Blessed Reunion of Souls
            Kristafori (i.d.wilson@top.monad.net)

OK,  here we go. Gargoyles are the property of Bueana  Vista
and  Disney. All terms, names, concepts, themes,  ect.  ect.
used in Mage: the Ascension and Vampire: the Masquerade  are
property  of  White Wolf gaming studios.  All  the  songs  I
quoted are property of the artist and owners. All the  above
named  are not mine, I didn't make them up. But the rest  of
it is all mine, mine you hear me MINE!!!!
Copyright Kristafori 1997. I think that's everything.

This  story is detected to my brother who has finally  found
his true self.

                            * * *

"I  can't  control my destiny, I trust my soul, my  only  is
just to be" -Rent

                            * * *

      A  cool wind wiped over the Hudson river. It tugged at
Krissie  and Brooklyn's hair and tickled the backs of  their
knees.  It had been a month since Brooklyn had been  brought
across.  Now  Krissie was teaching him all the  secrets  and
tricks of the magic that she had tried so hard to forget. It
was  a hot midsummer's night and Krissie and her child  were
hovering a foot above the river. Brooklyn had shown a  knack
from  the  beginning for water. In elemental magic you  draw
your power from the elements. Every element had it's own way
to  get energy from it. Krissie had a skill for wind and was
good  with water. The subject tonight was how to control  an
element, and make it bend to your will.
      Krissie was showing him how to make the elements  obey
by  making the winds hold her and Brooklyn a foot above  the
water. Brooklyn had a death grip on Krissie's wrist.
      "Ok,  now concentrate on the water below you," Krissie
said in a calm voice, "Make it do what you want. Slowly step
down  on the water." Krissie had taken him here so she would
have  his  attention. He had learned that you  can  walk  on
water,  or air for that matter. Plus if you could  stand  on
water  everything else afterwards would seem like a pleasure
cruise.
      "Ok,"  Brooklyn said shutting his eyes. He had already
been dunked a couple times that night. He let out a sigh and
stepped down. He could feel the water underneath him, but it
didn't feel like water at all. It felt like a wet floor. His
eyes  popped  open and he saw that he was  standing  on  the
water's  surface.  Krissie  was standing  in  front  of  him
smiling.
     "I'm standing on water," he stuttered in disbelief.
     "Isn't it great?" Krissie said looking in his eyes.
     "This is so cool," Brooklyn was glowing. He looked down
and  saw that he wasn't dreaming. Then he looked up. Krissie
was  gazing  at him with her soft blue eyes. He looked  back
into  the blue that he had never seen any where else. Slowly
they  leaned forward with their eyes half closed. Their lips
were about to meet in a kiss when...
      "Hey  you guys!" Lex yelled as he landed on  the  dock
about ten feet away. Brooklyn lost his concentration and the
water underneath him gave way as he fell into the river  for
the  fourth time that night. Miraculously Krissie  caught  a
gust  of wing at that moment and glide over to the dock  and
sat down next to Lex.
      "What  were you two doing?" Broadway asked as  he  and
Angela landed and sat down.
      "Magic lesson," Brooklyn said sorely from the water as
he swam over to the dock.
      "Ah, did you fall down go splash?" Krissie said  in  a
teasing  tone of voice. Brooklyn just bobbed up and down  in
the water with his hair all over the place.
     "How was school today?" Broadway said mocking him..
      "Here let me give you a hand up," Krissie said bending
over and holding her hand out. Brooklyn took it, but instead
of  hoisting  himself onto the dock he yanked  Krissie  down
into the murky water.
      "You  goober!" Krissie said angrily upon returning  to
the  surface. Brooklyn was laughing and the three  gargoyles
on  the dock were doing the same. Krissie splashed water  in
Brooklyn's face. He was momentarily stunned by this  but  he
quickly  splashed  back. Krissie and Brooklyn  continued  in
their  water fight oblivious to Angela, Broadway and Lex  on
the  dock laughing in hysterics. They two stopped the  fight
and looked at the three on the dock. At the same time a grin
came across their faces as they looked at the three laughing
gargoyles on the dock. The three dry gargoyles.
     "Hey," Lex said between laughs, " Where'd they go?"
     "What's that?' Broadway pointed to the two dark shadows
in  the  water  that were leaving a trail of bubbles  coming
towards  them.  All of a sudden two figures leapt  from  the
water.  They soared up towards the dock and grabbed Lex  and
Angela pulling them down into the dark water below. Broadway
jumped  back  in  terror.  He heard giggling  and  splashing
below.  he  crept forward on all fours and peered  over  the
edge.
      Below  him in the water there was a water fight  going
on. Complete with dunking. Broadway heard a creek below him.
      "Uh  oh," he said as the beam he was on gave  was  and
broke.  He  gave a little scream as he hit the  water,  "I'm
going to drown!"
     Broadway felt the water move around him. He flapped his
wings trying to stay up.
      "Chill  already,"  Broadway recognized  the  voice  as
Brooklyn's,  "You're with two water elementals,  you're  not
going to drown."
     Broadway calmed down a little but he never let Brooklyn
more  then an arm's length away from him during the rest  of
the swim.


      It was raining, no thunder or lighting just sheets  of
unending  rain. Which made flying hazardous  at  least.  The
clan  was  in  the lounge, watching a random  horror  flick.
Brooklyn  was snoozing in a chair, he had just  figured  out
how  to get onto Gia's plain and he was wiped out. After the
flick  Hudson  turned to the all news channel.  Krissie  was
only half watching the TV Then a story on the new exhibit at
the  Manhattan museum of natural history came on and got her
attention. She jumped off the couch and kneeled an  inch  in
front of the TV
      "Hey Krissie," Broadway said, "You make a better  door
then a window."
      Krissie  turned around and snarled letting  her  fangs
grow.  She  knew that that scared him more than water.  Then
she went back to the TV On the screen was a shot of vase,  a
big  vase  with  writing on the sides. Krissie  trailed  her
finger  back and forth on the screen, then she sat back  and
clapped  her  finger over mouth. Just to add the strangeness
of what just happened she ran out off the room.
      "What  do  ye  suppose that was  about?"  Hudson  said
stroking his beard.
      "Brooklyn,  do you know-" Angela stopped mid  sentence
when she noticed that Brooklyn had not woken up.
     "Why is he sleeping so much?" Lex asked.
      "I  don't know, but he worries me sometimes,"  Goliath
got up and covered his sleeping charge with the blanket from
back of the couch.


      Xanatos  was in the library reading some  deep  though
book  when  he heard the door creek behind him. He  put  his
book down and took a sip of his night cap.
  "David," Krissie said walking up to him, "Do you have  any
other books on magic besides the grimorium?"
      "I  don't  think  so, but I do have some  on  medieval
occult."
      "Close  enough," Krissie said and flapped  up  to  the
second level of the library.
     "I thought gargoyles only glided," Xanatos said picking
his book back up.
      "I have a wingspan equal to Goliath's, figure it out,"
Krissie  shouted  back.  She  found  the  book  Xanatos  had
mentioned and started to read.


     Brooklyn woke up at what he thought was three AM. There
was  nobody else in the lounge and he noticed that a blanket
as  over  him.  He rubbed his eyes as he got  to  his  feet.
Absently he started wondering, it had stopped raining and it
was totally silent.
      Brooklyn found his way to the library and wondered in.
A  light  breeze met him as he opened the door and  he  knew
that she was there.
     "Hey Kris?" he said still half asleep.
      "Up here kid-o," Krissie said from the railing of  the
second level.
     "What ya doing?"
      "Looking  for  some thing," she said after  a  minute.
Brooklyn  walked up the stairs onto the second level.  Books
were every where. She hopped off the railing and closed  the
book she was reading. For some reason she was glowing.
      "Did  you find it?" he asked surveying the clutter  of
books.
     "Ya," she gave him a small kiss on the end of the beak.


     The night passed and the next came. Krissie put off the
magic lesson until later and left a note saying that she was
going  to  out  till  midnight. The clan  did  their  normal
activities  of  watching  TV and  flying  around  the  city.
Goliath went over to Elisa's, big surprise. Elisa wanted  to
say hi to everyone so Goliath flew her over.
      They swooped down to the tower where they knew Krissie
and Brooklyn were.
     "I don't see what your problem is. You could do this on
Gia's plain, why can't you do it here?" Krissie had anger in
her voice.
       "Gia's   plain  isn't  real,  it's  like  an  organic
cyberspace," Brooklyn answered. Krissie's eyes flared  green
and Brooklyn knew that that was the wrong answer.
      "I have been over this a million times with you: it is
the  same,  now get that through your thick skull,"  Krissie
noticed  that Goliath and Elisa landed behind them.  Shaking
her  head  she  walked up to Elisa. Out of  nowhere  Krissie
grabbed  Elisa's gun from it's holster under Elisa's jacket.
She switched the safety off, turned around and shot Brooklyn
in  the gut. The sound of the shot echoed for a minute  then
silence. Brooklyn put his hand over were the bullet  entered
and sank to his knees.
      "Brooklyn!" Goliath roared and took a step towards the
red gargoyle.
      "Stay back," Krissie said in her low commanding  voice
and pointed the gun at Goliath. She walked over to Brooklyn,
"At  this  rate  you will bleed to death in ten  minutes.  I
suggest you heal yourself because I will not help you."
      Brooklyn wasn't felling so good, he looked down at his
hands. They had blood on them. He looked at Krissie standing
over  him  with  the  gun the gun in her  hand.  Remembering
everything he did on Gia's plain he focused all the power he
could  on  his hand and stomach. Something warm was  in  his
stomach, but there was no pain. Again he looked down at  his
stomach, there was no hole, and no more blood. He looked  at
his  hands  again. There in his right hand was  the  bullet.
Once  again he wasn't feeling so good. His stomach made  one
violent  churn upwards and Brooklyn clapped his  hands  over
his  beak.  He  quickly got to his feet on  jumped  off  the
tower.


