Hi, all! Here is my fourth gargoyles FanFic, the first one with yours truly. All the characters (except me!)
in here belong to Buena Vista and Disney, and are a non-profit thingy. So DON'T SUE ME! Krystiana is
mine, and if you want to use her in one of your stories, e-mail me and tell me (the addy is at the bottom).
NOTE:This takes place after Gargoyles, The Goliath Chronicles, and my stories. If you haven't read my
other stories (Music Says It All, To Live Again, Part I, and To Live Again, Part II) GO READ THEM!!!
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go!
****************************
"Previously on Gargoyles..."
Vows
Demona: Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!
[Phoenix flame]
Future Tense
Goliath: Time is like a river, correcting it's course against any change. History cannot be altered.
Vows
Demona: It seems time is immutable.
To Live Again Part II
[Elisa falling, Demona catching her]
Elisa: Brooklyn got to say thank you, but I didn't.
Demona: Don't think this changes anything, _human._ But you are welcome.
Temptation
Demona: I just saved your life. Doesn't that at least entitle me to a moment of your time?
Brooklyn: All right. I'm listening.
[Brooklyn and Demona talking]
[Brooklyn sneaking into the castle and stealing the Grimorum]
Brooklyn: You're insane! Give me that book!
Demona: Brooklyn, wait. You must trust me.
Brooklyn: I was a fool to trust you!
Reawakening
[Brooklyn and Demona fighting]
Brooklyn: Got any spells to save you now?
Long Way 'Til Morning
Brooklyn: I've got a few things to settle with her.
Goliath: Brooklyn is still too angry at Demona.
Future Tense
Brooklyn: Are you all right, my love?
Demona: Yes, now that I'm back in your arms.
Goliath: You two? Together?
Music Says It All
[Brooklyn and Demona hugging]
Lexington: Just a dream...
Future Tense
Puck: Was it a dream? Or a prophecy?
Goliath: I must know!
Puck: Like I'd tell you.
Music Says It All
Brooklyn: Maybe someday our dreams will come true.
*****************************************************************
Echoes of the Future
Castle Wyvern
2044 A.D.
Krystiana watched in horror as the metal bindings around her father tightened. They seemed to
be squeezing the life out him, or his soul. She reached out to him, yelling, but he couldn't hear her. The
collar around him showed it. He belonged to the Dark Ones. He was one of them now.
His eyes, always bright and full of life, seemed to grow hard and cold. Even as she watched, she
could sense him grow more evil by the second.
* * *
Until she felt the regular buzzing she felt that she felt right before she woke up. The stone skin
around her cracked, and she burst out of the shell with a roar that sounded like a panther's.
She stumbled and looked at where her father usually perched. He was there, and he looked at her
with concern.
"Krys?" he said. "What's wrong?" Krystiana looked away, half expecting him to lash out at her.
"Nothing, Dad. Just a bad dream," she said, avoiding his eyes.
"Your dreams have a knack of coming true, Krys," her mother said, coming out of the castle.
"Really...it didn't mean anything," she said.
"Krystiana, tell us," her father said sternly.
~He must be serious. He never calls me by my full name...~ she thought.
"It was about the Dark Ones," Krystiana began. She looked at her father and tried to find any
trace of the evil eyes in the dream, but couldn't, thankfully.
"Dad, they had you. They had you wrapped up in these metal cable things, and your eyes..." She
didn't show much emotion, as she always did, always indifferent.
~It's not going to come true. I won't let it,~ Krystiana swore inwardly. ~I'll go straight to Hell
before he becomes a Dark One.~
"Krys..." her mother said. "Are you sure it was Brooklyn?" Krystiana nodded.
"Brooklyn, her dreams come true so much..."
"I don't want to hear it, Demona. It's not going to come true," he said, holding up a hand. He
turned and walked into the castle.
* * *
Demona watched Brooklyn's retreating back go into the castle. She looked back at their daughter,
Krystiana, who seemed to be looking at anything but her father.
"Krys?"
Krystiana looked up at Demona. "Mom...I can't let it happen. I won't lose him..."
"We won't let it happen, Krys," Demona said. Krystiana looked at her mother and gave a short
nod. She whirled around and practically ran into Lara Xanatos.
"Hey, I just saw Brooklyn in there...I haven't seen him that XXXXed in a long time," she said,
raising an eyebrow.
"Lara? How are you? How is Alex?" Krystiana asked, concerned.
"Dad? Oh, he's doing much better. After what happened..."
"Did the doctors say anything about how he is?" Demona said, coming up next to them.
"They expect a full recovery."
Krystiana smiled. Alexander Xanatos had been the one who had taught her how to glide. By
accident, actually. Alex had been fifteen, while she was seven. They were teasing each other when
Krystiana got really mad and pushed him off Castle Wyvern. She realized what she had done and jumped
off after him. She caught him under the shoulders and spread her wings as far as they would go, and she
was gliding for the first time in her life. Hudson swore it was the earliest he had ever seen a hatchling
glide.
Hudson had died of old age the next year, and the year after that the Dark Ones had surfaced.
They had gotten Goliath, and they were unable to save him. They had to kill him to save the rest of the
clan.
She could barely remember either of them, but everything she did remember of them was good.
"Krys?"
She looked around and realized that Lara had left. She turned back around and say Angela.
"Krys? Are you okay?"
Krystiana nodded and smiled reassuringly.
"I heard about the dream," Angela said. "Do you think it's true?"
Krystiana snarled and shook her head. "It won't come true. I won't let it."
"Krys...but you were right when you had that dream before Goliath..." Angela suppressed her
tears. "Before Goliath..."
"Angela, I'm sorry," Krystiana said. "I don't really remember Goliath. I wish I did, though."
* * *
"Krys!"
Krystiana turned to see her father waving at her. She ran up to him.
"There has been an attack, in Central Park," said Brooklyn. "We're going to go check it out."
They glided off and met up with Demona and the others. Bronx was staying behind to guard the
castle.
"Do you think it's the Dark Ones?" Krystiana asked. Brooklyn nodded his head.
"All the descriptions were like their attacks usually are."
They soon saw there was something going on there. "There!" Krystiana said, spotting the laser
fire. Brooklyn readied his weapons, which consisted of a blaster that went around his wrist. Demona and
the others were doing the same.
"Let's go!" Brooklyn said, swooping down. He let out a battle cry and rushed into the trees, the
others following.
Krystiana ran right into one of the controlled. She slammed him into a tree, made sure he was
unconscious, and then resumed battle.
Brooklyn was firing at another controlled and missing. Krystiana ran up behind the quick
controlled human and punched him in the head. Brooklyn smiled at his daughter gratefully.
The battle was going well.
* * *
Brooklyn looked around to see how the others were doing. Angela and Lexington had teamed up
around five controlled. Broadway was ramming two into the ground. Krystiana was drawing one's fire,
while Demona snuck up behind him.
But she didn't notice the one sneaking up behind her.
Brooklyn did and leapt at the controlled human with full force. He rammed him into the ground
and realized who it was.
~Xanatos.~
Xanatos had become a Dark One long ago, along with Fox. The collar around his neck showed
that he was controlled, and not attacking them of his own free will. Brooklyn started at the sight of the
clan's former enemy-turned ally attacking them.
The clan had seen Xanatos get captured, unable to do anything about it. That was several years
ago, and they had never seen him or Fox among the usual ranks of the Dark Ones.
Brooklyn regained his composure and growled. No matter what Xanatos once was, he was a Dark
One now, without a doubt. Brooklyn raised up his fist, getting ready to punch out his lights...
And then noticed one of the warpholes.
The warphole was the one thing that none of them had ever actually beaten. Whenever one
showed up, someone was always taken with them, and then became a Dark One.
Brooklyn growled as metal twining came out of the hole. He saw them, and prepared to fight
them...
And then saw that they weren't heading towards him.
Krystiana, completely unaware of what was about to happen, was helpless to the twining. They
wrapped around her as the Dark Ones fell silent.
~That never happened before,~ Brooklyn thought, running towards Krystiana. He leapt up onto
the metal cords and began to rake at them with his talons, not leaving a scratch. Demona was on the other
side, while the others were trying to cut the base.
"STOP!"
The yell came from behind him. He looked back and saw Xanatos. Brooklyn whirled around,
eyes flaring. "What?" he said, his voice dripping with venom. He was still pulling at the cords, hoping
that they would loosen.
"The leader has a proposition for you," Xanatos said, smirking. "She will save your
daughter...if..."
"If what?" Brooklyn turned back to Krystiana.
"If you offer yourself in return. Allow yourself to become one of us."
Brooklyn turned back towards Xanatos in shock. He looked at Krystiana, who was shaking her
head.
"NO, DON'T-" She was cut off as a piece of metal wrapped around her mouth. Demona rushed
forward, yelling.
"Take me! Leave Brooklyn and Krystiana!" she yelled, her eyes flaring. Xanatos gestured, and a
piece of metal wrapped around her mouth as well.
Brooklyn looked at his mate and daughter. Both of them were begging him to say no, but he
couldn't allow Krystiana to become like them.
He turned to Xanatos. "Take me," he said, fighting back tears.
Xanatos grinned as the metal coils around Krystiana disappeared and appeared around Brooklyn.
Demona ran forward to stop Xanatos, but she was cut off by a few of the controlled.
Xanatos grinned and brought a collar, much like the one he and the other controlled wore. It was
in two halves, and had a flashing light on it. He stepped up to Brooklyn and snapped the collar around his
neck.
* * *
Krystiana was watching as her dream could come true. She tried to run forward to help him, but
Broadway held her back.
Brooklyn was looking at her in sorrow. Demona was struggling against the controlled, fighting
increasing numbers.
Brooklyn was being drawn into the warphole. He looked at his clan as they watched on, unable to
do anything about what was going on.
He looked at Demona one last time. They were silently communicating, as they always did.
Krystiana wondered just about what.
* * *
*Take care of her, and take care of yourself,* Brooklyn thought at Demona.
*No, I cannot just leave you!* Demona insisted.
*Do it, Demona. I have a request*
Demona was silent a moment. *Yes, my love?*
*Take the Phoenix Gate and take her back into the past. Keep her there, when it was still safe.*
*But, Brooklyn-*
*No Buts! Take her back into the past. If you can, try and convince my younger self to try and
stop this from happening.*
*Brooklyn...*
Brooklyn was finally almost drawn into the warphole. Demona cleared her head
and leapt over the controlled. She ran on all fours towards the closing warphole. It was almost closed.
Then it was gone.
It just disappeared, like that...
