Through the Fog and Misty Air
By Auburn Red
A Gargoyles Fanfic.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me; they belong to Disney and Greg Weisman. There are mentions of Prince Quicksilver and Malachite who are created by Sarah Hoyt author of the Shakespearean Fantasy series (if you are a fan of Shakespeare or fantasies, read those books! They are terrific!) There is a mention of Queen Clarion of the Disney Fairies series. I don't make profit, I just have fun. I did however create Heather and Judith Walker, and Dr. Helena Luxembourg.
Author's Note: Since I swear no allegiance to any continuity, and I have never read the graphic novels, I am just using my own. This takes place sometimes after the second season, but to hedge my bet no third season is referred to, neither the Goliath Chronicles nor the graphic novels.
Chapter One: Waning Crescent
March 25, 1911, New York City- The flames from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory burned throughout the day. People watched as the blaze circulated in the chilly spring air. Some bystanders covered their ears at the screams of the women inside. The firefighters struggled to reach the top floor, but their ladders couldn't reach.
The onlookers all paid attention to the chaos, so no one noticed the three women watching the factory fire. If they noticed them at all, they may have thought that they were triplets, sisters at least. They were dressed alike, similar to any other woman of the period with blue ankle-length skirts and jackets, white blouses hung to their torsos, and their hair tied back in the New Woman style under their straw hats. They also had the same hypnotic blue eyes and small faces. There were two differences between them. One difference was their hair color. One had silver hair, another black, and the third blond. The other difference between them was the expression on their faces. The silver haired woman had a look of indifference, the blond had a look of horror and grief, and the dark haired woman had her mouth in a firm line of barely disguised hatred.
"After almost a thousand years among them, the cruelty of humans still dismays me," Phoebe, the blond said. She turned her head as one of the women inside the factory ran to the window and broke the glass. Despite the firefighter's shouts to hold on, she screamed and leaped out of the window to the pavement below. Phoebe clung to her sister, Luna's hand and leaned on her other sister, Selene's shoulder for support. She tried to avert her gaze to avoid the other women who leaped to the pavement below, but the screams and horrified gasps from the onlookers still upset her. Phoebe took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "I knew her, the first mortal who jumped," she said. "Her family arrived in this country not even a month ago. All she wanted to do was work to provide for them. Why did these mortals not help her or any of them?"
"Because no one cares about these women," Selene sharply retorted. "You heard that group earlier." During one of their explorations of the city, the Weird Sisters had encountered a group of socialists, particularly their fiery speaker, Emma Goldman. Luna and Phoebe remained disenchanted, but Selene was interested as she was in many mortals, particularly women who were fighters. "These mortals who control these factories are the real criminals. Those women didn't have chance. What they need is vengeance!"
"What they need, "Phoebe's voice grew stronger. "is compassion. I have seen many mortals helping them like that Addams woman." Phoebe had befriended very few mortals in their forced exile, but one that interested her was Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House. She had the same selfless spirit that she recognized in many nuns. "Someone needed to care for these women and helped them."
"Do you see anyone helping them now," Selene retorted. "The only hope that they have is to fight those who imprison them!"
"What they need," Luna interrupted "Is for you two to not interfere. Have either of you forgotten that we are not to interfere with mortals?"
"Many of our kind do, such as the Tricksters like your 'dearest love,'" Selene said teasing her sister.
Luna rolled her eyes and felt the blush creeping up to her cheeks. "That does not matter."
"Besides did we not bend that rule in aiding the Archmage?" Phoebe reminded her sister. "And are we still involving ourselves in the lives of Demona and Macbeth?"
"Answer that sister," Selene demanded.
Luna shook her head and turned from the other two. "That is different," she said finding no course in the truth of her sisters' words. "We began that dance centuries ago and there is no need to revert the course. Now we must leave this scene. One of our preys will soon awaken and will encounter the Hunter once more" Luna was about to turn away, but Phoebe and Selene turned to look once more at the carnage and the fire behind them. "Come sisters we must forget this scene."
