Doors

They sat in front of the Grand Canyon, both quietly lost in their own thoughts.  The sun seemed to be taking its time to set or, perhaps, the silence was getting too loud for him.
"This is it, isn't it?", he asked, still looking at the canyon.  She leaned on his shoulder, in response, and held on to his arm as she closed her eyes.
"Is there someone?", he asked.
"There is a dream of someone," she said quietly, quoting Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail. Then she straightened up, gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up.  He caught her hand and she responded with a tight squeeze as she walked away.
She walked towards the tree, her face streaked with tears as she reached for the door and walked resolutely through.

"I was hoping you would not come back from that one," Marina sighed as Aurora buried herself in her waiting arms. "Speak to me, child," she whispered.
"I understand it, Marina.  The Oracle is teaching me how to ask properly ... to know what exactly it is I want and tell him so. When I entered into this test and he asked me what I wanted, I thought I had answered correctly, 'You alone know what is best, Ancient One'."
Marina stroked the young initiate's hair as she sobbed.
"But I'm tired ...," she said, lifting her head to look back at all the doors behind her, "I'm tired."
"Perhaps," Marina began, gently turning Aurora to look at her, "the Ancient One does not want you to know what you want and tell him.  Is that not foolish, when he knows already?"
The young initiate looked down at her feet and shrugged.  Marina took both the girl's hands in hers and said, "Be still, Aurora. Ponder upon it and let your heart speak."
Aurora sobbed for a moment more and then was quiet.  She calmed her breathing as she looked into Marina's warm hazel eyes.  She had found out long ago, that looking at her mentor's eyes is an effective anchor for her.  Somehow, it calmed her spirit.
And then it dawned on her.
Marina smiled as she saw the girl's eyes light up, and waited.
"Of course! He wants me to understand what I need vs. what I want ... so that, when I am face-to-face with the gift, I will recognize it and treasure it." She looked up and down the corridor at all the closed doors and groaned.
Marina laughed and clapped her hands, "That's right!"
"How can you find this so amusing?  As it becomes clearer to me, I will have to go through, not just the unopened doors, but also the doors I've gone into before --- ", the girl said exasperatedly, adding with a whimper, "because I could have missed the gift the first time."  She shook her head, looking about in panic.
With a smile, the older woman gently touched the initiate's cheek to guide her gaze towards her. "This is not a time-bound test, Aurora. You forget that the Oracle has command of Time. He bends and stretches it, as needed."
"Right," the girl replied and then marched away toward her chamber.
"Where are you going?", Marina asked.
"To find out what I need.  And I'm getting it straight from the Source!", the girl yelled back as the star-riddled door closed behind her.

"Such a stubborn and impatient one," the voice said, "but she will be ready once she comes out of her chamber."
"She is mine," Marina said without looking.
"That, she is." A slight smile.
"Shall I release the doors?"
"Yes," the Oracle said, "It is time."