Alone Chapter 3: See the World
Before they knew it, Demona was in MacBeth's hover jet and the two were, can you believe it, off to see the world. Partially they thought it would be, in a way, an adventure, not seeing the world but seeing how long they could trust their travel companion. They knew that the other would not hurt them for that would just cause themselves pain, and yet they could capture and use the other, like Demona did to MacBeth in Paris. In a way, they figured if that happened it would be another interesting situation to try to get out of...besides the battle with Eris, neither had had much excitement in the last few years.
At that time they were flying over the United States, not really stopping to see any sites, just flying low over places such as Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco...just so they can say they've seen it.
"So, where shall we go, hmm?" MacBeth asked as they flew though the puffs of smoke rising from Mt. St. Helens. He wasn't really trying to be nice... he had trouble doing that to someone he basically blamed for most of his trouble in life. But in some ways he felt sorry and sympathy for her because she, like him, was living a 'sad, endless existence. . . alone'.
"Somewhere we haven't been?" Demona slouched in her seat and picked up a pebble off the floor and threw it lazily at the window.
"What about Paris," He said cruelly.
Demona responded with a dark look. "Yes, lets... I have some unfinished business there..."
"What about Scotland?" He asked more seriously.
"Somewhere we haven't been," She reminded with a scowl. " Isn't the point of this trip to try to find positive things about immortality?" She sarcastically remarked as she slouched lower in her chair.
Before they knew it, they found themselves snorkeling in the tropical fish abundant waters of Hawaii. MacBeth was trying to explain to Demona how to use the snorkel before they went under the water to look at the fish. Demona was wearing a one piece blue swim suit while MacBeth was wearing dark green swimming trunks. For a man who was physically in his 60's, he looked pretty good in a swim suit.
"Have you not been swimming before?" He asked.
"Swimming? Yes. But not to look at fish, it was typically at night, remember." The expression on his face said 'Oh yeah,' as if he had gotten used to her being human daily. "I've only experienced being human for the last nine years of my life," She said, almost reading his mind, "There are many human things I haven't done yet."
"Well, I haven't experienced being a gargoyle at all in my lifetime. Am I missing much?"
Demona shrugged half-heartedly, "Flying?"
Next they were skydiving over South America. It was sunset and a pleasant evening. MacBeth set his jet to auto pilot and the two leaped out.
"Whoah, without wings, how am I going to keep from hitting the ground?" Demona uncomfortably shouted over the rushing wind.
"Well, we typically wear parachutes." MacBeth yelled.
"What?"
"I'm counting on you turning into a gargoyle in mid-fall." Sunset was upon them but their time was quickly running out.
Demona soon began her change but by the time she was a gargoyle she had to think fast to save MacBeth because their rate of acceleration was at a dangerous speed. But she decided to save him anyway.
The field they had landed in was amid some small Inca ruins, nothing of interest to tourist, so they had the field to themselves, which, frankly, was how they liked it. MacBeth and Demona rested on the grass now that they weren't in danger of harm The stars were beginning to come out and the winter air smelled refreshingly of cucumber.
"You know, ye dinna have to save me." MacBeth said after he caught his breath.
"Who knows? Maybe my failure to save you was the cause of your death, therefore I would have killed you and myself."
"I doubt the Wyrd Sisters aire that strict about the definition of 'slaying each other.' But 'tis something to ask them sometime, I suppose."
They thought a second as they listened to the breeze rush through the trees. Then Demona said stoically, "I think if they were picky about that, we would have died a half millennia ago."
"But, then they need us in that battle on Avalon." MacBeth contemplated.
"What if they still need us?" Demona and MacBeth pondered the questions a while before he summoned for his hover jet.
After spending a hot day in Beijing, the two found their way to the streets of Japan. They wandered the markets in ordinary civilian clothes as they peered into the store windows. In Japan, it is customary for restaurants to have examples of the food on display, for those to see what the food looks like before entering.
Demona peered into the window of one restaurant, looking at the food designed to look like flowers.
"They're plastic, you know." MacBeth leaned over her shoulder and told her. Demona gave him look that said she didn't believe him, now or ever. The food looked real, moist, and ready to eat. "The food, 'tis plastic. There's a big business in Japan for making plastic food."