Selene turned to Phoebe. Management drone, Selene said mentally about Luna. She heard one of Goldman's followers use that term and thought it was rather clever. Despite the tragedy, Phoebe gave a slight smile and giggle at her sister's comment.
"We may be 10,000 years old, but our mental link is as sharp as ever," Luna retorted. "Now come, we have other things to do!" Selene and Phoebe followed not arguing or disagreeing with their sister again.
Avalon, Present Day- It was a warm summer evening in Avalon. Luna, Selene, and Phoebe bathed in the nearby waterfall watching the full moon rise over them. It shone over the three sisters like a mother over her children. In a way, it was. Luna relaxed in the water, her silver hair floating in the water as she lazily opened one eye to look at the sky. She opened another eye hearing Selene's voice biting with her usual vindictiveness. "Look at them," Selene glowered. Luna looked upwards to see the Avalon clan of gargoyles gliding overhead.
"What about them?" Phoebe asked. She leaned against the side paying more attention to a group of blue irises nearby than her sisters until Selene spoke.
"How dare they still be here," Selene growled. "Those invaders, those – After all they did to us!"
"Relax, sister," Phoebe sighed. Selene sometimes had a temper that could last for centuries. "We have no choice but to coexist with them."
"Besides," Luna added. "They are under Lord Oberon's protection as well." Selene rolled her eyes, but chose to say nothing. The three sisters bathed in peace and silence, until Luna's ears perked up. She could hear faint giggling in the air. Where did it come from? It sounded male and very familiar. She opened one eye and saw images of herself and her sisters enlarged on a nearby wall for all of Avalon to see. Luna's eyes widened. "SISTERS!" she yelled. Phoebe and Selene glanced at their normally calm wise sister and looked where she was pointed. Their nude images followed their every movement like a large mirror mocking the real beings. "Who could have done this?" Phoebe gasped. She received her answer in the form of three men laughing. The Weird Sisters turned around to see Coyote, Raven, and Anansi clapping and whistling.
"Ah we return once more to Avalon's beauties," Coyote grinned sardonically.
"Yes we would have charged admission but the line would have stretched out," Anansi added.
"YOUUU," Selene hissed. She rose from the water, her pale face ruddy with anger. Phoebe and Luna held her down.
"Behave, Selene," Luna warned.
"Yeah besides what are you gonna do to us-uh oh," Coyote taunted until he saw Selene force herself from her sisters' grasp and run towards the Tricksters screaming with rage. Coyote and Anansi gasped and disappeared with Selene following close behind.
"Now be merciful, Selene," Phoebe called following her dark-haired sister. Luna and Raven faced each other alone.
Luna didn't look directly at the Trickster. Instead she dressed and tried to avoid his gaze. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Raven asked. "Like ha hah or I'm going to kill you?"
"If I thought about you, I would say something," Luna said. "But however, I do not lower myself to such standards as yours."
"Ah because you Royal fairies can't?" Raven taunted. He stuck his tongue out at the white-haired fairy and danced away from her. He walked a few steps when he lost his footing and tumbled into the water. "Oh boy," he gasped. The Trickster had a half-second before he realized that the Weird Sisters had shifted the water in front of him, so he would fall in.
"No, because I don't have to," Luna said snidely. "Now if you will at least attempt to be a noble fairy and let me pass-"She tried to move forward picking up her skirts as Raven blocked her path. He did this several times, before he stepped aside in a lavish bow.
"Can I not acknowledge beauty?" Raven asked.
"Can you not acknowledge defeat?" Luna returned as she approached her sisters. Phoebe and Selene arrived without their targets.
"We got half way around the isle before we trapped them into the falls," Selene grimaced. The Tricksters had left finding new pursuits. "Why must those fools still mock us?"
"Perhaps its affection," Phoebe teased. Luna rolled her eyes and gently shoved her sister. "You and Raven have engaged in your merry dance since before the exile."
"Yes, a dance I often weary of," Luna said sarcastically. Clouds began to form over the northern mountains.
"What are those fools doing now?" Selene asked.
Luna glanced around feeling a sudden chill as the Avalonian sky darkened and the stars and moon were no longer visible. "I don't believe that's them," she said her voice foreboding.
