Authors' Notes: GARGOYLES and everything associated with them belong to Buena Vista and Disney, not Clan LeFemme, Skydancer, or Lisette.  The characters of "Skydancer" and "Lisette" belong to the authors respectively and may not be used without either's permission.  This is the next fic in the Clan LeFemme series.  Feedback is welcomed and appreciated, just be constructive please.  Hope you enjoy our story! :)

Description:  Skydancer and Lisette finally meet up in the wilds of Pennsylvania.

Rated: PG

 Sighing in boredom, Lisette quickly flicked off the television and arched her back slowly.  "This is not the way I would most enjoy spending my days," Lisette muttered in disgust as she slowly climbed out of her chair.  So far, her week in this new town, Castle of People, Lisette had spent her nights busting up the crime that she found while in her gargoyle form, and then spent her days either sleeping or lounging in front of the television in her modestly sized hotel room.  Like in Traverse City, she had made sure to rent a room that had full access to a large balcony, providing her the perfect opportunity to make her escape each night to do her patrols... escape.

 When she left Traverse City, MI, only the week before, Lisette's first stop was the Cherry Capitol Airport.  There, she idly stared at the different locations on the departure screen in the busy terminal.  In reality, she had no idea where she wanted to go--where she would be needed.  She only had this strange desire to head east.  So, she had stared at the screen for a good fifteen minutes before a single city name caught her attention.  Castellum deGens, Pennsylvania.  Amazed, Lisette had blinked a few times to make sure that she was seeing things right.  And indeed she was.  There really was a listing for one flight that was leaving in a few minutes for the city of Castellum deGens in Pennsylvania.

 To anyone else, the name of the city would have been simply bizarre, but to Lisette it was so much more.  The city name was a mix of Latin and French, two languages that she was familiar with given her past and training.  'Castellum' was Latin for 'Castle' and 'de Gens' was French for 'of People'.  The city was called Castle of People.  Needless to say, her decision was instantly made.

 And so far she didn't regret it in the least.  The city was one of the most beautiful and bizarre that she had ever seen.  When she got off of the plane at the huge airport in Castellum deGens, all she could see was a huge metropolis--everywhere she looked were people, buildings, and skyscrapers.  It was amazing after coming from such a smaller city.  To make it even more astounding for her, later that evening when she had gone for her first patrol over the city, she had discovered that Castellum deGens, with a population of around one million people, sat at the base of a large mountain and was surrounded on all sides by a thriving forest filled with wildlife.  It was amazing really, to see this large metropolis surrounded by the primitive forest--protected from the other aspects of man.  Just the thought of all of that wide open space shielded from prying eyes above by the large branches of the trees just made Lisette yearn all the more for escape from her lush little cell.

 That thought made her turn her head sharply to look at the alarm clock that sat on the bed stand beside her large, queen size bed.  Feeling her scowl turn into a bright smile, Lisette stood up and quickly hurried towards the large, French glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony.  Sure enough, she had made it just in time to watch the glorious sun set.  Then again, she could see very little of that sun from her balcony.  Even though she occupied a room on the 16th floor, she still couldn't get a good view of the sun from over the tall buildings that made up her new city.

 Sighing in disgust, Lisette knew that she could do nothing about it.  Instead, she closed her eyes and briefly chanted the spell she knew so well, a spell that was a mix of Latin and French--the spell that would change her form to the one that was almost second nature for her.  As the green mists gathered around her, Lisette waited patiently as the change took place.  Thankfully, the transformation caused her no pain as her bones began to restructure themselves and as new clothing formed around her skin.  In a few seconds, it was over and Lisette was human no more.

 Smiling to herself, Lisette looked briefly down at her light blue skinned body which was semi-hidden behind her white loin cloth and halter top.  Lifting her eyes, she quickly dove off of her balcony, allowing the cool night air to lift her higher into the sky.  It was time to protect her city.

 She moved under the leafless canopy of twisting branches, into the bright shadows of the building just beyond her.  It stood there, its doors wide open in welcome, in puddles of white light that spilled out into the velvety blackness beyond.  Silently she crept forward, the flashing sign catching her attention.  "Gas Station," she read, whispering the foreign word to herself.  Stepping out of the forrest, she began to approach this building, the first piece of 'civilization' she had ever encountered.

 With moonlight streaming all around her, Skydancer's face lit up in one of the silver beams glowing upon her.  Her green eyes narrowed in the dim lighting, trying to see better around the front of the strange building.  Silently creeping along its side, she made her way to the front where suddenly she was thrust into the brilliance of the electric lights coming from the front windows.  Hunching down into a crouch, Sky let her eyes grow used to the strange alien lights.

 'This must be the strange lighting that I've seen from the mountain....' she thought, watching as a woman pulled up and stepped out of a strange vehicle.  The human woman darted over to an even odder apparatus, and swiping something shiny through it, the woman then unhooked a "log" of some sort and thrust it into a hole in her vehicle.  Sky watched in avid fascination as the woman continued to watch the machine that made small 'dinging' noises, unhooked it from her vehicle, and then proceeded to hook it back to it original position.

 The woman silently turned back to her car and reached inside for her purse.  Skydancer stood up as the woman shut her door and walked towards where she stood in the shadows.  Retreating silently behind some garbage cans, Sky watched as the young woman bristled past her, unaware of her rather unusual observer.  The woman put one hand out and grasped the handle of the door marked 'Ladies Room.'

 "Hey baby!!" came a roughed edged voice from just beyond the darkness.

 Shrinking down further into a crouch, Sky watched as two men stepped out of the shadows just beyond the restroom doors.  Young in age, with tattoos covering each arm, the two punks looked like modern day versions of Hell's Angels.  The woman stepped back nervously.

 "Let me alone....." she said, her voice quivering.

 "We won't hurt you, baby.....we just wanna have some fun....." the shorter punk said, grabbing the woman by the arm.  And then without warning, he leaped upon the girl and planted a firm, forced kiss on her mouth.  Hurriedly, she tried to force him off of her.  Then the bigger punk came up from behind and started pawing at her neck.

 He laughed evilly. "This is gonna be fun....."

 At this, an urge came over Skydancer that she had rarely felt before..... the urge, the NEED to protect surged through her like a bat out of hell.  Growling deeply in her throat, her eyes suddenly glowed a hot white with her anger.  Letting out a war cry, she launched herself at the larger thug, casting him off balance and away from the woman.

 Snorting softly, Lisette allowed herself to wonder briefly if she was truly needed in this city after all.  After a night like she had, it was no wonder that such thoughts were running through her head.  After all, she had had virtually no action to speak of.  There was NOTHING going on that night that had warranted her intervention.  Blowing out a frustrated sigh, Lisette realized that she had been doing more good in the peaceful town in Michigan than she had been that night in this large metropolis.

 Sighing, Lisette slowly focused once more on her surroundings and noticed that she was gliding towards the further edge of town.  Suddenly, a pang of annoyance filtered through her senses as she became aware of an uncomfortable dryness in her throat.  At the same time, a sudden craving rose within her.  She needed something to drink.. and it certainly would give her something better to do than what she was doing right then.  Just as that thought finished crossing her mind, Lisette saw a brightly lit gas station below.  It was like a gift from heaven.

 Tilting her wings, Lisette glided slowly down to the rough pavement found behind the brightly lit gas station.  Before anyone could see her in her gargoyle form, she then quickly cast her transformation spell and reverted back.  Smiling softly, she slowly reached down and smoothed the snug pair of blue jeans that she now wore as well as the thin, long sleeve burgundy shirt that ended just above the button of her low fitting jeans.  Reaching down, she felt in the pocket and pulled out a thin wad of cash.  "Time to get that drink," Lisette murmured, her voice soft as she turned away from the darkness that surrounded this area of the station and slowly walked around to the bright front.

 Looking about, she saw that the gas station was unusually calm for that time of night, with only one other car to be seen in the lot.  Then again, that was the way the whole night was turning out.  The lack of activity to be found this night was frustrating and extremely unusual compared to the past week that she had been patrolling the large city.  Shaking her head, Lisette pushed those thoughts aside as she strode forward purposely and stepped into the brightly lit gas station.  Squinting against the sharp glare of the fluorescent lights, Lisette ignored the soft chime of the door and slowly walked over towards the large coolers that lined the end of the room.

