Mira's Choice

Well, it's been a while.  I've lost my train of though for The Phantom Princess, so for now I will be posting some of my older stories.  Looking back on it, it's very similar to Greek mythology, with Persephone and Hades.  Here it is:

Mira's Choice

Chapter 1

It was a cold, chilly day in Jamaa.  Snow lay on the ground and the path was frozen with slippery ice.  The cold wind blew throughout the land, causing chilliness to all.  Zios looked out the palace window with a sad look on his face.  For however many powers he had, for a strange reason, he could not change this unlikely phenomenon from happening in Jamaa.

The Temple of Mira had been opened many years ago, and the statue still stood as beautiful as ever.  Since that legendary moment, animals had come to pray to Mira for guidance.  And Mira helped them, one after another. 

Now these cold days happened week after week, with no chance of warmth.  But one day, Zios received a strange letter.  It read,

King Zios,

It is I, the phantom king, out for revenge.  It is my doing that your animals freeze to death every day, that spring is impossible for your world.  I give you the opportunity of giving your animals back their daily lives again in exchange for your queen, the Sky Mother Mira.  You have until the week of the Phantomalidays (or I suppose the “Jamaalidays”) to make your decision,

Yours Sincere Evilness,

The Phantom King

Zios stared at the letter in disbelief.  Of course he wouldn’t give up his love.  Then he thought of his poor hungry animals and sighed.  He went to Mira to ask her advice.

“Mira, my love,” Zios said.  “We have received a letter from the phantom king.”  Mira sighed.  “What impossible task does he want now?” 

Zios sighed.  “I think you’d better read it for yourself.”  He handed her the letter.

 As Mira read the letter, her eyes widened in shock.   When she finished, she folded the letter up and closed her eyes.  When she opened them, a fire of love burned deep and strong in them.  “I must do as he requests.”

“But-“

“Our animals are freezing to death out there!  They starve, and how do you think they would feel if they knew their queen could save them and would not?”

“Mira, it’s not like that.  I’m sure we can find some other way-“

“I’m leaving!”  Mira marched out of the throne room and went to her bedroom.  Quickly Zios ran after her.  He found her in her room, packing all her belongings into her bag.  “Mira, our animals depend on you.  How do you think they’d feel if they knew their queen deserted them to go to the Phantom King?”

Mira looked up and glared up at him.  “It’s not like that-“

“But it is.”  Mira looked down again, and Zios sat down next to her.  “I’m sure we can find a way to do this.  Together.” 

Mira looked up, tears in her eyes.  “You really think so?”  

Zios smiled, relieved.  “I do.   Now why don’t you go to bed?  We have a lot of work tomorrow, getting ready for the Jamaalidays.”  He stepped outside the room, closing the door quietly.

Mira sat silently in thought.  Then finally making up her mind, she stashed her last few belongings in the bag, tucked it under her feather bed, and sat down, waiting for midnight.

Chapter 2

When at last the tower struck midnight, Mira cautiously stood up.  She took her bag from under the bed and set it on her nightstand.  She walked over to her elegant wooden closet and found an old cloak, black as night, and wrapped it around her.  She pulled the hood over her head so her face was in shadow, not visible to others.  Then she looked over at a picture on her nightstand and stroked it with her talon.  “Oh Zios,” she murmured, tearing up.  “How I shall miss you.  You were and still are a great king of Jamaa.  I don’t believe I will ever see you again.”

 Then with a great cry from her beak and a flash of wings, Mira snatched up her bag and flew out her window into the open night sky, cherishing her last sight of Jamaa.  She flew past the oceans until she saw another land, this one dark and dreary, with a tall black gate rising in front of a black marble palace.  Zooming towards the earth, she landed silently on a black stone path, where silhouetted in the night sky, the Phantom Castle lay on top of a steep hill. She slowly and carefully crept up the path. 

When Mira reached the top, a tall black gate with pointed tips towered over her.  In front, two phantoms stood guard.  Taking a deep breath, she summoned her courage and walked towards them.  Pulling down her hood, she pronounced,” I am Mira, Queen of Jamaa, and I have come to fulfill the Phantom King’s wishes in hopes that he brings my animals peace.”

The phantoms looked at one another and, nodding and as if they’d practiced, grabbed Mira with their arms, stinging her badly, and dragged her inside the castle. 

When they were inside, they seemed to be in some kind of throne room.  The room was built of black marble with portraits of phantom kings hanging on the walls.  A platform was raised above the ground with a black throne on top.  And who else would be sitting there but the Phantom King himself.

The Phantom King gave a great laugh.  “Ah, Mira,” he boomed.  “I wasn’t expecting you to fall for my trick.”

Mira, shaking, stepped forward. “I have come,” she replied.  “Now give my animals their warmth.”

“Not in the slightest chance,” rumbled the King.  “Guards!  You know what to do!”

The guards looked at one another and nodded, then one grabbed Mira and held her tight and the other grabbed an ancient scepter from behind the throne.  Handing it to the Phantom King, he also held Mira in place. 

