Time by Kristina Brannan

Time

Kristina Brannan

kbrannan@raex.com

http://www.crosswinds.net/~krystiana

---------------------------------------

Gargoyles and all related characters belong to Disney and Buena Vista

Television. Not me. Clear enough?

After struggling through many months of writer's block, distractions from other

series, computer troubles, and sheer laziness, it's done. The fic took over a year

to write. I went to a lot of trouble to finish it, and I'm actually pleased with the

finished product.

However, if I don't get a TON of feedback on this, this will be my last story. I'm

losing my inspiration for Gargoyles fics. They don't write themselves anymore. I

concentrate on whatever I'm being inspired by at the moment. I can't force

myself to write something good. Something good has to be thought about very

carefully. My e-mail address is kbrannan@raex.com, in case you didn't see it at

the top. And please, don't e-mail me saying "I like the story, don't stop writing,

send me a copy of your next story, write more please..." I want REAL feedback.

Tell me what you liked about the story! Tell me what you didn't like! I want to

know. I'm not writing for my own enjoyment (well, not totally)! I want to know

what the people reading my story actually think!! SEND ME MAIL!! I LIKE MAIL!

And if you're new here, you must read these stories in order to fully understand

this:

Music Says It All

To Live Again, Parts I & II

Echoes of the Future

The Gate

Soul Mates, Parts I & II

The Coven Saga, Parts I, II, & III

Faith at Heart

If you like Dragon Ball or Yu Yu Hakusho, visit my website to get other fanfiction.

Oh, and sign my guestbook while you're there.

http://www.crosswinds.net/~krystiana

And so... after a year of production, I finally bring you... "Time." (How's that for

dramatic? :p)

--------------------------------------------------

TIME

In memory of April Hanick

May 11, 1980 - March 13, 1998

PROLOGUE (from "Faith at Heart")

-----------

Elisa sat in her couch, watching the news. Goliath had called her and told

her what had happened. The broadcast was still playing, and would probably be

playing until well after 3 o'clock in the morning. She shook her head,

remembering her own experience with guns. Except it felt worse when it was

done on purpose, as opposed to an accident, even when you didn't know the

person who was shot. Cagney rubbed against her, purring. Elisa stroked her cat,

frowning.

Cagney suddenly began hissing loudly. He leapt off the couch and slid

underneath it. "Cagney?" Elisa asked.

A sudden heat swept through the room. Elisa jerked her head up and

heard a high-pitched whining. A globe of fire formed in the middle of the room,

burning brightly.

The Phoenix Flame dissipated, and Elisa gasped at the figure standing in

her living room.

-----------

Time

-----------

"Krystiana?!" Elisa gasped in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Krystiana shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I... uh... yeah, um..."

"Don't babble."

"I'm not babbling. Just..."

"Stuttering."

"Yeah... I think..."

Elisa gave Krys a strange look. "A bit confused, aren't we?"

Krystiana shook her head, sending her dishevled white hair everywhere.

"No!" she said. "I'm just kinda nervous about something."

"About what?"

"I need your help."

Elisa took a step back. She knew immediately that whatever the job was

Krys wanted her to do, she wouldn't like it. And Krys knew it, too. "Doing what?"

she asked suspiciously.

Krys wrung her hands. "Could you... kinda..."

"Get on with it."

"Go back in time?"

Elisa stared at Krys. Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't this. "What

for?!"

"Um... saving my mother?"

Elisa blinked. "Saving Demona? From what?"

"Humans," Krystiana said with a slight sigh. "I guess you could also find

out why my mom hated humans so much."

Elisa thought for a moment. "Why does it have to be me?"

Krystiana stared at her as if she should know. "Because she knew you

back then! She wouldn't suspect any-"

"Wait, wait. She _knew_ me?" Elisa smiled wryly. "I'm sorry, that's just a

tad early. Like by about a thousand years?"

