My Big Fat Gargoyle Wedding

"Do you think it's done yet, Veronica?" asked Ophelia.

"I think the crust should be a little bit browner." said Veronica.

Ophelia sighed as she raked the coals back around the pie plate. "Angela was always better at this sort of thing than I am."

"I brought the water, Camaela." said Zadkiel, putting a bucket of well water on the table. "What do you want it for?"

"I'm going to cut these flowers underwater." Camaela said, presenting some long stemmed roses and a pair of pruning shears. "So they'll stay nice and fresh for a good long time."

"I don't know what ye're all getting so worked up about." said Tom. "I've seen the outside world. They got food and flowers there."

"Do they have candles?" asked Finella, stacking several long tapers in a basket.

"I don't think they need 'em." said Tom. "What they got is these big, bright lights that they got trapped in these glass globes and set 'em on top these tall, steel posts. Elisa told me that people have smaller glass globes of light that they keep in their houses. She said they can be turned on and off at a whim, they don't smoke or drip wax or cause bigger fires. She called it...ah...ekel-tricky, or some such like that."

"Does ekel-tricky smell good?" asked Finella.

"Not that I noticed." said Tom.

"Then she'll like these candles." said Finella. "I made them with beeswax and oils from the bark of the sanare tree. They smell nice when lit."

"Titania says that sanare can't grow anywhere but Avalon." said Camaela, arranging flowers in a basket. "And since I bred these roses myself, there's probably not any flowers exactly like them in the world outside."

"We should probably take a few sanare fruits." said Raphaela, loading the green and purple fruit into a basket. "In case we need them."

"We're going to a wedding, Raphaela!" laughed Veronica. "Not a war zone. But, sanare fruits do taste good." She picked one up and peeled away the green and purple rind before taking a bite.

"How's hunting in the world outside, Tom?" asked Ophelia.

"Well, I didn't have much time to check." said Tom. "But, the city called New York has these guardians that call themselves the Police. They don't take kindly to people swinging swords about. Not sure how they'd feel about bows and arrows."

"I'll take mine, just in case." said Ophelia, shouldering her bow and quiver.

"Is everyone about ready?" asked Katherine on entering. "The mirror will be ready in a few minutes."

"Almost." Veronica raked the coals away from the pie. "Ophelia! The mitts!" Veronica removed the piping hot pie from the oven. "Hot, hot, hot!" she warned, taking it to the table.

"Where's Ariel?" asked Katherine. "I've nae seen her all night and I don't want her left behind."

"I saw her at the aviary." said Zadkiel.

"Of course," sighed Katherine. "Where else would she be?"

A light gold brown gargoyle with her chestnut hair in a long braid stroked the bandaged barn owl perched on her gloved arm. "It's alright, Cordelia." she said soothingly. "I'm going to check your wing. Be good and don't thrash around this time."

"Ariel!" Katherine called on entering the aviary. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the smell and held up the hem of her gown. "Ariel, it's time to go."

"Katherine, I'd love to go to Angela's wedding, I really would." said Ariel. "But between Cordelia's wing and Boudicca and Quiteria being due any day, I'm not sure if I can."

"Boudicca and Quiteria are coming with us." said Katherine. "I suppose you can bring that bird with you if you like."

"Are there mice in the outside world?' asked Ariel. "Cordelia needs to eat."

Katherine chuckled. "Mice were as common as stones in the world I left. I'm sure Cordelia will be well fed."

"Alright." said Ariel. "Let's go, Cordelia!"

"Let's go!" squawcked a red parrot that landed on Ariel's shoulder. "Let's go! Let's go!"

"No, Ruby." said Ariel, setting the parrot on a perch. "You stay here. Why don't you cheer up, Archibald?"

"Cheer up, Archibald!" said Ruby.

Ariel stroked a rather petulant looking falcon. "I promise, Archibald, we'll go hunting when I get back."

"Get back! Get back!" said Ruby.

"No, Ruby, I'm leaving." said Ariel.

"I'm leaving!" said Ruby.

"No, you will stay here and be a good parrot." said Ariel. "Cordelia is coming with me because she's hurt."

"Ariel," sighed Katherine. "Ye can nae reason wi' a bird! Let us go now."

"Alright." Ariel turned to all the various birds perched in the aviary. "Bye everybody!" she called out. "Be good. I love you."

"I love you!" Ruby called out as Ariel and Katherine left with Cordelia. Neither of them saw the parrot fly over to the door and work the simple latch with her beak.

"You should dab on some perfume at least." Katherine told Ariel as they walked back to the castle. "You do nae want to greet your sister smelling like bird droppings!" They passed a cream colored beaked gargoyle with her ash blonde hair braided and woven with a blue ribbon. She had a parchment and quill. "Michelle, dear, it's time to go."

"I'm not quite done with this poem yet." she said. "I want to write a poem about love for Angela, but I'm having trouble. What rhymes with 'cherish'?"

"Perish?" suggested Ariel. Michelle frowned.