Oberon and Titania danced in their ornate palace. The messiness at The Gathering was long over and now the Fairy King and Queen could enjoy the rekindling of their marriage and the reunion of their subjects/family. Music played in the air not from any instruments but all around the ornate palace as the king and queen danced their waltz. "My queen, my love we are all together at last in this island where there is no harm, no fear from the outside world. "
Titania smiled as her husband twirled her under his hand. She laughed, but then became sorrowful. She pulled away from her husband and glanced at a portrait that hung in the king and queen's private chambers. "True, but not all of us are in Avalon's enchanted isle, my lord," she said sadly pointing at the portrait. The portrait showed the image of a white haired young man dressed in a dark blue tunic and leggings. The outfit was so blue that it appeared black making his pale frame and long hair almost ghostly in appearance. After a second, the form changed to that of a statuesque dark-haired woman in a white gown. "How could we be out into the world of mortals for so long and never found a trace of him?"
Oberon wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Quicksilver is not lost to us forever. He shall return to us one day," but his words didn't sound anymore encouraging to him than to his wife. Despite the separation, the years of exile, their son was never gone from either of their minds. Conceived during a brief reconciliation between the king and queen, Quicksilver had the odd characteristic of changing inadvertently from male to female form. Despite this oddity, they had adored their son and hoped that when the time came he would emerge once more a prince of Avalon. However, a war during the Renaissance drove the boy from them and he wandered off alone. True, Oberon and Titania had found other spouses and bore other children. (They had even hoped to overcome the loss of their son with Titania's grandson, Alexander) but Quicksilver, the boy that was the product of their union was the one that they hoped would return.
"I hope that you are right, my Oberon," Titania said.
"Aren't I always?" the king impishly asked.
"Not while you are married," Titania smiled ruefully.
"One more dance," Oberon asked. He suddenly shivered as he felt a chilling presence. Titania felt it as well.
The door slammed open as a small dark-haired being appeared. He bowed low. "Your majesties, I am sorry to interrupt," Malachite said.
Oberon sighed annoyed at the stream of interruption. "We are not your majesties," he jested.
Malachite gasped. "Then who are you?"
Oberon waved his hand. "Never mind, Malachite what do you want?"
Malachite started. "But you just said-"
"-Malachite," Oberon interrupted. "Continue."
"There is a storm outside," the fairy changeling servant said. The king and queen pulled away from each other to give the servant their undivided attention. "We think it's from the outside world."
Oberon sprang up at once. "Sound the alarm. Summon the children! Do whatever it takes to stop that storm!"
The sky around Avalon was completely dark as gale force winds ripped the island from its roots.
Fairies appeared from the skies, under the ground, up from the waters; from the heavens it seemed to do their part. Tom the Guardian yelled. "Gargoyles seek shelter!" Katherine ushered the smaller gargoyles inside the castle while the older ones prepared to fight whatever the storm brought.
The storm continued to pick up sending waves the sizes of building crashing to the shore. The mer-people and undines used their magic to calm the storm, but it seemed the more they tried the worse it got. Sylphs fought against the winds with their own winds. Each time they pulled them back.
"Somehow I don't think any of this is working, "Coyote shouted over the storm trying to maintain his balance.
"No joke wolf boy," Raven yelled back as he reverted to his raven form to try to regain some balance and hold onto his friend.
In Manhattan, Angela and the trio were gliding patrol in the cool clear night. Angela and Broadway glided hand in hand, when Angela let go and almost fell. Broadway glided to his girlfriend's aid. "Angie, are you okay?" he asked grabbing onto her waist. Brooklyn and Lexington were a little further ahead but they turned at Broadway's cry of alarm.
Despite the ill feeling, Angela clung to the rotund Gargoyle and couldn't resist a tease. "Don't call me Angie," she quipped.
"What happened, Angela?" Brooklyn asked as he and the youngest rookery brother ran to the couple.
"I'm fine," Angela said. "I just felt something odd for a moment there. "She rubbed her head. "It seems to be gone."