"NOOOOO!!" Demona yelled, in a combination of a roar and a yell. She sank to the ground on
her knees, covering her face with her hands. "No..." she softly.
The controlled smirked at each other, and they disappeared. Krystiana broke away from
Broadway. She shook her head.
"Why can't I do anything about it?" she yelled. "I have these dreams of the future, but I can't do
anything about it! Why?" She looked to the clouds, as if searching for an answer. She roared at them.
"Damn it, tell me!" Then, she too, sank to the ground, in defeat.
* * *
"Krys...I'm so sorry."
Krystiana turned away from Angela. Angela looked at her with pity.
"If it makes you fell any better, I know how you feel..."
"NO, you don't," Krystiana said, growling. "You don't know!"
"My father was taken from me, too. We had to...to..." Angela couldn't finish her sentence.
Krystiana turned back to Angela, eyes glowing red. "You didn't depend on your father your entire
life! You didn't know him your entire life!" She growled again and turned back. "You couldn't know," she
whispered.
"Krys...I..."
"Just go away."
Angela turned, looking at Krystiana's empty, staring eyes. She heard a crash from outside. While
Krystiana was expressing her sorrow in sadness, Demona was expressing it anger. Angela ran out of the
room and into the library.
"Why is it every time I find someone I love, he is taken away?" Demona yelled, toppling over a
bookcase in rage. "Even when I knew Brooklyn was the one I would love more than any other..."
"Mother!" Angela yelled. Demona turned, growling at her.
"What?" she said dangerously. Angela took a step back.
"Destroying the library isn't going to bring Brooklyn back," Angela said, letting a tear of her own
fall. "We're all going to miss him."
Demona looked at Angela with a look of frustration on her face. "Angela, you don't understand. I
love him more than I have loved anyone else, all the time I have lived..."
"More than my father?"
Demona looked away from her first daughter. "Yes, even more than your father. Even more than
Thailog. Even more than anybody." She swept her hands across the air, as if saying it was final. She
turned around from her daughter again.
"The leader is going to put him against us, no doubt," Demona said, growling again. She lowered
her quivering wings, putting the fingers on her shoulders. "Just to gloat."
Demona's gold armor glinted in the dim light of the library. Angela realized this was probably
the greatest loss the clan had ever suffered. She watched as her mother started walking towards the
display case of the Phoenix Gate.
"Mother?" Angela saw Demona lift up the glass and pick up the Gate. "What are you doing?"
"I made Brooklyn a promise, one I'm going to keep," Demona said, turning toward the room
where Angela had left Krystiana.
* * *
"Krystiana."
She turned to see her mother, holding the Phoenix Gate. "Mom? What-"
Demona rose the Phoenix Gate above her head. "Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!" she
chanted, as the Phoenix Flame began to form around herself and Krystiana.
"Mom!" Krystiana yelled, unable to be heard through the Phoenix Flame's burning. "What are
you doing?"
* * *
Manhattan
1997 A.D.
Brooklyn was dodging blasts coming from Demona. She was holding the old, fashionable laser
rifle. Brooklyn growled at her.
"Can't you think of anything original?" he yelled at her. The rest of the clan, tied up in chains,
watched him.
"Brooklyn, watch out!" Angela yelled as one of the blasts hit rock above him. Small rocks came
pouring down. He threw up his wings to protect him.
Brooklyn thought he saw he saw a bright flash of light out of the corner of his eye, but ignored it.
Demona was still firing at him, growling and smiling.
A loud battle cry came from above them, and a blur came and knocked Demona off her feet. The
blur slowed down, and Brooklyn saw who it was. He almost choked.
"Demona?!" he said. Demona had knocked Demona down. ~This doesn't make sense.~
The original Demona turned on the new one, and gasped. "Who...you're ME!"
"Gee...I wonder how?" the other Demona said sarcastically, holding up something gold. The
Phoenix Gate.
Goliath noticed subtle differences between the two Demonas. The original, while always holding
a sneer or smirk on her face, the new one was wearing a look of disgust...and guilt. The new one also wore
a kind of gold armor. Goliath realized she looked exactly as she had in the dream that Puck had given
him.
Brooklyn also seemed to notice the difference, especially the guilty look. For a brief instant
Goliath was reminded of the image Puck had made of Brooklyn in the future, of him and Demona
together.
The old Demona growled and got up. The new one rose a hand and brought against the old one's
head. The present Demona moaned and fell to the ground.
The remaining Demona crossed her arms and put the fingers on her wings on her shoulders. She
looked around the clan, and then walked up to them and freed them of their chains.
Goliath turned to Demona. "Who are you?"
"I _am_ Demona. But that isn't important right now." She turned to a shadowed corner of the
building. "Krys! Come out now!"
Goliath turned to where she was calling. He saw a red gargoyle's foot come out, and at first
thought it would be Brooklyn's future self, but then more came out and he saw it was a girl.
But the girl looked very much like Brooklyn. Her coloring was the same as his, and she had
horns on her head like his. She wore a golden tiara around her forehead, much like Demona's, but the
spikes pointed downward, and there was only one, right between the eyes. She white hair, with a single
red streak the color of fire in it. Her wings looked much like Demona's, the same shape and were a deep
violet. She wore an armor, like Demona's, except it was silver.
Goliath took a step back. He knew who it was even before she spoke.
Brooklyn, however, did speak before he could. "Who are you?" Demona turned to Brooklyn with
a smile on her face.
"Brooklyn, meet Krystiana," Demona stated. "Your daughter."
Brooklyn looked at Demona like she was crazy, as did the rest of the clan. "My _daughter?_" he
said, his jaw falling open. "But...how is that..."
Krystiana was looking at the old Demona's body on the ground. She ran up to it, and put a hand
on her shoulder. "Mom...this is _you!_"
Brooklyn's jaw parted even further, and then he began to get angry. "MOM?!" he yelled at
Demona. Demona winced, and then looked down.
"Yes, Brooklyn. She is our daughter."
Brooklyn was angry, to the point where he would probably try to kill Demona any second now.
"OUR daughter?! OUR daughter?!" he yelled, his eyes glowing white.
Krystiana was watching him, her eyes filling up with tears. Brooklyn looked down at her, and the
glow died away. He looked at Demona and realized that she was fighting back tears as well. Brooklyn
calmed down and took a deep breath.
"Okay, so she is our daughter. But why are you here?"
Demona looked at him, still fighting back tears, but she was smiling. "I made you a promise," she
said. "One that I am going to keep, but I am going to twist it a little."
Brooklyn raised an eyeridge. "What kind of _promise?_"
"You made me promise to bring her back here to keep her safe. You also to try and convince you
to do something."
"What? What do I have to do?"
Demona looked around at the rest of the clan. "I can't tell you here," she said.
"Fine, whatever. Last time I listened to you-"
"You did what I said, I know. That was years ago, even longer for me. Forty-seven, to be exact."
"Forty-seven?"
"Wait, a minute!" Krystiana interrupted. "What do you mean, `last time you listened to her?'"
Demona put a hand on her forehead and muttered. "Krys, I will explain later." Krystiana glared
at nothing, and Brooklyn realized that the eyes were definitely Demona's.
"Yes, will you please listen to me?"
Brooklyn looked to the rest of his clan for help. Goliath stepped forward, and said, "Why can't
you tell the rest of us?"
Demona narrowed her eyes. "You can listen, if you want to, but I don't think you'll want to hear
it."
Goliath shook his head. "Whatever concerns Brooklyn, concerns the entire clan."
Demona sighed. "Very well." She pulled out a video tape. "This will show most of it. I got it from
a security tape."
Goliath interrupted one more time. "One thing still puzzles me. How did you get the Phoenix
Gate?"
Demona looked at Goliath. "That is a long story...and one I'd rather not tell right now." She
moved to the edge of the building. "You may as well bring me...uh, her," she said, gesturing to her
younger self.
Brooklyn, almost hesitantly, picked her up with a look of disgust on his face.
Demona snapped her wings open and glide away, the others following. Krystiana stayed more to
the back.
* * *
Krystiana watched the city below go by. Everything was so..alive here. It was before the Dark
War started here, and everything was peaceful. Some might disagree with her, but compared to her world,
it was peaceful.
"You really are Brooklyn's daughter, aren't you?" Krystiana looked beside her and saw Angela
and Broadway, younger than she remembered either of them. She nodded.
"I don't think her attitude takes after either of them," Broadway said. Krystiana looked at him,
puzzled. "She won't talk, and they never shut up."
Angela looked at him, horrified. "Broadway!" she scolded.
Krystiana growled at Broadway, but then smiled sweetly. "I can say plenty," she said.
"So say something!" Broadway insisted. "Why don't you tell us about your world?"
Krystiana sighed. "There is a war going on, and it's terrifying. This leader person snaps collars
around people, and then they become the enemy. And we haven't figured out how to reverse the collars."
Angela watched her with sorrowful eyes. "Has anybody we know been...taken?"
"We call them the controlled. And yes. Xanatos, and Fox. Goliath..." She stopped for a moment
to collect her breath. "And...Brooklyn," she whispered, "Is the latest edition to the controlled. And it's all
my fault."
Broadway's eyes widened. "Goliath? And Brooklyn?" Krystiana nodded. "Goliath, the first year
the war began, and Brooklyn...t-tonight..."
Broadway shook his head, to clear it. "What about Elisa?"
Krystiana looked at him and frowned. "She's fine, but ever since Goliath...she hasn't been the
same. She tried to commit suicide, but Mom stopped her."
Angela looked at her blankly for a moment and then realized. "Demona stopped _Elisa_ from
killing herself?"
Krystiana nodded. "She's a lot different from the Demona you know. Elisa and Brooklyn are the
ones who had been helping her trust humans." She looked at her father's younger self, who she realized
was staring at her. He quickly turned away, but she had caught him. "She is gonna admit later that the
only reason she hated Elisa so much was because she was proof that not all humans were bad."
Angela and Broadway looked at each other as Krystiana sped up. She glid up next to Demona.
"Why are we back here?" Krystiana whispered to her mother. "What good is this gonna do?"
"We must stop the reason the of the war from happening. It is going to happen tomorrow night,"
Demona whispered back.
Krystiana glanced back at the rest of the clan. They were all whispering among themselves as
well. Brooklyn, still carrying her mother's younger self, was not saying anything, just looking down at
Demona's still form.
* * *
Demona appeared to still be unconscious, but Brooklyn knew she wasn't.
*Just wake up!* he told her silently. *Why can't you just show the others you're awake?*
*Because I want to know what's going on.*
*First you tell me why you attacked us even after you helped me with that Iago thing.*
*I needed something from you,* Demona said.