"No! I mean..." Krys's eyes widened in realization. "Oh... never mind..."

Her face took on a look of deep thought. "Then what did Salem mean?"

Elisa narrowed her eyes. "Salem?" she snarled. "That lying, sneaking,

son of a bitch?"

Krys's eyes flared scarlet for a moment. "What do you mean? He was my

Grandfather!"

Elisa kept her reaction to herself as Krys said "was." Krystiana was from

the future - of course Salem would be dead. Of course _she_ would be dead.

~Damn...~ Elisa thought, for a reason of her own. She looked up, realising Krys

was still waiting for an answer.

Krystiana sighed. "Oh, never mind. I'll come back tommorow night."

* * *

Cassie stared at Sasha. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Sasha said with a slight smirk. "I know that a

few of your friends have wings."

"Uh-huh. And so do you, I suppose. No, wait, don't answer that."

"Cassie, I know you knew Brook before he came to Roosevelt," Sasha

said, sighing. Her face wasn't smiling anymore. Every time someone talked

about Brook, she thought about Faye. Faye's funeral had been today, and Brook

wasn't there. Cassie didn't act all that surprised, and that's when Sasha pieced it

all together. Cassie bit her lip, eyes widening. "How -" She stopped.

"How did I know?" Sasha finished for her. "You know I can spot a liar from

a mile away."

Cassie stared at Sasha blankly.

"You know I wouldn't hurt them," Sasha said softly.

Cassie sighed. "You figure people out too easily." Sasha simply grinned

and Cassie continued. "I'll have to check with them first. I can't just waltz in with

you."

"Well, you could always just plain WALK in with me..." At Cassie's glare,

she stopped and smiled. "I know. You have to ask their permission first."

Cassie stretched. "Now, I got to sleep." She put her keys in the ignition.

"You sure you don't need a ride?"

Sasha nodded. "I'm sure."

Cassie shrugged. "Suit you. Just don't get into trouble, okay?"

"Who, me?"

Cassie smiled grimly and started her car, driving off.

* * *

Lex was having a rather boring patrol with Hudson. Only three muggings

stopped tonight, and two had been just showing up and scaring the muggers

away. What fun.

In the middle of Lexington's thoughts, two screams ripped through Lex

and Hudson's ears. One from the left, the other from the back.

"Two muggings at once?" Lex mused. "That's odd..."

"Who cares about how odd it is!" Hudson snarled. "Ye get the one in de

back! I'll get this one!"

"Yes, sir," Lex mumbled, then turned backwards and dived.

As he landed, he spotted a girl against a tree, with blond hair. The

attacker was your good old average jock - scruffy, scrungy, and slimy.

"Get away!" the girl screamed. She looked like the old-fashioned all-

American girl, if you didn't count the huge hoop earings. A second scream was

cut off as the scruffy, scrungy, slimy man slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Cut it, bitch!" he hissed. "If you're nice, I won't kill you when I'm done."

~When he's done...~ Lex thought blankly. He broke into a run on all fours.

The man began ripping open her dress like an animal. He found her bra,

and began trying to rip it off. Lex sped up as he threw her onto the ground. Just

as the man began undoing her bra strap, Lex ran into him from the side.

"You know why the human race just about doesn't cut it on my "good"

list?" Lex taunted. "Because of assholes like YOU!"

The man's mouth dropped open. "You... you're a..."

"Come on, spit it out. I'm a gargoyle," Lex said, shaking his head. "Yeah, I

kinda noticed that a while ago." With a snort, he added, "I was just as shocked as

you were, believe me."

* * *

Brooklyn sat on the tower's edge, waiting for Cassie. They were going to

go visit someone tonight, someone important. So what could possibly be keeping

Cassie?

"Red!"

Brooklyn turned around sharply to spot Cassie sprinting up the stairs.

