"I was looking into what Xanatos was doing." Elisa said in answer to Goliath's last question.
"Why would you do that?" Goliath asked suspiciously. Elisa looked at him for a moment and thought of the best way to answer.
"I needed to find out what happened up here." Elisa said while she eyed the dog to make sure he wouldn't leap at her. Goliath nodded slightly to show he understood.
"We're unsure of that ourselves." Goliath said. The other gargoyles joined them as they came up to the battlements to prepare to sleep through the coming day.
"Is…is this a new friend, Goliath?" The red gargoyle asked curiously.
"Yes, this is Elisa Maza…a…uh, det…detective." Goliath replied as he struggled to say the unfamiliar word. The mentor became curious when he heard the title and stepped closer.
"What exactly does a detective do, Lass?" He asked. Elisa began to tell them what she does for a living and patiently answered the many questions that they had until Goliath realized the sun was about to rise.
"You must leave now." He said in a commanding tone. Elisa stared at him in surprise for a moment and then a thought occurred to her.
"Wait, will I be able to see you again?" She asked and when she noticed Goliath hesitate she continued. "Look, you saved my life, so I owe you. The least that I can do is give you a tour of the city." She pointed out.
"It may be good for us to find out about the dangers this new world poses." The mentor advised. Goliath growled irritably but nodded after a moment in agreement.
"I suppose it may be wise to learn all we can about this new world." Goliath said after a moment. "Very well, we will meet at sundown over on that roof top." Goliath pointed to the top of an apartment building about a block away.
"Why meet on that rooftop instead of here?" Elisa asked curiously. Goliath glared at her for a moment before he responded.
"Why were you sneaking around the castle?" Goliath asked.
"A good detective doesn't trust anyone." Elisa responded after a minute. Goliath nodded.
"That is something that we have in common." Goliath replied and Elisa turned to leave. As she made her way down the castle she was careful to avoid Xanatos and Owen on the way. Goliath and the others began to mount their parapets when Owen suddenly called for Goliath and he glided down to meet him.
"Mr. Xanatos has requested your presence to discuss a most urgent matter." Owen informed him. Goliath nodded his head and followed Owen inside. When they entered David's office Owen was going to introduce him, but Goliath spoke up first.
"What is it Xanatos? My kind and I must sleep soon." Goliath asked in an impatient tone. David got out of his chair and walked forward to shake the large gargoyle's hand.
"I know, but it seems that I must ask you for help. You see those thugs that broke in here tonight stole something very important from me." When Goliath didn't say anything, he continued. "They stole a case containing three discs." David informed him.
"Discs..?" Goliath looked at him for a moment while trying to understand the new word. David grinned.
"Think of them as magic talismans. They each are capable of carrying hundreds of spells." David advised. Goliath nodded that he understood. "I need you to help me get them back. Who knows what they will do with the information they uncover?" He turned on three monitors and Goliath's eyes went wide as he studied the images on the screens.
"A moving…tapestry," Goliath said in an awe filled tone.
"Your naiveté is refreshing Goliath. Those are images of the three places where the discs are being stored. The world could really use your help with this Goliath." David advised him as he waited for Goliath's answer.
…
Demona and Cold-Fire were watching David talk to Goliath in the next room. The two-way mirror kept them hidden from sight and Demona was grateful for that because when she saw Goliath walk into the room she felt her heartbeat quicken and her face began to feel hot. She needed to sit down before she fell and quickly found a chair close to the mirror so she could still watch what was going on. Cold-Fire gave her sister a knowing look and smirked at her.
"Why don't you just go out there to him?" Cold-Fire asked. Demona glared at her and shook her head.
"I would do that, but we promised Xanatos that we would wait." Demona replied irritably. Cold-Fire's grin widened. "I wish he would hurry because it's getting really hot in here."
