IMPACT
by
Draco's Daughter
A/N: This is baced off of recent events amoung me and my friends.
Part 1 of 2
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Impact (Part 1)
Goliath and Elisa sat across from one another in the kitchen of Castle Wyvern. The other members of the clan were all elsewhere, knowing why the pair had to be alone. Steaming cups of coffee sat before both Goliath and Elisa. Elisa was stirring her's with a spoon, just stirring, nothing more.
"Did she tell you why she was doing it and how long has she kept it up under our noses?" Goliath asked, looking in his mate's eyes, serching for the answers he sought. Elisa's face was filled with the same shock and dissapointment that his held.
"She thought she loved him. She thought he loved her and would stand by her no matter what, I suppose. She didn't say how long it had been going on though. I suppose we'll need to let her tell us in her own time," Elisa replied, trying to keep the sadness from her voice. Andromeda has thrown what she had left of her life away, all for some boy? She had been told that it was wiser to wait until she was 24 or older to even consider marriage let alone children. But, as the headstrong daughter of Goliath and Elisa, Andromeda only had her heart set on what she wanted, even if it was a permemantly crippling decision.
"Have you talked to her?" Goliath asked, taking a sip from the coffee in front of him. Elisa shook her head in a firm "no."
"Andromeda needed some time to cool off but I'm going to talk to her in a bit. I just wanted for us to get on the same page first," Elisa explained. Goliath laced his talons in front on his face.
"Find out what she plans to do. We can't change the past, but we can make corrections for the future," Goliath said with a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Elisa nodded and stood. She exited the kitchen and walked along the battlements to the room her daughter had taken refuge in. Along the way she ran into Glamdring who looked extremely distraught as he sat on a merlin.
"Glam? What's wrong? You don't look like yourself," Elisa asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Glam looked at her through the corner of his eyes. Tear streaks were prominent on his face, a quick wipe with the back of his hand cleared them.
"Elisa, I was the one who introduced Drama to Zackary. It's my fault that this happened," Glamdring explained, using his nickname for Andromeda. Glamdring's tail ficked slightly in depression and agitation.
"But you were also the one who found her. If you hadn't of driven Zackary off then she might be in a worse state. You haven't done anything wrong in my eyes, you had no way of knowing that Zackary was like that," Elisa replied, giving Glamdring a supportive hug from behind. Glamdring recoiled at her touch.
"Then why do I feel like I betrayed the clan?" He asked before pushing off the merlin and into the night. Venom slinked around from a corner, where she had been keeping an eye on her distraught son.
"He's been like that ever since he found Andromeda. There's been no pulling him out of it," Venom explained, acid-green tail flicking. Elisa sighed a heavy sigh.
"It's not his fault, I don't blame him for anything. Andromeda should have come to Goliath or me about this, not go rushing off to Zackary, I'm just glad that Glamdring followed her and fought Zackary off," Elisa replied as she and Venom continued to Andromeda's refuge.
"C'est deprimer. Je suis aussi. C'est une copine est grosse," Venom stated, lasping into her native French. "Oh, excusez-moi. I sometimes forget who I'm speaking with."
"It's okay. I couldn't care if you spoke to me in any language, my mind is so clouded by things these days," Elisa said as they stopped at the door. Venom, out of repect, would go no further if Elisa didn't say it was alright for her to.
"I believe Rain is with her at the present time. Astra thought it would be good for our two half-lings to consul one another," Venom explained. Elisa nodded before putting a hand on the doorhandle. "Elisa, bonne chance." Elisa looked back at the French Gargoyle, nodded, and entered.
The room was pitch black. Andromeda was obviously abhorring the light at the present moment. Elisa could hear her soft sobs while Rain crooned a nonsence song into her ear. Elisa gently touched Rain on the shoulder. The while half-gargoyle stood and exited.
"Hey baby," Elisa said, crawling onto the bed in which Andromeda lay. Mother embraced daughter as daughter held a pillow for comfort. Andromeda pulled her wings in tighter, forming a blanket around her form.
"Momma, you're not angry with me?" Andromeda asked, Elisa gently stroked the raven-black hair of her daughter.
"No, baby. I just want to understand why you didn't come and tell me or your father? You know we would have helped you," Elisa replied. Andromeda grasped the pillow tighter to herself.
"I don't know. Zackary was just so convicing. He said that he would never let me go," Andromeda explained, crying harder into the pillow. "Glamdring told you everything, I guess."
