Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Gargoyles or Inuyasha. They belong to their rightful creators and distributors.
AN: I'm so sorry that I hadn't updated this in so long! I had other fics to update and had been working on 4 co-authored fics with DeathNoteMaker. And I had also wrote a few more stories that were new and one of a kind.
But again, sorry for the wait and I hope this satisfies you all.
Also, This chapter is not only dedicated this chapter to the men and women of the U.S. military and in memoriam to the tragedy of 9/11.
Chapter Ten
Kagome cursed in Japanese again while staring at the stone wall in front of her. This had been the third dead end she had come across in the last forty minutes. She also came to the conclusion that European castles were more maze-like than Japanese Castles.
She made a 'keh' sound- a habit she picked up from Inuyasha whenever he was annoyed- before going back the way she came to hopefully see one of Goliath's clan but was found by Brooklyn.
Kagome sighed frustrated, "Why do I tend to always get lost!" Bronx give a soft growl before she heard someone chuckle behind her, she turned and saw… Brooklyn, she thought his name was.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that most feel the same when they try wandering the castle by their selves." Brooklyn would admit that their clan's new member was very beautiful and was a rare white skinned gargoyle. And her eyes… they were a much deeper blue than any sea he had seen.
Brooklyn had finally found her after looking through most of the halls of the castle. Passing one hall, he heard her voice along with Bronx's soft growls.
The new snow white skinned gargoyle sighed once again before replying, "I've never been in a castle like this and only been in the Japanese styled ones from home. And they're less maze-like than this."
"Yeah, it can be confusing at times for first timers in the castle before you get used to it." Brooklyn pointed out before offering, "How about I show you around the castle? So you can know which room is where…"
Kagome looked at him before giving a soft smile, "I'd like that. It would help a lot."
After taking her small, clawed, snow-white hand into his crimson one, Brooklyn led Kagome from the dead end hall to show her around with Bronx following behind. During the tour, the two started a comfortable conversation with Brooklyn telling Kagome of the castle's history and humorous events that had happened during the span of time he and his clan went through living in Manhattan. And Kagome told him of her experiences in the Feudal Era without any painful mentions of Inuyasha.
"So… what do you think of your new form? As a gargoyle, I mean…" Brooklyn asked, curious about Kagome's thoughts about being a gargoyle.
The snow white thought about for a moment before they walked by a mirror that was hung in the hall for decoration. When Kagome noticed it, she stopped in her tracks and looked at her reflection, the same she had seen after her shower earlier. Looking at the contours of her face in her refection as Brooklyn watched her, waiting for her answer.
Looking down at her now four-clawed pale white hands, she sighed before looking at her reflection again and answering Brooklyn's question, "To be honest… I don't know what to think or feel about being a gargoyle. I never thought that there would be a day that… someone would turn me into something… other than what what I was born as. And a part of me… wonders if this is what… you know who… saw before he… and what he may have thought after telling me to continue living…"
Brooklyn rested a hand on her shoulder, and tried to reassure her, "If you're thinking that there's a chance that he may have seen a monster… I don't think he did. Just someone he loved… and the painful thought of leaving her behind."
The miko gargoyle closed her eyes for a moment before looking to Brooklyn, giving a thankful but still slightly pained smile, resting a hand on the one he rested on her shoulder in thanks.
Suggesting they go outside for some fresh air, Brooklyn led Kagome to the courtyard of the castle, where she had first awakened; cming to the end of the tour. After walking to a ledge so allow Kagome to look over Manhattan from birds eye view, Brooklyn suggested, "How about we start on your first gliding lesson?"
"Gliding?" Kagome almost stuttered with her posture stiffening slightly.
"Yeah. If you're going be staying with us, you'll need to learn to use those wings sooner or later." Brooklyn said with a chuckle before noticing Kagome was tense, as she looked straight down at the streets below them. "Kagome…?"
"Huh?" Kagome brought her attention away from the streets below before turning to Brooklyn. With her reply, Brooklyn asked, "You okay? You're not afraid of heights, are you?"
Kagome winced a little, "Yeah… sorta. After falling off of my old demon companion, Kirara and being pushed off of high places, the fear of heights just developed on its own. I can't travel by air without somebody with me… or else I'll probably not move or just walk away."
Brooklyn laughed a little from her answer and when Bronx nudged Kagome's hand to have her pet him, "Well, you don't need to worry. I'll be right beside you… and I won't let you fall."
From a high tower of the castle, Goliath was looking over the city and the clouds that partially blocked his view of the city's lights before he heard Brooklyn's voice, as well as Kagome's from below at the courtyard. He watched them head to the edge and Kagome looking over the city, her bangs being blown from her face by the wind.
Long ago, he had heard of his clan having a snow-white gargoyle but they were born rarely within clans. He remembered an elder from his childhood being similar to Kagome but their hair was white as well with very light blue eyes; a complete albino. Even the membrane of his wings was completely white. But Kagome had dark raven hair with eyes being a deep blue and the skin membrane of her wings was blue-gray.
'the slight differences could be because of her being a priestess…' Goliath thought as he continued to watch Kagome talk with Brooklyn on the topic of teaching her to glide, the clan leader heard Hudson walk up to him from behind. "Keeping a close eye on the new lass?"