      Fox  was  putting the headache medicine  back  in  the
medicine  cabinet in the bathroom. She was  about  to  leave
when  her  favorite  red gargoyle came  barreling  into  the
bathroom.  Once he had reached the porcelain pot he  started
to blow chunks.
      "Brooklyn, are you all right?" Fox kneeled beside  him
and patted him on the back.
     "No," Brooklyn said between yaks.
     "What happened?" Fox inquired as she got him some mouth
wash.
      Brooklyn tossed one more cookie and answered, "Krissie
shot me!"

      After the night's lesson had ended Krissie once  again
hit  the  books and started to take notes. She  worked  till
close to sunrise.
      Brooklyn waited for the sun with the clan outside  one
the  wall.  Krissie  came running up to him  moments  before
sunrise.
      "Brooklyn," said Krissie in a soft voice, "I'm sorry I
shot you."
      "It's  OK,"  he said looking into her eyes,  "It  just
startled me a little."
      Krissie smiled a radiant smile and kissed him. A sweet
loving kiss.
     "I love you," she whispered as the sun came up. Krissie
turned  to human and walked to her haven. There she got  her
notes and put them in her back pack. Then she headed to  the
great  hall;  the  grimorium was there in it's  glass  case.
Krissie walked up to it and out of nowhere knocked the glass
case  over.  There  was  a smashing  sound  and  glass  went
everywhere.  Quickly  Krissie took off  her  back  pack  and
opened  it. The grimorium levitated off the floor  and  into
Krissie's  pack. Slinging her backpack on  she  ran  to  the
elevator, pushed the down button and got in the elevator.


      Xanatos  was out by the wall, waiting for  Goliath  to
wake up. He had his jaw clenched to one side. At sunset  the
stone skin of the gargoyles went flying.
      "Goliath," he said calmly, "May I have a word with you
and Brooklyn in my office?"
      Goliath  looked at him suspiciously,  then  looked  at
Brooklyn who was yawning, "All right."
      Xanatos walked toward his office, Goliath had to  half
drag  Brooklyn  of the wall because he was  going  to  sleep
again.  When  they got to Xanatos's office  he  was  sitting
behind his desk with a remote in his hand.
     "I want you to tell me what is going on," Xanatos said.
     "What?" Goliath sounded slightly offended.
      "Watch  this," Xanatos said and he clicked the  remote
and the large TV screen came on. The two gargoyles watched a
security tape of Krissie stealing the grimorium. Goliath was
in  disbelief as Xanatos clicked the tape off. Brooklyn just
rubbed his eyes and muttered something about caff.
      "This  tape was taken moments after sun rise," Xanatos
explained.
      "I  assure you that I have no idea why she did  this,"
Goliath said.
      "This  doesn't make any sense," Brooklyn said  running
his   talons  through  his  hair,  "Krissie  can't  use  the
grimorium, she can't even touch it."
     Then Owen came in with some papers in his hand, "Sir, I
found these in library."
     Xanatos took the papers. He looked at them for a moment
then  handed them to Brooklyn, "Dose this make any sense  to
you?"
     Brooklyn looked them over. They were notes in Latin, it
said something about the tear of something, "No."
      "We  have  to find her," Goliath said as if they  were
talking about Demona.
      "I  agree," Xanatos said, "There's no telling what she
can do with her power and that book."
      Brooklyn  was  disgusted at what he was hearing,  "She
can't  do  anything," Brooklyn said angrily,  "You  saw  the
video, Krissie can't even pick it up without magic."
      "Then  why  did she steal it?" Goliath roared  at  his
second of command.
      "I  don't  know!" Brooklyn shouted back.  Xanatos  was
surprised at how freely he questioned Goliath. It  was  then
he  noticed  that Brooklyn had grown up in Goliath  absence.
Ten  minutes later the clan was assembled in the great hall.
They  had  all seen the tape and all had no clue as  to  why
Krissie stole the book.
      "We  should split up," Angela said, "that way  we  can
search more area."
      "I  agree with the lass," Hudson said, "The faster  we
find the book the better."
     "Yeah," Broadway and Lex said.
      "Brooklyn, do you have any idea where she  would  take
it?" Lex asked.
     "None at all," Brooklyn said through a clenched jaw. He
did  have one idea where Krissie would go, but it was a long
shot.  He  had a strange dream that day, it didn't make  any
sense till now.
     "I'll pick up Elisa and join the search," Goliath said,
"Now everyone be careful and be back at before dawn."
      With that the clan went in search off Krissie and  the
grimorium.
      Brooklyn insisted that he went alone. Lex had  offered
to  go  with him but he had said no. The cramps in his hands
had  gotten  worse  and  he didn't  know  what  that  meant,
exactly.  His  dream was also haunting  him.  All  he  could
remember were images really. The one that stuck out the most
was  the  one  of  a  male gargoyle. He looked  a  lot  like
Krissie,  but his hair was a bronze color. He was  also  the
same  color but fringed with purple along his wings, fingers
and feet. He looked to be a little older then Broadway.
     He was also carrying a vase, with writing on it. It was
the  vase that gave him the idea. He had seen that  vase  in
the  paper a couple of night before in the paper. It was  on
display  at the museum. As he flew closer to the museum  the
cramps  in  his hands got worse. Silently he landed  on  the
roof  and saw that one of the skylights was broken. Brooklyn
dropped  down into the dark museum. A light was coming  from
one  of  the  rooms  to his right. He also  heard  chanting.
Creeping on all four he got closer to the room.
      Peeking he saw Krissie levitating a couple feet  above
the  ground. In front of her was the vase from his dream and
the  grimorium.  She was holding one hand  above  her  head.
There  was  a  soft white light in the room  and  a  breeze.
Krissie started to chant louder and louder. The vase started
to  glow  and emit a maroon light that mixed with the  white
light  and  wind. Krissie was looking down every few  minute
and  it  occurred to him that she was using  the  grimorium.
Brooklyn  shook  his head that was impossible,  Krissie  had
showed one night that if they even touch that book it  would
burn them.
      Krissie  was  almost yelling now. The light  began  to
focus  on a spot in front of Krissie and spun around  faster
and faster.
      She  was almost done. I was right, Krissie thought  to
herself. You can cheat death. Krissie had used her magic and
the grimorium to create a body and the relic in front of her
to  summon the soul. She had but a few more words  and  they
would be together again. The wind gusted as she was speaking
the  last  words. Krissie was reading the spell out  of  the
grimorium and there would be a backlash, she knew that.
      The  wind turned the page of the magical book in front
of her. Krissie looked down to see what the last words were,
but  to  her horror the next page had been ripped out.  That
broke her concentration.
     "Oh, f-" Krissie stuttered, but it was to late. Without
her  absolute concentration she lost control the  force  she
was  manipulating. There was a flash of blinding  light  and
then the energy exploded outwards. Krissie was thrown across
the room by the shock wave.
      Brooklyn  was doubled over in pain. He had watched  as
his  sire messed up royally. Brooklyn had also been  hit  by
the  stray energy. Looking around the room he the  vase  and
grimorium  were  where they had been  before.  Then  he  saw
Krissie, lying on her back.
      "Krissie?"  he  stumbled toward her  body,  "Krissie!"
There  was  no  answer. Falling to his  knees  by  her  body
Brooklyn  saw  that  she  was covered  in  grimorium  burns.
Krissie  was  hardly breathing. Brooklyn's  mind  raced,  he
concentrated and cast the heal spell Krissie had  shot  into
him the other night. It hardly made a dent in the burn.
      Brooklyn's  next thought was to get her  back  to  the
castle  so her picked her up in his arms. Somehow he managed
to  get  her to the roof and them both in the air.  Brooklyn
had never flown so fast in his life.
      The  castle was deserted, Brooklyn was on his own.  He
lied  Krissie in her hammock in the haven. He held her  hand
gently in his.
      "Hold  on  Krissie," Brooklyn said with  watery  eyes,
"Hold on."
      "Brooklyn," Krissie's voice was weak and her eyes were
only  half open. Brooklyn sniffled in spite of himself,  but
he  looked into her blue eyes, his blue eyes. Krissie,  with
her  other  hand  took  off  her  pendent.  Her  most  prize
possession.
      "My  brother  sealed  the power  of  shadows  in  this
pendent. One day he will come and give it to you," Krissie's
voice  was  fading, "Tell my brother I love him." With  that
she  put the pendent in her child's hand. A tear rolled down
Brooklyn's   check.  He  felt  Krissie's  body  relax.   Her
breathing slowed as she slipped into sleep.
      "I love you," Brooklyn whispered and kissed Krissie on
the  forehead.  Tears  rolled  from  his  eyes  as  Brooklyn
stumbled  from the room. In the hall he took a  deep  breath
and  looked  at the pendent. The pendent that gave  him  his
gift.  Turning  it in his hand he noticed an inscription  on
one side. It was in Latin.
      "And he shall live again," he translated out load.  No
sooner than he had muttered those words the pendent began to
glow.  It  floated  under it own power as white  and  maroon
light  came out of it. Brooklyn looked on in awe. the  light
began  to  swirl  and there was another  blinding  flash  of
light. This time however, a male gargoyle stood in front  of
him. The gargoyle was the same color blue as Krissie but  he
was  fringed  with purple. He had small horns where  Krissie
only had eyebrow ridges. His hair was bronzish gold.
      The gargoyle looked stunned for a minute, but then  he
looked at the pendent that he was now wearing. He looked  up
will alarm.
     "Where is my sister?" he asked.
     "In there," Brooklyn pointed to the door, "Archon?"
      "What?" He said after taking a step towards the  haven
door.
      "She's grown," Brooklyn said. Archon nodded at him and
entered the room.
      Brooklyn  followed Archon into the  room.  Archon  was
kneeling beside Krissie's hammock. He stroked her head while
taking deep breaths.
     "What happened to her?" He asked.
     "She was casting some spell with the grimorium and some
relic,  and  something  went wrong," Brooklyn  felt  like  a
doctor  telling  someone's family that he could  save  their
child.
     "The tear of Anubis?"
     "I think so," Brooklyn put a hand on Archon's shoulder.
       "Get  me  a  bowl,  a  blanket,  and  water,"  Archon
commanded. Brooklyn nodded and left the room. Archon stroked
Krissie head, "Hold on Shana, I'm here."
      Brooklyn  hurried back with the supplies. Archon  went
straight to what ever he was doing.
     "Is she alive?" Brooklyn asked looking at his sire.
      "Yes,  but  she is in hibernation from the grimorium's
magic.  One time it took her three weeks to wake up," Archon
pored  the water in the bowl, said a few words in some  long
dead  language  and put his talons in the  water.  When  his
fingers  hit the surface, the water turned to a  jelly  like
clear.
      Brooklyn winced as his stomach tied itself in a  knot.
He felt like crap and he didn't know why.
      "You  should  get some sleep, Brooklyn,"  Archon  said
spreading the blanket out on the floor.
     "I didn't tell you my name."
     "You didn't need to," Archon said, "You need sleep, all
this  has upset the balance and you are feeling the  effects
because you are still young."
      "I  know,  I  know, but," he looked at Krissie,  "What
about my Kris?"
     "Kris is it now?" Archon sounded surprised. He had been
smearing  the clear ooze on the blanket. Archon  started  to
take off her jeans.
      "What  are you doing?" Brooklyn's eyes flared.  Archon
turned a round.
     "I raised her from a hatchling, it's not like I haven't
had  to do this before," Archon looked at Brooklyn, "Go  get
some sleep."