"Uh-huh?" She said annoyed with her all-knowing companion. "And where do you learn these useless details?"
"I have been alive for a millennia, I've picked up a few things here and there."
"Yeah, and I'm over seventy years older than you," which was ironic because human Demona appeared physically perhaps 20 years younger than MacBeth, "why don't I know so many details?" Her tone did not suggest envy.
"Little -human- details. Besides, you were probably awake, and able to move, only twelve hours a day on average; changing with the season. I, typically, am awake for more than 18 hours a day. Add that up over a millennia, who's been living longer? Besides, you were probably too busy trying to take over the world during that time."
They continued to stroll the streets of Tokyo. They stopped by a jewelry booth. MacBeth picked up a sapphire earing and held it up to Demona's ear as if to imagine what it would look like on her.
"Nah," she said pushed him away, annoyed with his invading her space, "It would clash with my skin."
"Do you ever wear any other earrings than those gold ones that you've been wearing since we first met?"
"I wore pearl earrings to... our... wedding" she hesitated, she didn't mean to bring up that subject from Paris.
"Hmph, they looked good on you." He said antagonistically, not happy about that topic being brought up. "Much better than your ugly old ones.
"I've gone through a few pair of gold rings, thank you very much. The crown is original, though."
"How about your clothes you wear as a gargoyle, they look like the same ones you wore back at the turn of last millennia."
Before she could answer, the sales man approached them to ask how he could help. MacBeth handed him a pair of diamond earrings, done in a beautiful ethnic Japanese style, he thought would look good on Demona.
"Your money must really be burning a whole in your pocket if you're going to buy that for me."
"For ze wife?" The salesman assumed ignorantly as he collected MacBeth's money.
Demona gave out a loud, quick, "Ha!" MacBeth discreetly elbowed her in the stomach and smiled as politely as he could so to not offend the salesman and said, "friend, yes."
As they walked away, Demona looked at the earrings and said, "friend?"
"Eh, I wouldn't go as far friend perhaps... but like it or not Demona, we happen to have something in common, a thousand years of things in common in fact." He commented.
Demona raised her chin, "Hmph, allies then?"
MacBeth exhaled quickly, reminding Demona what happened when thet allied for the first time, "I wouldn't go that far."
Demona snarled and pushed him hard enough that he lost balance and fell to the ground. She chuckled as she kept walking.
Next, they wandered the streets of India. The overcrowded country, poor sanitation and cows wandering the streets was a change from the modernized Japan they had just left.
"Why did we come here?" Demona questioned MacBeth.
"Well, we're not seeing the world if we stick to tourist traps in the upperclass places of society." They continued to walk, not headed anywhere in particular. "Besides," MacBeth continued, "maybe I came here to improve my self esteem, to remind me that my life isn't that bad, that there are some who are more worse off than me..." He stopped suddenly when he saw a small, skinny, scantily clad little boy run into the arms of his poor father. "Or is it..?"
Demona felt what he meant, she understood him better that moment then she ever had before. Sometimes she forgot that he had a son so many years ago.
After some more touring, she brought up suddenly, "You know, you've got to admit that this last decade or so has been the most interesting."
"Well, after all those years of searching, I didn't find you until recently. Funny how fast things change. After Paris, for what, eight years now, we've stopped hunting each other..."
"You hunted me, I had my own things to do."
"Right, getting revenge on Goliath, humans and hunters? Being eternally untrustworthy and out causing problems, blaming them on someone else and then taking revenge on them... and oh how could I forget, getting power and trying to take over the world."
Demona growled, "well, at least I didn't focus 900 years on one thing!"
"Well, I did other things," he defended, "I had a hobby of studying Magic, particularly Merlyn's Magic, gargoyles and designing old fashion buildings...And then I married an American woman around 1850. So my years haven't been completely wasted...besides the fact that I never did accomplish my main goal of trying to kill you..."
"Well, you had your fair share of power hungry stages as well," Demona defended as she punched him to the side. MacBeth didn't feel like fighting back, instead, he just returned to her side and lead her down to a dock on the river.
"Now where are we going?" She asked MacBeth who didn't answer her. He just paid a man at the dock to rent a small boat, the two got in and he started rowing down the river.
