Subject: [FFML] [xover][Ranma][Gargoyles] Ch 1: Exile
From: Adam Brown
Date: 2/9/1998, 1:16 AM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

Hey everyone, here's something I've been working on off and on for awhile.
I'm kind of stuck an am looking for some ideas in the direction of where I
should take it.  I'm trying to see how it turns out being a lemon, but I'm
not too sure that's the direction I'd like to take it.  Anyway, there are a
sexually explicit scene or two, not here but in chapter 2 so be warned.

Gargoyle characters are copywritten by Disney, and Ranma characters by
Rumiko Takahashi.  The character Patricia is mine, but hey I can't
copywrite her can I?

Characters are used without permission.

Please send all C&C to abrown@imag.net as I do not subscribe to the FFML.
Flames can be cast into the pit of hell so don't bother sending them.
Thanks in advance everyone!


Chapter 1: Exile

      Four creatures flew through the cool night air.  Three pairs of 
wings caught updrafts which carried them higher and higher above the 
clouds.  When they reached sufficient altitude, they angled away from 
the warm air and headed towards the smoking volcano situated on the 
northern edge of the island.  The fourth traveler used not wings to 
fly, but magic.  It flittered around the other three almost tauntingly, 
seemingly to make fun of their large and slow bat-wings.
        "Stop that Diana!  You know we hate it when you show off!" said the
male creature.
	Diana laughed gaily and performed twists in the air.  Her 
golden hair streamed out, wrapping around her body.  Her elfin features 
were that of a young woman in her early twenties.  Her blue tunic was 
rather simple with some gold bracelets her only adornments.  She carried 
a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back.  "Oh Zoltan!  You have no need 
to be jealous of me.  After all you're only a gargoyle.  How could you 
possible expect to measure up to me, one of the Children of Oberon?"
	Zoltan gave Diana a wry smirk. His short dark hair flapped in the 
wind of their movements.  Two horns of bone protruded from his brow and 
wrapped up over his head and connected to the back of his skull.  His dark 
green skin would have been hard to see had not his companions all been 
living in the dark for almost as long as he.  He gave a glance to the other 
two gargoyles beside him.  A smile appeared on his face as he looked at his
mate.
	Ophilia was perhaps two years younger than Zoltan.  Her shock of 
bright red hair was partially concealed by the bony triceratops like plate 
that had grown from her forehead.  Her skin was also green, but of a paler 
hue.
        Patricia was the youngest, only thirty two years old, or equivalent
to about sixteen in comparison to human maturity.  Her long hair was black, 
her skin a dark blue.  Strangely enough, no form of head adornments were 
to be found on her, making her the most human looking of all the gargoyles 
on Avalon.
	A silent message passed between the three of them.  They nodded, 
and tucked in their wings.  Moving into a dive they quickly spread their 
wings again, rapidly regaining altitude.  Diana gave a startled shriek as 
the three gargoyles cut in front of her, almost colliding.  Diana popped 
out of existence only to reappear thirty feet away.
	"That was unkind," Diana pouted.
	Zoltan laughed, his deep voice echoing in the night.  "Then maybe 
you'll think before playing Miss `High-and-Mighty' with us."
	"Hmph!  Well humans have never treated you like a goddess.  Why 
shouldn't I feel superior?"
	Ophilia groaned.  "Don't be starting with that again!  If I had a 
silver for every time ye remedied us of yer `divinity' I'd --," she was 
quickly cut off when she noticed a large pile of silver coins descending 
from the air above her, seemingly from nowhere.  She slipped out of the 
way, deftly avoiding the pile, which vanished almost as soon as it passed.
	"Awww!  Ophilia!  You weren't suppose to dodge those," complained 
Patricia.
        Zoltan look at her sternly.  "Patricia, you know what the Princess 
has said about you using your magic!"
	"Oh Zoltan don't be such a prude," said Diana.  "I think it's a 
wonderful thing that the child is learning magic.  That illusion almost 
fooled me."  She floated up to Patricia and flew backwards, facing the 
young gargoyle.  "You should have made it appear closer, giving her less 
time to dodge.  Also there was no noise.  That much silver would be bound 
to make a lot of noise."
        Patricia glowed at the double compliment.  Once for the praise of her 
work, and the other being the constructive criticism.  "Thank you m'lady.  
I'll do better next time."
	Ophilia glided back into formation.  "Why are we going t'the 
volcano anyway?"
        Patricia's expression turned sly.  "You'll see.  Hey, race you there!"
She dove picking up speed.  The other three laughed and raced after her.

