I don't believe it. You're reading our sequel. (Why do I have that part from "Mask" in my head right now? "You like me, you *really* like me!")

In "Honor and Wrath", we introduced Pendragoness and Dark Id, Oberon's Honor and Wrath. (hence the title) Now, Aaron and I bring you a whole new setting and new characters. (don't I sound all like a Disney movie advertisement now??)

And I follow in Guardian Tom's saying which has become my mantra: "Avalon does na take you where ya want to go, Avalon sends ya where ye need tae be!"

And indeed, Avalon has a few places where we need to be, and MacBeth reveals a long kept secret.

I hereby disclaim all copyrights to Disney's characters and settings. However a few settings, Pen, Id, the concept and a few significant others belongs to me and Aaron.

I'd like to personally thank Aaron for his swell partnership. This story was fun to co-write and we hope you like it. Believe me, we've got a whole lot planned!

Thank you, and remember that Gargoyles rock the night forever!

Hokay, here is the (hopefully) eagerly awaited sequel to Pendragoness's and my first joint story, "Honor and Wrath". In my proud, if somewhat silly, tradition of making sure that every piece of fanfiction I write is my first fanfiction, I'd like to emphasize that this is my first fanfic (that is a sequel). If you haven't read "Honor and Wrath" I highly recommend you do so. (Not because you really need to. Just because we want you to read more of our stuff. For that matter, why don't you go read "I'm Sorry" as well, a piece I wrote by myself, that has absolutely nothing to do with this story.)

Anyway, thanks once more to Disney, who, despite their blasphemous cancellation of the show, did, after all, bring us that wonderful animated series known as "Gargoyles". A relatively small number of the characters and settings in this story belong to them (the rest belonging to Pendragoness and I), and we thank them for their use. And, once again, I extend my personal thanks to Pendragoness, for working with me on these stories, and for providing the occasional motivation (i.e., nagging :) ) to get them posted to the internet.

Oh, and one, small warning. For those sensitive to such things, this story does contain one Steamy Sex Scene (tm). You have been warned. And now...

On the tv, two people, a man and a girl were having "fun" on Ricki Lake. "It's true! Sean Connery is MacBeth!" the girl screamed.

The man resisted the tv bouncers Ricki called in, and yelled "He's immortal! No lie!"

"You know the bargain, MacBeth," spoke Selene.

"You have failed to conceal your secret," continued Luna.

"Now you must come with us," finished Phoebe.

"Whatever these two knew before, they know far too much now. In order to ensure that our secrets are kept, it will be necessary to make them Oberon's subjects. They are to be our envoys and agents in the mortal world. By our own decree, Oberon and his children may not directly interfere in human affairs. But with these two under our command, we will retain a link with the mortal world. The torture was to condition them for the coming struggles they will have to endure. As for you, MacBeth, you are to be their guardian."

"Behold, Oberon's Honor: Pendragoness!"

"Behold, Oberon's Wrath: Dark Id!"

"You 3 will venture to Goliath's clan in Manhattan, to fulfill my plan,"Oberon announced.

Princess Katherine ventured into the Great Hall, Boudicca at her heels. "My lord?" she asked timidly. "Yes, mortal?"the Fairy King asked. "Might I lend our tracker Boudicca to the younglings? She will be a help to protect this couple."

"What do you want us to do?" Pendragoness asked, looking around.

Oberon chuckled. DARE he command this of them? Oh what the heck, Oberon thought, what they won't think of me. "I want a babe," Oberon 's voice echoed about the 4-some.

"WHAT??" MacBeth yelled. Oberon chuckled at their expense, but decided he rather liked this idea. It'd be fun to have a new tyke around the Avalon palace.

"I need a babe, of unique stature. And," Oberon said," You're as unique as they come."

Pendragoness was no happier. "What are we? Some kind of tools for his amusement? He can't be serious!"

Dark Id recovered once more. "Serious or not," he grinned, "by the spell binding us to him, Oberon's whim is our will. So, who's gonna be the lucky guy?"

Angela snarled. "I don't trust her. And I certainly don't trust you!"

"Not trust me? Oh, I'm hurt," Dark Id mocked. "But I will level with you on this point. Pendragoness has taken quite an interest in your pudgy friend. She's always liked large males, whether they be fat or muscular, or both, and Broadway's just about as large as they come. I would imagine that she intends to be his mate. But you wouldn't care about that. After all, he's just a friend."

Angela's eyes had flared red at the word 'mate', and now she was absolutely furious. "This is none of your business!"

He did, however, look glum. "You mean that all that stuff at the clock tower and in the theater was just because you needed me for Oberon's plan?"

"Of course not," Pen snapped indignantly. "I could have chosen any of you. But I chose you, Broadway, because I admire you. I've heard so much about you. When Oberon gave us our mission, I knew immediately that you were the one I--er, we needed."

She then turned to Broadway again. "Believe me, Broadway. Oberon's plan has nothing to do with the way I feel about you. Broadway, I like you very much. I have since before I met you in person. But now that I've spent time with you, I-I can honestly say that I think...I think I'm falling in love with you."

Broadway yelled. Two bodies entwined on the clocktower floor, both doomed under Oberon's interference..... and the spark of life ebbed deep between the Gargoyle lovers as the gift of creation was given... Oberon's face twisted to a bemused expression as he saw his pawns completing his act, heard the roars. Dawn rose bright and clear and two statues lay entwined unto the other, expressions of peace on their chiseled faces...... The deed had been done.

Pendragoness was near tears. "He's going to do it isn't he? He forced me to conceive this child," she paused to glance down at her stomach, "and he's going to take it away! And there's nothing we can do!"

"There is something," said a new voice. A young woman stepped out from behind a tree. She was a short woman, with brown hair tumbling to her waist, and bright green, almond-shaped eyes. Dark Id guessed that she must be one of the third race, as she was not Katherine or Tom, the only two humans on the island.

"Who might you be?" asked MacBeth suspiciously.

"That is not important, but you may call me Satsana. I can help you to escape from Oberon's grasp."

Several dozen of Avalon's years earlier, a ball of flame appeared atop a grassy hill, and dispersed, revealing the seven travelers. "It seems to work fine to me," smirked Satsana.

"When are we?" asked Dark Id, getting straight to the point.

"You are in Avalon's recent past," Satsana answered. "Princess Katherine, the Guardian Tom, and the Magus have lived here for seven years. This should be an excellent place to carry your child to term, and, as Oberon will not return here for many years, he will not be able to rob you of your offspring."

The 6 stood atop the cliff on the pastful Avalon, drinking in the mystical island's natural beauty. A slight wind rose up and ruffled everyone's long hair, that is, those who had hair!

Pendragoness closed her eyes as the wind caressed her neck. Broadway gazed at her with so much compassion, he thought he'd fall over happy. MacBeth smiled warmly when he saw the young Gargoyle caress a hand over Pen's still-flat stomach. Pendragoness closed her eyes again at his touch and then kissed his hand, feeling she could cry from the happiness. Satsana pretended to scope the horizon, but snuck a look back at the happy mates.

Behind her guise Titania became quite serious. A very important life was growing inside the female and her husband wanted it awfully badly, to have *done* all this.

MacBeth felt his eyes glimmer and silently raised his hand to his face before anyone could see the immortal king cry. His ward had completed their Lord's task, and it had made them all the more better in a way. Boudicca nuzzled Angela's leg with her head. Angela had started to frown at the sight of the lovers, but then sighed.

"Oh give it up, Angela, they're so much happier this way. And if Oberon tries to get their hatchling, I'll die fighting to save it." Angela was surprised at her own compassion for this unborn Gargoyle babe which had already caused so much trouble, yet it had no fault in how it came to existence.

Dark Id leered brightly at his "sister" and her chosen mate. He was looking forward to teasing Pendragoness when she was too heavy with child to chase him! "Ah, well, I guess this makes me its 'uncle'," Dark Id thought, throwing his white hair back in defiance. Satsana turned her gaze back over the landscape. Aww, this was how her Avalon had looked when she and her husband had divorced and dwelled among the mortals in their outside world. So quiet, peaceful. There was the palace, a few windows lit. The Great Hall too, by the looks of it. Should they approach?

Katherine wiped her brow, smoothing back her sweaty brown hair. She laid the last Gargoyle egg down in the straw pile. She, and Magus had taken turns carrying all 36 eggs around, in their "turning" cycle to check on the hatchling's developments, and making sure they were thriving properly, as they thought Gargoyle eggs did. Katherine wished she hadn't been such a bigot in her early rule, so she could've noticed these things.

She wiped her small hands heedlessly on her gown and looked to the Great Hall. The Magus was writing, probably recording the latest events in their lives in his own journal. Guardian Tom was sitting in the window sill, staring out at the forests. He had just hit the age where he would discover his destiny, himself, his feelings for his Princess, and the changes that make him into a man. He was a teenager.

"Thomas, what do ye see?" she asked, resting her chin on the window sill ledge. The Magus looked up from his writing, licked his quill and continued to scratch his thoughts on the ancient paper. Tom squinted his eyes. He must be seeing things, He could've sworn he saw a group of people on the Avalon cliffs. But no, there they were. Who were they?

"Princess, look," he said, and pointed......

"What is it, Tom?" the Princess asked.

"Someone's coming!" he answered. The Magus dropped his quill.

"Who is it, Tom?" he asked. "Can you see?"

Tom squinted out the window. "They are too far away to make out. But there are gargoyles with them!"

"Gargoyles!" exclaimed Katherine. "Could it be Goliath's clan? Could it be that they have been revived?"

"There be one way to find out!" responded Tom, starting to catch his princess's infectious enthusiasm. Tom retrieved his sword, and the three of them set out to meet the newcomers.

Angela took a deep breath, reveling in the familiar sights and smells of Avalon. It was all much like she remembered it, except that none of her rookery siblings were around. She gazed at her castle home, half expecting to see Gabriel wave to her from the parapets, or Ophelia practicing her archery in her favorite grove just outside the front gates. As her eyes passed the front gates she noticed something. "It's Princess Katherine, and Tom!" She gasped, "And the Magus!"

Before she could dash off, Satsana touched her shoulder. "They do not know you, Angela," she said. "This is several years before you were even hatched, do not forget that."

Angela nodded sadly. "True. Still, if we are going to be sharing this island with them, we'd best introduce ourselves." Satsana nodded, and the seven moved to meet the three.

Tom studied the newcomers as they came closer. There! The green one with the large belly. He was from Goliath's clan, he was sure of it! "You were right, milady! It is Goliath's clan!" Before either the Magus or Katherine could restrain him, Tom dashed off ahead to cover the remaining distance more quickly.

Katherine hid a smile behind her hand. Tom had always been such an optimistic, enthusiastic lad. It was one of many things she adored about the boy. And he was growing into quite a handsome man of late... Katherine shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She couldn't tell by looking at the green gargoyle whether or not he was part of Goliath's clan, but Tom knew them better than she. As much as it pained her to remember, she had avoided interacting with the gargoyles of Castle Wyvern as much as possible, until the day that they were betrayed and murdered. After that, the only gargoyle she saw alive was Goliath. The other survivors had all been turned to stone. She did think that she remembered a heavyset statue among the petrified gargoyles, but she did not remember more than that. For the moment, if Tom said that he recognized that gargoyle, then he probably did.

As Tom neared the newcomers, he slowed. While he did recognize the large green gargoyle, no one else was familiar. For a moment he doubted. Well, the best way to find out was to ask. "Welcome to Avalon, strangers--if strangers ye be." Addressing the green gargoyle specifically, he asked, "Ye remind me of a gargoyle I knew in my youth. A large warrior who loved to eat. Are ye that gargoyle?"

Broadway grinned widely at him. "That's me! It's good to see you again, Tom."

Tom laughed, tears coming to his eyes. "Then yuir clan is flesh again? Alive again?"

"Not exactly," answered Satsana.

Tom was puzzled. "What do ye mean?"

"Let us wait for your companions," Satsana said, "after introductions are made, we will tell you our story."

It did not take long for the Princess and the Magus to catch up. Broadway made the introductions. "Everyone, this is Tom. He was one of the few humans willing to try to make friends with us monsters," Broadway grinned at him fondly.

"This is Princess Katherine. She was the ruler of Castle Wyvern before we were turned to stone, and she cared for our eggs afterwards." Princess Katherine curtsied.

Broadway smirked mischievously. "And this is the Magus, who turned us to stone."

The Magus gazed sadly downwards. "And for that, I can never atone," he said.

Compassionately, Broadway said, "It all turned out for the best Magus. I'm here, aren't I?" The Magus brightened slightly, but still looked quite forlorn.

Broadway went on to introduce his group to Tom's "Princess, Magus, Tom, this is MacBeth, a former king of Scotland," MacBeth bowed.

"Pendragoness," Broadway blushed a moment, "my mate." Pen blushed as well, but smiled at the three.

Indicating Angela, he said, "This is Angela, a friend," Angela nodded, trying to hide the fact that she was already very familiar with the three, and in fact yearned to embrace the Magus, who had died to save them all from the Weird Sisters.

"Dark Id. Don't trust him any further than you can throw him."

"Sure, spoil all my fun," said Id, grinning malevolently.

"Boudicca, a tracker." Boudicca woofed and ambled forward to nuzzle a somewhat surprised Tom, who responded by scratching her head.

"Friendly, isn't she?" he asked.

"I guess she likes you," Broadway answered, hiding a smile. Finally, he indicated the newest addition to their group. "And this is Satsana. She helped us to escape from Oberon."

"Oberon!" gasped the Magus, horrified. Broadway nodded solemnly. The Magus sighed. "You have a powerful enemy indeed."

"That's why we're here," MacBeth said. "We seek sanctuary from our foes."

"Then you have come to the wrong place," the Magus answered sadly.

"Magus!" Katherine said, horrified. "We cannae turn them away!"

"You misunderstand me, Princess," the Magus replied. "Oberon was the Lord of Avalon before he and his children abandoned it. He is an extremely powerful being, and his former home could hardly be a sanctuary for these poor, unfortunate souls."