 Like most of the gas stations that she had visited in this country, she found that this one was no different.  Along the far wall lay a bank of refrigerated units that held an assortment of bottled drinks, frozen foods, and even ice cream.  Filling the little store from front to back were little aisles that formed a line up to the service counter where a young man watched her with cold eyes, waiting for her to make her purchase.  Ignoring him as well, Lisette strode purposefully down the main aisle, ignoring the assortment of candy bars, bags of chips, and other little items as she reached the frosty back coolers.  Scanning the containers, it didn't take long for Lisette to find what she was looking for.  Smiling, she quickly reached forward and withdrew a cold bottle of Sprite from the cooler.  Enjoying the coolness of the object in her hand, Lisette turned quickly on her heels and walked back towards the front of the store and dropped the bottle onto the counter.

 "Will that be all for you?" the guy behind the counter asked, his voice bored as he slowly rang up her purchase.

 Sighing, Lisette met the unhappy eyes of the man before her.. no, more like the boy before her.  The guy looked to be about her own age, with thick greasy black hair and a soft sneer upon his lips. "Yes, that will be all," Lisette murmured as she withdrew the thin stack of bills.

 "Ninety-seven cents," the guy said as the cash register dinged, marking the end of the sale.

 Nodding her head, Lisette quickly plucked a single dollar bill from the pile, slipping the rest in her jeans pocket while she set the dollar on the counter.  As the man began to count out her change, she quickly scanned the store once again.  Not seeing what she was looking for, Lisette turned and accepted her change from the young man.  "Where are the restrooms?" she asked quickly as she slipped the three pennies into her pocket with the rest of her money.

 "Back of the building," the guy muttered as he turned away from her and returned to the television program that he had been watching.

 Not even paying attention to his rudeness, Lisette nodded quickly and left the building.  Stepping back onto the sidewalk, she barely noticed the same car sitting at the pump, waiting to be driven away.  Turning, she slowly walked around the building, her thoughts scattered about her.  Vaguely, she wondered why she didn't notice the restrooms in the first place when she had landed in that same area.  Shrugging, she knew that her mind had been elsewhere.

 Suddenly, the sound of a scuffle reached her trained ears as she reached the back of the building.  Dropping her purchase to the ground, Lisette quickly darted around the building and took in the sight before her.

 Head reared back, golden brown hair flying back with fury, Skydancer threw herself blindly at the larger of the two men.  Catching him off guard, he fell to the ground.  Roaring furiously, Sky raised one taloned hand and swiped it across the man's face.  Crying out and grabbing his face, the thug rolled out from under her and screamed for his companion for help.  Sky gave him no chance to get any further, however, and leaped at him again, digging her talons into his back, creating wounds from which blood started pouring through her fingers.  Just then a noise off to her left caused Sky to glance up.  The other thug was advancing towards her, a knife drawn in his hands...

 Gasping, Lisette shook her head in astonishment.  This was NOT what she was expecting to see.  In the dark shadows of the building, Lisette could make out the cowering form of a woman as she lay on the dirty ground, her eyes trained in horror at what was going on around her.  Just before her, though, was the thing that really caught her attention.  It was a gargoyle.  A gargoyle that was attacking a large man--a man who had no doubt been attacking the woman before the gargoyle arrived.

 Shaking her head, Lisette turned her head a little bit more as something caught her eye... a glint in the darkness.  There, stood a smaller man who was no doubt the other's accomplice.. an accomplice that was clutching a knife with a long and deadly blade.. an accomplice that was advancing on the gargoyle.

 Knowing that the gargess, for she was obviously female, was indisposed at the moment, Lisette quickly jumped into action.  Running out into the dark shadows of the hulking building, Lisette quickly planted her sneakered feet into the powdered dirt beneath and lifted her hands.  Staring straight at the man's unsuspecting back, Lisette quickly muttered a short spell under her breath that was a mix of Latin and French.  Instantly, a green light surrounded her hands and then
shot forward, striking the man in the middle of the back and sending him flying a short distance into the wall behind.  Wincing, Lisette heard his body smack against the wall with a loud crack before tumbling to the ground below, his knife lost somewhere in the cloud of dirt that sprung up.

 "Ouch, that had to hurt," she murmured softly as she wiped a hand through her long, pale blond hair.

 Suddenly, out of the darkness a shadow came streaking out of the night advancing on the second man.  A flashing of green witchlight caught Skydancer by surprise as another sound drew her attention back to the larger man she had been attacking.  Letting the outrage and the fury she felt towards the human male for attacking the innocent woman flow through her, Sky let all else blacken from her thoughts.  She moved with an animal instinct to kill or be killed.  Throwing back her head, she shook her hair and crowed her challenge at the man, seeing his terrified look.  Skydancer raised her taloned hands up, the muscles straining as they caught the man by the shirt and lifted him over her head with only the strength a gargoyle could possess.  Her leg muscles tensed as she readied herself to throw the would-be attacker turned victim.

 The thug, shaking in horror of the she-beast, screeched as the gargoyle raised him above her head.  Blood continued to drip down his face from where she had clawed at him before.  He reached out into the sky to grasp something, anything, that would allow him to escape the creature that was holding him.  His hands grasped empty air.  Shaking so violently with fear of the inhuman creature that held him, the thug realized his life was probably about to end.

 Again, letting the hatred for what the man represented engulf her, Sky leaned back and with blood splattering her face, lips curled back over white fangs, she sent him flying towards the convenience store of the gas station behind, unknowingly letting him join his buddy who also laid there unconscious.  Suddenly remembering the strange green light she had seen only moments before, the gargess turned only to see a human woman standing there with pale blond hair. Instantly, her anger evaporated.

 Skydancer slowly walked over to the young woman.  Puzzlement clouded her face as she glanced over to where the other man laid next to his larger companion.  She turned back to the woman.  "Did.... did you do that?" she asked, clearly surprised.  "Are you the one who created the strange green light?"

 Shaking her head in amazement, Lisette slowly looked the gargoyle over.  She was beautiful.  Before her stood a light brown gargess with long brown hair tied in a braid down her back.  Muscles rippled her young body, giving credence to the strength she had demonstrated while fighting the two thugs. Intelligent green eyes watched her from under a cloud of bangs that hid several eyeridges.  She was wearing a brown leather halter top and loin cloth obviously made from the skin of a deer.  Glancing down towards her feet, Lisette noticed a golden ankle bracelet circling the gargess's one foot.  Looking up, Lisette saw that she had been caught staring.  Turning slightly red, she quickly nodded her head.  "Um.. yes, I guess that I did," Lisette said quietly, her voice containing the awe she felt at meeting the new gargoyle.  "Who.. who are you?  Where are you from?"

 Sky looked the woman up and down.  She didn't appear threatening.  And oddly, she seemed unafraid.  Sky felt that rather comforting.  She sighed in relief.  "I call myself Skydancer, for I love dancing the night sky," Sky answered.  "I live up on the mountain that overlooks this city.  I never have been down off the mountain and decided to check out this human realm that always has captured my imagination."  The gargess nodded her head to the two thugs that laid against the convenient store wall.  "It would be just my luck to pick tonight of all nights to meet those such as these two."

 Sighing, Lisette felt a smile light up her face.  "Well.. Skydancer," she said, her accent soft as she tried out the new name.  "My name is Lisette... and.. I am sorry that your first contact with the humans had to be a bad one," she whispered, her smile faltering as she gazed at the two attackers.  Shaking her head, Lisette felt her smile brighten once again.  "It is nice to meet you though," she said as she held out her hand, prepared to perform the warrior's shake that was so common in her clan of the past.

 Skydancer looked at the woman--Lisette--strangely.  She was not familiar with what the woman was doing, but again she did not seem threatening.  Actually, she seemed to be offering friendship.  Shrugging and smiling at the same time, Sky extended her own talon out to the human female.  "Then you have my thanks...Lisette," she said with a smile. "And my welcome."

 Smiling, Lisette quickly clasped her small hand around the gargoyle's forearm and shook it briefly.  "That's my job," Lisette said quietly.  Suddenly, a picture of the frightened woman who had been huddled on the dirt before flashed through her mind's eye.  "Oh my.. the woman!" she cried out quickly as she turned and stared over Skydancer's shoulder to where the stranger still hugged the ground, her wide eyes locked on Skydancer's back.

 Skydancer spun around quickly in concern, she too suddenly remembering the woman whose rescue she had jumped to minutes before.  Wide-eyed, the stranger stared at the two beings before her with a look of frightened astonishment.  Seeing that their attention was now focused on her, she slowly stumbled to her feet.  She stepped back.  "Stay away from me," she whispered, her voice quaking with fear.