"Sorry I'm... late..." she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I-"

"It's okay," Brooklyn interrupted. He held out a hand and didn't say

anything more. Cassie didn't say anything else, either. She simply crawled into

Brooklyn's arms and they took off.

* * *

"So..." Elisa drawled on, trying to break the icy silence that had formed

between her and Krystiana. "Explain to me exactly what you want me to do."

Krys sat, giving Elisa the notion that she should sit as well. Taking out the

Phoenix Gate and setting it on the coffee table, Krys cleared her throat.

"I want you to basically go back in time to 951 A.D. ... in a gargoyle form."

Elisa stared. "'Basically?'"

Krys shrugged, trying to make it look nonchalant, and being rather

unsucessful. "You need to mix in with the crowd. Something is supposed to

happen to my mother the night I'm sending you to. The Sisters never told me

what, but-"

"The _SISTERS?!"_ Elisa gaped at Krys. "As in the Weird Sisters?"

Krystiana nodded. "I know you probably wouldn't trust their word because

you think they have the sensitivity of an earwig, but they are really caring

people. They wouldn't be SISTERS if they weren't."

Elisa opened her mouth to make a smart remark, but shut it quickly,

remembering Krys's reaction to her smart remarks about Salem. "So go on."

"Okay. The Sisters never told me exactly what would happen, but it

involves you rescuing her. Don't ask me how they know it was you, but they

apparently know everything." Elisa could detect a faint trace of resentment in her

voice. Krys continued, ignoring Elisa's expression. "So you just need to go back

in time into a gargoyle's body, stop my mom from being killed... or something...

and come back safe and sound."

Elisa hiked an eyebrow. "Sounds like a breeze. I won't even break a

sweat."

"I do believe I hear sarcasm hidden somewhere in there."

* * *

Brooklyn and Cassie landed at the cemetary. Actually, they landed IN the

cemetary, since it was closed. Brooklyn looked around, absently noticing most of

the names on the headstones were worn off. Here and there was a chunk of

stone missing and a barely noticable burn on the headstone. They were in the

same cemetary where Demona and Hudson fought over a year ago. They had

landed in the old part of the cemetary, of course, to avoid attention. They would

walk over to the new part.

And so they started walking. It was well over a mile away, and Brooklyn

despised having to walk that long. He was used to traveling that great of a

distance on his wings. One major flaw of being a gargoyle was walking. Putting

that much weight on only your toes for great periods of time wasn't fun.

They finally reached the grave they were looking for. It was still fresh,

with new flowers that had barely begun to wilt surrounding it. Some from

teachers, some from classmates, some from relatives... All the blossoms circled

around one name - Faye Jackson.

Brooklyn bent down and laid his own gift there. It was her well-deserved

Best Actress award that she had won for being Titania in the play. The director

had decided she should be included in the awards, even though she wasn't

there. Brooklyn had been up in the rafters, watching Cassie and Sasha accept

the awards on Faye's behalf. Their eyes had been shining then. But it wasn't

with pride - they were with tears. Next to the award he placed a rose.

Bowing his head, he murmed something only audible to him. "I'll come

back later, Faye. I promise." He then stood and backed away.

Cassie then knelt at her friend's foot. She took an envelope out of her

pocket and took out the paper inside. Clearing her throat, she read the words on

the paper.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep

I am a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glints of snow

I am the sunlight on ripened grain

I am the gentle autumn's rain

When you awake in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight

I am the soft star that shines at night

Do not stand at my grave and cry

I am not there, I did not die."

While her voice had started out strong, she ended up in a whisper. Biting

her lip, Cassie folded the paper back up and placed it among the flowers. She

stood for a moment, staring at Faye's name. The she turned to Brooklyn.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Okay, so how exactly do you plan to put me into a gargoyle's body?"

Krys sighed. "Magic."

"Gee, as if that's not obvious."

"I sense more sarcasm."

"Do you, now?"

Krys stared at Elisa. "You are NEVER this difficult to talk to in my time."

