"Speech"

'Thought'

#Panda Sign#

X x x x x x

January 21st

"Where do you think we are?" Ranma asked, pushing the oar through the water, the skiff sliding easily on the calm surface. Dawn had come shortly after leaving Avalon, turning the three born gargoyles into stone, and he human once again. Unfortunately only Bronx had been in a sitting position.

"I wish they would have sat down." Shaking his head, he stood up on to the far back bench to be able to see where they were going. They had entered into a canal system, with stone walls extending up several meters on both sides, and a walkway just above water level.

"Well, seeing as that looks like the Eiffel Tower, I'd say it's a good bet we're in Paris." Elisa pointed to where the top of a metal tower extended over some building. "It's hard to believe though, of all the places Avalon could have sent us, why Paris?" Elisa sighed, glancing at Goliath. "You up for a little sightseeing?"

"Sounds fun." Ranma smiled, though he wanted to remain here and protect the three statues.

Passing underneath an arched stone bridge, Ranma pushed the skiff up against the side of the river that was lined with a steep shore, and thick trees. Hopping off the skiff, he pulled the it in close, and tied it firmly in place to a large tree trunk. "You don't happen to know French do you?" He asked.

"I always dreamed of coming here, but never really picked up any French." Elisa shrugged, carefully making her way off the boat. "You?"

"I didn't even think I'd visit Europe." He answered, heading to the top of the incline, before looking worriedly at the sleeping trio below. "They'll be alright there, won't they?"

"Should be alright, looks like a good part of town, and the trees do a good job of blocking them."

X x x x x x

"Even though it's smaller than the buildings in New York, there's still something about it." Elisa remarked, as she stood with Ranma in the middle of a crowd in the large grassy area next to the Eiffel tower. It was the last place they were visiting before heading back to the skiff, and she promised herself to return with Goliath. Earlier, both her and Ranma had realized that Avalon was providing as a translator for them, since they understood the French speakers and writing around them.

Elisa couldn't be sure if Rama was trying to cover up his demons, or if he was genuinely excited at the prospect of being at one of the most iconic buildings in the world. She had been trying to place the cursed boy somewhere on the side of good or evil. Since first hearing about him, the things he had done, being around him, the only thing she could really say was that he was complicated.

Ranma seemed to want to do good, but he could be petty, jealous, and extremely egotistical. His idea of what good was also varied wildly, his involvement with Demona was proof enough of that. It was easy to forget how young he was with his tough guy attitude. To see him acting like the kid he was, actually put a smile on her face.

'How am I out of shape?' She wondered, finishing the climb to the second floor, and breathing more heavily than she would have liked. Especially in comparison to Ranma who looked like he could run a marathon. 'Kids and gargoyles.' She grumbled.

They weren't able to go to the very top, she was trying to ration her money, and returning at night certainly did that. She didn't think too much on the legality of it, since she wasn't exactly in the country legally either. It was hard to justify herself sometimes. Often times she had to bend the law a bit too far in order to help Goliath and the clan in their activities. Sometimes, she really felt more of a vigilante than a detective.

X x x x x x

Enjoying the wind as it pushed his hair around wildly, Ranma stood alone, while Elisa had run off to the toilet. Being over a hundred meters in the air, the urge to jump he had gained was tempered with the knowledge that a fall from this height would hurt, a lot. Of course this height seemed at the same time seemed small. When you had wings and made a habit of leaping from skyscrapers, height no longer mattered in the same way. From, is this too high? To, is this high enough?

Hearing a pair of footsteps coming towards him, he ignored them until an all too familiar voice speak up, and he whirled around to see two very different people walking hand in hand. To the right was Demona, dressed in a knee length black skirt, black high heeled shoes, and a golden three fourth sleeved blouse. Her long hair was pushed back, and held in place by a black headband. A small dark brown leather purse was slung over her should, and a pair of oval sunglasses kept her eyes from view.

To the left was Macbeth, wearing navy slacks, a blue button up shirt, and a brown jacket over top. The large man had his arm possessively wrapped around Demona's slim waist, a genuine smile spread over his face. Demona likewise seemed completely happy to be in the arms of one of her most hated enemies, even laughing at something Macbeth had just said.

"Well this is a surprise." Macbeth said warmly. "Sorry I don't remember your name, but your face and dress are familiar."

"Ra-Ranma." He greeted, unnerved by the lack of recognition in Macbeth's eyes. Demona however seemed to be putting on an act. She was smiling pleasantly, vacantly looking into his eyes, except for a quick glance at Macbeth that was decidedly unfriendly.

"It's good to see you again lad." The elder man extended a hand to be shaken. "Tell me, did you ever finish my book?"

"I did." He answered, giving Macbeth's hand a brief shake.

"Any thoughts?"

"Uh." He floundered, trying to dig through the haze and remember what he had read. It had been read while under the control of the Weird Sisters, and that time period remained hard to remember.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Macbeth gestured towards the red haired woman at his side. "This is my fiancée, Dominique Destine."

"Pleased to meet you." Demona, or Dominique greeted cordially.

"You know my dear, I have to say, you two look a lot alike. I dare say you might be related." Macbeth said teasingly.

"Never met her in my life." Ranma said hesitantly.

"Are you being racist my dear?" Demona answered with a joking tone. "Not all Asians look the same."

"You're right my dear, I apologize." Macbeth did not seem to know that Demona was hanging off his arm, because he casually leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Forgive me?"