      The  clan returned around one in the morning, a shower
had  made  it hard to fly so they regrouped and  went  home.
Goliath  took  Elisa back with them. The younger  generation
went  in search of food while the elders went to the lounge.
There they found Brooklyn asleep on the couch curled up in a
ball.
     "Brooklyn how long have you been here?" Goliath said.
       "I'm  asleep  all  ready,"  Brooklyn  mumbled.  Elisa
suppressed a laugh.
     "Did you find her lad?" Hudson said.
      "Archon,  I told you I'd get something to eat  later,"
Brooklyn said in his sleep.
      "Archon?"  Elisa gently shook Brooklyn to  see  if  he
would wake up, "Who's Archon?"
      "Come on I fell like the floor of a taxi cab," it  was
no use, Brooklyn was asleep.
     "Who's Archon?" Elisa asked again.
      "Archon is Krissie's brother," Goliath explained. Then
the  light  came on inside of his head. That was  impossible
Goliath  thought, but still any thing is possible especially
with  Krissie.  He  soon found himself at  the  haven  door.
Goliath turned the knob and opened the door. Peering  inside
he  saw Krissie on her hammock wrapped up in a blanket  form
toe  to  neck. He saw the burns that came from magic on  her
face.  There  sitting  in a chair  beside  her  was  a  blue
gargoyle, fringed with purple. He was patting her  head  and
talking to her softly in Latin.
     "Hello Goliath," Archon said without turning around.
     "How do you know me?" Goliath asked confusedly.
      "I've  been  going through some of Shana's memorizes,"
Archon explained, "You were there."
      "You  can  do  that,  go through another's  memories?"
Goliath asked. "You're-" Goliath started to say.
     "Archon of Antinoge," He said proudly.
      "Is  Krissie  going  to be all  right?"  Goliath  said
looking at the dead looking female gargoyle.
      Archon  sighed, and after a moment answered,  "If  she
wakes up."
     "If," Goliath repeated.
     "Right now she's in hibernation, like stone sleep. This
is  what  happens  when one of us is  exposed  to  too  much
grimorium power."
     "What can we do?" Goliath asked solemnly.
     "We wait till she wakes up, that's all we can do."
      "Would  you like to meet the rest of my clan?" Goliath
asked putting a hand on Archon's shoulder.
     "Yes, I would."


     Broadway, Lex and Angela were channel surfing. Broadway
and  Angela  sat on the couch, with a sleeping  Brooklyn  in
between them. After a few failed attempts at waking  him  up
them  just  let him sleep. Hudson was taking to  Elisa  when
Goliath and Archon came in.
     "Hello," Archon said, "I'm Archon."
     "This is Krissie's brother," Goliath said.
     "Wait a minute," Elisa said, "Your dead."
     "I was, but Krissie brought me back."
      "Is that what Krissie needed with the grimorium?"  Lex
asked.
      Brooklyn  mumbled something in his sleep and scratched
behind his ear with his foot.
     "Brook, wake up," Broadway tugged on his ear.
     "Brooklyn," Archon said in a loud voice. Then he barked
some words in Latin. Brooklyn's eyes snapped open.
      "I'm  up,  I'm up," Brooklyn jumped awake then  looked
around, "Oh, everyone's here."
      "If  you  don't mind me asking," Broadway started  out
politely,  "You  don't seem very impressed  with  the  world
around you. When we woke up we were in awe of this place."
      "I've watched this world for centuries, from the other
side,"  Archon sighed heavily, "But it is impossible to  see
the   souls  of  the  living.  That  is  the  curse  of  the
unresting."
     "What curse?" Lex asked.
      "Everyone  on  this  plain has  a  destiny  they  must
fulfill, I died before I completed mine. Therefore  I  could
not rest."
      "And  that's the only reason that you were able to  be
brought back," Elisa figured.
      Archon  turned  his head and looked at Elisa,  "That's
correct."
      "Archon,"  Angela said softly, "Do  you  know  why  my
mother killed you?"
     "Your mother?" Archon said in surprise, "I must say you
take  after you father than. But yes, I know why. Shadow  is
the most powerful force we deal with. With the correct spell
you  can do some nasty things. That is why I did not let her
get near me, she wanted to corrupted and usurp me."
      "She  still  lives,"  Goliath said  grimly.  The  only
response  he  got  was  a deep growl from  Archon.  Brooklyn
curled  himself back up into a ball and started to  nod  off
again.
      "Krissie  has  mentioned the balance before,  what  is
that?" Elisa said taking notice of Brooklyn.
      "Magic is all around, in the air, in the water, in the
wood  work, in us. As elementalists we know how to tap  into
it.  I  always  explained it as a plate on  a  pin,"  Archon
explained.
     "A what?" Goliath asked.
      "A  plate that is balancing on the tip of a pin.  When
you  tap on one side of the plate it tips to one side.  When
Brooklyn  casts a spell he is tapping the balance  slightly,
the  plate hardly moves. When Krissie cast her spell earlier
tonight, she hit the plate so hard that it is still wobbling
back  and  forth and I think it will for the next couple  of
days," Archon glanced at his sister's kid, "In the mean time
the  magic in the area is really off balance, so every  mage
in the area is feeling off, or tired."
     "Should we wake him up?" Broadway asked.
     "Let him sleep," Archon answered.

      Over  the  next  week Archon and Brooklyn  took  turns
staying  with Krissie. Goliath was fascinated to learn  that
gargoyle   clans  had  survived  up  till  the  renaissance.
Brooklyn  learned how to make the gel that was  taking  away
the  burns  that  resulted by coming  in  contact  with  the
grimorium. Then on the six night Krissie started  to  dream,
at  least, that is what Archon said. She looked like someone
was  ripping  her  toes off. The way she would  cringe  then
relax.  Archon just sang to her in Latin in his  soft  voice
for hours on end. It did seem to help though.
     The pain in Krissie's hand woke her. Her head hurt like
nobody's  business and she was hungry. There  was  a  warmth
around  her that made it hard to wake up, but she  knew  she
had  to explain what the hell she just did. But not now  she
was  too  tired. Maybe I can just sleep here  for  a  while.
Krissie  felt  a hand on her head, but it didn't  feel  like
Brooklyn. Then again, who else would it be.
     "Have a nice nap Shana," a voice said in Latin.
      "That  is not funny, Brooklyn," Krissie said, she  was
mad  that her child went through her memories and found  out
Archon's pet name for her.
      "Brooklyn's outside," the voice said. Krissie  thought
for a moment and then placed the voice.
      "Archon?"  she  opened her eyes and  saw  her  brother
smiling at her, "Archon!" She hugged him the best she  could
because pain shot throughout her arms and her back.
      "Oh  Shana," Archon half picked Krissie up in his hug,
he wrapped his wings around her. He could hear Krissie start
to  cry  softly. He rocked her in his arms like he  would  a
small child that just fell down.
     "It worked, it really worked," Krissie said.
     "Yeah," Archon said, "But you slept for a week."