"It feels pretty comfortable in here to me, but then I'm not the one whose heart rate is out of control." Cold-Fire laughed and pointed to the jewelry and tiara that Demona was still wearing. "I still wonder how Goliath will deal with the news that we have been alive all this time while the rest of the clan slept." Cold-Fire said. Demona growled but didn't answer. Instead they watched Goliath shake his head after David explained the situation to him. He walked out and Demona hurriedly opened the door and walked out followed closely by Cold Fire.
"So, what did he say?" Demona asked nervously. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her mouth became so dry that she could barely ask the question. David shook his head irritably.
"I thought you said that when we woke him up he would help me get the discs I need if we faked a robbery first." David said irritably. "He said he wouldn't risk the lives of his charges to get them back."
"Let me talk to him." Demona said. "I can convince him to help us get what we need." Cold-Fire cleared her throat to warn them that they were no longer alone, but it was too late.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Brooklyn asked bitterly from the entrance. "We discussed this before, I took the Phoenix Gate and used it to move back in time and then it moved us forward. In return, you promised me that I wouldn't run into myself, nor would Goliath know anything about the future."
"From what you have told me, it was my sister that convinced him to do it the first time." Cold-Fire pointed out and Demona nodded.
"I need you to trust me to do this. He doesn't know I'm alive or that anything would have changed." Demona advised. When Brooklyn didn't say anything, she continued. "I promise you that no one will find out there are two of you here or that we have been alive for centuries." Brooklyn growled at that and was about to say something, but she quickly interrupted him. "If I don't convince Goliath to do this then we will change history."
"Are you sure that you're not going to change history and stay with the clan?" Brooklyn asked suddenly. Demona shook her head sadly.
"Alright fine, you want the whole truth. Yes, a part of me yearns to tell Goliath the whole truth and stay with him, rather than act as you told me that I did." Demona advised him. "Can't you understand that? After all, you don't know how hard acting that way will be for me." She pointed out.
"No, I cannot understand it because I've never lived through it." Brooklyn said after a moment. Cold-Fire stepped forward and put her hand on her sister's shoulder.
"I know that it will be tough Demona, but you must do all the things Brooklyn wrote in this book for you." Cold-Fire said as she handed her sister a leather-bound tome. "Think about it for a moment. If we change the future, Brooklyn may never go back in time and then who knows what would happen."
"I suppose we have no choice. Very well, what do you suppose I should say." Demona sighed bitterly as Brooklyn began to describe how Demona had acted when Goliath first saw her again.
…
"Puck, what are you doing with her?" Titania asked as she stood up slowly. Oberon stood beside his wife and glared at the newcomers.
"Isn't it obvious my lady-wife? They are here to kill us." Oberon replied angrily. "I'm surprised to see you here Puck."
"You shouldn't be. This has been a long time coming, Oberon." Puck shouted and began to glow bright green. Fox rose from where she was sitting to stand next to her mother.
"What do you have against my family?" Fox asked angrily as she began to feel her power building within her. "Step any closer Puck and I will kill you." She threatened. Puck grinned at her then.
"You could never defeat me Fox. Step aside we're not here for you." Puck replied. Fox's hands began to glow green.
"If you're here for my family then you have to go through me." She replied firmly as she leapt to attack. Puck sighed and with a wave of his hand launched Fox to the other side of the room. She slammed into the wall and laid on the ground unconscious. He then turned his attention back to Oberon.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out that you were Michael's puppet all along Oberon?" Lucifer asked in a mocking tone as she pulled an angel blade from her belt.
"He gave us Fate which must be adhered to by everyone. That includes you. You're nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum and like with any child you just need to be taught a good lesson." Oberon replied as he pulled his angel blade from his belt. Titania drew hers as well and waited beside her husband.
"I'm really disappointed that you didn't keep our child, Titania." Lucifer said showing her anger for the first time with her eyes flaring a bright blue. "I think I'll enjoy cutting you to ribbons for that."
Oberon reached his hand out and a beam of energy struck Lucifer in the chest hurling her into the wall behind her. Puck leapt forward to attack and the collision of his and Oberon's blades created bright sparks as they fought.