"Oh alright." Demona kissed Macbeth back. "But we need to hurry or we'll miss our reservation."

"Really?" Macbeth checked a watch on his left wrist. "Indeed we will. I would invite you along but our reservation is just for two."

"Right." Ranma nodded mechanically as the two left, but not before Demona had secretly handed him a small piece of paper. Watching the duo enter the restaurant on the level, he finally looked down at the paper.

'North tower of Notre Dame Cathedral, 8pm, tell no one.' Was written out in Demona's perfect cursive script.

"Back." Elisa informed him, and he quickly shoved the paper in his pant pocket. "You alright? Your face is all white."

"Me? Couldn't be better." He boasted, while Elisa looked at him suspiciously.

"Well, let's head out, I think we can squeeze in seeing the Arc de Triomphe before it'll be night."

"Sure, lead the way." He let Elisa head first down the steps to the ground level, taking the note out of his pocket one more time to be sure it was real.

X x x x x x

They did not make it back to the skiff and it's secluded position before nightfall. Elisa had been too engrossed in viewing the carvings on the side of the Arc de Triomphe, and he was too distracted by the arrival of two unexpected immortals to notice that sunset was approaching. So now Ranma was ducking into an alley to quickly pull of his shoes when his skin started to turn blue. Quickly clamping his taloned hands over his mouth when he stopped roaring, Ranma had to duck behind a dumpster when a pair of inquisitive Paris residents came to check on the load roar.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear anything." Elisa told them when they asked if she had heard anything. Ranma rolled his eyes, imagining the looks of distrust that Elisa must be getting. Crouched down behind the large metal bin, he waited till Elisa had come into view.

'Boy do I love hiding.' He sighed as he stood up.

"They thought it might be the Notre Dame monster." Elisa joked. "Apparently it's all over the news, they even said the newspaper had a front page article on the various sightings."

"What's Notre Dame?" He asked, feigning ignorance when he realized that Demona hadn't been discrete.

"It's a really famous cathedral, listen, how about you go meet up with Goliath and Angela, while I grab a paper?"

"Alright." That plan seemed reasonable, but he wouldn't be following it.

X x x x x x

Angela stood at the top of the embankment on the side of the strange river. She was trying to get used to the loud and unnatural noises that permeated the air. Noisy rumblings passed by in the streets as humans inside were ferried around in metal boxes. The sky looked like it was on fire from all the electric candles that lit the city. Even from her limited vantage point, she was almost overwhelmed by the stimuli.

"Do you know where we are?" She asked Goliath for the third time.

"No." Her father answered, looking around worriedly. Neither Ranma or Elisa had been here when they had awoken, and she was similarly concerned that something may have happened to them while they had slept.

"Well should we go look for them?" Smiling down at Bronx, the gargoyle beast was laying on the grass, his alert eyes watching the figures across the river.

"No, this appears to be a large city, and it would be foolish for us to blindly wander while they know where we are." The larger gargoyle was standing stoically among the trees, as still as a statue.

"Sorry guys." Elisa came brushing through the trees behind them.

"Where were you?" Goliath asked animatedly, quickly moving to stand close to Elisa. Bronx was there as well, briefly butting himself up against the human woman. "I was worried, Elisa."

"Turns out we're in Paris, and there's a gargoyle or group of gargoyles here." Elisa raised up several large sheets of parchment, on one of them was a large blurry picture of a gargoyle silhouetted against the moon. "Isn't Ranma back yet?"

"We assumed he was with you." Angela answered, viewing the parchment with interest. The text was so perfectly uniform, she wondered how long it had taken to craft such a work.

"He was supposed to come back here while I got a newspaper." Elisa frowned.

"Perhaps he met these other gargoyles on the way?" She suggested.

"That's as good a theory as any." Goliath nodded. "Is there any information on where these gargoyles maybe Elisa?"

"Seeing as they're calling it 'The Monster of Notre Dame', why don't we start there?" Elisa answered.

"How do we get there though?" Angela asked, imagining the difficulty in finding a single building in what must be a vast city.

"If we stay on the river it'll bring us right to it." Elisa answered.

"Then we will need to use the skiff, there are no buildings near enough to our position to be able to glide without being in full view of the public." Goliath made his decision on their course of action, and Angela obeyed, agreeing with his assessment. Though she would have loved to fly over this city and try to make sense of it.

Once in the skiff, Goliath took the oar, and began paddling them forward. Sitting in the middle of the boat, she watched the buildings passing by with great interest. Their architecture was so foreign to what she had known. There were no heavy stone walls, no defensive emplacements, just simple buildings designed to be decorative over functional. Any humans that saw them paddling through the water paid them no mind, it was dark on the river, and with their wings caped around their shoulders, they appeared to be human.

Slowly winding their way down the river. Angela stared in wonder at the Eiffel tower as they passed. The black metal spire was unlike anything she had ever seen. Taller than the highest tower at the castle on Avalon, and constructed in such a strange fashion. Once they had found Ranma, she simply had to return and inspect the structure more.

They didn't stop there, continuing down the river till a cathedral, like nothing the Princess or Magus had ever drawn for her when she was growing up, appeared from behind another building. "So that's Notre Dame Cathedral." She shifted on her seat, eager to see if more new gargoyles were living around this incredible building.