 "Wait!" Lisette called out, her voice soft and reassuring.  "We're not going to hurt you!"

 "Don't be frightened," Skydancer added, her voice no more than a whisper.  "Are you alright?"

 But the woman just kept stepping further away, shaking her head.  "Stay away from me!!  Stay away from me, you demons!!"

 "But..." Lisette called out as the woman suddenly turned on her heels and ran towards the front of the store, screaming at the top of her lungs.

 "Monsters!  Demons!" she screamed shrilly, her voice echoing into the dark night.

 Skydancer turned to Lisette.  "I suggest we make a quick exit at this point, before she brings down the whole city down upon our heads......"

 Nodding her head, Lisette quickly looked around nervously.  "Good idea."  Closing her eyes, she quickly muttered an incantation softly, once more a mix of Latin and French.  Within a few seconds, the same eerie green glow formed around Lisette until no trace of her existed outside of the light.  Seconds later, it vanished in a flash, revealing Lisette in her gargoyle form.  "Let's go!" she called out as she turned and began scaling the service station's wall, her talons making easy work of the hard brick.

 Skydancer stared in surprise at her new companion.  "Is there no end to this female's tricks?" she asked herself with a chuckle, no stranger to magic herself.  Sky suddenly uncaped her own fourteen foot wings and jumped up behind the gargoyle form of Lisette and began scaling the wall after her.  Upon reaching the top, the gargess glanced over to her companion who was waiting for her.  "Do you have any suggestions as to where to go?  Someplace we can speak further perhaps?" asked the brown-haired gargoyle, suddenly realizing that she had no place to go in this strange city.

 Grinning at her companion, Lisette nodded her head quickly.  "I rented a room in one of the hotels in the city... we can talk there," she said, all the while noting Skydancer's apparent lack of amazement at her transformation.  That was odd.. it wasn't every day that people saw magic, and when they did, they were usually shocked to the point of speechlessness.  Shrugging her shoulders, Lisette quickly took to the night sky, relishing the feeling of the soft wind blowing her fine hair out behind her.

 Smiling in return, Sky leaped into the black velvet of the night and caught an updraft, following her new friend across the night sky of the city below them.

 As the wind pushed her higher into the night sky, Lisette glanced up at the building that was their destination.  When she had said before that she had rented a room at a hotel, she wasn't entirely being honest.  For in fact, the room was more like a suite located on the 16th floor, the very top of the hotel she was staying in.  A strong breeze blew harder, and she and Skydancer closed in on where she was staying.

 The building was a modern wonder of steel, red brick, and glass.  Along one side of the building was a huge neon sign that flashed the words, Hotel Cabrara in bright pink.  The structure spoke of wealth and power, and was the perfect spot from which to rent a penthouse suite to allow easy access to the black velvet of the night.

 Smiling at the thought, Lisette quickly soared up and landed lightly on her wide balcony.  As Skydancer alighted beside her, she quickly stepped forward and pushed aside the ornate French doors that allowed access to her large suite.  Stepping inside, she quickly reached to the right of the door and flicked on the switch that flooded the room with the soft lighting of the many lamps that filled the room.

 The room was quite large with a soft beige color tone throughout.  A beautiful white dressing table with gold edges sat along one wall, a brocaded bench before it.  Slender bottles of perfumes and creams sat upon it, along with a silver brush and comb.  Behind, hung a large gold framed mirror.  The mirror caught the soft glow of the lamp light and made the room come alive with dancing lights.  The huge king-size bed against the opposite wall was covered in white quilts and loomed large in the mirror.  A large, color TV sat facing opposite it. A tall, antique-style armoire was positioned next to the dressing table, its doors swung open.  Several robes and dressing gowns hung within it.  Against the far wall, beside the door to the large white bathroom,
stood the only other door in the room, which led to the hallway outside.  Without a thought, she quickly transformed back into her human form and then dropped herself unceremoniously into one of the comfy arm chairs that were located to the side of the French doors.

 Skydancer entered through the French doors rather slowly.  She had never been inside a human dwelling before, and this one fascinated her.  She watched rather quietly as Lisette transformed herself back into a human shape.  Glancing once more around the unfamiliar room, the gargess caped her huge wings over her shoulders and gracefully slid down to sit on the floor, Indian-style.  Her green eyes looked inquisitively at Lisette as she raised an eyeridge.  "You are a magic-user," she said, matter-of-factly.  It was a statement, not a question.

 Sighing, Lisette nodded slowly.  Now that they were away from the danger of the moment and the surprise of finding a new gargoyle had worn away, she found herself feeling slightly shy and out of place with the stranger.  "Yes.. I'm.. well, I'm part human and part.. something else," Lisette said quietly, trying to decide how to best describer her situation.  "I used to live with a gargoyle clan before... before they were destroyed," Lisette said, her voice dropping low at the mention of her clan.  "Ever since I awoke I've been changing into a gargoyle in order to patrol the city that I inhabit and protect the humans."

 Skydancer paused for a moment, digesting what she had just been told.  Again she looked into Lisette's blue eyes.  For as young as she was, they had the wisdom and pain of centuries in them.  "This gargoyle clan.... they are not from this country?" she asked gently.  "And you... your accent says that you are from somewhere else.... somewhere far away..."

 Smiling at the gargess's quick thinking, Lisette nodded quickly.  "You're right on both accounts," she said, a smile lifting her lips.  "I was born in Gaul.. er, France," she said, remembering that her country was no longer called Gaul as it was in her time.  "I just came to the United States about.. oh, a month ago?" she asked, trying to do the math quickly in her head.

 Skydancer again raised an eyeridge, puzzlement crossing her face.  There was more to her new friend's story than what she was telling.  And what had she called her place of origin..... Gaul?  According to the ancient lure that Skydancer had in her cavern library, Gaul was the ancient name of France.  "You said Gaul at first..." Sky remarked, pausing.  "Why do you call it that?  France has not been called that in centuries."

 Sighing again, Lisette knew that things were about to get complicated.  "Well," she said slowly, trying to figure out in her head how best to word this.  "I guess you could say that is because I was born centuries ago.. about ten to be exact."

 Skydancer's green eyes widened.  "One thousand years ago???  You were born ten centuries ago???" she asked in astonishment. "How can that be?"

 Gulping, Lisette slowly nodded her head.  "Yes, I was born in the late tenth century," Lisette said, trailing off slowly as she took in the astonishment of her new friend.  "You see..." she trailed off.  Now how in the world was she going to explain this?  "I.. I lived in a chateau, a castle, under the care of Craigen, a magician.  I grew up with the gargoyle clan that protected our home," Lisette whispered quietly, her face showing years of pain as the memories flooded her.  "One day, while the gargoyles were sleeping, we were attacked by the Romans..." she trailed off as she dipped her head down, her hair falling in front of her face and hiding the tears that were building in her bright blue eyes.  Lifting a hand, she quickly brushed them away.  "I could do nothing to save them and in the end the clan was smashed.  Craigen, my mentor, put me in a magical sleep, and I only woke from that sleep about two years ago..."

 "Oh my stars....." Skydancer whispered, clearly in awe.

 Smiling softly, Lisette nodded her head.  "Yes, I guess you could say that."  Shaking her head, she quickly straightened her shoulders and pushed aside all of the troubling memories.  Now was NOT the time to be dealing with the past.  "In any case, I stayed in France until.. until someone close to me was killed.  I then came to the United States," she said, forcing a bright smile on her face.  "I've only been here in Castellum deGens for about a week now."

 "This 'Craigen'.....he was your teacher?"  the gargess asked, trying to get a handle on the situation.  "And he was the one who put you under the spell?  What happened to him?"

 "Yes.. when I was but just a child, Craigen discovered my inherited magical ability.  So, he, being the wizard he was," Lisette continued, a wry smile on her face, "taught me everything he knew about the magical arts.  The rest I kind of make up as I go," she said, that same smile evident as she thought of all the things she had done of her own volition, without any prompting from her mentor.  Her mentor...  "Craigen.. he used the last of his energy to cast the sleep spell," Lisette whispered sadly, her smile faltering.  "When I awoke alone in the caverns I found his remains on the floor beside me.... but what of you?" she asked quickly, shaking off the aching need that was building within her--the need to see her loved ones once again and feel the warmth of their touch.  "You said that you live on the mountain?  Where is your clan?"