"He feels bad, you know, he thinks it's his fault that this happened," Elisa said. Andromeda's sobs stopped for a moment, it was a heavy pause as the young female allowed the information to sink in.
"I've caused everyone in the clan pain, haven't I?" Andromeda asked, allowing herself to cry harder. This caused Elisa to pull her daughter into a tighter embrace.
"It's okay, baby. We're not angry at you at all. You just need to understand that the decisions you make don't only effect your life, they effect the lives of those around you," Elisa answered. Andromeda pulled out of her mother's embrace and sat on the edge of the bed, wings carefully caped around her shoulders.
"I owe Glam so much, he kept the secrets, he cleaned up the messes. The first time, Zackary forced himself on me. It was Glam who rescued me that time. Afterwards, he never let me out of his sight when Zackary was around. After a while, Glam felt that Zackary knew what would happen if he found out. I didn't listen to Glam. I should have, but I didn't and now look what I've done to me, to you, to the clan," Andromeda said, holding her face in her hands. Elisa pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.
"Listen, no matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, you are loved and blessed. You are blessed to have parents who still love you, blessed to have friends who care enough to rescue you whenever you need it, and blessed to have a very extensive family of the United Clan who support you. Now, I have a very important question, what do you plan to do?" Elisa asked. Andromeda thought as she listened to the rythmic and steady beat of her mother's heart.
"I'm going to keep my baby, even if I have to fight to do so. But first I'm going to apologize to Glam, He's had far to much pain from me that needs to be reconsiled," Andromeda replied, wiping away her own tears. Elisa could only smile as the half-garg got up, strapped on her tail, and headed out the door and into the night to find Glamdring.
o
Glam was nowhere near the castle and Andromeda was near to giving up hope when she found him standing atop Elisa's old apartment building. She had long since moved into the castle so that Andromeda could be raised without any questions asked from the neighbors. Andromeda landed not far from where the metalic-teal gargoyle stood, hair flowing in the late-winter breeze.
"Glam? Are you okay?" Andromeda asked, walking towards him. Glamdring turned slightly to look at her, signature grin attempting to return to its proper place but it faltered and faded away as tears welled in his eyes.
"Andromeda, I'm so sorry," He said as he swooped her into a hug with both arms and wings, tears flowing into her black hair. Andromeda couldn't help but start to cry herself.
"You're not the one who should be sorry. I am, I placed the burden of keeping my secrets on you instead of going to mom and dad like I should have," Andromeda replied. Glam gave a wavering laugh.
"It's my fault, I was the one who introduced you to Zackary in the first place. I never should have done that," Glamdring explained. Andromeda pulled away from him slightly to speak with him face-to-face.
"No, I went along with it. It's a much my fault as it is yours," Andromeda said. There was a moment of silence between them as they allowed themselves time to process the information.
"Then we're agreed? We're both to blame?" Glamdring asked, the mischevious glint trying to return to his eyes. Andromeda nodded in reply. "I always loved you as the sister I never had, ya know? I just thought that I knew Zackary but I really didn't." Andromeda put a finger to Glamdring's lips.
"There needs be no more discussion about him. He's out of my life and I never want my baby to know how or why, just that Zackary was a trickester and a liar," Andromeda said. Glamdring only nodded. Suddenly there was clapping from the rooftop.
"How very touching, I almost cried," was the sly and mocking statement of Zackary. The gargoyle from the New Jersey clan sat with four of five of his friends behind him. Glamdring immediately pushed Andromeda behind him, a growl forming deep in his throat.
"I thought you knew the territory lines now. You're on United Clan turf," Glamdring said in his most threatening tone.
"Oh, excuse me, your highness. King Glamdring thinks that we're on his turf, boys! Let's see if the boudaries of his kingdom streach as far as he thinks," Zackary said as he and his cronies stood and started to circle their opponent.
"Drama, go back the the castle and tell Mooney, Shock Wave, Spyke, and Ayden to get here as quick as possible. Tell the rest of the clan that we've had a situation with Jeresy gargs, go while you've still time!" Glam whispered, Andromeda nodded and quickly jumped off the side of the building.
"Zack, she's getting away!" One of the other gargoyles announced, pointing at Andromeda's retreating form.
"Even if she's gone for help, there'll be nothing left of him when we're done save a grease spot on the street," Zackary replied, slamming his fist into his hand. Glamdring's tail flicked as he awaited the impending attack. All he had to figure out was where would it come from. "You're disgraced me, Glamdring, and you're gonna pay for it. No one messes with Zack."