      Brooklyn  watched from the door and smiled. He  hadn't
been on patrol in a week and he was ready to fly.
      "Well,  look  who decided to come back to  his  clan,"
Broadway teased as Brooklyn joined the clan on the tower.
      "Sit  on it and-" Brooklyn started out but was stopped
by Goliath.
      "What have I told you about using Krissie's language?"
Goliath cut in.
      "How  is  the lass?" Hudson said drawing the attention
away from Broadway and Brooklyn.
     "She woke up," Brooklyn said smiling.
     "Don't you want to stay with her?" Angela asked.
      "I thought that she and Archon should have some time,"
Brooklyn almost sounded embarrassed, "You know."
     "A thoughtful action," Goliath said.
      Brooklyn looked at the city and the night and  smiled,
"I'm ready to go."
     "How could you stand staying in the castle for a week?"
Angela asked.
      "I  don't know," Brooklyn looked around, "Where's  the
alien?"
      "Still  in cyberspace," Goliath said then he  grinned,
"Why  don't you three go ahead and Hudson and I will go with
Lex?"
     "Ok," Brooklyn said.
     "Fine with me," Angela said.
      Broadway only shrugged his in difference. So the three
jumped off the tower into the night.
      "Are  you  sure that was wise, lad?" Hudson said  with
concern.
      "Did  you notice how thin Brooklyn was?" Goliath  said
oblivious to what his mentor just said.
      "No,  but  you  know that those two will  be  at  each
other's  throat,"  Hudson pointed  out,  "And  Brooklyn  has
learned some colorful vocabulary."
      "I'm  not worried," Goliath said, "I've been  thinking
about  those  two. When Angela joined us, she had  to  chose
between  Brooklyn and Broadway. I don't think  Broadway  has
realized  that  he doesn't have to fight for  her  hand  any
more."
      "So  why aren't you worried?" a soft tenor voice  said
from behind them. Archon and Lex came walking up to them.
     "Because Brooklyn is too tired to fight," Archon said.
      "That's  the plan," Goliath said, "Brooklyn said  that
Krissie was up."
     "She was," Lex said.
      "Shana's  going to be in and out of la-la land  for  a
couple of days," Archon looked over the night.
      "Come on, patrol awaits us," Goliath said and he,  Lex
and Hudson glided off.

      Angela  could tell something was wrong.  Brooklyn  was
usually  a carefully flyer, but tonight he was flapping  his
wings  and  almost hit a building. Plus his eyes  were  half
closed.  It was almost midnight and they had been on  patrol
for most of the night. The three landed on a roof top.
     "Are you all right?" Angela whispered to Brooklyn.
      "Yeah,  I  just haven't gotten much sleep lately,"  He
said with a sigh.

       "Brooklyn,"  Angela  said  calmly,  "Your  ribs   are
showing."
     Brooklyn nodded.
      "I  think  we're  going to see some  action  tonight,"
Broadway  said looking over an ally. There some  thugs  were
mugging two yuppies.
     "Lets go," Angela said.
     Broadway and Brooklyn jumped silently into the ally.

     "Your necklace too there sweet heart," one of the thugs
said  to  the  yuppies. She was wearing a  stunning  diamond
necklace.
      "Don't  call me sweet heart you common punk!"  yuppies
said covering her necklace with her hands.
     "Don't argue with them Margo," The yuppie said.
     "She's a sassy one," said the second thug, "How about a
date?"
      "A little out of your league there," A deep voice said
from the shadows and Broadway stepped out into the dim light
of the ally.
      "Why  don't you boys go run along home and leave these
people  to there business," Angela said from the fire escape
above them.
     "There everywhere!" the first thug said.
     "Let's scram!" the other one cried. They turned to run.
      "Give  the  lady back her purse first,"  Brooklyn  was
standing behind them. He just came out of no where.
     "Stay back," The second thug said.
      "Or  we  might have to make things, complicated,"  the
fist one pulled a gun and pointed it at Margo.
      Broadway just kept staring at the thug with  the  gun,
not  taking  his  eye off him. The second one  was  standing
right  under Angela but she didn't want anybody to get  shot
so  she  just  waited. Then she heard a voice,  but  it  was
inside  her  head.  It  said go for it.  Angela  glanced  at
Brooklyn. He nodded his head at her and crouched down  ready
to pounce.
      Angela nodded once at Broadway and jumped of the  fire
escape  and  landed on the second thug.  At  the  same  time
Brooklyn  disappeared. The thug with the gun whirled  around
to  see  his  companion get punched out by  Angela.  He  saw
Broadway  start to charge him so he pointed the gun  at  the
yuppies  in front of him. As he pulled the trigger, Brooklyn
appeared  in  front of Margo, but it was to late.  The  shot
echoed through the ally.
      Margo scream but then noticed that she wasn't the  one
that  was  shot. A couple of feet away Brooklyn lay  on  his
side.  Margo backed away in horror. Angela came  running  to
his side and knelt beside him.
     "Brooklyn?" she said shaking him," Brooklyn!"
      Brooklyn's  eyes  rolled open and a grin  crossed  his
face.  In  his hand was the bullet, he put a finger  to  his
lips  and  winked. Angela heard his voice  inside  her  head
again, he said to play along.
      "Brooklyn?  Brooklyn you can't leave us,"  Angela  was
giving her best performance.
      The  thug  looked like he was about  to  yak  it  all.
Broadway growled and charged. The thug turned to run but  he
only tripped and fell face first into a dumpster. He was out
cold.  Broadway looked back at Brooklyn, he  had  heard  his
brother's  voice and played along. Now Angela  was  kneeling
over Brooklyn with genuine concern.
       "Hey  Brook,  you  Ok?"  he  said  starting  to  walk
cautiously over to him. Brooklyn was getting to his feet but
with shaky knees.
     "I'm fine," Brooklyn said but he didn't look it.
      "You  look like hell," Broadway said. A small  whimper
drew  their  attention away from Brooklyn and to  Margo  and
Brandon standing in shock at what they just saw.
       "You're  still  here?"  Brooklyn  said  slapping  his
forehead.  He  took a few steps towards them.  They  watched
with  eyes  bugging out of there heads. Brooklyn  waved  his
hand across their field of vision and their eyes went blank,
"Ok,  when the thug fired he did shoot me. You saw  Broadway
over  there knock the guy out. Then you watched as  the  two
other  gargoyles carried my body out of the ally. You  think
that the thug killed me, there is enough blood on the street
to sport that. After you watched the
other gargoyle leave you ran out of the ally screaming."
      They looked at him blankly, "Well go!" Brooklyn barked
and the yups ran out of the ally screaming bloody murder.
      As  soon  as  Margo and Brandon had vacated  the  ally
Brooklyn sank to his knees.
      "Brooklyn!"  Broadway yelled and ran to his  brother's
side.
      "I'm fine," Brooklyn said but it wasn't going to  work
this time.
     "No, you're not fine," Broadway said getting him to his
feet, "We're getting you back to the castle."
     "I don't need to be carried," Brooklyn said even though
his knees were numb and he couldn't feel his feet.
      "There's  a  fire escape over here," Angela  said  and
pointed  across  the  ally. The way up  was  a  thrill  ride
because  Brooklyn got vertigo halfway up. Once on  the  roof
Brooklyn sat down to get his inner ear back in his head.
     "Brook," Broadway said sitting down next to him.
     "Yeah?" Brooklyn answered.
     "How did you do all that stuff?"
      "You  think  that  I've just been sitting  around  the
castle for the past week?" Brooklyn said, he looked like  he
was going to fall to sleep any second.
     "Well, yes," Angela said.
     "I wouldn't be this thin if I just was a couch potato."

      Goliath  crossed his arms and glared at  the  both  of
them.
     "Very inventive, Angela," Archon said, "Bravo."
     "Brooklyn, would you please explained to me what's been
going around here?"
      After  about  an hour of explaining and  re-explaining
Goliath  had a vague concept of what happened in  the  ally.
Brooklyn  also found out that Goliath too, had learned  some
colorful vocabulary from Krissie. Brooklyn decided to  stick
to the haven after that part of the discussion.

     Brooklyn snoozed on his chair. Goliath must have really
gave  him  a  taking  too. Archon was proud  of  his  newest
student. He applied new concepts so fast.
     "What do you think?" Krissie asked in Latin.
     "You've done a wonderful job," he answered in Latin, of
course, "But some thing are bothering me."
     "What?" Krissie said sharply in English.
      Archon sighed, "Some things about you. Like where  did
you learn Gian, and what
you did to your hair, and that scar-"
      Krissie's  face turned white at the word  scar,  "What
scar?"
      "Please Shana, don't play games with me," Archon said,
"Where did you get the scar?"
      The knock on the door was a blessed relief. Brooklyn's
eyes popped open and he sat up with a jolt.
      "Good morning sunshine," Krissie said cheerfully.  She
started  to get up, but Archon put his hand on her  shoulder
so she could go any farther.
      "I'll  get  it," He said, "You need to  stay  off  you
feet."
      Krissie laid back down and Archon went to the door and
opened it.
      "Any of you ever heard of food?" Broadway said holding
a try of Mac and Cheese and chicken soup.
     "FOOD!" Krissie and Brooklyn said.