*What did you need that was so damn important?*
*I needed you to help me get the Phoenix Gate.*
*But...why?*
*I wanted to stop myself from tricking you.*
Brooklyn was silent, even to Demona, for a few moments. *Why?*
*Because you hate me so much. I realize that was a mistake.*
*Demona...*
*Now, who was that other person, that looked like me?*
*She was you, Demona,* Brooklyn thought at Demona. *She said something about being from
forty-something years in the future.*
*My future-self?*
*I guess. She also made a promise to...my future-self, I guess about keeping Krystiana safe...*
Brooklyn almost immediately stopped thinking at Demona.
*Who is Krystiana?*
*Another...visitor from the future.*
*But who is she?*
Brooklyn didn't say anything.
*Brooklyn...*
*Our daughter, or so she says,* Brooklyn said, narrowing his eyes.
*OUR daughter?*
*That's exactly what I said.*
*Brooklyn...*
*Just wake up now, okay? We're almost to Wyvern.*
Brooklyn landed on the tower with a thud. Demona immediately launched into acting and
moaned, rubbing her head. Brooklyn started acting surprised and watched her come to. She opened her
eyes to see Brooklyn glaring at her. She gasped and pushed him away, causing him to drop her.
She turned around and glared at the rest of the clan, including her future-self.
~For once, she is actually acting being XXXXed at the clan,~ Brooklyn thought.
*Oh, yeah, get them mad at you,* he said silently to Demona.
*Why not? They're just going to lock me up anyway.* She launched further into the part and
allowed her eyes to glow.
Brooklyn rolled his eyes. Lexington noticed and gave him a strange look.
*Okay, I'm going to take you by surprise.* He put himself into his part and allowed his own eyes
to glow. *You ready? Here comes my surprise!*
He launched himself at Demona, knocking into her back. He growled. Demona turned face up
and growled at him.
*Nice surprise.*
*Thank you.*
Brooklyn was suddenly being pushed gently off of Demona. He had half a mind to tell whoever it
was to shove off, but then turned and saw it was Krystiana. He allowed himself to be pushed off with a
genuine look of shock on his face. Although his weight was off of her, his legs were still draped across
hers.
Demona squinted at Krystiana, then turned to Brooklyn. *She _is_ our daughter! I can see the
resemblance of both of us!*
"Oh, would you stop that?" Both of them turned their heads to Krystiana. "I know exactly what
you're doing, so you may as well stop it."
"Stop what?" Brooklyn asked, almost panicking.
"Yes, stop what?" Goliath asked, glowering at the bunch of them. Brooklyn realized his legs were
still on top of Demona, and he pulled them off. ~Lucky I have red skin color, because that's what color I'd
be if I wasn't.~
"Don't play innocent with me, _Dad,_" she said sarcastically. "I know what you're doing." *Now
stop it,* she added silently, in her own mental voice. Brooklyn's look of innocence broke down to shock.
And from what he could tell, Demona had heard it, too.
*How...did she do that?* Demona wondered to Brooklyn.
*She's our daughter, remember? She inherited the Early Hatcher's talents,* Brooklyn said,
blinking. Krystiana narrowed her eyes, and Brooklyn was reminded of Demona very much.
"Okay, we'll stop," he mumbled. Demona bit her lip and slowly nodded.
"I still don't understand," Goliath said. "Stop what?"
"We'll explain later, Goliath," Brooklyn said, knowing he wouldn't. He looked over at Demona's
future self, who had stood back and watched the scene unfold, frowning. "Can we go in and watch that
tape of yours?"
Demona's future self nodded and began walking in the castle. Krystiana made a gesture, as if to
say, "After you." Brooklyn went in, with a confused look on his face. Demona followed, with a sour look
on her own.
The rest of the clan followed them. Bronx came bounding out of one of the rooms, coming to
greet the clan.
"Hi, Bronx!" Krystiana chirruped. As Bronx gave her a confused look, she slapped her forehead.
"I keep forgetting. He doesn't know me yet." She bent down and reached out a hand. Bronx came forward
carefully and cautiously and then began panting in a friendly manner. Krystiana smiled and petted him.
"Don't worry, boy. You'll know me in about five or six years."
Bronx panted happily and trotted around at her heels as they moved on. They walked into
Xanatos's office, the future Demona in the lead. Xanatos jumped up from his desk.
"Demona!" he said, reaching into his desk for something. Brooklyn came in afterward and shook
his head. When the second Demona came in, Xanatos looked genuinely surprised.
The rest of the clan filed in. Krystiana came up next to the first Demona. She started whispering
in her ear. Brooklyn strained to hear what they were saying, but he couldn't make it out. The armored
Demona shrugged, then nodded.
Xanatos regained his composure quickly. "What is going on here?"
Goliath came forward. "Xanatos, we shall explain later." He turned to the Demona holding the
tape. "Show your tape now."
"Very well," she said. She put the tape in a slot next to the TV monitor that Xanatos had on his
wall. The monitor blinked and flew into color.
The camera was obviously in the corner. Brooklyn watched an empty hallway, It stayed there for
a long time, nothing happening.
"Oh, yeah, this _is_ exciting," he said. The present Demona shushed him.
There was a flicker of movement in the corner. A human girl, that looked to be about fifteen ran
by, laughing. A gray-haired David Xanatos came on and crossed his arms. "Lara," he said, waggling a
finger. Suddenly, there was a blast off of the left of the screen. Lara and Xanatos both turned their heads
towards it.
A door on the opposite side of the hallway opened and Lexington, his older self came out. He
growled and bounded down the hallway on all fours. Lara and Xanatos looked at each other and ran after
him.
Brooklyn turned to Krystiana. "When was this?" he asked.
"About a month ago."
Brooklyn turned back to the screen. The camera had changed views, and was outside now. It
showed a lot of blasts, coming from some kind of weapon. There was a lot of the same kind a gun, all
being used by a lot of humans, all wearing some kind of mechanical collars around their neck.
Xanatos and the girl named Lara ran out and saw what was happening. Lexington was fighting a
lot of them at once, and apparently losing. Lara suddenly ran for the bunch of humans around Lex. She
leapt up and kicked one . He staggered, but didn't fall. She spun around and kicked him again, and he fell.
She continued fighting the others, giving Lex a chance.
Xanatos was dodging blasts from the others. Suddenly, a lot of battle cries could be heard from
above. Krystiana came on screen first and rammed into three of the humans. Broadway tripped one with
his tail, while Angela swiped the guns from two.
Behind Xanatos, something was happening. It looked like the very air was opening up. Krystiana
knocked one more down, and then yelled, "Behind you!" Xanatos looked and saw the hole. Strange metal
twines came out that seemed to have a life of their own. They wound themselves around Xanatos's ankles,
and he fell to the ground as they started pulling him towards the hole.
On the screen, Demona and Fox had just come outside and seen what was going on. Demona
leapt at Xanatos and grabbed one of his arms, trying to pull him back. Fox grabbed the other arms,
helping her. More twines suddenly wrapped themselves around Fox and began pulling her towards the
hole as well. Demona grabbed one of her arms as well, trying to pull both of them out.
A red taloned hand reached in and grabbed both of Fox's arms. Demona smiled and continued to
try and pull out Xanatos. Brooklyn gaped at the sight of himself on the screen. He was wearing armor, as
was everyone else, but he was still surprised to see himself. He had grown at least a foot, and was at least
as tall as Goliath was now.
A red-haired human reached in and began helping them, too, but he was shot in the back by
something off of the screen. It was obvious Brooklyn and Demona were losing Fox and Xanatos to the
hole. Xanatos was pulled all the way in first, then Fox. The hole and all the collared humans disappeared.
Brooklyn growled and punched the wall, leaving a visible dent in it. Then he noticed the re-haired human
on the ground.
Krystiana was already at his side, propping him up. Lara had run to the other side, crying. She
was shaking her head, as if trying to tell herself it hadn't happened. "Dad..." she whispered. "I've lost my
entire family in one damn attack!"
"Lara, he's not dead, but he will be if he doesn't get some help fast," Krystiana said, taking his
pulse. She picked him up carefully and began running into the castle.
Demona reached up and stopped the tape. "That was just one attack. Tonight we lost one more...
and before that we have lost others. We need to stop the Dark War from happening."
Xanatos was still looking at the blank screen. "Who were those two people...Lara and that other
one?"
"Lara is...will be your granddaughter and that other one will be Alex."
Goliath held up a hand. "Would you mind explaining what this Dark War is, exactly?"
Demona sighed. "Many years ago, someone wanted to get revenge against the clan for something
that we had done. This person was very good with mechanical things, and had always had a good heart,
but became twisted when her brother died. She started building these collars that controlled peoples'
minds, that made them her willing slaves. We still don't know how to beat these collars, or how to get
them off. It seems that once they're on, they're on." Demona stopped and shook her head. "So many have
become one of the controlled..."
* * *
Goliath listened to her story with interest. When she was done, he realized she was fighting back
tears, casting a glance at Brooklyn every once in a while. Brooklyn noticed this and looked at her.
"What?" he asked.
Demona, the future one, looked at him as one tear escaped. She moaned and sank to the floor,
crying silently.
Brooklyn's eyes widened, as did everyone else's, except for Krystiana. They had never seen
Demona cry before.
Krystiana bent down next to her mother, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"He's gone, Krys, he's really gone," the future Demona moaned. "Brooklyn...it's all my fault. I
shouldn've let him..."
Brooklyn looked at the present-time Demona, who was watching herself with wide eyes. He
looked back at Krystiana.
"I don't know why you're blaming yourself," she said. "It was my fault. I knew it was going to
happen, but I was just so think-skulled that I wouldn't admit it." She shook her head, fighting back her
own tears.
Goliath was watching the entire time, frowning. "Krystiana, what happens to Brooklyn?"
Krystiana looked up at Goliath. "He...he sacrificed himself for me. I was going to be sucked up
into one of those warphole things, and he let himself be taken." She blinked away a few tears. "He let
himself become one of the controlled," she whispered.
* * *
*Brooklyn...what are we supposed to do?*
Brooklyn heard Demona's thoughts in his mind, while it was going a million miles an hour.
He bent down next to Krystiana and Demona's future self. "How can we stop this from
happening?" he asked Demona.
She looked up and thought. "If we stop the reason of the war, then it won't happen...but..."
"But what?"
"Never mind."
"Well, what is the reason of the war?"
"I can't say it."
"Why not?"
"It'll happen tomorrow. If we stop something at the end from happening, then that should..."
Brooklyn shook his head. "Why can't you just say what is going to happen?"