Demona breathed deep. Wanting to get her mind off what they were fighting about, she tried to brighten the mood. "So, tell me about this American you married..." Demona asked after they departed the shore.
"Aye," MacBeth said after a sigh, a pause and a far off stare, "I met her after I moved to the United States in the early 1800s. I had gone through four names and two social security numbers...Broke into some official documents to hide the truth, I did not want to draw government attention..."
"What was she like," Demona tried to pry into his more personal life hoping to take more of the attention away from hers, and besides, she enjoyed making him uncomfortable.
"Simple. She didn't have a lot of money, a poor pioneer. Which was an intriguing contrast to Gruoch my queen. She was the first woman to love me in over 700 years. I loved her, a lighthouse on the dark sea of my life." MacBeth bit his lip.
"Well?" Demona said calmly, not wanting to anger him further, she could sense his hesitation to tell the rest of the story. "Come now, what's wrong? I don't have to be able to feel your pain to know something's wrong."
"You see," MacBeth exhaled, "she died of Cholera two years after we were married."
Demona breathed in deeply and sighed as she remembered all the friends she had lost. MacBeth looked at Demona as he rowed, she seemed lost in thought as she watched the sun lower in the sky. MacBeth wondered what she was thinking, if she had questions she wanted to ask him. He knew he had questions, about when they had spent weeks in Paris and he didn't even know it was her, and more. He didn't know how to approach the subjects. Finally he broke the silence and said stoically, "What's on your mind?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about this sunset and how it reminds me of Germany."
MacBeth thought about how he too had been to so many places, and simple moments will remind him of where he's been. Maybe that's why they often thought about their past like this, they had more to think about than other people, many more memories. Maybe it was another part of their curse to have such good memory abilities.
As sunset came, Demona again went into her usual metamorphosis as they sat in the boat, nearly tipping it. MacBeth stayed with her, not that he had much choice in the boat, but he knew what he was getting into before they got in. He accepted the pain now, just another one of those things that kept the trip interesting. They turned a bend and he gave one more pull at the oars and then let it coast. Demona was looking out one side of the boat, when MacBeth stopped rowing she looked up to see why and she finally saw the magnificent building on the other shore. In the darkness of the dusk, the floodlights that surrounded the building gave it a majestic look. It kinda helped MacBeth feel better to see her face brighten when she saw the building, which was ironic, she was the last person in the world he'd chose to be happy if he had a choice.
"See, there are beauties in every country." He said steadily.
Demona chuckled in a displeased way, "Whoever built it could have fed his country with the money it took to build that."
"I didn't think you cared."
"It just goes to show human stupidity, how selfish leaders destroy their own country."
"It was built a long time ago." That was all MacBeth chose to say on the subject. He didn't feel like spoiling the mood by bringing up gargoyle selfish leaders.
When they were done admiring the great architecture and beauty of the Taj Mahal, MacBeth suggested that they return to shore. As they approached, the man in charge of the dock noticed Demona came back looking like a blue demon. He didn't know what to do or say, for he didn't know English. This delighted their time corrupted sense of humor as they returned to MacBeth's hover jet.
Walking though sites in Egypt in the hot sun, both wore outfits you'd expect from tourists, including sunglasses and a hat to block the burning sun. Demona still wasn't used to all the sun and sunburns were new to her since Puck placed his spell on her. The two followed the line of tourists as they were shown ancient Egyptian tombs.
"Tell me something," MacBeth said over the chatter of tourists, "just for my own curiosity and my study of gargoyles, when you are human, do you feel human emotions?" He said that rather stoically as he often did on the trip.
Demona eyed him slyly as she guessed what he was getting at but worked around it, "I get cold easier, I'm weaker when I'm human, is that what you mean?" She spoke in a calm tone which was becoming more common for her lately.
"Do you feel foolish and untrustworthy?"
Demona did not respond to that.
"Are you attracted to humans?"
Demona gave him a dirty look, "To human men in general or you?" she mocked.
"Well," MacBeth teased, keeping his eyes of the artifacts they passed, "not necessarily..." He razed her more, "How about in Paris where you pretended to love me...?"
