She hadn't really had the time to tour the rest of the building. But now was as good a time as any, she figured.

Pontiac entered the elevator at the Castle's great hall, carefully looking over the 230 buttons which would lead to the other floors. Sighing, her eyes gravitated toward the bottom.

"Why don't we start with the basement?" she asked no one in particular, pressing a button at the bottom of the bank. The doors slid closed, and the car started its long descent to the bottom of the gigantic Aerie Building.

When it seemed like the car would never stop, it finally slowed. A small jarring signaled the end of the ride for Pontiac, as the doors opened ...

... to a darkened garage. Pontiac narrowed her eyes against the darkness, trying to make out the vague shapes in the place. Scanning along the walls with her talons, she found a light switch and flipped it on.

The light was weak, but enough to reveal a large vehicle, covered in a canvas tarpoulin. The outline, though ...

"It can't be ..." Pontiac pulled the tarp off of the car and quickly drew in her breath.

It was what she thought it was. A 1958 Ford Fairlane, cherry red with white detail work. Inwardly, Pontiac felt her heart racing with excitement.

"Like it?"

Pontiac turned around quickly, seeing Alexander Xanatos coming out of the other elevator. She was disappointed to be found, but thrilled by the car at the same time.

"I do. Live in Detroit all your life, you get an appreciation for cars." She turned back around. "I remember when these things were new. I learned to drive in one of these."

Alexander chuckled. "I suppose you would have, huh? This one belonged to Rosanna's mother."

"So this is the car that Lex is always talking about. You won't believe me, but I have dreams about this car."

"I believe it. Anyway, it hasn't been driven in about eight years, since Elisa's ..." Alexander grew quiet all of a sudden. Pontiac nodded, understanding.

"Will it still run?"

"Don't know. Rose doesn't drive, and technically the car is hers."

Pontiac carefully opened the driver's side door, unlatching the hood. She opened the hood fully once she came back around the car's front. A confused look came on her face.

"This is weird ..."

Alexander was about to go back into the other elevator when Pontiac stopped him short. "Would Rosanna particularly mind if I fixed this up for her?"

Alexander shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Okay. Just don't tell her yet, I think I'd like to surprise her."

Alexander nodded. "Whatever you want, Pontiac." He turned and left, leaving Pontiac alone with her new challenge.

The garage had become almost a second home to Pontiac, as she spent almost two hours a night there, working her mechanical magic on the ancient vehicle. And if anyone had asked her, she felt the most useful here, in her element.

As she lay underneath the car with her butane torch, sparks flying all about, she vaguely heard the battle outside. But she could clearly hear the elevator doors opening to the garage. She stopped her activities under the Fairlane, sliding out from under it to see Alexander Xanatos standing there.

"Hi."

"The fight outside's not going well. Shouldn't you be out there?"

Pontiac stood up, removing her goggles and gloves. "It sounds like they've got it well in hand. They don't need me out there. Hell, I can't fire a gun and stay in the air, what good am I?"

Alexander finally decided further discussion on the subject would be fruitless. He looked at the car. "How's it coming?"

"Well, you tell me." Pontiac opened the driver door, slipping behind the wheel. A soft jingle could be heard as she slid the key into the ignition.

"Wish us luck." With a heavy sigh, she turned the key.

The engine roared to life, the unmistakable crackle of a carburetor filling the room. Pontiac stepped out of the car, inspecting her handiwork all around the car. The black smoke from four days ago was gone. So was the loud exhaust noise, which she had just sealed with the high-pressure torch. The suspension seemed to be holding up well. The engine's eight cylinders were firing as they should have.

Pontiac grinned. "Mission accomplished."

Coughing, Alexander called out, "Okay, but can you shut it off now before we both die?!"

She quickly jumped in the window, shutting off the car. Alexander walked up behind her.

"Now will you come out and fight?"

"Okay." Pontiac followed the industrialist into the elevator, shutting off the light in the garage. But as the door closed, she thought she could vaguely see the car glowing ...

"Hey, where were you?"

"Huh?" Pontiac looked up to see Graeme, arms crossed, tapping his foot.

"Where were you when we were getting our butts kicked?"

"Uh, I was ... uh ..."

"Don't worry about it. Just don't let it happen again." Graeme turned to enter the Castle and give his nightly report to the recuperating Rosanna. Pontiac sighed sadly, as Lexington came up to her.

"What's wrong, hon?"

She sighed again. "Can I tell you something in confidence? Just promise me you won't tell Rosanna."

"Okay ..."

"The thing is that I've been restoring her mother's car for the last couple of weeks, kind of as a gift for her, and ... well ... there's something very strange about that car."

The car sat there. But it had moved.

"So what? It's Elisa's Fairlane."

"But it wasn't there when I left. It was still on the jackstands."

Lexington looked under the car. The jackstands had been knocked over. "So, maybe the vibrations of the building knocked it off."

"That's not possible. It was also closer to the elevator. And I didn't put it in neutral."

"Maybe the parking brake's bad."

Pontiac grumbled, grasping her mate by a wrist and dragging him over to the car. Hastily reaching in the window, she unlatched the hood, jogging around the front of the car, opening it up.

"Then how in the hell do you explain that?!"

Lexington's eyes widened, as a faint glow emitted from the engine bathed him in strange blue light. "Whoa ..."

A blast shook the entire building, nearly knocking the two gargoyles off of their feet. Pontiac looked over at the workbench on the far wall, now completely knocked over, its tools spread everywhere.

"They're attacking again. We'd better get back up to the Castle."

The sound of the car's engine starting startled them both. The hood suddenly flew down, closing. Both of the gargoyles looked at the driver's side and saw that nobody was at the wheel.

The horn sounded.

"I think ..." Pontiac climbed into the passenger's seat. Lexington entered the car behind the wheel. Without either of them having to do anything, the doors closed behind them, and the car crashed through the door of the garage, zooming into the street, and into the heart of the battle.

Suddenly, a loud engine sound that was vaguely familiar drew her attention away from the skies. She squinted her eyes, trying to see better what was happening on the street.

Then she saw it.

Her mother's car. In the heart of combat.

Gripping the wheel tightly, Lexington reached down, pushing down on the brake pedal. The non-responsive brake pedal.

"Nothing. It doesn't want to stop!"

He was suddenly thrown against the door by the wheel suddenly jerking to the left, sending the car speeding down another cross street. Pontiac now gripped the armrest as her mate had gripped the wheel.

When she had the courage to look up, she could see the Clan and the Hunters in a desperate battle with another Rokkan patrol. She looked over to Lexington, still fighting the wheel.

"It wants to fight!"

"What?!"

"It wants in on the battle. Look at where it's going!"

The glove compartment suddenly opened. Pontiac looked down at the open box in front of her, then reaching for the object that lay on the door.

Lexington looked at her once more. But now she was armed.

"Where'd that come from?"

"It was in the glove box." An idea flashed on her face, as she rolled down the window. She leaned out the window, holding out the pistol she now held, cocking it.

"Okay, car, get me close!"

"Pontiac, are you nuts?!" But the car responded to her request, skidding around and finding something similar to a ramp. The engine gunned.

"Pontiac ..."

The engine became louder and louder as it built up horsepower. Finally, the clutch popped, laying rubber to the ramp and zooming up it.

"PONTIAC!!"

She was grinning maniacally. The car flew off the end of the ramp, sailing into the thick of the battle. Pontiac took her cue, punching six shots into the arena and taking out three Rokkans. The others on the patrol took that as their cue to leave.

The car landed hard on the cracked pavement, skidding to a halt. Lexington was hyperventilating, eyes wide as Pontiac pulled herself back into the car, blowing smoke away from the pistol's barrel.

"What ... was that?!"

Pontiac giggled, leaping into her mate's lap and embracing him tightly. "That ... was INCREDIBLE!!"

The door opened. Pontiac looked over nervously, as Rosanna entered the room. She became a bit more relieved, though, when Alexander follwed her in. Rosanna sat down behind the desk.

"Well, Pontiac ... it seems you have a lot of explaining to do."

"I didn't mean to ..."

"Wait for me to ask." Pontiac went into stunned silence. Rosanna continued. "Now, what exactly were you doing with my mother's car?"

