Healing an Old Bond
It had been three days since Mayor Johnson gave the official welcome to the Gargoyles. In those three days, Goliath and his clan had a lot of interviews. Even Demona was in one or two. She kept mostly to herself. No one knew she had almost destroyed the human race. She didn't know what to make of the humans anymore. Back when the Wyvern clan was alive, humans were simple to understand. They didn't question the Gargoyles regulation to protect.
As Demona sat in her office as Dominique Destine, she thought about Angela, her daughter. Three days ago the two went on a silent flight together. It was the first step in getting her daughter's respect. She knew Angela only asked for the flight when Elisa had told her to shut up. It had infuriated her to have the human talk to her that way. She did have to admit though; she did admire the human's courage. Not even Demona had that courage when she had Goliath's love.
When five o'clock rolled around, Demona sent everyone home. It didn't matter if all the work wasn't done, she just didn't want anyone see her change into a Gargoyle. That ability came to her when Oberon's child, Puck, gave it to her. But he gave it to her with a price. Every time she would change, didn't matter if it was human or Gargoyle, she always felt pain. Of course the change wouldn't happen for another few more hours, but she wanted to be sure no one saw. It was one thing to be accepted by humans, totally another to have them witness her transforming and it probably would start a new conflict, which was something she couldn't afford when her relationship with her daughter was concerned.
The day she first learnt Angela was her daughter, which didn't take much realization to see the attributes of both herself and Goliath, it made her completely happy to know Angela and her Rookery sisters and brothers were very much alive. That meant Princess Katherine had done her job. She could still remember the day she saw the young Princess load the eggs into a wagon and even overheard what the humans were saying about making sure the eggs were well cared for.
When there were only a few rays of the sun left, Demona stood in front of the big window that gave her office a beautiful view of the city. She swung her arms out as the last of the rays hit her white skin. Soon the skin turned into a shade of light blue before excruciating pain erupted all over her body as wings ripped through her back and clothes. First small but then fanned out to reveal leather wings.
Her legs grew larger, ripping the side of her dress and her feet destroyed her shoes. Her hair fell out of her bun as it went in its usual Gargoyle style. As the dress tore from her back, her elbows became pointy. When the painful transformation was complete all there was left of Dominique Destine was a shredded dress.
Demona quickly turned to her private bathroom and within minutes was dressed in her Gargoyle attire. At times she did hate having to go and buy new clothes but she had the money, thanks to her latest dead lover, Thailog, who turned to permit stone because his blood cells from being cloned disintegrated.
Demona walked back to the window and opened it. She jumped out into the night air, on the intent on visiting her daughter at Castle Wyvern, a home that she once lived in a thousand years ago.
Angela, after busting out of her stone shell, sat down on the edge of the castle wall and watched the Moon above cloudless sky. She knew her other friends were nearby, but she ignored them.
"Nice night," Broadway said when he brushed off the rest of the stone shards.
"You can say that again," Brooklyn said.
"What should we do tonight?" Lexington asked.
The three Gargoyles were known as the trio, mainly because they were rookery brothers and were the last of their rookery.
"First breakfast," Broadway smiled as he waved his arms out.
"You always think about food," Angela giggled.
"Well a Gargoyle has to eat," Brooklyn came up in Broadway's defense.
"Angela are you coming," Lexington asked when the trio started towards the kitchen.
"No." She turned and gave the boys a smile.
Broadway looked at her with a sad expression. Brooklyn walked up to the big Gargoyle and placed a hand on his arm. "Hey don't worry. She'll be alright."
When the boys were gone, Goliath dropped from his high perch and landed gracefully beside Angela.
"Is something the matter?" he asked his daughter.
"I'm just wondering if Demona will come. I asked her last night to come here. I would like to make amends with her."
"She may come," Goliath soothed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But you need to have patience. Demona still has a grudge with the humans but when you asked to go with you, she did not hesitate. If anyone can change her, it's you, my daughter."