 Skydancer said nothing at first, lost in thought.  "I have read of the ancient earth wizards in my library.... your Craigen must have been one of them.  They do not exist any longer.... there is no reason for them here in this time and place...." she said, her voice trailing off into the distance.  Pausing, Sky blinked her eyes, ending her trance.  She refocused her green eyes onto Lisette.  "Yes, I have lived on the mountain all of my life," she said simply.  "As for a clan..... I have no clan.  It is only me."

 "Huh?" Lisette asked, her face clearly showing her confusion.  "Wait, wait... one thing at a time," she said quickly, holding her hands up before her as she tried to sort through all of the information she had just been given.  "First of all, what's this about a library?  You have a library up on the mountain?!" she asked, baffled at this latest development.  That thought brought up all new questions that had been nagging her mind for awhile.  Before Skydancer even had a chance to reply, Lisette quickly started in again.  "If.. if you've been up on the mountain for all of this time... how is it that you know English and you have books?... not to mention an entire library?" Lisette murmured as she stared at the gargoyle before her.  Things just kept getting more and more strange this night. "And.. if you have no clan.. how did you even come to be up there?  You must have had a clan at one time, right?"

 Skydancer closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.  Now, it was her turn for revealing.  "I do not know.  I have never seen another gargoyle other than myself.... until tonight.  I have only seen my own reflection, mirrored in the night-time pool of water," she said mysteriously.  "I have no clear memories of anyone else.  No 'clan' as you say.... but I do have vague recollections--actually they're more like shadows--of someone taking care of me when I was very young.  But that ended so suddenly....." Sky's voice trailed off.  "All I know is that I've been alone for most of my life."

 "But.. I don't understand," Lisette whispered, unable to comprehend what she was being told.  "You mean that you've been all alone... I mean, completely all alone for that long?  What do you do up there?" she asked, blurting out the first words that came to mind.  As the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted them.  "I... I'm sorry," she said suddenly as the force of the gargess's words finally reigned down upon the young halfling.  Her life was *nothing* compared to this gargoyle.  It was true that she had been through much heartache throughout her relatively short life--losing everything that was dear to her.  But then again, this poor creature had been alone for pretty much all of her life.  Alone.  She had never lost anyone dear to her because there had been no one for her to become close to!

 At Lisette's question, Skydancer laughed.  "Do not apologize, my friend.  There is plenty to do on the mountain, believe it or not.  As to your other questions, I will try to explain, though it may even make things more puzzling.  I live in a cavern on the upper most slopes of the mountain.  Until this night I have never been off of it.  I thrive up there, amongst the trees and nature.....there I am free," Sky paused for a moment, smiling.  "Inside the cavern are the remains of an ancient.... I don't know quite what to call it actually..... an ancient human dwelling perhaps?  Tables, chairs, a bed..... things that have the smell of at least a century to them..... things that I really have no use for.  Except the library.  I don't know who they belong to or when they were put there, but one of the off shoots of the main cavern contains hundreds of books..... wizardry, herbs, stories of ancient fighting..... things that no longer exist in this modern day world.  It is through the books that I know of such things... such as recognizing you as a magic-user," Sky finished, smiling.

 Smiling at the way that the gargess shrugged off her concern, Lisette shifted in her chair, drawing her legs up beneath her.  "That sounds... lovely," Lisette murmured, her smile softening.  "I think that I should like to see your home one day, if you would let me... the freedom that you mention is something that I have only truly experienced as of late," she said, a small smirk appearing on her face as she realized that before her awakening, in her past life, her time was ruled by Craigen: her daily lessons, her duties, and then her nights on patrol with her clan.  "But that is puzzling at the same time.  You have *no* idea who raised you or to how you came to be up there on the mountain all by yourself?  No clues at all?" she asked, her voice soft yet persistent.

 Sky smiled again, noticing the interest her companion was showing.  "You would be welcomed to do so.... one day soon.  No, I have no idea who I was born too, or who raised me in my first few years.  As I said, they are more shadows than actual memories.  I remember nothing clearly.  Mostly I raised myself and educated myself with the books.  I do not know how I even learned to read, much less know where I learned the language of the human people..... I just have always been able to do so."

 Grinning, Lisette shook her head in amazement.  "You simply astound me, Skydancer!" she cried out, laughing slightly.  "Well, what did bring you down the mountain this eve?  Were you coming to protect the humans like I do?"

 At that question, Skydancer's face grew solemn.  "I love my home.  I love the freedom it offers.  I love the creatures that inhabit my forrest.  But, I am the only one of my kind up there.  The only one who dances in the night sky....." she paused, remembering her celestial dance of the week before.  "I would not trade it for anything, however; I also long for the companionship of others..... long to see if there are other's like me.  So, I decided to see this 'city' as I have heard the humans who hunt on the mountain call it..... and see what I could find."  Her eyes met Lisette's across the room.  "And it would seem that I found you.  Or you found me...." she added with a grin.

 Laughing, Lisette quickly shook her head, her fine blond hair twirling out around her shoulders.  "Or perhaps destiny wanted us to meet this eve?  After all, you are not the only one who was feeling alone and looking for companionship... I'm.. I'm just glad that I did stumble upon you tonight," she said quickly, her voice faltering as her skin darkened slightly.  "Unfortunately, it is true that I am not exactly of your race," she said quickly, trying to get over her embarrassment--after all, she wasn't quite used to speaking of her feelings so bluntly with another... it had been so long.  "And I *haven't* seen any other gargoyles in this city as of yet, but I do not, like you, quite fit in with the humans that occupy this city.  We are both different here."

 Skydancer nodded.  "Yes, it is not every day that I come across a creature who can shape-shift such as you do, however; I too am not unfamiliar with magic.  You have shown me some of your magic, this night, my friend, Lisette.  Perhaps it is time I showed you some of mine."

 The gargess stood silently then, and turned towards the French doors, her brown braid flying over her left shoulder.  Stepping out onto the porch, she raised her hand to the sky and turned her face up to the heavens.  "LIGHTNING, COME FORTH!!" she commanded into the night.  Suddenly, the wind stirred up out of nowhere and hissed around her.  Brilliant white lightning streaked the sky, sending bolts of electrical charges down, encircling her wrist and traveling through the rest of her body, encasing Skydancer in an awe-striking light..... and then it was gone, as quickly as it had come.  Sky turned back to her companion who still sat in the inner room.  "That, my friend, is what I command..... the sky itself," she said with a secret smile.

 "Qu'est-ce que c'est?..." Lisette whispered numbly, shock frozen upon her face as she unconsciously slipped back into her native tongue.  What she just witnessed was... well, it was incredible!  While she sat there, she slowly reached out her magical senses at the first mention of the word.  At first, she was confused for she felt no magical presence around the gargoyle.  That was odd, in and of itself.  After all, if she could sense no magic from the gargoyle, how could she demonstrate some of her powers?  Then, as Skydancer's words crashed out into the night, Lisette felt a strange magic growing around the young gargoyle's form.  Shocked, she just sat there and watched with wide eyes as the magic she felt grew to unimaginable proportions.  Even more odd, as soon as the demonstration was done, all the magic that she sensed seemed to disappear as if she had imagined the whole thing.  Qu'est-ce que c'est.." Lisette repeated, unable to think of a better phrase to capture her amazement.  "C'est encroyable," she murmured, shaking her head slowly.  "Wow."

 "What?" Skydancer asked, puzzlement crossing her face at the unfamiliar tongue as she re-entered the room.

 Shaking her head, Lisette slapped herself mentally.  "I kept repeating 'what is that'... it's.. well, it's sort of the French exclamation when they can think of nothing else to say.. astonishment," Lisette explained quickly.  "Oh, and I also said that it was incredible," she said quickly, a smile forming on her face.  "How did you just do that?"

 A smile crossed the Skydancer's face.  "I do not know.  That too, is a mystery to me.  One night, when I was very young..... not too young, mind you, for I had already been alone for many years.... I had this unexplainable urge to fly out in the middle of a thunderstorm.  I flew very high into it, lightning was streaking all around me, and I had the need to touch it--control it, if you will.  So, I reached out and commanded it to come to me.... and it did--it knocked me clear out of the sky," she paused, smiling at the memory.  "It was not easy to do at first, but over the years I have perfected the technique and now can call the lightning at will.  It is not much.... certainly not anything like you do, but it does come in hand sometimes."

 Feeling the laughter build in her once more, Lisette shook her head quickly.  "Not much?" she asked in amazement.  "I would certainly call that much!  That was... spectacular!!"

