A Little Magic

She stepped into view like a queen stepping onto her thrown. Her entire perfect body was colorful pastel flowers from her delicately formed, spiraling ivory horn to her dainty, cloven ivory hooves that hardly seemed to touch the ground as she walked. Her snowy, white mane and tail were long and thick, entangled with sweetheart roses, which fell in profusion as she moved, creating a scented carpet at her feet. “My name is Beauty,” she said in a voice like gently running water. “And these are my companions. Lira,” She looked to the left, to where a little iridescent hummingbird was standing quite still in the air, “who flies in and out of the future and keeps the deepest secrets of the ages, and Galin.” She looked up and to her right to where a marvelously colored butterfly fluttered outrageously and then came to rest on her exquisite, ivory horn. “He holds the morning and the evening star, and the phases of the moon in his delicate wings.” “Oh-h-h! Beauty! You’ve stolen my heart! You’re perfectly enchanting!!” I exclaimed, full of wonder. I slipped and would have fallen if Pan hadn’t caught me. I was distracted by his neatly curling beard, but he just nodded toward Beauty and said in a hushed, raspy voice; “Never let yourself be distracted when Beauty is before you!” I turned back to the unicorn as she spoke. “I’ve been held captive by an evil sorcerer for ever-so-long, in an ancient castle far away.” she said. “It was cold, dark and dreary, filled with tears and sorrow, pain and fear. One who would have stolen all your happiness had locked me away in a cold gray cell of bleak, hard, stone. I pleaded and cried for release, but, cold stone wasn’t as hard as that sorcerer’s heart!! “Then Lira came. She told me of this day and the return of the unicorns. Told me of a secret way out of the darkness and brought Galin to guide me. Through the cycles of the moon we traveled, till we slipped out between the morning and the evening stars.......and here I am, free at last!” As she said these last words, she unfolded her lovely, snow-white wings and rose in the air in a shower of flowers. She circled my head, tossing her mane and throwing roses everywhere. Before the roses fell she came to earth in front of me and ..........CHARGED!!! That delicate ivory horn pierced my breast and my heart, my traumas, fears, pain, sorrow and tears, and came to rest in my heart of hearts.... inside my soul!! All of this in the space of a blink. When I managed to open my eyes, she was gone. However, there was Lira, the hummingbird, laughing near my left shoulder, and Galin, the butterfly, trying to light on my nose. He settled for my right shoulder, with his wings opening and closing in a throbbing motion from the excitement. His wee voice spoke poetry in my ear; “I will kiss your eyes in the middle of the night and your lips in the noonday sun. I will kiss your mind anytime I might for you and Beauty are one!” Tears of joy flowed from my eyes. I wiped away the tears and flung them from my hand. A cluster of sweetheart roses rolled down the hill. Lira began to hum softly near my left ear. As she alit on my shoulder, I could hear her words quite clearly; “A unicorn’s blessing forever you’ll know. Milk and honey around you will flow. A trail of flowers wherever you go. For Beauty’s within you, you know.... tra-la!” Echoes seemed to go forever into the middle of my mind. First from Galin, then from Lira. Tiny echoes of a mighty love! A hand touched mine. It was Pan, looking a bit older and sterner with his beard and horns, which were about 4 inches long and starting to curl slightly. They were rougher than I remembered earlier, but, I was getting used to his changes. He looked to be around thirty, now. Emotions flowed easily through the Beauty in me and my eyes seemed to shine around the edges. There was a calm sense of harmony in me that had not been there before. I could see beauty through the Beauty in me!” I closed my eyes and whispered “Thank you, sweet Beauty!”