"It could alter everything more than we want to."
Goliath interrupted. "But time can't be changed."
Krystiana glanced at Goliath, then turned back to her mother. "Yes, it can, if you know how."
Goliath sighed. "These questions will have to wait until tomorrow. It's almost dawn." They
looked out the window and saw he was right. They filed out the door and to the tower.
*I think Krystiana is actually very pretty,* Demona thought at Brooklyn.
*So do I. I guess that's parentage,* Brooklyn thought back.
The sun rose in the east, turning them to stone.
* * *
Demona felt the usual pain as she turned into a human. She was watching her future-self go
through the same process. ~I guess I am burdened by that 'gift' for the rest of eternity," she thought.
Although her future self looked the same as her, because she was immortal, she could tell she
was older, wiser.
Xanatos watched the show with little interest. "Ladies, I 'm afraid I can't leave you here alone
with them, so if you'll come with me..."
He turned and walked into the building. The two Demonas looked at each other and then
followed.
* * *
"Demona! Freeze!"
The future Demona turned to face Elisa Maza pointing a gun at her. The present Demona came
out of the shadows and crossed her arms.
The detective switched her gun to the other Demona. With a confused look on her face, she
trailed the gun between the two of them.
"Elisa, it's all right," came a voice. Fox walked out, carrying a box. She set it down and dusted
off her hands.
"Uh...what's going on?" Elisa asked, still pointing her gun at the Demonas.
"Relax. I'll explain everything later. I didn't believe my eyes either." Fox yawned, stretching. "It's
almost sunset. Let's go watch them wake up."
They all walked up to the tower. Elisa spied the statue of Krystiana. "Who's this?"
"My daughter," Demona said. Elisa looked back at the one who was wearing armor. "We'll
explain that later, too."
The sunset, and they returned to their respectable forms. Elisa watched Brooklyn eye the young
female red gargoyle.
The Demona in the armor spoke up. "It doesn't happen until one in the morning. We can relax
until then."
"What doesn't?" Elisa asked. Goliath took Elisa's hand and drew her to the side.
Broadway and Angela looked at each other, and left the tower. The others did the same. Soon the
only ones standing on the tower were Brooklyn and the present Demona.
* * *
"This is stupid. A war is going to start tonight, and she's telling us to sit back and relax?"
Brooklyn muttered.
Demona sighed and looked out into the city. "Can we go someplace else?" she asked.
*I don't have to go with you, you know,* Brooklyn thought.
"I know. But I want to figure out what's going on." *Beside,* she added mentally, *I want to talk
to you.*
Brooklyn rolled his eyes. "Fine." He snapped his wings open and glided off the tower, Demona
following him away from the castle.
Both of them were unaware of the pair of eyes that watched them from the shadows.
* * *
"Ade, what are you doing?"
Adrian Plersh turned to face his sister, Sophie Plersh. "I'm working on something."
"What? Another one of your Quarrymen projects?" she said, crossing her arms.
"Maybe."
"I don't know why you even joined those people. They are nothing but a gang. Gargoyles rescued
that train of people, remember?"
"It's nothing but an act, Sophie. They must pay."
"Yeah, yeah, they're a treacherous race and all that. I've heard it a million times from you. Forget
it, I'm not helping you."
"Come on, Sophie. This ray will shoot any gargoyle right out of the sky and automatically kill
them. Once I get it finished-"
"WHAT?!" Sophie couldn't believe her ears. "You're talking about killing
something that hasn't even done anything to you."
"Sophie..."
"I don't want to hear it. The Quarrymen are worse then Hitler and his troops."
Adrian slammed down the screwdriver. "You don't understand. Didn't you see how they blew up
that police building? They could blow up something else, or worse..."
"Oh, would you think of something new to say to me?" Sophie said angrily.
"Soph-"
"OH, WOULD YOU SHUT UP? I am so sick of you and your damn Quarrymen, and your damn
hammer looking thing, and your damn ray-guns. I can't believe you are thinking about killing anything!"
Sophie fled from the room Adrian had designated his Lab. She ran out onto a balcony.
~What happened to him?~ she thought. ~He used to be so thoughtful, so kind...~
She stopped thinking about it as she saw two winged shapes gliding above her head. She heard
Ade behind her.
"Finally," he whispered, pulling on his Quarryman mask. He pulled out his newly-made weapon.
"No, Ade...you can't do this!" she yelled.
One of the gargoyles, a red male, looked down. Adrian raised his weapon, and was about to fire...
When something ran into him from behind.
A red female grabbed the weapon from him and threw against the wall as hard as she could. It
shattered as the Quarryman gasped.
"You monster! I'll kill you for that!" He yelled, launching himself at her.
She growled and her eyes lit up red, an odd contrast with her crimson red skin. She grabbed him
and slammed him against the wall, not enough to kill him, but enough to throw him into unconsciousness.
Sophie ran up to him and smiled at the creature. "Thank you. I would probably hate him forever
if he got away with killing somebody he doesn't even know." The creature blinked.
The two others that had been above landed beside the other.
"Krystiana, what are you doing here?" The blue female asked.
The red female smiled and shrugged, diving off the balcony. The other two shrugged and glided
after her.
* * *
"Krystiana, why did you follow us?"
"Because I knew that would happen," she said. "Now the war isn't going to happen. That was the
whole reason the war started."
"What?" Demona asked. "How did that human start a war?"
"Brooklyn, you got really mad at him for shooting at you. So mad that...you kind of...killed him."
"What?!" Brooklyn asked. "I started the war?"
"Not on purpose. You didn't mean to kill him," Krystiana said, still smiling. "It just went too far.
But anyway, that other human was really mad at you, and she went from a gargoyle lover to a gargoyle
hater. She studied science, and she learned how to make that collar thing. Now it will never exist, and
the war will never start and now I..." She stopped and looked down. "Now I have to go home."
"What is so bad about that?" Demona said, glancing at Brooklyn.
"I like the past better then the future. I can talk to Hudson and Goliath, and I like this world
better."
"But now your world is different."
"No. All the hate started before the war even started. Manhattan is in ruins, and I want to try and
stop that from happening."
* * *
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY'RE NOT HERE?!"
Angela flinched at her father's tone of voice. "I mean they're not here. Demona, Brooklyn, and
Krystiana are gone."
The future Demona was nervously looking out of the window, waiting to see them.
"Do _you_ know where they've gone?" Goliath yelled at Demona.
"No, I don't," she stated, growling.
"There they are!" Lexington yelled, pointing out a different window.
Everyone ran up to the tower and met them. Krystiana had a huge smile on her face as she ran up
to her mother.
"The war is gone. It's not going to happen!" she cried joyfully.
Goliath looked at Brooklyn and Demona. "What?" he asked them.
"Later," Brooklyn said, waving him off. "I'll explain later."
"We can go home now, Krys," the future Demona said. "We go see your father...in our time."
Krystiana's face fell. "Mom...I want to stay here, in this time. Maybe not necessarily with the
clan, but in this time."
"Krys..."
"I'll come back with you to say goodbye to everyone, but then I want to come back here."
Demona looked at her daughter and sighed. "We'll talk to Brooklyn about this, if you what you
said about the war is true. Lets go now."
Goliath stepped forward and shook Krystiana's hand warrior style. "It was good to meet you,
Krystiana."
Krystiana rolled her eyes. "Call me Krys."
Goliath turned to the future Demona. "It was also nice to meet you, as well."
Demona's future self pulled out the Phoenix Gate and smiled at Brooklyn and her younger self
standing next to each other. "It was good to see you all again," she said. "Goodbye."
Krystiana waved at everyone as Demona rose the Phoenix Gate above her head.
"Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!" Demona chanted. The Phoenix Flame rose around
Krystiana and Demona and it disappeared.
"Well, that was interesting," Demona said, turning to the clan. "Now what?"
Goliath turned to her. "Demona, if it wasn't for that shooting show yesterday, I might consider
letting you back into the clan. I am willing to give you a chance, however."
Demona's eyes widened and she smiled, but then frowned. "No."
Brooklyn stared at her in shock. "Why not?"
"You protect the humans, and I still can't trust any of them. Maybe when I can trust them again, I
will come back. But tonight..." She sighed. "I'm not ready." She moved to the edge of the castle. "Perhaps
later. Goodbye, for now." She jumped off the tower and spread her wings. She glided off into the distance,
leaving the clan staring after her.
*Perhaps later, then,* Brooklyn thought at her.
*Brooklyn...I...*
*Yeah?*
*Never mind.*
Brooklyn watched a little longer and then walked into the castle, smiling.
* * *
Castle Wyvern
2044 A.D.
"Dad?"
Krystiana stared with joy. She leapt up and hugged him, laughing.
"What was that for?" he asked, pushing her back.
"Nothing. I'm just glad to see you, that's all." She smiled and left the room.
Demona walked towards him slowly, smiling as well. "I'm so glad to see you..." she said,
hugging him.
He returned the hug. "Why is everyone so overjoyed to see me?" he asked.
Demona shook her and smiled again. "My one true love..." she whispered.
"You too," Brooklyn whispered back, forgetting to wonder why everyone was so happy to see
him. Demona raised her head to his and gave him a long kiss.
Brooklyn frowned, remembering something in the past about Krystiana, and she wanted to stay
in the past.
"Wait a minute," he said. "Krystiana said she wanted to stay in the past..."
Demona opened her eyes wide. "How do you know?"
"I remember it. He was my younger self, remember?"
Demona smiled, but then frowned. "Should we let her go back?"
Brooklyn thought, and then nodded. "It's her own path that she chooses."
Demona smiled. "Krystiana!" she called. Krystiana came in, looking down.
"You were listening at the door, weren't you?" Brooklyn asked. Krystiana nodded.
"Well, then you know what we've decided." Krystiana nodded and smiled.
Demona handed her the Phoenix Gate. "Come back every once in a while. And don't stay with
the clan the whole time."
Krystiana smiled and took the Gate. "I planned to." She gave her father a hug, and then her
mother. "Thank you," she whispered.
She slowly rose the Phoenix Gate into the air.
"Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!"
THE END
Whattya think? Go on, tell me honestly. kbrannan@raex.com
Give me praise, criticism, anything. I want to know!!! Oh, and if there is something that doesn't make
sense, mail me your question. Or if you want to use Krystiana in a story of your own.
******************
Coming Soon!!!
Temptation:
An "I wonder" story, so it doesn't have anything to do with any of my other stories, and it won't conflict
with anything else. Ever wonder what would happen if Brooklyn had REALLY joined with Demona and
had to face the rest of the clan with an "under the weather" Goliath. And how would the clan react?