Glancing at Goliath, he seemed less interested in the architecture of the area than her or Elisa. "Isn't it magnificent, father?" She asked, trying to start some kind of dialogue with her only known parent. Angela was taken aback by the stern warning that such a connection didn't matter, and a repeated line about viewing the entire clan as her family. Giving up for the moment, she looked down sadly, and folded her hands in her lap.

X x x x x x

Ranma didn't waste time soaring past the stone gargoyle figures decorating the roof line of the large cathedral he had found, as he quickly swung into, and landed in the north tower. The wooden floor creaked softly, and he briefly clamped down with his toes into the woods to cease his forward momentum. Slowly looking from left to right, light from the interior came up through a large square hole in the floor below a number of bells, giving enough light for him to see by.

Demona stepped out from behind one of the large bells, she had lost her human clothing, and donned an off white dress similar to what Angela wore, but with some skin tight blue piece beneath that came down to her knee and elbows. Paris may not have been below freezing, but even a gargoyle would get cold with the wind while flying, or simply standing around.

"You came." The left corner of Demona's mouth turned upward in a good natured smirk.

"What's this about?" He asked coldly, keeping a watchful eye on the female gargoyle in case she was playing a trick.

"Oh don't turn into Goliath, expecting treachery where there is none." Demona looked sincerely taken back by his accusation. "I just wanted to talk."

"How did you even know I'd be here? I never saw you write that note."

"I could say I saw you earlier but that would be a lie. I just knew that you would come." Slowly, she came towards him. "That our paths would cross once more."

"More fate stuff?" Ranma frowned, wondering if more of the Third Race would be interrupting his life.

"There's also a few questions I have." Demona walked past him to look out over the city. "I don't remember anything from that night months ago when the humans were still turning to stone at night. Till when I awoke on a small boat with Macbeth. Do you know?"

"I do." He answered, remember his own distress at suddenly losing time. "But I don't think you would want to know." Finding out that major events in his life had been purposely crafted, was even more disturbing than losing months of time.

"Then I suppose you have not forgiven me then?" She turned back to him.

Blinking once, he took a deep breath through his nose, and was unable to answer her question. He was forgiving by nature, and he certainly wanted to believe that she had thought her actions were for good, but she had done so much bad in that pursuit.

"Do you think I should?" He asked.

"No." She answered simply. "I don't think you should- but- I want you to."

"Fine, I'll tell you what I know."

X x x x x x

Demona crossed her arms, glancing to her left, with a dark look hovering over her face. She had been controlled, manipulated, used like a puppet for that insufferable human the Archmage. Ever since her first days under his tutelage, she had plotted removing the old human as soon as possible, and she had thought him long dead after that night with Goliath and Hudson. (1)

As disturbing as his return to life was, the sheer power these Weird Sisters had wielded over her was stunning. She would need to keep a closer eye on Puck in the future. Looking at what the Sisters had done compared to Puck, he had been able to hypnotize and change all of Manhattan, while they had been relegated to servants of the Archmage. Yet they had still been able to make her into a puppet. 'What incredible power must Puck wield? More than I could ever dream, even with the help of the Grimorum.'

Of course Ranma wasn't telling her everything. Who it was that the Archmage had the three of them attack, how they were able to repel such a force backed by someone with the Archmage's power at the time. He had been so intentionally vague that it was hard to actually believe him if not for the fact that she knew him enough to recognize being vague, and telling a lie.

"Since I told you about that, why don't you tell me about what you're doing with Macbeth?" Ranma broke her internal self-depreciation. "And don't think I'll let you hurt people again." He warned.

"Nothing like that." She answered. "This afternoon you saw me playing my part with Macbeth. He has no clue that I- and his precious Dominique Destine are one in the same. Tomorrow we will be wed. But there is another part, when I awoke another gargoyle was already residing in Paris, his name is Thailog, and in his short life, he has stolen twenty million dollars from Xanatos. Not a terribly large sum, but combined with the wealth I've hoarded over my long life- plus the money Macbeth has no doubt gathered. If they were both to- disappear, I would become wealthy enough to be on equal footing with Xanatos."

Demona started to feel better and better as she explained her scheme to Ranma, feeling that it was a safe and comfortable direction for her life to take. She was the one in control, not some shadowy figure behind the curtains. She knew that he would have no love for Macbeth, and Thailog was a monster in every sense of the word.

Her hunch that Ranma would show up if she stayed in Paris was a pleasant surprise. Having him back in her life, no matter how easily he got under her skin, was something that she desired. He was almost the child she had lost to that wretched Princess and her human cohorts.

"That's it? You need money?" Ranma seemed skeptical and distrustful of her motives.

"Money is just one part of it, such wealth brings power, don't be so short sighted. This is not merely taking pocket change." She shook her head sadly, feeling like she had failed to impart her wisdom on the youth during their time together. "You can be part of it, if you wanted, with my power I'll be able to force change upon the humans. I'll be able to make a safe place for all gargoyles, for me- for you."

"Yea right, I should have listened to Goliath. You're not going to change." Ranma didn't give her time to respond before he had dove over the edge, and started to glide out and away from the cathedral.

"Ranma wait!" She called after him, pausing at the edge. "Damn it." Without another thought she dove off the tower to follow the other powder blue gargoyle.

X x x x x x

Thailog, the genetic clone of Goliath chuckled sinisterly to himself. Standing on the roof of the tower, he had heard every word. He had known since the beginning that Demona wasn't exactly faithful to him. That was fine by him, he had always planned to betray her as well. Her interest in this new gargoyle was most interesting. Sure he knew of Ranma from Xanatos, but he didn't know much at all about his relationship with Demona.

