October 10, 1997
6:23 p.m.
Castle Wyvern

Katana usually had pleasant dreams.

Often they were ones of family, her son and mate, her first clan, and her new clan here in Manhattan. Sometimes, her dreams were rehashed moments of her daily life or odd mash-ups of her timetravels. But lately, her dreams were full of terrifying scenarios. Being hunted by Quarrymen—who had been a menace throughout many of her time travels, or being forced to timedance once more only to be marooned somewhere in time by the Phoenix Gate, and separated forever from Nashville and Brooklyn.

But her latest was the worst one yet.

She'd dreamt that 'Egwardo' had been stolen by Angela and taken to her scheming mother to raise, but when it hatched in Demona's lair, a horrible and monstrous creature emerged that yearned for flesh and blood instead of milk.

She woke from the dream, screaming in terror, but her horrified cries were thankfully drowned out by the sounds of the others as they emerged from their daily hibernations. Unable to shake the lingering terror of her dream, she tried a few tricks from bushido to try and clear her mind and calm her racing heart. But the dream had shaken her to her core, and her attempts to calm herself were proving futile.

"Hey, Katana!"

The azure gargoyle froze in terror at the sound of Angela hailing her.

Oblivious to Katana's horrified body language, Angela sidled up next to her, as lithe as a deer and eager as a puppy. Katana's adrenaline surged at the sight of the lavender gargoyle, filling her heart with dread.

She looked so much like her mother.

"Hudson and Goliath wanted to take the beasts out on patrol with them tonight and give them some exercise," Angela said cheerfully. "So, I thought if you and Brooklyn wanted some time alone together, I'd be happy to watch the egg—"

"No!" Katana said sharply, her eyes wide with fear. She knew she shouldn't hold a dream against the younger female, but the emotions from it lingered like fog and clouded her reasoning.

Angela recoiled at the sharp refusal, looking like Katana had slapped her across the face.

"We'll manage. Thank you," Katana said, moderating her tone to be gentler, but fear lingered like an undercurrent in her voice.

Brooklyn gave Katana a perplexed look from behind Angela as he stepped down from his perch, but he didn't say anything. Ashamed and irrationally terrified, Katana fled the battlements, grabbing her mate by the arm and pulling him away with her.

"What was that all about?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing," Katana said dismissively.

Unconvinced, Brooklyn followed his mate but didn't say another word about the incident as they descended to the rookery deep beneath the castle.

The rookery had once been a natural underground cavern where the temperature and humidity levels were moderated by the Scottish seaside but now, half a world away and well above the sea, it benefited from the precision of modern climate controls.

To Katana's relief, the egg was still where she had left it, resting on the center of its hallowed nest, encircled by a series of stone spurs resembling small, claw-like stalagmites. Katana lovingly caressed it, inspecting it for cracks, as she crooned to the life within, ensuring herself that they still thrived.

"I can feel them moving," she said with relief to her mate. Her anxiety ebbed at the reassuring signs of life within the egg and as the dream began to fade from her memory.

Brooklyn put his hand on the egg and waited. His patience paid off when he felt something move beneath the surface, like the hatchling within had sensed his presence and had reached out to say hello.

"They're really active right now," he said, smiling.

"More and more every day," Katana said, as she tenderly placed her hand over her mate's. "Won't be long now, I can tell."

Brooklyn eyed his mate's expanding chest. Katana was normally a slender female with modest breasts, but they had started to strain against her kimono in preparation for when the egg hatched in a few months.

"Yeah, so can I… " he said, grinning lustfully.

"Baka," Katana said as she noticed his gaze and swatted him lightly with her tail.

He put his arms around her and nuzzled her gently, stroking her hair softly.

"You know, we're alone at the moment," he said quietly, his muzzle near her ear.

Katana sighed as one of his hands slid into her kimono, and gently massaged one of her aching breasts.

"It's true we don't have much time alone," she said.

"We get way more than we did while being bounced around in time, though," Brooklyn pointed out. "It's a wonder 'Egwardo' was conceived."