*****
in here belong to Buena Vista and Disney, and are a non-profit thingy. So DON'T SUE ME! Krystiana is
mine, and if you want to use her in one of your stories, e-mail me and tell me (the addy is at the bottom).
NOTE:This takes place after Gargoyles, The Goliath Chronicles, and my stories. If you haven't read my
other stories (Music Says It All, To Live Again, Part I, and To Live Again, Part II) GO READ THEM!!!
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go!
****************************
"Previously on Gargoyles..."
Vows
Demona: Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!
[Phoenix flame]
Future Tense
Goliath: Time is like a river, correcting it's course against any change. History cannot be altered.
Vows
Demona: It seems time is immutable.
To Live Again Part II
[Elisa falling, Demona catching her]
Elisa: Brooklyn got to say thank you, but I didn't.
Demona: Don't think this changes anything, _human._ But you are welcome.
Temptation
Demona: I just saved your life. Doesn't that at least entitle me to a moment of your time?
Brooklyn: All right. I'm listening.
[Brooklyn and Demona talking]
[Brooklyn sneaking into the castle and stealing the Grimorum]
Brooklyn: You're insane! Give me that book!
Demona: Brooklyn, wait. You must trust me.
Brooklyn: I was a fool to trust you!
Reawakening
[Brooklyn and Demona fighting]
Brooklyn: Got any spells to save you now?
Long Way 'Til Morning
Brooklyn: I've got a few things to settle with her.
Goliath: Brooklyn is still too angry at Demona.
Future Tense
Brooklyn: Are you all right, my love?
Demona: Yes, now that I'm back in your arms.
Goliath: You two? Together?
Music Says It All
[Brooklyn and Demona hugging]
Lexington: Just a dream...
Future Tense
Puck: Was it a dream? Or a prophecy?
Goliath: I must know!
Puck: Like I'd tell you.
Music Says It All
Brooklyn: Maybe someday our dreams will come true.
*****************************************************************
Echoes of the Future
Castle Wyvern
2044 A.D.
Krystiana watched in horror as the metal bindings around her father tightened. They seemed to
be squeezing the life out him, or his soul. She reached out to him, yelling, but he couldn't hear her. The
collar around him showed it. He belonged to the Dark Ones. He was one of them now.
His eyes, always bright and full of life, seemed to grow hard and cold. Even as she watched, she
could sense him grow more evil by the second.
* * *
Until she felt the regular buzzing she felt that she felt right before she woke up. The stone skin
around her cracked, and she burst out of the shell with a roar that sounded like a panther's.
She stumbled and looked at where her father usually perched. He was there, and he looked at her
with concern.
"Krys?" he said. "What's wrong?" Krystiana looked away, half expecting him to lash out at her.
"Nothing, Dad. Just a bad dream," she said, avoiding his eyes.
"Your dreams have a knack of coming true, Krys," her mother said, coming out of the castle.
"Really...it didn't mean anything," she said.
"Krystiana, tell us," her father said sternly.
~He must be serious. He never calls me by my full name...~ she thought.
"It was about the Dark Ones," Krystiana began. She looked at her father and tried to find any
trace of the evil eyes in the dream, but couldn't, thankfully.
"Dad, they had you. They had you wrapped up in these metal cable things, and your eyes..." She
didn't show much emotion, as she always did, always indifferent.
~It's not going to come true. I won't let it,~ Krystiana swore inwardly. ~I'll go straight to Hell
before he becomes a Dark One.~
"Krys..." her mother said. "Are you sure it was Brooklyn?" Krystiana nodded.
"Brooklyn, her dreams come true so much..."
"I don't want to hear it, Demona. It's not going to come true," he said, holding up a hand. He
turned and walked into the castle.
* * *
Demona watched Brooklyn's retreating back go into the castle. She looked back at their daughter,
Krystiana, who seemed to be looking at anything but her father.
"Krys?"
Krystiana looked up at Demona. "Mom...I can't let it happen. I won't lose him..."
"We won't let it happen, Krys," Demona said. Krystiana looked at her mother and gave a short
nod. She whirled around and practically ran into Lara Xanatos.
"Hey, I just saw Brooklyn in there...I haven't seen him that XXXXed in a long time," she said,
raising an eyebrow.
"Lara? How are you? How is Alex?" Krystiana asked, concerned.
"Dad? Oh, he's doing much better. After what happened..."
"Did the doctors say anything about how he is?" Demona said, coming up next to them.
"They expect a full recovery."
Krystiana smiled. Alexander Xanatos had been the one who had taught her how to glide. By
accident, actually. Alex had been fifteen, while she was seven. They were teasing each other when
Krystiana got really mad and pushed him off Castle Wyvern. She realized what she had done and jumped
off after him. She caught him under the shoulders and spread her wings as far as they would go, and she
was gliding for the first time in her life. Hudson swore it was the earliest he had ever seen a hatchling
glide.
Hudson had died of old age the next year, and the year after that the Dark Ones had surfaced.
They had gotten Goliath, and they were unable to save him. They had to kill him to save the rest of the
clan.
She could barely remember either of them, but everything she did remember of them was good.
"Krys?"
She looked around and realized that Lara had left. She turned back around and say Angela.
"Krys? Are you okay?"
Krystiana nodded and smiled reassuringly.
"I heard about the dream," Angela said. "Do you think it's true?"
Krystiana snarled and shook her head. "It won't come true. I won't let it."
"Krys...but you were right when you had that dream before Goliath..." Angela suppressed her
tears. "Before Goliath..."
"Angela, I'm sorry," Krystiana said. "I don't really remember Goliath. I wish I did, though."
* * *
"Krys!"
Krystiana turned to see her father waving at her. She ran up to him.
"There has been an attack, in Central Park," said Brooklyn. "We're going to go check it out."
They glided off and met up with Demona and the others. Bronx was staying behind to guard the
castle.
"Do you think it's the Dark Ones?" Krystiana asked. Brooklyn nodded his head.
"All the descriptions were like their attacks usually are."
They soon saw there was something going on there. "There!" Krystiana said, spotting the laser
fire. Brooklyn readied his weapons, which consisted of a blaster that went around his wrist. Demona and
the others were doing the same.
"Let's go!" Brooklyn said, swooping down. He let out a battle cry and rushed into the trees, the
others following.
Krystiana ran right into one of the controlled. She slammed him into a tree, made sure he was
unconscious, and then resumed battle.
Brooklyn was firing at another controlled and missing. Krystiana ran up behind the quick
controlled human and punched him in the head. Brooklyn smiled at his daughter gratefully.
The battle was going well.
* * *
Brooklyn looked around to see how the others were doing. Angela and Lexington had teamed up
around five controlled. Broadway was ramming two into the ground. Krystiana was drawing one's fire,
while Demona snuck up behind him.
But she didn't notice the one sneaking up behind her.
Brooklyn did and leapt at the controlled human with full force. He rammed him into the ground
and realized who it was.
~Xanatos.~
Xanatos had become a Dark One long ago, along with Fox. The collar around his neck showed
that he was controlled, and not attacking them of his own free will. Brooklyn started at the sight of the
clan's former enemy-turned ally attacking them.
The clan had seen Xanatos get captured, unable to do anything about it. That was several years
ago, and they had never seen him or Fox among the usual ranks of the Dark Ones.
Brooklyn regained his composure and growled. No matter what Xanatos once was, he was a Dark
One now, without a doubt. Brooklyn raised up his fist, getting ready to punch out his lights...
And then noticed one of the warpholes.
The warphole was the one thing that none of them had ever actually beaten. Whenever one
showed up, someone was always taken with them, and then became a Dark One.
Brooklyn growled as metal twining came out of the hole. He saw them, and prepared to fight
them...
And then saw that they weren't heading towards him.
Krystiana, completely unaware of what was about to happen, was helpless to the twining. They
wrapped around her as the Dark Ones fell silent.
~That never happened before,~ Brooklyn thought, running towards Krystiana. He leapt up onto
the metal cords and began to rake at them with his talons, not leaving a scratch. Demona was on the other
side, while the others were trying to cut the base.
"STOP!"
The yell came from behind him. He looked back and saw Xanatos. Brooklyn whirled around,
eyes flaring. "What?" he said, his voice dripping with venom. He was still pulling at the cords, hoping
that they would loosen.
"The leader has a proposition for you," Xanatos said, smirking. "She will save your
daughter...if..."
"If what?" Brooklyn turned back to Krystiana.
"If you offer yourself in return. Allow yourself to become one of us."
Brooklyn turned back towards Xanatos in shock. He looked at Krystiana, who was shaking her
head.
"NO, DON'T-" She was cut off as a piece of metal wrapped around her mouth. Demona rushed
forward, yelling.
"Take me! Leave Brooklyn and Krystiana!" she yelled, her eyes flaring. Xanatos gestured, and a
piece of metal wrapped around her mouth as well.
Brooklyn looked at his mate and daughter. Both of them were begging him to say no, but he
couldn't allow Krystiana to become like them.
He turned to Xanatos. "Take me," he said, fighting back tears.
Xanatos grinned as the metal coils around Krystiana disappeared and appeared around Brooklyn.
Demona ran forward to stop Xanatos, but she was cut off by a few of the controlled.
Xanatos grinned and brought a collar, much like the one he and the other controlled wore. It was
in two halves, and had a flashing light on it. He stepped up to Brooklyn and snapped the collar around his
neck.
* * *
Krystiana was watching as her dream could come true. She tried to run forward to help him, but
Broadway held her back.
Brooklyn was looking at her in sorrow. Demona was struggling against the controlled, fighting
increasing numbers.
Brooklyn was being drawn into the warphole. He looked at his clan as they watched on, unable to
do anything about what was going on.
He looked at Demona one last time. They were silently communicating, as they always did.
Krystiana wondered just about what.
* * *
*Take care of her, and take care of yourself,* Brooklyn thought at Demona.
*No, I cannot just leave you!* Demona insisted.
*Do it, Demona. I have a request*
Demona was silent a moment. *Yes, my love?*
*Take the Phoenix Gate and take her back into the past. Keep her there, when it was still safe.*
*But, Brooklyn-*
*No Buts! Take her back into the past. If you can, try and convince my younger self to try and
stop this from happening.*
*Brooklyn...*
Brooklyn was finally almost drawn into the warphole. Demona cleared her head
and leapt over the controlled. She ran on all fours towards the closing warphole. It was almost closed.
Then it was gone.
It just disappeared, like that...
"NOOOOO!!" Demona yelled, in a combination of a roar and a yell. She sank to the ground on
her knees, covering her face with her hands. "No..." she softly.