"I know." She turned to her father.
Before long the two Gargoyles weren't alone long. Goliath noticed another Gargoyle gliding up towards the castle and knew that it was Demona. "Here she comes now. And I had better go. I promised Elisa that I would help her tonight."
Goliath stood up on the edge of the castle and jumped, his wings springing out to be caught by the wind. Demona was now close enough to the castle.
"Goliath," she simply said.
"Demona." Goliath as much as he wanted his daughter to help Demona, he could not forget how much she hurt him and Elisa. There had been so times where she tried to get rid of either both or one of them. Goliath for the time being had a little too much hate towards his ex-love that he didn't want to exchange more than a couple words.
As Goliath left for the police department, Demona landed on the castle wall beside Angela.
"You came," Angela smiled.
"You invited me. I come," Demona said. "I suppose he's off to help the humans."
"Yes, Goliath is helping Elisa tonight. The others will be leaving shortly so that will leave you and me."
"What about Xanatos?"
"He and Fox have gone to a formal gathering. Owen is watching Alexander."
For several minutes the two were quiet. Both were looking out over the parapets of the castle to the city below. From that far up, they could barely hear the noises from the streets. Neither female knew the right words to say or even what to talk about.
"Demona," Angela began, breaking the silence. "Before the mayor declared that we could roam freely, I had said some unforgivable things to you and I want to apologize."
"There is no need for an apology. I deserved what you said to me. For a thousand years I've hated humans because they destroyed our kind. But I was blaming the wrong people for their destruction. I'm part of the blame as well. And your words force me to see that error. Goliath tried many times to make me see that, but I refused to listen. If I did not make a bargain with the Captain of the Guards, we would have lived our lives in our own time."
"Yes, but everything that was done, led to what we are today. The Princess would never have seen the good in Gargoyles or raised us as her children."
"Perhaps," replied the immortal Gargoyle. "You were raised by humans on a magical island, you never got to see what humans are really like until you came here. I've seen the trail of violence humans left behind."
"You have a lot of hate towards humans."
"Yes, but I also hate myself. I should have just left well enough alone. If I did, you would have been hatched here at the castle in Scotland and I wouldn't be immortal. I would have died with love in my heart. I now have to live for all eternity, unless Macbeth and I kill each other. And you and the other Gargoyles will eventually die."
"We can't turn back the clock but we can change. You just have to will yourself the change and I'm willing to help you."
"You are willing to help me after all I've done?" Demona asked, turning to stare at her daughter. "Why?"
Angela stood and hugged her mother. "I want you in my life. Just as I want Goliath, Elisa and the others."
Demona at first didn't know what to do. But after a few minutes, she wrapped her arms around the young gargoyle in a tight hug. Demona allowed her wings to fold around Angela like a cocoon and for the first time since learning Angela and the rest of her rookery brothers and sisters were alive, felt the stirrings of a mother. For hundreds of years, Demon watched from the distance as moms hugged her children in comfort and it made her more angrier for she had lost that chance to be a mother herself… at least she thought she lost it.
The next night and many nights there after, Angela woke from her stone sleep to find Demona beside her. It was almost as if she never left. Demona was perched right beside Angela. This went on for several weeks as Angela was teaching her mother that humans weren't all bad.
As time went on, Demona started to understand what humans were now like. She still had a small hate for them but it wasn't anything like before. She still had a lot of healing to do to accept the humans for who they are.
One night, Angela wanted to do something for her mother and asked everyone to meet her in the courtyard of the castle right after sunset. When everyone was in the courtyard, including Elisa and the Xanatos's, she walked up to her father and pulled him towards Demona.
"Goliath," she said. She grabbed her father's hand and placed it over top of Demona's. She placed her own over top of Goliath's. "With this symbol of bondage of Goliath, Demona and my hands together, I've declared we have a truce between everyone, starting with us."