"It almost didn't happen," Katana reminded him, recalling how they had been unintentionally separated at the start of her last breeding cycle. If they hadn't been reunited in time, they would have lost the chance to conceive for twenty years.

"I am glad we are here," she said as she turned around to face her mate.

"Are you sure about that?" Brooklyn asked softly, glancing at the solitary egg in a nest large enough for dozens more.

Katana glanced away. Ideally, they would be back with her clan in Ishimura, but that was not likely to happen, considering those she knew and loved were now long dead, and she was nothing but a myth or legend to their descendents. This was the next best thing, though, and she tried to make the most of it.

"Hai, Brooklyn, I am sure," Katana replied sincerely. "It will be nice to have a clan to share in some of the hatchling care, even if there is only one hatchling."

"Yeah, they're really excited about it. We will probably have to fight over our own kid," Brooklyn said, amused.

"Hatchlings belong to the whole clan, my love," Katana reminded him. "They are not ours alone."

"I know," Brooklyn said, trying to dismiss some of the possessive feelings he had for their egg. "But they didn't lug this thing around for the past nine years like we did."

Katana smiled wistfully at him.

"It will be different than raising Nashville," she said. "The way it should be."

"Hey, why don't we forget about parenting for a minute, huh?" Brooklyn said gently, as he untied her kimono.

Katana smiled and she leaned into him, stroking his brow and then his hair. Then her hand trailed down his chest. She unbuckled his plate armor before moving down to his loincloth.

"Katana!" Brookyn said scandalized as she undid his belt, his eyes darted to the egg. "Not in front of the kid!"

Katana rolled her eyes just as Brooklyn lifted her up onto a flat ledge in the stone creche and spread her thighs so that he could stand between them.

They hastily removed the rest of their various clothing, weaponry, and other adornments, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Then they fell into each other, moving together confidently and familiarly—the way couples do who know and love each other deeply, and who've been together for a long time.

And while they were occupied, fervently enjoying their precious time alone as lovers, their cast-off weapons and clothing silently disappeared, one by one.

…

…

To take his mate's mind off of Katana's hurtful spurning, Broadway took Angela to the library to spend part of their free time reading together. Romance novels had become a recent favorite for the young lovers, even if the plotlines were a bit ludicrous at times, but it provided the distraction he was hoping for. When a particularly steamy scene in the book she'd been reading aloud got her worked up, Angela turned to her mate for a little relief, much to Broadway's delight.

Once they'd both been sated, they lay together on the floor by the fire afterwards, enjoying its warmth on their skin. The sharp fragrance of burning logs, the oaky tannins of shelves of old leather-bound books, and the musky scents of lovemaking all mingled and danced together in a heady aroma that lulled them into a hazy, semi-conscious state.

"If I had known there was mating in books, I would have learned to read a lot sooner," Broadway joked as they snuggled together, tails still intertwined as they stroked each other's brows. Angela laughed and then reluctantly sat up, letting out a resigned sigh.

"We should get dressed," she said, "before someone like Nashville wanders in. We really need to find a better spot for this, but there's just something about the library…" she trailed off, a sultry half smile coloring her features.

"Yeah, you're right," Broadway agreed, propping himself up. "And I know exactly what you mean," he said with a grin and a sly wink.

But as Angela gathered up her clothes, she realized something was amiss.

"Uh… Broadway," she said, confused. "What are Brooklyn and Katana's clothes doing here?"

…

…

When Goliath and Hudson returned with the beasts to the castle for the day, they heard shouting and went to investigate. In the Great Hall, they found Angela, Katana, Brooklyn, and Broadway all arguing loudly with each other… and in various stages of dress.

Katana was clutching a bath towel around her body while holding her kimono in one hand, and Brooklyn had a towel around his waist, his loincloth also in one hand. His armor and weaponry were nowhere to be seen. Likewise, the lacing on Angela's tunic hadn't yet been retied, and Broadway was still fumbling with his belt buckle, trying to secure his loincloth. The four struggled to maintain their modesty while also hurling insults and accusations at each other.

"You've had a problem with me since you got here!" Angela was shouting at the reserved Ishimuran gargoyle.