Rubbing his chin, his great mind started to work ways to turn this situation to his benefit. Turning Macbeth and Demona upon each other would happen on its own. From the boy's animosity, bringing Ranma into that to make a trio, shouldn't be all that difficult. They had even done it before without any prompting.

Of course he had to play his part of appearing devoted to Demona. So when the duo were a safe distance away, he started to follow.

X x x x x x

Arriving at a small spot to dock a boat on the side of the river, Elisa got out of the skiff to strap it to a mooring while Goliath held the boat steady with the oar. Angela and Bronx hopped from the boat, Bronx immediately began to sniff about, while Angela focused on the two towers that could be seen rising up.

"So this is a cathedral." The gargoyle remarked. "I've always dreamed of seeing a real church. The Princess would often talk about the religion of the outside world."

"It is a magnificent building." Goliath added. "But what did the Princess tell you of religion?" The big gargoyle asked, a small amount of concern entering into his voice.

"I think we have more important things to do." Elisa interrupted, sensing that this may be a subject that they would have to get into when there was more time. "Let me go check to see if anyone is around." Running up the steps, she glanced around the street and large open courtyard in front of the cathedral.

Most of the people were busy going to and from some place, only a small handful of tourists were actually milling about the area taking pictures. The picture taking tourists soon found a new subject when one, then a second gargoyle glided out from the north tower, to shoot over top of her and continue back towards the Eiffel tower. The first one she immediately recognized as Ranma, while the second was identified by Goliath.

"Demona." He growled.

X x x x x x

Having put a great deal of distance between himself and the cathedral, Ranma finally landed on a eight story building, his wings aching from flapping to increase his speed. Taking a few deep breaths, he caped his wings to let the muscles rest. Demona had got to him, not through any words, or what she had done, just by being there. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed her until he seen her.

The four he was traveling with helped fill that void, Elisa and Goliath not as much as Angela or even Bronx. Goliath kept giving him constant little reminders about Demona, and Elisa was little better. Angela though found him interesting not because of his ties to Demona, but because she actually valued him as a person. He could even admit that she was cute, though friendship was the only thing on his mind.

He jumped when he heard someone land a short distance from his position. Seeing that Demona had followed him, he bristled, raising his wings, and preparing to fight or literal flight. She didn't look like she was interested in fight, her body relaxed, and staring at him sadly.

"Why did you follow me?" He demanded. "Think you can lie to get me on your side again?"

"I did lie to you, I betrayed your trust, but don't all the good times we had count for anything?"

"What do you want?" He conceded her point.

"I just want to know what you've been doing."

"Why?"

"You're different- something has changed with you, and I don't think it's because of Goliath."

"And you care why?" He continued to be combative, knowing that if she wasn't serious her patience would vanish in an instant.

"While you may not believe it, I do care about you." She informed him seriously. "I remember that you once said, you're the only one I have left." Demona paused. "Without you, I have no one either, I've had no one for hundreds of years before we met."

If she was lying, Ranma couldn't detect it, and knowing her history it was likely true. "I've been traveling with Goliath, Elisa, Bronx, and Angela." He started feeling that there was something he should tell her. "Angela is- that is if you and Goliath were- you know- well she's your daughter."

Demona didn't immediately respond, then her face slowly shifted into a mixed look of despair, anger, and happiness. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not. That Princess took all the eggs to Avalon, and they grew up there. Since time doesn't really work right there, they're still alive. They were the ones the Archmage had us attack."

"I have a daughter?" Demona questioned happily and he nodded. "What's she like?"

"She's- innocent." He decided that would be the best word to describe Angela. "The only problems she's ever had have been us and the Archmage."

"Can- will you take me to meet her?" She asked hopefully, showing the opposite reaction of Goliath who had been absolutely indifferent to the idea of having a child. Demona again was showing that while she hated humans, some of her personality was heavily human.

He didn't know if he wanted the two to meet. Demona could twist Angela up inside just like she had done to him, except with far more ease. But how could he keep them apart? Even though he hated Genma and his birth mother for what they did and represented, a small part of him would like nothing more than to have a family. Angela felt strongly about having parents, Demona seemed to want to be a part of her child's life unlike Goliath, so this was a good thing.

But if uniting mother and daughter after decades and hundreds of years apart was such a good thing, why did he feel so angry that Demona had forgotten about him when he had mentioned Angela?

"I'll take you to see her." He finally answered.

"Thank you so much." Demona came in close and hugged him. Ranma made no move to stop her, nor to back away when she stroked his hair.

"I did miss you." He whispered, awkwardly hugging her back, overcome with emotions that she didn't forget about him. "And you were right about my father." Shutting his eyes he let his wings drape over them. "You were right."

"Shh, shh, it's okay." She said soothingly, continuing to stroke his hair. "I guess- that it has to be learned."

"What am I going to do?" He asked himself more than Demona, trying to hold back tears.

Ever since awakening on Avalon from the Archmage's control, he had felt so lost, so out of place, not knowing where to go or even who to follow. Was he a human who became a gargoyle? Or was he now a gargoyle who had been and continued to turn into a human? What home did he have to go to? What world did he call his own? He just wanted everything to be simple and to make sense.

"Come back to me." She suggested sincerely while he remained silent, considering what purpose Avalon had sent them here for. Was he cursed to endlessly travel to whatever place that Avalon deemed fit? Or was this the end of the line, the place he needed to be. Was it for Angela as well?