        They landed on the rim of the volcano.  Patricia crouched down and 
stared at the roiling lava.  Zoltan, Ophilia and Diana landed near and 
approached her.  "All right, little one, what's going on?" asked Zoltan.
        Patricia stood and took a deep breath.  "Okay, you know how the 
basis of magic is in the four elements, earth, air, fire and water?"  The 
others nodded.  "Well, every mage can tap into those forces to summon 
elementals.  That got me thinking, `Why just those four?  Why not other 
types?'  So I came up with the idea of summoning a different type of
elemental.  Sort of a combination of the two elements into a third type."
	Diana looked skeptical.  "You mean like combining fire and earth 
to make a lava elemental, perhaps?"
        Patricia nodded eagerly.  "Yes!  I've been practicing all week with 
steam.  You know, the combination of fire and water, but they never stay 
around long enough to do anything.  So I thought it might be because of a 
lack of duration.  Steam doesn't hang around very long so why not try the 
lava?"
        Zoltan sighed.  "Patricia, you know what the Princess thinks of you 
using your magic without supervision.  Remember the last time you
experimented?  It rained for a week straight!"
        Patricia smiled sweetly at him.  "I know, that's why I wanted you 
three along to watch over me.  And anything I can't handle I'm sure our 
resident `goddess' could."  Her eyes became doe-eyed.  "Pleeeease?  It's not
like I'm being careless."
        Zoltan sighed.  "Oh Zoltan, let her try.  It would be interesting if 
nothing else."  Diana smiled at Zoltan.  "And besides,  I'm here.  What 
could go wrong?"
	"Hmph.  What indeed."  He sighed.  "Very well.  Just this once 
Patricia, and only because you seem to have taken precautions.  Just 
remember because that even though you were the Magus's student doesn't 
mean you can try any old spell you like.  You still have a lot to learn."
        Patricia squealed in delight.  She turned to the boiling pit, raised 
her arms above her head, and began to chant:

Earth and Fire do combine,
Defy the laws of space and time.
Do become a beast that kills,
Bound by my force, bound to my will.

	Tendrils of energy gathered around her hands and slowly began to 
quest out onto the field of fire before them.  They sank beneath the lake's
surface.  Nothing happened.  Patricia dropped her arms in dejection.  "Rats!
It worked in the kitchen and the steam elementals!  Why not here?"
	Zoltan shook his head.  "Well, we've seen about as much as there is
to be seen.  Lets go."
        Diana stopped him.  "Wait.  There is something going on.  I can feel
the magic.  It still flows through the lake."
	They stopped and waited.  Suddenly the lava boiled and frothed.
>From the disturbance rose a huge man shaped creature of lava.  It approached
them and halted.  Patricia crowed with delight.  "See, I told you I would
work!  Didn't I?  The Magus would be so proud of me!"
        "Very impressive Patricia.  Now how about gettin' rid of it?" asked
Ophilia.
	"Hmmm.  Something doesn't feel right," muttered Diana.
	"Oh don't worry Diana.  I summoned it, so by the rules of summoning,
I can get rid of it easily."  She turned to the elemental, raised her arms
again and chanted:

Earth and Fire rest in peace,
You may set your soul at ease.
Return you now, back to your home,
And let your soul be free to roam.

