The Children of When (Complete)

Chapter Eighteen: The Prophecy

Belle burst out laughing at the stunned looks on the faces of everyone in the room.

Raff was looking at her as if she'd totally lost her marbles. "That would be Midnight, the horse, you're talking about? Umm, I think you'd better lie back down Belle, you're obviously delirious!"

Belle tried to stop laughing. She knew Raff was right, she was probably verging on hysteria, but Midnight had communicated with her. She roped her out-of-control emotions back in, looked down at her hands in her lap, and took a deep breath.

"Well, Midnight didn't actually talk to me. It was more like he communicated what he was thinking, by sending pictures into my mind. I was sitting in the meadow sharing an apple with him, and wondering exactly the same thing as Madame Persimmons, why had the beast only attacked us three? Then I remembered something. On the way to the village, there'd been heaps of other students close by when we went under the canopy. But we were so late leaving, because of my stupid collapse, that everyone else had already gone back. I started to think that maybe it was waiting for us."

"And then Midnight started nudging my shoulder and tossing his head up and down. I looked up into his eyes and then bam, the first image came into my head. It was me, standing in the portal, looking at the two doors and trying to decide which one to choose." There were a few sharp gasps at that revelation, but she ploughed on anyway. "The next image was of a shrivelled old elf with long silver hair wearing a black robe. Then Midnight sent an image of Madame Persimmons, and started pawing at the ground and throwing his head back and forward again."

She looked up, and straight into Madame Persimmon's eyes. "So I jumped up and ran all the way here. Do you happen to know what any of it means?"

Madame Persimmons sat very quietly, then turned her head to look at Raff. "How many doors were you offered in the portal, Raff?"

"Ummm, two. Same as Belle."

"Leah?"

Leah looked at Dub, who nodded his head. "Three."

Madame Persimmons' looked at Dominic, her eyes brimming with excitement. "Oh my, then it seems Mr Trotter was right after all! I never thought this would happen in my lifetime." She was smiling warmly at the children.

As usual, Raff was the first to express what they were all thinking. "Umm, sorry, but I think I must have missed something. What was Mr Trotter right about?"

Madame Persimmons was obviously excited about something. She was wringing her hands together, and looked like she would break into a 'happy dance' any minute.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I got a bit carried away there for a minute," she chuckled. "I think it might be easier if I show you, rather than tell you." She nodded to Dominic, who dashed out of the room, his rolling gait hardly even slowing him down.

"So... you do know what Midnight was trying to tell me?" Relief flooded through Belle. She'd felt like a complete idiot claiming her horse had communicated with her. But no-one had laughed at her, or thought her insane.

"I certainly think I do, child," Madame Persimmons replied softly. And then her eyes clouded. "But if I'm right, I don't think the beast is going to be the last of your troubles." Belle looked at Raff and Leah, and saw the same frightened looks on their faces that she was feeling.

Dominic rushed back in and handed Madame Persimmons a large, black, leather-bound book. The words on the cover looked like they'd been carved into it with gold. Léger de Florisia. Madame Persimmons opened the book to a page where a small piece of paper covered in elegant handwriting had been placed.

She carefully lifted the very old and fragile looking paper out of the book. "This book was written in an ancient language very few can still read. I had this section translated years ago, in case I ever needed to know the exact wording. What I am about to read you is an ancient prophecy. No-one knows who wrote it or when, but there are a great many people who have been waiting and hoping it would one day come true."

Her hand was shaking as she started to read it aloud:

What is now apart

Will again be whole

When the children come

With the blood of old.

The tide will turn

When three become one

What was once will be again

And what is now will be done.

Belle felt Raff's hand reaching for hers. She grabbed it, and held on tight.

This prophecy couldn't be about them could it? What made Madame Persimmons think they were the children who had this blood of old? Raff squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with the same confusion she was feeling. Leah was as white as a ghost. No-one said a word.

Madame Persimmons slipped the piece of paper back into the book, and looked at them intently. A shiver ran up Belle's spine.

"First of all, I need to explain why I asked you about the doors. Being offered more than one door inside the portal indicates you are descended from more than one race. This is extremely rare, since the worlds have been separated for more than a thousand years. Over the years, I have only known of a few other children who may have been offered more than one door, and they have vanished soon after arriving at the school."

"I have suspected for a long time that the Guardian Elders are alerted when a child with mixed blood comes through the portal. Fortunately, they are unaware of the Gifts of each child, as these aren't yet developed when you enter the portal. I imagine they would be extremely nervous when any child with mixed blood exits the portal."

She chuckled. "Three of you arriving on the same day certainly must have put the wind up Tyranius. He is the Elder Guardian of Florisia, and he happens to be an elf who looks very much like the image Belle described."

Raff was scratching his head again, and finally looked like he'd come to a decision. He blurted out the other thing they'd planned to ask her about.

"I don't suppose the book mentions anything about an ancient missing amulet?"

All eyes turned to Madame Persimmons. The colour had completely drained from her face, and Belle thought the old woman's jaw was actually going to hit the floor.