Disclaimer: I in no way, shape or form claim to own Avalon. Just my characters.

Writer's Note: Recognize this? Yes it's the chapter that ALMOST made it into the first Fanfic but didn't fit. It's still good so I put in here.

Prologue: The Heart of Ravenswood

"Vina!" her mother called from a window as she sat on a half scrubbed, moss covered, bench. "I'm going to the store to buy some paint. Stay out of the house for awhile; these men are going to cover the walls with primer!"

"Okay mom!" Corvina Char'day shouted in reply followed by,

"Sure thing Damia," and

"We'll keep working Miss Char'day!" Vina and her two friends, Kapila Torren and Odile Morris, were cleaning the Water Garden statues. It had been a long hard day's work interrupted by bursts of late newspaper reporters.

"This water is so going to ruin my manicure," sighed Odile, her expert green eyes studying her blue polished nails.

*My heart bleeds,* purred a sarcastic voice. They all jumped as Maxine appeared behind the moss covered stone bench. The girls still weren't accustomed to the talking cat. In fact this was the first day in three weeks they had all been able to work together. Things had become so busy with school and soccer and Ravenswood.

"U-um hi Maxine, I didn't know you were here," Odile said, nervously edging away from the cat. Corvina grabbed the cat and hugged her tight, secretly thinking, 'don't bug Odile, she's still scared of you.'

"How has that garden shop been going?" she asked Kapila.

"Alright, I have a few tables set up and I'm growing things now. Nothing as amazing as this of course," she sighed, lightly touching the rainbow puff flower. The Indian girl had brought it here, saying that it seemed happiest in Ravenswood. "I still feel like we're forgetting something. Like there's some place we should put it."

*You girls are so slow sometimes,* grumbled the orange tabby. Vina held her tighter, to keep her from slinking away.

"What do you mean? Do you know what to do with the flowers?" Maxine jumped out of her arms, shook out her tail and grumbled,

*Follow me.* Shrugging they all followed.

Corvina walked in front, Kapila in the middle (holding the flower pot) and Odile following apprehensively in the rear. Soon Kapila realized,

"You're leading us to the Glade!" As the trees parted they could fully see the overgrown and decrepit glade.

"Hi Storm, Maxine said you wanted us for something?" she asked.

"And this," added Kapila, still shaking a little. She was scared of almost any animal. The wolf looking oddly more solid than usual turned and padded toward a small pond.

Kneeling in the over grown grove they felt an air of expectancy around them. Stormbringer waited, watching her. Maxine had just finished grooming herself, and fixed wide orange-yellow eyes on her. Unsure what else to do she motioned for Kapila to hold out the flower pot,

"Um…did you want these?" The cat silently stretched her front legs and actually rolled her eyes. The silver wolf growled but soon she recognized the growl to be a wolfish laugh.

*Long we have waited for you and the flowers to be ready.*

"We?" she asked, picking up on the change in pro-noun.

*We did not have a chance to discuss it before but your cat is far more intelligent than any common house pet I have met. She has been helping me.*

"I remember. Maxine led me to the stone and this glade and even gave me Adriane's necklace."

*I need your help Corvina Char'day, descendant of my bonded's, mother's sister. You…and your mothers…and your friends.*

"What can we do to help?"

*Long has my glade rested in shadow. The very Heart of Ravenswood long hidden. Blow on the flowers and watch the magic.*

The girls traded unsure looks and shrugged. Holding the flower between them (and feeling a little silly) each of them drew a deep long breath and gently blew out. Millions of seeds lifted into the air, glittering like tiny stars in the darkness. She gasped as a new flower sprung up where each seed alighted on the leaf covered ground.

"Wow!"

"Oh my gosh!"

"Amazing!" They marveled as the whole glade sprung to life. It was like rainbows were springing out of the ground. That was not all to marvel at, as Storm was slowly fading into mist. The wolf dissolved and mist blanketed the glade. Things became fuzzy and indistinct as change began to happen. Trees straightened and reached for the sun, letting patch work light shine through. Years of undisturbed leaves blew away and fresh green grass began to grow. Flowers grew, trees bloomed and birds sang.

Then the mist faded and the glade was revealed clearly, in full bloom. Vina stood in awe as a wren started chirping in a branch high above her. She walked over to the pond and found the stream flowing and the water clear.

"It's like this whole place suddenly bloomed into spring!" They turned round and round, taking every blossom, every fern and every sapling in.

*Ugh, I will never get all these magic seeds out of my fur,*spoke a familiar disgruntled voice in her mind. Maxine jumped up on a boulder and shook out her fur.

"Isn't this great Maxine, just look at everything!"

*You don't have to groom everything out of your fur!* Tail high she marched back into the woods. Odile, Kapila and Corvina marveled at the change that had come.

*As you know those seeds are magical and singularly they can help you hear me. Together they can bring the Heart back to life,* then Stormbringer tossed back her head and howled her joy to the sky.

Writer's note: With a few adjustments, that fits right in. I have a lot to do so don't expect the next chapter too soon. But at least this is a start! G.S.F.