Satsana shook her head. "You are wrong Magus. We have taken steps to ensure that Oberon will be unable to find us. We will be safe here, for as long as we intend to stay."

The Magus looked doubtful, but acquiesced.

Princess Katherine smiled widely. "We, too, are refugees, and we can hardly deny ye sanctuary if ye intend us nae harm. Ye are welcome for as long as ye choose to stay."

"Thank you, your Highness," MacBeth answered.

"Well, come on then!" urged Tom. "I'll show ye the castle!"

Tom, Katherine and Magus led the gang through the Avalon forests to the palace, though Angela could've found it in her sleep, and longed to just run inside. Tom and MacBeth began talking animatedly, about the ways of Scotland and her people. Angela strolled beside the Princess. Boudicca woofed and kept nudging at the Princess' gown.

"She be a friendly dear," Katherine laughed," You'd think she knows me!" Dark Id coughed, and tried to cover it up by pretending it was a sneeze. He folded his wings over his thin shoulders and walked beside Angela.

Angela looked back at the last three taking up the rear of the group, Broadway, Pendragoness and Magus. She wanted to talk with Magus, but what was she supposed to say? "Hi, Magus, we're not just visitors, we're time-travelers from the future trying to hide from a Fairy King who won't quit and has already enforced life." Angela tried to suppress a smile at that.

Broadway held his mate's hand protectively, as they trekked along. Pendragoness looked to the side to see Magus staring at her belly, which was still flat as a pan bottom, and then wink, giving her a knowing glance. Pendragoness blushed. Did Magus know everything??

Pen, Dark Id and MacBeth all gave a gasp in unison when they reached the palace. Though the travelers had seen the building twice already, it never ceased to amaze them with its beauty. Boudicca barked excitedly and rushed into the Great Hall, as if she'd find the hatchlings there. Confused by the empty room, Boudicca turned a full circle and growled in sadness.

"She must sense the eggs!" Tom laughed. Dark Id and Pen grinned secretly grinned at each other. They had seen the round eggs on that first episode part, now they'd get to see them for real. As well as Pen's when it was laid. "Eggs?" MacBeth asked, raising an eager eyebrow.

"Aye, we had 'inherited' our Gargoyle eggs when Castle Wyvern had been massacred, and now they be our own," Katherine said.

MacBeth gave a luxurious stretch and yawned. "Ach, I'm so tired, and I'd like to get out of this heavy thing," he said, gesturing to his armour.

"Thomas, give Lord MacBeth a chamber to keep, and a fresh tunic from the chest. and ye both should hurry. The sun will rise soon, if you wish ta bid your wards a fine sleep," Katherine said. Tom led the immortal king out of the Great Hall and down a corridor. Magus watched them disappear and turned his gaze on the Gargoyles and human.

"So, what is your reason for needing refuge and sanctuary here?" Magus asked, musing his pale hand against his chin where a tuft of white hair was beginning to grow.

Pendragoness and Broadway exchanged a look. "Oh, you'll know soon enough!" Dark Id laughed, slapping his knee.

Pen gave Id a hard look and flashed a mental message to him to shut up. Angela stroked Boudicca's head. "We'll tell you soon," was all she'd say.

Tom led a clean MacBeth out to the Great Hall. The immortal had washed his face and arms and combed his longish grey hair and smoothed his rumpled beard. He was wearing hose and a crisp white tunic, one that belonged to Oberon. Pen whistled in a teasing matter. She could poke fun at her Guardian all she wanted, even if she had a mate. The horizon grew brighter and brighter still.

"Come, ye may sleep on the parapets," Princess Katherine said and led the Gargoyles on the balconies.

MacBeth clapped Pen and Broadway on the shoulders, and bowed to Angela. "Have pleasant dreams," he said. Peness curtsied to him politely and took hold of Broadway's outstretched hand so he could give her a hopping step onto the ledge next to him.

Pendragoness faced the light horizon, making ready to strike a fierce pose as she had seen the Gargoyles on TV do so often, and without messing up. Broadway caressed her talons with his own. "Pendragoness," he said.

Pen tuned to face him. "Yes?" she asked.

Broadway took her hand to his face. "I am sorry for all that Oberon's done," he whispered. "Broadway, there's no point in looking on 'what-ifs', this child is conceived and there is nothing to change that," she said, caressing her mate's face.

"I, I never objected to this child's existence! I want it! I've always wanted to be a father!" Broadway whispered. He held out his strong arms and Pen gladly went into them. "And I'm going to tell you something I've been mean to saying since I first saw you...." Broadway kissed her on the cheek and brushed his moth to her ear, for these were private words meant for only them to hear. "I love you."

Pendragoness choked on a sob. "I love you, Broadway," she whispered as the sun rose.........

Dark Id looked ill. "Finally! I thought the sun would never rise. All that romantic mush makes me want to gag."

Princess Katherine looked surprised. "Yuir not a gargoyle?" Magus nodded thoughtfully. He had suspected that Broadway's dark-skinned friend was no gargoyle.

"Nope!" Dark Id answered.

"Well, what are ye, then?" Katherine prompted.

"I am Dark Id. That is all."

Seeing that Dark Id wasn't going to be very helpful, MacBeth added, "He was transformed to his current shape and...personality by Oberon."

"I see," Princess Katherine added. Then remembering Id's earlier comment smiled and said, "And in regards to yuir opinions regarding 'romantic mush' I'll have ye know that many find such romance to be very sweet."

"I'm sure you do, Princess," answered Dark Id, staring directly at Tom. The Guardian of the Eggs returned his gaze with a confused look.

"I'd like to know how you made an enemy of Oberon," mentioned the Magus.

MacBeth answered, "It started with a couple of fool kids, who ye know as Pendragoness and Dark Id."

"Pendragoness has also been transformed?" Tom asked.

MacBeth nodded, and continued, "They somehow discovered one of Oberon's most closely kept secrets, and decided to share it with a large number of people."

"It was a joke," Dark Id growled. "We had no idea what we were saying was true."

"Whatever their motivations, Oberon took offense," MacBeth said. "He captured them, and when he discovered that they had intended nae harm, he forced them to swear fealty to him, to ensure that they transgressed nae more against him. But then he got it into his fool head to give them a terrible task, and he transformed them to their present shapes."

"What task?" asked the Magus.

"He ordered Pendragoness to seek out Goliath's clan and conceive a child by one of its members. It was his intention to take the child for his own once it had been hatched."

The eyes of the Magus and Tom widened incredulously, while Princess Katherine inhaled sharply. "That is nae right!" she scowled. "A lord bears obligations toward his people, just as much as they do to he. Oberon should not abuse his power in this way!"

MacBeth nodded. "I was unable to stop him from forcing the conception, but, thanks to Satsana, we were able to escape from Oberon's power." MacBeth smiled at Satsana who bowed her head demurely.

"I couldn't stand by and watch Oberon's cruelty," she said. "Not when I had the power to stop it."

"Ye mean..." Tom started, "Ye mean, Pendragoness is...with egg? She does nae look it."

"The child was only recently conceived," MacBeth responded. "But it is there."

The Princess nodded. "'Tis a terrible thing Oberon has done to the poor lass. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, if ye feel safe here." Katherine stifled a yawn and added, "Forgive me. It is well past dawn, and we will need a full day's sleep to prepare for the evening chores. Good day." Tom echoed Katherine's farewells and headed for his own chambers.

The Magus nodded to the newcomers and said, "I normally remain awake a while longer, to record the day's events. I will show you to your rooms, if you like."

MacBeth nodded. While it had been a short night for him, it had been a very busy one. "I do feel a bit tired," he admitted. Satsana, too, expressed her fatigue.

"I don't sleep," said Dark Id.

Magus lifted a white eyebrow. "Would you still like a room?"

Dark Id shrugged. "Sure."

Magus guided the three to three of the many extra bedrooms in the palace. "Let me know if you need anything," he added, turning to return to his writings.

Dark Id turned to enter his room, when he felt a hand clasp his shoulder. "A moment, sorcerer," Satsana said. "There are some things I must discuss with you."

"What do you want?" asked Id curiously.

"Step into my chambers." Dark Id followed her.

An hour later, Dark Id emerged from Satsana's room, looking tired, haggard, and not at all pleased. Grumbling, he stumbled into his own room and collapsed onto the bed. Shifting into Aaron's form, he sighed, "I guess I'm going to need this bed after all." Within moments, he was sound asleep.

Dark Id collapsed under the heavy covers on his canopied bed and fell asleep from deep exhaustion, and started snoring. Satsana had told him she wanted a word with him in her chamber, and boy did he leave spooked...... Plus her startling news had zapped Id's energy and left him exhausted. He had transformed back to Aaron to sleep.

The sun dipped low in the horizon. Before sunset, Katherine knocked on Dark Id's chamber doors. "Dark Id? Ye awake?" she asked. She heard a muffled groan on the other side and a sleepy-faced Aaron opened the chamber doors, adjusting his tunic with one hand.

"Huh, whussit?" he yawned.

"I thought ye'd like to see your friends wake up. We had nae seen Gargoyles awaken for a few many years, and then I had not wished ta see it. Is that your true form?" Katherine asked.

Aaron jerked up at that comment and in a flash of purple light, transformed back into Dark Id. "Yeah, but I prefer this one," he scowled, now fully awake in his sleep-less form.

Tom rapped on MacBeth's chambers with his knuckles. "Lord MacBeth?" he asked, and was embarrassed when his deepening voice cracked slightly.

"Ach, come in, Lad," MacBeth called from the other side. Tom pushed open the door. "And it's just MacBeth." MacBeth pulled his tunic over his head and smoothed it down over his hose.

"The Princess thought ye'd like to watch yuir wards wake up. We want to since we had nae seen Gargoyles awaken before," Tom said. MacBeth smoothed his rumpled hair and the two trekked to the parapets.

The Magus went to awaken Satsana and she had opened her chamber door, all fresh and new. She hadn't looked like she had slept at all, or if she really needed to at all. She had cast a smug look at the sorcerer and silently, the two made their way to the parapets. Dark Id was scowling slightly, once again faced with the "mushy romantic" sight of Pendragoness and Broadway locked together in stone. Magus felt a twinge of sadness at the statues and tried to catch Katherine's eye. She was gazing atTom. Tom caught her looking at him and shifted, embarrassed. The 5 humans watched the sun set and watched the statues.

Tiny cracks stitched along the surfaces of the Gargoyle "statues", then dwelled to deeper ones that split all the way through and revealed the 4 Gargoyles. Angela threw her head back and screamed cat-like as Boudicca growled. Broadway and Pendragoness jerked to arm's length of each other and threw their heads back, screaming defiance at the moon. Broadway protectively lifted Pendragoness off the ledge to the balcony and set her down.... then realized he had an audience.

"Good evenin', lad!" MacBeth laughed jovially.

"Wow, that's how Gargoyles wake," Tom whispered in awe.

"Um, good evening," Pendragoness, feeling more than slightly nervous as the princess' and sorcerer's glances at her.

"MacBeth has told us what Oberon had forced on you," Magus said.

"Ye are with egg?" Tom asked curiously.

Pendragoness coughed. "Um, yes, I am."

"And if ye don't mind me asking, who be the father?" Katherine asked, though she knew full well who it was. Broadway turned red to the tips of his webbed ears.

"You're looking at him," Dark Id leered, and elbowed Broadway in the belly.

Broadway cleared his throat. "Well, this whole island looks fascinating. I wonder what lies within the forests?"

Angela cast a longing look at the landscapes. Aside from her loneliness, she couldn't show anyone around and would have to pretend she didn't know her way around.

Satsana leaned against the railing and breathed the night air deeply. Oberon didn't know what he was missing.

Magus got a premonition and glanced at Pen's stomach and then at her surprised face.

" Why do you need to hide from Oberon?" he asked.......

MacBeth cocked an eyebrow, curiously. "What do ye mean?" he asked. "We told ye. Oberon seeks to steal Pendragoness's child. We were not about to let that happen."

Magus shook his head with mild impatience. "But why has he gone to all this trouble? Why did he insist on a mate from Goliath's clan? Why did he transform a human into a gargoyle? Are there no more females alive in the world?"

Pendragoness and Dark Id glanced at one another, intrigued. "No," Pen answered. "Oberon knows of many female gargoyles."

Magus nodded. "Then there must be something special about the child you carry. I cannot guess what that might be. If you do not know, than perhaps Oberon does, though I cannot say with any certainty that even he knows for sure."

"What do ye mean?" asked MacBeth.

"There are many prophesies in the world," Magus responded, "and these prophesies almost invariably come true. Perhaps Oberon learned of a prophesy regarding your child, and worked to fulfill it. But one thing is certain: while even Oberon may be a mischievous trickster from time to time, he would not go to these lengths without a purpose."

Pendragoness gazed at her belly in wonder as Broadway put a protective arm around her shoulder. Still so young, and yet, the child was already destined for something. Pendragoness hoped that they would be able to find out in time.

Satsana was troubled. She had brought these six to the past to teach Oberon a bit of humility. But had she interfered with a prophesy? The Fey had good reason to fear prophesy. Not even their great magical power could stop even the smallest of prophesies from being fulfilled, and to even try would usually just help that fulfillment. Well, there was nothing to do about it now. If her husband Oberon had learned of a prophesy, then she was already caught up in it. It would be best not to think about it, and to just proceed with her own plans, plans which she had initiated with her meeting with Dark Id earlier that day. She smirked slightly. She was far from finished with the dark-skinned former human.

But none of this trouble showed on her face. "We can worry about Oberon's purposes later." She smiled at Princess Katherine, "For now, if it pleases milady, we would like to repay your kindness by helping you with your chores."

"I would be most grateful," she smiled in return.

MacBeth coughed slightly, and addressed Tom, "If I might make a suggestion, I noticed that you carry a sword, Guardian. Do ye know how to use it?"

"Not really," Tom admitted. "I do practice with it every night, but I still have much to learn."

MacBeth nodded. "Then I can earn my keep by teaching you, as I instruct mi' wards in the use of their own weapons." He glanced apologetically at Princess Katherine, "I'm sorry, milady, but my skill with the sword far exceeds mi' skill tending gargoyle eggs."