      Archon wasn't letting Krissie move more than a finger,
not  even to pick up a spoon. Brooklyn took over from  there
so  Archon  didn't  risk  hearing any  of  Krissie's  choice
phases.  Brooklyn had been awake for their little tiff,  and
he  had already learned that, that was one of the things you
didn't  pry  through. Archon hadn't figured  that  out  yet.
Spending  ten years on the streets and Gia knows where  else
had  made  her a lot more independent and older than  Archon
had expected.
      Brooklyn explained to Krissie what happened after  she
blacked  out.  How  Archon  had taught  him  the  basics  of
telepathy  and  basic  mind control.  How  Archon  had  been
surprised to find his kid sister with bronze hair,  a  blond
haired and grown up gargoyle that had mastered two elements.
Krissie  seemed  to  be  getting  better,  even  though  she
couldn't move her right hand very well yet. The burns on the
rest  of  her  were  going away. So  at  five  till  sunrise
Brooklyn said sweet dreams to Krissie and headed out to meet
the clan.

     Brooklyn blinked as he stepped into the pre-dawn light.
He  gazed to the east and wondered what the sun looked like.
He sat down at his spot and wondered how to change his form.
He  had Krissie do it a million and one time. Lex hopped  up
beside him and Broadway hopped up on his other side.
      "Hey  Brook," Lex said. Lex continued by sticking  his
tongue out and wiggling it around in the air.
     Brooklyn growled, a deep growl that they normally heard
out  of Goliath, not their rookery brother. Lex stopped  and
started to back away.
      "Lex  that was mean," Angela said hopping up  next  to
Broadway.
     "What was that about?" Broadway asked looking at Angela
and then at Brooklyn.
      "Nothing,  forget about it," Brooklyn said looking  at
the city below.
     "Angela, I want to know," Broadway said as the sun came
up.

     Krissie yawned, stretched, and scratched upon waking up
at  sunset. Her burns were gone, well not all gone. From her
right  elbow  done  was still pretty bad but  at  least  she
didn't  feel  dizzy anymore. She flexed her right  hand  and
winced  in  pain, but at least her hand moved.  Smiling  she
hopped out of bed.
     "Get back in there," Archon said from the door way.
      "Archon," Krissie whined, "I gotta go, and I  want  to
take the bandages off, they itch."
     Archon looked his sister, "all right, but come back and
let me rewrap that hand."
     "Ok!!" Krissie cheered and ran out of her haven.

      "Angela  why  won't you tell me?"  Broadway  said,  he
Angela and the rest of the trio were still outside.
     "It's nothing," Angela said.
      "Hello!!"  Krissie came out of the castle  and  hugged
Brooklyn, "So what's been happening in the real world."
      "Archon  let  you  out of your room?"  Lex  asked  and
scratched his head.
      "Har  har, it is to laugh," Krissie replayed, "I  told
him I had to pee."
     "Ah hem," Archon said from the doorway.
      "Oh  come  on, it's boring in there," Krissie  started
with the sad puppy dog eyes.
      "Shana,  don't  look  at me like that,"  Archon  said,
Krissie  added  a  sniffle for affect. "Oh all  right,  just
don't  leave  the castle. I don't want you slipping  into  a
coma like that time the gypsies found you."
     "Ok," Krissie said and gave Archon a hug.
      "Let's  go  wrap that hand," he said. With  that  they
left.
      "I'm going to go see if Elisa is around," Angela  said
and flew off the wall rather quickly.

      Fox  was wondering through the castle, Alex was  at  a
magic  lesson  and Fox had nothing to do. She wasn't  board,
she  things  she  needed to do, she was just restless.  Ever
since Archon had been brought back she had a bad feeling  in
her gut.
      "Ouch!"  Fox heard Krissie say from her haven.  Archon
was wrapping her hand.
     "You ok?" Fox said from the door.
      "Yeah,  just  still  a  little crispy,"  Krissie  said
cringing.
     "What are you doing?" Fox asked.
      "Wrapping her hand," Archon said, "Her hand  is  still
burnt."
      "Oh,"  Fox said. They saw a small wolf cub go bounding
down the hallway with Puck in pursuit. "I'm going to go  get
my cub"
      Fox  left to go get her little critter. Not  a  second
later there was a small knock at the door.
     "Hello?" Angela said timidly.
     "Come on in," Krissie said.
      "Um,  Krissie,"  Angela said from the  door.  "Can  we
talk?"
      "Sure, what up?" Krissie flinched as Archon was  tying
the last bandage in place.
     "Well, um," Angela glanced at Archon.
     "You almost?" Krissie asked Archon.
      "Yep,"  he  answered, "Don't forget to eat something,"
Archon gave Angela a friendly smile and left the room.
      Krissie sat Indian style on her hammock. Angela walked
into. She hadn't really been in here a lot, Krissie and  she
weren't that close.
      "You're having second thoughts," Krissie said after  a
moment.
     "What?" Angela asked innocently.
     "Come sit," Krissie said and patted the empty spot next
to her on the hammock.
      Cautiously  Angela sat down, "Ok, I need to  spill  to
someone.  Sometimes it seems that Broadway  doesn't  believe
that  I  love  him and that I chose him instead  if  Lex  or
Brooklyn. Sometimes it feels like he is still trying to beat
out Lex and Brooklyn. He doesn't always pay attention to how
I feel and-"
     "You've been having second thoughts," Krissie repeated.
     "I just don't know if he knows that I love him," Angela
was  sounding  a little desperate, and she usually  went  to
Elisa with male problems, not Krissie.
      "How  far  have  you  gone  with  him?"  Krissie  said
casually.
     "I'm not tell-" Angela paused, "You first."
      "With  Brooklyn? Just been laid, and I  still  had  my
shirt  on,"  this  casually approach that Krissie  had  with
talking  about men took Angela by surprise. On  Avalon  they
didn't  talk like this and they certainly didn't  talk  this
openly about it. It was refreshing.
     "Just!"
     "How far have you gone?"
      "Um,  well just kissing and wings," Angela  blushed  a
little, "You've had other boyfriends besides Brooklyn?"
      Krissie  sighed and glanced down, "There was  somebody
else, for a long time, but,"
      "But  what?"  This  habit of cutting  people  off  was
beginning to rub off on Angela.
      "He  got  too close," Krissie sounded remorseful,  "He
almost found out what I was."
     "Did you love him?'
      "I  don't  really know. Whenever I was  around  him  I
always  was  lying, about who I was, what I was, shit,  even
what  species I was," Krissie said truthfully, "And I  hated
myself for it."
     "And now with Brooklyn?"
     "I don't have to lie. I know he loves me for what I am,
not what I pretending to be. I don't have to be human, I can
be me, and..."
      "What?" Angela's face was glowing and the tip  of  her
tail was twitching a little.
     "He can see through my eyes. He knows when I am sad and
when  I  am pissed just by looking at my eyes. No one  could
ever  do  that before," Krissie smiled, "Is this your  first
girl talk?"
      Angela nodded, "On Avalon, Princess Catherine told  us
not  to gossip. I don't know what it is, I feel like I could
tell you anything right know."
      "Welcome  to  the wonderful world of  girls,"  Krissie
joked.
      "Now  what am I to do with my man," Angela  said  with
mock attitude.
     Krissie thought then said, "Fuck him."
     "Excuse me?"
       "Just   make  sure  you're  on  top,"  Krissie   said
sarcastically, "But really, see how far he'll go and if  you
get uncomfortable just throw on the brakes."
     "You think that'll work?" Angela said slowly.
     "I think it'll show him that you really care for him."
     "Question," Angela said timidly, "How do I start?"
      "Girl,  what rock have you been living under?" Krissie
asked.
     "Well, I left Avalon before-"
      "I  get the picture," Krissie smiled and scratched her
chin, "hmmmm."

      As  it turned out, Goliath had taken Broadway and  Lex
out  on  patrol. No matter. Brooklyn was updating Archon  on
what  has  been  happening on ER while they  vegged  in  the
lounge. Brooklyn was on one end of the couch and Archon  was
on  the  other.  Angela  sat down  at  the  chair  by  Lex's
computer. She heard a voice in her head, watch and learn, it
said,  watch and learn. Krissie yawned and flopped  down  on
the couch with her head on Brooklyn's.
     "How's it going Kris?" he asked looking down at her.
     "A little tired," Krissie smiled up at him.
      Archon  noticed that Angela was watching his  sister's
every  move,  "I  know she's doing this for your,  well  not
totally  for  your  benefit, but why?" Archon  asked  Angela
telepathically.
     "That's none of your business," Angela thought.
     "There's something I need to talk to you about," Archon
said  and  glanced  back at Krissie. Much  to  his  surprise
Krissie already had her tongue down Brooklyn's throat.
     "Krishana!" Archon yelled.
     Brooklyn jumped and looked up, Krissie just sighed with
frustration and went back to business.
      "They'll  be  busy for the next hour  or  so,"  Angela
thought, Archon looked at her with his jaw open.
     "Come we must talk," Archon said and got up.
     Angela followed him into the hallway.
      "I think I owe you an explanation," Archon started, "I
know  you've  seen me stare at you, more then once.  I  also
know that Broadway is your first love and-"
     "You were listening?" Angela asked.
      "No,  but  I  could tell what you wanted  to  talk  to
Krissie about."
     "Oh."
     Archon sighed, "Your mother."
     "Yes?"
     "Every time I look at you I see her inside you."

