Volume #26: "So This is Christmas ..."
(with apologies to the late John Lennon)

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.