The Phantom King raised the scepter and pointed it straight at Mira, with the glowing ruby on the end twinkling cruelly.  Waving it around, harsh red light burst from it and went straight towards her.  Momentarily stunning her, she fell to the ground.  The light twisted around her and she felt herself getting weaker and weaker.  Finally, the light stopped and she collapsed, all her powers gone.  The Phantom King opened a golden jeweled box and pointed the scepter once again. This time, a soft bluish light came from it and in it Mira could see all her lost powers reflected.  Then the Phantom King closed the box and locked it, her powers prisoner inside.

“Take her away.”  The Phantom King dismissed Mira and the guards dragged her out of the room.  They pulled her down flights of stairs until they reached the dungeon.  It was dusty and colder than Jamaa.  The phantoms opened the door and pushed her inside.  The door closed, and she could hear the door click as they locked it with the key.  She sat down in the cold darkness, thinking of the life she’d left behind. 

“Oh Zios, what have I done?”

Chapter 3

Zios awoke to slanted sunlight pouring into his room.  He smiled.  He had been so relieved when he stopped Mira’s crazy idea.  And now he could look forward to a day of Jamaaliday preparations with his queen. 

All of a sudden, Zios heard a knock on his door.  “Come in,” he said gruffly.  One of Mira’s maids walked in.  She curtsied and then stood, looking nervous.  “Y-y-you’re majesty, Mira isn’t in her room,” she stammered.

“What?!”shouted Zios.

The maid trembled.  “I went to wake her and she was gone!  H-h-her bed was cold. It felt like she hadn’t slept there all night!”

Zios leaped to his feet.  “Well don’t just stand there!  Get search parties!”

“Y-yes, your majesty,” stuttered the maid, and she turned around and fled from the room.

Zios sighed, wondering where Mira could be.  Then it hit him.  But she wouldn’t have… Or would she?

Zios raced out of his bedroom, running down the hall to his queen’s room.  Inside, all was quiet and the room was empty.  He looked around.  Without Mira’s face to lighten up the room, it seemed dull.  As his eyes passed the nightstand, he again saw the letter that started it all.  He walked over and picked it up.  Now there was a stamp in the upper right corner, as if the task had been fulfilled.

 Zios walked over to the window and saw a long feather resting on the windowsill.  Picking it up, it changed into a letter in his hand.  He opened it up and read,

My Dear king Zios,

I don’t think I am mistaken when I say that we will never see each other again.  But please know that I love you with all my heart.  I did this for you, for our animals, in hopes that they will see spring again.  So please think of me in love and joy, and a queen who cared about her people.  Please think of me kindly, in spite of what I have done.

Your love and former queen,

Mira

Zios stared at the letter.  It seemed he had been right.  Tears welled up in his eyes.  How could Mira do this to him?  As he re-read the letter over and over again, sparkling tears trickled down his face beneath is mask.  Now all he could do was hope, that wherever his queen was, she was safe.

Chapter 4

Mira had been on her prison for one night, and in the morning she awoke to a phantom shaking her harshly.  “The phantom king wishes to see you.” 

Mira stood up and followed him reluctantly into the throne room.  “Ah, yes, there you are.  And how might you be doing today?” The phantom king’s voice was sarcastically sweet.

Mira glared at him.  “Get to the point!”

“Touchy now, are we?”  The phantom king laughed.  “Well anyways, here goes.  I know you thought I was going to take away the winter right away but I, uh, may have forgotten a few lines.”  He paused thoughtfully.  “Perhaps a few errands?”

“Stop wasting your fancy words on me,” grumbled Mira.

“Fine, if you will be like that!” yelled the Phantom King.  “Today, you shall set the trap in Jamaa Township that shall capture animals.”

Before Mira could open her mouth, the phantom king pointed his scepter at her and a gag covered it up.  “Do it now or Jamaa has no chance of spring again,” he growled menacingly.

Mira knew she had no choice.  She took the trap in her talons and flew out of the castle.

“And remember, my guards are watching you!”  The dying voice of the phantom king faded away.

Finally getting to Jamaa Township, Mira waited until no animals were looking and then swooped down, setting the trap in the center of the Township.  It changed color to blend in to its surroundings.  Mira flew back into the sky before she was spotted.  As she soared over the Township, she heard shrieks of pain and shock but couldn’t bring herself to look.  Feeling terribly guilty, she flew back to the Phantom King.

Over the next couple days, the phantom king had Mira run many “errands” such as stealing things from the castle and basically causing complete chaos.  Every time she had no choice, for the phantom king would make her.  Somehow, she had gone so far from the Mira her animals knew and loved.  And one thought rang through her head, day after day.  What’s happening to me?

Chapter 5

Mira looked around her prison.  Shadows loomed around every corner.  All of a sudden, a voice called out.  “Who’s there?”  Mira turned around slowly. “Who is it?”  The voice called out again.  Mira saw a small shadow trembling in the corner of the room.  “It’s okay,” she whispered.  “It’s Mira, your queen.” 

