This chapter was a blast! I really wanted to have a scene like this in my story! ^_^

ENJOY!

~Eyezra

"I don't believe this!" Maggie thought to herself, "A human girl who is actually enjoying my company?!!"

"So what part of Manhattan do you live in, Maggie?" Stella asked, as they both were now sitting together on the MD bench.

Maggie took a sip from her soda that Stella had bought her, "I live in the subway."

"On a train?"

"No in the tunnels."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"The tunnels are abandoned where I live."

"Ah."

Maggie couldn't believe this girl. She was not even disgusted that she was sharing a meal with a 'what humans would think' a filthy homeless woman.

"I live up in an apartment." Stella told her, "My mom makes a decent living for us."

"What about your father?"

Stella looked away from her a moment, "He's dead."

Maggie regretted her asking. She had just met this girl and already she seemed to have stepped over the boundary.

"So what were looking for?" Stella asked her warmly, "Before those punks bugged you?"

Stella couldn't see it. But a blush crossed Maggie's face, "I...uh...was just taking a stroll around."

"Oh?" she didn't buy it, but figured she wouldn't butt in, "I am too."

Maggie looked at her and Stella noticed she had gold eyes, "For a minute. I thought I was staring at a cat."

Stella shook the thought from her mind, "Well, since we are both just scouting around, why don't we scope the city together?"

"Are you sure?" Maggie asked a little stunned by the offer, "I mean..."

"I think it'll be fun." Stella told her.

Normally, Maggie would decline the offer but Stella seemed different then any other human she had met. It took the people in the Labyrinth a while to adjust to her looks...

"My looks," she thought bitterly, as she clenched her cloak tighter to her face, "Maybe this wasn't such a good-"

"Hey Maggie!"

She looked up at Stella who was pointing excitedly at a window, "There having a 50% sale in this Wet Deal store!"

Maggie felt a rise of panic stir in her as she noticed it was a clothing store!

"I...I can't!" she stuttered as she started to back away.

"Don't worry, Maggie," Stella whispered to her, "just pick what you want. You don't have to try it on if you wish not too."

"But my outfit..." she looked at her cloak.

"If you get to uncomfortable we will leave. I promise."

^~*~^

Luckily, when they walked in the store was pretty empty of customers.

"Welcome!" came an older man from across the counter.

Maggie buried her head a little farther in the cloak to avoid being discovered.

"I need another skirt," Stella mumbled to herself, "and possibly a few new shirts."

She glanced over at Maggie who was staring longingly at an outfit that was being advertised for customers walking by. It was a aqua green frilly shirt that had a black silk belt that strapped around the stomach Japanese style with an open cut located at the back just above the silk. The outfit was completed with a storm cloud-grey skirt that had a silver belt wrapped around it.

"She a friend of yours?"

Stella jumped at the store clerks sudden appearance behind her, "Uh..."

"She's been here before." he told her, "I've spotted her standing outside here staring at that same outfit."

"Oh?"

"This is the first time I've ever had her WALK in to my shop."

Stella looked at store clerk then back at Maggie, "Do you know what sizes that outfit comes in?"

Maggie glanced back at Stella and noticed she was making a purchase but when she saw what it was. She ran over to them, "No Stella!"

Stella looked at Maggie and then back at the clerk, "What? I'm just buying this outfit for myself." she lied to her poorly.

"I don't want it."

"Really?" Stella said as she laid her back-pack on the counter and opened it to find her wallet, "Because I think you do."

"No! I-" Maggie then caught a glimpse of something hidden in Stella's bag, "Is that?"

Stella quickly zipped up her back-pack and opened her wallet, "What?"

Suddenly, the clerk found money on his counter but no customer as the teen was dragged into the dressing room, "Hey! What's wrong?"

They stood outside the changing stalls as Maggie stared hard at her through the cloak, "Where did you get that talisman in your bag?"

Stella stared at her in disbelief, "You-You know what it is?"

"It's the Phoenix Gate."

Stella then stared hard at the cloaked woman, "Are you, by chance, one of the children of Oberlin?"

Maggie ignored her question, "Do you know of the Gargoyles?"

The teen blinked at her, "I have seen them but-"

Maggie then whipped the black cloak off her to show Stella her true 'self' as her blonde hair rested down on her shoulders over her green suit and brown belt she had strapped tightly on her waist. She pointed a clawed finger at the girl that had cloth matching her outfit around her wrist and arm. Maggie had two dark brown bat like wings that stretched from behind her back.

Stella stood stunned at the cat gargoyle, "Oh wow." she gasped, "I thought gargoyles went stone after-"

"I am NOT a real gargoyle." Maggie announced with a tint of venom, "I use to be human...till I was taken to a lab and experimented on."

Stella couldn't believe what she had heard, "Experiments?" she thought seriously, but Maggie quickly snapped her thoughts back.

"Now, tell me Stella," the gargoyle frightened Stella a bit when her pupils turned to slits, "How did you get that talisman?"

Stella was about to answer when she heard footsteps heading into the room. Without thinking she shoved Maggie back and ran over to the entrance where she saw the old Clerk looking at her in concern, "All okay, miss?"

"Ah!" she laughed weakly, "Yeah! My friend wanted to try on the outfit to make sure it fit before we left."

The old man raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh, well. When I saw her snatch you like that I thought-"

"Oh no! Everything's fine!"

"Alright." an old wrinkly hand was then stretched out to her, "Your change."

"Keep it." Stella told him warmly, "I'm sorry we worried you."

The Clerk stared at her a moment as his light blue eyes moistened, "Not a problem. You take care young lady."

^~*~^

Once the Clerk walked back to his stand. Stella glanced back at Maggie who was dumbfounded at what she had done, "Why did you protect me?" Maggie asked a little harshly.

"Well, isn't that what friends do?"

Maggie blushed slightly at being called 'friend'.

"I suppose."

This one is a little longer! *Whew!*

I had a fun time writing it! I'm sure you are wondering why Maggie was roaming around town...well you'll find out next!!! And an encounter is going to happen!! See ya in Chapter 7!

Old Clerk: Please Read and Review.