"What an odd question to ask me at a time like this." Demona didn't want to bring that up so she answered the question, but not his later question. "No," she said firmly, "All humans are hideous. I'm prejudice, remember," she criticized and shrugged. "To me, humans will always be arrogant, evil, untrustworthy and... stupid.."
"Humans in general, or just me?" MacBeth said, Demona laughed. After a pause, He changed the subject. "How about when ye aire a gargoyle, what do gargoyle women look for in a male gargoyle? Goliath must have been the pick of the flock back in Scotland, the other girls must have been jealous." His tone had an evil mockery about it.
Demona growled.
"It must have been hard," he continued his harassment, "Waiting 1000 years to see him again, just to have him wake up and reject you." Demona kept her eyes on the artifacts, her eyes starting to glow red with anger. "I can only imagine," MacBeth said less harshly, "...how difficult it would be if I found out that Gruoch was alive, just to have her tell me she did not love me anymore."
"She'll say you've changed." Demona said softly.
MacBeth's eyes grew wide. "No, I doubt she would have approved of my millennia as an assassin." There was silence between them. As MacBeth thought on this, Demona could feel a pain growing in her own throat.
They exited the tomb they were touring and entered the hot Egyptian sun. MacBeth calmly, tried to remember to be polite again,"...hmm, forget that Goliath," MacBeth suggested trying to put each other on common grounds, "Find someone new. We could look for some of these new gargoyles who are revealing themselves around the world? Or those boys from Goliath's clan, in a few years they will be the same age as you."
Demona laughed with disgust. "You know, I did try to find someone new."
"I mean someone who isn't a clone of Goliath," MacBeth grumbled as he rolled his eyes.
"I guess I never really loved Thailog anyway. In some ways I was just using him to get back at Goliath."
"By trying to make him jealous, that was obvious." MacBeth said firmly.
"Then he was just using me."
"And you were using me." He said lacking any sympathy.
Demona forgot that about that. In Paris, Thailog had done exactly to her as she had done to MacBeth. He pretended to love her but just wanted her money. "Why are you even standing next to me? After what I've done to you? How do you trust me?"
"Whoever said I trust you? No, I'm using ye for company, this trip would be really weird if I went alone."
She added seriously, "You trust me enough... you know I don't need as much sleep as you do. How do you trust me with your jet while you sleep, hmm?"
"I don't. Besides, how do you trust me? I'm the suicidal one, remember? Aither way, I have all my systems locked out from you." Annoyed she flung her hand toward him, but she sighed.
"Goliath said I'm incapable of love, there in Paris. He's probably right." Demona seemed to be getting better at angering and depressing herself. She didn't know why she was telling him this, she hadn't laid her problems on anyone in a long time, not since... well, she couldn't remember.
"Goliath is the expert on such a thing, isn't he. How long has he been flirting that human?" MacBeth pointed out, "Besides, at the same time he said that I was capable of love. And look at me over the last centuries." He grunted resentfully. The sun wasn't so high anymore and they've started pacing through the desert in no particular direction. Little was said for a while as their thoughts wandered.
Then Demona added, thinking back over the conversations, "To be honest, I don't care who Goliath loves anymore. He can love Elisa, Fox or Brooklyn for all I care." She said that forcefully and angrily but she hesitated and MacBeth could tell she was still down about something else. "I just hate..."
"...Being alone?" MacBeth finished. A feeling of understanding passed between the duo.
They started heading out in the desert, probably to where the authorities would rather tourists didn't go. The silence was uncomfortable so MacBeth tried to find a comfortable subject, "There were heard of gargoyles in Egypt were there not?"
"Yeah, I think I remember hearing about some revealing themselves."
"We have nothing better to do," now and their lives in general, "let's go look for them." They wandered the desert, mainly waiting for nightfall; Live gargoyles are easier to find than stone ones.
"So, Grouch, Mary, have there ever been any other women in your life?" Demona pried into his personal life in a devious tone.
"Well, there was this one woman, beautiful, charming, yet mysterious. She made me feel like I had a purpose in my life." MacBeth avoided eye contact. Doing so told Demona exactly who he was talking about, Dominique Destine, the human she had pretended to be in Paris and tried to make MacBeth fall in love with. He grunted uncomfortably then said. "Did you ever have anyone besides Goliath and Thailog?"