Slowly and hesitantly, a small rabbit, pure white as snow, stepped out of the shadows, her eyes a deep blue.  She gasped when she saw Mira, and then raced away.

“Don’t go,” Mira called, stretching out her wing towards the direction where the rabbit had gone.  Then she let it fall down to her body again.  It was hopeless.

All of a sudden the room blazed with light.  For a moment all Mira could see was fire, and then she could pick out the shapes of animals surrounding her, holding torches for light.  It gave Mira the sense of great power, even greater than her lost ones.  But strangely, she felt no fear, but the feeling of warmth and protection as she met the gazes of the animals around her.  “Who are you?” She asked this question with no dread.

Slowly, the fire died down and Mira could make out the shape of one animal of each kind in Jamaa.  A tiger stepped forward, his eyes glowing like rubies.  “We are the Sky Mother and Fathers before you and your king,” he rumbled.  “We, like you, have been tricked by the phantom king into getting our powers.  We, like you, feel lost.  But now that you have come, the darkest corners of the world hold the faintest flicker of light.”

A pretty fox took his place.  “The phantom king aims to become the most powerful being in Jamaa.  So far, he has succeeded, tricking all of the past kings and queens of Jamaa into giving him their powers.  We have failed the animals.”  The fox shook her head sadly. 

A snow leopard walked up to her and touched her shoulder with her tail.  “But now there is hope, now you have come.  You are special, one of a kind, and our only hope of destroying the Phantom King.  If he is to capture your husband, Zios, he shall take over Jamaa.  We need to stop him!  I’m Calia, this”-she nodded towards the fox- “is Emali, and the tiger is Granel.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Calia, Emali, and Granel.”  Mira nodded to each one in turn.  “Shall we go now?”

The others glanced at each other, and then nodded.  “There’s no time to lose,” Calia explained. 

“Alright,” Mira said.  “Let’s go.”  Mira silently walked towards the prison door.  She held out her talon and poked around in the lock, hearing a satisfying click before the door creaked open.  Beckoning to the others with her talon, she crept up the stairs. 

When they reached the top of the stairs, they were in the empty throne room.  The others raced past Mira, eager to leave.  Mira hesitated for a second, and then grabbed the jeweled box next to the throne.  Thrusting it open, she watched with delight as the bluish light floating around her, swirling around until she felt strong again.  Then more rainbow-colored light swirled out of the box, surrounding the others in a rainbow mist, and when it cleared, they looked more awesome than ever. 

 “Our powers!” exclaimed Emali, now a stunningly beautiful fox glowing with radiance.  “They’ve come back!” 

As if at a silent command, they all started running towards the exit, running faster and faster until they were faster than a cheetah, with Mira soaring over them.  Just as they burst out of the gates, the Phantom King appeared in the throne room.  “No!  Get them!”

When the animals got to Jamaa, they flew down to the palace.  They raced through the halls until they came to the throne room.  Mira burst in first with the other animals following. 

Zios looked up in surprise.  “Mira!”

Mira dipped her head.  “I’ve come back.” Speaking before Zios could get a word in, she went on.  “There’s no time to talk now.  The Phantoms are coming!”

Chapter 6

No sooner had the words left her mouth than an evil laugh filled the room.  “You’re too late, you stupid bird.”

Mira turned around and there, in the entrance, was the Phantom King himself.  “All the animals I need to fulfill my plan, right in the same room.  Perfect.”

Mira stepped forward.  “No.  I won’t let you harm my animals again.”

The Phantom King smiled slyly.  “And how exactly do you think you can stop me?”

Mira looked at Zios, who nodded sadly.  Mira turned back.  “By negotiating.”  She went on, taking a deep breath.  “Every time the ground freezes and snow falls to the ground, I will go to your kingdom, and there I will stay.”  She stepped forward.  “But when the weather is fine, and the cold is gone, I return to my land, to provide guidance and wisdom.  However, at no time whatsoever are you permitted to our land.” She paused.  “Which you are trespassing on right now,” she pointed out.  “So I have permission to drive you out.”

She flapped her wings and magical wind blew through the windows and swept around the Phantom King.  When they stopped swirling, he had gone.

Chapter 7

Mira turned to Zios.  “I’m so sorry.   It was I who set the traps, I who stole.  Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”

“Of course I can,” replied Zios. 

Mira turned to her friends, the Sky Mothers and Fathers.  “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” they whispered.  The wind once more swept through the window and the Sky Rulers started becoming fainter.   “May we meet again some other day…”  And then they were gone. 

“Well.”  Zios was the first to break the silence.  “I think we have Jamaaliday celebrations to attend to!”

So Mira came and went for many years.  Eventually, her temple crumbled, but her statue remains.  When there is coldness in the air, we know Mira has left us, and her statue freezes over with despair.  When spring returns, her statues comes alive again, and glory fills the air.