The Princess nodded, and Tom, Dark Id, Pendragoness, and MacBeth walked outside to practice. Angela smirked at Broadway. "C'mon, Broadway. You get to help us turn the eggs." Broadway blinked in dismay, then sighed reluctantly and joined the others.

As Angela turned the eggs, she was suddenly overcome by a sense of wonder. One of these eggs was...her! She had no idea which. The purple-spotted eggs all looked slightly different, but not enough to determine which was she. She looked at the egg in her hands, and thought, this could be Ophelia. Or Horatio. Or Sophia. Or even herself. All the more reason to be very careful. Angela reverently returned the egg to the pile.

Broadway carefully lifted an egg and turned it in his large talons. This was one of the Avalon Gargoyles Goliath had talked about, maybe Gabriel, Angela's brother, or Angela herself. Broadway gulped and carefully set it back in the hay. If he was this nervous on handling these eggs, how would he handle his own?

Princess Katherine laughed at Broadway's awed expression. "Do nae worry, Broadway! Egg tending will come to ye in time so ye can care for yuirs."

Angela cast Broadway a grin. "Ya, Dad," she teased.

The Magus wiped his brow. These eggs were heavier than they looked. He pushed his white hair out of his eyes and stroked the purple surface of a hatchling's covering. He watched Broadway's awed looks at the clan's children.

"Why did ya affirm life if ya can not understand it?" Magus asked mystically.

Broadway jerked up. 'I understand it," he huffed.

Angela raised an eyeridge at her sorcerer ward. What did he mean?

Satsana smirked to herself. "If I may take leave, milady, I wish to have a word with Dark Id." Katherine nodded. "Bring Pendragoness in as well, although just conceived, I fear for the child if she practices too much." Satsana nodded her dark head and left in a swish of her skirts.

Satsana stepped from the warmth and coziness of the Avalonian fairy palace to the mystical and cool night. The forests harbored their secrets, and whispered of deeds to come. The Fairy Queen drew a breath of her island's air. Oberon, that stuffed husband of hers didn't know true living. Awww, too bad he couldn't time travel. More's the pity. Satsana could hear shouts and laughs from the forests mingled with the forest creatures and cricket chirpings. MacBeth and his wards at practice. Satsana smiled and pushed through the brush.

"Here, ye grip the sword here on the hilt. No, not like that, like this. It gives you a better grip," MacBeth instructed. Tom bit his lip in concentration and clenched his fist on the sword's hilt as MacBeth showed him. Dark Id was waiting across the clearing. Pendragoness was sitting on the grass and watching, a wry smile cocked on her lips.

"Remember, just like I showed you," MacBeth said. One good thing about being immortal, you have more patience, MacBeth thought. Tom raised his sword, and threw it at Dark Id. In a flash of purple light, Dark Id materialized his own sword, and struck the flying weapon from him. MacBeth and Pendragoness clapped.

"Excellent job, Tom!" Pen grinned.

Dark Id sheathed his sword and picked up Tom's. "I'll say, he would've sliced my gizzard!"Id huffed.

MacBeth clapped a beaming teenager on his shoulder and offered his pregnant ward a hand to her feet.

"No need to, I'm not heavy yet!" Pen laughed, but grasped the immortal's hand.

Satsana revealed herself causing everyone to jump. Dark Id most of all. "Princess Katherine would have you inside, Pendragoness. Dark Id, I wish to talk to you," she said.

"Oh great, everyone's fussing over me already!" Pen moaned.

Dark Id grimaced at Satsana's request to speak with him, but managed to joke:" Aw, Broadway misses you already! Awwww!" He received a nice smack in the head.

"Ye sure you don't need help back?" Tom asked.

Pen held her palms up. "Now don't you start!" she said good-naturedly," You guys can't make me stay in the palace until I'm too big to move!" Pendragoness caped her wings and bounded back to the palace.

"Watch ye don't fall!" MacBeth warned to her back. Satsana grasped Dark Id by a dark ear and dragged him to the palace. It really hurt and Dark Id winced all the way.

"A word with you," she repeated, dragging him past Magus and Angela just coming out of the room where the eggs were stored, and to her chambers.

Broadway enveloped Pendragoness in his arms and kissed her throat. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Pendragoness circled her arms about his neck. "I can stand that from the others, don't you do that too!" Pen moaned, but she was secretly pleased that everyone was concerned over her.

Katherine cleared her throat. "Could ya help me with the bakin' this evenin'?" she asked the Gargess. Broadway smiled for it meant he could help and cooking was his thing. Pendragoness snickered for a minute, remembering a time where she, as human Laura, had attempted to bake bread with Aaron. That had been a fun fiasco.

Meanwhile, Satsana closed her chamber doors and turned to poor Dark Id.....

"Again?" Dark Id sighed darkly.

"You know it must be," responded Setsana sternly. "This morning's exercise was just the beginning. You have a long ordeal ahead of you."

"You don't need to tell me that," Dark Id snapped, "I saw for myself. But there's no reason for me to exhaust myself this early in the evening."

"Fair enough," Satsana nodded. "At dawn then. But don't be late. This is a responsibility that you don't dare shirk."

Dark Id stared at the ground, furiously sullen. Responsibility was something he tried to avoid whenever possible, but this was a task he didn't dare forego. He just wished it wasn't so tiring a task. He was going to have to exhaust himself at dawn, and every dawn after that for many years to accomplish what Satsana asked, just because she didn't dare raise a hand or a spell to her husband herself! Which reminded him...

"Just how long are you going to continue this 'Satsana' nonsense, Titania?" Dark Id asked. He had learned the mysterious woman's secret identity that dawn, when she had shed her disguise and explained her plan. A brilliant plan, Id had to admit, but a difficult one. For him, at any rate.

Satsana lifted an eyebrow. "For as long as it amuses me, of course. It has been long since I have taken the form of a mortal other than Anastasia Renard."

Dark Id grinned suddenly, and gazed malevolently at Satsana through half-lidded eyes. "And why should I let you have this fun, when I could blow the lid on you anytime I wanted?"

Satsana studied her nails, apparently unconcerned. "Go ahead. It isn't so important to me that I'd let you use it against me. Just keep in mind, that if you did so, I would be unhappy with you. I have ways of expressing my unhappiness that would shock even Oberon, I'd imagine. Ways that would still leave you quite able to accomplish our task."

Dark Id had a very good imagination, and that imagination was coming up with a variety of dreadful things that the Queen of the Fey could do to him if angered. The color drained from his face (an effect which, in humans, would have caused the skin to pale; in Dark Id, however, with his dark blue skin and bluish-green blood, it caused his face to darken noticeably), and without another word, turned and left Satsana's smirking presence.

In a foul mood, and itching for someone to torment, Dark Id was lucky to pass in front of the kitchen door just before hearing Broadway shout, "Pen! Watch out!" accompanied by an explosion.

As he heard crashing metal and crackling flames, Dark Id glanced curiously into the kitchen. Broadway was shielding a confused Pendragoness and a haggard-looking Princess Katherine from the bits of brick and mortar that were the result of an exploding fireplace.

"Ach, Pen, what've ye done?" asked Katherine after Broadway had moved away.

"Nothing! I was just bringing the soup to a boil, that's all!" Pendragoness protested.

Katherine shook her head, somewhat impatiently. "Ye do not need tae clamp th' lid shut on the pot when ye boil soup. And ye should never boil anything without using a pot with a hole for the steam to escape! Did yuir mother teach ye nothing?"

Pendragoness bared her teeth angrily. "I'll bet your mother didn't teach you much about cooking, PRINCESS!"

Suddenly, Katherine looked very sad. "No. No, she didn't. My mother passed away when I was very young."

Pendragoness was horrified. She had already known that fact, but had spoken without thinking, and most likely reopened some painful wounds. "I'm so sorry!" she said humbly.

Katherine sighed. "It is nae yuir fault. It happened a very long time ago, and the hurt has faded somewhat over time. Besides, I should nae have been so quick to anger. Ye are right. My childhood was spent learning politics and diplomacy, not cooking and sewing. Those skills, I had to learn here." Katherine smiled. "And it would seem that my diplomatic skills have faded."

Dark Id decided to spoil the touching moment by choosing that instant to walk into the room, clapping his hands. "Oh, bravo, bravo. I see Pendragoness's cooking skills haven't faded over time."

"Shut up, Id" growled Pen.

Dark Id stalked over to the ruined fireplace and began to weave purple magic into and around the many shattered fragments. "Don't think I've forgotten about that little bread incident," Dark Id continued, as the purple strands drew the fragments of stone and mortar together. "Dead yeast makes very dense bread." Princess Katherine hid a smile behind her hand, while Broadway cocked an eyeridge.

"SHUT UP, ID!" snarled Pen.

The bits of brick and mortar coalesced into their former positions, and with a flash of purple light, the fireplace was whole once more. Dark Id, gingerly picked up a twisted fragment of metal. "Hmph. You'll have to fix this pot yourselves. I don't do iron."

Dark Id smirked at Pendragoness again. "I have to admit, that bread had a whole host of uses." Dark Id began ticking items off on his fingers. "They would have made great ballast--one or two loaves would be plenty to keep a balloon from floating off. You could probably forge them into some durable armor, if you could find a hammer heavy enough to dent them. For that matter, they'd have made wonderful catapult ammo-"

"DIE, ID!" shrieked Pendragoness, eyes glowing red, as she picked up Dark Id and threw him out the kitchen door.

Id's flying body impacted with Angela, who had come to investigate the explosion she had heard, and both collapsed to the floor in an awkward tangle of arms, legs, and wings. Dark Id chuckled, and pushed himself up, noting that his face was mere inches away from that of the startled gargoyle beneath him. "I guess I was wrong, Cutie," Dark Id smirked. "Pen DOESN'T have way more self-control than you."

Angela's features shifted from wide-eyed astonishment, to disgust, to disgruntled resignation. "Oh, get off," she snapped, shoving Dark Id to the side and standing up. Brushing herself off, she glowered at him. "I should have known you had something to do with the noise I heard."

Dark Id returned an innocent gaze, "I'm hurt! And here I repaired the fireplace and everything. Don't look at me, Cutie, Pen's the kitchen hazard around here." Dark Id stood and began striding away. "Well, my work here is done. Bye, now! And don't blame me if Pen kills you all with her next culinary wonder!"

Oh, how I love being me, Dark Id chuckled to himself as he walked. He felt so much better now. He couldn't seem to get an edge on Titania, but everyone else was fair game as far as he was concerned. Well, the night was still young. Dark Id was sure he'd find other ways to keep himself entertained until Satsana needed him again.

Princess Katherine dusted off her hands. "Well, Dark Id certainly made good use of his powers."

Pendragoness angrily shoved a lock of light hair out of her eyes and grumbled under her breath. Broadway laid a cautious hand on his mate's shoulder. "Pen?.. Are you ok?"

"Fine! Just fine! So I can't cook!" Pendragoness blew up. She proceeded to stalk from the now clean kitchen. Broadway looked crestfallen. Katherine cleared her throat.

"Do nae wo-rry, Broadway. All pregnant females grow irritant and moody. Merely let her cool off, and assure her with your love," she said.

Magus sat down at a long table in the Great Hall, and watched Broadway run to find Pendragoness. "He has his own..... would that I could say to Katherine what I want to..." he thought. The sorcerer continued to watch Broadway's figure disappear down the castle corridor. He opened his journal and licked his quill. Unfamiliar penmanship met his eyes. "What the?" Magus thought. He had accidentally taken the Princess' journal. Magus was about to close the diary when a scrawled name caught his eye.

"The Magus has always been my dear friend, but would that I can find that love I am seeking. I don't know what I want, when Magus looks at me, I can't help but feel for him, he being taken from his mother at a young age to learn a mage's study. But Thomas.... where is that young lad I had swear fealty to the eggs? Where is that child? Who is this young man in his place? It strikes me now that we are growing old, and older still......" Magus' trembling hands closed the journal. He clasped the hard bound tome in his thin hands and stared into space.

"Thinking, sorcerer?" a feminine voice asked.

Magus jerked up, realizing he was not the only in the Great Hall now. Satsana ambled to the head of the Hall, and placed herself on Oberon's throne. Katherine never touched the magnificent chair for fear of all the tales her nursemaid had told her of the "Wee Folk' when she had been a wee lass. As Satsana sat, clouds of dust rose up to evaporate in the air.

"How do you do that?" the Magus asked.

Satsana smiled coyly. "Thinking of your Princess?" she asked. Magus turned a slight red hue, slight due to his pale complexion.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Dark Id wandered the Avalon forests, fully enjoying the atmosphere. He snickered at Pen's baking fiasco. That was number 2. He'd have to keep count of all the times she screwed up. Due to his and Pen's magical/telepathic link, he heard a string of jumbled and hysterical thoughts from her.

"I can't take this, Oberon won't leave us alone!" he heard the screaming thoughts.

Turning his white head, Dark Id saw something that made his heart stop."Pen, NO!!"

Broadway had searched all over the Avalon palace for his beloved, but it seemed she had vanished. He checked the egg storage room, because he thought Peness might've decided to turn the eggs to get in some practice. She wasn't there. Broadway tried his and Pen's chamber next, where they often spent precious moments of love. She wasn't there, napping as she usually did these nights. Broadway had a *very* bad feeling. The air around him seemed to freeze and go still. He wrapped his arms about himself, caping his wings.

Dark Id's shout of "Pen, NO!", that was heard throughout the palace, jolted his every waking pore. Angela, who had been lying in her chamber, and stroking Boudicca's ears, jerked from the shout. Boudicca howled in fright.

MacBeth and Tom heard it from their practice and play. Magus and Satsana looked up from the ominous shout. Katherine ran from the kitchen.

"NO!" Dark Id screeched in terror. Silhouetted against the dark sky on the palace roof was Pendragoness. She stood loosely, head bent and tears glistening on her cheeks. Her arms were clasped over her flat middle. A pang of vertigo made her sway back and forth, dancing on the edge of a razor blade.

Broadway burst out into the courtyard first. "PEN! DON'T!"......