      The night passed and it was dawn. Archon had gone  out
on  a  flight  to clear his head and now he had pin  pointed
what  was bothering him. When he got back, Goliath had asked
him  to get Brooklyn because it was almost dawn and the clan
always  took  their  places with such ceremony.  Archon  was
about  to  turn  into the haven when he  heard  singing.  He
recognized  the melody immediately. It was the lullaby  that
he  sung  to Krissie in the old day at Antinoge.  The  words
weren't Latin but they sounded close. The thing that got  to
him,  the  thing  that made his chest sting  was  Brooklyn's
baritone  voice. He could feel every word,  every  word  had
emotion  and it made Archon take a step back. He started  to
mouth the words even though he didn't know what they meant.
      Slowly  he  stepped into he haven. Brooklyn  nodded  a
hello  but  kept on singing. After the last verse  had  been
sung and Krissie was asleep Brooklyn spoke.
      "I  know," Brooklyn said, "But I think I'll stay  here
today."
      "That's probably a good idea," Archon agreed. Brooklyn
was laying on the
hammock  with Krissie curled up on his chest with  her  head
under his beak.
      "How did you know that lullaby?" Archon asked, "I  use
to  sing  it  to Shana when she was a little  thing,  but  I
didn't think she would teach it to you."
      "She  didn't,"  Brooklyn answered, "Look  in  the  top
drawer,"
     Archon went over to the chest of drawers and opened the
top  one. Among the hair dye and some other thing was an old
book.
     "Oh my," Archon gently picked it up.
     "Look familiar?" Brooklyn asked.
      "How?  Where did she get this?" Archon opened  up  the
book to the marked page, the lullaby.
       "Xanatos,   had  it  in  his  collection,"   Brooklyn
explained, "Kris and him made a deal, she translates and  he
pays her credit card bills."
     Archon just looked at the page, and ran his finger over
what he had written nine hundred years ago.
      "Some  night, after it happened I saw her carrying  it
around.  One night she curled up in a ball with it and  fell
asleep.  She  thought it was you in a way, she  never  would
show how much she missed you but I always knew."
      Archon  shut  the book and held it to  his  chest,  he
looked  like he was about to cry. Instead he kissed  Krissie
on the forehead and said, "Sweet dreams" as the sun came up.

      Krissie  paced  back  and forth  on  the  high  tower.
Something was up and she didn't know what. That bugged  her.
The first rays of light were starting to light up the sky to
the  east and below her the rest of Clan Wyvern were getting
ready for a nap. Brooklyn flew in for a landing.
     "Hi Shana," he said and hugged her.
     Krissie giggled, "That sound so strange not coming from
Archon."
     "Really?" Brooklyn asked.
     Krissie looked into his eyes, they were bright blue and
seemed to twinkle in the half light of pre-dawn.
     "What was it you wanted to show me, it's almost dawn?"
     Brooklyn smiled, and turned away. He looked down at his
clan, all taking their poses. He closed his eyes and held an
image  of himself in his mind. He started to think the  same
word  over  and  over in his mind. His back  felt  warm  and
tingly as if he had been laying down and his back had fallen
asleep.  He felt it all over his body but he keep the  image
in  his mind and keep thinking the words, me, now, me, this.
The tingle was gone and he opened his eyes. He looked up and
saw the sun for the very first time.
      Brooklyn started to laugh. The sun, it was warm on his
skin, the light made the sky a soft blue and made the clouds
bright  colored. All around the city the buildings began  to
reflect the sun's rays. It was the most awe inspiring  thing
he  had  ever  witnessed. He turned around to  see  Krissie.
Krissie was now in human form, eyes glowing and a smile from
ear  to  ear. She threw her arms around his neck and  kissed
him.  Brooklyn,  without  his  beak,  was  easier  to  kiss.
Brooklyn liked his new form.

      "Where's  Brooklyn?" Goliath asked his young  charges.
They were all in the kitchen.
     "Haven't seen him," Angela said.
     "I dunno," Lex said.
     "Couldn't tell you," Broadway said.
      "That  worked,"  Xanantos added. He had  came  in  for
coffee but was lingering.
     "Has any one seen Krissie?" Goliath tried.
     "She isn't in her haven and I call dibs on giving her a
talking to first," Archon said.
      "I  don't really care if she stays out to all  hours,"
Goliath told Archon.
     "Why not?" Archon asked.
     Xanatos began to laugh.
      Goliath  rubbed his jaw, "I've learned not in  inquire
about what Krissie does during the day."
     "Huh?" Archon was really clueless tonight.
      "She  broke his jaw last time he did," Lex filled  him
in.
      "Goliath," Xanatos said, "I saw her leave this morning
around nine AM with a guy."
     Every head in the room turned to Xanatos.
     "Who?" Angela asked, "A human, what'd he'd look like?"
     "Well," Xanatos said, "He had long white hair."

     Lex the computer veggie didn't notice the two bodies in
the  lounge  with him till they said hello. Of  course  when
they  did  he jump a foot and spilled his Jolt,  but  didn't
turn around.
      "You  know," Lex said, "Goliath was not happy when  he
counted heads this evening and didn't see yours."
      "He'll  understand," Krissie said. They were still  in
human form.
      "I  think  he's  going to give you  the  maturity  and
responsibility
speech," Lex said.
      "Why  doesn't he ever just get off your back?" Krissie
commented.
      "Because as second in command he has to learn  how  to
take  care  of the clan and to be a leader," Lex  said,  but
Krissie had heard Goliath use those same words many times.
      "It's  ok, Kris," Brooklyn sounded relaxed. "It's  all
good."
      "What did you just say?" Lex spun around in his  chair
to see two humans on the couch.
      "Oh  my god!" Lex yelled as Angela and Broadway walked
in the room.
      "Who  are you?" Angela demanded at the human that  she
had never seen before.
      "It's  ok  Angela,  it's me Brooklyn,"  Brooklyn  said
smoothly.
      "Brooklyn?" Angela looked closer and saw that it  was,
in fact, Brooklyn.
      "This  is  what you wanted to show Krissie?"  Broadway
asked.
     "Yep, I did it all by myself," Brooklyn said proudly.
     "You spent the entire day out and about?" Lex asked.
      "It  was  so  much fun, the sun is so warm,"  Brooklyn
said, his eyes were still glowing.
     "What did you guys do?" Broadway asked.
      "Well," Krissie started, "We borrowed some of  David's
clothes  and went out shopping and got these spiffy shades,"
Krissie tapped the really nice pair of sunglasses on top  of
Brooklyn's head, "Then we saw Rent in the park, then we hang
out  in the village for a while got some coffee. Oh, and  we
watched the sunset."
     "You saw Rent?" Angela asked. "Not fair."
     "I loved it," Brooklyn said.
     "What's it about?" Broadway asked.
      "What's it about?!" Angela repeated, "It's about  love
and community and survival and it's set in the village."
     "I heard about that one," Lex said, "It sounded good."
      Goliath and Archon appeared in the door way. The  room
went quiet as Brooklyn smiled and said, "Hi Goliath."
      "Ok,"  Archon  said to Goliath, "I get  Shana  for  15
minutes and then we switch."
      "Good  plan," Goliath said and took a double  take  of
Brooklyn, "Come on."
      "Is this going to be the R & M speech?" Brooklyn asked
like a wise ass.
     Goliath growled at him.
     "Hey, it's all good."

      Krissie had just gotten the 'Please Don't Give Goliath
Gray  Hairs  and/or  a  Heart Attack  by  Disappearing  with
Brooklyn  Like That' speech. She also got the 'So What  Else
Did  You Two do Today' and 'How Far Have You Gone With  Him'
questions. Krissie had told Archon that it was none  of  his
goddamn  business what she did with her boyfriend  and  that
she  alone couldn't give Goliath a heart attack. She's tried
that. At switch-off time, Brooklyn hadn't changed back yet.
      "Brook, darling are you planning to be human  for  the
rest  of your life?" she asked as Archon and Goliath  traded
notes.
      "Kris," Brooklyn sounded worried, "I don't know how to
change back."
     "This will only take a second," Krissie said as Goliath
asked to speak with her.
      Goliath  led  Krissie out to the hall and  started  to
talk.
      "Krissie,  I  think it is wonderful that Brooklyn  can
change  his  form but next time can you please  tell  me  or
leave a note."
      "You  mean you won't get mad if I tape a note to  your
forehead saying we'll be back at midnight?"
     "No," Goliath said, but he knew he would regret that.
     "Alright, but where are we going?"
     "Library, I have to find a book for Elisa."
     "Poetry?" Krissie asked using a lovey-dovey voice.
     Goliath didn't answer, he just turned a darker shade of
purple.
     "How sweet." Krissie just had to rub it in a bit.
     Goliath opened the door to the library and stopped dead
in his tracks, "Broadway!" he bellowed.
      Angela was on the couch, to be precise on Broadway, on
the couch. They still had their clothes on and Krissie could
tell they were just kissing. Angela jumped off her love  and
looked like she was cornered by a lot of quarrymen. Broadway
got  up and stood with his head down, wings folded and  tail
tucked.
      "What  do  you think your doing?" Goliath bellowed  at
Broadway who was cringing at each word, "I have half a  mind
to-" Goliath began to raise his hand.
     Krissie whistled as loud as she could and yelled, "TIME
OUT!!"
     Everybody stopped and looked at her.
      "Ok,  who was on top?" She asked with all of her  tact
and charm.
     "I-I was," Angela said quietly.
     "What?" Goliath looked at her in shock.
      Krissie put her arm around Broadway and led him out of
the library and yelled over her shoulder "TIME IN!"