"We're not in your time."

"I noticed that." Krystiana glared at her. "Are we just going to sit here and

yak at each other?"

"You're the one who got off track."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..."

"We're just frustrating ourselves." Elisa said after a moment. "Just explain

what's going to happen."

Krystiana sighed. "It's really kind of hard to 'just explain,' but I'll try." She

looked up. "I'm going to put you into a gargoyle's body using Wicca."

Elisa responded with a blank stare.

"Witchcraft."

Elisa's eyes simply widened this time.

And since Elisa apparently wasn't planning on saying anything soon, Krys

continued. "It's not really a simple spell, but it's not hard to mess up."

"What happens if you do mess up?"

"I won't mess up."

"But just say you did... what would happen to me?"

Krys glowered at Elisa. "You'd turn into a mindless paranoid."

"I - hey!"

"Nothing will happen. At the worst, your carpet might get a little singed."

Elisa stared. "We're doing the spell in my APARTMENT?!"

* * *

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep

Brooklyn landed at the castle tower and let Cassie get to her feet. "I need

some time to think - alone..." he said, avoiding Cassie's eyes.

Cassie simply looked sympathetic and forlorn at the same time. She

nodded an understanding and went inside.

Brooklyn sat on the tower wall, looking up at the moon and not really

seeing it. He zoned out to the sounds around him and let his mind simply float.

Faye's smiling face... Faye lying there dead. Faye calling him a fucking

asshole for giving her a concussion... Faye's blood all over his hands. Faye

laughing, Faye talking to him, Faye, Sasha, and Cassie all acting up and getting

in trouble... Faye...

FAYE!

Brooklyn felt a tear escape from his eye, bringing him out of his spaced-

out time zone. "I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I'm sorry..."

Two glittering eyes watched him from the shadows.

* * *

Demona peered at Brooklyn. She had never in her life seen him look like

he did now. He needed someone by him, to help him...

Part of an instinct made her want to go comfort him herself, but she

quickly shook the thought out of her head. Even in his distraught state, his

hatred for her would still burn through.

Something about that made her feel hurt.

Why did she suddenly feel so attached to Brooklyn?

She shook her head. This was not the matter at hand.

But sneaking her way around and into the castle, she couldn't get the

crimson second-in-command off her mind.

* * *

Lexington sighed as he and Hudson landed at the tower. Brooklyn was

sitting there, looking more solemn then he usually did. He didn't notice Lexington

and Hudson's arrival, or he chose to ignore it. Lex was about to go talk to him,

but Hudson pulled him back, shaking his head.

"Let him be, lad," Hudson said. "Let him be."

Lex reluctantly nodded and turned to go into the castle. The first thing he

saw was an azure head with frizzled red hair...

"Demona!" he yelped. The female gargoyle turned and growled at him.

She leapt at him, but he dodged to the side, yelling something resembling a

warning to Hudson and Brooklyn.

Hudson was too close to the doorway to be ready, and Demona barreled

into him. Brooklyn, however, had time to stand up and face her.

Lexington had gotten outside by now, and watched as the most

astounding thing happened. Brooklyn and Demona had both tensed for a fight,

but now they were just staring at each other. Not waiting for the other to make a

move, just looking at each other. Then, as Lexington and Hudson watched them

in amazement, they both slowly relaxed, and they just STARED.

"What are they doing?" Lexington whispered to Hudson.

That little sound got a reaction from both of them. Brooklyn tensed up

again, and Demona turned towards them, hissing. She then shot one last look at

Brooklyn before jumping off the tower and taking off into the air. Brooklyn

watched her glide away with a look of confusion on his face.

Hudson was getting up, brushing himself off. He looked at Brooklyn.

"What was that all about, lad?"

Brooklyn turned towards Hudson. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't

know. It was strange..." he trailed off, turning his head back towards Demona's

diminishing form.

"What was strange, lad?"

"I... I couldn't attack her."

