Author's Notes: GARGOYLES and everything associated with them belong to Buena Vista and Disney, not Clan LeFemme, or Shadow Gargoyle. The characters of "Shadow" and "Tuffy" belong to the author respectively, as well as the character of Storm belongs to Clan LeFemme and all of the above may not be used without their permission. This is the next fic in the Clan LeFemme series. Feedback is welcomed and appreciated, just be constructive please. Hope you enjoy the story!
 

        Shadow spread her long leathery wings as she yawned in a cat-like roar to greet the evening.  Normally she did not stone sleep but the past few weeks of traveling had left her weary.  Each passing day brought nights that brought new challenges.  She learned quickly that to face them she needed a full days sleep and to wake up feeling refreshed.  Stone sleep was the only way she could get by.

        She looked up at the moon which was slowly still making its entrance in the night sky.  She sighed.  She was once more alone.  Her heart still ached with the memories of the last humans she trusted.  The ones whom she called her family.  A tear slowly made its way from her eyes down her cheeks as she whispered a promise to herself, "Never again..."

        Shadow made the vow to herself each night as she awoke.  Each night memories flooded back which made her make herself make the promise every night.  She sighed once more and closed her eyes, wiping away any trace of tears with the back of her taloned hand.

        A loud 'meow' and the brushing of her against her ankles brought her back to reality.  She looked around slowly, inspecting her surroundings.  She knew she was in Pennsylvania.  She had been in the state for almost a week now.  She crossed a somewhat large mountain a few days ago and the lights of the city could be seen.

        She picked up the purring cat that was wrapping himself repeatedly around her ankles trying to get her attention,  "Tuffy, tonight we shall enter this human city.  I'm tired of staying out here and hunting for my food.  Besides, this place seems interesting.  I feel other powers here.  They are somewhat like my own."

        Tuffy stared at her as she stroked his fur on his head with her talons.  His green eyes watched her as if he was almost listening to her.

        She smiled and hugged him gently, "Do you feel it too?"

        As if the cat knew what she had said he meowed softly.

        Shadow sat him down gently at her feet as she began to stretch her wings, "I thought so."  She brought her attention back down to the thick row of trees in her path.  A bit of black shown slightly through the tops of some small pines.  Suddenly she grew curious.  The energy she was sensing was coming through there.

        Tuffy sat down and looked up at her.  He stood up on his hind legs using his front legs to lean himself against her for support.  He looked up at her and meowed once more.

        Shadow looked back down at him, "Hungry?"

        Tuffy sat back down and watched her.

        Shadow smiled slightly as her stomach growled, "Alrighty.  We'll get some food."  Then to herself in a voice that could hardly be heard, she added, "afterwards we check the house..."

        Shadow landed gently on the top of a building.  Quickly Tuffy jumped out of her arms, almost glad to get out of the air.

        Shadow walked over to the edge of the building and looked down over the edge at the lights.  "Wow, a lot of lights.  I guess spending so much time in the wilderness makes you miss this."

        Her eyes scanned the streets.  A few people were walking with friends, some were just walking.  As she studied the streets closer she noticed a young boy surrounded by a large group of teenagers.  Obviously they were harrassing him for money or something that they wanted.

        Shadow yawned silently.  She told herself she wasn't involving herself with humans and she wasn't going to.  She turned away from the scene and looked to Tuffy who was staring intently at her.

        But stil...the need to protect was greater than her hunger for food.  Inwardly she groaned, there were times she hated being half gargoyle.

        She turned abrubtly and dove off the roof and into and alley next to the teenagers on the corner.  Using her wings in the cramped space proved to be a problem but she managed to land without being heard.

        Quietly with quick movements she walked up behind one of the teenagers who held a gun.

        "Listen kid...you got the money?"  The guy made sure his gun was able to be seen.

        The boy backed off slowly at seeing the gun, "I told you...I don't have any money on me.."

        The guy aimed the gun at the boy,  "Now I asked nicely...can't say that I didn't.  Today just isn't your night."

        That was when Shadow walked around the corner, "I believe tonight is not YOUR night..."

        The guy turned around swinging the gun to aim at her.  His eyes grew wide in terror as he saw what he believed a demon with wings a tail, claws, and bright red glowing eyes.  He tried to pull the trigger on his gun but his hands were shaking too badly to get a good grip on the gun.

        Shadow reached out and pulled the gun from his shaking hands and crushed it slowly in her talons, "Hey, didn't anyone ever teach you not to play with guns?"  She grinned, showing her fangs.

        The guy was frozen in terror like a deer in head lights.  He nodded slowly.

        She smiled, "I'm going to leave you with a warning this time, next time I catch you bothering anyone else you will have to deal with me.  And believe me, you don't want to meet me again..."

        She turned, throwing the crumpled gun over her shoulder to him as she walked back into the alley.  She hopped up sinking her talons into the wall.  She climbed up the wall and pulled herself up over the edge.

        "That was impressive."

        She gasped and looked up to see who had spoken.  To her surprise she saw no one.  Swallowing her fear, she spun around.  "Where are you?"

        A hypnotice voice flowed through the air, seeming to come from every where, "That is not important.  Who are you?  You are different from the others....younger it seems.." His voice trailed off as if he was thiniking.

        She growled softly, "The better question is, who are YOU?"

        When he didn't answer she began to get nervous, she couldn't see him and she couldn't sense him anymore.  That could mean two things but she wasn't ready to believe that he had left just yet.

        "Where is the egg?"  The sudden question made her jump slightly.  Egg?  What egg?  Chicken egg?  It didn't matter, she had no eggs.

        "I'm sure there is a supermarket around here.  Normally eggs are located around the dairy asile."  She knew it was lame and stupid but she was nervous and sometimes her sarcastic side of her got the best of her in the worst situations.

        "You will pay for such a smart answer!"  A burst of light tore through her stomach.  As she fell back before she fell into darkness she realized the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon.  If she could only just concentrate.....

        It was too hard.  It hurt to breathe and she could feel a damp wetness covering her clothes.  She had been hit.  Maybe death wasn't going to be that bad.  Maybe.....~Stop!  Stop thinking like that!  You can't go down yet!  Concentrate!  You can do this!~  She groaned softly, forcing her protesting lungs to take in air.  The sun... Darkness encountered her vision.  She didn't know if she was dead or alive, she didn't care at this point either.

        As the sun's rays filled the morning sky, a lone statue lay on a top of a building in the city.  A look of pain on her face......

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