 Skydancer raised an eyeridge, laughter crossing her face.  "It is not much to me.  The only thing it seems to be useful for so far is to light a fire.... or scare a bear away from one of my forrest friends.  I have not found much other use for it.  Though, after witnessing what I did tonight with the human female, perhaps it can be turned towards other useful things..."

 Nodding her head thoughtfully, Lisette smiled at her new friend.  "You are correct there... your... power, could definitely be used to aid you when protecting the humans..." she trailed off as a sudden thought occurred to her.  "You are going to stay and help me to protect them, aren't you?  I mean, after all, you are a gargoyle..." she whispered, suddenly worried that her friend was going to leave her--leave her like everyone else had for so long.  She couldn't bear that.  Not again.

 Skydancer sighed.  "I have not given much thought in protecting humans... I do not know that much about them......" her voice trailed off and then she smiled.  "But, perhaps it is time I learned.  I do not think that it will hurt if I spend some time away from my home as I learn about these humans and 'protect' them, as you say, at the same time."  She flipped her braid back over her shoulder.  "Yes, Lisette, I will stay..... for now."

 Smiling, Lisette couldn't help her enthusiasm as she jumped out of her chair and rushed over to the gargoyle.  "You will not regret your decision!" she cried out quickly as she threw her thin arms around the taller gargoyle's shoulders.

 Caught off guard, Skydancer let the young woman hug her for a moment before sliding her own arms around her new friend's shoulders.  She was not used to this showing of emotion, but it was not an unwelcomed feeling.  Suddenly she smiled.  Skydancer was no longer alone.  She had found a friend, and it would seem a good one at that.

 Grinning, Lisette broke away from the gargoyle and stared up into her large, green eyes.  "Thank you, Dancer of the Sky.  Just give me some time and I will show you that you are needed here," Lisette said quietly, her voice earnest.  "This city is large, and too much for me to protect on my own.. but with you here beside me, nothing can stop us!" Lisette cried out, her smile growing.

 Sky returned Lisette's smile.  "We are only two, so I don't know how much we can accomplish, however, it is a start.... and who knows?  Perhaps we will have others join us as time goes on."

 As Skydancer's words reached Lisette, a strange feeling swept over her.  "You know what Sky?  I do believe that you are right.. I have the strangest feeling that soon there will be more."  As soon as the words left her mouth, Lisette instantly felt foolish.  Shaking her head, she glanced up at her new friend.  "Do not ask!" she said, laughing at her own silliness.

 "Premonitions?" Skydancer asked Lisette, questions crossing her grass eyes.  "Can you see into the future, my friend?"

 Laughing, Lisette quickly shook her head.  "No, of course not!" she cried out, wrinkling her nose in amusement.  "Just silly feelings, that's all," Lisette said firmly, even as she questioned her words.  The feelings may be silly, but it was those feelings that she followed and which brought her to Skydancer.  "No, just silliness."

 "'There are more things in heaven and earth..... than are dreamt of in our philosophies...' or so said the man, Shakespeare," Skydancer commented, looking down sternly at her friend.  "I have learned that nothing in this world is 'silly.'"  Suddenly, a streak of light caught Skydancer's eye and she turned her head towards the French doors.  Dawn's light was starting to break the surface.  "Sunrise," she said.  "I must rest."  She looked down at her new friend.  "May I stay here
for the day, Lisette-mage?"  the gargess asked.

 Grinning, Lisette nodded quickly.  "My hotel room is yours... or so used to say my mentor, Craigen, in not so many words," she said, a large smile on her face, her blue eyes sparkling.

 Skydancer nodded her thanks.  She walked over to the corner next to the French doors.  Just as the golden streaks of dawn broke the surface of the horizon, she turned back to her new friend.  "Until tonight then, Lisette," she said with a smile.  The crashing rays of the sun fell upon her then and Skydancer turned to stone.

 Sighing, Lisette stared at the hardened statue of her newest friend.  "Until tonight," she whispered to the unmoving stone as she turned to prepare for bed.  It had been a *long* night.

The following evening

 Sighing, Lisette shifted uncomfortably in the hard hotel chair that she occupied.  She had awakened from her deep sleep only an hour or two ago, but already she was impatient for the coming of the night.  For only then would her friend awaken from her stone slumber and could their adventure truly begin.  Actually, if it weren't for the statue sitting in the corner of the room, Lisette would have believed that everything she had witnessed and heard the night before were nothing more than a dream... a wonderful and perplexing dream.

 Suddenly, Lisette noticed the shadows extend in the world outside of her room as the sun began its glorious descent over the skyscrapers that lined Castellum deGens skyline.  Anticipation building within her, Lisette jumped up from her chair and moved to stand at a respectable distance from the statue--giving her room to awaken and stretch.  Suddenly nervous, she reached a small hand down and smoothed out her soft gray shirt over her tanned khakis, brushing the other through her waves of blond. And then her waiting was over.

 Hairline fractures began to crisscross on the stone skin of the Skydancer.  A crackling sound was heard and the splattering fragments of stone burst away from the tan gargoyle underneath.  Flexing her wings and stretching at the same time, Skydancer let out a roar of a yawn that echoed around the room and out into the granite canyon of the skyscrapers beyond.  Blinking her green eyes rapidly, she wondered why she didn't hear the sounds of the forrest as she usually did when she awoke. Glancing around the room, she suddenly remembered where she was.  The city!  Castellum deGens!  And Lisette!  Sky looked around the room for her new friend.  Sure enough, there she was across from her.  The gargess flashed Lisette a small smile.  "Good evening," she said quietly.

 Returning the smile, Lisette nodded.  "I suppose it is at that, huh?" she asked, all prepared to bid the gargess good morning.  Even though she had been following a sleep schedule similar to this for the last two years or so, she still found herself falling into the habits of the morning.  “Um... did you sleep well?" she finally asked, unsure as to what she should say next.

 Skydancer yawned again and shook her head to stretch her neck muscles, her long braid swinging back and forth as she did so.  "Very well, thank-you.  Stone hibernation is always gratifying."  Sky looked over at the mage.  "And yourself?  Did you sleep happy dreams?"

 Sighing, Lisette shrugged her delicate shoulders.  "As well as to be expected," she replied vaguely, averting her eyes away from those of her new friend.  Those eyes, so green and pure, like the leaves of the forrest trees that surrounded her new city, had a way of looking straight into her soul.  "But enough of that.  Are you hungry?" she asked quickly, eager to change the subject.  "We should probably eat before going out on patrol.. I can order from room service..." she trailed off, forcing a smile for her friend.

 Skydancer's eyes lit up.  Now, *THERE* was a suggestion!!  "I think that would be a wonderful suggestion," she said, grinning.  "What is on the menu?"

 Smiling at Skydancer's enthusiasm, Lisette quickly hurried over to the nightstand that sat opposite her large king size bed.  Grabbing the neatly folded laminated paper from the table, she quickly flipped it open and scanned the contents.  "Well.. that depends.  Are you a meat eater or do you prefer vegetables?  For example, there is 'le boeuf,'" she said, her French accent making easy work of the familiar word.  Turning, she met her friend's green eyes.  "Ah... never mind.  What do you like to eat for your first meal of the night?" she finally asked.

 Skydancer plopped herself down onto the bed next to her mage friend.  "Well, normally my diet consists of fish and whatever else I can grow in my garden.... but I am game for something new.  How about something for breakfast?  What would you suggest?" she asked, looking over Lisette's shoulders to glance at the menu.  Most of the things listed on it were foreign to her.

 Grinning, Lisette looked back at the menu with renewed interest, her blue eyes sparkling devilishly.  "Up to try something new, you say?" she asked.  Right away, her eyes flitted to such entries like 'Caviar' and 'Veal,' but in the end it only took her a few seconds to decide on something for her friend to try.  "How does 'Eggs Benedict' sound?" she asked as she pointed to a picture of the item.  "It's really an English muffin, which is bread, sliced down the middle with ham, which is a type of meat that comes from pigs, laid on top and then covered with a cheesy sauce," she explained.  Personally, she LOVED that particular treat.  "On the other hand, I will be having the Belgian Waffles with strawberry topping," she said, pointing to another picture on the glossy menu.  "Which looks more appealing to you?"  After all, she didn't want to scare her friend away from human food quite this soon!

 "Pigs?" Skydancer said, wrinkling her nose.  She had seen the animals running loose on her mountain top home a few times and they didn't look very appetizing to her.  "I don't know.... perhaps another time... I think I will try this 'Belgian waffle of yours....with the strawberries."  Sky smiled at her last comment.  "I *LOVE* strawberries!" she said.