"I will."

X x x x x x

Goliath decided that Demona and Ranma could wait the moment he spotted Thailog following after them. It was hard to miss his clone, the nearly black colored gargoyle was clad in reflective steel armor with red fabric acting as accents, and forming a loin cloth. He was now happier that he had told Angela to protect Elisa with Bronx, even though he now had a distinct disadvantage.

Thailog had done so much bad in his short life, attempting to kill him, Elisa, and Xanatos as well as steal millions of Xanatos' money in one fell swoop. How his clone had survived the blaze that was supposed to do all three of them in, he did not know, but he was going to find out why the clone was in Paris. (2)

Calling out to the other gargoyle as he caught up to him, Thailog smiled cruelly before dropping down to a rooftop. Landing himself, he kept a weary distance, knowing just how dangerous Thailog could be.

"Well hello Goliath." Thailog greeted him with a pleasant drawl. "Fancy meeting you in Paris, if you had given me warning, I would have setup accommodations."

"I'm not here for sightseeing. What is your reason for being here?"

"Manhattan is your city, why can't I have my own?"

"And Demona?"

"My- angel of the night arrived here one night." Thailog smiled. "We've been inseparable ever since."

"That would explain why you were sulking around until she was far enough off not to notice you following." He sniped.

"That? I was just attempting to get her some quality time with her young friend. I know that they have been apart for some time." Thailog waved a hand negligently, disregarding his stalking.

"And I suppose she has fed you the same lies she did me. Attempting to turn you against the humans. Even with all that Xanatos programmed into you, you're still a child, ignorant of how the world works. Demona is no doubt using that against you."

"Don't be so paranoid, Father. I'd trust Demona with my life, and I have no desire to hear you speak ill of my beloved."

"Demona knows not love, she is a disease that consumes and destroys all who cross her path."

"You're so jaded Goliath that I have no desire to converse with you any further. Though thanks to you I now no longer know where to find my beloved."

Goliath didn't make a move to stop Thailog from leaving. As with Ranma, words would not convey the sheer corruption that was Demona, and it appeared that she had her claws dug into his clone already. Thailog would need to find out on his own.

X x x x x x

Angela sighed while sitting midway down the steps to the boatlanding with Elisa on a lower step, and Bronx curled up next to the humans legs. Glancing over her shoulder towards the cathedral, she sighed again, and rested her head in her hands. Goliath may not care that he was her father, but he certainly was treating her like a little kid. She was even older than Ranma, yet he was out exploring, and getting to see this interesting town while she stayed here in the shadows making sure Elisa was safe.

She didn't really resent Elisa for being a human, necessitating her protection, but if she could become a gargoyle like Ranma then everything would be so much easier. Sighing yet again, she realized how silly she was being. Goliath was the leader and if he thought she should remain behind to protect Elisa, then she should do her best. No matter how much she wanted to simply wander off and enjoy the sights.

"Who's that?" Elisa asked suddenly, attempting to look at a dark form that dropped down towards them from high up. Angela's better night vision allowed her to realize that it was Ranma, who was coming down to land lightly on the boatlanding platform.

"You're back." Angela greeted happily. "Where did you go?"

Ranma glanced between Elisa and herself twice before speaking. "Angela, can you come with me? There's someone I want you to meet."

She nearly agreed without a thought. "I can't, Goliath wanted me to stay with Elisa."

"Who is it that you met Ranma?" Elisa asked.

"It's private." He replied forcefully. "Gargoyles only." Elisa looked at him with confusion over this stipulation.

"Goliath should be back soon, if you stay here you'll be safe." Angela quickly reasoned her way into leaving.

"Come on, it's not far." With a powerful leap, Ranma jumped up to the railing of the street level, before a second carried him high enough to catch a draft to begin gliding. Following after him, it took more effort to repeat the act, being that she had never been pressured to train her body like Ranma had been.

They flew for only a short distance, with Ranma seeming to be slightly lost, before he found a building he was looking for and went in to land. She did the same, wondering why he would choose this place. The answer came when a familiar female gargoyle stepped out from behind a large metal box. Taking a step back in apprehension, she was confused over both crossing paths with the woman, and why Ranma would bring her here.

"Now don't freak out Angela." Ranma tried to sound reassuring.

"What reason would I have to- freak out?" She asked sarcastically. Even though she was trusting by nature, she simply was not comfortable with this.

"Angela, that name fits you." Demona took several steps towards her in a non-threatening manner.

"Um, thank you." She answered, taking a step back.

Ranma stopped her by placing a hand on her back. "Angela, this is your mom."

"My mother?" She turned to look in his face and he nodded. Demona was looking at her with a look of absolute hope and despair at the same time. "You- and Goliath?"

"Yes, that was long ago- very long ago." Demona answered. "I had thought you lost forever, stolen by the humans."

Angela quickly came around to the idea, being predisposed to being interested in her lineage from the start. Examining Demona critically, there were a lot of similarities, much of which she quickly noticed she also shared with Ranma. When Ranma had explained the curse that originally made him half gargoyle before, she hadn't realized that he had become a male version of Demona, and when fighting at the castle on Avalon there hadn't been enough time to notice similarities.

"No we were protected by them, if they hadn't brought us to Avalon we wouldn't have survived." She defended the Princess.

"If it wasn't for them, you would never have been put in that position." Demona took offense at her statement.

"Demona." Ranma warned. "Why are you getting angry?"

