The True Choice

3rd in the '2001/2002 Schools Short Story Competition - Magic and Mystery Theme' competition

She had it all. A most beautiful palace, a lovely garden and magical powers that were an integral part of her being.
“Rucheera!” Maya mentally summoned her beloved unicorn.
Looking out of the window she saw him coming high above the endless maze surrounding the palace – his milk-white body gleaming in the sunlight, his silvery mane gracefully swinging and his horn projecting light that could be seen from miles away.
Turning to a small star-shaped mirror Maya saw a sturdy face with skin tanned brown by sun and short black hair shiny as a polished shoe. She had made herself like this less than an hour ago, but now she wished for forget-me-not blue eyes, pale skin, most delicate arch of eyebrows and the loveliest possible shade of cascading blond hair. The new look was perfection itself, but did not help to obliterate the only thought she seemed to have nowadays: “What did I look like before the magic started?”
“My dear friend, it seems so unfair, that I have everything, but my greatest longing cannot be fulfilled.” Maya swung herself around the unicorn’s neck.
“You know all too well, that there is no other way to see your true self but to give up all your magical powers.” Rucheera’s words forcefully reverberated in Maya’s head.
“I know, that’s what the great spirit told me when he gave me those powers. I almost didn’t notice it then, but now I can think of nothing but that.” Maya said.
Suddenly Maya knew what to do.
“I must see the great spirit again, I must trick him into showing my true self, even if for a moment,” she paused. “Even if it takes…giving up… but that’s crazy!”
She stood there motionless for what would seem an eternity to us, then said calmly and strongly: “I wish to talk to the great spirit.”
Rucheera broke into a thunderous laugh. He rose up to the sky and became a huge transparent egg with one eye and an enormous vertical mouth.
“I thought by now you had figured it out that the great spirit was me,” he roared with delight. “Come on, are you really going to give up your magical powers?”
“Almost,” sighed Maya, “of course if this is ABSOLUTELY the rule of the game.”
“It is, you unsatiable brat. Take my final warning – many of those who renounced magic in the past, ended up regretting the loss of almightiness.”
“But if I don’t see my true self, my heart will burn out,” uttered Maya in a whisper.
“Then the choice is all yours,” the spirit declared in the sweetest of voices and sang:

O, sun and moon and silver star!
The wish for magic reaching far
This lure that can enslave your mind
You should surpass and leave behind.

Here the story ends. And whenever I look into my magic mirror, I still see a frozen figure of a girl unable to make her choice.

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