Silver put her hands over her eyes and cried. Gone were her
dear friends, who she'd tried so hard to learn to like, and from whom
she had learned so much. Never again would she fly with the Air, or
swim with Water, or burn with Fire, or roam over the Earth. She cried
and cried till she could not cry any more, her tears splashing into
the still pool. Then, she looked down into the pool, still rippling
from her tears, and looked at her reflection. As the reflection slowly
became clearer, she realized that there had been one person who had
been with her all through all her adventures, and this person was
still with her now. This person was herself, and this person would
always be with her, even when she had been forsaken by Air, Water,
Fire and Earth.

        So as she lay by the side of the pond and stared at her
reflection, Silver decided to make friends with herself.

        She said to her reflection, "Please, come talk with me. I want
to be your friend. " She didn't yell, or shout, because she didn't
need to shout in order to hear herself.

        And her reflection replied, in a voice just like her own, "
Why do you want to be friends with me, little Silver?"

        "Because I am lonely, and in need of a friend. And I thoguht
that you would be the one friend who would be with me always, and
would never leave me alone. " replied Silver, with a little smile.

        "And why should I be friends with you, Silver? " asked her
reflection, smiling as well.

        "Well, I thought you might be lonely as well. " replied
Silver, now smiling broadly. " You spend all your time running here
and there trying to make friends with the world, and have never taken
the time to make friends with yourself. "

        Her reflection thought about this for a while, rippling
quietly. Silver used this time to wipe away the rest of her tears, and
rubs her eyes, which had gotten quite red during all that crying.

        Finally, her reflection smiled broadly as well, and said in
the voice just like her own "Yes, I have been feeling lonely, and I do
need a friend. Let us be freinds. Silver. "

        So Silver made friends with herself. It was hard at first, for
she was so used to looking outside of herself for the friendship she
needed. And it seemed like every time tried to befriend herself, she
only grew impatient with her flaws and problems, and wanted no more to
do with herself. But eventually, she grew to know herself very well,
and like herself very much.

        And Silver was happy, for she knew that she would never be
alone again.                                                          

 END