"Nope," Demona said with a fake cheerfulness, "do you have any other personal questions for me?"
"As a matter of fact, are Scottish gargoyles reptiles or mammals?"
Demona laughed at the most unexpected question. "I do believe that the most evolved creatures on this planet are warm blooded. Yes, we're mammals."
"But you lay eggs."
"That's because a pregnant gargoyle is a weak gargoyle."
"Ah." MacBeth tried to picture a pregnant gargoyle and laughed, she laughed with him.
When the sun set Demona became a gargoyle once again and took flight from the dune on which they stood, picking up MacBeth on the way. "It would be easier to find these gargoyles from the air." A little while later, some gargoyles did see her flying and flew to meet her.They invited the duo to meet with them. The Egyptian gargoyles lived in a network of old, undiscovered tombs, with many other gargoyles. It was like a whole community with walls that were almost full of the history they continued to keep.
There was one there, called Nebulan, who actually looked Arabic, helped them translate the Ancient Egyptian into English. They shared stories and Demona and MacBeth listened to the Egyptians' stories with a shared deep interest.
The Egyptians had been living there for millennia, protecting the humans.
"As is the gargoyle way," said the gargoyles known as Sheh'seh. Demona grunted in disagreement, but MacBeth elbowed her before she said anything.
The Egyptians continued with their history, telling how the humans honored the gargoyles. Honoring some, like a great gargoyle judge known as Ma'at, by rearing them, after their death, like gods, right next to the fays that lived among the Ancient Egyptians.
Then there was a revolt. Many humans grew to oppose gargoyle control (Demona shifted uncomfortable when this all-too-familiar topic came up). Many of the gargoyles were killed. The rest were sent into hiding. They changed their history, painted over their artwork, making their gargoyle gods more human like.
"And they finally came to forget you even existed?" MacBeth asked, knowing the answer.
"But we still protect," added a jackle-headed gargoyle named Reh'Teh, "But in secret. We try to protect the innocent, just one person at a time if necessary, and maybe the world is a tiny bit better because of our help."
"We have to go." MacBeth stood up suddenly. MacBeth's own teeth were starting to hurt because Demona was gritting hers so roughly. "I'm getting tired," he lied. "Thank you so much for your time, perhaps we can meet to share knowledge again." He said as he shook their hands goodbye.
The Scots left the cave and walked out across the desert. MacBeth pointed a remote into the air, put his arm down and continued walking. A few minutes later, MacBeth's autopilot-guided jet picked up the duo.
As MacBeth headed to bed, he asked, "Not going to go back and visit with the Egyptians? Make a few friends. There were a lot of males there...
Demona rolled her eyes and gave a bitter "nah." MacBeth didn't question. "Where are we going next?" Demona asked before MacBeth went to sleep.
"I don't know, I feel like Australia."
"Australia?" She questioned. "Are we ever going to go in a straight line on this journey?"
"Nay." He said as if she had just asked a stupid question, and with that he headed to his sleeping quarters.
In the Australian evening, MacBeth introduced Demona to a social gathering known as a dance. They checked out the refreshments and watched the other dancers for a while at first.
"May I have this Dance?" MacBeth bowed with hypocrite politeness as a waltz started .
Demona gave him a dead stare "Why?"
"Because I know you'd hate so much to do something so human and I try my hardest to put you through such agony."
"Well then, just to despite you, I'll enjoy this." MacBeth taught her to waltz, taking little care to avoid stepping on her feet.
The beautiful Australian sunset was interrupted with Demona's daily change into a gargoyle. The other dancers were distracted by the sight of a gargoyle, so the pair decided that it was probably best that they hit the road.
The next stop they made was in Jerusalem. By night, they were caught in an clash between the Israelis and Palestinians. There was an explosion and some people were trapped in automobiles that were caught on fire. Almost instinctively MacBeth rushed to save them.
"Come, help!" MacBeth shouted over the chaos to the gargoyle Demona. There was a burning vehicle, the occupants were alive, but badly burnt. He had to get them out before the fuel line caught fire. The fire made the door hot and difficult to open.
"What?" Demona yelled, confused and not anxious to leave her hiding place.