"You're right, I apologize. This meeting shouldn't be about unpleasant past memories." Demona moved to within arm's reach and this time Angela didn't back away. Slowly the older female reached out to lightly touch her right shoulder, as if to prove that Angela actually existed. "My daughter." The azure gargoyle's voice was full of emotions, and Angela couldn't help but smile. A fluttering feeling bubbled up in her chest, while not her perfect vision of being united with her parents, it was close enough.

X x x x x x

Flying through the air with Elisa in his arms, Goliath traced every roof for signs of the two run away children. Bronx had been told to remain with the skiff as he was too heavy to also carry, and too obvious to run around on the ground. He also could not run the risk of leaving Elisa alone with Demona in the area.

For what reason Ranma had vanished earlier, only to show up, and get Angela to disregard his order to protect Elisa? Demona had to be involved, that was for certain. The incedent at Loch Ness had shown that Ranma still harbored deep feelings for his former second in command. Feelings that appeared to have caused the boy to do something rash. Goliath was not so innocent in that regard that he didn't begrudge Ranma some leeway, but that's all it took for Demona to cause a catastrophe.

"Is that them?" Elisa asked, making him come back to his task. Goliath's sharp eyes immediately found three forms standing together on a three story building. Demona was slowly walking towards Angela, and reached out a hand to place on Angela's shoulder.

"It is." He narrowed his eyes, dropping down to land a short distance away.

Setting Elisa down gently, he straightened up to address the two children, and the elder, Demona. His former second instantly glared at him with a look more severe than he had seen. Angela had the good sense to look embarrassed for her actions. While Ranma simply didn't look at him at all, choosing instead to look down, and to the side.

"How dare you ruin this!" Demona hissed. "Manhattan is your protectorate."

"I do not know what your purpose is here in Paris, or why Ranma has suddenly decided to help you. But whatever plot you are attempting with Thailog, I will not stand by and watch." He answered her challenge, ready to fight if necessary.

"Goliath, there's no need to fight." Angela pleaded with him. "We were just talking."

"Angela, I tried to keep you away from her because you don't understand Demona. She'll use your fascination with biological parentage against you, twist you to her whim, and when you're no more use, you'll be cast aside like so many others." He was growing tired of explaining Demona.

Angela covered her mouth in shock. "You were trying to keep me from my mother?"

"Angela, such attachments are not the gargoyle way." Goliath resolved that the next time he saw the Princess he would have a long talk about how she had failed at raising the children. That or Angela took more after her biological mother than he wanted to see.

"You would do that, wouldn't you Goliath?" Demona sneered hatefully. "Ignore your child, for your sick relationship with that disgusting human, Elisa Maza, you've sunk to a new low." His former love spat Elisa's name as the most foul curse.

Goliath's face twisted into a scowl. "You've met Angela tonight for not even an hour and you think to lecture me?"

Demona snorted. "What use would be lecturing a fool like you, you're so in love with the humans that you would see your own kind crumble to dust and disappear."

Stalking towards Demona, he growled lightly, overcome by his anger that she would say such things to him, when it was her actions that were responsible for the death of the clan at Castle Wyvern. "A hypocrite like you has no right to say such things."

"Father please." Angela begged, getting in his way. Brushing past his biological daughter, he was focused purely on Demona.

If he could capture her, then her plans could be stopped with one blow. He also wanted to make her feel pain, any kind of pain the likes of which she so gleefully inflicted on him. The destruction of his clan, the betrayal upon the survivors awakening, and the many times since then that she had done her best to take everything from him again. There was so much that Demona had to answer for.

He was caught off guard by Demona making the first move. As fast as he was, she had become far faster, and he was struck in the face by her right fist. Staggering backwards, she stepped forward to his side, and swept out his feet with her left leg. Twisting in the air, he landed on all fours to swing his tail to hit her legs. He missed though, Demona jumping straight up into the air to glide backwards with her wings, and land on the ceiling in a crouch.

Roaring, he charged Demona. Slashing with his right hand, she deflected his arm across his body before spinning completely around, and lashing out with a kick that drove the wind from his lungs. Elisa called his name just before Demona caught him under the chin with an uppercut that sent him falling backwards to land hard on his wings.

'How is Demona so strong and fast?' He wondered, her speed had always been greater, but not to this extent, and he had always been the stronger. She also fought differently, more skill, less reliance on brute strength.

"I was never interested in playing with you." Demona brushed some imaginary dirt from the skintight material on her arms. "Angela, please come with me, it's not safe for you to stay with Goliath."

Sitting up, Goliath took several deep breaths before regaining his feet. He simply could not let Demona hurt another trusting soul. "Angela, Demona must not have mentioned to you that it was her plan that lead to the massacre at Castle Wyvern, victims of her wanting the humans killed or sold into slavery, including the Princess, Magus, and Tom."

Angela had a mute look of horror on her face, looking between him, and Demona. "Mother is this true?"

"You don't understand." Demona had gone from the confident winner of their brief skirmish to being defensive. "You can't know how they treated us, we were lower than dogs to them. Creatures beneath contempt. Especially to the Princess and Magus."

"No, I don't understand, I can't imagine how you could see them like that." Angela bowed her head. Goliath was now fully recovered and stepped between the two, his eyes glowing a bright white, daring Demona to try him again. The azure gargoyle looked past him once, before running up to the edge of the building, and stopping.