Pontiac sighed, looking down. "I found it two weeks ago, when I took a look around the building. And Alexander found me. I asked him if I would be allowed to restore it, make it driveable again."

"I let her. I figured there wasn't any harm in it."

Rosanna nodded. "So, what possessed you to take a 62-year-old car into the middle of a war zone?"

"It wasn't what possessed me. It was what possessed the car."

Rosanna and Alexander looked at each other, then back at Pontiac. "Come again?"

"Rosanna ... your mother's car is possessed by a spirit. When I opened the hood the first time, it was clear, because it was glowing. But it wasn't a bright glow. The spirit was sick, and the fact that you don't drive didn't help it any. So I fixed up the car. And when I did, the spirit was healed."

"So the car was driving itself?"

Rosanna sighed, standing up. "Well, you did quite a job of fixing up the car. I must admit, it hasn't been driven in eight years."

"Thank you."

"But that still doesn't answer one thing nagging at me. Why did you do it?"

Pontiac stood up, approaching the leader. "Two reasons. One, I was feeling useless, since in these mid-air battles we've been in, I'm not much use. And seeing the car in such disrepair gave me something that I could do, being a mechanic and all.

"But the main reason was that I wanted to surprise you."

Now it was Rosanna's turn to be surprised. "Me?"

"Alex told me that you're the legal owner of that car. So I thought you'd want it in good shape. The kind of shape it was in when your mother was alive." Pontiac tossed something over to Rosanna, who caught it in both hands.

"Keep it. The car is yours, y'know."

Rosanna opened her hands, finally seeing what Pontiac had tossed her.

The keys.

Rosanna looked up at Pontiac, natural and cybernetic eyes gazing at Pontiac with silent thankfulness. "Pontiac ... it's like having a piece of my mother with me ..."

Pontiac smiled. "You're welcome." The three being left the room quietly, turning out the light and heading down to the basement.

Rosanna looked up expectantly at Alexander Xanatos, her anxiousness hard to hide. Nervously, she tapped a talon against the floor of the medlab while the younger Xanatos looked over his handiwork: her new cybernetic facial implant.

"Everything looks all right. The implant's taking better than all of Samson's did. I'd like to have a second opinion, though."

Alexander disappeared for a moment, then returned shortly with his father in tow. "How does it look?"

David Xanatos came extremely close to Rosanna, looking over the seams and entry points of the implant. Experimentally, he tugged a bit on the implant, making sure it didn't pull free. This brought a painful reaction from Rosanna, though.

"Oww ..."

"Everything looks good, son. You've learned a lot from your old man, haven't you?"

"Enough." Alexander came back into the center of the lab. Rosanna stood up expectantly.

"Can I go back to the clan, now? I've been sitting here idle for what seems like an eternity!"

Alexander and David looked at each other, then back at Rosanna. "Sorry. I would feel better if we kept you here for just three days more. I want to make sure beyond all doubt that the implant won't be rejected."

Rosanna sat back down, grumbling. "All right." Her pout belied her words.

Rain had now joined Rosanna in the medlab, as he had every night since the operation. They sat together on the exam table, Rain with an arm around Rosanna's shoulders.

"They ... want to make sure that my body doesn't reject the implant."

Rain sighed. "Well, I guess they're doing what's best for you ..."

Rosanna turned sharply. "How the hell to they know what's best for me? I can't thrive in here! I need to be useful, needed. I can't just sit in here on my duff doing nothing!"

"Rosanna ... don't you remember what I told you before the operation? I told you, the Clan is well in hand, and that we need you to get better because you're no good dead."

She finally resigned, nodding. "I suppose. But ..." She pushed herself further into Rain's embrace. "I feel so useless here!"

Rain closed his arms around the vulnerable leader, trying to comfort her.

Finally she came up into a lit area, greeted by several Rokkan scientists and her grandson, Samson. Samson crossed the room to her.

"Greetings, grandmother."

"Spare the pleasantries, Samson. I need an update."

Samson nodded. "Very well. The project is progressing on schedule, grandmother. We're almost ready to introduce sample 2 into the environment."

"Excellent." She smiled, looking around. "And who is the donor?"

A Rokkan militiaman came forward, standing at attention before Demona. "I am."

Demona looked him over. "And why were you chosen?"

"The Earth gargoyles took my mate from me. More specifically ... Rosanna took my mate from me. I want my revenge."

Demona nodded. So Liberty was his mate. "I see. Very well then, let us proceed."

The Rokkan militiaman laid down on a table next to a small tank with some strange genetic material enclosed within it. Without changing his expression, the militiaman allowed the scientists around him to inject a large blade into his chest, extracting huge amounts of blood directly from his heart.

The blood travelled a stretched passage from the blade into the tank, where it mixed thoroughly with the genetic material within. And a bizarre glow began emanating from the mixed materials within.

"Thank you. That will be all." Demona's dismissal was the militiaman's cue to stand up, as the blade was extracted from his chest. He left the lab, still striding proudly. Demona turned her attention now to the tank, watching the materials within merge and combine. Her smile only grew wider.

As it happened, this night found the Clan's current leader Graeme fighting alongside Lina and Liberty. They gathered together near the upper battlements, springing into action to face the Rokkans. But something was wrong ...

"Concussion!"

Lina held the stone before her, but nothing was happening.

"Flare streamer!"

Still nothing. Liberty looked over to her, while fighting off an attacker.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know ... the stone won't answer me! Teleport!"

Still nothing. And much to Lina's chagrin, much too late as Liberty glided into her path ...

... and Lina's first attempt finally went off. The stone erupted a huge concussion wave, knocking Liberty senseless and into a death drop toward the street. Graeme saw what happened and immediately dove down after her. Lina floated above the scene, shellshocked.

She was unfortunately not quick enough to react when the stone carried out her second attempt. A long streamer of fire shot out from the stone, sending Lina in the opposite direction and slamming her against the side wall of the Castle. With a loud groan, she slid down the wall, falling unconscious at the base of the tower.

When she landed, the stone finally answered her third attempt, teleporting her into the medlab. Once there, she roused slightly as Rosanna and Rain jumped off the medlab table to her side.

"Lina! What happened?"

Lina's eyes flew open, as she looked at them both, then at the stone. She then started sobbing.

"The stone ... what's happened to the stone ...?"

"Come on, Liberty ... come on, wake up!"

He tried shaking the giant gargess awake, to no avail. He became more and more desperate as the ground approached faster. His wings were fully unfurled, every muscle straining to pull her up.

Finally, he came to a decision. Using his feet, he pulled Liberty's wings open, hoping just to slow them down enough not to kill them both.

And he suddenly found himself thanking his luck with all of his might as, just as her wings came open, they caught a strong updraft, pushing them back upward. At that moment, Liberty snapped awake.

"What happened ...?"

"I don't know. But we need to have a little chat with Lina."

"How long?"

"We are thirty seconds away from full incubation and resuscitation."

Demona nodded again, still smiling. She watched the countdown with growing anticipation.

The sounds of loud hissing signaled the end of the countdown. Demona stood upright, backing away from the tube. Samson joined her at her side, waiting for the opening.

"Incubation and resuscitation complete and successful."

The tube lifted off the floor, rotating until it was upright. With a loud motor sound, the top of the tube opened, its contents finally seen for what they were.

It was a female Rokkan. Or so it seemed. She was almost ten feet tall, her wings wrapped around her newly-formed nude body. Her eyes remained closed, but all in the room could see her breathing.

She lifted her face toward her masters, opening her eyes. At this point, though, Demona and Samson backed away, gasping in shock.

She had Rosanna's face.

Lina tried to reply through sniffling and sobbing, but was overcome for a moment. She recovered enough to blurt out, "The stone isn't working like it used to."

Graeme had managed somehow to carry Liberty into the now very crowded medlab, where Alexander was working on her injuries. Since Lina was there, he had begun questioning her about what had happened in the battle outside.

"And it's not working ... how?"

Lina sighed heavily, trying to regain control of her emotions. "The stone has a delayed reaction now to anything I ask it to do. Liberty wound up in the line of fire when it finally put out the concussion wave."