Dark Id's feet pounded the ground as he ran desperately towards the castle. He had the sinking feeling that he was not going to make it in time. If Pendragoness decided to go through with this insane suicide attempt, there was going to be little he could do to stop her. Hopefully, his cry of concern had alerted those still at the castle.

Dark Id lunged off the edge of a cliff and spread his dark-blue feathered wings, catching a warm air current. Where had these depressing thoughts come from, anyway? This couldn't possibly be because of his taunting earlier, could it? No, of course not. It wasn't the first time Aaron had made fun of her cooking ability, or even the most vicious. Besides, while Dark Id was too far from Pendragoness to read her thoughts (he had only heard Pen's initial mental cry because of the force of the emotion behind it), he was close enough to get vague impressions of emotions. Pendragoness's mind was a turmoil of despair and hopelessness, with flashes of hatred toward...toward...

Oberon. Dark Id could make that, at least, out clearly now. The castle was in sight. Dark Id could make out Pendragoness's silhouette perched on the edge of a tower. Just a few more meters, and he would be close enough to talk with her, to reason with her.

Unfortunately, those few meters were a few too many. Dark Id reached out with a helpless hand as Pendragoness tumbled from the tower, her wings clasped tightly shut around her body.

As his friend fell to her death, Dark Id idly noticed that MacBeth and Tom were watching her fall as well, equally helpless. An insane idea penetrated the dark sorcerer's mind. Perhaps if MacBeth were to move underneath the plummeting gargoyle he would be able to break her fall. It would cost him his life, but he'd recover. Dark Id shook his head as he realized how foolish that was. MacBeth alone wouldn't be enough to break a fall like that, even were he willing. Time seemed to creep by as the distance between the gargoyle and the ground narrowed.

With only yards to spare, a streak of lavender intercepted Pendragoness and aborted her fatal descent. Dark Id released the breath he had been holding and sighed, "Thank you, Angela." Not that he'd tell her that in person, of course. Greatly relieved, Dark Id continued his flight toward the castle. He wanted answers, and he knew that Pen was the only one who could give them.

Id was not the only one who wanted answers. "What in the bloody blue blazes did ye think ye were doing, girl?" MacBeth exploded. "Ye could have been killed!" Everyone was gathered around a miserable Pendragoness. The transformed human refused to look anyone in the eye, merely hanging her head. Tears flowed freely from her eyes.

"I think that was the idea," Dark Id answered him dryly.

Broadway was horrified. "Is that true, my love?" he asked her, taking a taloned hand in each of his own huge paws. Pendragoness said nothing, merely sagging guiltily. "But why?" Broadway asked. "Was it..." his voice quieted to a miserable whisper, "was it something I did?"

Pen raised her head suddenly. "No!" she exclaimed. "No, its not you! Never think that!"

"Then why?" Broadway prompted.

Pen's head lowered again. "It's...it's...it's all just too much!" she sobbed.

"What is too much, child?" Princess Katherine asked tenderly.

Still crying freely, Pendragoness babbled, "E-everything! We can't stay here forever, and when we leave, Oberon's gonna take my baby! As long as we're here, I'm useless! I can't cook, and I can't really fight! Even if MacBeth teaches me, there's no one here to protect the castle from! Eventually, I'm going to have a child. My child! I'm too young to be a mother! Even if I was going to be able to keep him! But I can't. God, I hate that bastard Oberon! I HATE HIM! And I can't fight him!" Pen broke down completely. Broadway merely held her helplessly, uncertain of how to comfort her.

"But why kill yourself?" asked Satsana. She didn't sound very concerned, though there was compassion in her voice. She knew that Pen was in no danger of dying, if she was part of an unfulfilled prophesy.

Sniffling, Pen said, "I thought...I thought it might be the only way to make sure that Oberon didn't get what he wanted. The only way to fight him."

"I can't believe you are that stupid," Dark Id scowled angrily. Pendragoness stared at him in shock. "I've known you for months now, and I never had any idea you could be so incredibly dense!"

"Hey, you can't talk to her that way-" began Broadway angrily.

"Quiet, tubby!" Dark Id snarled, knocking Broadway to the ground with a flash of purple lightning. He grabbed the broken Pendragoness by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Do you really think that it's just you against Oberon? That you were the only one fighting him? DO YOU?"

"I-I-" Pendragoness stuttered. She had never seen either Dark Id or Aaron as mad as Dark Id was now.

"Did you really think that no one cared enough about you to help? Look around you!" Dark Id held her firmly with one hand, and gestured to those in the room. "Everyone here is fighting Oberon with you! MacBeth, Boudicca, Angela... Even the Princess, the Magus, and Tom are fighting him, by letting us stay here! If Oberon can be beaten, we'll find a way. I can't believe you have so little faith in us!"

"I-I'm sorry-" Pen tried to gasp.

"I'm sorry is not good enough!" Dark Id snapped. "We all care for you. Even me! And if I can care for you, that should tell you that you're way too valuable to waste in some petty kamikaze attack against Oberon! So help me, I'll MAKE you understand how valuable you are!"

Pendragoness was caught within an explosion of dark purple light. She shrieked with pain as she suddenly felt nine other minds inside of her own. She could see everything, know everything that everyone in the room knew. It was too much. But as the haze of pain cleared, she could feel something in each mind. Concern from a few, sympathy from some, and love from all. But especially from one. A great overpowering love that warmed her heart and lifted her soul. She sighed gratefully and slipped into unconsciousness.

Dark Id caught her as she fell and lowered her to the floor. Without another word, he began to walk from the room. "What did you do to her?" demanded Broadway angrily.

Dark Id glanced at him coldly. "I showed her what she needed to see. She'll be fine, now. Once she comes to, that is. Just be there for her. I need to rest." The others watched him retreat, and then gazed at Pendragoness once more. She was sleeping, now. And she was smiling.

Broadway watched Dark Id exit from the palace, and gave a low guttural-sound. He turned to gaze at Pendragoness sleeping on the ground and his eyes were full of love.

"I'll take her to her bed," Broadway said for everyone's knowledge, and bent to carefully collect his mate. He straightened up and trod on light feet down the corridors.

Magus cleared his throat. "I hope the lass will be alright," he said. Katherine clasped her hands to her face, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. As a princess, she'd never had to experience any act of death straight on. Even when her father had died, she hadn't seen his last breaths or seen his body. This was a whole new experience for her and Katherine didn't know what she'd have done if Angela hadn't made a last second clean catch.

"Princess?" Tom asked, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Thomas," she sobbed and stooped down to embrace the lad. Tom's arms encircled her shaking form. He was taller than he'd been when they'd come, but he was still growing. Satsana remained ever cool. MacBeth stroked his beard, feeling his eyes shimmer. He shouldn't have blown up at his ward that way, she was going through too much right now.

"I shouldn't have yelled at her," he whispered.

"You were just concerned for her," Magus said. Boudicca nuzzled Katherine's leg with her snout.

"I should apologize to her," MacBeth said. He would've gone to her chamber, but Angela stopped him.

"Let's leave them alone," she said.

Broadway got to their chamber, and prodded the door open with his foot. He silently kicked the door shut and advanced across the large bed chamber. Broadway used his tail to pull back the heavy covers, then he laid Pendragoness down. Broadway began to tuck her in, when he saw her shoulders shaking and tears wetting her pillow.

"My love," Broadway said, lifting a corner of the blankets and sliding next to the Gargess, "Don't cry. We're here for you.. I'm here for you." Pendragoness shuddered.

"I can't help it," Pen sobbed.

"Do you hate what I-- *did* to you?" Broadway asked, laying his head back on his pillow and rubbing his neck with one fist.

"NO!" Peness yelled, grasping his shoulders and slamming his large frame into the bed. Broadway's eyes widened in surprise. "Don't ever say that!" Pen began to pound one fist against Broadway's chest, that steadily grew weaker in motion. "I love you, I love you, I love you," she cried and with no strength of her own, slid down onto her mate's body, pressing her face to Broadway's chest weeping violently. "I thought I hated you for giving me this child, but I could never hate you! I'm so furious at Oberon for forcing this on me. I love you and he's going to take our baby away!"

Broadway did the only thing he could-- hold her. "Ssh, my love, ssh," he soothed, encircling her shaking form with his arms. He smoothed her hair from her face and ran a smooth talon over her eyeridge. "Oberon will never take our hatchling away. He'll have to go through me, first," he vowed.

"That's what I'm afraid he's going to do! Go *right through* you," Peness exclaimed. Broadway held her trembling face in his large hand.

"I love you, Pen. And nothing can defeat true love, or take the evidence of our feelings away," he whispered.

Dark Id sat in a large willow tree in the Avalon forests, gazing at the landscapes. He could *hear* Pendragoness' thoughts of love for her Broadway. Id snickered. "Hmmm, Tubby must be doing something that she likes." He chuckled at the thought of Broadway trying to make love to Pen when she would be too huge.

"Hee hee, well, Cutie seems to be taking this rather well, " Dark Id thought. Oh, enough sittin' around a forest, time for some fun! Dark Id caped his wings and trekked back to the palace.

Angela gritted her teeth. In order to get to her chamber, she had to walk past the chamber the lovers shared. Boudicca rowlfed at the door, glancing back at Angela. Angela almost felt sick from the low rumbles and growls she heard from within. She shook her head and passed by to her chamber.

Dark Id materialized himself on the ceiling of Broadway's and Pen's chamber. They had long since fallen asleep in each others arms, their garments strewn on the floor, the blankets barely concealing them. Beads of sweat dampened Broadway's bare chest. He shifted in his sleep, pulling back the leg that had been thrown over hers in his repose, and rolled onto his back. Broadway yawned and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes met Dark Id's.

"Uh oh!" Dark Id said and vanished out to the Great Hall where MacBeth and Angela were reading to Tom.

"Dark Id, I'm going to kill you!" Broadway roared. He clasped a section of blanket about his hips and ran out to strangle the winged sorcerer.

"Woo!" Angela whistled when Broadway ran into the Great Hall.

"New look, lad?" MacBeth slyly asked.

"Now now, Broadway! It's practically dawn, you'd better get dressed!" Dark Id stuck his tongue out at the puffing Gargoyle. Broadway wandered back to Pen, mumbling as he went. Satsana tapped Dark Id on the shoulder. "A moment of your time, sorcerer," she said. Dark Id gave her a withering look, and was rewarded by a prompt kick to the shin. She threw Dark Id into her chamber and closed the door........

Dark Id's gift had done wonders for Pendragoness. While every other memory she had learned while under Id's spell had quickly faded, the memories of love had remained. There are few who can truly say that they know that they are loved--most everyone has some, if just the tiniest bit, of doubt. But Pendragoness had been shown that love, and knew that even near-total strangers like Satsana, and Princess Katherine and her friends loved her, if not with the devotion that Broadway held. Because of this certainty, Pendragoness spent the next several weeks on Avalon in an optimistic and ebullient mood that made Dark Id want to retch. But even he (if tortured) might admit that it was better than the alternative.

As time passed, the day-to-day goings on at the castle fell into a routine. At dusk, before the first meal of the evening, Katherine, the Magus, Broadway, Angela, and (when she was feeling particularly helpful) Satsana would tend to the eggs, while MacBeth would instruct Tom, Dark Id, and Pendragoness in the use of the blade. Afterwards, Pen, Katherine, and Broadway would head for the kitchen. Pendragoness, even with the (now) patient and tolerant instruction of her two companions, remained a terrible cook, providing a great deal of ammunition for Dark Id's ceaseless taunting.

Most of the rest of the nights were utilized for various leisure activities. Broadway spent much of the night either with Pendragoness or in Oberon's impressive magical Library (or, on occasion, with Pendragoness in the Library). While the Library was not as extensive as some, it was constantly updating itself, stocking itself with any new book the moment it was written. It seemed to be able to tell what one wanted to read, as well, as Broadway never failed to find a book he was looking for (as long as it had, in fact, been written by that time), and when he wasn't sure what he was looking for, the Library never failed to provide him with something else of interest.

Broadway wasn't the only one to spend his spare time in the library, though he was the most frequent visitor. MacBeth frequently sought out texts of Arthurian legend, having developed an understandable interest in the Once and Future King. Dark Id, who was a bookworm as well as an evil fiend, also frequently searched its shelves when not engaging in mischief of some kind.

However, mischief was Dark Id's foremost passion, and he engaged in it whenever possible. Unfortunately, to his horror, as the days passed, people started to become tolerant of--and even amused by--his jibing. He found it increasingly difficult to get a rise out of Broadway, Pendragoness, or Angela (his favorite targets). For a few days, he had fun tormenting the adolescent Tom (it was so easy to bring a furious blush to the young lad's face by mentioning the Princess), but eventually even he began to ignore him. Dark Id soon became aware of the terrible fact that he was becoming bored. Exhausting himself each night at Satsana's request did nothing to help. Obviously, it was time to organize some action.

Dark Id confronted MacBeth in a corridor of the castle. "MacBeth, it's time we stopped sitting on our hands and started getting ready for Oberon."

MacBeth raised an eyebrow. "What do ye suggest?" he asked.

"We need iron," Id stated bluntly. "There isn't a lot of it on Avalon, and I can't make it with my magic. Obviously, we're going to have to go to the mortal world, and the sooner the better."

MacBeth stroked his beard, thoughtfully. "Ye could be right. Who, do ye think, should come?"

Dark Id shrugged. "Just our crew, whoever wants to come." Dark Id grimaced. "I have little doubt that Satsana will want to come."

MacBeth nodded. "I'll fetch the others, and inform the Princess of our leave-taking."

Soon, a group had gathered at the beach. Dark Id and MacBeth were there, of course, as well as Pendragoness and Satsana. Broadway, naturally, traveled anywhere that Pen did. Angela and Boudicca, oddly enough, had decided to remain behind. Dark Id felt strangely depressed by Angela's decision, but could not figure out why. He shrugged, and decided that it was because he wouldn't be able to torment the gargoyle on this trip. Rounding out the group was Tom, the Guardian. He had decided to come, as he had had experience with Avalon's whimsical nature, and knew that the group's trip was likely to be longer than they expected. "Avalon doesn't take ye where ye want tae go," he muttered to himself. "Avalon sends ye where ye need tae be..." It was a truth he had discovered for himself six times in the past, when he set out to check up on Goliath's clan each year. Hopefully, there wouldn't be too many places in need of their services, this time. As the two skiffs, with three passengers in each, set out, Tom wondered what adventures Avalon had in store for them now...