The controlled smirked at each other, and they disappeared. Krystiana broke away from
Broadway. She shook her head.
"Why can't I do anything about it?" she yelled. "I have these dreams of the future, but I can't do
anything about it! Why?" She looked to the clouds, as if searching for an answer. She roared at them.
"Damn it, tell me!" Then, she too, sank to the ground, in defeat.
* * *
"Krys...I'm so sorry."
Krystiana turned away from Angela. Angela looked at her with pity.
"If it makes you fell any better, I know how you feel..."
"NO, you don't," Krystiana said, growling. "You don't know!"
"My father was taken from me, too. We had to...to..." Angela couldn't finish her sentence.
Krystiana turned back to Angela, eyes glowing red. "You didn't depend on your father your entire
life! You didn't know him your entire life!" She growled again and turned back. "You couldn't know," she
whispered.
"Krys...I..."
"Just go away."
Angela turned, looking at Krystiana's empty, staring eyes. She heard a crash from outside. While
Krystiana was expressing her sorrow in sadness, Demona was expressing it anger. Angela ran out of the
room and into the library.
"Why is it every time I find someone I love, he is taken away?" Demona yelled, toppling over a
bookcase in rage. "Even when I knew Brooklyn was the one I would love more than any other..."
"Mother!" Angela yelled. Demona turned, growling at her.
"What?" she said dangerously. Angela took a step back.
"Destroying the library isn't going to bring Brooklyn back," Angela said, letting a tear of her own
fall. "We're all going to miss him."
Demona looked at Angela with a look of frustration on her face. "Angela, you don't understand. I
love him more than I have loved anyone else, all the time I have lived..."
"More than my father?"
Demona looked away from her first daughter. "Yes, even more than your father. Even more than
Thailog. Even more than anybody." She swept her hands across the air, as if saying it was final. She
turned around from her daughter again.
"The leader is going to put him against us, no doubt," Demona said, growling again. She lowered
her quivering wings, putting the fingers on her shoulders. "Just to gloat."
Demona's gold armor glinted in the dim light of the library. Angela realized this was probably
the greatest loss the clan had ever suffered. She watched as her mother started walking towards the
display case of the Phoenix Gate.
"Mother?" Angela saw Demona lift up the glass and pick up the Gate. "What are you doing?"
"I made Brooklyn a promise, one I'm going to keep," Demona said, turning toward the room
where Angela had left Krystiana.
* * *
"Krystiana."
She turned to see her mother, holding the Phoenix Gate. "Mom? What-"
Demona rose the Phoenix Gate above her head. "Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!" she
chanted, as the Phoenix Flame began to form around herself and Krystiana.
"Mom!" Krystiana yelled, unable to be heard through the Phoenix Flame's burning. "What are
you doing?"
* * *
Manhattan
1997 A.D.
Brooklyn was dodging blasts coming from Demona. She was holding the old, fashionable laser
rifle. Brooklyn growled at her.
"Can't you think of anything original?" he yelled at her. The rest of the clan, tied up in chains,
watched him.
"Brooklyn, watch out!" Angela yelled as one of the blasts hit rock above him. Small rocks came
pouring down. He threw up his wings to protect him.
Brooklyn thought he saw he saw a bright flash of light out of the corner of his eye, but ignored it.
Demona was still firing at him, growling and smiling.
A loud battle cry came from above them, and a blur came and knocked Demona off her feet. The
blur slowed down, and Brooklyn saw who it was. He almost choked.
"Demona?!" he said. Demona had knocked Demona down. ~This doesn't make sense.~
The original Demona turned on the new one, and gasped. "Who...you're ME!"
"Gee...I wonder how?" the other Demona said sarcastically, holding up something gold. The
Phoenix Gate.
Goliath noticed subtle differences between the two Demonas. The original, while always holding
a sneer or smirk on her face, the new one was wearing a look of disgust...and guilt. The new one also wore
a kind of gold armor. Goliath realized she looked exactly as she had in the dream that Puck had given
him.
Brooklyn also seemed to notice the difference, especially the guilty look. For a brief instant
Goliath was reminded of the image Puck had made of Brooklyn in the future, of him and Demona
together.
The old Demona growled and got up. The new one rose a hand and brought against the old one's
head. The present Demona moaned and fell to the ground.
The remaining Demona crossed her arms and put the fingers on her wings on her shoulders. She
looked around the clan, and then walked up to them and freed them of their chains.
Goliath turned to Demona. "Who are you?"
"I _am_ Demona. But that isn't important right now." She turned to a shadowed corner of the
building. "Krys! Come out now!"
Goliath turned to where she was calling. He saw a red gargoyle's foot come out, and at first
thought it would be Brooklyn's future self, but then more came out and he saw it was a girl.
But the girl looked very much like Brooklyn. Her coloring was the same as his, and she had
horns on her head like his. She wore a golden tiara around her forehead, much like Demona's, but the
spikes pointed downward, and there was only one, right between the eyes. She white hair, with a single
red streak the color of fire in it. Her wings looked much like Demona's, the same shape and were a deep
violet. She wore an armor, like Demona's, except it was silver.
Goliath took a step back. He knew who it was even before she spoke.
Brooklyn, however, did speak before he could. "Who are you?" Demona turned to Brooklyn with
a smile on her face.
"Brooklyn, meet Krystiana," Demona stated. "Your daughter."
Brooklyn looked at Demona like she was crazy, as did the rest of the clan. "My _daughter?_" he
said, his jaw falling open. "But...how is that..."
Krystiana was looking at the old Demona's body on the ground. She ran up to it, and put a hand
on her shoulder. "Mom...this is _you!_"
Brooklyn's jaw parted even further, and then he began to get angry. "MOM?!" he yelled at
Demona. Demona winced, and then looked down.
"Yes, Brooklyn. She is our daughter."
Brooklyn was angry, to the point where he would probably try to kill Demona any second now.
"OUR daughter?! OUR daughter?!" he yelled, his eyes glowing white.
Krystiana was watching him, her eyes filling up with tears. Brooklyn looked down at her, and the
glow died away. He looked at Demona and realized that she was fighting back tears as well. Brooklyn
calmed down and took a deep breath.
"Okay, so she is our daughter. But why are you here?"
Demona looked at him, still fighting back tears, but she was smiling. "I made you a promise," she
said. "One that I am going to keep, but I am going to twist it a little."
Brooklyn raised an eyeridge. "What kind of _promise?_"
"You made me promise to bring her back here to keep her safe. You also to try and convince you
to do something."
"What? What do I have to do?"
Demona looked around at the rest of the clan. "I can't tell you here," she said.
"Fine, whatever. Last time I listened to you-"
"You did what I said, I know. That was years ago, even longer for me. Forty-seven, to be exact."
"Forty-seven?"
"Wait, a minute!" Krystiana interrupted. "What do you mean, `last time you listened to her?'"
Demona put a hand on her forehead and muttered. "Krys, I will explain later." Krystiana glared
at nothing, and Brooklyn realized that the eyes were definitely Demona's.
"Yes, will you please listen to me?"
Brooklyn looked to the rest of his clan for help. Goliath stepped forward, and said, "Why can't
you tell the rest of us?"
Demona narrowed her eyes. "You can listen, if you want to, but I don't think you'll want to hear
it."
Goliath shook his head. "Whatever concerns Brooklyn, concerns the entire clan."
Demona sighed. "Very well." She pulled out a video tape. "This will show most of it. I got it from
a security tape."
Goliath interrupted one more time. "One thing still puzzles me. How did you get the Phoenix
Gate?"
Demona looked at Goliath. "That is a long story...and one I'd rather not tell right now." She
moved to the edge of the building. "You may as well bring me...uh, her," she said, gesturing to her
younger self.
Brooklyn, almost hesitantly, picked her up with a look of disgust on his face.
Demona snapped her wings open and glide away, the others following. Krystiana stayed more to
the back.
* * *
Krystiana watched the city below go by. Everything was so..alive here. It was before the Dark
War started here, and everything was peaceful. Some might disagree with her, but compared to her world,
it was peaceful.
"You really are Brooklyn's daughter, aren't you?" Krystiana looked beside her and saw Angela
and Broadway, younger than she remembered either of them. She nodded.
"I don't think her attitude takes after either of them," Broadway said. Krystiana looked at him,
puzzled. "She won't talk, and they never shut up."
Angela looked at him, horrified. "Broadway!" she scolded.
Krystiana growled at Broadway, but then smiled sweetly. "I can say plenty," she said.
"So say something!" Broadway insisted. "Why don't you tell us about your world?"
Krystiana sighed. "There is a war going on, and it's terrifying. This leader person snaps collars
around people, and then they become the enemy. And we haven't figured out how to reverse the collars."
Angela watched her with sorrowful eyes. "Has anybody we know been...taken?"
"We call them the controlled. And yes. Xanatos, and Fox. Goliath..." She stopped for a moment
to collect her breath. "And...Brooklyn," she whispered, "Is the latest edition to the controlled. And it's all
my fault."
Broadway's eyes widened. "Goliath? And Brooklyn?" Krystiana nodded. "Goliath, the first year
the war began, and Brooklyn...t-tonight..."
Broadway shook his head, to clear it. "What about Elisa?"
Krystiana looked at him and frowned. "She's fine, but ever since Goliath...she hasn't been the
same. She tried to commit suicide, but Mom stopped her."
Angela looked at her blankly for a moment and then realized. "Demona stopped _Elisa_ from
killing herself?"
Krystiana nodded. "She's a lot different from the Demona you know. Elisa and Brooklyn are the
ones who had been helping her trust humans." She looked at her father's younger self, who she realized
was staring at her. He quickly turned away, but she had caught him. "She is gonna admit later that the
only reason she hated Elisa so much was because she was proof that not all humans were bad."
Angela and Broadway looked at each other as Krystiana sped up. She glid up next to Demona.
"Why are we back here?" Krystiana whispered to her mother. "What good is this gonna do?"
"We must stop the reason the of the war from happening. It is going to happen tomorrow night,"
Demona whispered back.
Krystiana glanced back at the rest of the clan. They were all whispering among themselves as
well. Brooklyn, still carrying her mother's younger self, was not saying anything, just looking down at
Demona's still form.
* * *
Demona appeared to still be unconscious, but Brooklyn knew she wasn't.
*Just wake up!* he told her silently. *Why can't you just show the others you're awake?*
*Because I want to know what's going on.*
*First you tell me why you attacked us even after you helped me with that Iago thing.*
*I needed something from you,* Demona said.