…
Marianne and the nurses watched in horror as the baby crawled out of what had once been her daughter's stomach and with every second grew taller and stronger. When his feet touched the floor he stood six feet and two inches tall. He looked around at his new surroundings and then at the three people standing before him.
"Where is my father?" The man asked. The doctor and the nurse looked at each other and after a moment of hesitation the doctor finally spoke up.
"You have no father." Doctor Stangle informed him sadly. The man's eyes began to glow bright yellow and the skin melted quickly off of the nurse and the doctor. Marianne's body shook violently and she backed away from the man but he followed her before pinning her against the wall.
"I hope you won't be as useless as they were." He said in a matter of fact tone. "I saw you through mother's eyes and I will admit I didn't like your attitude but you may yet be of some use to me."
"What do you want with me?" Marianne asked terrified of what the answer would be.
"Find me clothes and then you will help me find my father." The man replied.
"Will you bring my daughter back to me?" Marianne asked hopefully, but her hopes were dashed by the cold look in the man's blue eyes.
"No, she has fulfilled her purpose. Now, fulfill yours or I will find another." He said. Marianne nodded her head slowly as she began to wonder how she would help him.
"What do I call you?" Marianne asked suddenly.
"My mother was thinking of naming me Gabriel, so I will go by that name for now." Gabriel replied. "Now, find my clothes and we will go."
…
The gargoyles woke the next night and the three youngest gargoyls decided that they should go and scout out the area.
"Where are you three going?" Goliath asked as he walked towards them just before the red gargoyle leaped over the edge of the battlements.
"We're going to take a closer look at our new home." The red gargoyle informed him. The yellow gargoyle nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, after all we can't just live our lives cooped up in the castle." The yellow gargoyle pointed out. The mentor overheard the conversation and agreed that getting some information about their new surroundings could indeed be beneficial. Goliath nodded after a moment.
"Very well, but don't go far. You need to be back here before sunrise." The three gargoyles leapt from the battlements then and spread their wings as they began to glide around the city.
"I have to go now, or I will be late for my meeting with the human." Goliath advised his mentor before he to leapt off the battlements and began to glide towards the building he had pointed out to Elisa the night before. He landed and hid next to the entrance onto the roof. Elisa opened the door to the roof slowly and stepped out.
"Hello…Are you here?" She asked tentatively as she began to look around the rooftop. She was about to give up and leave and as she turned back towards the door she nearly ran into the gargoyle leader. "Oh…what were you doing back there?"
"I wanted to make sure that you were alone." Goliath informed her in a low growl. Elisa chuckled.
"Relax, would you…whoa, who are you?" Elisa backed away quickly as the Mentor landed next to them with his large dagger drawn.
"What are you doing here?" Goliath asked curiously. The Mentor gave Elisa a beady stare before he responded.
"I was making sure that you were not being ambushed." He said as he continued to glare at her.
"Seriously, you guys need to relax. You're paranoid even for New York…uh, what do I call you?" Elisa asked the newcomer when she realized she didn't know his name.
"What is it with humans and naming things?" Hudson asked, bewildered by the practice. "You're not satisfied with something until you've named it and given it limits." The Mentor pointed out in disgust.
"Well…I don't know…Things just need names." Elisa said flustered by the Mentor's question. The Mentor took advantage of her discomfort.
"Does the sky need a name or the river?" He asked and grinned because he knew that he had won the argument. Elisa grinned at him and crossed her arms over her chest.
"The river's called the Hudson." The Mentor sighed irritably.
"Fine Lass, then I shall be known as the Hudson as well." He said in an annoyed tone. He turned to leave and Goliath asked if Elisa was ready to go.
"Are you coming with us, Hud…Hudson." Goliath said struggling with the new name.
"No, I think not. This city is too big and too loud. I think I will go back to the castle and wait for your return." Hudson said after a moment. Goliath nodded and offered Elisa his hand. When she accepted it he lifted her into the air and leapt off the building as he began to glide over the city.