 Laughing, Lisette nodded her approval.  "Good decision, mon amie!" she said as she reached over and snatched her telephone off of the night stand.  "We shall save the pig for another night," she whispered with a wink as someone picked up the phone on the other side.  "Ah yes, I would like to order room service for the penthouse suite.  Oui, this is Lisette deBuschelle.  Ah oui.. I would like two orders of your Belgian waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream... ah, to drink?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.  "Ah, pardon moi but will you please hold?  Ah, thank you.."  Quickly, Lisette covered the phone with her hand and turned to her friend.  "What would you like to drink?"

 Skydancer shrugged her shoulders at this "strange" question.  "Ah... water," she said, puzzlement crossing her face.  "What else is there?"

 Surprised, Lisette paused briefly and thought over her companion's question.  "Well.. there is water, orange juice, white milk, skim milk, chocolate milk, apple juice..." she murmured, counting off the drinks on her fingers.  "Um... there is pop, hot chocolate, tea, coffee.. even wine, I suppose."

 "OH!" Sky exclaimed.  She hadn't realized that there were so many drinks available in the human world.  "Well.....what are you having?"

 Looking into her friend's green eyes, Lisette immediately realized her mistake.  Of course Sky knew nothing of the drinks she mentioned.  After all, she had been amazed herself when she had re-entered this strange world and found that there was more to drink than just the white goat's milk that she had been accustomed to.  "Well.. I guess that I usually drink white milk," she replied, chewing her lip thoughtfully.  Even though there were so many other options out there, old habits died hard.  "I've found that the humans usually drink either some variety of milk or juice for breakfast."

 "Hmmmm....... well, then I will try this 'milk' then.  The same as you," Sky said with a smile.

 Grinning, Lisette smiled softly at her friend.  She was so trusting.  "Ah yes.. yes I would like two glasses of white milk, s'il vous plait," she said quickly as she turned her attention back to the phone.  "Ah, bon.  Good.. I will be seeing you in fifteen to twenty minutes then," she replied as she gently set down the phone receiver.  "Well.. what would you like to do until the food arrives?" she asked.  Lifting her hand, she gestured to the room around them.  "Like I said before, whatever is here, you are welcome to.  Maybe some television?"

 "Tel-e-vi-sion??" Sky asked, questions clouding her eyes.  Smiling again, she shook her head.  "There is so much of this world that I don't understand.... so much that my books could not tell me.  What is this television?  Does it tell you things such as my books do?"

 Sighing, Lisette pondered this question as well.  "Well, some would answer yes to that question while others would say that it rots your brain."

 "Rots your brains out?" Skydancer echoed.  "Man creates things that can rot their brains?  How do they stand the foul stench that must cause?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.  The picture it brought to mind wasn't very pleasant in her book.

 Laughing, Lisette fell back on her bed and stared up at the plastered ceiling.  She wondered if she was this.. innocent, when she had first entered this world.  Actually, on most matters she would still be considered quite innocent.  Suddenly, she wondered if they were the best pair for each other, both new to this new world.  Shaking her head, Lisette reached over and picked up the remote that was lying on the bed beside her.  "It's an expression.. but, I will let you be the judge for yourself," she said as she pushed the power button.

 Suddenly, loud voices filled the room.  Startled at the sound, Skydancer fell off the bed and onto the  floor, her eyes glowing a bright white.  She scanned the room, looking for where the noises were originating from.  To her surprise, a box across from the bed glowed with vivid moving pictures on it.  The sounds were coming from it.  Immediately, Sky let down her defenses and her eyes stopped their glowing and resumed their normal calm shade of green.  "I take it.... that *THAT* is your 'television'?" she asked, in a somewhat surprised voice.

 Unable to hold back her laughter at Skydancer's reaction, Lisette slowly rolled on the bed and then fell to the hard floor, giggles escaping her mouth.  Groaning, she quickly brought her hand up to her head and mumbled, "Ouch."  Shaking her head, she turned and glanced at her friend, who was by now mesmerized by the television.  Her reaction to it brought back memories of her own first time seeing a television.  Chagrined, she remembered that her reaction had been extremely similar.  "Yes, that is television," she finally replied as she slowly climbed to her feet and sat once more on the high bed.

 For the next several minutes, Skydancer stared at the television, truly enraptured by it.  It would never cease to amaze her of all the many wonders this world had to offer.  Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Skydancer jumped down along side of the bed.  "I think our 'room service' is here," she said.  "I think it best if I am not seen."

 Nodding her head, Lisette quickly stepped towards the door.  Before she opened it, she turned and stared back, making sure that her friend was indeed out of sight.  Sighing, she quickly pulled open the door and flashed a brilliant smile at the man who waited in the hallway.

 "Lisette deBuschelle?" he asked quickly as he read off of a clipboard that he held.

 "Yes, that is I," Lisette replied as she quickly took the board and scrawled her name beside the large 'x' at the bottom of the page.  "Thank you, kind sir," she said quietly as she handed over a two dollar tip and then accepted the wheeled cart that he was beside.  Before the man could utter another word, she then shut the door before him.  Sighing, Lisette wheeled the cart further into the room, already able to smell the hot breakfast foods.  "You can come out now, Sky," she said, the smile evident in her voice.

 The aroma of the food filled Skydancer's nostrils.  Strange smells that were heavenly filled the room around her.  Smiling with delight, the gargess came out from along side of the bed and plopped herself in front of the cart.  Her smile deepened as Lisette took the covers off of the dishes.  "This looks delicious!" she said with a grin.  "I think I am going to like this 'human' food!" she exclaimed.

 Laughing, Lisette hoped that Skydancer was right.  And, with no further ado, the two quickly dug into their meals and finished them with a craved frenzy.  About ten minutes later, the dishes were clean once again, to the very last drop of whipped cream and strawberry juice.  Sighing in satisfaction, Lisette leaned back in the chair that she had pulled up to their make-shift table and smiled at the lean gargess.  "So, mon amie.. what did you think of your first human meal?"

 Skydancer licked her lips.  "That meal was a dream come down from heaven!" she said.  "If all meals are like this one was, I will never want to go back to fishing again."  Sighing with satisfaction, she patted her stomach and grinned.

 "And you'll never have to either, as far as I'm concerned," Lisette said, a soft smile on her lips.  Suddenly, she glanced over at the clock that also sat on that small table across from her bed.  "Although, our appreciation of our meal should wait till later--like our next one!" Lisette cried out, that same smile returning and causing her lips to tilt up.  "We should go out and start patrolling our city before the night is over."

 At this, Skydancer looked over at the clock. It was after 9pm already.  She nodded her agreement.  "Yes, I want to at least familiarize myself..... ourselves....." she amended, smiling, "with this city so that we know all the in's and out's of it.  I know the forrest and the mountain like the back of my hand and I want that same knowing with this new area."

 Shaking her head, Lisette found herself amazed with this gargess that sat before her.  The dedication that she showed to her job was something to be admired.  Grinning, Lisette found herself thinking that she'd be making a permanent protector of the 1st race out of her friend in no time at all.  "Shall we, then?" she asked as she picked herself up and followed Sky out onto the balcony.  As the cool breeze trailed it's soft fingers over her face, she quickly changed into her gargoyle form.  Smiling, the wind ruffled her soft white halter as she waited for her new partner to join her.

 The gargess watched with amusement as her friend did one of her "magic tricks" and reverted to her gargoyle shape.  Smiling, Skydancer inhaled deeply of the night air.  It lacked the evergreen scent of the forrest she was used to smelling, but the city air wasn't totally unpleasant--at least not yet.  Uncaping her wings, she walked over the porch and leaped up onto the railing.  "Let's see what adventures this 'Castle of People' holds for us tonight," she said, her eyes dancing.

 Grinning, Lisette quickly joined her friend on the balcony railing and together they dived off into the night sky, prepared to protect their city.

Later that night

 The two gargesses flew in and out of the granite canyons of the Castellum deGens' skyline.  The lights of the city shown up at them like a cloud of fireflies hovering just below them.  They danced and glimmered in the lengthening shadows, their luminescence visible from the towering perches of the rich in which the two flew.  The melodious noises of the vast city came to the two in waves, carried by the soft Autumn breeze.  Threads of horns, whistles, and traffic wove themselves into the rich tapestry of the velvet night.  The two gargesses were enraptured, bewitched by every movement, every object, every sound that surrounded them--making them a part of the night they flew in.