Graeme stood upright, his chin in his hand. "But why ...?"

"I believe I can answer that, Graeme." All eyes turned to see Owen walking into the medlab, approaching where Lina sat. He put out his hand, into which Lina placed the stone. Owen lifted his glasses, carefully looking over every side of the stone, then returning it to Lina.

"As I thought. There is a piece missing."

Lina looked up, shocked. She made her own careful scan over the stone's surface, finally finding the chip that had been taken out of the stone. "But why?"

"You were captured by Demona. More than likely, she took a small piece of the stone to harness a small part of its power. I would not begin to guess what she wanted to do with it."

Lina's tears began falling again. "But what am I going to do now? The stone is worse than useless, it's dangerous!"

Owen turned around to see Coyote entering the medlab. The two tricksters, one disguised and one exposed, looked at each other, then back at Lina.

"I think we have an idea." Owen motioned for Lina to follow them out. Just as they left, the entire Castle was rocked by a loud concussion blast.

Without thinking, the first one sprinting out of the lab was Rosanna, running nearly blindly, rushing toward the outside. Once she got there, however, the sight that greeted her filled her with horror.

There was a lone Rokkan there. A female. She held a shoulder-mounted weapon on her right shoulder. Her eyes glowed, not blue as the Rokkans' eyes did.

No, this female's eyes glowed purple.

As Rosanna focused her cybernetically enhanced vision toward the Rokkan, she gasped in shock and horror.

Her enemy ... was herself.

There was a lone Rokkan there. A female. She held a shoulder-mounted weapon on her right shoulder. Her eyes glowed, not blue as the Rokkans' eyes did.

No, this female's eyes glowed purple.

As Rosanna focused her cybernetically enhanced vision toward the Rokkan, she gasped in shock and horror.

Her enemy ... was herself.

=Rosanna ... we meet.= The voice was steady and alien. Almost like her own, but resonating bizarrely.

"What is this? Has Demona resorted to sending clones to do her dirty work?!" Rosanna stood defiant from the battlement, looking up at the ... thing. She watched as it alighted, landing on the stones of the castle.

This close up, Rosanna could now see that her double was nearly ten feet tall. Her horns were an exaggerated version of Rosanna's own, as were her forehead and eyebrow ridges. This made it clear enough that this was no ordinary clone.

=But I'm not a clone, Rosanna.= The Rokkan ran forth, planting a fist into Rosanna's stomach, sending the gargoyle leader flying against a side wall.

Rosanna narrowed her one natural eye at the monster, teeth gritted firmly, her gaze steady. She let out a primal roar and charged toward the creature, with no concern for her own safety, viciously lashing out at the giantess.

"We've got to stop her. What if the implant comes loose?"

"The implant won't come loose. Not unless that thing grabs her by it."

Liberty had now joined the group at the doorway, watching the fight as it progressed. She suddenly narrowed her eyes toward the monstrosity fighting her leader.

"So familiar ..."

All eyes turned to the giant as she came forward.

"What's familiar about her?"

"I don't know, it's just ..." The monster threw Rosanna off of herself, and suddenly Liberty saw it: the last two fingers on the clone's right talon were webbed together. She hadn't seen that since ...

... she was a Rokkan.

Liberty's eyes glowed, as she rushed through the group toward the fight outside.

"Are you okay?"

"Never better. And now I know what it is you fight."

Liberty picked herself up, backing away from the Rokkan militiawoman. The Rokkan hissed at them both.

=Just wait until Demona gets here, then you'll feel the wrath!=

"Well?" Rosanna looked up at Liberty, waiting for an explanation.

"Rosanna, this thing is somehow related to yourself and my Rokkan mate."

Rosanna widened her eyes, then looked back at the Rokkan, who had pulled out some kind of communication device. She extended her arm toward the two gargesses, switching the machine on.

Demona's laughing face appeared in the screen. Rosanna's eyes glowed with barely- caged fury.

"Greetings, step-daughter."

Rosanna roared. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!!"

Now it was Demona's turn to make her eyes glow. "I'll call you any damn thing I please, freak. I see you've met my Thorn in the rose's side."

"What is this thing?"

"Oh well ... since you'll be dead soon anyway, I'll tell you. She is the result of an amalgamation of the genetic material of a gargoyle and a Rokkan. Specifically ..."

Demona stepped backward, allowing Rosanna to see the horrifying sight behind her: a small piece of bone that Rosanna vaguely recognized as a piece of her face.

"... your face."

Rosanna's eyes glowed again. "And I thought you would've been through with clones ever since Thailog betrayed you. You never change."

Demona laughed. "A clone? You think she's a clone? Oh, no." The blue gargess' eyes turned to see Rosanna's companion. "Ah, Liberty. Allow me to introduce to you the other component of Thorn."

Another Rokkan entered the room. Liberty's eyes flared again. "YOU!"

"Yes, him. Thorn!"

The Rokkan siting before the two gargesses stood up, revealing her height to be even higher than Liberty. =Yes, my mistress, I am here.=

Demona smiled once more. "Destroy them both." The screen winked out.

Lina followed Coyote through the passageway from the medlab, still clutching to her damaged and hazardous stone. Coyote turned, a glint in his eye.

"Positive. Believe me, I've had enough experience with her, there's no way you could go wrong." The two beings made their way down the passage, until they reached an unmarked door, which Coyote knocked on.

"Is that you, Rose?"

"It's me."

The door suddenly flew open, allowing Beth Maza to gape in shock at the fae who had knocked on her door. "Coyote?! How long have you been here?"

"Long enough. Listen, I need you to do me a favor, for old times' sake."

Beth responded to that with a smirk, no doubt an expression she learned from her late sister. "Right. What is it?"

At that point, Lina came forward, her eyes still puffy from her frustrated tears of earlier that evening. Beth's face suddenly softened at the sight of the depressed gargess.

"Lina? What's wrong?"

She held up the Avalon stone, without speaking. Beth gave it a quick once-over, then nodded. "I see. I get it now." She looked up at Coyote. "No."

Coyote's jaw almost hit the floor. "WHAT?!"

"You heard me. No, I won't teach the way to Lina. She has her own way to go, I can't make it easier for her. She has to learn on her own how to control this little piece of Avalonian masonry."

"But Beth ... the 'Avalonian masonry,' as you so succinctly put it, is backfiring on her, so she needs some kind of magic that doesn't need an avatar." Coyote put his hands on his knees, looking up at Beth. "Help us, Obi-Beth Maza, you're our only hope."

Lina gave the fae a weird look. Beth couldn't help but laugh, then finally sighed in resignation.

"Okay, princess, I'll do it."

Liberty took the opportunity, though, to grasp Thorn by the shoulders, prying her off and tossing her aside. Rosanna stood back up.

"Thorn, huh? Prepare to be dulled!"

Rosanna nearly launched into a sprint toward Thorn, when Liberty grasped her arm, stopping her. "Wait! You don't understand ..."

"I understand perfectly. The blue bitch can't get to me herself, so she creates a stooge to do the dirty work, using a piece of me!" She looked up at LIberty. "How do you think I feel, knowing I'm fighting something that used to be a huge chunk of my face?!"

"I understand that, Rosanna, but you have to understand that she is no more a gargoyle than I am a human. She may have your genes, but her mindset and, more importantly, her fighting technique, is Rokkan."

Thorn roared at the two females, her eyes glowing their unnatural purple color again. =Stand forth and fight, cowards!=

A low growl emanated from Rosanna, making her lip curl in a determined sneer of hatred. "That's it, she's mine!"

"Rosanna, STOP!"

Too late, Rosanna wriggled free of Liberty's grip, rushing toward the giant and slamming into her full speed. The Rokkan doppelganger rolled with the blow, getting one of her own in as Rosanna followed through, sending her flying toward the outer wall of the battlement. Rosanna, luckily enough, caught the wall with her feet, bending her knees and springing forth, wings spread. The faint draft of her motion was enough to send her hard into Thorn's stomach, sending both females sprawling.

Unseen by either one of the fighters, Liberty quickly ran into the Castle, desperately trying to find help.

"You must eat, Ariana-chan, you've kept yourself locked in that place for almost a week!"

