The seasons changed, and time went on, a year to be exact and it was cold again. Fiore made it a habit to walk to her mother's resting place every day to see a small tree growing above her. Day by day it grew rapidly until it was fully grown. Grand and tall as the eyes could see, with a trunk-like twisting branch,  leaves grew in the color of glowing rainbows, and the fruit it produced looked like jewels taking the shape of apples. When standing under, you could no longer feel the cold surrounding you. 

     Fiore was getting ready to see the tree again. It was an hour's walk away, but she didn't mind the silence she would experience. She looked in a mirror and saw her beautiful reflection, something beyond her skin that made her shine without jewels or expensive dresses. but, even though she had this appearance, she could never find any pride in it. It just reminded her of what she had stolen. She turned from the reflection in disgust to see her father at the doorway.

      Nyssa saw his daughter dressed in a big wool coat, her hair had grown longer now but it was stuffed inside the hood. Her eyes looked a little red. He wondered if she was crying while he was out. It hurt him seeing her like this, "You're going again today?'. Fiore nodded. Nyssa sighed, but, he felt he couldn't stop her at this point, "Okay, but don't stay out too long this time. I don't want you eating a cold dinner again", he said smiling. Fiore nodded, returning the smile "I promise. I'll be back before the sun sets".

     He saw Fiore head out. He watched as her steps melted the snow, just to frost over again. He felt like he saw himself in that somber demeanor. He still felt like there was a hole in his heart but he felt it slowly filling up as the days went on. He still had his daughter but he felt she needed more time to process the loss and the changes happening to her. He hoped she found what she was looking for soon.

     Fiore thought about using her new abilities to make the trip faster, but she opted for the time alone to be with her thoughts, no matter how ugly they started to sound. She walked in the snow-covered plane, she looked like the only living thing for miles. The wind was enough to nip at your nose but bearable, yet something felt different. As she walked she noticed, her feet no longer felt pain like they used to, not even the cold bothered her. She looked on and saw a few wolves standing around something. That would have been a sign to lay low and back away to a normal person, but Fiore got closer.

      The wolves noticed the being walking nearby. They began to growl, but they soon stopped. They stood still, and the closer she got, the more entranced they became, they felt the forest, an ecosystem brimming with life all around them. As Fiore stood before them, she saw what they were hovering over. It was a wolf taking its last breath as an arrow stuck out of its abdomen. 

     The contrast of red on the pristine snow caused Fiore's tears to spill for the poor creature. She knelt and warmed the wolf in its final moments. She could feel the little life it had, then in a mere second it slipped away from the body. The other wolves only huddled closer as they whinned for their brethren. FIore deld it close,thinking, "Could I have done something if I came sooner?".

     Fiore stood and placed her hand over the wolf. The ground began to bubble and then split open. The roots coiled around the wolf and slowly dragged it below, completely covering it. As she felt the ground below, she felt like she could see how thee wolf had lived, freely running, never a dull moment never a moment alone, surrounded by other even in its last moments. As she saw this. a small plant erupted.

     Fiore began to walk away and the wolves followed, but she quickly stopped them as her hand sliced through the air. Her glare kept them distant as she created a wall between them. With that, they all ran back and Fiore moved onward.

     She finally saw the tree in the distance. Its leaves danced with a small amount of wind, shimmering in delight. She began to smile, but it soon faded as she felt something odd. She got closer and noticed something peculiar. She could see something peeking out behind the tree. She reached the point of warmth and saw what was behind it. Covered in cuts and bruises, still shivering in the tree's warmth, was a woman holding a still baby seconds old, blue in the face. The umbilical cord still connected the two as the baby now began to cry, color coming back to the child.

     The mother jolted awake, frightened," Huh? Shhh, it's okay I'm here", she said as she swayed her child, but, she felt something was wrong. She slowly turned to see if anything was behind her. As her eyes turned, they landed on a mysterious being, she couldn't believe what she was looking at, an overwhelming feeling of joy appeared from the depths of her tired soul. Black hair, tanned skin, and a scar under their left eye. It was the image of her late husband, lively and strong just as she remembered him. Her vision became strained, but through the fever and the opposing climate of cold and warmth, she thought she died at that very moment. "Joii..can it be...I thought I would never see you again. I'm..so glad you...escaped", she reached out trying to touch them, but her body went limp, the baby slipping out of her hands.