* * *

Cassie tiptoed into the library. "Goliath?" she called out. "You in here?"

"Over here, Cassandra." Goliath's deep voice came from behind the

stacks.

"Just Cassie, or Candy, Goliath," Cassie corrected. She walked over to

Goliath, straining her eyes in the dark.

"What can I help you with... Cassie?" Goliath asked.

"Well, I need to ask you a question. I know I haven't known you that long

or anything-" She cut off, relectant to ask the question.

"You're going to ask me a question and you're afraid I'll say no, aren't

you?"

Cassie stared at him. "You're psychic, Goliath."

"So what is the question?"

"Um... I have a friend that kinda figured you out."

"What?"

"Oh, um... my friend Sasha figured out that 'a few of my friends have

wings.' Her words, not mine. Brook sorta gave it away when..." She didn't finish

the sentence, but Goliath knew what she was talking about. "She wants an

introduction. She wouldn't hurt you or anything!" Cassie said. "She may be a bit

of a martial arts freak, but she would never drop kick anyone without being

threatened."

Goliath smiled. "You can bring her here, if you wish."

"Hell, yeah, I wish!" Cassie blurted out. "Oops..." She smiled, looking

rather meek. "Sorry... it just gets tiring keeping a secret like big things with wings

and glowing eyes that turn to statues during the day all by yourself."

"What about Elisa?"

"Elisa? She's never around..."

* * *

Elisa glared at the gargoyle. "Couldn't you have waited until my night off

so I wouldn't of had to call in sick?"

"No."

"I'm losing money by doing this."

"Is money more important then a friend's love?"

"I-" Elisa didn't say anything more, and watched as Krys set the stuff up.

"So what exactly am I doing?"

"I already told you."

"No, I mean in the spell."

"Sleeping."

Elisa glowered at her. "What?"

"Sleeping."

"I heard you. Why?"

"Because I told you so, and because if you're awake the spell won't work,

and you really WILL turn into mindless putty."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

* * *

Demona stormed into her building, growling. What on EARTH had come

over her?

What had changed about Brooklyn that wouldn't let her attack him?

Or perhaps she, herself, had changed...

She shook her head. She felt the same as always.

At least he looked as incapitated as she had felt when they laid eyes on

each other. But that probably didn't say the same for the rest of the clan.

Which meant she couldn't go back until she figured out what was wrong

with her. Didn't mean she could send someone else...

A slow smile crept up her lips. She knew exactly who to call.

* * *

I am a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glints of snow

Brooklyn felt the cool breeze run through his hair as he still stared off into

the direction that Demona had gone. What the hell had been running through his

mind when he faced her?

"Hey, Red."

Brooklyn turned his head towards Cassie's smiling face. "What's up,

Cass?"

"I've got a surprise for you tommorow," Cassie said, her smile turning

slightly maniacal.

Brooklyn cringed. "Why does that not make me feel excited?"

* * *

Demona set down the phone, smirking. Those two were ecstatic about

how much she was paying them.

She just hoped they didn't get sidetracked, as they were known to do.

Now, about Brooklyn... what had happened back there?

Demona walked over to the window and crossed her arms, looking at the

moon outside. Finding herself touching the necklace around her neck, she froze.

Could her old feelings for the Coven be resurfacing? She HAD made a

vow...

She suddenly gripped the necklace and put a hand on the window to

steady herself as a wave of dizziness came over her. Still gripping the necklace

until her knuckles were white, she looked out into the night.

Something was happening.

* * *

Krystiana looked at Elisa's peaceful face in front of her as she called on

the four Watchtowers to watch over them as she worked the magic.

Krys had lied. The spell wasn't easy, and it WAS dangerous. But she

wasn't exactly an amatuer at Wicca, and she had gone over the steps a hundred

times in her mind.

Krystiana thanked the Watchtowers before kneeling down in the middle of

the circle she had drawn. She glanced at Elisa's face one more time before

beginning. Finally, she bent down her head and closed her eyes.

