I stood before a cave, a big, dark, scary cave.  My book had said that this was the Wishing Shrine.  It's supposed to be a shrine that could grant any wish (providing the wisher had enough energy).  But this cave looked nothing like a shrine, and even though Papa always said that pure spirits were in everything, I couldn't help but wonder if this was an exception.

 

            Taking a deep breath I plopped my book down and carefully looked though its contents on the shrine.  It was a very big book, one that was thicker than my arm and practically half my size.  It had many strange, but interesting, pictures and symbols in it that talked about all kinds of magic and spirits.  Of course, all of Mama's books are like that; this was just the only one I could get without her seeing.  The night's stars and moon weren't bright enough for me to see anything though, and the cold sharp wind and twisting dangerous looking trees kept on breaking my concentration.  I didn't understand what Papa meant by how all nature spirits are kind; they don't look kind at all in those trees.  But there was no time to waste.  Mama was leaving with her student tomorrow afternoon and I had to become a good magician before then.  So I scooped up my book, took another deep breath, and ran into the cave before silly thoughts distracted me anymore.

 

            Mama and lots of other teachers had tried to teach me magic, but it never worked.  All the spells I did either didn't work or exploded.  Mama would always yell and get mad when my spells didn't work.  Papa said that it wasn't my fault and that my spirit just can't use magic, and that I should try to be a good prince instead.  But that didn't make sense at all.  Everyone can use magic.  Mama uses magic, Papa uses magic, all the knights use magic, even the townspeople and servants use magic!  So why is my spirit the only one that can't use magic? 

 

            I held my book tighter as I tried to comfort myself.  When Mama and the other teachers couldn't find a way to teach me magic, they just gave up.  I tried to ask Papa to teach me, but he said that he shouldn't teach, and that I shouldn't learn.  He said that me learning magic would make Mama very sad, but I knew that it was because he knew it would make Mama mad not sad.  That's when I decided to try and learn all by myself, and when I found this book.

The book was very confusing, but I knew I had to try and learn magic somehow.  Then I found something about a Wishing Shrine.  It said that the shrine had spirits that could grant any kind of wish that any kind of person wanted.  So even though I'm not allowed to go into shrines, cause Mama and Papa say that shrines would make me very sick, I'm going to try.  Mama always smiles when her student learns a new spell, and Papa is always happy when he gets to use magic to heal people.  So I want to make Mama smile, and I want to make Papa happy.  I want to learn magic.

 

            My legs felt stronger from seeing Mama and Papa in my memories, and seeing how they will treat me when I learn to be a good magician like them.  Each step I took was sure as the echoed lightly within the smooth gray cave.  I found it strange though that the deeper I went into the cave the more I saw that all of the walls, ceiling, and floor were staring to glow a brighter and brighter bluish-gray color.  Also, the deeper I went the more I felt as if something was beginning to spin uncontrollably around me.  It was like something was trying to pass through me all at once, as if it wanted to tear me apart.  The feeling scared me a little, but I couldn't stop, I had to make my wish.

 

            Suddenly the cave opened up into a huge circle room.  Everything shone a strange light blue, and strange symbols on the floor shone a bright pearl color.  This must be the shrine.  I had imagined something a bit fancier, something more like a royal, celestial room made with pretty crystals and pretty walls and floors like the ones at home, complete with pretty spirits floating around.  But this shrine was just glowing gray stones and nothing else.  This wasn't something that should matter right now though.  What mattered is that I made my wish and that I get back to the castle before Mama and Papa find out that I'm gone.

 

            My book quietly laid on the stone floor as I took out my prewritten speech on what I would say as my wish.  The paper felt light and insignificant in my hands as I walked to the center of the circular shrine.  The further I walked the more I felt that weird feeling of something passing through me and wanting to tear me apart.  But I did my best to ignore it, even though it was starting to scare me.  I had to make my wish.