"When you learn the truth about Goliath, I'll be waiting. I'm always waiting." She said before diving over the side.

Breathing out a breath he had been holding, Goliath shifted to look at Ranma, and wondered what his part in all this was, but found him following after Demona. "Ranma, what are you doing?" He asked before the boy could go over the edge.

Ranma looked back at him with a haunted look before looking away again shamefully. "I'm sorry." He whispered before leaving the roof.

"Ranma!" Angela called after him, leaning over the lip. Goliath didn't move from his spot, glancing in the direction the two azure gargoyles were flying before turning back to Angela, and sighing.

"Are you alright?" Elisa asked while placing a delicate hand on his right forearm, and he looked down at the human.

"I'm unhurt." Looking back to Angela, he could see the indecisiveness in how she stood. "We should go back and make sure Bronx has not wandered off." He finally decided on a course of action.

"But what about Ranma?" Angela protested his course of action, clearly distraught over the sudden departure of the boy. Goliath knew that the two were close, nearly that of rookery siblings, if this was really the path Ranma had decided to take, it would be harder on Angela than either him or Elisa.

"Everyone has a choice." He answered. "- even if we don't like them."

"Why didn't you tell me that you- and Demona were in love?" Angela asked, her eyes digging into him.

"Because your parentage is not important- and even if it was, you shouldn't have anything to do with her, the horrors that have been committed by Demona are far worse than even the Archmage." Goliath finished with a snort.

"Angela- while I may not agree with Goliath about everything. Demona is not someone that you should expect anything good to come from." Elisa added.

"Ya know, you two don't tell me anything, you keep things from me, and yet you expect me to act in a certain way for things that I have no idea what they are!" Angela point a finger in the direction Demona and Ranma had left. "The only one who's ever been honest with me has been Ranma. So tell me why exactly I should trust you about this?"

"Angela!" He all but roared before he took a deep breath. "You know that you don't know about the world, and the various beings you'll meet off of Avalon. Don't expect that we can prepare you for all the dangers you may face, or that I won't protect you from ones you can avoid."

"I came to see the world, not be sheltered even further from it, father." Angela shook her head, and took off after Ranma and Demona.

"This is a disaster." He whispered to himself, gathering up Elisa to chase after Angela. Goliath had to stop when Elisa covered up his face with her hand. "What are you doing?"

"You just got through making a speech about choice."

"So?"

"So- you can't force her to choose you."

Goliath did not want to admit it that she had cut to the heart of his motivation, he wanted to ignore Elisa, track down Angela, and force her to see things his way. Looking down at Elisa, he was about to tell her that he would find Angela, and stop this nonsense, when he noticed that her hair wasn't it's normal color, but a blonde.

"Remember Goliath." Elisa spoke. "This is the start of a dangerous path."

"Are you alright?" He asked, Elisa's hair returning to normal when he blinked his eyes.

"I said, I think Demona's won this one. The best we can do is hope that Angela and Ranma can take care of themselves."

Staring off into space, he reluctantly turned to head back in the other direction to go back to where Bronx should have stayed. He also berated himself for showing favoritism to Angela. While concerned about Ranma, it was nowhere near the concern he had for a child he had thought lost to the passage of time. 'What I wouldn't give to have Hudson here to guide me.'

X x x x x x

Ranma didn't want to even glance back to see if he, no they, were being followed. He needed to get used to the idea of Demona being in his life once again. For a moment he was able to forget about betraying everyone and focus on that. Aside from Angela and he wasn't sure that Bronx counted, neither Elisa or Goliath wanted him around. Since their first trip to the former home of castle Wyvern, he had noticed that they were trying to keep him separate, especially away from Angela.

He was so engrossed in trying to justify his actions, that when someone tugged on his tail, he nearly spiraled out of the sky. Regaining his equilibrium, he looked for the one who had grabbed him. Gargoyles didn't have tails just for show, the heavily muscled appendage was used as a rudder to steer in flight.

"Angela?" He rubbed at his eyes to be sure that he wasn't seeing things. Ranma didn't think that she would have left her father, even if he was being a jerk about that, so he did a quick roll to check for Goliath. "What's going on?" He asked after finding no sign of the big gargoyle.

"I'm coming with you." She answered with false cheer. "Someone has to make sure you don't get into trouble."

"I think I like trouble." He gave her a genuine smile, happy that she was here. "So what's your excuse?"

"Maybe I like trouble too- and I left Avalon and everyone there to learn about the outside world. I can't do that if I'm with Goliath." She answered firmly.

"Then let's get in trouble together."

Demona was far enough ahead that she hadn't even heard their conversation but seeing that she had glanced back without much of a reaction, she must have noticed Angela tagging along when he first did. Finally paying attention to where they were, rather than just following, they were now over top Notre Dame. 'She must not know where the boat is.' He reasoned, figuring that she wouldn't have come here otherwise. Entering into the left tower before Angela, Ranma flared his wings, and came to a stop.

"Do you live here or something?" He asked, interested in finding out about the situation he had thrown himself in.

"I have a house across town for appearances." Demona smiled at Angela. "Did Goliath send you to keep track of me?"

"No, I imagine he's quite angry with me." Angela looked sheepish. "But the outside world isn't perfect is it?"

"How heartwarming." Goliath's voice came from the shadows, a pair of eyes shining out before a large body stepped into the light. He was definitely a clone of Goliath, their shapes were nearly identical. Thailog wore silver armor to cover his muscular form; his skin was a dark shade of purple, eyes red, and hair a bright white. "I missed you when I woke."

