A/N- Hi again. Yes, I'm still alive.

Okay guys, I am so so so so so so so so so so sorry. Really, truly apologetic. I meant to keep updates bi-weekly, and I guess it just got away from me. I could blame it on school and track, but in the end it was still my fault. I'm SO sorry!

On an entirely different note, THANK YOU to those of you who reviewed! I really appreciate all your feedback!

Jinora- First off, thanks for being my first reviewer and thank you for the super long review! I agree with you about people's take on Adriane and Kara's friendship. I myself have always found the Adriane-Kara dynamic very interesting. It's always fun when two people so different are such good friends. Glad you're excited for the story- I'll try to keep you interested! :)

Lilly P- You make a good point. This story is going to be primarily about the girls. It was actually your review that made me go back and add some Zach tidbits to this chapter. Thanks for that!

MistWolfKid- I'm glad your interested! And the story is going to primarily focus on Adriane; the previous chapter was to give everyone an idea of what happened to Emily. It would've been difficult to just jump straight into the story without that preface.

ShadowWolf- Thank you!

Anyways, thanks again all reviewers and everyone else who took the time to read the prologue! Here's an extra long chapter for you reading pleasure. My gift to you. Enjoy!

(*DISCLAIMER*)- Forgot to do this earlier. I don't own anything you recognize, whether that be Avalon characters, Skype, or anything in between. This applies for the entire story.

Adriane hated airports. She hated the terminals, she hated the waiting, she hated the crowds, but most of all she hated the flight itself. It meant she was leaving one place, most likely for forever, and was heading to start over someplace new. Only to find herself on another plane within a matter of months, to repeat the process all over again. A vicious, unending cycle.

Today was worse, however. Infinitely worse. It was her birthday. Her 16th birthday. You're only 16 once, you know. You deserve to spend that day celebrating. At least eat some cake! But no, her present was a 13 hour plane flight, while her birthday dinner was a slimy spinach salad. And never mind a celebration, because her parents seemed to have forgotten. Again.

Adriane loved her parents, there was no question. But sometimes she wondered if it was unprompted or obligatory. Did she love them just because they were her parents? She hoped not, but she was never sure.

Their relationship was strained at best. She called them Willow and Luc, for god's sake! That could clue anyone in as to how she felt about them. She'd always suspected that they were mildly disappointed in her for her apparent lack of interest in classical art, and she had never been happy with them putting their lifestyle and passion way before their only daughter. When it came to priorities, art reigned over Adriane. She seemed far from the first though in their heads, never the first thing considered. And of course, there was the one time they had actually done something with her best interest in mind…

She growled softly, a raw feral sound, and pressed her forehead against the cool plastic of the plane's window. They'd taken her from the only home she'd ever known, from the only place she'd ever loved. Ravenswood was everything to her, even two whole years after she'd set foot in Pennsylvania. Or last seen her friends face to face. Or practiced magic during the day. Or spoken to Dreamer, or Storm…

Great, now she was all choked up. Adriane, scowling, furiously dragged her hand across her eyes, the wolf stone on her bracelet sparkling. She would not cry. She would not cry. She hadn't cried since that first plane ride out of the US, and she was not about to start now. Beside her, Luc and Willow were leaning over the tray tables in front of them, papers spread over every inch of accessible flat space. They were engaged in a heated debate over some new sculpture, from what little Adriane cared to process. They hadn't said very much to her since a little while after takeoff.

Adriane had frozen in shock when she'd first seen the destination on her plane ticket, and Luc had practically needed to drag her through the scanners. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was returning to the US. And not only to the US, the East Coast. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 120 miles from Stonehill. 120 miles from Ravenswood, Dreamer, Storm, Kara, and all the animals on the Preserve. The closest she'd be since she left. It had taken all night to get over her shock, till she'd fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. When she'd woken up an hour or two ago, there'd been only one thought on her mind. Listen to her head, or follow her heart? Stay with her parents, or run away to home? It had scared her so much, she'd had a difficult time eating the stale breakfast muffin that was passed out to the passengers.

Could she run away? Leave a lifestyle she detested for the one she loved? She had enough money for food and bus fares, and a half an hour's web search would yield a public transportation path. But could she do that to her parents? They'd go through legal trouble, most likely, and due to that she probably wouldn't be welcome at Gran's. Kara might take her, but how long could she hide out at the Davis'? And Aldenmoor was out of question. Though it would be beyond great to finally see Drake and Zach again, Adriane refused to live like a wild child in the end. And besides, from all the little things Kara had nonchalantly said over the past year, the warrior suspected that things there and all along the Web were steadily growing worse and worse.