"I need you to rip that door off!" He referred to the other side of the automobile. MacBeth got the door open, but not without burning his hand first. He helped the occupants in the back seat out. The passenger in the front was still trapped, unable to open the door.
"Why should I help?" Demona growled. MacBeth gave her a dirty look while he helped the other victims.
"Just do it!"
"But..." knowing that his hand was burnt by the pain swelling in her own hand and that the car was ready to blow, she wasn't thrilled to help some humans that would probably reject her for her appearance anyway.
"Do it or you'll walk home!" He said angrily.
Demona couldn't believe she was helping save some humans but MacBeth introduced to her some of his values that day he had learned as a king: honor, respect and chivalry.
They spent one day in Moscow but they didn't look around the economy troubled country long. MacBeth decided to get some sleep early in the evening and woke around five in the morning. At the time, the hover jet was parked on the top of a closed parking garage.
Demona would normally get a little sleep about the same time he did, but she didn't need as much as he did. While MacBeth slept, he encouraged Demona to get out and experience the world but more often, he'd wake up to find her cruising the Internet or enjoying hacking into his databases on his computer in the jet. His database contained the collected information on gargoyles, various information pertaining to MacBeth's lifetime and information for his European History class.
"What are you looking for?" MacBeth asked, not pleased to see her going through his database that morning. He sat down in the other chair in the cockpit of his jet and started to drink some tea, keeping an eye on the gargoyle while she breezed through his database.
"Just reading about your record of your lifetime."
"Interesting?" He asked with disfavor.
"Oh, the part from where you tell about how I betrayed you and all, real interesting," she sounded angry, but calm, so MacBeth didn't have reason to stop sipping his tea.
"Uh huh. Well, have ye learned anything?"
"Well, you tried to claim your right to the throne of Scotland twice after the death of your son and once tried to claim right to the throne of England." Demona harassed.
"Yer point?" He growled, irritated.
"You also attempted to become a powerful sorcerer using magic from some stolen ancient Celtic amulets, Merlyn scrolls and many stolen books."
"And you were any better?" He defended. "At least I did not turn an entire city to stone with the magic I practiced. How about that time you created a virus to kill all humans? You were the cause of the virus, it would have slain me, and therefore yourself! 'Tis not like aither of us accomplished our desired goals."
"Not to mention your attempt to steal Pendragon and the Stone of Destiny." She criticized.
"And what did stealing Titania's mirror get you besides humiliation and turning you into a pathetic human during the day?"
Demona's eyes to glow red. "Hey, that pathetic shell isn't so bad!" she defended humans as if she weren't addressing one.
"Helping to create the Cold Clan and Thailog's Clone Clan only gave Goliath new allies. Of all the spells you have cast, all the power you have tried to gain...has gained you nothing, not even your pathetic revenge!"
"And where are you?" she started shouting, "All you've tried, spending eternity trying to commit suicide.. and now you're nothing but a lost old, immortal man with no employees... you tried for centuries to find happiness and failed. Now you're doomed to be lonely for the rest of eternity. Yes, you're lonely, admit it. When I'm near you I can sense you pain, including your loneliness, I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Aye, but you are in the exact same situation, lonely, friendless and miserable." MacBeth didn't raise his voice as loud as Demona had hers "You are still nothing but a pathetic animal at the bottom of the food chain, still the hunted. You scavenged for centuries because you refused to be helped by humans." MacBeth barely had time to put down his mug before the gargoyle threw the punch.
"Ow!" They both said. MacBeth grabbed her and started to force her around but she stopped him. She threw him in the opposite direction, and he hit the bulkhead. He came back to push her over the co-pilot's chair. She got back up and scratched him multiple times giving him gashing wounds with her sharp claws. He wrestled her, trying to keep her claws away from him.
MacBeth rolled her round until he could put his elbow to her side and put his weight into the elbow. The blue gargoyle swiftly release from his grip, causing him to fall to the floor, and then she pushed him against the bulkhead. She immediately grabbed him and started pulling his right arm around his back so it hurt. She was sure to use her left arm for her right arm began to hurt along with MacBeth's. Finally, the pain became unbearable and she let go of his arm and just tried to hold him, her arm binding him around his neck. He was able to free an arm enough to punch her in the face and then elbowing her hard in the side. She responded by pulling him up and throwing him against the wall. There she held him for a seemingly long, irritating pause as all they did was stare at each other with grimacing looks.
