*(Is this all we see?)*

~*Chapter 39*~

"I had a vision." Midnight was sitting at the kitchen table as they ate breakfast. He was just picking at his food with the words stuck in his head.

"What about?" Fawn asked. Putting her fork down she looked at Lilly, then him. Midnight folded his hands in his lap, fidgeting with his thumbs. "I was--in the dark. And this woman was talking to me." He started. "And she said to me: You must make a choice. Put out the fire or walk through the flames. For only you can ride through the fire and find the breathing tree.."

Silence. Lilly chewed her food slowly, swallowing unsurly. Fawns face was frozen. Dawn was picking at her plate. "What does that mean?" Dawn furrowed her brows.

"I have no idea."

"Who was the woman?" Lilly picked up her plate, going around the table to pick up everyone else's plates. "I don't know. She was mid-aged I think. She kept calling me 'child' and--I don't know she said she knew me before I was born. Which by the way, doesn't make sense."

Fawn took a sip of her water. "Do you think it's Liz?"

Lilly shook her head as she sat back down. "No." Lilly said blankly. "Liz wouldn't come to him, she didn't have visions."

"What about--" Fawn paused. Going over all the dead that knew him before he was born probably was like looking through a file. Nova...Cedar. "Do you think it's Gaia?"

"Being that she's related to us, it could be." Lilly looked at Midnight. "We should find out what it means first, before finding the person."

"But what if the person has a connection to the vision?" Dawn stared at her brother, she stood up. "Maybe we should see Cedar."

~~~~

Midnight followed his mom and Dawn to the cold field. It was the middle of winter so snow still stuck to the ground. It was harder to get to the field than usual. The cold air was uncomfortable and Midnight already wanted to go home.

This was pointless anyway. It was a vision. 'But his last one was prophetic, this one might be too.' He thought maybe. 'But this isn't the time to be optimistic. You're probably wrong.'

They passed through the barrier. It wasn't cold. And there was hardly any snow. Less than an inch if white speckled the ground with the brown dirt mixing of rocks.

Cedar was at the edge of the hut. Leaning against the house, she looked like she was expecting him. Nova was standing next to her, talking intensely with her arms crossed. She looked irritated. Or mad about something.

"I'm just saying Cedar." Nova tried to reason. "We don't know if it's true. We can't know if it's true."

"It has to be Nova. If it wasn't him who would it be?" Cedar looked back ahead from looking at Nova. "The blood of nature. He's a deer fairy."

"It could be any of them! We have plenty of male guardians all around the base. It doesn't mean it's him." Nova immediately cleared her throat when Midnight stood in front of her. "Midnight. Welcome back."

"Thank you Nova." He lowered his head to a slight nod.

Cedar squinted her eyes slightly. She shifted in posture. "Dawn notified me of your vision before you arrived. Tell us about it."

So he did. He recited all he knew. And some he assumed. Cedar looked intent the entire time. Her hazel eyes being sharply landed on his. She nodded after he finished. "A vision. One of choice." Cedar looked at Nova, then turned. She led him to the hut door behind her. Her head craning to look around the doors edge. "I want to talk of this in private. Even without my successors present. Even without your mother."

"What does my mother have to do with it?"

"Nothing. I'm saying no one must be around for this. This is strictly between us. This is important."

'What? Me?'

"Why?"

"Because if the fire is what I think it is." Cedar leaned closer to him. Her tone shifted to he more quiet. "The guardian groups are in trouble. There is a rift. And if the rift doesn't mend it will catch the flame."

"But catch the flame?" Midnight stopped. Looking away from Cedar. "But that means it's already been burning."

"Precisely." Cedar confirmed. "The fire has been burning for years. But this time the flame is more lethal than ever. More important than ever."

'Would she stop being criptic?' It was annoying. He wanted to scream and tell her to cut the shit already. "So what does this mean for me?"

"The fire can only be fought by you." She inhaled for a moment. "We are going into fire Midnight. You are the only one who can put it out. You must lead us out of the flames."

"But my vision said to put it out." He pondered. His eyes landed on the wall. Drawings of fire, people screaming. He could almost hear their cries. "I can't lead you into something I'm mean to stop." He ran his fingers across the messy lines. "I have to put it out Cedar. My vision said to put it out."

"You might not be able to. No one can."

"No one? Then why did I even have the option to put it out?" He peered back at Cedar. "Anyway. What does all of this mean?"

"It means you have to accept my offer."

"I have to?" Midnight scoffed, laughing it off sarcastically. He widened his ocean blue eyes. "You are talking on some drugs if you think you're going to force me to."

"Midnight don't you see?" She clutched his stinging arm. Pulling at it. He tried not to wince. "This vision is a prophecy. Your prophecy."

"My prophecy? Of what?"

Cedar let go of him, adjusting the dress she was wearing. She cleared her throat. Then she was quiet. Midnight worried of what she would say. His prophecy, his future. His death, most likely.

"The prophecy is a choice. They said it's a choice. It's your choice of the world you will settle in. And you must choose the right choice to put out the flames."