Yay! Another chapter! Just a little FYI: Stella has a small flashback in her mind. The words she speaks WERE to her grandmother. She's just recalling them in her mind.

Oh, and I just have to admit that I LOVE sound affects...ENJOY!

Stella awoke to a headache as she slowly arose out of bed and changed into her outfit for the day. Which was a pair of blue jeans and a black jacket over a white shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror on the wall and flicked her blonde stripped hair, "What a night."

"You sleep well, Stella?"

Stella sat down with her bowl of cereal and sighed, "Yeah." she lied, "If you call talking to the dead relaxing."

She glanced up at her mother who was reading the paper and noticed a picture of a gargoyle on the cover, "So I'm still stuck in this crazy dream of Gargoyles and dead grandmothers." she sighed as another spoonful of 'Lucky Charms' entered her mouth.

Stella had acted weird last night. Things were happening too fast for her to keep up with. I mean, Gargoyles? Ghosts? And now finding out that she has some sort of time traveling device!

"-are you planning to do?"

Stella glanced back up at her mother, "What?"

Her mother sighed at her daughters lack of concentration, "I asked you, what are you planning to do today?"

The teen suddenly realized today was her mothers first day at work, "Uhh, I'm not sure yet."

"When does your classes start at that college you applied for?"

"Not till summer ends."

"You could look around for a job or a hobby?"

Stella looked away from her mother as she thought for a moment, "Actually, I think I'm going to take a stroll around this city. Just to see what's here."

"Are you sure you want to do that alone?" her mother asked worriedly.

"I have my phone and I didn't take two years of self-defense for nothing!" she flexed her arm, "I'm a tough target."

Her mother sighed at her confidence, "Just be safe."

^~*~^

Stella leaned against the Subway window and watched the lights of the tunnel splash against her, "Listen carefully, Stellaluna." as her grandmothers words replayed themselves in her mind, "You must never hand the gate to anyone. I know this is very overwhelming...but I know you can handle it."

"I don't think I can handle this alone." Stella thought to herself as she glanced down at her backpack.

"You won't be alone...will help you."

"Who?"

A flash of fear then arose in the girl as she recalled her grandmothers voice fading from her mind. Suddenly, Stella felt herself jolt out of her thoughts as the doors to the train opened.

"I really need to stop spacing." she told herself, as she stepped of the train and climbed up the stairs.

Stella stared at all the building that were tightly compressed together like towering walls, "Wow, this cities Gia-normous!*" (A mixture of Gigantic and Enormous)

She twirled around slowly as her eyes scoped the area, "I wonder if GPS was invented here."

Quickly, the young girl followed the crowd in the streets and soon became blended in through the mass amounts of people. She decided to eat at a small MD that was on every corner and street she turned too.

"Their clown scares me," Stella thought to herself, as she sat near the large statue on the bench to eat her meal.

"Hey baby, don't you know it's dangerous to be walking around like that?"

Stella looked down at her clothes before looking at the man who had said that, "Huh?"

Her blue eyes then spotted 'what must be a girl' hidden under a black cloak surrounded by two thuds. She rolled her eyes at their heavy clothes and the outrageous piercing they had on them.

The girl in the cloak started to back away from the two men trying to make a hasty retreat, but a hand reached to snatch the cloak off.

"Come on! Let's see what you got under there!"

*WHACK*

The thug then became acquainted with a Happy Meal box, "Hey!" Stella yelled, "Leave her alone!"

An imprint of 'I'm lovin it' was plastered on the mans cheek as his buddy picked him up off the ground, "Ya' got a problem, bitch?"

Stella felt a vein pop on her forehead at the rude name, "What you call me?"

The two thugs then ignored the cloaked figure and instead went after Stella, who had prepared herself in a stance. The 'I'm lovin it' man took a swing at her that she quickly dodged and returned an elbow to his stomach.

"OW!"

His buddy then whipped out a knife that Stella easily avoided by jumping back at the wild slashes he was making in the air, "You guys aren't very good at being punks, are you?"

"Hold still!!" the man yelled in frustration.

"I've got her!" Stella then spun around at the second man only to watch in surprise as the cloaked girl kicked him out of the way.

"T-Thanks!" she told the figure as she turned her attention back to his friend, "Huh?"

All was left was a doted outline of what USE to be there. Stella put her hands on her hips and snorted, "Coward!"

The man who had been left behind made a sudden haste into the crowds to be saved from another beating.

Stella sighed as she walked back over to the bench to grab her backpack, "I swear this city..." she trailed off after hearing a gentle voice enter her ears.

"Thank you."

Stella turned to see the cloaked woman standing before her, "Are you new here?"

"Yeah," she told the lady as she swung her back-pack over her shoulder, "just got here a few days ago."

"I thought so," the cloaked figure nodded, "not very many people would help a stranger."

Stella stared at the cloaked woman a moment before letting a smirk cross her lips, "Stella 'Rena' Talore!" as she reached out a hand, "And you?"

There was a pause between them as Stella felt like the woman was hesitant on taking her offered hand. So she withdrew it back to her side, "It's okay."

She gave the cloaked woman a warm smile, "It's not easy to know who's good and who isn't in this city."

Stella gave her a small wave as she was about to head back on her 'journey' across the city. When she heard the woman call her back by saying.

"My name is Maggie."

Stella looked at the woman in surprise before grinning, "Nice to meet you."

I have always liked Maggie! And it looks like I've made it to another chapter too! *Does a dance* I'm really hoping I have a few of you hooked on this!

*Gives a fist in the air* I will do my best!

And don't worry! Stella will meet the clan soon! I PROMISE NOT TOO MUCH LONGER!!!

'I'm Lovin' it' man: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!! AND GET ME THE POLICE!!!

Stella and Eyezra: *Hide baseball bats behind back* WIMP!!!