
Goliath looked down. "Brooklyn, we decided that it had
to be unanimous in
letting Demona in, and it wasn't." Lexington noticed he
didn't say who
ruined it all, and for the first time in his life, Lexington
threw a
hateful glare at Goliath.
Goliath ignored him. Demona, hearing Goliath's words looked
down to hide
her tears. Brooklyn was angry, and Lexington could see the
rage building up
inside him.
~Just wait a few more seconds, Brook. Then you'll really be
mad,~ he
thought.
"I don't care, Brooklyn, really. I just wanted to be
part of the clan. I
don't mind anymore," Demona said, also noticing the
anger.
"There's more," Goliath said. "Brooklyn,
because you did not tell us what
was happening, you are therefore banished from the
clan."
"WHAT?!" Brooklyn and Demona yelled together.
Brooklyn was in shock, and
staggered as if struck. Demona held Brooklyn up. She turned
to Goliath.
"Are you a fool?" she hissed. "He is your
second in command, and part of
your clan. Just because he tried to help the clan is no reason
to..."
"That is my decision, Demona," Goliath said.
"Everyone may say goodbye,
then I don't want to see either of you again." He
turned and stalked out.
Angela turned to her mother.
"We tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't
listen," she said.
"It was as if he wasn't him anymore," Broadway
added. Hudson agreed.
"I'm sorry, lad, lassie. I am still trying to talk him
out of it. Donnae
give up hope yet."
Lexington's head was reeling. He saw Brooklyn get up, and
glare at the
doorway which Goliath had exited. Brooklyn's eyes lit up,
brighter than
Lexington had ever seen them. Brooklyn walked past
Lexington, muttering,
but Lexington heard his words quite clearly.
If that's the way it is, punk, than that is the way it's
gonna play.
Lexington's head kept spinning, everything was in a whirl.
He thought he
saw Brooklyn and Goliath fighting, Demona trying to stop
them. Brooklyn,
holding Goliath's head up high, eyes burning brightly. Lexington
doubted if
his eyes would ever be the same again. The last image, of
Brooklyn, was
etched in his mind forever.
* * *
Monday Night
8:32 pm
Tower
Castle Wyvern
The stone skin of the gargoyles landed on the ground. All
seven of them
stretched and yawned. Lexington swiveled.
~Seven?~
"Hey, Lex, what's up? You look like you've seen a
ghost!"
Brooklyn's cheerful voice ripped through the dizziness.
"Huh?"
"You heard me. What's wrong?" Lexington shook his
head.
"Just... just a dream."
"Oh, you too, huh?" Lexington spun around to face
him. The light in
Brooklyn's eyes had disappeared.
"What do you mean?" Lexington said. "What was
it about?" Brooklyn squinted,
as if trying to remember.
"The strangest thing...about Demona..." Lexington
froze and his breath
stopped.
"She was dancing around to Sheryl Crow." Lexington
was still gaping, until
Brooklyn's words had finally sunk in. He started laughing.
"I think that would be your new CD that you listened to
all last night," he
said, starting to walk into the castle.
"Hey, wait, what was your dream about?" Brooklyn
stopped him. Lexington
looked back.
"Mine...was about Demona, too. But she definitely
wasn't dancing to Sheryl
Crow." Brooklyn looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"Uh...more like Alanis Morisette," Lexington said.
Brooklyn laughed.
"Well, maybe our dreams will come true someday,"
he said. He left the tower
humming, "When You Wish Upon A Star."