      Xanatos  was enjoying a nice sip of fine  Scotch  with
Archon  in his private bar. He was intrigued by the  stories
he  told  about the people he met and things  he  had  seen.
Goliath   came  walking  in  looking  tired  and  a   little
discolored.  He  sat  down at the  bar  and  said  to  Owen,
"Vodka."
     "Vodka?" Xanatos repeated.
      "Xanatos  be  glad you don't have five teenagers  with
raging hormones you take care of," Goliath answered and took
a long swig of the drink Owen had placed in front of him.
      "Wow,"  Archon said, "Brooklyn and Shana  were  at  it
again?  I  just  scared the loincloth off Brooklyn  with  my
'Keep  it  in Your Pants With My Little Sis' speech.  Rather
good one if I do say so myself."
      "Angela, I have discovered, has hormones now," Goliath
finished the drink.
      "This  calls  for a another drink," Xanatos  said  and
patted Goliath on the back.
      "If  I  didn't know you better, I'd say that you  were
trying to get me drunk," Goliath said to Xanatos.

     Angela was lurking in the lounge, it was almost sunrise
but  she  couldn't face her father. The lights were off  and
she didn't care what Fox said about tracking gravel into the
castle. The lights turned on as the trio and Krissie  walked
in. Broadway sat down beside her.
     "You ok?" he asked.
     "Fine," Angela said, but she was really kicking herself
in  the  tail  for  this one. She hated  to  disappoint  her
father.
     "Chocolate cures all," Krissie said and held out a bowl
of double fudge chocolate ice cream.
      "Why  did I listen to you in the first place?"  Angela
asked.
      "I  never told you to do that in the library," Krissie
said  defensively. "If you wanted to get  caught  you  could
have  gone  to  central  park  and  started  mating  on  the
benches."
      "Here,"  Brooklyn, now in his gargoyle form thanks  to
Archon, said, and handed Angela a small key.
     "What's this to?" She asked looking at it.
      "To  one  of the guest rooms three floors  down,"  Lex
said.
      Angela started eyeing the bowl of chocolate ice cream,
"Gimme."
      Krissie  smiled  and gave the bowl of  pure  chocolate
delight to Angela.
     "Angel," Broadway said. "I've arranged for all of us to
go see Rent in the park tomorrow night."
      Angela smiled and hugged him. The sun came up they all
turned to stone, in the lounge.

     Goliath broke free of his stone skin and looked around.
Not one of the younger generation had come out to take their
positions  at  dawn. Archon looked around and shrugged,  had
begun  to sleep outside for fear of Fox. She had made  it  a
mission not to get stone skin all over her house. Then  Lex,
Broadway,  Angela, and Brooklyn went running  past  him  and
flew  off  the wall. As Krissie went running Goliath  caught
her  by  her tail and gave it a yank. That sent her  falling
back on her tail and landing with a HEY! on the ground.
     "Stone head!" Krissie snarled at him.
     "Where are you going?" Goliath asked calmly.
     "XYT," Krissie said and jumped off the castle.
     "What?" Goliath asked, Archon began to giggle.
      "Turn around lad," Hudson said. Goliath did and Archon
plucked off a note that
was taped to his tail. He handed it to him.
     "What does it say?" Hudson asked.
     Goliath read aloud, "So Archon told you what XYT means.
We went to see Rent in the park, be back before sunrise."

      Angela, Krissie and their trio were sitting on top  of
one  of  the  giant  speaker that was behind  the  audience.
Angela  could hardly keep her tail still. It was just  about
time for the show to start. Broadway and Angela snuggled  in
each  other's wings. Brooklyn had a wing around Krissie  and
Krissie had a wing around Brooklyn. The other was around Lex
so  he  didn't feel left out. The lights dimmed and  a  spot
light came on a slender blond man in the middle of the stage
with  a small video camera. A guitar started to play quarter
notes and the blond man started to sing.
      "December  24th nine PM, eastern standard  time.  From
here  on in I shoot without a script. See if anything  comes
of it instead of my old shit. "
      Angela  watched everything with wide eyes, she  didn't
even  notice  that Broadway was just as mesmerized.  Krissie
watched and smiled and was mouthing the words in time to the
music,  looking  at  her boys she saw  that  they  two  were
mouthing  the words. Smiling Krissie though of  the  night's
lesson.

      It  was  quite at the castle, Hudson was watching  the
boob-tube. Archon was god knows where and Goliath was board.
Elisa  was  on  duty and well, Xanatos wasn't  his  idea  of
healthy  conversation. He tried reading but he just couldn't
concentrate.  So instead he wandered around the  castle  and
played  with  Bronx. Goliath was playing in the  court  yard
with  Bronx  when  a  group of shadows caught  his  eye  and
singing  caught his ear. He saw the trio Angela, and Krissie
land on the wall. He flapped up to hear better,
he  had  heard Krissie sing a million times before but  this
was different. He heard a second voice join in.
      "You  wanna  prove  me wrong, come back  another  day,
another da-ay. " Goliath recognized the voice as Brooklyn's,
but since when could he sing like that?
     Then the two voices sang at once, "I can't control."
     "Control you temper."
      "My destiny, I trust my soul. My only goal is just  to
be!"
     "She doesn't see, who says that there's a soul."
     "There's only now."
     "Who do you think you are?
     "There's only here give into love or live in fear."
      "Barging in on me and my guitar. Little girl, hey  the
door is that way."
     "No other path, no other way, no day but today,"
     "The fire's out anyway."
      "How did you do that?" Angela asked, "You only saw the
show twice."
      "It's not how many times you've seen a show or heard a
song," Krissie said. "The
words are the easy part."
      "I  never knew you could sing like that bro," Broadway
said, "I could never sing."
     "Sure you could, everyone can sing," Brooklyn said.
     "I can't," Angela said quietly.
     "Really?" Krissie spoke up, "have you ever tried?"
     "Well, no," she admitted.
      "Then  sing," Krissie challenged her. "Hey  if  I  can
teach him to sing."
      Angela  cleared her throat and started to sing softly,
"Live in my house I'll be your
shelter, just pay me back with one thousand kisses."
      Krissie smiled and pinched Angela in the love  handles
as she was singing.
immediately  her voice became loud and full and  it  sounded
good,  "I'll cover you-" Angela's voiced echoed through  the
court yard. She clasped her hands around her throat, she had
a smile from ear to ear.
      "You were singing from your throat," Krissie said  and
poked  her about inch below where her rib cage parted,  "You
need to sing from right there."
     "Why right there?" Lex asked.
      "The  Gians,  well mages actually that  I  lived  with
before, believed that was where your soul is," Krissie said.

      Elisa  Maza was watching the sun set, she never really
watched it anymore. She never really stopped to weep at  the
beauty  of it all. She had had a very weird case come across
her  desk  and  was  eager to share  it  with  Broadway  and
Goliath.  She counted statues and noticed Archon  had  slept
outside  today. That was strange, he normally slept  in  the
haven  like Krissie. The spider web cracks on the  gargoyles
brought her back to the matter at hand.
      "Hello Elisa," Goliath said and took her in his wings,
"What a pleasant way to wake up."
      "The  weirdest thing happened today," Elisa said,  "We
got  a call from John Castaway saying that his apartment had
been broken into in the middle of the day."
     "Weird," Goliath said.
     "It gets weirder, the only thing that was found missing
were  some  'personal items'," Elisa said  added,  "Care  to
guess that those personal items are?"
      Before Goliath could answer Archon ran up to the  edge
of  the wall and looked over. He had something tucked  under
his belt, but before Goliath could figure out what it was he
jumped  off.  Next Krissie came running past, she  also  had
something  tucked in her pocket. Goliath sighed  and  caught
her  tail  as  she ran past and gave it a tug. Krissie  fell
back on the floor and snarled up at Goliath.
     "Tailhole!" Krissie snarled.
     "Where are you going?" Goliath asked in monotone.
     "Hunting," she answered and jumped off after Archon.