"Oh, worry about it later." said Katherine. "We have to hurry! Every hour here is a day there, remember? Let's go."

"Can I see what you have so far?" asked Ariel as they walked inside the castle. Michelle handed her the parchment. "I sing the praises of love, of that which we cherish....and, that's all you have?"

"I can't think of anything else." Michelle said sheepishly. "I was able to write that epic about our battle with the Weird Sisters because I was there but...." Michelle sighed. "I've never been in love. Only read about it. I don't want to write what's only been said a million times. Ariel, what happens when you look at Zadkiel?"

Ariel laughed. "It's when I'm not looking that it happens!"

"Maybe Noah can help me." said Michelle. "He's over the moon for Pelagia. Do you think she'll come with us? I know Hypatia and Leliela aren't crazy about her."

"Oh, they got over it." said Ariel. "Hypatia's been hanging about Donal a lot lately. And I walked in on Leliela kissing Azrael last night."

"Alright everyone!" Princess Katherine announced as they gathered in the room where they would go through the mirror. "I want to remind you, even though only a little more than a month has gone by for us, Angela has been in the world outside for two years. She may be a little different. Have we got everything? Everybody ready? Good. Tom and I will go first." Katherine took Tom's hand and together they stepped through the mirror.

Castle Wyvern was a lot brighter than they remembered. Katherine guessed it must be because of those glass globes full of ekel-tricky that Tom mentioned. Angela was there. Her hair and clothing was slightly different from when they last saw her, but it was her. Angela practically pounced on them both, trying to hug them both at once. "Katherine! Guardian! I'm so happy to see you!"

"We're happy too, Angela." said Katherine, pulling away from the embrace to better look at her. "Angela, what in the name of the Saints are you wearing?"

"Oh, my old dress got torn up." said Angela. "So I had to wear something else. Fox says the collar is very stylish."

"But, it shows your...." Katherine gestured to Angela's bared stomach. "And your...." She flushed as she gestured to Angela's cleavage.

Angela laughed. "Katherine, women dress like this now. If you think this is skimpy, you should see me in my bikini!"

"What's...a bikini?" Katherine wasn't so sure she really wanted to know. Angela was distracted when Eistir came through, carrying a basket. Angela ran to embrace her.

"Eistir! Sister!" Angela called out. "It's been so long! What's in the basket?"

"Something this world needs if ladies must dress like that." said Katherine. Eistir revealed that the basket was full of several yards of gray and lavender tartan cloth.

"I wove it myself!" Eistir said proudly. "Tom and Katherine told me how clans in Scottland had tartans, so I designed a tartan for the Scottish gargoyle clan."

"It's beautiful, Eistir!" said Angela. "Broadway, look at this!" Broadway looked at the cloth. "Oh, this is Broadway!" She hugged his arm. "He's going to be my mate." Gabriel and Ophelia came through the mirror. "Gabriel! Ophelia!" Angela ran to embrace them. "I missed you!"

Broadway frowned as he watched Angela hug Gabriel. How close were they? He was distracted by the smell of something nice coming from the basket Ophelia was carrying. "Is that...apple pie?" he asked.

Angela let Gabriel go to make introductions. "Ophelia, this is Broadway, my intended mate. Broadway, this is Ophelia, my sister and Gabriel's mate."

So, Gabriel was mated. Broadway smiled with relief. Suddenly, Ophelia was hugging him. "Anyone who loves Angela is a brother to me." she said.

Broadway hugged back. "So, wanna give your brother a piece of pie?"

Angela took the basket. "It's still warm!" she said. "It will go good with ice cream."

"What's ice cream?" asked Ophelia.

Angela laughed. "Only man's greatest invention!"

"Which I will be glad to show you!" said Broadway, taking the basket and leading her to the kitchen.

More gargoyles came through the mirror. Angela embraced each of her brothers and sisters with gusto. "Finella! Oh, candles, you shouldn't have! Veronica! Is that your famous blackberry bread I smell? Did all of you bring gifts? You really didn't have to."

"We wanted to." said Katherine. "We weren't sure whether or not you had such things here."

"They're from you, they're special." said Angela. "Donal! Hypatia! Sandalphonia, Israfel, you brought your instruments! Good! Noah! So good to see you! And...and I don't know you." Angela noticed a fair skinned woman with wide, almost bulbous blue eyes. Slightly pointed ears were barely hidden by her long green hair. She wore a shimmering turquoise dress and wore a pearl necklace.

"Angela, this is Pelagia." Noah said, taking the new girl's hand. "I'm going to take her as my mate."

"Hello, Pelagia." Angela hugged her. "Are you a child of Oberon?"

"I'm a mermaid." she said simply.

"But you...." Angela gestured to the shapely legs barely hidden by the skirt. Pelagia was barefoot.

"We can change our tail into legs to walk on land." said Pelagia. "I've wanted to get to know your people for so long, Angela. But, the other merfolk were afraid of you and made me stay away. Then, there was the Gathering, and I met Noah...." She looked at him and smiled. "But, I will have to immerse myself soon. If there's an ocean or even a lake or pond nearby...."