Then MacBeth did something that surprised both. Despite being held back, he reached his head forward and gently kissed her. Much to even more of a surprise, she let him.
After the worlds longest second, they suddenly realized what just happened and pulled away from each other. In the brief second, a million confused and dirty looks passed between them. Then, just as MacBeth was sure she was going punch him, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Finally they pushed each other away at the same time. There was a pause, then dirty looks of blaming the other and finally they just turned away from each other,
Thoughts
MacBeth lost any sense of logic he had and gently reach around his captive's neck. He softly pulled her close to him as he kissed her on her lips. It lasted for only a moment, but in that moment MacBeth felt dizzy, like the only thing the world that existed was the woman which he held so close to him. She was so close, he could feel her blood pumping and her emotions: confused.
They pulled away from each other, Demona turned away. What have I done? What's stopping this from being like last time? How do I know this isn't just another spell? The thoughts ran through both their minds which were not yet clear. The situation was truly awkward now. The new human emotions were too much for Demona to handle and her eyes began to tear; she tried to hide her face form MacBeth. Finally he got up and said in a voice that showed that he was still angry with himself but tried to calm down, "I am going get some ice cream, do you want some."
On the walk back from the quaint ice cream shop, MacBeth thought. Why was he letting himself fall in love again? Was it love? With the woman that betrayed his love eight years ago and his loyalty some nine centuries or so years back nonetheless. How did he know this wasn't just another trick, another game to take advantage of him? How did he know he wasn't under a spell, being used like he was for the rest of his endless existence? How could he actually have left himself believe for a moment that she loved him?
MacBeth brought back a strawberry-cheesecake and a mint chocolate-chip flavored sundaes for his distressed friend. She was sitting on her bed in her quarters (quarters that were designed for Coreen, MacBeth's former lady employee) wrapped in a blanket even though the weather did not suggest need for it. Her windows were covered, blocking the mid-morning sun.
"Here," He handed the sundaes to Demona. She accepted them and began eating without a word. He sat next to her on the bed and stared into the darkened room.
MacBeth swallowed, he didn't know how to help her mood. She was lost in thought, he could tell that by looking at her, but he didn't need to look at her to know she wasn't happy. He breathed in and out and said, "Do you want to talk?"
No, She thought, she didn't want to be anywhere near him, but she just nibbled at her ice cream and mumbled, "I'm new at these human emotions."
"Are they so different from gargoyles?"
"A bit, human females are more sensitive."
MacBeth tried not to interrupt but Demona, in a way, wished he would.
"You introduced me to those emotions in Paris." Demona continued, her eyes fixed on the wall. MacBeth was surprised to hear that. "You never did get over Dominique did you?"
"The truth is I beat myself up for centuries because I wasn't there for Gruoch when she died. It wasn't until I met Mary that I finally felt reconciled with Gruoch's death."
"And it wasn't until you met Dominique that you finally felt over Mary's death?" Demona guessed.
"Well, we did have a lot in common." MacBeth gave a deep sigh. It was the first conversation they had had in a long time that didn't have any harsh undertones to it. MacBeth nodded solemnly. "Funny thing about the Wyrd Sister's spell, normal people and gargoyles can get over their mistakes."
"But we... we can hold a grudge or guilt for centuries." MacBeth finished. A pause of understanding.
"Even though I didn't really love Thailog all that much," Demona hesitated, "it felt nice to have someone, after so long, one thousand years, of having no one... and being rejected by Goliath."
MacBeth picked up her hand, "and then Thailog never loved you either?" Demona looked away but he could feel her pain. He kissed her on the hand and then just held it in a more friendly than romantic way. Such a gesture of simple comfort was unfamiliar to Demona. She stood up quickly, uncomfortable, she longed to be held but at the same time, she couldn't believe that she felt that way. She left the room, MacBeth could feel her struggle with her emotions and he was left sitting on the bed alone. He sighed rather angrily and felt like an idiot. He finally got up, set in a course, and the two acted as if nothing had happened.