"I know, mother ..." Ariana's gaze became distant. "It's just ... I want to spend my every waking moment with Solomon. I swear, he's so much like Samson was at that age ..."

Sata nodded. "Be strong, Ariana-chan. We will bring Samson back."

The mother and daughter were suddenly interrupted by Liberty bursting into the passageway, panting. Sata ran up to the giant gargess almost immediately, unfortunately leaving her own daughter grasping for a wall.

"What has happened?"

"Rosanna needs help. There's a Rokkan out there ... she can't fight a Rokkan like a gargoyle."

Sata's eyes suddenly became grim and determined. She pulled her katana out of its scabbard at her side. "Attend to Ariana, Liberty-san. I will deal with this problem."

Liberty nodded, rushing over to Ariana's side, grasping the smaller gargess' forearm and helping her to her feet. Sata quickly ran out of the passage, toward the exit.

But she was still growling.

"There's no way you will beat me. I am you, for God's sake!"

=You are a gargoyle.=

"Hate to disillusion you, Thorn, but so are you. Half of you is me!"

Thorn's eyes glowed again. =LIAR!!= Thorn now pulled the sidearm out of her waist holster, pointing it toward the injured gargoyle. =Now you die!=

The sharp CLANG! of metal-on-metal contact interrupted Thorn, as her weapon was knocked out of her grasp. Thorn turned to face her new adversary, a jade green female brandishing a katana at her.

"That is more than enough!"

Now it was Thorn that growled. =Stay out of this, stranger.=

"You attack my friends, you attack me. You attack my leader, you attack me. You attack Rosanna-san ... you are dead."

Before Thorn could react in kind, Sata had dropped the katana and had now taken to whipping a kick across Thorn's face. The hybrid went down hard, barely able to recover before Sata was at her throat. The Japanese gargess' blinding speed now had Thorn in an unfamiliar position ...

... the disadvantage.

"Now ... let's start over again, here."

Rosanna approached the Rokkan, taking her communication device away from her, tuning it to call Demona once more. The blue gargess appeared in the screen through a haze of static.

"Thorn? Is Rosanna dead?"

Rosanna smirked, defiantly. "The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, Demona." She turned the screen so that Demona could see the now-conquered Thorn under Sata's blade. "Now who's in control?"

She couldn't help but smile as she heard Demona roar her rage impotently into the device on her end. "Thorn, return!"

Thorn tried to rise. Sata responded by placing her blade closer to Thorn's throat. "I think not, gaijin."

"You're going to have to do without Thorn for a while, Demmy. She's my prisoner."

"We'll see about that!" Demona's eyes flared. "RETURN!!"

Sata was shocked to discover herself holding thin air hostage. Demona laughed in the communication device.

"Now who has a hostage?"

Rosanna gritted her teeth, her fury uncontrollable as she flung the communication unit far into the night sky over Manhattan. She grasped Thorn's abandoned weapon, steadying its sight at the falling device and blasting it into atoms.

At that moment, Liberty came back out into the night air with Alexander Xanatos. She looked between Sata and Rosanna, trying to figure out what happened.

"Where did Thorn go?"

Rosanna sighed, as Alexander ran over to her, checking on her implants. Rosanna looked up at the giant gargess. "Demona took her back. We'll get her next time."

Alexander's fussing finally ceased. "Well, it's none the worse for wear. I suppose that it would be all right to return you to the Clan."

Rosanna finally relaxed as Alexander walked away from her. "All right. We'll let the sun heal my injuries from this night. Come on, let's call it a night."

Together, the group re-entered the Castle, the thorn in their side repelled ... at least for this night.

This was the Winter Solstice.

But this year, the winter winds kept all of their bite, as the hearts of the gargoyle occupants of the Castle were weighted down with the burden of their great struggle of the past nine months. Not many were in the mood to celebrate.

Not all of them were Cadillac, however. Somehow she had managed to start a snowball fight with her mother, despite everything that had happened around them. They played without a care, pitching the icy white powderballs at each other, laughing merrily all the time.

This sight completely perplexed Liberty, as she rose to the doorway of the courtyard. The giant stepped into the night, confused.

"What's happening?"

Pontiac's laughter barely had time to subside before she started yet another giggling fit; her daughter had just dropped a load of snow down her back.

"Why are you laughing? The Rokkans could attack at any time!"

Pontiac was laughing so hard that tears were running down her blue cheeks. She finally composed herself enough to speak. "This is the Winter Solstice, Liberty. It's a time when all gargoyles are one, no matter where they are or who they serve. It's been tradition for millenia."

Liberty could only shake her head. "I still don't understand ..."

"It's a time for happiness, Liberty. Happiness ... and FUN!!"

Liberty had not noticed Pontiac collecting another snowball ... until the smaller gargess had thrown it into her face. At last, she got the point, picking up huge handfuls of snow and slinging them at the mother and daughter. And the snowball fight resumed as if it hadn't stopped.

"What's so funny?"

Rosanna pointed out the window. "Never thought I'd see the day somebody was able to get Liberty into a snowball fight!" She started laughing harder, coming away from the window. "What's happening?"

Rain sighed. "Oh, nothing much, really. I'm just hoping that Demona has courtesy enough to honor the Solstice truce."

Rosanna nodded. "True. The Rokkans wouldn't understand, I think. Just figuring how long it took Liberty to get it, it would take that much longer for one of them to."

Rain nodded. "So, Rosanna, I was hoping I'd get to have some time to speak with you ..."

Rosanna took his hand. "Could it wait a couple hours, please? I have some things I need to do tonight, and this night is as good as any."

Rain looked a bit disappointed, Rosanna thought. "All right. It can wait."

Rosanna grinned. "Thanks." She jogged out the door. Rain sighed, clutching his hands together.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, sis, open up."

The door opened further, as the two daughters of Goliath came together in the doorway. "What's up?"

Rosanna came into the room further, sitting down on the bed. "Boy, does this seem familiar ... about a couple months back, we were having this same discussion."

Angela's face became a look of confusion. "I don't follow."

"Maybe you don't remember, but we were having a bit of a reunion before your mother attacked and ..."

"... took away my son." Angela nodded, sadly. "God, I miss him."

Rosanna stood up, approaching her sister. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Angela. I felt it as much as you did ... he is my nephew. My favorite, to be honest."

Angela smirked. "Your only." Rosanna laughed softly. "I'm glad you've still got you dry sense of humor." She came forward and embraced her sister. Barely whispering, Rosanna breathed, "Welcome home, sister."

Angela let her tears freely flow from her eyes. "Are we meeting in the rookery later?"

"We are."

"I'll be there."

Thorn paced nervously back and forth in the stateroom reserved for the gargoyle commander of the Rokkan forces, Demona. Samson, as always, stood ramrod straight at her side.

"Because it is the Solstice, Thorn."

=SO?=

"No gargoyle battles another at Solstice, Thorn." Samson's even tone was unnerving, even to the one who had sentenced him to it. "It is a tradition that has lasted over two thousand years."

Thorn's eyes glowed, the peculiar purple nearly filling the entire room with light. =I am no gargoyle.=

"Maybe not," Demona rose as she spoke. "But you are half-gargoyle, and the Rokkans are pretty much gargoyles. And as your commander, I expect you and all of our forces to honor the Solstice truce. That is an order, Thorn!"

Thorn seethed, baring her teeth at the gargess. This brought even more anger from Demona.

"And don't ever bare your teeth at me, Thorn." Demona's tone became lower and much more sinister. "You might lose one."

But he wasn't defiant, or angry. More sad, regretful. Rosanna approached him carefully.

"Do I know you?"

He nodded slightly. "You do, Rose." He reached up and pulled his hood off, revealing the older man underneath, nearly 75 years old.

Rosanna almost on instinct reared back, then resisted. "What ... how long have you been here?!"

The older man, "Captain" Geoffrey Walker, sighed. "I came with Jason and Robyn. I've been here for months, and you never knew."

Rosanna grew angry almost in an instant. "What did you expect? Forgiveness? Want me to greet you with open arms? Think again, buddy. I still have nightmares about Tommy dying in my arms!"