"I did not have a problem with you before this!" Katana shouted back. "But it is clear to me now that you are insufferable and childish!"

Broadway barely held Angela back as she lunged for Katana, her eyes glowing red with fury.

"Come on, Broadway, where's my gear?" Brooklyn growled at his brother, ignoring Angela.

"For the hundredth time! I didn't take your stuff!" Broadway replied angrily, throwing his hands out in exasperation and releasing his hold on his mate.

"Then why the fuck did you have our clothes?!" Brooklyn snarled.

"Silence! All of you!" Goliath roared, flaring his wings out for emphasis.

The two couples paused in their argument at their leader's reprimand, and backed a step or two apart, but the anger between them was still roiling beneath the surface.

"I cannot believe that I have to mediate between you four. Now… what is the meaning of all this?" Goliath demanded.

"Brooklyn and Katana have accused us of stealing their clothing while they were spending time together," Angela hissed.

"We would never do something like that, and we were also, uh, busy at the time, so it couldn't have been us," Broadway added.

"Yes, I can see you were all busy," Goliath deadpanned, taking in their shared state of undress, disheveled looks, and the various other telltale signs. All four managed to look away embarrassed. "Perhaps you need less free time if you spend it playing childish pranks on each other."

"Katana and I weren't the ones who thought it would be funny to steal clothes and weapons," Brooklyn grumbled, his arms folded across the wiry muscles of his bare chest. Goliath suddenly realized he had never seen Brooklyn without his plate armor since his return from timedancing, and with his umber red skin fully exposed, Goliath could see scars there he hadn't known existed including one really large scar near Brooklyn's heart. Clearly there was a story he had yet to tell, if he ever planned to share it.

"We weren't the ones who did this!" Angela shouted.

"Enough!" Goliath ordered, and they backed off again, though reluctantly. "What kind of resolution did you expect to achieve by fighting like hatchlings?"

The couples had the good sense to look away ashamed as Goliath spoke.

"I think you all need time to cool your heads and gain some sensibility before we can get to the bottom of things. Therefore, I am sending you all out on patrol."

"But—" Angela began to protest. She and Broadway were supposed to have the night off.

Goliath shot her a withering glance, and she backed down. Then he turned, his wings snapping with displeasure, and stalked away from them, putting an end to any further arguing. He was appalled and irritated by their squabbling and the fact that as their leader he had to deal with petty behavior instead of focusing on the larger problems that threatened them.

Hudson didn't say a word, he just gave them all a reproving look and followed shortly behind Goliath, the two beasts trailing after. To the sulking foursome, Hudson's silent disapproval was even worse than their leader's thundering rebuke.

The couples stared daggers at each other before going their separate ways.

"A word, lad," Hudson said as he caught up to his rookery son and walked alongside him.

Goliath tipped his head toward him, indicating that he was listening.

"I don't think either party was responsible fer the thievery," he said.

"I agree," Goliath concurred. "I took issue with their mishandling of the situation, not that I believe one party actually stole cast-off clothing from the other."

Hudson nodded.

"Tempers have been short as of late."

Goliath sighed. "Honestly, I am relieved anytime I can be away from the castle and all the bickering lately."

"Aye, but we can't run from our problems, lad," Hudson gently admonished.

"I know," Goliath said, chagrined, and then he paused in his tracks. "Hudson… what do you think is going on? All of this feels… intentional. Like someone is trying to get us to turn on each other."

"I haven't a clue," Hudson said. "But it feels foul."

"Aye," Goliath said as they resumed walking together, their hearts heavy with concern.

Later that morning as the clan took their positions before dawn, Goliath watched from his tower above as Brooklyn and Katana exchanged cold glances with Broadway and Angela before opting to roost on the opposite side of the battlements from them.

He had hoped they would cool off after a few hours, but he was dismayed by their continued animosity. They were clan. Kin. And yet, he knew all too well the fragility of relationships. Friendships could be lost. Bonds could be broken. He stared out at the looming dawn, praying his clan could learn to mend their differences before their ties were strained beyond repair. They had all been through so much. How could they ever hope to bear it without each other?