"Then what about Andromeda? Was she just a rag doll in your claws or did she put up a good fight when you raped her?" Glamdring asked, Zackary charged at the insult. Both gargoyles tumbled off the building, Zackary's cronies right behind them.
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Andromeda barely landed before running into the gargoyle's den where most of the other younger members of the clan sat. Ayden had challenged the younger Shock Wave to a round of video games. The "clone" of the United Clan's resident techno junkie was busting Shock Wave's butt for the hundreth time.
"Guys! Glam's in throuble," Andromeda called, out of breath. You could hear a pin drop as the group sprung into action. Moonlight at thier head. Being Brooklyn's daughter kind of made you one of the leading members of the hatchling group.
"Spyke, Ayden, Shock Wave. You guys are with me. Rain, stay here with Drama. Tell the adults what's going on. Drama, is it Zack?" Moonlight asked, as the three others rushed for the door and merlins to take off from. All Andromeda did was shake her head. "Then I'll bring back his penis for your revenge." Moonlight would most likely do it too, if given the opportunity. Moonlight ran off to catch up with her brother and friends.
"Come on, the adults will know that Glam's got help on the way, but Brooklyn and Broadway will most likely go to make sure they leave Zackary in one piece," Rain said, tugging Andromeda's hand to go to the kitchen. Andromeda waved at the clan's other half-gargoyle.
"You go, I need to catch my breath," Andromeda explained. Rain nodded before setting off at a run.
Indeed Brooklyn and Broadway went after the younger gargoyles. Rain reported that all Brooklyn could say was: "Idiotc, revengeful hatchlings. They'll be the death of that Jersey Gargoyle yet." Goliath came into the Gargoyle's den to confront and comfort Andromeda who was worried for Glamdring. The rescue group did indeed bring back a battered and bruised Glamdring who was only half-concious and barely able to get to the infirmary on his own. Moonlight and Brooklyn came into the den to give their own versions of what happened.
"It was obvious that they ganged up on Glamdring. He was putting up a good fight until Zackary's group attacked all at once. Luckily you got back so quickly, Andromeda," Brooklyn said, tending to a wound on his daughter's shoulder.
"You should have seen him in action. Eyes blazing like fire brands and claws like hot knives weilded on unsuspecting sticks of butter. There really was little we had to do save pull Zack's gang off of him. That is one kick ass protector there, Drama," Moonlight added, pulling a look of disapointment from her father about her word choice.
"How is he though?" Goliath asked, ignoring Moonlight's comments.
"Hard to say really, he's on the verge of collapse. Scrapped up pretty badly and I think he might have one to two broken bones but nothing permanent. The "Concrete Cure All" should do the trick on most of the injuries but the bones will have to be reset before that otherwise he might loose the use of one of his arms," Brooklyn replied, finshing up with Moonlight.
"Thanks, daddy. Shock Wave needs some attention, this was his first real fight and I think he may need your emotional support. Give him the ol "There is great honor in fighting for your friends" speech," Moonlight advised. Brooklyn ruffled his daugther's white hair before nodding to Goliath and going to do exactly that. Goliath gave Andromeda's shoulder a gentle squeeze before following Brooklyn out. Moonlight crept over to where Andromeda was sitting.
"I wasn't able to get you the gift I said I was going to. Maybe next time, around Christmas I can pull it off him," Moonlight stated, smiling a mischevious half-smile.
"Moonlight, you're a human," Andromeda said before smacking her companion playfully with a pillow. Moonlight could only laugh as the blow caused her to slip off the couch and onto the floor.
"Still, Glam says he loves you as a sister but I think he's just lying to himself and denying everything. Why do you think he's always at your side when you need him?" Moonlight asked from her current posistion on the floor. Andromeda looked at her hands in her lap.
"I don't know. He is the unofficial leader of the second generation, isn't he? I always thought that he was going for Rain, though. They way he looked at her night after night just made one think that they were together," Andromeda replied.
"They were, Drama, for a time. Now they're not. But haven't you noticed the way he springs to your defence whenever you need it? He's got a thing for you, I can tell," Moonlight explained, justifying her cause. And so that is where they left it with Moonlight in triumph, Andromeda in doupt, and Glamdring in pain. The impacts of this night would reverberate not only amoung the clan, but in the hearts and minds of the younger generations for the rest of their lives.
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More to come.
Anyways, remember to be polite to your waitresses, hound Disney for taking Gargoyles off the air, and reply to a good fan fiction story! Toodles!