"I know ..."

"Do you realize what kind of damage that does to a girl's self-confidence? To know that her boyfriend died because of her?!"

Rosanna was about to continue, when she saw it.

The tears forming in Captain Walker's eyes. The regretful, painful tears of a father knowing he was the cause of his son's death. At that moment, Rosanna finally saw the lines in his face from the near-constant tears he had shed since that fateful day nine years ago.

"I'm so sorry, Rose. I ... just wasn't thinking when I did it. I was blinded by bigotry and ignorance, and couldn't see you for who you were ... and then hearing that your mother died the next year ..."

Now Rosanna could feel herself shedding tears. She approached the older man, clasping his shoulders, her head lowered.

"Captain ... I forgive you."

Captain Walker finally embraced the woman he had only nine years ago tried to kill unsuccessfully.

The group grew from the small assembly that had been there at the start of the night. But Ariana, Nudnik and Solomon soon made room for the rest of the clan. Lina and Beth, passing magic tips back and forth. Rain, nervously wringing his hands. The Canmore siblings, out of armor for once, with Robyn pushing her brother's wheelchair. Steve Bluestone and Sara Jasper, talking about Steve's father in his police days. Morgan and Maria Chavez, accompanied by Buick who had grown quite attached to General Chavez in recent weeks, for some reason. Mustang and Dodge, eagerly talking with their fellow clanswoman Pontiac. Lexington following close behind, with Cadillac on his shoulders. Graeme and Liberty, in some kind of discussion. Slash and Nokkar, their silence nearly deafening. Griff, alone, speaking on a cellphone to his mate in London. Brooklyn and Sata, arm-in- arm. Angela, escorted by Broadway and Goliath. David, Fox and Alexander Xanatos. Captain Walker made his way into the room.

And finally, Rosanna entered. And much to everyone's surprise, she carried a guitar with her, sitting down in the center of the room. Everyone present took that as their cue to take a seat, as well.

Rosanna sighed, looking around her at her clan.

Her family ...

"Tonight is the Winter Solstice. The longest night of the year. A night when all gargoyles should be uniting as one ... but this year we cannot. For some of our numbers have become our enemies."

The mournful rustle went around the room, centering on Ariana and Solomon.

"As many of you know, but some don't, when I was growing up we always celebrated Solstice and Christmas on Solstice night. It was easier this way, but it was also more meaningful, respecting both of my parents' traditions. I always feel closest to the clan as we gather together on this night."

Rosanna absently tuned the guitar in her talons as she continued. "This year, there are some new faces among us. Some of us have also been lost to time or other circumstances. But whatever it is, this has been possibly one of the hardest years any of us has ever endured."

She sighed, looking down at the guitar. "This is one of my favorite holiday songs. It seems somehow fitting this year, and I thought I'd share it with everyone here. This is my Solstice gift to you all."

Rosanna found her chord, using her sharp talons as her pick to strum the strings. She began playing in earnest. And then, with a voice scarred by sorrow, pain and disease, she started to sing.

The group sat listening to her raptly. Brother looked to sister, with knowing glances.

Goliath looked to her daughter with pride. Brooklyn and Sata looked the same way to their children.

Robyn moved her hand on her brother's shoulder. Jason only reached up and took it in his own.

The Xanatos family passed looks between themselves, embracing tighter.

Angela raptly watched her sister's performance, tears newly forming in her eyes, hearing the pain come through the music. Come through and disappear.

Everyone present now joined hands, in a great circle around Rosanna. The good feelings in the room were nearly palpable.

Some who knew the song had begun humming along. Many had now come closer, now linking arm-in-arm with each other.

Suddenly, the thoughts in Rosanna's head drifted to her long-since gone loved ones ... to old, curmudgeonly Hudson, sitting in his chair watching the tube and spouting advice to the young warriors ... to adorable Bronx, cuddling with the little girl at nights ... to Diane and Peter Maza, possibly the best grandparents a little girl could ever ask for ...

And eventually her thoughts made their way to her mother. To Elisa. The one who Rosanna had loved all her life ... and now did even more.

So wrapped up in her emotions was Rosanna, she barely noticed when the rest of the Clan present ... including, much to many's surprise, Liberty ... joined her on the refrain.

Rosanna's tempo slowed as she came to the end of the song. Rosanna closed her eyes and let everything out as she reached the final lines.

Rosanna's strumming on the guitar ended as the song did. Rosanna didn't open her eyes, though.

Her tears of remembrance would not let her.

Rosanna stood at the summit of the tallest battlement of the Castle, the winter wind blowing her hair in all directions behind her as she turned her face to the cold. She stood proudly, but sadly, her memories still raging.

The steps coming up the passage finally alerted her to the two male gargoyles who had now joined her at the top. Coming up first was Goliath, followed shortly behind by Rain. Rosanna turned to face them.

"Father?"

Goliath stood silent. He simply opened his arms, a gesture which Rosanna met by rushing into his arms, embracing him tightly.

"Happy Solstice."

Goliath could barely speak, his emotions had overcome him so. "Happy Solstice, my Rose."

The father and daughter embraced for a short time longer before Goliath retreated below, leaving Rosanna alone with Rain.

"Are you busy now, Rose?"

Rosanna smiled. "I suppose. Now, where were we ...?"

"We were up to this." Rain pulled a small box out of one of his pouches, handing it to Rosanna. "Happy Solstice."

Slightly confused, Rosanna looked at the small package in her hand, cautiously opening it. The sight that met her eyes, however ...

It was a small piece of crystal. Avalonian crystal, by the way it looked. It glimmered in the night with a magic unknown, that probably never would be known.

"Rain ... it's beautiful."

Rain reached into it, pulling it out by the chain that Rosanna now saw it was attached to. Slowly, Rain put the necklace around Rosanna's delicate neck, clasping it under her hair, allowing the crystal to fall in place just between her collarbones.

"It is one of my prized possessions. I really don't know what it does, but I've always felt a little safer just for having it. Alexander and his father helped me prepare it by supplying the chain for it."

Rosanna closed her eyes again, this time in happiness. For some reason, at this moment, she felt more happy than she ever had been.

More loved ...

"Thank you, Rain. I will treasure it always." The two gargoyles came into a loving embrace by the light of the brightest star in the night sky, as the Solstice came to its climax.

There it sat. Rose stepped carefully out of the elevator, looking over the ancient vehicle in the bay with her.

The red paint seemed flawless, even after all of these years. Absently, she ran a hand along the rear quarter-panel, down the length of the fin, trying to quantify the feeling of the car.

Her car. It was just settling in with her. Pontiac had fixed it up for her, as a gift. She had always thought of it as her mother's ... even after that horrible day eight years before. That was why she had never driven it.

Slowly, she placed her hand on the handle of the door, pulling the door open. She eased herself behind the steering wheel, the feel of the leather seats against her body like the embrace of an old friend as she pulled the door closed behind her.

She closed her eyes, placing a hand on the steering wheel, the other near the ignition. She slipped the keys into the lock, turning it until she heard the starter catch, the engine growling loudly within the confines of the Xanacorp garage.

Slipping it into gear, Rose guided the car through the hole it had made not a month before in the garage door, into the New York winter morning.

Rose sighed. Every year at this time; stop by the stand and buy some lilies. The fact that the stand was now in ruins made her sad at first, then even more determined. She put her foot down on the accelerator, zipping the car down the street, leaving the ruined stand far behind her.

More ruined streets greeted her path, as she slowed the vehicle down to navigate around crumbled masonry and rubble. Even more sadness overcame her, knowing that her city had suffered all of this damage only within the last year.

This year of the invasion.

She saw a clearing near a cross-street she needed to take, angling the car into a turn between what looked like a gargoyle's head. She shuddered slightly ... true, it was a carved stone gargoyle, but any shattered gargoyle gave her images of her father's life ... images of what must have been the horror of his life ... seeing his clan broken around him.

Feeling herself become more depressed, Rose kicked the car faster, passing by the shattered stones.

Then she saw him. A little boy, maybe eight years old, running into the street in front of her. Hurriedly, Rose hit the brake, bringing the car to a sliding halt. Eye met eye, as the boy and the hybrid woman gazed into each others'.