      Demona  had  just  turned to  gargoyle  form  and  was
finishing up some phone calls and memo at her computer.  Her
assistant had just left and she was about to leave too.  She
was working in her back room when she heard the door open to
her formal office.
      "People  to see you Ms. Destine," A thin  women  in  a
business suit said.
      Demona  cracked the door to her true work  space.  The
lights were off so she was sure they couldn't see her,  "You
know my policy, no one after dark!"
      "I  must  insist," an all to familiar voice said.  The
lights flipped on and Demona saw a tall girl in cut off jean
shorts standing in her office.
      "What are you doing here?" Demona started to reach for
her  laser  rifle  but  stopped. She saw  a  tall  man  with
shoulder length bronze hair step out from behind Krissie. He
was wearing a black shirt and black jeans and was hauntingly
familiar.
     "Who are you?" she said in a brave voice.
      "I wasn't aware that introductions were need," He said
in a low voice.
     "Lets show her," Krissie said smiling an evil smile and
let her fangs grow out.
      Archon smiled and turned to gargoyle form right before
Demona's eyes.
      "No,"  Demona shook her head, "This isn't  real,  your
dead I killed you. This isn't
happening!"
      "Oh  it  is  happening," Krissie said  and  turned  to
gargoyle  form, "Just like cold stone, but I used  my  magic
where you had to go to Xanatos for help."
      Demona  stepped out of her hiding place, "Why are  you
here?"
      "Turn about is fair play," Archon said. He put on  the
mask that he had tucked in his pocket. A mask that was black
and had three red slashes across the face.
      Krissie  put  on  a similar mask, "And  tonight  is  a
hunter's moon."
      Demona  ran  to the window in he back of  her  office,
grabbed  a  chair and broke it. She jumped  out  and  though
seriously  for a moment. Where could she go? What could  she
do?  How  could  she fight them off? Then it  hit  her:  the
grimourem.  She knew it alone couldn't kill either  of  them
but  it  would give her time. She looked over her  shoulder,
they  were  gone. They must not have followed  her  out  the
window. She turned towards the old castle and that was  when
the  shots started. Out of nowhere a ball of energy  whizzed
past  her ear. Then another one hit her in the wing.  Demona
began  to spin out of control but pulled up in spite of  the
pain.  Then  they  stopped. Demona didn't  looked  over  her
shoulder  this  time.  She caught an  up  draft  and  soared
towards  castle Wyvern. Her only hope was that none  of  the
others  got in her way. Landing in the court yard she  tried
to  fold  her wings but found that the one that was hit  was
now numb. Remembering what happened last time she dropped to
all fours and hauled tail towards the great hall.
      The grimourem was right in front of her. She tried  to
smash through the case, but her fist bounced off.
      "Ouch!"  she  cried and began to hit the case  wildly,
trying to break it.
      "It  won't break," Krissie said. Demona turned  around
but  didn't  see her. She only heard her laugh.  An  ominous
dark mist started to flow over the floor.
     "What the!" Lex had just walked in and saw who and what
was about to fight, "Goliath! "
     "Show yourselves," Demona demanded. The mist started to
form  a circle and swirl around her. Archon rose out of  the
mist.  He  was  still wearing the mask  and  his  eyes  were
burning  purple. Next Krissie appeared out of nowhere,  also
wearing  a  mask that Robin, Demona's former  assistant  and
hunter  had worn the night that she and Castaway hunted  her
down in the cathedral. By now the clan was watching from the
edges.  All  were horrified that a gargoyle would  wear  the
hunter mask.
     "Stop her," Goliath commanded Brooklyn.
     "I wish I could," Brooklyn said, "Broadway?"
     "What?" He answered, he had Angela in his wing.
      "Take her to the library," Brooklyn said, "Get out  of
here."
      He  nodded and picked up Angela, she was covering  her
eyes with her hand. Then he ran out of the room.
      Archon  snarled and started to form a ball  of  energy
around  his fist, it was different then Krissie's. This  one
was  black.  He fired but Demona dived out of the  way.  The
blast hit the coat of arms above the fire place and sent the
swords  flying. Demona grabbed one off the floor and  lunged
at  Archon.  he easily dodged it. She turned  to  see  where
Krissie  was but she wasn't there. Demona ran for the  other
sword but as she reached for it Krissie appeared out of thin
air.  She jumped about a foot in the air and with one  round
house  kick  she knocked Demona hard into the wall.  Krissie
bent down and picked up the sword.
     "Archon!" she barked and threw him the sword. He caught
it  by the hilt and walked over to Demona. She was only half
conscious and was trying to get up. Archon kicked her in the
side. With a snarl she landed on her back.
      "You are not a gargoyle, "Archon growled eyes, glowing
dark purple, "You are a demon!" He raise the sword above her
and thrust it through her heart.
      Slowly  Krissie took her mask off and Archon  did  the
same.
     "You know where?" Krissie asked him and took his mask.
      "Yes,"  Archon picked Demona up leaving the  sword  in
her.
      Krissie dropped to all fours and ran our of the  hall.
Archon  took  Demona's body and left the clan in  shock  and
with a sickening feeling in their stomachs.

      John castaway entered his apartment. He hated the fact
that  someone had the nerve to break into his private place,
go  through  all  his  stuff and  take  his  most  cherished
belonging. His father's mask. He felt a draft so he switched
on  the  light. The window to his living room was wide  open
and a gargoyle was sitting on the window sill. Castaway went
to  pull  his  hand gun but found it was  no  longer  in  it
holster. The gargoyle smiled and twirled the gun in her hand
like a gun slinger.
     "Filthy beast!" He cursed, "That's my favorite gun."
     "Here," The gargoyle tossed two pieces of cloth down on
the desk that was next to the window, "Thanks for the masks,
they really scared the shit out of Demona."
     "What?" castaway took a step back.
      "You'll  find  your payment in your  office  at  Q-men
headquarters,"  she  said  and just  then  the  phone  rang.
Castaway turned his eyes for a second to reach for the phone
but when he looked back all he saw was an open window.
     "Hello," he said into the phone.
      "Mr.  Castaway," the voice said, "You need to come  to
headquarters right away, there's something you need to see."
      "What is it Jones?" Castaway said starting to walk and
talk with the phone.
      "Well,  it's the demon!, the one that your family  has
hunted for generations," Jones said very quickly.
      "What?"  Castaway  repeated and  picked  up  what  the
gargoyle had left.
      "Well, it's duct taped to your office ceiling  in  the
cross position!"
      Castaway looked back at the window, then looked at his
father's mask in his hands.

      After  the  hunt Krissie and Archon began to  withdraw
from the clan, even from Brooklyn. They spent a week in  the
castle  just going through old books and basically  avoiding
the clan. Angela refused to speak to Krissie and all Goliath
got  out  of  Archon  was 'stay out of our  business.'  They
continued  like this, reading, writing and chanting  all  in
Latin  from  sunset till sunrise. Then on the  eighth  night
Archon  left the castle right after sunset with out a  word.
Goliath  was discussing what to do with the two with  Hudson
outside on the battlements when Krissie came dashing  by  on
all  fours. She had her back pack on. Krissie went  to  leap
off the castle but Goliath had found a trick that worked. He
grabbed  her by her tail and gave it a good tug. He wondered
why she hadn't learned yet.
      "Fuck  wad!" she yelled upon landing once more on  her
tail. He back pack fell off.
     "What is going on?" he asked, half yelling.
      "Ye  got a wee bit of explaining to do lassie," Hudson
added.
      Krissie  just picked her bag up and flicked  them  the
bird as she jumped off into a cloud.
     "What am I going to do with her?" Goliath asked.
      "What  I  want to know is why the lass hasn't  learned
your tail trick yet?" Hudson replied.
     "Because she forgets she has a tail," Brooklyn said and
hopped  over next to Goliath. He stretched and scratched  at
his back.
      "What's  that on your belt?" Goliath said  and  turned
Brooklyn  around. He pulled a note off Brooklyn's  belt,  it
was taped to the back of him.
     "What?" Brooklyn said turning back around.
      "It's in Latin," Goliath said, and handed Brooklyn the
small  piece  of paper, "Krissie was working on  your  Latin
right?"
      "A little, it's still not very good." Brooklyn cleared
his throat and began to translate in his head.
     The note read:

               Brooklyn,
          
                I'm  sorry you all had to see that
          bit  with Demona. I got my belief in the
          cycles  from  Archon. What  goes  around
          comes around, going in circles till  the
          path  is broke. I'm also sorry I haven't
          been  around much in the past couple  of
          days.  We  found  a way,  and  you  will
          finally  meet your grandsire. He  taught
          me much.
                         Love,
                              Krissie

  Brooklyn  understood most of the letter, but the grimourem
was still in it's case. How was she, how were they going  to
do it?
      "Goliath,"  Brooklyn spoke his  voice  was  about  two
octaves   lower,  "Stay  in  the  castle  don't  leave   for
anything."
     "Why?" Goliath looked puzzled at his second in command.
      "They're bringing their sire back," Brooklyn said  and
began to look across the clouds.
     "Who's was their," Hudson asked.
     "I don't know," Brooklyn said, "but I don't want anyone
to get in the middle of this. Just let me go."
      "Fine,  if  you think that is the best  way,"  Goliath
said.
      Brooklyn nodded and jumped off into the dark mist that
had surrounded the castle.

      The  newly replaced window in the museum skylight  had
been  smashed. Bits of glass lay on the roof and in the show
room  below.  Brooklyn felt his heart began to beat  in  his
chest.  He  remembered what happened the last  trip  to  the
museum. He slipped through the broken window and was careful
not  to  land on the shards of shattered glass. He began  to
walk to the room where the tear of Anibus was kept, but  his
knees locked with every step he took. His heart was pounding
in his ears. Very slowly he walked into the showroom. There,
Krissie  and  Archon were standing in front of  the  strange
vase,  chanting, floating about a foot and a  half  off  the
ground.  They were surrounded by the maroon and white  mist.
Brooklyn's knees gave way and he sunk to the ground. He kept
seeing images of Krissie chanting and then flying back  when
she  lost her concentration. Archon and Krissie were on  the
last  line  and then in English they yelled, "And  he  shall
live again!"
      There  was  a bright flash of light as the maroon  and
white  became  one. It swirled around in front  of  the  two
getting  smaller and smaller. It took the form of a man  and
then in an instant it was gone.
      "Sire!"  Krissie and Archon cried and hugged  the  man
that  had just appeared. Brooklyn didn't get a good look  at
him.
      "Kids!"  a  haunting voice said.  Brooklyn  knew  that
voice.  Krissie and Archon took a step back  so  their  sire
could  see  them. As they did Brooklyn saw  the  long  white
beard and the flowing robes of the Archmage.

                    To be continued . . .