Alexander's persistent wail called his mother into his room. Fox picked up her son and soothed him. She hoped it was just the typical cry of a baby and nothing to do with the awful feeling that she just felt half a moment before. "It's okay," Fox soothed. "I hope so. It was just a dream, just your imagination." I hope, she thought.
The door opened and Owen appeared at the door. The confused ill worried expression on the normally bland personal assistant of her husband convinced Fox that it was no dream. "Mrs. Xanatos, I assume you felt it too," he said. Fox could do nothing but nod. After a minute, Alex stopped crying and Fox and Owen glanced at each other in surprise.
"That's weird, it's over," Fox said.
Owen nodded. "That's what worries me," the servant said in an ominous tone.
A clap of thunder resounded throughout the island just as a blast of lightening hit Avalon dead center. All of the residents drew back in surprise. Just then, the storm had ended. The rain stopped and the thunder and lightning disappeared. The waves receded back to low ripples and the wind soothed to the gentle breeze as before. The clouds dissipated to reveal the starry night and the waning crescent moon.
"It's over," Titania said surprised.
"Not quite," Oberon pointed to the moon. "It was full before, was it not?" Titania's eyes widened. Oberon called to his people. "Everyone do a search to see if all of Avalon's residents are here!"
Daylight approached by the time that Avalon's concerned and frightened residents returned to Oberon and Titania's castle. Even Princess Katherine and Tom visited the king and queen's castle since the gargoyles were present and accounted for and had turned to stone.
"Everyone is here my friend," Odin stood before the king.
The Morrigan nodded. "Aye, we even went as far as Pixie's Hollow. Queen Clarion said that all of her people are present and accounted for as well." She turned to the Banshee who nodded in confirmation.
"Well that's everyone," Oberon said.
"Not quite, "Raven's voice interrupted. He pointed over the hills. "My lord, you should see this."
A small of party of fairies led by Oberon, Titania, and Raven floated to the hill. They found the figure of a white-haired female fairy with her head buried in her hands and her hair askew. Luna looked up, her cerulean eyes filled with tears. "Where are they?" she asked desperately. "I can't find them. I can't feel them, I'm alone!"
Heather and Judith Walker returned to the labyrinth glancing behind them. "Are they gone?" Judi asked her big sister. Her green eyes searched frantically for the men who were chasing them.
Heather tugged at her sister's brown ponytail. "I think so," she handed her one half of the apple that they stole from a tourist picnicking in Central Park. The two sisters struggled to hold onto their bags.
"Hey Blondie," said a rough voice from behind her. Heather looked up terrified as three men approached her, the same three men that very lewdly suggested that they take the girls home. The bald one approached them. "Think you can get away from us. Now this ain't a place for a kid."
Heather stood in front of her sister protecting her as Judi cowered in fear. If there was one thing the 12-year-old learned on the streets, it was how to talk her way out of trouble. "You're right," she said batting her eyes. "We were looking for our pet cat. My goofy sister let him run away and this was the last place that we saw him. If you get out of our way, I'm sure we'll find him-"
The three men looked at each other and laughed uproariously. "Sure," the dark haired man said with an unmistakable leer. "We'll help you look for him, senorita!" The men guffawed as one of them reached out to touch the adolescent girl. None of them noticed the dark winged shadow form behind them, but Heather did. She poked Judi on the shoulder and motioned her forward.
"Oh good, there's our cat now, "Heather pointed behind the men. They looked behind them as a tiger with large wings growled and lunged at the three intruders. He shoved the first one down. The thug's friends tried to attack, but Claw reared his talons at them and sent them back. Terrified the three thugs ran from the labyrinth and away from the young girls.
Claw helped Heather to rise. "Thanks, Claw," the blonde girl said to her rescuer. Claw as usual didn't respond, but crossed his arms in a stern fatherly approach and tapped his foot disappointed. Heather sighed. "I know we're supposed to stay out of trouble, but we got plenty of food!" She showed the bags to the tiger mutate. Claw waved his fore-finger as if to say "no no." "I know stealing's wrong, but we steal from the rich to give to the poor you know like Robin Hood." Claw motioned around at the food as Heather continued. "Well it's for us, we're poor." Claw shook his head, but smiled at the impudent girl.
