Once upon a time,
as old stories go,
there lived a young prince,
on a mountain of Hope.
He ventured, one day,
to the valley of despair,
and found quite quickly,
nothing useful there.
On his way back home,
he spied a distant castle,
and being quite curious,
he asked a passing vassal,
"Good Sir, can you tell me please,
what lies in that place?"
The vassal replied, "It's a sleeping princess,
with a most handsome face."
"But if it is that face you wish to see,
first you must pass through a gauntlet of trials,
a true test of mind, will, and purity,
to reach those feminine wiles."
The Prince thought, "Why not?
For I have only this lonely mountain,
on which to climb back to."
And so his journey began,
Down the roads of man,
And through the forests of beasts.
He dreamed of this face,
which he'd never seen,
and he dreamed of this place,
to which he'd never been.
And then at last he reached,
a high garden wall,
on top of which rested,
the most intelligent creature of all.
"Dear Sphinx," he addressed her,
"What would you ask me?"
She regarded him with a slow smile,
"What would you have me ask thee?"
The Prince looked confused.
"A riddle, if you will, I suppose?"
She replied, "Is that what you truly wish?
For you are the only one who knows."
He said, "What I wish,
is to pass through that door,"
And she said, "Ah,
but I think you wish more."
"I seek the princess inside this castle,
for I was told of her beautiful face."
She inquired, "And you think that,
The true reason you've come to this place?"
The Prince thought for a long moment,
before he replied, "I am very alone,
and so I seek a soulmate,
with which to share my throne."
The Sphinx smiled, "And so you may pass,
for though they be great and small,
gleaning the true desire of man,
is the greatest riddle of all."
She bestowed upon him a golden key,
on which was inscribed this phrase,
"To you the gift of Phoenix fire,
to help you through this maze."
As he turned the key,
and passed through the door,
he looked down and saw,
a rainbow feather flutter to the floor.
Moving deeper into the maze,
he came upon a Minotaur.
The beast, it seemed, was asleep. . .
As he tread carefully,
trying to pass by,
the Minotaur awoke,
"Ah, you think you are sly!
No one gets past me boy,
Prepare to die!"
The Prince quickly ducked,
the Minotaur's blow,
and then the beast roared,
his rage it did grow,
this flurry of fury,
as the Prince dodged to and fro.
The great beast was strong,
and the young Prince was fast,
but it was clear to the Prince,
that this fight could not last.
At first he considered,
using the golden key,
but another kind of plan,
he did eventually see.
He ventured very close,
atop his foe's foot he stood,
and as the Minotaur swung,
his prey scrambled away,
and lived to fight another day,
as the beast went down for good.
Suddenly before him appeared,
a large fox with nine tails.
It laughed, "That was most excellent!
It is not often a challenger regales,
me with such an amusing event!"
"You outsmarted the brute,
with a devious plot,
you were wily and cunning,
unlike the rest of this lot."
He smirked as he nodded,
to a pile of shiny bones,
fashioned by the beast,
into grisly throne.
The Prince bowed to the fox,
a noble genuflect,
for he recognized the creature,
an Ancient worth of respect.
"Thank you wise Kitsune,
for your kind words of praise.
You are a true inspiration,
a bright spot in this dark maze."
He grinned. "So, you see me,
in my true nature,
you are even familiar,
with my old nomenclature."
The Kitsune regarded him then,
with serious contemplation,
"Perhaps this is fated,
and you are the true champion,
on which she has waited."
"And so,
I shall bestow,
upon you, true heart,
one of my nine tails,
a lifetime of knowledge,
as you depart."
So the Prince traveled on,
and as he came to a clearing,
he marveled as he watched,
a green meadow appearing.
There was, beside the meadow, a small pond.
He approached the clear waters,
and leaning over quite low,
he gazed into his reflection, then beyond. . .
Slow ripples formed around his face.
A pearlescent, twisting horn pierced the blue,
and as he backed away in awe,
an ivory mare broke through.
Moving with much care,
he sat down on the bank,
and watched as the Einhorn,
turned to the water and drank.
He breathed very slowly,
averting his eyes,
the creature ignored him,
but she sat down beside.
Finally after many moments had passed,
he gathered the courage to reach out at last.
She whinnied and bucked, but with a calm hand,
he gazed in her eyes, beginning to stand.
He thought she would run,
believing her scared,
but she returned his gaze,
and her soul she bared.
His eyes then grew wide,
at the sight of what lay,
beyond the blue surface,
of what words could convey.
"Your heart, it is pure,
and your intentions are true,
proceed to the castle,
the Princess awaits you."
He looked at the castle,
shining in the distance,
but the Einhorn detected,
in him some resistance.
"What is this hesitance,
in claiming your prize?
Isn't she what you came for?"
She asked in surprise.
He shook his head, smiling,
as he gazed at her again,
"You are my true soulmate,
it is your arms I wish to be in."
The Einhorn's eyes gleamed,
with two diamond tears,
her Prince standing before her,
for whom she'd waited all these years.
His eyes filled with wonder,
as she changed from mare to maiden.
Her back sprouted a pair of wings,
rainbow feather laden.
A fox tail twitched behind her,
his perfect mirror image.
Lovely hoarfrost hair framed,
a splendid female visage.
"It is true!" He exclaimed.
"The Princess is quite striking!
Yes I think this handsome face,
very much to my liking."
She smiled as he tipped her chin,
gently with his fingers,
and laid a chaste kiss upon her lips,
the kind that softly lingers.
So to his mountain of Hope,
he took her back home,
and they never again knew,
the pain of being alone.
Together they grew old,
sharing joy and laughter,
for it was, as these old tales are told,
that they lived happily ever after.