*What did you need that was so damn important?*
*I needed you to help me get the Phoenix Gate.*
*But...why?*
*I wanted to stop myself from tricking you.*
Brooklyn was silent, even to Demona, for a few moments. *Why?*
*Because you hate me so much. I realize that was a mistake.*
*Demona...*
*Now, who was that other person, that looked like me?*
*She was you, Demona,* Brooklyn thought at Demona. *She said something about being from
forty-something years in the future.*
*My future-self?*
*I guess. She also made a promise to...my future-self, I guess about keeping Krystiana safe...*
Brooklyn almost immediately stopped thinking at Demona.
*Who is Krystiana?*
*Another...visitor from the future.*
*But who is she?*
Brooklyn didn't say anything.
*Brooklyn...*
*Our daughter, or so she says,* Brooklyn said, narrowing his eyes.
*OUR daughter?*
*That's exactly what I said.*
*Brooklyn...*
*Just wake up now, okay? We're almost to Wyvern.*
Brooklyn landed on the tower with a thud. Demona immediately launched into acting and
moaned, rubbing her head. Brooklyn started acting surprised and watched her come to. She opened her
eyes to see Brooklyn glaring at her. She gasped and pushed him away, causing him to drop her.
She turned around and glared at the rest of the clan, including her future-self.
~For once, she is actually acting being XXXXed at the clan,~ Brooklyn thought.
*Oh, yeah, get them mad at you,* he said silently to Demona.
*Why not? They're just going to lock me up anyway.* She launched further into the part and
allowed her eyes to glow.
Brooklyn rolled his eyes. Lexington noticed and gave him a strange look.
*Okay, I'm going to take you by surprise.* He put himself into his part and allowed his own eyes
to glow. *You ready? Here comes my surprise!*
He launched himself at Demona, knocking into her back. He growled. Demona turned face up
and growled at him.
*Nice surprise.*
*Thank you.*
Brooklyn was suddenly being pushed gently off of Demona. He had half a mind to tell whoever it
was to shove off, but then turned and saw it was Krystiana. He allowed himself to be pushed off with a
genuine look of shock on his face. Although his weight was off of her, his legs were still draped across
hers.
Demona squinted at Krystiana, then turned to Brooklyn. *She _is_ our daughter! I can see the
resemblance of both of us!*
"Oh, would you stop that?" Both of them turned their heads to Krystiana. "I know exactly what
you're doing, so you may as well stop it."
"Stop what?" Brooklyn asked, almost panicking.
"Yes, stop what?" Goliath asked, glowering at the bunch of them. Brooklyn realized his legs were
still on top of Demona, and he pulled them off. ~Lucky I have red skin color, because that's what color I'd
be if I wasn't.~
"Don't play innocent with me, _Dad,_" she said sarcastically. "I know what you're doing." *Now
stop it,* she added silently, in her own mental voice. Brooklyn's look of innocence broke down to shock.
And from what he could tell, Demona had heard it, too.
*How...did she do that?* Demona wondered to Brooklyn.
*She's our daughter, remember? She inherited the Early Hatcher's talents,* Brooklyn said,
blinking. Krystiana narrowed her eyes, and Brooklyn was reminded of Demona very much.
"Okay, we'll stop," he mumbled. Demona bit her lip and slowly nodded.
"I still don't understand," Goliath said. "Stop what?"
"We'll explain later, Goliath," Brooklyn said, knowing he wouldn't. He looked over at Demona's
future self, who had stood back and watched the scene unfold, frowning. "Can we go in and watch that
tape of yours?"
Demona's future self nodded and began walking in the castle. Krystiana made a gesture, as if to
say, "After you." Brooklyn went in, with a confused look on his face. Demona followed, with a sour look
on her own.
The rest of the clan followed them. Bronx came bounding out of one of the rooms, coming to
greet the clan.
"Hi, Bronx!" Krystiana chirruped. As Bronx gave her a confused look, she slapped her forehead.
"I keep forgetting. He doesn't know me yet." She bent down and reached out a hand. Bronx came forward
carefully and cautiously and then began panting in a friendly manner. Krystiana smiled and petted him.
"Don't worry, boy. You'll know me in about five or six years."
Bronx panted happily and trotted around at her heels as they moved on. They walked into
Xanatos's office, the future Demona in the lead. Xanatos jumped up from his desk.
"Demona!" he said, reaching into his desk for something. Brooklyn came in afterward and shook
his head. When the second Demona came in, Xanatos looked genuinely surprised.
The rest of the clan filed in. Krystiana came up next to the first Demona. She started whispering
in her ear. Brooklyn strained to hear what they were saying, but he couldn't make it out. The armored
Demona shrugged, then nodded.
Xanatos regained his composure quickly. "What is going on here?"
Goliath came forward. "Xanatos, we shall explain later." He turned to the Demona holding the
tape. "Show your tape now."
"Very well," she said. She put the tape in a slot next to the TV monitor that Xanatos had on his
wall. The monitor blinked and flew into color.
The camera was obviously in the corner. Brooklyn watched an empty hallway, It stayed there for
a long time, nothing happening.
"Oh, yeah, this _is_ exciting," he said. The present Demona shushed him.
There was a flicker of movement in the corner. A human girl, that looked to be about fifteen ran
by, laughing. A gray-haired David Xanatos came on and crossed his arms. "Lara," he said, waggling a
finger. Suddenly, there was a blast off of the left of the screen. Lara and Xanatos both turned their heads
towards it.
A door on the opposite side of the hallway opened and Lexington, his older self came out. He
growled and bounded down the hallway on all fours. Lara and Xanatos looked at each other and ran after
him.
Brooklyn turned to Krystiana. "When was this?" he asked.
"About a month ago."
Brooklyn turned back to the screen. The camera had changed views, and was outside now. It
showed a lot of blasts, coming from some kind of weapon. There was a lot of the same kind a gun, all
being used by a lot of humans, all wearing some kind of mechanical collars around their neck.
Xanatos and the girl named Lara ran out and saw what was happening. Lexington was fighting a
lot of them at once, and apparently losing. Lara suddenly ran for the bunch of humans around Lex. She
leapt up and kicked one . He staggered, but didn't fall. She spun around and kicked him again, and he fell.
She continued fighting the others, giving Lex a chance.
Xanatos was dodging blasts from the others. Suddenly, a lot of battle cries could be heard from
above. Krystiana came on screen first and rammed into three of the humans. Broadway tripped one with
his tail, while Angela swiped the guns from two.
Behind Xanatos, something was happening. It looked like the very air was opening up. Krystiana
knocked one more down, and then yelled, "Behind you!" Xanatos looked and saw the hole. Strange metal
twines came out that seemed to have a life of their own. They wound themselves around Xanatos's ankles,
and he fell to the ground as they started pulling him towards the hole.
On the screen, Demona and Fox had just come outside and seen what was going on. Demona
leapt at Xanatos and grabbed one of his arms, trying to pull him back. Fox grabbed the other arms,
helping her. More twines suddenly wrapped themselves around Fox and began pulling her towards the
hole as well. Demona grabbed one of her arms as well, trying to pull both of them out.
A red taloned hand reached in and grabbed both of Fox's arms. Demona smiled and continued to
try and pull out Xanatos. Brooklyn gaped at the sight of himself on the screen. He was wearing armor, as
was everyone else, but he was still surprised to see himself. He had grown at least a foot, and was at least
as tall as Goliath was now.
A red-haired human reached in and began helping them, too, but he was shot in the back by
something off of the screen. It was obvious Brooklyn and Demona were losing Fox and Xanatos to the
hole. Xanatos was pulled all the way in first, then Fox. The hole and all the collared humans disappeared.
Brooklyn growled and punched the wall, leaving a visible dent in it. Then he noticed the re-haired human
on the ground.
Krystiana was already at his side, propping him up. Lara had run to the other side, crying. She
was shaking her head, as if trying to tell herself it hadn't happened. "Dad..." she whispered. "I've lost my
entire family in one damn attack!"
"Lara, he's not dead, but he will be if he doesn't get some help fast," Krystiana said, taking his
pulse. She picked him up carefully and began running into the castle.
Demona reached up and stopped the tape. "That was just one attack. Tonight we lost one more...
and before that we have lost others. We need to stop the Dark War from happening."
Xanatos was still looking at the blank screen. "Who were those two people...Lara and that other
one?"
"Lara is...will be your granddaughter and that other one will be Alex."
Goliath held up a hand. "Would you mind explaining what this Dark War is, exactly?"
Demona sighed. "Many years ago, someone wanted to get revenge against the clan for something
that we had done. This person was very good with mechanical things, and had always had a good heart,
but became twisted when her brother died. She started building these collars that controlled peoples'
minds, that made them her willing slaves. We still don't know how to beat these collars, or how to get
them off. It seems that once they're on, they're on." Demona stopped and shook her head. "So many have
become one of the controlled..."
* * *
Goliath listened to her story with interest. When she was done, he realized she was fighting back
tears, casting a glance at Brooklyn every once in a while. Brooklyn noticed this and looked at her.
"What?" he asked.
Demona, the future one, looked at him as one tear escaped. She moaned and sank to the floor,
crying silently.
Brooklyn's eyes widened, as did everyone else's, except for Krystiana. They had never seen
Demona cry before.
Krystiana bent down next to her mother, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"He's gone, Krys, he's really gone," the future Demona moaned. "Brooklyn...it's all my fault. I
shouldn've let him..."
Brooklyn looked at the present-time Demona, who was watching herself with wide eyes. He
looked back at Krystiana.
"I don't know why you're blaming yourself," she said. "It was my fault. I knew it was going to
happen, but I was just so think-skulled that I wouldn't admit it." She shook her head, fighting back her
own tears.
Goliath was watching the entire time, frowning. "Krystiana, what happens to Brooklyn?"
Krystiana looked up at Goliath. "He...he sacrificed himself for me. I was going to be sucked up
into one of those warphole things, and he let himself be taken." She blinked away a few tears. "He let
himself become one of the controlled," she whispered.
* * *
*Brooklyn...what are we supposed to do?*
Brooklyn heard Demona's thoughts in his mind, while it was going a million miles an hour.
He bent down next to Krystiana and Demona's future self. "How can we stop this from
happening?" he asked Demona.
She looked up and thought. "If we stop the reason of the war, then it won't happen...but..."
"But what?"
"Never mind."
"Well, what is the reason of the war?"
"I can't say it."
"Why not?"
"It'll happen tomorrow. If we stop something at the end from happening, then that should..."
Brooklyn shook his head. "Why can't you just say what is going to happen?"
"It could alter everything more than we want to."