 

            "Dear Wishing Shrine Spirits," I finally said with one last deep breath, "I wish to become a really good magician so I can learn new spells that can help people and learn how to use magic to be a really good prince." I was startled to see how loudly my voice projected throughout the entire room.  "I also wish to be a really good prince so that I can help my kingdom a lot and be a good king like my Papa.  Thank you."

 

            I took another breath and held down my paper.  The feeling of something passing through me was becoming worse and worse.  It was starting to feel something like a rush of some kind of energy that was purposely trying to tear me apart.  The feeling wasn't exactly pain though, it felt more like some weird nervousness and pressure, like something was pulling me at every spot in my body.  I could even start to hear the feeling somewhere in my ears, like as if it were some rushing wind.  The spirits better hurry, I'm getting scared and I don't want Mama and Papa to find out that I'm gone.

 

"You came without your parent's permission?"

"Without permission?"

"Their permission?" 

 

            The strange voices started me.  They sounded like some kind of mystic bells that were all around me.  The weird thing was though, that I couldn't see any bells anywhere.

 

"One shouldn't come without permission."

"They shouldn't."

"Without permission."

 

            My mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out.  The feeling of energy tearing me apart and rushing winds in my ears were becoming stronger.  Then, my heart leapt as the symbols in the shrine suddenly began to glow brightly. 

 

"Wishes can be dangerous."

"Dangerous."

"Dangerous."

 

            The voices were becoming louder.

            "But I have to!"  I finally managed to squeak out.

 

"Why keep it a secret?"

"A secret?"

"Why?"

 

            "My Mama..." I couldn't finish, it was like the energy around me was now starting to constrict me instead of pull on me. 

 

            I wanted to pull it away, but I had a strange feeling that it was moving too fast to grab.  So I stood there, frozen, with now a tornado's roar in my ears instead of rushing winds, and some weird energy I couldn't see tying me down.  Then, to make matters worse, I began to see balls of light coming from no where and fly around me.  I couldn't believe how Papa said that all spirits were nice. 

 

            "Mama," the feeling was over whelming, I could hear nothing but the roaring winds, I could barely think.  "I don't-" tears of fear began to well in my eyes, "I don't get it." I couldn't move, I'm hearing weird things, I'm not supposed to be here.  I'm scared, I want my Mama, I want my Papa.

 

"You should have come with you parents."

"It would have been safer."

"Much safer."

"Why keep it a secret?"

"A secret?"

"You didn't answer before."

 

            The spinning energy felt so close and constricting now that I could almost feel it against my skin.  It felt like a blowing wind...  But it made no sense, all I saw in the shrine were the balls of light flying around, nothing else was happening, and it made no sense.

 

            "Mama," I felt more tears fall, "Papa," my voice sounded so quiet against the roaring winds, "they don't want me to be a magician.  No one wants me to be a magician.  But everyone's a magician.  Mama and Papa are magicians.  Why can't I be a magician?  Why can't I make Mama happy?  Why can't I learn magic with Papa?  Why can't I be like everyone else?"

 

            My heart broke, I just wanted to make Mama and Papa happy with magic, and now I can't even move, I can't even talk, I can't even think.  I just want to be a good magician.  I want to be like everyone else.

 

"We cannot grant your wish."

 

            Shock struck me as if it were lightning.  The constricting energy suddenly burst back and the roaring winds turned into shrieking whistles.

 

            "NO!" My body suddenly felt incredibly heavy and weak. "I can't go back!  I have to be a good magician!! I can't go back until that happens!!"

 

"Yelling will not help."

"We cannot grant your wish."

 

            "Please!!  I'm begging you!" I fell to my knees partly from my body being too heavy and weak to hold up and partly in desperation, "I have to be a good magician!  I have to!!"

 

"No amount of power can make you a ‘good magician'."

"We cannot grant your wish."

 

            "PLEASE!!" My shock was beginning to be replaced with a sad desperation. My heart felt as if it were breaking apart, piece by piece.  I can't leave like this.

