Just as you are

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The days and weeks went by. The red-crested robin got on with her life, looking after the smaller birds, and doing things a robin likes to do. Every few days she would curiously flit around in front of the mystical mirror hanging in the tree below her nest. 

To remind herself of what mattered to her the most, she had written three words on the glass.

"I love you"

But whenever she searched for her reflection, only the forest and sky and earth appeared before her.

After one particularly long flight over Europe, the dragon decided to check in on his little friend. He found her staring into the mirror. "Would you like to come flying somewhere with me?"
She gave a start again. "Who…? Oh, dragon, it's you. Flying where?"
He had absolutely no idea, but flying with a friend was always nicer. "Anywhere we like. Time and space are illusions, but friendship is not."
The little bird now had a little beaky smile on her face. "Good idea. There's not much to see here in my mirror."

So the two friends zoomed high over the city near to the forest where the red-crested robin lived. They saw beautiful buildings next to rivers, and people getting on with their lives. 

They lit on a railing beside one of the city squares, and the tiny robin noticed immediately something strange. She whispered to her enormous invisible friend. "Dragon, look! I think your father the magician has been giving out mystical mirrors to almost everyone in the city!"
The young dragon looked at the people, many of whom were staring intently at mirror-sized flat objects in their hands. "He didn't tell me anything…" 
Then in mid-sentence he had a moment of realization. "They're looking at their smartphones. That's all."
She was not very familiar with technology. "They all seem very intent on what they are looking at. Are they also soul-searching?"
An invisible grin appeared on the dragon's reptilian lips. "My father says people stare at their phones to avoid thinking about the questions in their souls..."
The two friends soon headed back to the forest.

As they arrived at the tree where the red-crested robin made her nest, they both hovered in front of the mystical mirror. "Dragon, will I ever see my reflection?"
He peered into the mirror. "I can't see my reflection, ever. But it never bothers me. I like being invisible."
She gave a tiny sob, as an unthinkable thought touched her soul. "I'm sorry, dragon. It's just…"
Dragons don't cry, so the invisible dragon didn't really know what tears feel like. Without thinking, he spoke words that came from somewhere beyond him. "Stay just as you are."

The words had come from a very special place, and contained a very special magic. The little robin watched as a dark cloud formed around her. "Dragon, can you see that?"
He nodded an invisible nod. "Yes, and I can hear something too."
They both heard it. The dark cloud was filled with voices, all talking over each other like the carer birds in their weekly meetings. The little red-crested robin closed her eyes, and recognized words she had heard so often before.

You should listen to me…

If you keep doing that, it will never work…

You just have to change…

The voices churned and grew louder. The little red-crested robin closed her eyes, and tried to shut them out. She repeated the words her invisible friend had just said to her. 

Stay just as you are.

Over the noise of the voices, the young dragon had trouble hearing her. Although he was hovering next to her, he had to call out loudly. "What did you say, precious little robin?"

With her eyes still closed, she took a deep breath, and called back.
"I will stay…"

In that moment, without warning, the cacophony of voices stopped. 

Her voice rang out over the once again peaceful forest. 
"…just as I am"

The young dragon looked around, trying to understand where the voices had come from, and why they had suddenly disappeared. "What happened?"

He heard the soft voice of his friend. "I don't really know. But look!"

They both stared into the mirror. The dragon could not see himself. But he could see the forest reflected in the glass. And he could see the sky. And he could see the earth.

And he could see a pretty little red-crested robin, smiling a beaky little smile.

The red-crested robin is alive and well and living in Austria

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