…
"Are you certain that you can help me with this." Gil asked Gruoch as he sat next to her in the meeting room of Castle Moray.
"I really liked Vivienne. I would be happy to help you get your vengeance upon that monster." Gruoch said as she held his hands in hers. "I'm still so sorry that she died." Gil patted her hands as he looked into her eyes. He felt tears beginning to sting his eyelids and he quickly blinked them away.
"Macbeth is a very lucky man." He grinned at her and then stood up as he walked towards the window to look outside. "So, what do we need to cast the binding spell?"
"I need her blood. Didn't one of the soldier's swords cut her?" Gruoch asked.
"Yes one of the swords did cut her, but how would we find that sword now? There are many swords that were recovered that were covered in blood." Gil asked curiously.
"I can cast a spell to differentiate the blood of a human from that of a gargoyle so if you can get me to where the swords were taken then I can find the right one." Gruoch advised him.
"Very well, come with me. Macbeth won't like you being in there so we will have to be quick." He advised as Gruoch donned her cloak and they quickly left the room.
"I'm certain that my lord will understand that I am doing this to avenge our fallen friend." Gruoch replied. She walked quickly to keep up with Gil and when they got to the shed where the weapons had been thrown into Gruoch quickly said a few words that Gil couldn't understand and one sword toward the back of the room began to glow a bright pink color. "There it is." She said. Gil ran over and switched the sword with another that he brought. They left quickly making sure that no one noticed them and ran back to the castle. She quickly gathered the components she would need to cast the spell.
"This won't turn me into one of those things will it?" Gil asked as she prepped the spell. Gruoch grinned and shook her head.
"No it'll simply tie your essence to hers. You'll be able to feel her presence and track her down no matter where she hides." Gruoch began to chant words that Gil couldn't understand and a bright blue light surrounded him and he bit his lip to keep from shouting from the pain. Once the spell was finished he felt an odd sensation urging him to head west. He glanced at Gruoch inquisitively and she grinned back at him. "You'll always be able to find her now."
…
"What year was it that you said you were from?" Demona asked curiously as she sat down in the common room of the castle. She had realized that she had never asked Brooklyn that question since he arrived and she found that she really wanted an answer.
"It was the year nineteen hundred and ninety four when we awoke from the Magus's spell. A man named David Xanatos built a skyscraper in the middle of a city named Manhattan. He placed Castle Wyvern on the top of it causing it to rise above the clouds which broke the spell." Demona was trying to understand what Brooklyn was saying but the thought of moving the castle seemed impossible to her.
"What is a sky...scraper?" Demona asked as she tried to picture what he was telling her.
"It's a building that is higher than the clouds." Brooklyn replied.
"That's impossible. Several kings have tried to build their castles higher than the mountains but they all fell apart." Demona pointed out. Brooklyn chuckled at that. "Did I say something funny?"
"No, but in the future the humans found a way to make buildings so high that they nearly touch the heavens." Brooklyn advised her.
"You know we need to use the Phoenix Gate to go forward and make sure this Xanatos wakes you all up." Demona said.
"In that gargoyle, you are incorrect." Demona and Brooklyn both turned quickly and were surprised to see one of the castle guards walking up to them.
"Have you been eavesdropping on our conversation, human?" Demona asked as her eyes began to flare red. Brooklyn rose to his feet and his began to glow white.
"Sit down and relax." The guard waved his hand and Brooklyn found that he couldn't stop his body from sitting back down next to Demona. "I'm not here to harm either of you but we need to talk about what comes next.
"Who are you?" Demona asked as she tried to stand and found that she couldn't control her body.
"Must I go through this every time I speak to you mortals?" The guard asked as he sighed and his eyes began to glow bright blue and a silhouette of angel wings appeared on the wall behind him. "I'm Michael and if we're going to defeat my brother we have to get three discs from Renard before Xanatos gets them. While you are getting the discs, I will grab the books from Castle Wyvern."