Goliath interrupted. "But time can't be changed."
Krystiana glanced at Goliath, then turned back to her mother. "Yes, it can, if you know how."
Goliath sighed. "These questions will have to wait until tomorrow. It's almost dawn." They
looked out the window and saw he was right. They filed out the door and to the tower.
*I think Krystiana is actually very pretty,* Demona thought at Brooklyn.
*So do I. I guess that's parentage,* Brooklyn thought back.
The sun rose in the east, turning them to stone.
* * *
Demona felt the usual pain as she turned into a human. She was watching her future-self go
through the same process. ~I guess I am burdened by that 'gift' for the rest of eternity," she thought.
Although her future self looked the same as her, because she was immortal, she could tell she
was older, wiser.
Xanatos watched the show with little interest. "Ladies, I 'm afraid I can't leave you here alone
with them, so if you'll come with me..."
He turned and walked into the building. The two Demonas looked at each other and then
followed.
* * *
"Demona! Freeze!"
The future Demona turned to face Elisa Maza pointing a gun at her. The present Demona came
out of the shadows and crossed her arms.
The detective switched her gun to the other Demona. With a confused look on her face, she
trailed the gun between the two of them.
"Elisa, it's all right," came a voice. Fox walked out, carrying a box. She set it down and dusted
off her hands.
"Uh...what's going on?" Elisa asked, still pointing her gun at the Demonas.
"Relax. I'll explain everything later. I didn't believe my eyes either." Fox yawned, stretching. "It's
almost sunset. Let's go watch them wake up."
They all walked up to the tower. Elisa spied the statue of Krystiana. "Who's this?"
"My daughter," Demona said. Elisa looked back at the one who was wearing armor. "We'll
explain that later, too."
The sunset, and they returned to their respectable forms. Elisa watched Brooklyn eye the young
female red gargoyle.
The Demona in the armor spoke up. "It doesn't happen until one in the morning. We can relax
until then."
"What doesn't?" Elisa asked. Goliath took Elisa's hand and drew her to the side.
Broadway and Angela looked at each other, and left the tower. The others did the same. Soon the
only ones standing on the tower were Brooklyn and the present Demona.
* * *
"This is stupid. A war is going to start tonight, and she's telling us to sit back and relax?"
Brooklyn muttered.
Demona sighed and looked out into the city. "Can we go someplace else?" she asked.
*I don't have to go with you, you know,* Brooklyn thought.
"I know. But I want to figure out what's going on." *Beside,* she added mentally, *I want to talk
to you.*
Brooklyn rolled his eyes. "Fine." He snapped his wings open and glided off the tower, Demona
following him away from the castle.
Both of them were unaware of the pair of eyes that watched them from the shadows.
* * *
"Ade, what are you doing?"
Adrian Plersh turned to face his sister, Sophie Plersh. "I'm working on something."
"What? Another one of your Quarrymen projects?" she said, crossing her arms.
"Maybe."
"I don't know why you even joined those people. They are nothing but a gang. Gargoyles rescued
that train of people, remember?"
"It's nothing but an act, Sophie. They must pay."
"Yeah, yeah, they're a treacherous race and all that. I've heard it a million times from you. Forget
it, I'm not helping you."
"Come on, Sophie. This ray will shoot any gargoyle right out of the sky and automatically kill
them. Once I get it finished-"
"WHAT?!" Sophie couldn't believe her ears. "You're talking about killing
something that hasn't even done anything to you."
"Sophie..."
"I don't want to hear it. The Quarrymen are worse then Hitler and his troops."
Adrian slammed down the screwdriver. "You don't understand. Didn't you see how they blew up
that police building? They could blow up something else, or worse..."
"Oh, would you think of something new to say to me?" Sophie said angrily.
"Soph-"
"OH, WOULD YOU SHUT UP? I am so sick of you and your damn Quarrymen, and your damn
hammer looking thing, and your damn ray-guns. I can't believe you are thinking about killing anything!"
Sophie fled from the room Adrian had designated his Lab. She ran out onto a balcony.
~What happened to him?~ she thought. ~He used to be so thoughtful, so kind...~
She stopped thinking about it as she saw two winged shapes gliding above her head. She heard
Ade behind her.
"Finally," he whispered, pulling on his Quarryman mask. He pulled out his newly-made weapon.
"No, Ade...you can't do this!" she yelled.
One of the gargoyles, a red male, looked down. Adrian raised his weapon, and was about to fire...
When something ran into him from behind.
A red female grabbed the weapon from him and threw against the wall as hard as she could. It
shattered as the Quarryman gasped.
"You monster! I'll kill you for that!" He yelled, launching himself at her.
She growled and her eyes lit up red, an odd contrast with her crimson red skin. She grabbed him
and slammed him against the wall, not enough to kill him, but enough to throw him into unconsciousness.
Sophie ran up to him and smiled at the creature. "Thank you. I would probably hate him forever
if he got away with killing somebody he doesn't even know." The creature blinked.
The two others that had been above landed beside the other.
"Krystiana, what are you doing here?" The blue female asked.
The red female smiled and shrugged, diving off the balcony. The other two shrugged and glided
after her.
* * *
"Krystiana, why did you follow us?"
"Because I knew that would happen," she said. "Now the war isn't going to happen. That was the
whole reason the war started."
"What?" Demona asked. "How did that human start a war?"
"Brooklyn, you got really mad at him for shooting at you. So mad that...you kind of...killed him."
"What?!" Brooklyn asked. "I started the war?"
"Not on purpose. You didn't mean to kill him," Krystiana said, still smiling. "It just went too far.
But anyway, that other human was really mad at you, and she went from a gargoyle lover to a gargoyle
hater. She studied science, and she learned how to make that collar thing. Now it will never exist, and
the war will never start and now I..." She stopped and looked down. "Now I have to go home."
"What is so bad about that?" Demona said, glancing at Brooklyn.
"I like the past better then the future. I can talk to Hudson and Goliath, and I like this world
better."
"But now your world is different."
"No. All the hate started before the war even started. Manhattan is in ruins, and I want to try and
stop that from happening."
* * *
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY'RE NOT HERE?!"
Angela flinched at her father's tone of voice. "I mean they're not here. Demona, Brooklyn, and
Krystiana are gone."
The future Demona was nervously looking out of the window, waiting to see them.
"Do _you_ know where they've gone?" Goliath yelled at Demona.
"No, I don't," she stated, growling.
"There they are!" Lexington yelled, pointing out a different window.
Everyone ran up to the tower and met them. Krystiana had a huge smile on her face as she ran up
to her mother.
"The war is gone. It's not going to happen!" she cried joyfully.
Goliath looked at Brooklyn and Demona. "What?" he asked them.
"Later," Brooklyn said, waving him off. "I'll explain later."
"We can go home now, Krys," the future Demona said. "We go see your father...in our time."
Krystiana's face fell. "Mom...I want to stay here, in this time. Maybe not necessarily with the
clan, but in this time."
"Krys..."
"I'll come back with you to say goodbye to everyone, but then I want to come back here."
Demona looked at her daughter and sighed. "We'll talk to Brooklyn about this, if you what you
said about the war is true. Lets go now."
Goliath stepped forward and shook Krystiana's hand warrior style. "It was good to meet you,
Krystiana."
Krystiana rolled her eyes. "Call me Krys."
Goliath turned to the future Demona. "It was also nice to meet you, as well."
Demona's future self pulled out the Phoenix Gate and smiled at Brooklyn and her younger self
standing next to each other. "It was good to see you all again," she said. "Goodbye."
Krystiana waved at everyone as Demona rose the Phoenix Gate above her head.
"Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!" Demona chanted. The Phoenix Flame rose around
Krystiana and Demona and it disappeared.
"Well, that was interesting," Demona said, turning to the clan. "Now what?"
Goliath turned to her. "Demona, if it wasn't for that shooting show yesterday, I might consider
letting you back into the clan. I am willing to give you a chance, however."
Demona's eyes widened and she smiled, but then frowned. "No."
Brooklyn stared at her in shock. "Why not?"
"You protect the humans, and I still can't trust any of them. Maybe when I can trust them again, I
will come back. But tonight..." She sighed. "I'm not ready." She moved to the edge of the castle. "Perhaps
later. Goodbye, for now." She jumped off the tower and spread her wings. She glided off into the distance,
leaving the clan staring after her.
*Perhaps later, then,* Brooklyn thought at her.
*Brooklyn...I...*
*Yeah?*
*Never mind.*
Brooklyn watched a little longer and then walked into the castle, smiling.
* * *
Castle Wyvern
2044 A.D.
"Dad?"
Krystiana stared with joy. She leapt up and hugged him, laughing.
"What was that for?" he asked, pushing her back.
"Nothing. I'm just glad to see you, that's all." She smiled and left the room.
Demona walked towards him slowly, smiling as well. "I'm so glad to see you..." she said,
hugging him.
He returned the hug. "Why is everyone so overjoyed to see me?" he asked.
Demona shook her and smiled again. "My one true love..." she whispered.
"You too," Brooklyn whispered back, forgetting to wonder why everyone was so happy to see
him. Demona raised her head to his and gave him a long kiss.
Brooklyn frowned, remembering something in the past about Krystiana, and she wanted to stay
in the past.
"Wait a minute," he said. "Krystiana said she wanted to stay in the past..."
Demona opened her eyes wide. "How do you know?"
"I remember it. He was my younger self, remember?"
Demona smiled, but then frowned. "Should we let her go back?"
Brooklyn thought, and then nodded. "It's her own path that she chooses."
Demona smiled. "Krystiana!" she called. Krystiana came in, looking down.
"You were listening at the door, weren't you?" Brooklyn asked. Krystiana nodded.
"Well, then you know what we've decided." Krystiana nodded and smiled.
Demona handed her the Phoenix Gate. "Come back every once in a while. And don't stay with
the clan the whole time."
Krystiana smiled and took the Gate. "I planned to." She gave her father a hug, and then her
mother. "Thank you," she whispered.
She slowly rose the Phoenix Gate into the air.
"Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!"
THE END
Whattya think? Go on, tell me honestly. kbrannan@raex.com
Give me praise, criticism, anything. I want to know!!! Oh, and if there is something that doesn't make
sense, mail me your question. Or if you want to use Krystiana in a story of your own.
******************
Coming Soon!!!
Temptation:
An "I wonder" story, so it doesn't have anything to do with any of my other stories, and it won't conflict
with anything else. Ever wonder what would happen if Brooklyn had REALLY joined with Demona and
had to face the rest of the clan with an "under the weather" Goliath. And how would the clan react?
*****