	Again, energy tendrils wrapped around the lava-man and sank in.
Again nothing happened.  "I don't like this," said Ophilia nervously.
        "Hey, don't worry I said.  It'll take a few moments just like when
I summoned it."
	They waited.
	Diana's eyes widened.  "Flee, all of you, now!"  She leapt up
and flew towards the sky.
        Patricia's eyes followed her.  "What is she doing?"  She was so
intent on the fleeing elf that she didn't notice the lava elemental
pulling back to strike her.
        Zoltan saw and dove at her.  "Patricia look out!"  He managed to
push her away just before the fist struck.  Zoltan was engulfed in lava.
He gave one long scream before his vocal cords were charred to ash.  Ophilia
screamed the name of her love, then dove out over the lava, using the updraft
to aid her climb.  The elemental turned towards her and hurled a large ball
of lava. The lava struck her from behind.  She roared in agony, her eyes
burning a dark red.  The red faded from her eyes and she fell from the sky
and landed in the volcano's crater.
        Patricia sat where she had fallen, stunned.  She was unable to move as
the elemental turned towards her and advanced.  It reached for her, an almost
hungry look in what could be called its `eyes'.  She just sat where she was,
waiting for death.
	An explosion ripped the creature's arm from its body.  It landed on
the rock, spreading out and cooling.  Patricia looked up to see Diana floating
behind the monster some thirty feet above and behind it.  She was fitting
another arrow into her bow.
        "Diana what happened?" cried Patricia frantically.
	"When you summoned it you didn't hold your concentration long
enough.  It was only partially bound to you.  Then when you tried to banish
it, it was set free, releasing it from it's limited connection to you
instead of dispersing the magical energy used in it's creation.  Of course,
it didn't help that you summoned it as a killing machine!"  Diana fired
another arrow this time hitting it in the center.  It blew outward, spraying
lava in a twenty foot radius.  Patricia covered herself with her wings but
several bits of lava struck them, burning through them almost immediately.
She cried out in pain as they burned though and hit the ground sizzling
quietly.
	"Well," said Diana, "That should take care of that."  But suddenly,
the monster reformed and hurled a gob of lava at the floating elf.  She
floated out of the way easily.  "Hmm.  This will be harder that I thought."
She nocked another arrow.
        The death of Patricia's friends and clan mates finally sank in.  "It's
my fault.  I wanted to try this and it got them killed," she whispered.
She shook her head violently, tears pouring down her cheeks.  "No!  Not my
fault, not my fault.  The monster killed them, not me.  Not me!  NOT MEEEE!"
She leapt up and ran towards the creature roaring insanely.  Her eyes cast
a blood red glow across her features.  The lava elemental turned and moved
towards her.
	Diana saw the female gargoyle's advance.  "Move girl!  I can't
attack him with you so close!"
        Patricia paid her no heed.  Just as she came within reach of the
monster, she drew her powers about her.  A ball of energy appeared in her
hand.  She pointed it at the elemental and cast her spell.  "Fulmenos
venitae!"  A bolt of lightening shot from her hand and struck the creature.
It stumbled back, a gaping hole in its chest.  Patricia heard a shriek of
pain.
	Diana had been struck by the remains of lightning that had hit the
elemental.  Totally unprepared for the attack, she was knocked out of the
air like a duck that had been shot by a hunter.  There was a flash as she
landed in the lava lake.  She was unconscious, but her instinctive
protections tried vainly to keep her safe.  There was a second flash as her
protections were overcome and then she was consumed.
        Patricia could not move.  No, she did not want to move.  She was ready
to die.  She had caused the deaths of three of her closest friends.
	A green glow settled over the landscape followed by a boom of
displaced air.  A tall blue skinned man with white hair, pointed ears and
fangs floated out of a glowing portal hovering in the air.  "What is going
on!" he roared.  "I have felt the death of one of my children!  Who has done
this vile deed?"  He looked down and saw Patricia and the lava elemental,
who was turning towards him, sensing the greater threat.  Oberon, Lord of
Avalon, twisted him lips in contempt.  He pointed his hand at the creature.
A wave of pure force blasted outward, engulfing the elemental.  Patricia
heard it's shriek of pain in her mind as it died.  The monster blew apart,
its remains scattering back into the volcano.
	Oberon caught her in a magical grip and drew her up to him.  His
eyes burned white with rage and his words, though seemingly quiet, echoed
across the land.  "What happened?  Who has killed one of my children?!"
        Patricia refused to look at him.  After a moment, her shoulders
slumped and she began weeping uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
Her weeping turned to wails of grief and remorse.
	Oberon looked at her coldly.  "I see," he said, his voice as cold as
an arctic wind.  "Come, you will face my judgment."  Still held in his grip,
they floated through the air and into the green portal, back to the
castle.