 

"One can only become a ‘good magician' by taking the time to learn."

"It will take hard work."

"It will take determination."

 

            "I will learn!"  My voice began to crack into sobs, "Please let me learn!  Please teach me!  I'M BEGGING YOU!!"

 

"We cannot teach."

"You must learn,"

"all on your own."

 

            "I will learn! Please let me learn!!"  I was screaming now.  Even though the energy wasn't constricting me, I still felt it spin around me at a dizzying pace, and the wind was now an even higher shriek.  I couldn't go home like this.

 

"We can do something,"

"but the price is very great."

"Very great."

 

            "I will pay it!  I'll do anything!" 

 

"Even if you lose everything?"

"If you lose your energy?"

"If you lose your spirit?

"If you lose your memories?"

"You won't even remember why you came here."

"Or the fact that you made a wish at all."

"You will forget all of your life."

"Your parents."

"Everything."

 

            "It doesn't matter!" I clenched my hands into fists with determination.  "I want to make my Mama and Papa PROUD!!"

 

"You will go though many hardships,"

"you will have to fight many things,"

"and you will not be able to die,"

"all without knowing why."

 

            "I'll do it!"  Despite the shrieking whistling winds, my body's sudden heaviness and weakness, despite being horribly scared because I had no idea what was going on, I wanted to make my wish come true.  I wanted to prove to the spirits that I was strong, that I could make Mama and Papa proud.  So I looked up into the flying glowing balls of light, my eyes seeing all, yet nothing, took a deep breath, and screamed with all the strength of my heart, "I'LL DO IT!!!"

 

            The symbols on the floor and the balls of light suddenly began to shine brilliantly.

 

"So be it."

"You energy will be more than enough,"

"to grant your wish."

"Good luck, young magician."

 

 

 

            Both a king and queen awoke suddenly to an explosion of intense light and the shrieking incantations of many spirits.

 

            "Where's Felix?!"  The queen demanded, flying out of bed.  It was of course her son that came first to mind when an explosion was involved.  She wondered if he had foolishly tried to enter in the royal shrine.

 

            "It's not within the castle or town grounds," the king observed as he slipped into a quick robe and got his staff.  "It looks to be more in the area of the Wishing Shrine."

 

            "What kind of idiotic wish can someone make to create that big of a reaction?!"  The queen was angry at this sudden incident.  She had to leave tomorrow to study abroad with her student.  She didn't have time to deal with something like this.

 

            When the two exited their room they were expectedly bombarded with frantic advisors, knights, servants, and other high ranking magicians that, none of which, knew what to do about the situation. 

 

            "Get the chanters!  I want that shrine under control immediately!" The queen barked.

 

            "Please send the knights to the town.  I want them to check the citizen's safety.  I will go to the royal shrine to check our energy's balance and make sure nothing became unstable."  The king's calming composure helped soothe the mood of the situation.

 

            "You!" a servant sharply stood at attention in response to the queen harsh bark, "have someone check on the prince to make sure his spirit didn't react to the explosion!"  She turned and began to walk hastily down the hall, "The last thing we want is his spirit to go out of control."

 

            But alas, no one would be able to find the prince, at least not until the queen took control of the Wishing Shrine.  Of course, even when the queen would find him, she would only find his empty body on the shrine's cold, stone floor.  It would be barely alive and without a spirit.  Then, when they would try to find his spirit, they would not succeed because his spirit was not in their kingdom, a neighboring kingdom, in any shrine, nor any land.  In fact, the prince's spirit did not even exist yet.  The Wishing Shrine spirits weren't able to make him into a "good magician", but what they were able to do was give him the time to become one.  They decided to use his energy to take him back to the earliest time possible, but in doing that his spirit and body would need to be recreated.  So now the prince lies in the past, with a new infant's body and a newly created spirit that was made from his essence.  He was now left to reach out and learn all that he can about his future's past and using magic.