Of course, thinking like that quickly dragged her thoughts down a totally different path…

And she refused to consider it. Refused to think of it entirely. Emily would never allow herself to…no, not thinking. Stop thinking.

The warrior spent the rest of the flight with her headphones jammed in her ears, blasting the audio to the in-flight movie to drown out her parents' nattering. It was a horror movie, about a young accountant being haunted by a demon until she was possessed and went on a killing spree. Tears flooded her vision throughout and made it difficult to watch. She nearly cried, but not from fear. Why was life so cruel?

Happy Birthday, indeed.

They touched down in Philly to a hazy sunset, and Adriane couldn't get off the plane fast enough.

It seemed to amuse her parents to no end, and when they finally caught up with her at baggage claim, they paused in their conversation to acknowledge her. Willow gave her what was supposed to be a reassuring pat on the arm.

"Don't worry," her mother told her. "We'll be out of here soon."

Adriane raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Apparently they had caught on to her airport anxiety.

As the two fell back into their debate, Adriane studied them absently. Her parents were around the same height, five-eight, and were both wearing clothes they had bought for each other in Dubai, which was amusing to note. Willow was clearly a full-blooded Native American, from her long thick black hair to her tanned skin and features. She had red and orange paint crusted under her long nails, and was holding the thick portfolio with information on the sculpture that was the cause of so much debate. Even now she leafed through it to point something out to Luc, whose thin brows narrowed in confusion. He had the aristocratic features of a Frenchman, and a hint of the lilting accent to go with it. His thin brown hair was peppered with gray, a fact that annoyed him incessantly, and he had a mild physique. Both were in their mid-forties, Willow a few years older than Luc. They had married right out of college, from what Adriane understood, and had together traveled the world ever since.

Adriane smiled fondly at her parents, and shook her head. It was times like these, when they were so wrapped up in their own little world, that she knew for certain she loved them. But it was more the love one has at thirty, when visiting their mom and dad after months of not seeing them. She had grown up too fast, she supposed.

She had been forced to, after Emily went missing. After the very people in front of her had come and dragged her away from the only place she'd ever called home.

The smile was wiped off her face with that thought, and she blocked out the memories before they could resurface. No need for another pity party.

Taking off her backpack and leaving it at her parent's feet, Adriane shouldered her way through the people surrounding the baggage treadmill and begin to search for her family's luggage. She remembered a time, years ago, when pushing people aside would inevitably result in being told to piss off in a variety of languages and ways. She grinned. Not anymore. The average person shied away from a confrontation with the tall dark girl, even if they didn't quite understand the full cause of the intimidation. Just a warrior's magic at work.

It was disconcerting, Adriane thought after a while, how comfortable she was doing this. Standing in close, close quarters with the other weary travelers, shoulders brushing, scanning for luggage as it crawled past. Her instincts should be screaming like they used to, pushing her to get away from all these people. Not to say she still wouldn't drop anything and everything in a heartbeat to just run and run and run. It was just, this whole airport routine had become exactly that: routine.

That wasn't the only change the past two years had imparted upon her person either, Adriane reflected sadly. She used to smile a lot more, even before she'd made it to Ravenswood. And paint and sculpt and create, too. Now she only ever had the energy to sketch, and the pictures were always from the past. Ravenswood after sunset. The various animals of the Preserve. Aldenmoor. Dreamer and Storm, mighty and regal against the forests. Drake flying free. Zach, and that damn smile of his she couldn't ever get right. And her, Emily, and Kara, before they were torn apart.

The loss of her life and her home was always just as fresh as that day she'd left.

The warrior shook her head, long dark hair brushing against her bare forearms. The pain was constant, and she'd learned to deal. That was the saddest part.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, her magic hadn't changed much at all. Her control over it had heightened, because her only avenues for practice were late, late in the dead of the night and right under the nose of her parents. She never had the assistance of a bonded anymore either, which was more constraining than anything.

Beyond that, she suspected her magic had altered her a little as well. Subtle changes, ones that might ultimately amount to her triumph in battle. Her reflexes seemed faster, her senses sharper, her physicality stronger. This was all slightly unnerving, but Adriane couldn't find it in herself to dislike the changes. She'd promised herself that one day she'd get back to Ravenswood, and then they'd prove useful.