"We'll return as soon as possible!" Tom called, waving from the his position at the rudder.

Katherine frantically waved. "Take care, Thomas! Please be careful!"

"We will!" came the faint answer as the mists closed around the skiff. Katherine watched the still clouds of mist, and felt tears to her eyes. She slowly sank to her knees, not really caring about what the damp sand was doing for her purple gown. She was alone at the palace, they wouldn't be back for a long time since time passed more slowly on Avalon.

Magus laid a hand on her shoulder. "Princess, we should turn the eggs," he quietly coaxed her up to her feet.

Katherine shuddered as the two entered Oberon's palace. It was so still, and.. quiet without Dark Id's teasing, the often explosions in the kitchen due to Pen's cooking mishaps (hee hee), Tom's shouts, Broadway's soft voice reciting Shakespeare to Pendragoness, his murmured whispers in his mate's ear, nor MacBeth's jovial laughter. This was how Goliath must have felt when he had discovered his friends trapped under a magical spell.

Magus was feeling very hopeful. He was alone with his Princess. Magus caught Katherine's eyes and gave a smile. Katherine smiled back. She saw her past at her old home Wyvern on the mage's face.

Katherine opened the door to the egg storage room. "Here we go to rock the wee bairns!" she laughed, trying to keep her cheerful composure. Magus hefted an egg in his pale hands and began to walk around the large make-shift Rookery. "All will be well, Katherine. At least Dark Id can't levitate the eggs again!"he said.

Katherine had to laugh at the memory, although it hadn't been funny at the time. "That darn imp, he should be spending all that mischievous energy at his sword practice!" she giggled. Magus laughed, remembering the last time they had watched MacBeth teach his wards and the Guardian swordsmanship. It sure was a funny sight to see Pendragoness, looking slightly rounded in the middle, beat the jalapena stuffing out of her fairy friend!

"Ach, stop!" Dark Id had pleaded, dodging a swipe by Pen's sword. (she practiced with Tom's sword when he wasn't using it, and not her magical one) Pendragoness laughed and had made a new swipe. Her calculated blow had caught Id's tunic sleeve and torn it to the collar. "Cut it out! I'm in no mood to start stripping!" Dark Id had snickered, dodging behind MacBeth. "Hey, leave me out of this!" MacBeth had roared with laughter as Pendragoness had chortled and began to chase the sorcerer around and around her Guardian.

Katherine giggled at the memory. Then her eyes glazed over with sadness, taking in the Rookery. She missed turning eggs with the Gargoyle lovers. Pendragoness would always rise a laugh out of her companions by holding her hands in an exaggerated bulge around her stomach. She sighed deeply.

"I think I will retire tonight and sleep, Magus. Could ye check the fire for me?" she asked, smoothing her dark hair back.

"Of course," Magus said. Katherine left him with the clan's eggs.

Magus finished carrying each egg, taking them around the palace for good measure. "There ya go, child," he said, laying back the last egg on a pile of straw. He stroked the egg's smooth surface, and headed for the kitchens.

Magus added a new log to the fire, and stoked it high with an iron poker. The kitchen seemed to be in order, thanks to Dark Id's repeated clean ups. No more explosions for awhile. But Magus had to admit he missed them.

Magus turned to go to the library and see if the chamber had restocked itself on any new volumes. He wasn't tired yet, but the silver-haired mage stopped in his tracks. No, he had his duty.

Magus tiptoed to Katherine's chamber, catching up the drapes of his robes in his bony hands to stifle the rustling of his garments as his slippered feet softly stole down the candlelit corridor. Magus gulped and softly laid an ear to her chamber door. Sensing she was asleep, the Magus lay down near her door, under a tapestry depicting a Fae king and queen. He curled himself in a half-ball. "Good night, my Princess," he whispered at her door and closed his eyes......

The mists of Avalon slid aside, and the six travellers caught sight of...nothing. There was nothing all around, except for the shimmering expanse of the deep blue sea. A sea that seemed particularly deep, wherever it was that they had ended up.

"Oh, it's HOT!" moaned a sweating Tom. MacBeth seemed to agree, as he loosened his collar, and even Satsana seemed uncomfortable.

"Hmm, it is a bit toasty," agreed Dark Id. "At least I'm in no danger of a sunburn. I'd say we're definitely somewhere tropical."

Pendragoness and Broadway shrugged at one another. Their gargoyle bodies made them extremely resistant to heat and cold. "Actually, I'd say we're in the middle of nowhere tropical," Pendragoness corrected, "but I wouldn't mind getting to somewhere as soon as possible."

Tom sighed and said, "I'm afraid Avalon does nae work that way. If we be nowhere, we be there for a reason."

"Maybe that is the reason," Satsana said in her melodious voice, pointing off the starboard side of her skiff.

Five heads swiveled in that direction, and five jaws dropped at the sight of a thirty foot pillar of water bearing down on the boat at high speeds. The top of the column twisted and reshaped itself into the shape of a gaping mouth, filled with watery fangs. "What's THAT?" shrieked Pen.

"Water elemental, I think," Satsana answered calmly. "Pity I didn't bring my umbrella."

"There's another one!" shouted Broadway, pointing off the port side.

"And two more," sighed Dark Id, as watery monsters rose from the sea fore and aft of the two vessels. "Hang on a sec." Dark Id began to gather his dark magical energies. A few moments later, he lashed out with an intricate web of dark magic that surrounded and penetrated one of the attacking creatures, seeking out each molecule of water and sapping it of energy. Within moments, the water elemental froze solid, losing the precious heat it needed to remain liquid. With a 'splush!', the wormlike column of ice collapsed into the warm sea.

In the meantime, however, the other elementals had come quite close. Close enough for Pendragoness to slice at one with her sword. The moment that the blade touched the watery skin of the elemental, the creature exploded into a shower of salty raindrops. Pendragoness looked at her sword in wonderment. "Don't look so surprised, Pen!" Dark Id called irritably. "Your sword negates magic, remember? Water elementals are held together by magic!"

Unfortunately, Dark Id and Pendragoness's delay gave the other two remaining elementals time to strike, and the six travellers were soon overwhelmed by water. Just before darkness overwhelmed her, Satsana found herself wondering whether or not Pendragoness's child really was part of a prophesy. If not, they were all in deep trouble.

MacBeth was the first to regain consciousness. Glancing around, he found himself in a large, squarish room, dimly lit by a phosphorescent green light. A quick glance revealed that his wards and their companions were all with him. That concern relieved, MacBeth set about examining their prison, if a prison it was.

The room they were in seemed to be carved from stone, and the walls, floor, and ceiling were very damp, as if they had recently been covered with water. The dim light was provided by clusters of glowing seaweed of some kind. One of the walls of the chamber seemed to be composed of some kind of glassy material...no, not glass. One of the walls was nothing but water. And within this water, looking back at him with concern, were a number of odd creatures. One appeared human from the waist upwards, but had a scaly fish tail instead of legs--obviously a merman. Another appeared to be a beautiful girl, human in every way except for her bluish skin. This, MacBeth decided, was probably a nereid, or sea nymph. Accompanying the two was a whalelike creature with a long, spiraling horn protruding from its snout. Most likely a narwhal, though they were reputed to be much larger than this. Perhaps it was a pup.

"Are you well?, human?" the nereid asked, looking a bit apprehensive.

MacBeth groaned, and rubbed his grey head. a steady drip dropped onto his already-damp hair from the damp ceiling. "I'm ok, although I don't like being slammed with a tsunami. Where are we?" The Sea Nymph seemed the safest to ask. The Merman was giving the group a disapproving glare.

"Where you are, human, is one that has been a mystery for all time. Fishermen from the ancients to the future have never been enlightened by our secrets," the female Nymph answered. Her voice was a soft and whispery bell.

"And where would that be?" MacBeth asked. New groans told him that his companions were coming to. Tom sat up and squeezed the water from his tunic. Pendragoness lifted her head from a puddle and flung her damp hair. Broadway rubbed his bald head with one hand, then reached with both to assist his mate. "Are you alright, my love?" he whispered, taking in their surroundings.

Dark Id flexed his wings and snapped water onto Satsana. "Where to now, Titania?" he hissed at Satsana. The dark-haired Fae-in-disguise spat out a mouthful of salt water at the sorcerer, staining his tunic.

"Well, Avalon sent us here for some purpose, we might as well find out what," she told him. MacBeth went to check on his pregnant ward as Satsana stepped closer to the water wall.

"What would you have of us?" she asked the water Nymph. The Merman gave her a fierce glare and grasped the Nymph's shoulder. "Why did you capture them? We could've just fed them to the Ness and be done with such pests!" he growled.

"Beg pardon, sir, but we didn't mean to trespass!" Tom said.

The water Nymph pushed the Merman's hand off her shoulder. "Stay your arm, fool. They have the magic of Avalon all about them. And the female Gargoyle is in dire condition," she said. She smiled and stepped through the water wall.

Tom alerted to an attacking stance, his hand on his sword hilt. Satsana stared deep in to the Nymph's eyes. "She knows who I am," Satsana thought.

"My name is Muse. That," the Nymph named Muse gestured to the Merman who scowled deeper," is Edin. We are two of the many races that live here at Atlantis."

"ATLANTIS???" Peness pounced. Oh, she'd always wondered if such legends were true. But if Gargoyles and Avalon existed, all other tales must.

"Yes, Gargess. The sea-city Atlantis resides under the section of ocean that will be named The Bermuda Triangle in centuries to come," Muse said. "Wow," Tom thought. If only Katherine could see this! The teenager felt a pang of home-sickness.

Muse made her way to Pendragoness, still somewhat sprawled on the damp stone floor. Broadway protectively shielded her.

"I'm afraid ye canna touch her! We do nae know ye!" MacBeth exclaimed, feeling a surge of fatherly concern for his ward. Tom cast a scowl at Muse and showed a good section of his blade out of his sheath.

Muse smiled. " Stay your arm, young man. You, too, Scotsman. I do intend no harm to your female companion." Edin snorted from the water, his long hair bobbing with the current. Muse ignored him. Muse spread both pale smooth hands over Pen's tunic, over her rounding middle. Broadway kept his hand on Pen's shoulder.

"You are with hatchling, She-Gargoyle. I can feel the life within. Such a child that will cause battles to come," Muse spoke mystically. Although her middle was covered by her tunic, Peness could still feel Muse's cool touch through the fabric and she shuddered.

"What do ya mean?" Tom asked. MacBeth cleared his throat. "Yes, we were in search of weapons to protect ourselves," he said with his accented tongue. "Ah, yes. Iron. That is what you need, and lots of it. We can supply you with what you seek. But first--" Muse held up one slender finger, "--You must help us."............

"There's always a catch," Dark Id shrugged. "What do you want from us?"

The nereid hesitated slightly, and then answered, "To understand that, you must first know the truth about this city and its inhabitants. Please, follow me." She paused a moment and added, "It would probably be best for the expectant one to remain. She is not seriously injured, but it will be difficult for her to walk."

"Can you heal me, Id?" asked Pen.

"My variety of healing is not gentle," Dark Id answered bluntly. "It'd probably kill your egg. But if you really want me to..." he grinned evilly, extending his hands.

"NO!" exclaimed Pen and Broadway together. Startled, they glanced at one another and smiled tenderly.

"Oh, give me a break," Dark Id complained, rolling his eyes.

Broadway spoke, "If Pen stays, I stay."

"As you wish," answered Muse. She stepped once more through the watery wall. From the other side, she beckoned to the hesitant air-breathers. Satsana shook her head, a bit irritated with herself for hesitating, and stepped boldly through.

MacBeth raised an eyebrow at the sight of Satsana breathing normally while underwater. "This, I have tae see for m'self," he muttered, stepping through. On the other side, he, too, found himself breathing normally. As Dark Id and Tom followed, he asked, "How is it that we breathe underwater?"

"A minor spell, though infrequently used," Muse responded. "It keeps your body surrounded with a thin layer of fresh air." She smiled and continued, "Infrequently, because we so rarely have air-breathing guests down here. Siscera, come!" Obediently, the young narwhal swam to her side, and the group began walking.

"And that is as it should be!" exclaimed Edin irritably. "There is a reason that we no longer aid the air-breathers. There is a reason that we abandoned the surface waters to live here in Atlantis. You, Muse, seem to have forgotten that reason! Air-breathers cannot be trusted! With all your vaunted second sight, you are blind to the world around you!"

"And you view the world through eyes narrowed by hatred and suspicion," Muse answered evenly. "I would much prefer to remain open and optimistic, rather than closed and rigid like an oyster within its shell."

"Your open optimism is going to mean our destruction!" Edin seethed.

"Feh!" Dark Id snorted. "Optimists are fools, and pessimists are losers. The only true wisdom comes from the cynic. You," Dark Id pointed at Edin, "blather on and on about how untrustworthy we are, while you," he pointed at Muse, "seem to think that we can be trusted. What I'd like to know, is why we should trust you! For all we know, you could have sent those elementals against us yourselves, to get us down here!"

Muse frowned slightly, while Edin looked ready to start frothing at the mouth. MacBeth touched Dark Id's shoulder and whispered, "Lad, if we come out of this alive, remind me to teach you a useful diplomatic skill. It's called tact."

"How DARE you?!" ranted Edin. "My wife goes through all the trouble to bring you down here alive, and you meet her generosity with these vile accusations! I should cut you into slurry right now! Or maybe I should let Siscera run you through! Or-"

Edin, too, was silenced by a touch to the shoulder. "Be silent, dear," Muse murmured. "He is right."

Edin's jaw dropped. "He's what?"

Muse glanced downward, a bit guiltily. "I did direct the elementals toward your vessels," she told her air-breathing guests.

"Why?" asked Satsana, curiously.