"Powers of Air, I call on you, with your blessings."

A wind suddenly began blowing through her hair, lifting it up off her neck.

"Powers of Fire, I call on you, with your blessings."

She heard something of a roar of flames, feeling heat at her back.

"Powers of Water, I call on you, with your blessings."

The sound of trickling reached her ears.

"Powers of Earth, I call on you, with your blessings."

Beneath her, the ground began shaking. "I thank you." She opened her

eyes and lit the candle in front of her. "Fire and Air," she whispered. She bowed

her head again.

"Traveling on Air, protected by flames."

She reached into a bowl beside her and dipped her hand into it. She put

her hand on Elisa's head, and then picked up the bowl and poured the rest over

her body.

"Protected by Fire, doused by liquid."

She finally reached into a bag beside her and took out a handful of dirt.

She sprinkled it around Elisa, circling her.

"Traveling on Air, Protected by Fire, Doused by Water, Mission by Earth."

Krys held both of her hands over Elisa and looked into the candle flame.

"In this time of need,

Go now, by my weaving.

Go now, by my heed.

Go now, without delay."

Krys slowly moved one of her hands over to the candle flame, and held it

there. She hissed in pain, but ignored it.

"In this time of need,

Go now, by my weaving.

Go now, by my heed.

Go now, without delay."

On the last word, she pinched the flame out.

* * *

Elisa's mind drifted.

* * *

I am the diamond glints of snow

Brooklyn shivered. What the hell was going on? He suddenly felt so

cold...

He turned and looked into the castle, getting a strange feeling. "Who..."

he began. He stopped, halfway grinning. ~Boy, I feel like a moron,~ he absently

thought, going inside.

He walked in, cautiously. There was something of a thickness in the air.

There was someone in here.

He peered around the corner of the door, squinting and straining his night

vision. The corner had a low ceiling, and too many shadows for his comfort. He

ducked down and took a few steps in-

"Brooklyn!!"

"WAGAAGH!!!!" Brooklyn jerked up and smacked his head on the rock

overhead. "OUCH!!!"

Angela blinked. "What _are_ you doing, Brooklyn?"

Brooklyn stepped out of the corner, rubbing his head. "I'm playing hide

and seek with my invisible goldfish."

"Ah...." Angela raised an eyeridge. "Must be fun..." She glanced at

Broadway, who was (rather unsucessfully) trying to stop laughing.

"Are you okay?" Angela finally said, after she stopped Brooklyn from

threatening to "kick Broadway's gargoyle ass to Hong Kong and back."

"I'm fine," Brooklyn muttered, still rubbing his head. "My ego has been

bruised, though."

"Oh, dear me. We can't have that, can we?" Lex said as he came around

the corner. He looked at Brooklyn and smirked. "Um... you've got a large lump

on your head, there."

"SHUT UP!!!!" Brooklyn shouted, before stalking off to find some ice,

mumbling something along the lines of "I'm surrounded by morons..."

"He's in a pleasant mood, wouldn't you say?" Broadway said after his

rookery brother had turned the corner a few minutes ago.

"I HEARD THAT!!" Brooklyn's voice came booming around the corner. He

suddenly hopped back in front of them, with both hands behind his back. "Why

don't you go do something constructive?"

That earned him three stares.

"You've gone completely and utterly insane, Brook, old buddy," Lex said

after a moment.

"Oh, have I, now?" A grin started spreading across Brooklyn's beak.

"You're... plotting something, aren't you?" Broadway said.

"However did you guess?" Brooklyn said as he brought his hand in front

of him.

"GACK!" Lex sputtered as he got a large stream of water in his face.

Broadway and Angela began sprinting away from the angry Brooklyn

armed with a Super Soaker.

* * *

no sense of being

who am i

what am i

no hands

no feet

no eyes

no life

nothing