 Skydancer smiled over at her new found friend.  There wasn't anyone else who she would rather be exploring this new territory with.  She had found a true "sister" in this young halfling.

 Glancing over, Lisette caught her friend watching her.  Grinning, she smiled and glided closer to the winged beauty.  "What is it Sky?" she asked, her voice soft and light, like the sound of soft waves lapping against a moonlit beach.

 The Skydancer grinned back and just shook her head.   "It's nothing really," she said, pausing.  "I was just thinking that I couldn't have found a better first-friend than you...."  Skydancer's voice trailed off and she shrugged.  "I'm just glad that I am not alone any longer.  It's kind of hard to explain....  My mountain is beautiful, but it does not offer the same comradeship that a friend does.... do you know what I mean?"

 Smiling, Lisette quickly nodded her head, eyes locking with the deep emerald green of her friend.  "I know *exactly* how you..." she trailed off as her sharp sight caught a hold of movement below.  Frowning softly, she scanned the deserted streets below, trying to re-find what had so captured her attention.  A moment later, she saw it.  "Sky, look," she said, nodding her head down at one of the many sidewalks that lined the streets before the towering department stores below.

 Skydancer quickly looked down.  There, just below them, were two distinct shadows standing in front of a department store.  It was quite obvious from the darkness shining from inside that the store was closed.  The two shadows could only mean one thing.  "Let's go in for a closer look," the brown gargess said, folding in her wings a bit and immediately dipping lower in the air.

 Nodding her head, Lisette quickly brushed a stray strand of her pale blond hair behind her shoulders as she followed Skydancer's sharp dive.  As they drew closer to the street, the details of what was happening became clear.  Two humans, apparently male from their build, were arguing in front of the darkened storefront.  That, in itself, was harmless enough.  But the brick that one of the humans was holding while he gestured at the smooth glass was a different story.

 White light immediately flashed in Skydancer's green eyes when she saw the brick.  Gesturing to the alley right next to the store, Sky caped her wings in for a landing with Lisette close on her heels.  Wrinkling her nose at the stench of rotting trash, urine, and slime, she ignored some drunken winos laying in amongst the stacks of garbage cans and quickly moved to the edge of the building.  She did not like the sounds of shouting and foul language she heard rounding the corner of the building.  Peeking around the corner, Sky almost did a double-take.  There, not ten feet from her, were the two men from the gas station from the night before! "Oh my stars...." she gasped.

 Feeling her friend recoil against her, Lisette quickly pushed Skydancer back and glanced around the corner, eager to see what had caused her friend to react like that.  When her eyes laid upon the two familiar men, however, her reaction was much the same.  "It is the two from the gas station!" she whispered, saying aloud what both were thinking.  And their effect on the two men was more than evident.  The taller of the two that had taken on Skydancer the night before wore a large white bandage that covered most of his face, evidence of her prowess.  And as for Lisette's opponent, his head was swathed in the same white gauze bandages, evidence of his run in with the wall.

 Skydancer nodded grimly, glancing at the two again over the shoulder of her mage-friend.  "Yeah, and they both look like they're up to no good again..... exactly as they were last night.  I think they need another lesson, don't you?" the gargess said, grinning wickedly at Lisette, her meanings quite obvious on her face.

 Laughing quietly, Lisette flashed her own smile, her fangs glinting off of her blue skin and the bright moonlight.  "Let's do it!" she said as she stepped out of hiding and glared at the two men before her, her eyes glowing.  Annoyed, she saw that their backs were facing towards her.  ~Well, we can fix that~ she thought smugly to herself as she flared out her wings and took a threatening step forward.  "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said quietly, her voice deadly as the two men slowly turned at her words.

 "Oh God," the smaller man breathed as he caught sight of the monster that was standing before him.  It was just like the demon that had attacked him and his buddy the night before.

 Skydancer came out from behind Lisette.  The gargess's green eyes were glowing twin cauldrons of white fire.  "Tsk, tsk, tsk.... I swear, don't you two *EVER* learn?" she growled at the two creeps she and Lisette had encountered the night before.  "Slime like you ought to stay in the gutter, where you belong!" she roared.

 ~How could this be?~ the smaller man wondered idly as he stared at the demons before him.  Both looked like goddesses with fit bodies and vivacious curves.. but with the sharp talons and fangs that glinted in the moonlight and the glow of their eyes... well, how could a demon look so tempting at the same time?  All in all, it was too much for the man's brain to handle.  Before Sky could charge, his small and round face slowly drained off color as his eyes rolled back into his head.  A second later he was lying motionlessly on the hard sidewalk below.

 Noticing this, Lisette bit back her laughter and turned her hot red eyes on the larger man.  "How about you?" she asked, her voice low and melodic.

 The larger man watched in horrid fascination as his companion sank to the ground.  Then, turning back to the two gargesses, he reached inside his coat pocket and drew out a mean-looking switchblade.  He took a step back.  "Stay away from me!  Demons!" he shouted.

 Skydancer took a step forward and raised her hand.  "LIGHTNING!" she exclaimed.  Suddenly the air around her took on an electrical charge.  A flash of light sprang forth from her hand and an energy bolt went flying through the air, knocking the knife out of the thug's hand.  Sky smirked at the man.  "I don't think you'll be needing that anymore," she said coyly.

 Laughing, Lisette quickly stepped beside her companion.  "Oh come now, mon amie!" she cried out, her voice playful.  "Do not take all of the fun!  Is it my turn yet?" she asked as she barely glanced over the thug who was cowering before them.

 Skydancer grinned wickedly at the gargoyle-mage.  Laughter was dancing merrily in her eyes.  Stepping to the side, she bowed to her friend and gestured towards the would-be robber.  "He's all yours, my friend," she said with a grin.

 Grinning, Lisette curtsied briefly at the tanned gargoyle and faced the man.  Instantly, her merry demeanor vanished and she was all business.  "Give me une châine and bind ce démon," Lisette whispered quietly as her eyes changed from their red of a moment ago to a bright green color--the color of magic.  Instantly, green energy gathered around her fingers before flashing out towards the thug in a flying chain of glowing green material.  Smiling smugly, Lisette watched as the chain wrapped tightly around the man, bringing him down to the ground beside his companion.

 Skydancer broke into hysterical laughter.  "Now *THAT'S* what I call being 'all wrapped up'!" she exclaimed.  Calming down after a moment, the gargess looked over at her friend.  "What do you say that we leave these two in a "convenient" place for the authorities to find?" she asked.

 "A splendid idea, mon amie," Lisette said with a bright smile as she walked over and glared down at the two thugs, one unconscious and the other wishing he could join him.  "Would you rather we flew them or should I just send them packing?" she asked, glancing back over at her friend.

 "Oh, I don't know..... I think they'd perhaps learn their lesson better if we flew them to the doorstep of the.... what do you call it?  Police station?" Skydancer asked, the midnight wind ruffling her hair.  "I think that would work out just fine."

 Smiling, Lisette nodded her head quickly.  "I was hoping that you would say that!" she said as she picked up the smaller of the two men by the back of his shirt.  After all, even though she was very strong in her gargoyle body, Skydancer was still taller and stronger, therefore more suited to carry the bigger man.

 Sky walked over to the larger thug laying on the ground with his glowing green magical chain.  Picking him up by the scruff of his shirt, the young gargess lifted the man off the ground, every muscle in her arm stretching tautly to hold him up.  Smiling, the gargess flashed a fanged-tooth grin into the man's face.  His eyes grew wide in fright, horror shining in their depths.  "Don't eat me...." he whispered.

 Skydancer threw her head back in laughter.  "Have no fear of *THAT,* creep," she said, lifting her eyeridges in emphasis.  "I wouldn't want to give myself a sour stomach."  Flipping the man around so she could pick him up with both arms, Sky glanced over at Lisette.  "Shall we go?" she asked with a grin.

 Grinning at the display, Lisette hoisted her own package higher.  "Let's," she replied simply as she threw the unconscious man over her shoulder and began scaling the nearby building.

 Swinging her "sack" over her shoulder, Skydancer leaped up onto the wall right behind Lisette and dug her talons into the hard granite.  Pausing for a moment, the gargess adjusted her burden more comfortably over her shoulder before continuing on up the wall after her friend.  Upon reaching the top, she let out a tremendous sigh as she dropped her cargo unceremoniously on the roof, preparing to pick him up again to fly him in front of her.  Sky cocked an eyeridge at Lisette.  "I hope that all our patrols aren't spent hauling 'bricks' like this one around," she said with a grin.