"For precisely the reason that your dark-skinned fairy friend most likely guessed," she answered, her cheeks coloring. "To gain your trust by rescuing you. I do apologize for the deceit. I should have realized that one of you would see through me. I am not a skilled liar."

"I could give you lessons," Dark Id offered.

Muse ignored him. "But my attempt should show you that I am most sincere when I tell you that we need your help!"

Edin's bulging eyes were a testament to his mixed state of horror, fury, and outrage. "Muse! You know the punishment for attacking the air-breathers! How could you!"

"Something needed to be done, my love!"

"Please," MacBeth interrupted, "Could ye tell us what exactly is going on?"

"He's your husband?" asked Tom, equally confused, and a bit farther behind.

Edin sighed and answered, "As you probably know, Atlantis used to be a continent, bearing a city populated by many air-breathers. Long ago, long before our peoples came to live here, the entire continent was decimated somehow, perhaps by war, perhaps by some natural disaster. Whatever the cause, the continent sank beneath the waves and came to rest here."

Dark Id was suspicious. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"

Edin stiffened and answered, "You may be air-breathers, but you have been ill-treated." Edin glared at his blue-skinned wife. "Honor demands that I treat you with courtesy to atone for my foolish wife's misdeeds."

"Pshaw!" snorted Muse. "You forfeited your precious honor the moment you assumed that these air-breathers couldn't be trusted! I did what had to be done, and that's something honor is rarely good for."

Muse continued where her petulant merfolk husband had left off. "Many centuries ago, our people fled the surface waters-"

"They had tired of the abuses they had suffered at the hands of the air-breathers," Edin interrupted, "and they elected to withdraw. They did not 'flee'."

"Our ancestors were cowards, running away from their problems," Muse answered. "They should have learned to adapt. If they had, we wouldn't be in the predicament we are now."

Edin ignored her. "This city, which had once merely been the capital city of the undersea races, became a haven. It was the only move that could have been made in the face of air-breather tyranny."

"You sound like a New Olympian," Dark Id smirked.

"Our air-breathing cousins," Edin answered shortly. "Only slightly better than the other air-breathing vermin." He grinned slightly. "They've always been so proud of their secrecy. Apparently, they haven't succeeded as well as they thought, if you know of them."

"Honestly, if I didn't love you more than life itself, I'd divorce you in a second, Edin! How I could ever have fallen so deeply in love with you has got to be one of the universe's great mysteries!" Muse desperately wrestled the conversation back on track. "Long before it became our 'haven'," she grimaced at the word, "our peoples had been using the advanced technologies of the city for many purposes, including healing, gardening, schooling-"

"All needless crutches," Edin growled.

"All became taken for granted," Muse steamrolled on. "For the past thousand years or so, this city has been occupied by well past its capacity, and our population is still growing. Our population is not the problem we wish you to deal with, as much as my husband assumes you would like it to be. The technology of this city has been put under a great deal of strain by the overcrowding, and now it has finally begun to break down." She sighed. "We know how to use the technology, but we do not know how it works--or how to repair it. And without any contact with the air-breathers-" she glared at Edin, "we never will."

"Bah! We do not need this filthy air-breather technology to survive!" Edin snarled.

"No, but our civilization does!" Muse shot back. "Without the hospitals, our peoples will be reduced to crude seaweed bandages! Without the schools, our peoples will be little more than races of savages! Even our ancestors, whom you seem to revere as gods, lived better than that!"

"That couldn't possibly happen!" answered Edin.

"It can and will. I have foreseen it," countered Muse coldly. "If our technology is not saved, our civilization will collapse. You know that I am right." Edin merely stewed in sullen silence.

"So, let me get this straight," said Dark Id, "You dragged us all down here because you needed a repair man?!?"

Muse nodded. "No water-breather knows how the harnessed lightning that is so critical to much of our borrowed technology works, or why it has stopped. So few of us bother to study the technology that sustains us." She glared at her husband. "Far too many of us spend their hours whining about how much better the past was. If you cannot aid us, I fear our civilization is doomed."

MacBeth stroked his beard. "Dark Id and I are familiar with the technology of the future. We might be able to help you outthere. But it depends on what piece of machinery," he said.

Muse smiled. "Oh good!" she clapped her hands childishly and grinned broadly.

Edin frowned deeply. "My love, even if they trust you, how do you know they would not betray your trust?"he asked.

"Not one of us would betray you!"Dark Id piped up. Edin gave him a fierce look. "It was YOU I was referring to!" the Merman snarled.

"We must hurry, for I fear we must get Pen back to Avalon before something happens," the teenager fretted.

"Indeed we must," MacBeth agreed. Although before Tom had said that, the only thing he had been worried about was Broadway and Pendragoness acting too rashly, even in her state of condition.

"This way, humans," Muse addressed. She made a sharp turn and the 8 wound up at the magical spires of the city of Atlantis.

4 pairs of eyes widened in awe. Even Satsana was greatly impressed. Dark Id backkicked in the water. "Woah, no way!" he said.

The 6, led by an excited and hopeful Muse and sullen and reluctant Edin, made their way to a stone corridor. A bearded Merman brandishing a spear, obviously a guard, blocked their path with a clank of his weapon across the corridor opening.

"Halt, Muse. Who be these air-breathers?" the guard inquired. Muse smiled. "Good day, Raman. These mortals (except for MacBeth) know of our technology and have agreed to help us," she said.

Raman rubbed his bobbing beard with one fist. "Aye, but ye'd betta be quick. You know how the Lord is about anyone going to the Tech Room, and those water elementals came from no where," he said. Muse gave a withering smile ( for an obvious reason) and proceeded to the depths of the corridor.

Once deep within, Edin halted Muse before the large double doors leading to the Tech Room. "We must place them under oath!" he hissed.

Muse rolled her eyes, but said, "Of course, my love, I was just about to!"

"Air-breathers, you must give the Oath," she said, holding up a hand, palm out.

"Agreed," Satsana said.

"Repeat after me, all in unison:" Muse said and spoke the binding agreement. MacBeth, Satsana, Tom and Dark Id followed her words, however Dark Id was reluctant.

"Sheezzz, this would have been fun to send to Unsolved Mysteries," Id thought. Edin was at last satisfied at the agreement, and nodded to his wife to take one double door as he took the other.

"Once inside--" she started when screams and water swishes erupted from the city. Tom was caught in a swirling water current and grabbed hold of the sorcerer to keep from spinning off through the sea. "What in--" Muse said, the doors forgotten.

"Blast IT! DAMN!" Edin cursed. He struck his fist against the corridor wall.

"What is it??" MacBeth demanded.

Raman the guard swam up, puffing."Edin!" he panted," The Lord needs you in the ranks right away!"

Edin began to swim away, but Muse grabbed his shoulder. "My love, what is it??" she asked.

"The Beast has returned to our city. The creature will kill us all, we must destroy it!" he said. Muse grasped his shoulder.

"Don't go! You'll be killed!" she cried. Edin caught her in his arms. "Nonsense, my wife. I will not die. Now please keep an eye on these humans. I swear if you don't look after yourself..." he said. Muse gave a muffled sob against his chest. He then looked at the mortals and swam away with Raman.

Loud crashes and screams sounded again and the whole city of Atlantis vibrated as the Beast crashed head-on. Satsana caught MacBeth. "I've read of this creature," she said," It usually is sent to capture a significant few, then leave without further harm."

"Oh, my, god," Tom cursed.

"LAURA!" Dark Id screamed, letting Aaron show through. Only in such danger did he refer to her once human form.

"PEN!" MacBeth yelled. He and his companions threw themselves into a swim, limbs wildly straining.

During all that time, Broadway and Pendragoness had been waiting in the cell for their return. "My love, how are you holding out?" Broadway asked with great concern. He cradled her in his lap. Peness snuggled her head on his chest. "I wish I could walk is all. I don't like the idea of not being with our companions. Edin gives me the creeps," she said.

Broadway brushed a kiss to her eyeridge. "I would never leave you. You'll be healed at dawn. Besides, I wasn't about to let Dark Id heal you."

Pen opened her mouth to answer with a sweet response, when a jarring thud startled the whole cell. "What in," Broadway began. He stood up, carrying Pen with him. She clasped her arms about his neck.

"Oh, perfect," was what she said....

The horrifying sight that greeted Pendragoness was the chitinous claw of some kind of monstrous crustacean. "That's the second biggest lobster I've ever seen!" she exclaimed. Broadway responded with an incredulous stare. "Well, okay, it's the largest." She amended.

The gigantic claw closed around the two gargoyles, holding each gently, but firmly. Straining against her confinement, Pen gasped, "Broadway, I'd just like you to know, for the record, that I am officially having a bad day."

"No kidding," Broadway grunted, trying ineffectually to push the claw open. "I'll make it up to you, if we live through this. Uh, oh." The 'Uh, oh" was prompted by the fact that the claw had begun to withdraw from the cell. It carried its two captives through the wall of water, where they discovered that whatever spell was allowing their companions to survive had not been cast on them.

Outside of the cell, now, Pendragoness had a chance to get a better look at their captor. It did look like a huge lobster, but with four clawed arms instead of two. The other three claws also held struggling and screaming prisoners--the major difference being that those other prisoners could still breathe. Pen turned a desperate glance to Broadway, who shrugged hopelessly in return. Broadway slammed his clawed hands down onto the claw, but his talons were not nearly long enough to even puncture the shell.

Finally, the last breath Pen had been able to draw was exhausted, and her desperately aching lungs demanded that she draw another, at any cost. Pendragoness opened her mouth to inhale the briny sea water--and turned to stone instead.

Dark Id, Tom, and MacBeth looked on helplessly as the armored creature shuffled off, completely ignoring the dozens of creatures attacking it with spear and horn. "Hmm, this looks bad," Satsana noted with mild concern.

"Bad?" Tom asked incredulously, "That creature's going to have yuir friends for dinner, and all you can say is 'bad'?"

Satsana shook her head. "They are in no danger, Tom. Chitonids do not eat meat, despite their fearsome appearance. This creature was sent by someone, why, I cannot guess. A Chitonid only takes captives when compelled to."

Muse looked shocked. "You mean it is not going to kill them?"

"Not the Chitonid. Such creatures are gentle, normally. However, I cannot speak for its master."

Muse shook her head, slowly. "For weeks now, ever since our outer city defenses failed, the Beast has been snatching our people. We assumed that they were all dead, and my foresight could tell me nothing. Now you suggest that they may still be alive somewhere?"

"Ho! Muse!" Edin's voice suddenly called. The burly merman swam up to the group. "You should not have come this close to the battle, my love. You could have been hurt!"

"Spare me your concern," Muse snapped. "You know as well as I that there would not be a battle for me to stay away from, if our defenses were still intact!" She calmed slightly. "So how goes the battle?"

"Our attacks are, as usual, not holding the creature at bay. Our warriors will harry the Beast until it reaches its nest, and the others of its kind push them back. But I am confident that we will one day be able to stop the Beast without relying on the air-breather technology! No more lives will be lost."

"No lives HAVE been lost, if this woman is correct," Muse retorted. "The Beast--she calls it a Chitonid--has been capturing its victims for some master."

"Nonsense!" he snorted. "Besides, what business is it of hers?"

"Their two friends have been taken," Muse answered shortly.

"What?!" Edin asked, looking quite surprised. He looked stricken. "I-I'm sorry. They can't possibly have survived this long without air."

"Untrue," said Tom. "'Tis daytime now, though there be no sun to reckon it. I saw the two were stone. They will nae need air 'til dusk, whenever that is."

"Then we need to go, now," Dark Id growled. "I'm gonna make whoever took Pen pay, big time." He slapped a dark-skinned fist into his palm menacingly.

"I will come with you," Muse said. Before Edin could protest she said, "They will need a guide, and you are needed here, Edin. I will be perfectly safe, do not worry." Her face hardened with determination. "I vow that I will return with these air-breathers intact. We need them, if we are to have any future worth living!"

"As you wish, my love," Edin sighed regretfully. He turned and began to swim away, not looking back.

After a time, Edin arrived at a nondescript area of Atlantis's tremendous expanse. There, he entered a nondescript building. Inside, an assortment of sea folk were gathered around a table. At its head sat a thoroughly unimpressive looking squid-like creature, who was, nonetheless, the leader. "Ah, Edin," it burbled. "What do you have to report?"

"Why did the Beast take the air-breathers?" Edin demanded.

"It was necessary," the squid creature answered. "You know as well as I that an air-breather might be able to repair the damage we've done to the blasphemous air-breather technology. They have to be eliminated."

"It is not necessary," Edin hissed. "Let them repair the damage! We can merely sabotage the systems once more, after they leave!"

"You are not thinking, Edin. If they were given a chance to investigate the damage, they might be able to tell that the systems did not break down on their own. This was our only recourse."

"Well, one of the air-breathers is familiar with the true nature of the Beast," Edin continued. "She knows that it is harmless, and Muse believes her! She is leading the remaining air-breathers to recover their companions even now! They will discover the prisoners we have been collecting and training to uphold the ways of our ancestors!"

"That will not be allowed to happen," the leader answered. "Once away from Atlantis, our brethren will be able to slay them without attracting notice. Nothing must interfere with our plans to wean our corrupt and decadent peoples away from the technology of the air-breathers."

"But what of Muse?" Edin asked in concern.

The squid-thing sighed damply. "She will not be harmed. You, however, have failed to turn her away from her unholy quest to restore the air-breather machines."

It was Edin's turn to sigh. "I just need more time. She is a stubborn woman, but she has a good heart. I'm certain she will see the folly of her ways in time."

"As you say," the leader replied.

"I am afraid that I must be off," Edin said. "The Beast, as usual, caused little damage, but what damage there is must be repaired. Farewell!"

Once Edin had left, the squid-creature turned a concerned eye on those present. "You do realize what must be done."

A creature resembling a man with a shark's head answered, "Yes. Painful as it seems, Edin's wife has thrown in her lot with that of the air-breathers. I doubt that she can be convinced of our ideals if her own husband has failed. She, too, must be killed, as the most outspoken advocate for the restoration of the forbidden technologies of Atlantis."