The woman's eyes, rife with fear and despair, became affected by the gaze of the hopeful child's, full of his youth and joy. Soon the child's mother rushed out into the cold to retrieve the boy from the gaze of the Fairlane.

Rose couldn't help but smile. For now, the child's hope was in her. For it was reaffirmed what she fought for.

The tranquil afternoon was suddenly broken by loud gunfire raining down upon the street. Rose looked up into the air, seeing them. Rokkans.

She was ready. From its concealed place in her jacket, she pulled out her pistol, looking up at her enemy and firing from the window of the car. They spotted her gunfire, turning their flight to face her.

And now the car engaged. Rose was expecting this, as Pontiac had told her about the little quirks of the Fairlane ... among those being that the car seemingly had a soul.

The car kicked into gear, beginning to zoom into the heart of the combat arena. Rose took that as her cue to pull herself further out of the window, using both hands to level her aim and fire into the sky. Three shots later, a Rokkan attacker was falling. Another had turned to swoop in and take her out.

Rose's cybernetic eye glowed redder than it usually did, as she pulled her fist back. She threw the punch, as the Rokkan came in closer, sending the attacker flying. That only left the third ...

... who was quickly dispatched by a high-flying gargoyle above. Rose smiled once again, as she happily recognized Rain, keeping watch over her. True, she didn't really need him there, but she felt a lot better to have him above her. She waved happily toward him.

He waved back, heading back toward the Castle. Rose slipped back into the driver's seat of the car, taking the wheel back from its spirit driver. Pumping the brakes until it was back down to a manageable speed, she angled the car down another cross-street.

In her hand, she held a bouquet that she had managed to find amongst the ruined streets. Lilies. The elderly owner of another ruined flower stand had given them to her freely, after recognizing who she was and her role in fighting the invasion. Taking a deep breath, Rose began her trek into the heart of the yard.

Pacing up and down the tombstones, she finally found the marker she sought. It was none the worse for wear from the invasion, but it still had a lot of overgrowth around its base. She reached down, pulling the foliage away, until the marker's inscription could be fully read.

Letting out a slow breath, Rose kneeled down before the marker, laying the lilies resting upon the ground before it.

"Hello, Mom. Happy birthday." She sighed. "I suppose there isn't much that I can tell you that you don't already know. You've been such a guiding force to us all through this invasion, it's almost like ... you're with us again. I've never seen Dad so ... lively, since you left us. He always seemed like he was in a cloud, impervious to everyone and everything around him.

"But it's different now. I don't have to assume anything anymore. I know that he loves me, as much as he loves you, or Angela, or any of the Clan.

"And now, there's Rain, too." Rose wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know why, but I just have this feeling that you wanted me to find him, one way or another. I don't recall seeing him when I went to Avalon so long ago ... but something tells me there's something really special about him, something that you know.

"And it makes me love him all the more."

Rose looked over to the setting sun. "Well, it's been fun, Mom, but I have to go. I have responsibilities, but I wanted to get this out of the way for this year. You know I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The woman leaned forward, placing a light kiss on the headstone before rising to leave. She turned back toward the car, getting in and starting up.

Had she looked back toward the headstone, though, she might have seen a shade still standing there, at the gravesite. A female shade.

A tearful shade. Her eyes shimmered in the light of sunset, as she watched her daughter drive off. She blew a kiss toward the retreating vehicle.

"Be careful, my Rose. I love you."

These nights, Brianna found heself spending more and more time in the magic shop with Leo and Una. Maybe it was their closeness to her mate Griff that kept her there ... or maybe it was just that she could feel him, nearly smell him in every panel, board, and book in the place. Whatever it was, she always felt most safe and secure in this place.

Leo had just set down his cup of tea. "Brisk night this one'll be."

Una nodded, agreeing with her mate. "Winter's been upon us for a while, Leo. Why should tonight be worse than any other?"

Brianna shuddered. "I feel it, too. Something's coming ... something cold and dark. Something totally awful."

Leo simply sighed as he picked up his cup once more ...

... but soon his sighs turned into panicked screams as he watched the firefight erupt in the distance. Away from the shop.

At the manor.

Quickly, they split up, trying to distract their attackers. But whether it was their age or their confusion, it never was quite clear; however, they stood not a chance.

With a quick shot, Leo was taken down, falling alongside the prone figures of his fellow clansmen. Another quick blast and Una had also fallen. Brianna sped over to her friend's side, fearful.

"What do I do, Una? I can't fight them alone!"

Una looked up at the younger gargess. "Find ... Griff." Her eyes closed, and the unicorn-like gargess breathed her last.

Brianna found herself with no time to mourn her deceased friend, as another attacker threatened her, pointing a large rifle into her face. Her eyes glowing red, Brianna leaped up, tackling the attacker, and in the same motion pushing off of the giant's body, toward the walls of the manor. Once upon the top of the wall, she launched herself eastward, toward the only thing she knew now.

To New York, the center of the invasion.

And to Griff.

The sun had long since set. At the highest battlements of Castle Wyvern, two older male gargoyles looked over the city, the devastated, invasion-racked city. As they stood there in silence, suddenly Goliath looked over at his companion, the knighted English gargoyle Griff.

"Penny for your thoughts, friend?"

Griff nodded slowly, sadly. "The phone isn't the same, y'know?"

"I don't follow."

Griff turned away from the cityscape. "I'm talking about my mate. The last time I saw Brianna was almost a year ago. Although I spoke with her at Solstice, it's still no substitute for ... y'know ..."

"Her presence. I see now." Goliath put a hand on Griff's shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel, nights without Elisa would seem nearly intolerable for me, and especially those holidays, like Solstice, that she would wind up working on. But I had other family to help me through. I know Rose and Angela were always wonderful company."

Griff smiled sadly. "No such luck for me, my friend. Our egg's at least a year away, so it's just me and Brianna for now."

Goliath perked up at the mention of an egg. "I had no idea, congratulations!"

The two males' reverie was soon interrupted by Rosanna, rushing through the doors, headed not for Goliath, but for Griff.

"We need you downstairs, sir knight. Brianna's here, and she's not doing well."

"Don't get up yet, you're safe."

Brianna sighed. "I don't think anywhere is safe anymore." She forced herself into a sitting position, supporting herself as best as she could with her arms. "Did I make it to Manhattan?"

The gargess seemed confused. "Uh, yeah, we're in Manhattan. Why do you ask?"

At that moment, Griff burst into the room, with Rosanna and Goliath not far behind. He took not a moment's hesitation to rush to his mate, taking her up in a warm embrace. Brianna finally allowed herself to relax, wrapping her own arms around his neck and shoulders.

"Griff ..."

"my love, why are you here? What's happened in London?"

Her happiness suddenly turned to fear. Sadness. Despair.

"Griff, everyone's gone ... all dead ..."

Now it was Griff's turn to be taken aback. "What?"

"Giant attackers came in the night, they had weapons that we couldn't counter ... Leo ... Michael ... Una, oh God, sweet Una ... they all fell!"

Brianna put her face into her mate's chest, letting her tears of sorrow flow. Griff's face also showed his sorrow, but now an edge of anger in the normally light-hearted English gargoyle. He looked over silently at Rosanna.

"We'll leave you for now, Griff. Come on, folks." Rosanna led her father and Arianna out of the room, leaving the grieving couple by themselves.

"All right, I'm up!" He slammed the clock on the floor. "Stupid clock ..."

He stood up, crossing the cold floor and walking up to his window, the one which looked out on the courtyard. With no small level of annoyedness, he opened the curtain.

There was a gargoyle there, grinning.

Jumping back from the window yelling, he finally saw what it was, laughing. "Hi there, Kai." He opened his door, allowing the gargoyle to enter.

"Good evening, Vinnie-san. And how was your day?"

"Ahh, you know how it goes. I don't do much with my days anymore but sleep, y'know? You gargoyles live a life that no human could take, I think."

"I see." Kai seemed distracted.

"What's up, Kai?"

"There seems to be a disturbance off to the east ... near the horizon."

Vinnie squinted his eyes, looking where Kai was. "Ehh, I don't see it."