In the meantime, they also had their everyday uses, and Adriane was thankful as she lifted a suitcase off of the treadmill and placed it next to her in an ever-growing pile. When your life consists of traveling abroad, you find a way to accumulate a lot of large, heavy suitcases. Their little family was certainly no exception, and it took more than a few trips to get all of their luggage over to her parents. She would probably be the one dragging most of it through customs, too.

It was over an hour before everything was checked and secured, and Adriane was tempted to slam her head against a wall or two. She. Hated. Airports! When Luc and Willow agreed to let her wander off and find a proper meal, she couldn't get out of there fast enough. She was starving, and had been since she'd woken up. Speaking of sleep schedules, she was in for a sucky night since she was wide awake at 7 pm. Yay.

She had barely walked two minutes before she found a taco restaurant. Perfect.

Adriane ordered the biggest, meatiest taco they had before claiming the small two person table in the corner as her own. Her backpack went in the opposite chair, and she dug through it and extracted the case that held her laptop. Booting it up and plugging it in, she searched her options for Wi-Fi until her food was ready. She had devoured her taco and finished most of her coke before she was finally connected to a network that worked properly. She logged onto Skype and was pleased to see that one kstar was connected as well. Adriane hit the call button and waited.

It only took a few moments before her computer stopped dinging and Kara's face filled the screen. The blazing star was grinning widely at the camera as she shoved a huge pile of textbooks to her side. She was clearly in the Ravenswood Library, and Adriane's heart gave a painful twang as she saw one of the places she missed so much.

"Adriane! Thank god! Where have you been? I've been trying to contact you for forever! Everyone was super concerned, and-"

The warrior laughed as her one human friend rambled. "It's great to see you too, Kara."

"I'll say! You saved me from a mountain of homework," the blonde exclaimed, gesturing to the thick stack of books to her right. "So, did you move again? Where are you now? Wait, everybody's gonna wanna see you!" Adriane saw her friend close her eyes while the unicorn horn around her neck flared pink, but her mind was elsewhere. She was more worried about the blonde's next reaction, and justifiably so. She was in Philly. So, so close. "'Kay, they're coming. Where are you? Hang on, let me guess! France!"

"Nope, I'm-"

"Let me guess! Geez, you're always such a party pooper. Happy Birthday, by the way! Since I can't buy you anything, me and the girls ate some cake for you. Double chocolate, yum yum yum!"

Adriane was both amused and touched at the idea of Kara, Heather, Molly, and Tiffany having a party for her. Three of the four had probably had no clue what the occasion was, either.

"Well, did you save me any?"

"No, Kyle ate your piece. I think he ate Tiff's too, the brat." Kara twirled a strand of golden hair around her finger and grinned. For a fleeting moment, Adriane almost thought it looked forced. "But you're dragging me off topic. Ohh, I know, you're in England!"

"Nope."

"Canada?"

"Wrong again."

"Germany? Mexico? Spain? China? Japan? Africa? Costa Rica?"

"Kara, Africa is a continent."

"I know that! I just don't know any of the countries, silly. Poland? Australia? Brazil? Make sure you send me a postcard!"

"You won't want one. I'm in Philly."

"Nonse- PHILLY!? WHAT?!" Adriane cringed as Kara's voice, high and tinny, blasted through her speakers. The boy working the counter paused mid-sentence to give her an odd look. "You're in Philly?! As in Philadelphia? As in, the Philadelphia I'm not allowed to go shopping in ever again?!" At Adriane's nod, Kara fell back down into her chair, finally at a loss for words. "But that's…that's…it's…"

"So close?"

"Ya! You're… you're right there! That's unfair." Kara glared off into the distance, a small pout forming on her face.

"I know," Adriane told her, feeling about the same way Kara looked.

"This is not cool. You need to come see us. Like, talk to your parents or something."

"They'll just say no."

"Hey," Kara said, pointing her finger at the screen in an attempt to look stern. "You won't know if you don't try."

But Adriane knew her parents, knew exactly what they'd tell her. Previously, they had made every effort not to go back on their decision for her to leave Stonehill, and they had to have come here knowing full well that she'd ask the question. Why would they up and change their opinion now? She sighed, agreeing fully with Kara's sudden rant about parents and unfairness. When it came to being ignored by the adults in their life, they were both in the same boat.