     Fiore quickly caught the crying child but saw the mother collapse on the floor. As she held the child in her arms, she felt a strange sensation, the baby was now brimming with life like its mother, now felt faint as she felt something wet on her hands. Fiore immediately felt her stomach sink and her heart pound in her ears as she saw the connection was severed, the child was bleeding out from the cord. She froze as she could feel its life draining, her hand twitching, clueless about what to do. Her mind raced but her thoughts jumbled and no coherent thought was made. Then, amid her panic, she felt something hit her on her shoulder. It was a stinging pain but it allowed her to get out of the trance. She quickly turned and saw a familiar arrow sticking out of her back, and beyond that, about four men on horseback aiming arrows at her.

     Fiore quickly clenched the child's cord and focused on her targets in front of her. She visualized the very ground below her, the roots of the trees moved at her command and sprung forth in front of the men. The horses jumped back, knocking off two of the riders. She quickly summoned a giant root for herself, placed the woman on top, climbed on it, and quickly made her escape.

     The men gawked at what they saw, but quickly mounted their horse and attempted to catch the fleeing being.

     Fiore quickly placed her coat on the woman with the baby set on her chest. She then tied the baby's cord and saw the child's aura stabilized. She could feel herself shaking as a sense of relief overcame her. Tears escaped her eyes as she felt a sense of frustration clench her body and caused the arrow to dislodge itself so her body could heal. 

     Nyssa sat by the fireplace and admired a painting of Renata gifted to her. As he analyzed it, he didn't know how it could be her. Every last detail was wrong, he wondered if he was the only one who was able to see what she looked like. He would have liked to paint her, but he never had a talent for it. As he sighed, the door was cracked open, and saw Fiore drenched in tears as she held a sick woman with a newborn baby. Fiore looked desperately at her father as she whined, "Please, help me".

     Nyssa hurried them to the bedroom but stopped between the panic and took a deep. He saw the baby moving and the assumed mother gasping for air. He calmly went to boil some water and instructed Fiore. "Fiore, bundle the baby in your warmest blanket and set them near the mother, then, I need you to undress the mother and clean off all the blood. She has a fever and we need to get those clothes off of her". Fiore did as he was told and quickly bundled the baby, and undressed the mother, but a lot was soaked in blood or blood that had already dried and caked over with more blood, sticking to her skin. 

     Fiore took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, she could feel her heartbeat finally slowing as she saw the baby still moving and cooing. Nyssa brought the boiling water and mixed snow from the outside. He took out a towel and gave it to Fiore, "Be gentle with her she might be more injured than she looks, Fiore nodded as she began. She felt herself trembling, but she was glad she was alive.

     A Burning village and the sound of screams, a strong hand desperately dragging her through the chaos, pain coercing through her body, debris hit her and arrows grazed her, but she was still able to move. "Run Aya!" he screamed as she was pushed away. She ran and ran and ran, without a location in mind. Through the snowy forest, the branches cratched her, but she forced herself to move as her belly weighed her down. As her steps became heavier a hidden branch caught her foot causing her to stumble. She felt cold and wet, yet a warm sensation was felt between her legs. Blood was oozing out of her. She hurriedly tried to stand, but a nearby noise made her freeze. Galloping horses, men dressed in pure white holding a blazing flag, her village flag. She waited, holding her breath as sweat dripped from her forehead and stinging her eyes. After several minutes they left and she frantically dragged herself forward. Her clothes were in tatters and a trail of blood was in her wake. Then warmth.

      A tree of glistening light right in front of her, beckoning her to come closer, and with her last bit of strength, she made it. A haven against the snow, she leaned against the tree. Tears escaped her eyes as she tried to process what just happened, but before she could even think back, a stinging pain enveloped her body, something was coming and through a painful gasp, she saw it. Tiny and frail, and covered in blood, she wanted to laugh but noticed the child's color.  The child was blue, unmoving, a limp tiny body in their mother's hands. Tears clouded her eyes as she held on tightly. She could no longer feel the warmth, the cold, or the pain, as she held her child in her arms, she tried to find a reason to go on, but. there was nothing left. But, through all the pain, a ray of light was apparent at a distance, a familiar cry waiting for her affection.

     Cries echoed in her head, her eyes slowly opening towards the direction of the noise. She felt warm, yet the soreness was all over her as she turned to her side. Her vision was blurred, but she used her hand to reach over and felt a little bundle. Her eyes went wide and she saw the crying bundle She quickly unbundled herself from the layers that encased her and held her child in her arms. She began to laugh at the situation at hand as she saw that crying face.

     As she was about to breastfeed the child, she heard the door squeak. The woman quickly held her child close to her chest, alarmed, but her worry soon melted when she saw a figure walk in.