 Laughing, Lisette nodded quickly.  "I think that in the future we should look into other more.. productive, ways of transporting this scum!" Lisette said, a small giggle escaping her lips as she looked at the two thugs that they carried.  Turning, she walked towards the edge of the building and then dove off into the dark night sky, her captive an unusual weight for her.  "Well, this is going to be fun," she muttered before flashing a toothy grin at her friend.

 Skydancer spread her fourteen foot tan wings out wide.  Picking up her "cargo" firmly in her taloned hands, she dove off the edge of the building and caught an updraft.  The fumes of the city flared in her nostrils as she flapped her wings a few times to gain altitude.   She didn't need that stink bothering her as she tried to carry this unusual burden to police headquarters.  Her passenger mumbled aloud as she and Lisette soared higher, above the city and into the clouds.  The man babbled and begged, tears rolling down his face.

 "Lemme down.... lemme down...." he rambled.

 Skydancer glanced down at the thug, disgust showing on her face.  "Not so big and tough when we're way up here, are we now?" she said in a patronizing tone.  The gargess's dislike for the kind of scum she carried was evident all over her face.

 Stifling her laughter, Lisette glanced over at the swooning crook.  Turning, she looked down once more at her own package.  "I think that I lucked out by carrying this one.  He must be the strong and silent type!" she said as she flexed out her wings to catch another updraft that carried her even higher into the night sky.

 Sky looked over at the man Lisette  was carrying.  "Indeed," she commented.  "Somehow I just get all the luck...." she grumbled, glancing back down at her own dead weight.  "We definitely have to find an alternate means of transporting creeps like this.  I don't think I can stomach bravado like this one has every night of the week."

 Laughing, Lisette shook her head back and allowed the wind to push her pale hair from her face.  "Once more, I agree exactly," Lisette said, her smile showing through to her face.  Suddenly, a brightly lit sign appeared in her sight below.  "Ah, I believe that this is just what we were looking for.  There is the police station!" she said, nodding her head towards an old building that occupied the corner of a street below.

 Skydancer let out what sounded almost like a Bronx cheer.  "Hooray hoorah!" she exclaimed, a smile creeping up onto her face, replacing the grimace almost instantly.  "Now *THIS* is my kind of sight!"  The gargess then caped in her wings and made a nose dive for the sidewalk along side of the antiquated building, letting a scream loose from the passenger she was carrying.

 Landing quietly, she dropped the thug in his glowing green chains onto the sidewalk.  Hunching down so that she was at eye level with him, she squinted her eyes into his own. "You know," she hissed, snarling the words into his frightened face, "if you didn't go around causing so much trouble, you wouldn't have that nice cut across your eye, you wouldn't be tied up right now, and I wouldn't have to drag your sorry butt across the city like my friend and I just did."  The gargess brought a taloned hand up and patronizingly patted the man's cheek.  "Now, you're going to be a 'good' robber and turn yourself in, you're going to pay your dues, and then you're going to be a good law-abiding citizen when you get out of jail now, aren't you?" she asked him, grinning at the frightened look on his face.

 "Yes.... yes.... ma'am," the man stuttered, his teeth chattering in fear.  Sweat dripped down his cheeks.

 Skydancer grinned again.  "Good," she said, her eyes flashing white fire.  "Because if you don't my friend and I here will be back to take you on another 'joy ride' across the city.  Understand?"  Skydancer looked over at Lisette and grinned.

 Nodding her head, Lisette allowed her eyes to flare the briefest of a bright green color as she locked eyes with the crook.  "I would take my friend's words to heart, mon ami," she said, her voice low and deadly as she dropped his friend unceremoniously to the hard pavement below.  "And don't forget your friend, either," she said, nudging the unconscious man with her taloned foot.

 "Oh.. oh I won't ma'am," the man quickly stuttered, his eyes filled with cold and hard fear.

 Nodding in satisfaction, Lisette turned her sharp eyes over to her friend.  "Should I release his bonds now?" she asked, nodding towards the quivering thug.

 Skydancer hid a smile.  This was getting too hysterical.  "Yeah," she said, nodding her agreement.  She crossed her arms and looked sternly at the crook.  "And I wouldn't try anything funny either, if I were you," she warned the frightened man.

 Hiding her own smile, Lisette could sense how much her new friend was enjoying this torment.  To be honest, she was enjoying it immensely herself.  After all, maybe after all of the hassle that they were giving the man, along with the fright, he would finally learn his lesson and go straight.  Maybe.  Sighing, she turned her eyes on the frightened man and slowly raised one slim, pale blue hand and pointed it at the man.  Instantly, the man shrank back in fear, his eyes wide and dilated.  "Misez-il," she commanded, her voice hard and firm.

Growing even more frightened, the man watched in fear as another cloak of eerie green light gathered around the strange demon before flying straight at him.  Cowering into a small ball, it took the man awhile to realize that he was now free from his mystical bonds.  Nearly hysterical, he quickly jumped to his feet and nearly ran towards the street beyond.

 "Hey, I said not to forget your friend!" Lisette called out, her voice halting him instantly in his tracks.

 Turning, he hesitantly stepped forward and latched a hand firmly onto his friend's collar at the blue demon's feet.  Feeling the other demon's eyes on him, the man quickly ran back around the building, dragging his friend across the grimy floor.  Screaming at the top of his lungs, he lunged at the door to the precinct.  "Help me!  Arrest me!  Just take me in before the demons get me!!"

 Taking that as their cue, Skydancer leaped up onto the precinct's wall and started scaling it with Lisette closely at her heels.  Below them, in the distance, the gargess's sharp ears picked up the sound of the police station's door being opened and the voices of officers coming outside as the thug threw himself and his friend at their mercy.  Skydancer reached the top of the building and collapsed on the rooftop in gales of laughter.  Tears rained down her face as she grabbed her stomach in pain from laughing so hard.  "Ohhh..... ohhh.... that was too much!" she said, gasping for breath.  Then she burst out into another round of laughter.

 Shaking her head, Lisette quickly found herself sharing in her friend's contagious giggle fit.  "Did.. did you see the look on his face?" Lisette laughed, trying to breathe in between fits of laughter.  "He was so frightened of us!" she gasped, wiping tear drops from her long lashes.  Turning, she glanced over at her friend as the laughter subsided.

 How long had it been since she had laughed like this?  How long since she had thrown back all abandon and truly allowed herself to flow forward and to have FUN?  Not even during her short time with Joshua had she done that.  In that instant, she knew the truth.  She had found a true friend in this Dancer of the Sky.  "Thank you," she said quietly, all seriousness once again.

 Skydancer immediately stopped laughing when she heard the serious tone in her mage friend's voice.  She turned her face to her, understanding shining in her bright green eyes.  Solemnly she nodded.  "You are very welcomed, my magical friend," she said, smiling.  "And thank YOU," she added in turn.

 Smiling, Lisette slowly stood up and brushed off her white loin cloth and halter top before crossing to stand before her friend.  With twinkling eyes, she slowly extended her arm down to her friend and grasped Sky's own tanned arm before pulling her to her feet.  "And now what, mon amie?" she asked, her voice light as she gazed into the bottomless depths of Sky's green eyes.

 The Skydancer felt the world dissolve around her.  The dancing lights of the city threw their shadows on the darkness around them.  How right this felt being here, with this, her first true friend.  Her heart knew that she had chanced upon luck the night before when she had stumbled upon this young woman who, like herself, had experienced the emptiness of being alone, but now knew she didn't have to ever experience it again.  They had formed a friendship, a sisterhood, the likes of which would last an eternity.  Sky looked into the warmth of Lisette's blue eyes.  They mirrored her own.  She smiled.  "Shall we patrol our home?" she asked her friend, gesturing to the bright city just beyond them.

 Grinning, Lisette nodded her head and slowly stepped to the edge of the building's rooftop.  Glancing out, she breathed in the air that was fresher than the air found in Paris, yet a little more smoggy than of her previous home in Michigan.  Overall, it was the right combination.  Here, she was needed.  In this large city filled with people, her protective skills were needed.  She finally belonged.  "Let's patrol our home," she agreed as she looked at her friend.

 Smiling, the two friends jumped off of the ornate building, and into the night air.  Expanding their wings, they rose higher into the black velvet of the sky.  Their hearts had finally found a home.
 
 

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