"Claw, Heather, there's an angel!" Judi ran up to the tiger and her sister.
Heather rolled her eyes. "Right, Judi, sure," the girl said. Despite the hard life, the sisters shared, Judith still had a wide imagination that occasionally still believed in Santa Claus, angels, and other stuff. Heather didn't want to end that for her, but sometimes she had to set her baby sister straight.
"No look," Judi pointed at the end of the labyrinth tunnel. Claw and Heather exchanged glances as they followed the girl. They looked to where she pointed. A blonde woman lay on the ground as the water from up above dribbled onto her face. She had been bruised and her white gown was torn. She appeared delicate as if the slightest wind would snuff her out. "See, I told you it's an angel," Judi said stubbornly. "But I think she's dead. I think someone killed her."
"Idiot," Heather corrected. "It's not an angel, it's a lady."
"Well how did she get here then, hmm?" Judi challenged.
Claw pulled the girls aside to get them to stop fighting. He then leaned down and gently touched the young woman. She moaned as she felt the touch of the gargoyles hands around her body, but she fell back to sleep. Claw motioned the girls to follow him as he carried the unconscious woman into the labyrinth where their friends awaited.
It was dark down the corridors. Dr. Sevarious followed his colleague, Dr. Luxemburg down the hallway. "I told you it wouldn't work," he taunted the female scientist. While, no one could call Anton Sevarious sane by any means, but he always felt that Helena Luxemburg's theories made his seem commonplace by comparison. He followed the tall muscular woman down to the prison. Her dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail bounced down her back as she walked. She opened the peephole to the prison and sighed with satisfaction. "Oh ye of little faith," she told her colleague. "Take a look, come on?" Anton shrugged and glanced inside the prison and started with surprise and satisfaction.
There was a woman in the prison. She was bound by iron chains at her wrists and ankles. Her dark hair was matted spilling across her shoulders in a messy fashion. She wore a gray prison suit on her body. She glared at her captors ready to seek revenge. She tried to move once more, growling in frustration at the attempt. "Let me out of here," she commanded, her voice filled with rage. "I will get out, do you hear me? I will get out!"
Luxemburg turned to Sevarius. "Now do you believe me?" she challenged.
"I do love a woman with brains," Anton flirted pulling Helena closer.
She pulled away. "Not now, we must tell Mr. Duvall the wonderful news that we have successfully captured one of them!" She closed the peephole as she and Sevarious left the corridor as Selene's screams of rage filled the otherwise silent hallway.
Author's Notes:
The title is one of The Weird Sisters' first lines in the play Macbeth. The whole line is "Fair is foul and foul is fair/Through the fog and misty air."
The chapter titles are named after phases of the lunar cycle (Since the Weird Sisters are named after moon goddesses, it seemed to fit). The Waning Crescent is the time right before the New Moon where the moon is least visible in the sky.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was a very real tragedy. 148 garment workers, all of them women died. The real tragedy was that the building was locked and the elevators didn't work so many of the women plummeted to their deaths to escape the flames. Many union activists, suffragists, and immigrant rights advocates cited the fire as a call for reform.
Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was an activist who advocated anarchy, feminism, and socialism. She was admired and vilified by many. Though she did not commit violence or aggressive tactics on her own, some were inspired by her to act particularly Leon Czolgosz the assassin of President William McKinley.
Jane Addams (1860-1935) was a humanitarian who founded Hull House the first settlement house in the U.S., which provided education, aid, and assistance to Chicago's poor.
Heather and Judith are named for two actresses who died young, Heather O'Rourke (1975-1988) and Judith Barsi (1978-1988). O'Rourke, the star of the Poltergeist films, died of septic shock from intestinal stenosis. Barsi, the voice of Ducky in Land Before Time and Anne Marie in All Dogs Go To Heaven, was shot to death by her father.
Helena Luxemburg name was partly inspired by Helena Rubinstein (1870-1965) a cosmetics scientist and founder of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated and by Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919), a Marxist essayist and activist and anti-war activist during WWI.