"A truce!" Brooklyn blurted.
Xanatos smirked. "Stands to reason since I as well created a truce."
"For the past several weeks you know Demona has been coming here. In that time I've been showing her that not all humans are bad. She has admitted the destruction of our kind was partly her fault as well as the captain of the guards. But as we all know, if what happened didn't happen, then none of us would be standing here today, finally accepted by humans."
"True," Hudson replied. "Even when we lived in Scotland before, only a few regarded us equals. We were more outcasts than anything."
Angela nodded. "Well I believe Demona has paid her dues and it's time to allow her back in the clan. I know there still is much healing to be done but Demona wants to change. All I'm asking is for everyone else to give her a chance.
Goliath remained silent as he looked at the adjoining hands. It would be a long time yet before he could ever fully trust Demona, but Angela was right. It had to start somewhere and how could one earn trust back? They had to given a chance to earn it.
"Mother. Father. The change has to start from you two. Like humans are always saying 'you have to accept the good with the bad'. Only then can the healing process start. I don't expect you two to ever love one another again. But to have an understanding, I'm sure that is maintainable."
Both Angela's parents looked at their daughter then at each other. As Angela moved her hand away, her parents moved to shack hands a moment before stepping away from one another.
Stepping back over to the others, Angela came up in behind Brooklyn and began to push him towards Demona.
"Hey wait!" he tried, trying to get away from her, but Angela wouldn't take no for an answer. When Brooklyn was in front of Demona, he looked at her with a small glare.
"I'm not here to make trouble, Brooklyn. I'm here to amend," Demona tried to reason. She had hurt Brooklyn emotionally when the young Gargoyle was still trying to get used to the 'new world'. She only showed him the bad side of humans, never the good side. Then again at that time, she only saw the bad.
"It will take more than just words to earn my trust," he said under his breath.
Demona nodded. "I hurt you and used you for my own selfish gains. I don't ever expect you to fully trust me."
He snorted a little and turned away since Angela left him and was now coming up behind Elisa.
The second the police woman felt Angela's hands on her back. She willingly allowed herself to step up to Demona.
"Elisa," Angela replied. "You are also going to have a hard time accepting Demona but we need to start somewhere."
"Yes," Elisa answered as she stopped in front of the female Gargoyle. "I don't fully trust Xanatos either, which will always be a work in progress."
"And I don't expect that to ever change," Xanatos answered. "You're a police officer and I'm a former convict."
"As am I," Fox replied. "Old habits die hard, but understandings can be reached."
Demona glared a little but showed no signs of restraint as Elisa held her hand out for Demona to grasp. When Elisa moved away from Demona Angela turned to the others. "A clan doesn't have to trust everyone. No family is absolutely perfect."
"You can say that again," Brooklyn replied as he turned ready to take off for patrol.
I will accompany you," Goliath replied as he jumped to the air to take flight, followed by Brooklyn.
Broadway and Lexington turned and headed towards the kitchen for breakfast. The Xanatos's left for their time alone. All who was left was Hudson, Angela, Demona and Bronx.
Hudson walked up to Demona. "Battles do have to end sometime," he said.
"They do indeed," Demona agreed. "And our battle has been a long one."
Hudson nodded. He turned and left for the comfort of his favorite chair, which sat in front of a large TV. Bronx was not long following him. Which left the two female Gargoyles to themselves.
"Thank you," Demona said. "You have done something I don't think anyone will forget."
"Like I said. The healing has to start from you. I just gave you that little push in the right direction. It's your job to keep that path."
"Come, let's help Goliath tonight," Demona offered.
Angela clapped her hands together and smiled in happiness. Both women walked up to the edge of the castle wall so they could jump into the air. When they were in flight, they headed off in the opposite direction of Goliath.
It was a good start for Demona. She was now going to show that she could change. In the past weeks, she tried to do right where she went wrong. It was going to be a hard battle, a battle that she was determined to win.