"How can we get the discs when are other selves will be staying those same discs?" Brooklyn asked curiously. Demona stood up as she paced back and forth as she thought about what to do.
"That's simple." Demona said after a moment. "We can use the Phoenix Gate and steal them a day earlier."
"Then we can replace the discs with fake ones to be stolen later." Brooklyn thought out loud. Demona nodded and Brooklyn sighed.
"The only problem with that is the airship was destroyed when we stole the discs the first time." Brooklyn pointed out.
"There's only one thing left to do now." Demona said as she pulled the Phoenix Gate out of her belt pouch.
"What would that be?" Cold-Fire asked as she stepped into the room with Xena following close behind her. "Don't tell me that you were planning on leaving without us."
"In the future neither of you are there so we thought it best if we just went by ourselves." Brooklyn informed them. Xena crossed her arms over her chest and bared her fangs in irritation. Cold-Fire glared at her sister.
"The hell you will. The future has changed and we are not going to allow you to leave without us." Cold-Fire replied.
"I appreciate what you are doing sisters. I suppose you are correct." Demona said after a moment and then began to concentrate on the year Brooklyn had told her about and their old clan.
…
Eighteen years after Demona and the gargoyles used the Phoenix Gate to go the future, Canmore declared war on Macbeth and Castle Moray. He was being helped by the English who had heard the tales of the beasts of Castle Moray. The war ravaged the Scottish countryside for three years. Towards the end of the war Macbeth and his son Luoch defeated Canmore and his army but at a hefty price. The treaty with the English said that Macbeth would have to leave Castle Moray forever. He agreed as long as the agreement would allow for Gruoch and later Luoch to take over the kingdom. Canmore protested but the English agreed because their only concern was removing the man that could summon demons. Macbeth swore that killing Canmore would be the last thing he would do as he made camp in a cave the third night into his exile.
"What happened to the gargoyles?" Macbeth asked irritably. "If they hadn't disappeared we might have beaten the English." He began to cook venison over the fire when he began to feel uneasy. He grabbed his sword that was sitting next to him when he heard a twig snap outside. He rose slowly while drawing his sword from its scabbard. Then his eyes grew wide as Drexia walked tentatively into the cave entrance.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize that any humans would be in here. I'll leave." Drexia turned to walk back out. By the way she was limping and clutching her arm he was concerned that she wouldn't make it if she couldn't rest.
"You are the one who helped the others save my life all those years ago. Yes, your name is Drexia. Am I correct?" Macbeth asked. She slowly nodded and he used a knife to cut off a piece of venison before handing it out to her. "You're welcome to stay here with me. Drexia quickly sat next to him and took the venison before she ate it hungrily and eyed the remaining meat. "Help yourself…" He grinned and after a moment of hesitation she reached out and grabbed the meat and quickly ate it. After a moment she sat back and began to visibly relax.
"You're Macbeth aren't you?" Drexia asked curiously. Macbeth nodded. "Well, it's nice to see you again. Thank you for your hospitality. I will leave in a few minutes."
"You're welcome to stay and rest." Macbeth offered. Drexia studied his face for a moment and then nodded wearily. She leaned back against the wall.
"I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes and then I will leave." Drexia said as she yawned loudly before she fell asleep for the next twelve hours while Macbeth watched over her.
…
Puck wiped blood from his lip as he leapt towards Oberon again. Titania cast a spell to freeze Lucifer in place but she was quickly losing her control. Puck and Oberon's battle took them close to where Lucifer was struggling to move.
"You can't hold me for much longer bitch. I will get free and then I will tear you to pieces." Lucifer screamed. Oberon glared at Puck and began to attack his former favorite assistant with new found fervor. They got closer to Lucifer and Oberon slammed Puck into the ground and Puck winked at him. Oberon gave a slight nod to show he understood and stepped quickly to the left as Titania released the spell. Before Lucifer could move however Puck hurled the blade and it found it's mark as it sank deep into her chest. Her eyes flashed blue several times and she looked around in wide eyed horror as she realized that she was temporarily paralyzed and powerless. Puck quickly pulled something from his pocket and drew a circle on the wall with several symbols around it. He said several words and Lucifer began to panic as she recognized the spell that he was casting. After a moment a large dark hole opened in the wall and Oberon walked up to Lucifer.