	The next night, all the gargoyles and children of Oberon were
assembled in the castle courtyard.  In the center of the couryard was a mound
of earth four feet high.  The crowd muttered nervously.  Rumors had been
spreading among the population making them all jumpy.  Oberon and Titannia
walked onto a balcony from their quarters.  Oberon raised his arm and the
crowd quieted.
	"You are gathered here tonight to bear witness to the trial of the
one who has killed two gargoyles and one of my children."
	A gasp of horror swept through the crowd.  The talking resumed,
this time much louder.  Oberon raised his arm again.  This time the people
took longer to calm down.
	"Using magics most foul, did this person kill Zoltan, Ophilia and
my child Diana.  You will bear witness to my judgement."  He waved his arm
grandly.  "Here is the culprit!"  A bolt of green lightening flashed and
struck the earthen mound.  When the smoke cleared, Patricia sat on the mound
chained to the ground.  The crowd was silent with shock.  The princess was
the first to act.  She ran up and held the girl in a protective embrace.
        "My lord what act of bad comedy are ye performin' before us?  This
child wouldna' hurt a fly!  By what proof do ye accuse her thus?"
	Titannia spoke.  "I have taken the evidence from her own mind.  As
a magical experiment she summoned a lava elemental and she lost control of
it.  It killed both Zoltan and Ophilia.  As Diana was fighting it, Patricia
struck the creature with a bolt of lightning.  The bolt passed through the
monster and hit my daughter.  The attack knocked her unconscious, and she
was consumed by the lava."
	"And that is all the proof I need!" someone shouted.  A young man
with blond curly hair in a dazzling white tunic flew down from a battlement.
He was surrounded by a aura of white light.  "You killed my twin sister,
beast, and for that you shall pay."  He shot a beam of light from his
hands which engulfed both the princess and Patricia.  The Guardian shouted in
anger and fear.  He drew his sword and advanced on the man.  Several
Children grabbed hold of him, halting his advance.  The gargoyles growled
and some moved to intervene.
        Meanwhile, the princess was trying vainly to protect Patricia from the
light.  Strangely, the light did not seem to be hurting her.  It was a hot
beam, but not burning.  She looked down at Patricia and gasped.  Wherever the
light touched her, that part had turned to stone.  Part of Patricia that was
still flesh moved and caused a small section of stone wing to crack and break
off.  The princess looked to Oberon.
        "Lord Oberon, please do not let him do this!" she pleaded.
	Oberon looked down at the pair, over to the growing incident with
the Guardian and up to the young man.  He waved his hand and the princess
and Patricia were enveloped in a dome of darkness that the light could not
penetrate.  Patricia's stone parts cracked and shattered back into normal skin
and bone.
	"The only punishment she will receive tonight will be at my hands,
Apollo."
        Apollo looked at Oberon.  His face was a cardiacture of rage.  "She
killed my sister-!" he began.
        "And she killed my daughter!  I will give a punishment that *I* deem
appropriate.  *You* shall live with my judgement.  Or do you wish to risk my
wrath?"
	Apollo looked like he was about to argue but decided against it.
His face became calculating.  "No, my lord.  It shall be as you say."  He
floated back and away.
	Oberon turned to the growing crowd that had gathered around the
Guardian.  "Release him."  No one moved.  "I said release him!"  His voice
boomed over the courtyard.  Reluctantly they dispersed.  Tom ran over to
the princess and embraced her.  "Are ye all right, my love?"
        "Aye.  But what of her?"  She looked down at Patricia, who was
unmoving.  Patricia just sat there.  Whether or not she was aware of her
surroundings was not known, but she was alive.
        Oberon addressed the crowd.  "I have consulted with my Queen and I
have come to one conclusion."
	"Your judgement will come to nothing without the gargoyle's
confession," whispered Titannia.
	"What do you mean?"
	"Look at them, my lord.  They are ready to fight for her freedom
even now.  If you punish her without hard evidence, there will be some that
say that you have overstepped your bounds."
	"Ridiculous!  I am lord and master of this land.  They are subject to
*my* will."
        "They have been free and of their own accord for their entire lives.
I doubt that they will suffer under your yoke, as light as it may be, very
easily."
        "She killed two gargoyles!"  cried out Gabriel.  "Shouldn't we have
some say in the manner of her punishment?"
	"You see?  It begins even now.  Those who resent now may eventually
turn to revolution."
        He turned to her, his face angry.  "I am Oberon!  None may dare to
challenge my authority in my own home!"
        "Yet have they not done so already?  Have you forgotten your lesson
with the iron bell so soon?  If you arbitrarily punish her now, in their
rage and resentment, they may use it to drive us from Avalon, perhaps seek
to kill us as well."
        Oberon became thoughtful.  "What do you suggest, my Queen?"
        "Give the gargoyle a chance to admit her guilt.  While many creatures
on this earth would plead innocence, gargoyles are a good and honourable
race.  I believe she will do the 'right thing'."
        "You realize that if she declares herself innocent, we may also
start a war between our peoples."
        "I believe the chances of that are small."
        Oberon turned back to Gabriel.  "You challenge my ability to judge