"Is this course of action agreed upon?" the squid leader asked. One by one, all those still present murmured their agreement. The leader sighed once more. "Then, as much as it pains me to command it, Muse must die."

"Come, the sun will rise in 12 hours!" Tom exclaimed. Ever since Broadway and Pendragoness had been nabbed by the Beast, the lad had been in a fit of excited despair.

"Calm, boy! We need a plan," MacBeth said.

Dark Id chuffed in anger. "Weren't we 'brought here' to get some iron?? We still need to protect ourselves from Oberon, you know."

Satsana rolled her eyes at him. "Avalon sent us here for a purpose, and that is to solve the mystery of this Chitonid-- and get back our Gargoyle friends!"

Muse back kicked in worry. "But where does the Beast hide himself between attacks?"

The group searched all day, to no avail. The sun would be setting. "Look, the sun's setting!" Tom exclaimed dully. MacBeth closed his eyes. In all his centuries of fighting, nothing struck deeper to him than a mother and child. And his ward was going to die without Muse's spell. And Broadway had been dragged into this whole mess of his own free will. Well, Oberon would be having nothing to fight them for, now.

"Oh, the poor creatures," Muse said sympathetically. She should've put her breathing spell over the Gargoyles while she had the chance. Satsana was very worried. If Pendragoness and her unhatched child were indeed part of a prophesy...... Tom felt tears spring unbidden and unwarrior-like from his eyes, which the sea's current swept away.

Dark Id felt all sarcasm slip away for a moment and felt strangely sad and melancholy.

The sun set above the ocean's surface. Two Gargoyle statues sat in a cave, unyielding to the current that lapped ever inside the grotto and that swept back out, like waves upon a beach. Cracks stitched upon the statue's second-skins, and then exploded off, followed by pants for air, half-roars and choking coughs.

"My love, are you alright??" Broadway asked in deep concern. Pendragoness slipped from his grasp and expelled the contents of her stomach. "Ahhh, night sickness," she muttered, wiping bile from her mouth and shaking her wet hair back. Pen gladly sank deep into Broadway's open arms. "I'm just glad the sun rose when it did!" she exclaimed, feeling Broadway kiss the back of her neck and smooth back her damp tresses as his wings came over her.

"Where are we?" Broadway demanded of the empty company around the two. A far-off roar met their pointed ears and Broadway gathered up his pregnant mate into his arms. "What was that?" Pendragoness breathed......

"Ah, the gargoyles have awakened."

Broadway and Pen's heads swiveled toward the unfamiliar voice, but could find no source. "Follow the sound of my voice to the end of the cave," the voice commanded. With little alternative, Broadway complied, Pendragoness enjoying the ride in his arms.

Meanwhile, on the sea floor a few miles outside of Atlantis, Dark Id suddenly realized something. "Pen's not dead," he said with surprise.

"What? How do ye know?" Tom asked hopefully.

"We have sort of a mental link," Dark Id answered distractedly, "I'm sure I would have felt Pen drowning. C'mon! We have to keep searching!"

Newly inspired, the group continued their hunt for their friends. Broadway and Pendragoness, for their part, soon found themselves at a small pool. Sitting on the pool's edge was the speaker. He was a creature who could have passed for human, had he not been covered from head to toe in green scales. He was carrying a trident and an expression of cynical amusement.

"Who are you?" Broadway demanded.

The man shrugged. "My name is Sillis. As leader and spokesperson for New Atlantis, I'd like to welcome you blah blah blah paradise beneath the waves blah blah blah a wonderful new life here, unrestrained by technology blah blah blah."

"You sound so enthusiastic," Pendragoness noted drily.

Sillis shrugged. "Yeah, well I'm required by law to spout the happy propaganda at anyone the Beast brings. Of course, most of it probably won't apply to you, since you're air-breathers."

"Propaganda?" Broadway asked.

"Yup. To tell the truth, New Atlantis is probably as close as you can come to Hell and still be wet. There are a hundred and fourty-two of us here, and the Beast brings more every day. We're all trapped in this little underwater valley, and anyone who tries to get out is forced back in by the Beast. So, we were forced to try to survive here."

"If there's a hundred of you, shouldn't you be able to escape?" Pen asked.

Sillis shrugged. "Maybe. But the council wouldn't allow it."

"The council?"

"A bunch of fanatics, in my own humble opinion, and I've let them know it more than once. They're a bunch of loonies who believe that we're better off without the air-breather technology of Atlantis." Sillis looked bitter. "Just tell that to my dearest Cin and the child she died giving birth to. A child who didn't survive his first year." Sillis sighed. "Still, they did help us to survive here. We would all be dead if they hadn't taught the rest of us how to hunt and forage. That's why they're our council." His eye glinted. "But most of us still want to leave. That's why I'm the leader." Then he shook his head. "But enough politics. We still need to decide what to do with you."

"What do you mean?" Broadway asked, concerned.

"Well, you can't really come with me, because you can't breathe water," Sillis explained patiently. "You follow me so far?"

"Reminds me of Dark Id," Pen whispered into Broadway's ear. Then aloud, "A woman cast a spell on our friends back in Atlantis to allow them to breathe underwater. Can't you do that?"

Sillis shook his head, "Nope, our only magic-user was ripped into tiny bits by sharks a few days ago. So, our only real options are to either leave you here or kill you and leave you here. The council is pushing for the latter, and for that reason, if no other, I'm for the former. The council's been working itself into a lather preparing for an 'invasion of air-breathers'. They think you're the first of a huge army. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, but our people are starting to buy into this nonsense. The way things stand now, if an air-breather were to show their face anywhere around here, they'd probably lose it."

Pendragoness's face paled. "Oh, God! Our friends are probably looking for us!"

Sillis frowned. "That's bad. You'd better hope that they don't find you."

Suddenly, a giant snail-like creature surged out of the pool. "Sillis!" it slurped, "The air-breathers are attacking!"

Sillis rolled his eyes. "Well, so much for that idea. You two just sit tight, and I'll try to keep the bloodshed down."

Before either gargoyle could respond, Sillis and the snail-creature vanished beneath the surface of the pool. "Don't worry, Pen," Broadway crooned, "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I hope so," Pendragoness gulped.

At the edge of New Atlantis, Dark Id muttered, "I think we've found something."

Surrounding the party of five were scores of sea-dwellers, all of them armed, and none of them looking happy.

Some distance away, Edin reached the outer fringes of the assembled warriors. "What's going on?"

The fellow he addressed, another merman, shrugged, "They say it's an air-breather invasion. Doesn't look like much to me."

Edin was worried. "What about Muse?"

Before his companion could answer, a shark-headed man thrust his spear above him and shouted, "Death to the air-breathers! Death to the traitor!" He shrieked and charged, and the warriors began to swim forward.

The traitor? Edin thought. Oh, no... "MUSE!" he cried. What had he done?

"Ow, let me go!" Muse cried as she was dragged to the small army with her arms held behind her back. "My love, what did you do?" Edin was beside himself.

MacBeth, as an elder, and feeling partly responsible for the whole incident, gave a swim thrust forward. "Sir, she was just helping us to find our friends. We know they're here, so if we can just.."

"I'm afraid you can NOT be allowed access to New Atlantis!" a Merman barked, brandishing a spear at the Scotsman.

"Death to the traitor!" several of the soldiers began chanting again. Sillis scowled deeply at them. "SHUT UP!" he yelled, striking his trident down sharply, sending energy bolts flying. The soldiers quieted down, though some muttered.

"You say she is a traitor?? What is her crime??" Sillis demanded, crossing his scaly arms.

A sea-dweller , who had a tail much resembling that of an electric eel's, spoke. "She led these air-breathers to us. Only the Beast knows of this sanctuary!"

"I-- was-- only-- trying to help them to find their friends!" Muse grunted, struggling against her captors.

"Silence, wench! We know how much you want the air-breather technology restored! It is a blasphemy to all Atlantis stands for!" the guard pinning her arms behind her back snarled.

"Do we look like an army?" Tom gestured to his mortal (well, except for MacBeth) companions with both arms. "We wish to find our friends, get some iron and leave--"

"What about what Avalon sent us here to do?" Satsana whispered to Dark Id.

Inside the grotto, Broadway was preparing to take matters into his own talons. "Stay here, my love. I'm going after our friends." he said, laying Pendragoness carefully down, up on a rock ledge.

"But you'll drown!" she protested.

"I'll come up for air . If I'm down more than 5 minutes, I'm done for," Broadway said.

Tears welled in Pen's eyes. "PLEASE, be careful, Broadway. Come back to me," she cried, holding onto his neck.

"I will, Pen. Stay here," Broadway said, and planted a kiss to her forehead like a good little girl. "I love you," he whispered.

Pendragoness uttered a gasp of despair at what he was about to do, and kissed him on the lips. She watched her mate walk deeper into the pool of water and then wrack a deep breath of air and kick his form under the water. "You'd better be careful, Broadway, our hatchling is NOT going to grow up without a father!" Peness thought.

Broadway was swimming along the cave tunnels leading to the ocean floor outside, and his air supply was holding out just fine. Luckily he had big lungs. But his luck turned for the worst when a sea-dweller caught sight of him. "Oh, shit!" Broadway thought, right before the creature (who strangely looked alot like the Jolly Green Giant with a fish tail) struck him in the chest. Bubbles fled Broadway's lips as he half-grunted. "Treacherous air-breather!" the Green Giant fish hissed, and begin to drag Broadway to Sillis in the ranks.

But this Gargoyle wasn't going without a fight. Broadway's eyes snapped vacant light and he and the fish-creature began grappling for the advantage. Broadway might've won the battle if he could breathe under water, though. Bit by bit, he was running out of air, and the Sea-dweller was taking advantage of it. "Heh, couldn't hold out forever, could ya?" the Sea-dweller cackled. He threw a punch at Broadway's jaw. He reeled to the side in the water current. Broadway half-grunted and felt his jaw which was staring to bleed. it wasn't helping that the sea-dweller had spikes growing out his knuckles.

Back in the grotto, Pendragoness intently watched the pool of water for any sign of her mate's return. "Broadway! BROADWAY!" she screamed when she saw air bubbles cutting to the surface. She brought a hand to her forehead and concentrated on her hold with Dark Id.

Back at the line of war, Dark Id could hear Pen telepathically talking to him. Bringing a dark-blue hand to his forehead, he thought back, "Hey, Penny, long time, no talk!"

"Shut up, Id! This is important!" Pen thought back. Sillis watched him curiously. The other sea-dwellers began to take conclusions of their own, though.

"Sillis! He's conspiring to attack! Something's going to happen!" they began yelling.

"I said, SHUT UP!" Sillis growled.

MacBeth cast his sorcerer ward a more than curious look. "Broadway's in trouble," Dark Id calmly said.

"WHAT????" Tom exclaimed.

"Oh, we got us a problem," Satsana said.

"Ohhh, no kidding," Edin muttered.

Sillis grinned. "Well, we ain't seen us any action, so take them!"

"Well, that was a redundant way of waging war!!" MacBeth said, side dodging a swipe of a spear to his head. In Scotland, one only had to throw a sword to wage battle. Tom unsheathed his blade and swiped at the guard holding Muse. In doing so, the guard let go, allowing Muse to swim over to her friends.

"Fools! It's just a boy! And we've got weapons too! Attack!" Sillis yelled, smiling puckishly. A full-fledged battle began.

MacBeth, being the seasoned warrior he was, was doing just fine. He managed to rush-swim a sea-dweller and snatch his weapon.

Muse growled deep in her throat. Hey, never cross a Sea Nymph. Broadway was being dragged, half-unconscious to the front lines. "Oh, that's right, he needs my spell!" Muse remembered. "Edin, I need you!" she cried out.

Broadway half-swiped with one hand at his captor. "Hold on, Broadway!" Muse said, as she and Edin took out the soldier.

Muse grasped the Gargoyle around the forehead with both of her hands and hurriedly chanted her spell:

Broadway jerked up, and began panting, his chest wracking. Dark Id casually watched him. "Nice to see you too, Broadway."

"What the HELL is going on??" Broadway demanded......

"Oh, you know how it is," Dark Id answered conversationally, "We just stopped by for some tea and crumpets, and now we're fighting in a war against a trained undersea army that outnumbers us twenty to one." Dark Id reached out without looking and casually grabbed a scaly attacking soldier by the neck. With a crackle of black energy, the man was quickly knocked out. Dark Id flung him into a group of his companions, who were all knocked down.

Tom's sword clashed against a merman's trident, and the young Guardian strained against his opponent, each trying to disarm the other. Muscles bulging, the two of them scowled at one another, faces inches apart. "This...is...too...easy!" Tom grunted.

"What do you mean?" asked Satsana. She lashed out with her fist and knocked an attacking squid creature unconscious with a perfectly executed palm strike.

Tom freed a hand just long enough to strike a blow to the merman's jaw. The merman stumbled back, clutching his jaw, and Tom flicked his trident away with a casual twitch of his blade. "Well," he answered, "There's way more of them than there are of us. So why haven't we been overwhelmed?"

"Hush now, boy, you'll spoil the surprise!" answered a wildly grinning Sillis.

"Lord Sillis!" saluted a squid creature, "The Council has been taken, as ordered."

Sillis slapped a hand to his forehead. "That's just great. I just finished telling the boy not to ruin the surprise, and here you go and give the whole thing away."

Broadway's jaw was hanging open. "Let me get this straight. When you ordered the army to 'take them', you were referring to the COUNCIL?"

"Tada. Whee. That would have been much more fun if you had figured it out on your own." Sillis sighed. "Let me explain. The day that the Council started spouting their fanatical drivel, the rest of us secretly agreed that we'd support them until they went too far--in other words, until they decided to execute one of our kind." Sillis gestured to Muse. The Leader of New Atlantis turned to study the Council. Each was under guard, but only a few of the twenty or so members were awake. "We are still thankful to you for showing us how to survive without technology, but we will not stand for an attack on a fellow Atlantean."

"I wouldn't thank them just yet," growled Edin.

"Edin, you traitor!" shouted a shark-headed council member. Edin recognized him as one of the society members from Atlantis. Obviously he had arranged the ambush.