"She and Brooklyn came out after I was here." Goliath replied to his old friend, not taking his eyes off of the new addition of their clan as she blushed from something Brooklyn had said before she turned her attention to Bronx and started to pet him.
"Come on, Kagome. I'm sure you'll do fine. Gliding is really easy." Brooklyn's voice was heard, catching Goliath and Hudson's attention to see the crimson gargoyle on the ledge, holding out a hand to Kagome as Bronx barked in encouragement.
Kagome was looking over the ledge with her arms wrapped around her before stepping back and looked like she was about to walk away and then going back to the ledge again. It looked as if she was hesitant to jump off and try testing her new wings.
Hudson gave a hearty chuckle, "Like a hatchling hesitant to take her first test flight. Makes you remember the time when Demona used Puck to turn every human into a gargoyle and Elisa was turned into one herself."
"Yes, but Kagome is aware of her change. And she never had the chance to get used her gargoyle form since Naraku forced her into a stone sleep soon after the transformation."
"It could have been his last resort of try to destroy her, if he survived the battle. Taking her moment of weakness to kill her while she slept." Hudson pointed out as he and Goliath continued to watch Kagome going back and forth to and from the ledge; hesitating once she had her foot on the ledge before getting off and walking away a bit before trying again.
"Iya da!" They heard her yell before trying to make a run for it before Brooklyn caught her by the waist, laughing at how she was trying to run. "Kagome, it's okay. I said I was going to help you get over this fear by being right beside you until you confident enough to take off on your own."
Kagome looked at him with hesitance before looking to the ledge, "I don't know. I feel like I'm not ready. Every now and then, I still stumble from not being used to walking with a tail…"
At her pause and hesitance, Brooklyn changed his mind about teaching Kagome to fly early. "Okay. We'll do your first gliding lesson when you feel your ready."
The miko gargoyle gave him a thankful smile with her voiced thanks before turning her attention to the doorway leading inside the castle. Before Brooklyn asked what was wrong, Xanatos came out to the courtyard with Shippó and Sesshoumaru with him.
"Trying to take your first flight?" Xanatos asked.
"Yeah… but I can gather the courage to get of the ledge." Kagome replied uneasily as her tail twitched, reflecting her uneasiness.
Shippó's eyes became half lidded before he made his way to Kagome's side. The miko looked to him from the corner of her eye. After a pause, he asked, "Still scared of heights?"
"Shut up." Kagome muttered with a glare.
Xanatos chuckled at this, "I never thought that there would be a gargoyle who was afraid of heights. But then again, you were human before this all happened." At Kagome glare, he just continued to laugh before asking her to come inside so that he could talk to her a bit about some things while getting her something to eat.
Goliath and Hudson watched as the small group head inside the castle with Sesshoumaru beside Kagome, talking to her in low tones while Brooklyn went another way, saying that he was gonna head to the park for a late show as soon as Lexington, Broadway, and Angela came out saying their goodbyes with promises to be back before sunrise.
As Angela was about to take off, she turned to Kagome, "Kagome, do you want to come with us?"
The two elder gargoyles from above watched Kagome stop to look to Angela and the others before answering, "No thanks. Maybe another time."
"Okay. We'll bring you along next time." Broadway said before following the others to the skies and making their way to the park.
Kagome watched them as they disappeared off into the night before she sighed and glanced behind her, looking at her own wings. Goliath noticed this before Shippó came up to her and said, "You'll get the chance to use those wings in no time. Let's just get you settled in first before anything else."
With Bronx's barks of excitement with Kagome's smile, the small group headed inside again as Xanatos told Kagome that Broadway left some food for her before he left with the others.
Once they were inside, Hudson turned to Goliath and noticed a look in his eyes he hadn't seen since the clan leader and Demona were together all those years ago and he and Elisa agreed to stay friends. The old gargoyle smirked slightly at the thought of his former second becoming attracted to their new clan member.
But he also noticed that Brooklyn was drawn to Kagome but seemed a bit hesitant to try winning her affections, aside from the fact that he and Goliath didn't want her to feel rushed after losing her beloved to her enemy.
"Once she's settled in… will you help her adapt to her new life here?" Hudson asked Goliath.
"As clan leader, I will… and I'm sure the others will want to help out as well. Kagome was born human and doesn't know the ways of being a gargoyle. We'll do everything we can to teach her… even if there is a chance that there is a way for her to change back into a human." Goliath replied before making his way back into the castle for the library.
Tomorrow, Goliath decided to help their new friend and family member with her fear of heights and to teach her gliding with Brooklyn and the others present.
Sorry that the chapter seems short after a long time of not updating but once 9/11 was coming close and arriving, I wanted to update all fics that had a setting of New York City or within the New York state, so I decided to update this one, as well as "Vampire of The X-men" and "From the Well To the Sewers of New York".
This is my last update for the day and I'll try getting the next chapter of this fic along with others posted soon.
Hope you guys enjoyed this. Please leave some nice reviews and, if you guys would like to give some suggestions and ideas, please add them to your reviews, especially is they involve any encounters with villains, like Thailong, Demona, Macbeth, you name them. And even any allies, like Talon and his clan.