"We have a swimming pool." said Angela. "Fox will show you. Ariel! Hi!" She embraced her sister. "Oh, you brought one of your feathered friends. She looks hurt."

"I call her Cordelia." said Ariel. "Because of her heart-shaped face. There was a storm and she broke her wing flying into a tree. Oh, I brought you some butter." Ariel gave her a small pail. "I wasn't sure if they have this in the outside world."

"Not the fresh churned kind." said Angela. "And goat's milk is actually kind of hard to come by."

"Don't they have goats here?" asked Ariel.

"Goats! Maaaa....maaaa!" squawcked a parrot that flew through the mirror and landed on Angela's head. The parrot did a few more impressions of a bleating goat.

"Ruby!" Ariel took the parrot down from Angela's head. "Bad bird! I told you to stay home! Oh, I could've sworn I closed the aviary! I hope someone's able to round up any other birds that escaped."

Angela noticed the beasts. "Perseus! Quiteria! Boudicca!" She knelt down and hugged them as they all tried to lick her. "Down, down, I love you too!" laughed Angela. Bronx exchanged sniffs with the new beasts and enthusiastically licked Boudicca's face. "Oh...Ariel, have you been overfeeding Quiteria and Boudicca?"

"They're not overfed." Ariel said with a smile. "They're pregnant. Quiteria and Perseus...umm...tangled up. And Boudicca turned up pregnant after Oberon brought her here to find Puck."

"Bronx?" Angela quirked an eyebrow at the blue beast. "Did you and Boudicca do something naughty?" Bronx made a low rumbling sound and looked at the ground sheepishly. Boudicca licked his oversized ear.

A small gargoyle hatchling with a silver horn projecting from her golden mane emerged from the mirror. "Is Staghart here?" she asked.

"Lunette!" Staghart picked her up, swung her about and hugged her. "You've gotten bigger!"

A female gargoyle bearing much resemblance to Lunette stepped through the mirror. "Lunette, I told you to wait until...."

"Una!" Staghart embraced her. "So glad you could make it!"

"I'm glad too." Una hugged him. "Lapina had to stay behind and run things for me, but she sends her love. So does Patch."

A lion's head with gray streaks in his golden mane poked out of the mirror. "All right, Una?" he asked.

"Make sure they don't stampede." said Una. The head receded. A herd of gargoyle hatchlings emerged and ran to Staghart, calling for him.

"One at a time! One at a time!" laughed Staghart as he tried to embrace as many as he could. "I've only two arms! Oh, that's right, I've got wings!" He stretched out a feathered wing to wrap around Aiden, who giggled.

"Staghart?" Staghart looked up to see who had just come out of the mirror. One gargoyle was a female ferret with a dark brown mask and matching shoulder length hair pulled back with a headband. She was holding hands with a tall ram with white wool and massive horns. Both smiled to see their younger brother practically covered in hatchlings.

Staghart stood and ran to them. "Violet! Laertes!" He picked Violet up in a swooping hug. "You changed your hair."

"The flower child look's a bit dated." she laughed. "Staghart! I'm so happy for you!" She hugged him.

"How's it going, little mate?" asked Laertes.

"Not so little anymore!" As if to prove it, Staghart tackled Laertes in a bear hug.

"You wanna see pictures of the new hatchlings?" asked Violet, taking a mini album out of her handbag. "This is Jude, and Eleanor, and Lucy and Anna and Clarabella and Robert and Martha...."

"Violet, did you name all the hatchlings after Beatles songs?" laughed Staghart.

"Just a few girls and two of the boys." she said.

"Good." said Staghart. "I'd hate to know one of our hatchlings is called 'Mean Mr. Mustard'."

"Well, I call the one named Elizabeth 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy' sometimes. And, I did name one that looks a little like a horse Henry!" she laughed.

"Teach him to waltz." Staghart advised.

"Well, have you a hug for your old mum?" asked a gargoyle who looked like a doe with gray flecks in her amber brown muzzle.

"Ayala!" Staghart hugged her. "I'll save you a dance, just like I promised!"

"Staghart! you old son of a gun!" Coco nearly knocked him over hugging him. "Um, you know Del."

"Hey, Staghart." A white lion with a golden mane held out a hand.

"Hey, Delwyn." He started to shake his hand, then pulled him into a hug.

"Staghart, old china!" Castor pounded him on the back. "Look! Kwan sent you a gift with us!" He held up a take-out box with the logo for The Lucky Phoenix. "Your favorite coconut shrimp. 'Fraid it got a mite cold on the trip from London."

"That's alright." Staghart took the box. "It's just as good as good microwaved. Thank you."

"Kwan wanted to come." said Pollux. "But could you imagine how he'd explain it to the old man? 'Oi, Ba, me mates are gonna nip over to America for a week with a magic mirror. Alright if I join 'em?'" Staghart laughed and hugged his brothers, who didn't put up any fight.
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A/N: More of the reunion in the next chapter, along with what Thailog is up to.
Oh, and thanks for the review, Telgar!