her?"
        "No, but what if you are mistaken, or your judgement is to harsh for
us.  She is a gargoyle, and we have different punishments than you."
        "Very well.  For your first concern, I will let the accused tell her
story.  Then I shall proclaim my ruling.  If you and your kind are not
satisfied, it *may* be possible to negotiate."
        All eyes turned to Patricia.  She felt the weight of their scrutiny
and wilted slightly under their collective gaze.  Princess Katherine knelt
down beside her and took a hold of Patricia's chin.  She drew her face around
until their eyes met.
        "Patricia," the princess began.  "Ye have but to tell us whether the
charges are true or false.  No matter what, we will believe ye."
        Seconds passed.  Patricia stared into the compassion filled eyes of
the princess.  Tears filled her eyes and with a sob she nodded and fell into
an astonished princess.  The princess looked down at her with a mixture of
surprise, compassion, and fear, not for herself, but for what she knew would
eventually happen to Patricia.
        "Oh my poor child," Princess Katherine whispered.  "Oh my poor, dear
child."  Tears began to fall from her eyes and she held the young gargoyle
tightly.
        Mutterings of 'Kill her,' ran through the fairy peoples.  The
gargoyles moved nervously, not knowing how to handle the situation.  Many of
them moved closer to Patricia, creating a barrier of gargoyles against the
increasingly hostile elves.
        A bolt of lightning rippled through the sky.  The crowd started and
refocused their attention back to Oberon.  "You have heard her confession.
Now hear my judgement.  Patricia of the gargoyles, you and all that is yours
will be banished from Avalon.  From this night forward you will be welcome
here no longer.  You will live in the world of the humans and, if you return,
you will be killed.  What say you to this, Gabriel?"
        Gabriel was pale and his hands were shaking slightly as answered.
"I accept your decision.  From this time on Patricia is not part of our clan.
She will be forever ostracized."  Hating himself but knowing he had no
other choice, he moved to Patricia and separated her and the princess.  "Come
Princess, we do not consort with murders."
        The princess gasped with horror and anger.  She drew her arm back
and slapped him.  He merely stood there, his eyes sad.  She gathered herself
up and regally departed from the courtyard, the Guardian close behind.
        Oberon smiled, satisfied.  "Sisters!"  Three women appeared in a
flash of rainbow colored lights.  They looked and dressed exactly the same,
wearing light blue dresses and blue robes.  Only their hair and voices
were different.  One was white haired, one black haired, and the third
an blondish-red.  They bowed and spoke to him in unison.
        "You summoned us, my lord?"
        "Gather the gargoyle's things.  Take them to the beach, and have a
boat ready in half an hour's time."  They bowed again and vanished.  He
addressed the audience.  "You have a half an hour to say your goodbyes."
He and Titannia then returned to their chambers.
        The gargoyles lined up and each said thier own goodbyes.  Some
merely looked at her and shook their heads, while other embraced her,
and might have gone on for some length except the person behind them usually
cut them off so they could have their turn.
        Eventually the Wierd Sisters came and took Patricia.  They escorted
her out of the castle and down to the beach.  The entire gargoyle clan
followed.  Waiting on the beach were Princess Katherine,  Tom the Guardian,
Queen Titannia and Lord Oberon.  The boat she was to take was packed full of
a lifetime's collection of objects.  As she approached, Princess Katherine
walked to her and gave her a necklace.
        "Take this with my love Patricia.  Know that I'll always be glad to
see ye."  Tears filled Patricia's eyes and she moved to embrace the princess
one last time, but one of the Sisters took her arm and carried her onward.
Patricia walked to the boat and climbed aboard.  She stared back at her life-
long family for one last time.  They were spread out in a half circle.
Some were crying, all were sad.  She took a wooden pole and began to push
the boat away from the beach and out to sea.  Just before she was completely
free of the sand, Oberon called out.
        "Wait!"  She turned back to him.  The other gargoyles tensed,
awaiting his word.  "This is my final 'gift' to you."  He pointed at her
and chanted:

Gargoyle creature, stone by day,
I free you from the sun's light ray.
This I have judged, all have known,
Now let you reap what you have sown.

        A bolt of energy blasted out from his hand and struck Patricia.
Magical protections learned from the Magus were quickly overcome as the
spell washed over her.  She felt the spell's power run through her body.
She screamed in pain, and tried to resist the spell with all her strength.
Her resistance was to no avail.  When the spell faded, she looked herself
over and saw that nothing had happened that she could see.  She shivered,
knowing that while she saw nothing now, something would eventually turn up
later.  She turned back and poled out of the inlet and out to the sea.  Just
as the mists of Avalon enveloped her in their cool arms, she looked down at
the gift of the princess.  It was a small golden cross on a gold chain.
Patricia sighed, put the cross around her neck and left Avalon forever.
	



********
	
That's it for chapter 1.



					Zhai'helleva
					(Wind to thy wings...)
					Nighthawke