"You look like Goliath." Angela gasped.

"Sorry that I wasn't here earlier." Demona apologized while ignoring Angela's comment.. "Thailog, this is Ranma and Angela- my daughter."

"Angela- beautiful name." Thailog purred. Ranma didn't like the gargoyles eyes at all when they moved to him, they were cold and calculating, and with a hint of malice. "Ranma, Demona's told me so much about you."

"It's nice to meet you." Ranma nodded his head towards Thailog. The voice was the same as Goliath's but the way the clone spoke was so different. It reminded him of Xanatos and how he always sounded amused by something.

"Hello." Angela added hesitantly.

"I had food delivered to a nearby location, are you hungry my dear?" Thailog pressed himself close to Demona, stroking his hand along her upper arm. "I brought it here while you were away." Ranma glanced around, and spotted a large pile of white plastic bags in a corner.

"Famished." The red head answered, brushing away Thailog's advances.

"Why did you get so much?" He asked, there was no refrigerator to put leftovers in, and that was more than enough food for all four of them.

"They were having a special." Thailog quickly answered.

Ranma accepted the answer partially. There was still no reason to have ordered so much if it was just going to go to waste. Then again, Demona probably had a house somewhere, and could simply take the food there. Maybe he was just being paranoid and a little jealous, even if Thailog was someone Demona planned to do away with.

'Crap, how am I going to handle that?' He thought, having forgotten Demona's plan. Macbeth didn't seem like he deserved whatever it was she had planned for him. Ranma didn't know enough about Thailog to make a judgment, but something about the clone set Ranma's defense on edge. During the day he would have time to talk to her privately, convince her to stop her plan. If he was to stay then he would have to protect Demona from herself.

X x x x x x

Elisa sat in the skiff as Goliath paddled it to a safer position for the day. Their reason for being here was now clear, to stop Demona and whatever plan she had. Bronx interrupted her thoughts by putting his large head on her lap. Petting the fearsome creature, he murmured something, and she knew why he was upset.

"Sorry Bronx, I don't know when they're going to be back." She told the gargoyle beast, hoping that he would understand.

"Or if." Goliath spoke up without looking back from his position at the front of the skiff.

"Don't talk like that." Her tone caused Bronx to sit up and look at her worriedly.

"A gargoyle protects Elisa and I could never regret the lives I've saved, or the people I've helped. But- I would exchange any of them if it meant that I didn't have to see Angela and Ranma follow someone like Demona."

"I know how you feel." Watching the city move slowly by, she knew that they hadn't exactly treated Ranma like he was part of their group, and they had tried to protect Angela from a sudden immersion in the worst parts of the real world. "But I think we should trust that if they can get into trouble, they can get themselves out."

X x x x x x

Demona listened with rapt attention to her daughter relate information about her life for over an hour now. She was still amazed that she was talking to her own daughter, not a daughter of the clan, but the child she had thought lost. Having never truly accepted that gargoyle children should not know their biological parents, this was truly incredible. That all the children had survived was a blessing she couldn't put into words. It was enough to even remove some of the hatred she had for Katharine.

Only more rose up to fill its place. It was too convenient that the human had changed her attitude so suddenly when she had years to prevent the events that led up to the Wyvern massacre. Katharine's entire life had been spent looking down on gargoyles and treating them as a nuisance that should be removed. That could not be forgotten.

"Demona, we have things that we should discuss before morning." Thailog was nosing around, clearly trying to spin this to his advantage.

'Oh but the advantage is mine now.' She nodded and headed off to talk to him in private. "What is it?"

"How goes the plan with Macbeth?" The Goliath clone asked.

"Perfect, tomorrow evening, just before nightfall, we'll be wed. He was even so kind as to show me the dungeon that he has underneath. With an oh so perfect place to keep him for all eternity."

Thailog laughed cruelly. "Perfect." He purred, glancing back to where the two children would be. "Except for them."

"Angela doesn't need to know. Ranma does know, but he shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course." She reaffirmed. "I'll be able to explain things to him today and he'll come around."

"I should hope so."

"And what about you? Did the merger between us go through?"

"Flawlessly, you and I are now the co-owners of Nightstone Unlimited."

"I do like that name." She chuckled, remembering the stone by night curse. Demona hadn't even expected the effect it would have all around the world. Too bad when it was broken in Manhattan it lost it's effect everywhere, and was being treated as some sort of mass hysteria.

"The only thing that may cause a problem is Goliath." Thailog pointed out and Demona realized that the clone should not have known that he was here.

"Except he has no idea what is going on and I doubt he knows about me and Macbeth during the day." She did not mention that the insufferable Elisa Maza was also in Paris. "But he will fight for Angela. He won't accept that she can't be his."

"You could find him and destroy him in his sleep." Thailog suggested.

"No, that's how a human would do it." She snapped. "And Goliath is useful to me in other ways."

"Fine, well it's close to morning, so I'll meet you at Macbeth's tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting." Once again she avoided any of his unwanted advances. She didn't think he was so simple as to think that because she and Goliath had once been together that she should move to him, but he was certainly acting like it. All of it would be over soon and she would be even wealthier than Xanatos and would have both Ranma and her daughter in her life.

X x x x x x

Author Notes:

1 - Demona is thinking of the events of Season 1, episode 11, Long Way To Morning

2 - Events from Season 2, episode 16, Double Jeopardy.