"You go ahead and get dressed, Vinnie-san. We will see to this."

The attackers left a cold swath of destruction in their path. The Ishimura clan was taken completely by surprise, as their Bushido teachings would not let them fight gargoyles.

On his last breaths, Kai made his way to Vinnie, who stood his ground, a large-bore cannon at the ready.

"Kai ... oh my God, what happened?"

The great gargoyle collapsed at Vinnie's feet. "No time ... my flame dies on this world ..."

"Aww no ..."

Kai reached into his ruined kimono, pulling out a small item which appeared to be like a remote control. He placed it in Vinnie's hand.

"Take this. Find Brooklyn and Sata. Please."

Vinnie nodded, silently. Memories of his buddy Brooklyn, who had moved here about six years ago with his mate, came back to him ... sharing Japanese beers and reminiscing about how Manhattan used to be and was ... the cameraderie that only friends could have.

"I promise, Kai. I'll find them."

Kai smiled at his friend again, collapsing at his feet. Vinnie looked up. From this distance, he could see the attackers, but could avoid detection by them.

He watched them silently, watched them as they raided the temple's rookery, pulling the eggs out and gathering them together. He watched them as they took off, heading back to the east.

There was a slower one among the attackers, who trailed the others. Vinnie saw his chance. He made his way back down to the floor of the temple, sneaking up on the slower one.

However, he crept up on him like a bull creeps up on a matador. The attacker quickly turned around to face the human.

=Stay were you are, human! Hands in the air!=

"Ahh, crud." Vinnie put up his hands, the device Kai had given him still in his hand. The attacker noticed this.

=Drop that device. Now!=

"Sure. Whatever ya say." Before the attacker could do anything about it, Vinnie had pressed a quick key sequence, sending a disrupting signal to the attacker's brain. The scrambled brainwaves were too much for the attacker to take, as he collapsed to his knees.

Vinnie grinned widely. "Now it's my turn!"

In the courtyard of the castle, Rosanna stood with Graeme and Liberty, discussing the situation with Griff and Brianna between themselves. Liberty crouched down until she was at the others' level.

"I would imagine ... that Demona may be trying to eliminate any resistance to her regime. She may be thinking that once the Rokkans take Earth, if she wants to hold control she must have nothing but gargoyles that see their world view like she does."

"Yeah ... through psycho-colored glasses." Graeme's offhand remark brought a scornful look from Rosanna. He looked up at her, pleading, "Well, what do you think she accomplishes by killing the gargoyle clans?!"

"Actually," Rosanna pondered, "I think she's keeping in tune with her past."

Both Graeme and Liberty gave her funny looks. "Come again?"

"Look at Demona's history, folks. She makes alliances that eventually wind up betraying her. True with MacBeth, true with Xanatos, true with Thailog. Something tells me the Rokkans are doing this behind her back, and it won't be pretty when she finds out."

The two gargoyles with Rosanna agreed, nodding. At this moment, though, Griff and Brianna entered the courtyard.

The sight of the giant gargess with Rosanna and Graeme was too much for Brianna. A low growl formed in her throat, as her eyes began glowing brightly. She wrested herself free from her mate's embrace, sprinting to the group and tackling Liberty.

"MURDERER!!" Brianna began savagely tearing into Liberty, now prone underneath the attack. Liberty tried to defend herself, the best she could do being toss off the shorter gargess. Rosanna and Graeme rushed over to hold Brianna back.

"I swear to you, I had nothing to do with the attack that killed them ..."

"LIAR! It was your people who killed them! My clan ... my mate's clan ... everyone I love is GONE BECAUSE OF YOUR PEOPLE!"

"Hey, what am I?" Griff's small joke was lost in the commotion, as he rushed over to where Brianna was being held back. She was now on her knees, her arms still securely held in the grip of Rosanna and Graeme. She was now freshly weeping, these tears more angry than sorrowful. Liberty tried to approach her, but Rosanna motioned her back.

"I'm sorry, Liberty, she's not ready for it yet. Please, let us explain the situation to her first, okay?"

Liberty looked hurt, for the first time that Rosanna had seen. Hurt and sad. She turned and left the courtyard, prompting Graeme to follow her, letting go of Brianna, who was now securely in the embrace of her mate.

She was sitting in the kitchen of the Castle, before the open refrigerator. Eating a pie.

A whole pie.

"Liberty? You okay?"

Graeme slowly approached the giant gargess, splayed on the floor before the appliance. She looked up at him, mouth full.

"I had heard ... that females on Earth ... console themselves with food," she said between swallows. "It doesn't seem to help me much."

Graeme sighed. "I'm sorry, we couldn't have known that she would be so ..."

"Vengeful?" Liberty concluded for him. "And why shouldn't she be? My people destroyed her Clan. For that matter, I'm surprised Griff hasn't lashed out at me yet."

"True ..."

"Let's see things realistically here. I was a Rokkan. As far as anyone is concerned, I am still a Rokkan, despite any magicks or technologies that make me otherwise. And I will always be a Rokkan, even if we win ... despised, hated ..."

"No, Liberty, you won't be hated by everyone. We like you. Rosanna must have, if she saved you."

Liberty sighed, looking at Graeme painedly. "Rosanna's told me of the gargoyles' reason for existence, to protect. She's told me of the time it took for Earth's gargoyles to be accepted. How long do you think it will take humanity to accept me?"

Graeme could only sit there, watching her. And then something Liberty did something she never had done before.

She cried.

Graeme let her lean into him, putting his arms around her, trying to comfort her.

Zafiro looked off to the horizon from his post on the Clan's pyramid. He thought he saw something approaching, but then again the shadows of this place tended to play tricks on the eye. Obsidiana soon approached him.

"Trouble, amigo?"

"Maybe. Look there."

She followed Zafiro's point to where a large shadow was forming, a huge mass of what looked like a squadron of planes.

"Why do they continue to threaten the Green? Have they not learned after years and years of conflict?"

"Amigo ... they're not attacking the trees."

Zafiro looked over at Obsidiana. "They're not?"

Her eyes widened with panic. "They attack us!"

"Enter." The door opened, and the sentry came into the room, approaching its three occupants. He focused his march on the center occupant behind the desk.

Demona.

=The attack party over South America has reported. All South American clans have been neutralized.=

Demona nodded, looking up at Samson. "Brilliant idea, my grandson. This operation goes well."

Samson nodded. "Of course it would. I knew it from the start."

The figure on Demona's other side, the engineered hybrid Thorn, had her own questions. =Any confirmed survivors?=

=None. But there are unconfirmed reports of one survivor from London and one from Ishimura.=

=Confirm them, then!= Thorn's temper began to get the better of her, as her eyes glowed. Demona placed an arm on Thorn's hand.

"Now is not the time, Thorn." She turned back to the sentry. "And the eggs?"

=The eggs that have been collected are in the ship's lab. There are a few that are days away from hatching, others are years away.=

"I see. Continue monitoring, and keep me appraised."

The sentry nodded, turning on his heel and marching out of the office. Demona stood up, opening the window behind her, out into the ruined city of New York.

"And now, the sword of Ares takes aim on you, Rosanna. And you will fall, just as all the others have."

Huddled in a small cave, Zafiro leaned against the wall, cradling the dying body of Obsidiana to him. He had a hard time holding the tears back.

"You'll make it, amigo. You have to. The Green needs you, and me."

Her breaths came as a great struggle. "No, Zafiro. It is ... time for me to rest at last."

"Just hang on to sunrise. I can take the pendant off ..."

But Obsidiana heard him no more. She slumped lifeless, her wounds finally overtaking her. Zafiro held her close to his chest, one last embrace to his mate.

Delicately taking the pendant from around her neck, he put it around his own. The attackers approached the cave ...

And suddenly, they faced the last guardian of the Green, the rage in his breast uncontrollable as his eyes shone white-hot with his grief and fury. He roared into the night, leaping full-force at the enemy.

One blow later, the battle was over.

She swooped into a high branch of a great tree, scanning it against the rest of the landscape of the magical isle she had called her home for nearly 10 years now.

Avalon.

She sighed a great breath. Nothing seemed out of order. She leaped once more out of the tree and into the night ...