The warrior listened with sympathy as her blonde friend vented out her frustrations with her mother to the screen. She knew how it felt. The difference between Kara and her, however, was that she'd given up trying to catch her mother's attention a long time ago.

The thought was startling. Where had that come from? Scrambling, she sought to distract herself.

Among other things, Adriane was worried about the time. According to the clock, she had less than half an hour till she needed to meet Luc and Willow at the car rental, and it was a good ways away from where she was now. She did not want to cut this conversation short. It had been a while since she'd caught Kara anywhere besides her house, so the only Ravenswood animal she'd occasionally seen in that time had been Lyra. And it wasn't like she could carry on a conversation with her, because the computer couldn't make that type of magical connection. Kara could relay her bonded cat's words, but it wasn't the same.

Adriane found her gaze drawn back to her blonde friend, who had suddenly fallen silent. The blazing star was clearly lost deep in her thoughts, because her face was unguarded and her posture tense. She was unconsciously cracking her knuckles, a habit Adriane knew Kara hated. Her gaze was distant and she was worrying her lower lip.

Kara had never said anything about it, but Adriane could see, now that she was studying her closer, that her magic had changed her over the past two years too. She'd long lost any traces of baby fat she might have had when they had originally met in the 7th grade. Adriane had first noticed her, years ago when she'd been the new kid in Stonehill, because of how stunningly pretty Kara had been. These days she seemed to blow that out of the water. She was, to put it mildly, very very beautiful. High cheekbones, flawless skin, shining blue eyes, cascading golden hair, and the list went on and on and on. She looked practically perfect. She was someone you wanted to be around, to gain the approval and appreciation of. While Adriane's magic had made her a force to be reckoned with, Kara's magic made her all the more…magnetic.

The warrior was probably the first on a very small list of people who could see the real person behind all the perfection, and right now that person looked concerned, to say the least. Something was amiss in Kara's world, and the blazing star was letting it get to her. And from Adriane's experience, it took a lot to get to Kara. The blonde appeared flustered, unsettled, and upset. Her face looked hollow, and her gaze was empty. Her normally vibrant eyes suddenly seemed duller than Adriane remembered.

Her musings were cut off when Kara suddenly cried, "There you guys are!" and in the next seconds the screen's image had changed into the elated faces of a dozen or so furry animals. They crowded the picture, leaping and climbing over each other to get a good look at the screen. Among them, Ariel, Tweek, Lyra, Dreamer, and the D-Flies pushed and shoved others out of the way. Kara's textbooks crashed to the floor, and Adriane laughed aloud as their owner followed soon after. Her speakers were filled with the loud sounds of happy animals, and she garnered more than a handful of strange looks from the taco restaurant's patrons.

Smiling and shaking her head, Adriane dug through her backpack till she found her headphones. By the time she got them equipped, the frantic noises had died down a bit and Kara, looking ruffled, had fought her way back into her chair. The warrior had to laugh at the dejected look on her friend's face. Kara hated being pushed around, figuratively and literally.

"How are you guys?" Adriane asked. Her face was starting to hurt from smiling so much.

The loud chorus of animal noises started up again, and Adriane knew they were speaking. Just knew it. And it pained her that she couldn't hear them. It hurt. It hurt so much.

Dreamer was right there, pink tongue lolling and eyes shining even as he shouldered Lyra from the picture. Adriane could almost hear the two of them, bickering pointlessly. But imagination and reality are two entirely different things, and right now she might as well have been magic-less and deaf.

It shouldn't be like this. Dreamer was her bonded, her packmate. They should never have been separated. Ever.

The pain and anger she suddenly felt convinced her. She would ask her parents if she could go to Ravenswood. Hell, she would get on her knees and beg for it. And that was taking it to the extremes. She was Packleader. Warrior Mage. And she did not submit to just anyone.

A/N- This conversation takes place on Friday, June 7th. So if you're wondering why Kara can't just drop everything and come see Adriane (she wants to), she's still got another week of school before summer starts. Neither her parents nor her brother are going to want to drive her 120 miles to Philly when they've got to work, and besides, Kara's got a Preserve to run. Just thought I'd clear that up.

On another note, the next update will be sooner; you have my word. Sorry for my updating-incompetence once again.