"The society lost my support the moment you attacked my wife!" Edin snarled. He whirled to face Sillis. "You and your people are free to return to Atlantis whenever you like."

Sillis looked surprised. "Wha- but the Beast-"

"Is harmless," answered Satsana. "Unless it is under someone's direct control."

"Three guesses as to who's been controlling it," smirked Dark Id, "and the first two don't count."

In spite of the fact that his face was covered with scales, Sillis turned red with rage. "YOU?" he hissed at the captive Council members.

"It was for the good of all Atlanteans," a crab-like creature answered. "We must be weaned from the air-breather's technology, at any cost."

Shaking with rage, Sillis pointed his trident at the creature. "I SHOULD kill you for what you've done! If it wasn't for your mad scheme, so many of us would still be alive. Cin...would still be alive..." The trident glowed for a moment. Then Sillis lowered it. "But I stand by what I've said. No Atlantean should die atthe hands of another. There is no cause great enough for that. Not your survivalism, and certainly not revenge. Soldiers! Return to New Atlantis to pick up your possessions and children." He threw a withering glare at the Council members. "We're finally going home."

Half a day later, Atlantis was celebrating the return of its kidnapped citizens. Families were reunited, friendships were restored, and Dark Id and MacBeth were up to their elbows in Atlantis parts. "Ah, finished!" crowed Dark Id, giving a screw one final twist.

"That's the last of it, then?" MacBeth asked Edin.

Edin nodded. "That's all the sabotage that I know of. I doubt there's any more." Edin sighed. "Well, I suppose this means that we'll once again slip into decadence, living off the air-breather technology like parasites."

"No!" Muse answered sharply. "We must make sure that that doesn't happen. But the solution is not to shun technology, but to learn it. Only by studying them can we eventually learn to create marvels like this on our own."

"We've lived off of this technology for centuries!" Edin snapped back. "If we haven't learned it by now, what chance do we have?"

"We have every chance! But only if we try," Muse answered.

"Well, as much as I hate to break up a potentially violent argument," Dark Id broke in, "We DID fix your city, and we'd like that iron you promised."

"Of course," answered Muse hesitantly. "Please follow me."

As they walked, they were joined by Sillis, Satsana, Pendragoness, and Broadway. Satsana took Dark Id by the arm. "Oh, Id, can I have a moment of your time?"

"Oh, please, no..." Dark Id moaned.

"Just wait here a moment," Satsana told the others. "We won't be long." Satsana led Dark Id around a corner. A few minutes later she emerged once more, practically dragging a haggard-looking Dark Id behind her.

"Id? What happened to you?" Pen asked with concern.

"Oh, nothing that a six-year nap won't cure," Id answered. He stumbled, and MacBeth and Tom rushed over to support him.

"Is this yuir doing?" MacBeth snapped at Satsana.

"Yes and no," Satsana responded.

"That's not an answer," MacBeth scowled.

"It's all the answer I'm about to give. Ask him yourself, and if he's willing to tell you, so be it."

"You air-breathers are a strange lot," commented Sillis.

"Ye don't know the half of it," sighed Tom.

"So, what is to become of the Council?" Pendragoness asked Sillis.

Sillis grinned ferally. "They wanted to create a world free of technology, so we're letting them. They've all been banished from Atlantis, they and their society friends here. All, save Edin, of course. What they choose to do now is their own business."

"A fitting punishment," MacBeth noted. "But ye'd best be prepared for their return."

"I'm not worried," Sillis answered, "Once we've unlocked the secrets of the technology of Atlantis we'll be more than a match for anything they come up with."

"Here we are!" said Muse suddenly. The group had arrived before a huge door.

"This is where we keep all of our iron," Muse explained. She grasped the door's handle and pulled. The door opened, revealing a room empty of water, the room being kept dry by some unknown force--perhaps the same spell that had kept the travelers' cell full of air when they had first been brought to Atlantis. In the center of the room was a small pile of swords, armor, and other knickknacks. A rather pathetic collection, actually.

"What is this? Ye promised us all the iron we needed!" Tom cried.

"Um, I exaggerated?" Muse smiled weakly.

MacBeth studied the offering thoughtfully. "We could make iron plate-mail for one out of this, or perhaps three swords. But that is all."

"I am sorry," Muse said earnestly. "It is very difficult to find iron in good condition under the sea. But all we have is yours."

"Id, can you put this in a pocket universe?" asked Pen.

"Nope, can't," answered Id, slouching in the grip of MacBeth and Tom.

"Because it's iron?" Broadway volunteered.

"No, because I'm too tired," Id answered. "I can store iron. I just can't manipulate it."

"Do not fear," said Muse. "We will return you, and your iron, to the surface intact. Your boats are still whole, and we can soon have you on your way. Edin?" Edin nodded, and guided the air-breathers away. Muse, on the other hand, hurried to her room. She had just experienced a powerful prophesy, and she wanted to get it recorded as soon as possible.

In her quarters, Muse withdrew her book of prophesies. Every prophesy she had predicted had come true, save those that were yet to come, and she had little doubt that the prophesy she was about to scrawl would as well.

"A child is to come," she wrote, "A child conceived in Oberon's Honor and guarded by his Wrath, fathered by a guardian of the City of Steel and Glass. The child shall be borne on Avalon's shores..."

Far above, on the surface of the sea, two boats glided into the mists of Avalon. On one Aaron was sleeping soundly, his head cradled in Pendragoness's lap. Tom, in the same skiff, was fascinated. "So this is his true form? Why did he assume it?"

"He can't sleep as Dark Id," Pen responded. "And he was dead tired."

"I see," Tom responded. He leaned back in the front of the skiff. "Well, we seemed to have solved some of Atlantis's problems. I wonder where Avalon's going tae send us next..."

The mists of Avalon cleared, and the two skiffs came to a halt on a sandy beach. Pendragoness hopped out, cradling her sleeping friend in her arms, while Tom and Broadway pulled the skiffs onto the shore. Suddenly, a batwinged silhouette glided over the party. Broadway glanced upwards and froze as the shape soared out of sight. "Demona!" he gasped.

"Demona??" MacBeth demanded, springing up.

Pendragoness sank down and cradled Aaron in her lap. "Where Demona is, trouble can not be far," she said.

"Avalon does nae take ya where ye want ta go....." she heard Tom mutter.

Satsana, meanwhile, was intently studying the exhausted Aaron. "Awww, I shouldn't have used so much juice," she calmly said.

Pendragoness raised an eyeridge at her, "What exactly did you do to him??"

Satsana shook her head. "These are the forgeries of jealousy," she quoted. (a Titania line from A Midsummer Night's Dream)

MacBeth scowled. "That still does nae tell any of us what you do to me ward to exhaust him to his human form," he said.

"That is not important, friends. But it will help us to defeat Oberon, that's all I can say," she said, waving her hand as if to say 'Discussion closed'.

"Where are we?" Tom asked, looking around. Broadway leaned lazily on the side of a skiff. "Looks like Scotland to me!" he exclaimed, sniffing the air deeply.

Pendragoness beamed. Laura had always wanted to go to Scotland, and it looked like now was the chance. "I'd say we are in-- the 12th century AD?" she guessed.

"Yes," MacBeth breathed, staring off into the distance. He seemed to be in another world.

Aaron yawned and looked up to see Pen holding him. "Hey, how come you don't ever change back to your human form?" he asked. 4 talons smoothed the white hair from his forehead.

"Well, I receive gratifying sleep every day, and I'd rather not. I don't know what would happen to my baby if I did," Pendragoness explained. Broadway promptly gave her a loving look.

Satsana sat cross-legged on the sand and stared at the Gargoyless' swelling belly. That tunic wouldn't hold much longer. Pen would need new attire soon to allow the child to grow freely. She sensed and knew what the Sea Nymph Muse had written down in a flood of sensed inspiration of a prophesy to come.

"A child conceived in Oberon's Honor and guarded by his Wrath."

Satsana turned to gaze upon the newly transformed Dark Id, and his packed friend Pendragoness. Got that part covered.

"Fathered by a guardian of the City of Steel and Glass." Satsana looked at Broadway looking at Pendragoness.

"The child shall be borne on Avalon's shore..." Satsana watched the stout Gargoyle sit behind his mate and stroke her stomach.

The dark-haired woman mused to herself. If indeed Pendragoness and her child were part of a prophesy, Broadway should have a right to feel proud of what he had done. But back to the matter at hand....

"So, what agenda does Avalon have for us here?" Dark Id wondered, smiling noradically. Oh, cool, MacBeth's home turf. This was going to be so much fun, to mess with the past Demona! He had a telepathic feeling that Pen wanted to see the "haunted" Castle Wyvern. Too bad Angela didn't come, she would miss out on seeing her ancestral home in it's original location, and her father asleep.

Back on Avalon, Magus turned onto his side, and yawned. He had slept most of the day there, outside Princess Katherine's chamber door, to guard her.

The white-haired mage stared up at the tapestry hanging on the wall. A Fairy King and queen, no doubt depicting Oberon and his Bride themselves, were embroidered onto the fabric. Magus shivered into his robes. There was something.... haunting about that tapestry. Magus felt like he was being watched....

MacBeth snorted. "I think it's clear that Avalon has sent us here to stop Demona from whatever she's up to! Come on, let's follow her!"

The first response MacBeth received was the crackling sound of hardening stone, as the dawning sun crept over the horizon. The second was Dark Id. "Well, YOU can carry Broadway, then. Personally, I think it'd would be much easier if we waited for them to wake up."

MacBeth sighed. "Of course, lad. It was an honest mistake."

Dark Id chuckled. "Have you ever heard of a DISHONEST mistake? As far as I'm concerned, any mistake you make is fair game."

"By the way, Id," began Satsana. "I couldn't help noticing that you seem to have gotten your second wind..."

"Oh, crud," Id groaned. Satsana smiled and touched his shoulder. Then, both of them were enveloped in a ball of flame for a moment before vanishing.

"What sorcery is this?" asked Tom with eyes as wide as saucers.

"That, m'lad, is the Phoenix Gate," MacBeth answered, "With it, ye can travel to any time and place ye can imagine."

"That's amazing!" Tom said. Then he looked puzzled. "If that is so, why do we not use it to find iron and return home that much faster?"

"The Gate was crafted by one of Oberon's Children, using the magic of Avalon. Satsana feared that using it to transport so much iron at once could be dangerous."

Any further conversation they might have had was cut short by Satsana's return. Dark Id looked twice as drained as he had earlier. "I need a vacation," he mumbled before collapsing face down in the dirt. His form shifted colors and lost its wings once more, leaving Aaron in a deep sleep.

Satsana actually looked concerned for a change. "I think that last trip was too soon. He hadn't recovered properly. We should stay here until he wakes on his own." Looking a bit guilty, Satsana rolled Aaron onto his back, and rolled her own shawl into a makeshift pillow for him to use.

"This is too much!" MacBeth snapped angrily. "Tell me what ye've been doing with him! I am his guardian, and I have a right to know!"

"I can't tell you!" Satsana returned with irritation.

"Why not?"

"I can't tell you, because I didn't tell you! I was there! You were surprised when you saw what Dark Id had done."

"What in the blazes are you talking about?!?"

Satsana calmed down slightly. "The future, of course. I've already told you more than I should. Because I've been to the future, I know that I never did tell you what Dark Id and I have been doing. If I try to tell you now, something will happen to prevent it. Perhaps something terrible. I'm not willing to risk it. Just take my word that Dark Id will be fine."

"Very well," MacBeth hissed.

"Time travel seems tae be a tricky business," Tom suggested.

"Well, we'd best get to sleep," MacBeth sighed. "Satsana, you take the first watch." Satsana nodded, and MacBeth and Tom settled in.

Tom settled onto his side, letting the newly risen sun bathe his young body in it's warmth. Unexpected, but not unwelcome, thoughts of Princess Katherine flitted through his head. Guardian Tom fell asleep with a smile on his face.

MacBeth watched Tom sleeping. It was easy for *him*. No matter how the grey-bearded man turned or twisted, sleep would not come. Unwelcome thoughts plagued his mind.... A demonic scream, grunts, yells, men's shouting....

<" Are you sure you can escape, MacBeth?"> a feminine voice had purred. MacBeth clenched his teeth, and kept his eyes shut. He was *sure* he had heard Demona calling to him! Saying things she had said to him from his past! Of *their past*. MacBeth groaned inwardly at the memory of that one night. Something that had happened, something he could *never* have told Gruoch.

Satsana watched MacBeth writhe in silent agony, his legs catching up in his tunic, and almost slamming into the dozing Tom and the wiped-out Aaron. He was being tormented from within.... but it was MacBeth's fight. The memory... it was the night of Moray's victory over Duncan....

<"Hail, MacBeth! King of Scotland!"a woman of the medical aides cried out. Following her shout, men cheered and yelled.

"Where are your manners, Boy?? It is customary to bow to your king!" a Grey-haired man named Bodi, demanded. He was MacBeth's first-hand advisor and the father of his wife. Two soldiers grasped the young Prince Canmore by the shoulders and forced him to his knees.

"If my father is dead, then *I* am king! And you should bow to *me*!" Canmore yelled. Bodi rolled his eyes to the night skies. Always a black sheep around.....

"He will be trouble later, slay him now," Bodi whispered to MacBeth.

The grey-haired warrior MacBeth stood straight and proud, letting the breeze carry his tresses. It was a trait he picked up from Demona and her Gargoyles, and it was a majestic sight to behold. MacBeth shook his head, despite the shouts agreeing with Bodi. No more deaths. He wanted to be a fair ruler. No more killing.

"No. I will nae have no more blood on my hands," MacBeth said. He initiated that the prince was to be banished to England. But Canmore rebelled, and snatching up a dagger, charged at MacBeth. Demona was quicker and caught him by the wrists, squeezing until he let go of the weapon.

"MacBeth has spared your life, Boy. Don't throw it away," she commanded, tossing him back. MacBeth smiled widely at the Gargoyle. They were indeed great allies, and she proved this once again that Gargoyles and humans could work together.

Canmore glared at her, and slipped something unseen into his tunic front.... The two soldiers picked him up and carried him away. The boy didn't try re