... when suddenly a piercing magic presence grasped her by the throat. Literally. The pendant around her neck glowed wildly, leaving her unable to control her flight as she crashed to the ground. And when she hit, she hit hard, knocking branches off of trees in her path all the way.

When she finally hit bottom, the gargess known as Turqueza sat straight up. A strange glow appeared in her eyes. Suddenly she had a single-minded quest.

She pulled herself upright, launching herself into an updraft, toward the castle she had not set foot in for nearly three years.

"Who ...?"

Tom, the guardian, turned suddenly to see Turqueza gripping Gabriel's shoulders pleadingly. "Gabriel, where is my son?"

"I ... I don't understand ..."

Tom placed a hand on her shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to be referring to Lina's friend from the forest, would you?"

Turqueza stood stock still. From the forest?!

"You've seen him! I knew you had!"

"She means ... Rain? But that's impossible, he couldn't possibly ..."

"Por favor, amigos ... tell me where my son is!"

"Anything interesting?"

She turned around to see him, smiling. Even though one of her eyes was cybernetic, both of them seemed to radiate her affection for him. "Not yet. The Rokkans are quiet tonight."

"Any idea why?"

Rosanna sighed, approaching him. "I don't know, really. I keep thinking of Brianna and the possibility that they're all around the world killing the other gargoyle clans."

Rain approached close enough to touch her now. He placed his arms around her.

"It's frightening."

"Courage, Rosanna. We'll make it."

She looked up at him, smiling again. But suddenly his expression became one of shock and pain, as he backed away from her. Gasping in pain, he gripped the pendant around his neck, kneeling to the stones of the battlement.

"Are you all right? Should I get Coyote?"

"NO! NOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Rain's scream took even Rosanna by surprise as he rocked his head back and yelled into the night. Naturally, the sound brought the entire clan rushing up to the battlement in a panic. They arrived to see Rosanna with her arm around Rain's shoulders, crouching next to the staggered and obviously in great pain gargoyle.

"Keep back, folks! I don't know what's going on ..."

An otherworldly glow emanated from the pendant around Rain's neck, projecting itself toward the stones in front of him. The light soon formed a shape, then a ghostly form.

Goliath came to the front of the group, recognizing the gargoyle that had materialized. "It's ... Zafiro."

The shade looked around at the group, then down at Rain, still grasping his midsection.

**You are not who I was expecting.**

"I'm just full of surprises." Rain stood up, facing the shade fully.

Zafiro nodded. **So it's true. You are Turqueza's son.**

"Turqueza?" Rosanna looked at him, shocked. "As in Guatemalan Turqueza, as in a gargoyle that escorted a bunch of trees to Avalon Turqueza?!"

Lina stroked her chin thoughtfully. "So that explains why he was by the hot trees ..."

All was lost, though, as Zafiro approached the gargoyle, his hand outstretched. **I greet you, son of my clan. We have much to discuss, but little time.**

"I think I'd agree."

**Then let me touch you, Rain. All you will need to know will be revealed.**

Rain hesitantly nodded. Zafiro approached him slowly, sensing the fear in the living gargoyle, and placed a hand gently on Rain's forehead. The shade's hand started passing into the gargoyle's forehead, as Rain's eyes glazed over with the knowledge he was now receiving at high speed.

"Welcome. We've been expecting you."

Coyote had been spending more and more of his days with the Guatemalan gargoyles, as he enjoyed their company more than he did his fae brothers and sisters. Of course, mortals had always held a strange attraction for him.

"Just a few inches farther ..." Jade urged the trickster on, sitting in the branches of a giant tree. They were trying to reach a piece of fruit that Turqueza had requested.

Finally, Coyote had his hand firmly around it. "Got it."

A sudden breeze kicked through the giant rainforest tree, knocking the two beings on the branch for a loop. They fell, unable to control their descent.

Desperately, Jade tried to unfurl his wings. The dense foliage around him, however, made that all the more difficult. His wings got tangled in a patch of loose vines, and he pitched forward, falling headfirst toward the floor of the small forest section.

Coyote finally had his wits about him enough to let his powers levitate him. Then he looked to see Jade falling. Before he could react, the gargoyle struck the hard ground.

Coyote stood by her side, watching the sad ceremony. And when it seemed like she would jump into the flames, he was there to hold her back. Away from her mournful gaze, Coyote looked back toward the castle of Avalon, anger flaring in his eyes.

Coyote's angry demands into the night were finally answered by the appearance of the Weird Sisters. Draped in their vestments of Avalonian royalty, they approached the trickster.

"Why do you call us out here, Coyote?"

"You should be grateful to us."

"We saved you from falling into the mortals' lives."

Coyote snorted, disgustedly. "Oh, you three high and mighty ... just because you have a thing for torturing mortals, does that give you the right to murder them wantonly?"

Luna gave him a sideways look. "Wantonly?"

Selene shook her head. "Everything we have ever done has been in the name of our king."

Phoebe gestured toward the castle. "Come, Coyote. We await your return."

Coyote stood there, facing the three witches angrily. "No."

All three chimed in unison, for once. "What?!"

"You heard me. No. Nothing you have ever done has been in Oberon's name! Everything you create you use to your own ends, whatever they may be. Truth be told, I always thought you were pretty great tricksters in your own right, looking at all of the cruel gags you've laid upon humans."

He turned his back to the Sisters. "And you can't ever convince me that you care for anything but your own selves. But I do. Jade was my friend, and Turqueza still is."

He stalked off, back to the small part of the Green.

He looked upon her bemusedly. "What's this for?"

She smiled sadly. "We had intended to become mates. I mean, we'd been promising each other for years that we would carry it out. And now ..." Her face twisted in sorrow again. "Now we will never have the chance."

He held her closer, comforting her.

Even thoughts of her sorrow at Jade's death seemed to be forgotten. Her time with Coyote was slowly bringing the two of them closer together.

finally, one night when he was tending to the trees with her, it finally blurted out of her mouth unintentionally.

She looked over at Coyote. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Coyote."

He looked up in shock. Shock great enough to send him falling off the branch again. Turqueza quickly swooped under his fall to catch him.

"Well now, it looks like you truly have swept me off my feet!" The two laughed, then embraced fully, gliding further into the night.

Himself.

"What ...?"

"It's me, Turqueza."

Then she saw his face. His beautiful face. "Coyote!"

He carried her out of the pyramid, unfurling his wings into the night and carrying them both off.

"It is his fae blood. That's what's causing this."

Turqueza looked to Coyote. "I don't follow."

"The fae don't have a childhood like mortals, Turqueza. We usually spring full-formed from whatever womb we may have been gestated in, and find our place in Oberon's court immediately."

"Oberon's court?!" The horror in Turqueza's voice was evident.

Coyote grew a firm look in his eyes as he spoke. "Never. We must keep him secret from Oberon and the court at all costs. One day, he will bring forth mine and Jade's revenge."

Coyote smiled. "Welcome to my world, my son." He placed Jade's pendant around the newborn's neck. "Remember."

Rain stood there, shellshocked. His mouth hung open, the weight of these revelations finally resting in his brain. He turned to look at Coyote, then back at the spirit. "How could you have known, if you're still in Guatemala?"

**The pendants link us all together. We knew of Jade's death as it happened. We also knew of your birth. And now, the links are down to two.**

The shade was now joined by another, a shade which Goliath and Angela recognized as Obsidiana. **We leave our legacy with you, Rain. You are our spirit. The Green is yours, hijo.**

The two shades unfurled their wings, moving to the walls of the battlement and flying off into the night. They disappeared soon after crossing into the moon. As soon as they were gone, however, the group was distracted by the sound of another gargess coming up to the battlement.

"It's true! You are here!"

Rain turned to face the gargess he now recognized as his mother. He smiled widely, rushing into her embrace. The mother and son were soon joined by Coyote, as they moved down off the battlement. Slowly, the rest of the group moved off with them.

This only left Rosanna standing there on the battlement. Somehow, she had been able to see Zafiro's revelations to her love, possibly by some magic link created by their relationship. She was now hurt and confused.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she looked after Rain. "My God, who is the one that I love?"