"Your time here is done. It is your fate to now return to your cage." Oberon fired a blast of energy from his hands that hurled her into the hole and Puck quickly shouted a few more words and the hole closed leaving the room eerily silent. "It's over, now we need to help all of the gargoyles that have been displaced due to the actions taken by your sisters."
"What about Demona? He was using her body as a vessel. We can't just leave her in the cage." Puck pointed out.
"There is now another destiny for Demona. She will be better than before and there can only be one of her here." Oberon walked up to Puck then. "That reminds me. Puck, I need you to find a way to explain how Cold Fire survived the Wyvern massacre." Puck nodded and started to leave but Oberon grabbed his arm. "Also, thank you for what you did here. I know that my lady and I owe you our lives and I will never forget what you've done for us here." Puck grinned and made a mock bow.
"It was my pleasure besides, who else can say they've fought the devil and won." Puck smiled wider and disappeared from the room.
"I think we should return home and try to fix what the girls have been doing." Oberon suggested. Titania walked up and wrapped her arms around him before placing a kiss on his lips.
"I think that is a wonderful idea, my husband." She grinned at him. Then they remembered Fox and went to go check on her but she was fine. She had regained consciousness just as the hole opened and she had watched everything in awe since.
"I don't think I will be going back with you." Fox grinned at the concerned look on her parents faces. "I will visit of course, but I really want to continue to live here for now." Titania rushed forward and hugged her daughter.
"Please be safe. These humans are insane." She advised.
"You're always welcome to come back home whenever you're ready." Oberon added.
"Thank you, and I know humans can be crazy but I have met a few including a nice man named David Xanatos who I really want to see more of." Titania and Oberon looked concerned by that.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything he shouldn't." Puck informed them. Titania nodded and after one final glance Oberon and Titania disappeared.
"So, how can I introduce you to him? You appear different than the average human." Fox pointed out. Puck grinned and changed into his Owen disguise for the first time. He had seen Renard's old assistant and was impressed by the young man so he opted to use his likeness. The only true difference between the assistant and the new Owen was that Owen had blonde hair and blue eyes and Renard's assistant had black hair and brown eyes.
"Perhaps, I will get a job assisting him." Owen said with a wide grin on his face. Fox chuckled but nodded in agreement.
…
"When will Goliath be back?" Demona asked David when she realized that it was nearly sunrise.
"I don't know where he and the detective went to." David replied. Demona gave him a confused look and Brooklyn signaled for him to stop talking.
"What is a det…detect…ive?" Demona asked curiously. David chuckled and he thought of the best way to answer. After he gave a brief description he told her not to worry and that the lady detective wouldn't be any trouble to Goliath. "He's spending time with a human woman?" She asked confused by what she was hearing.
"Her name is Elisa Maza and I think she really likes spending time with him." David grinned at the annoyed look that Brooklyn gave him and the confused look Demona had.
"Is he…Has he…Does he love…" Demona was having trouble asking the question she was aching to get the answer to. Brooklyn stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.
"Do not worry, Goliath is only using her to get information about this time, however you will have to act as if it's something more." He pointed out. Demona nodded and they turned to walk back into the room to join Cold Fire. "Let us know when Goliath gets here." David nodded and walked off to finish his work.
Perhaps waking up the gargoyles and working with this Demona was not the best idea. David laughed as he walked over towards Owen's desk and gave him a note with an assignment he needed his faithful assistant to complete.
"Are you certain that we want to get involved in this, Mr. Xanatos?" Owen asked after reading the note.
"Yes Owen, they must be stopped now. That's why we woke the gargoyles after all." David replied and he left Owen to complete the task he had given to him.
