- >*bbbbbrrrrrriiiiinnnnnngggg*
- >Off goes the lunch bell.
- >All the colts and fillies get up from their seats.
- >They grab their lunches from the cubbies, and rush outside.
- >The picnic tables fill up quickly.
- >At this point, Cadenza would happily trot over to you.
- >'Anon, come sit with me!' She would say.
- >That is of course, if you attended school today.
- >But you didn't, so you'd have to imagine this is what's going on.
- >Walking through the royal gardens is much more peaceful.
- >You grip your apple and take a large bite.
- >Always delicious.
- >You have plenty more, too, so you feel free to enjoy them.
- >You had to bring enough for two, again.
- >Not one to go back on promises, it's time to make good on what you said to Chrissy.
- "I'll see you tomorrow, and every day after that..."
- >You softly recollect.
- >Maybe she'll ease up after the first 10-20 days.
- >The entrance of the Labyrinth appears in front of you once again.
- >You may as well install a ramp leading here from your bedroom.
- >As you have before, and are sure to do many more times, you enter.
- >Left, right, right, left, straight, left...
- >Like clockwork.
- >The visage of the Princesses comes into view, in it's stone glory.
- >As does the stone bench you love so much.
- >Well, most of it.
- >This time it happens to feature a small black ball with green mane.
- >Upon closer inspection, it's Chrissy, fast asleep.
- >Not the most comfortable place to sleep, you'd imagine.
- >Well, it's not like you haven't slept there before.
- >Who're you to judge?
- >Careful not to wake her, you take a seat on the other end of the slab.
- >Pulling another apple out of your pocket, you take a bite.
- >The crunch was a bit louder than you expected.
- >Evident by the stirring changeling to your right.
- >"Mmnnhh..."
- >It lives.
- >She rolls onto her back and stretches out her holey hooves.
- >"Not yet...5 more minutes..."
- >Heh.
- "Alright then, more apples for me."
- >That wakes her up.
- >She shoots upright, happily standing on the slab.
- >"Anon!"
- >If she was a dog, you could swear she'd be wagging her tail.
- >She almost is.
- >"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!?"
- >Stamping her hoof on the bench, you turn to her unamused.
- "I'm here pretty early, you know. Usually you have to wait until school lets out."
- >"Oh, scho~ol, I'm sure."
- >She giggles lightly.
- >"Anything for me?"
- >Rolling your eyes, you grab her prize.
- >The shiniest, reddest, most delicious apple of the bunch.
- >At least that's what she thinks.
- >She sits down and opens her mouth.
- >"Ahhhhn~"
- >Really?
- >You bring your near trademark deadpan stare.
- >After a few seconds, she notices the distinct lack of apple in front of her.
- >"Come on, gimme!"
- "Get it yourself."
- >You hold the apple up, and she outright refuses.
- >"No!"
- "Then you don't get an apple."
- >"Nnnnnn...."
- >She makes this noise that's a cross between a whiny pout and dying of hunger.
- >She's really gonna make you do this?
- >With a sigh, you hold the apple in front of her face.
- >*CHOMP*
- >And just like that, it's gone.
- >Now she's happily munching away.
- >"Delicious!"
- >Mouth still full, a piece of apple flies onto your cheek.
- >Ew.
- >You wipe it off and flick it away, taking a bite of your own apple.
- >The sun's high in the sky, a beautiful day, as usual.
- >It almost never rains in Cantorlot.
- >Like Celestia would ever want such blemishes on her city.
- >That sucks, though.
- >You like rain.
- >Chrissy swallows her morsel of deliciousness.
- >"You know, you should show up sooner next time."
- >Well now.
- "Excuse me?"
- >"You heard me! You promised to see me!"
- "I never said WHEN, I just said tomorrow."
- >"And every day after that!"
- >She ain't letting this go.
- "Yeah yeah, but I didn't say it'd be early."
- >"I wish I knew that before..."
- >She WAS sleeping just a second ago.
- >She might have been waiting here a while.
- >A long while.
- >Now you just feel like a jerk.
- "Well, I'm sorry."
- >"...accepted."
- >She turns her head towards you once more.
- >"Ahhhhn~"
- >Ugh.
- >A few apples later, and you're all out.
- >"Ahhhhn~"
- "Sorry, Chrissy, ya ate 'em all."
- >"WHAT?!?"
- >The disbelief in her voice makes it seem she thought the apples were eternal.
- >"But I'm still hungry..."
- "How can you still be hungry? You ate like 4 apples! Is there a hole in your..."
- >...
- >"..."
- "...pffffttHAHAHAHAHA~"
- >The first good laugh you've had in a long while.
- >And at her expense!
- >It's a good day.
- >The red rising on her cheeks doesn't seems to agree.
- >With a holed hoof, you're shoved off the bench.
- >"JERK!"
- >You even drop your apple on the ground.
- >However, you're still in a fit of laughter, so you could care less.
- >Once the giggles subside, you sit up.
- >"Well now we need more apple, don't we?"
- >Guess so.
- >"Go get some!"
- >Pretty demanding.
- "Why do I have to do it?"
- >"No one can see me, stupid."
- >Oh, right.
- >"Not to mention..."
- >Queue the most heart wrenching puppy eyes you've ever seen.
- >"You hurt my feelings..."
- >...girls are dumb.
- "Whatever."
- >Unfazed by the look, you brush yourself off and start walking towards the exit.
- >"Hey, you'll be back right?"
- >Worried, eh?
- >You turn back.
- >"I promise."
- >Satisfied with your answer, she lays down on the bench.
- >And off you go.
- >Right, straight, right, left, right, right, left...
- >Like clockwork.
- >As the gardens reappear, you casually stroll towards the-
- >*whomp*
- >And now you're flat on your back.
- >"Found you!"
- >Blaring pink p0ny with purple eyes pressed on your chest.
- "Cadenza."
- >She smiles.
- >"Didn't see you at school today."
- >Poison in those words.
- "You must have missed me."
- >You go to push her off, but she simply presses down harder.
- >"No, I didn't. YOU skipped!"
- >Guilty as charged.
- "So what?"
- >"Soooo, Aunt Cel's not going to be happy when she hears this!"
- >Stupid watch dog.
- "You're gonna rat me out?"
- >The devilish grin appears in a flash.
- >"Not if you listen!"
- >Oh boy.
- >"If you don't want your mommy finding out about this..."
- >She's not your mom.
- >"...then you'll do what I say."
- >You don't have time for this.
- "Fine, just get off me."
- >She obliges, moving as you stand up.
- >At the first moment of freedom, you start walking away.
- >"HEY!"
- >She runs after you, stopping in front of you.
- >"Stop right now or I'm gonna tell!"
- "You wouldn't."
- >Calling the watch dog on her bluff.
- >The next moment, you see she wasn't bluffing.
- >A deep breath is followed by an ear piercing shout.
- >"AUNTIE CELE-"
- >You stop her with your hand halfway.
- "Okay, okay, okay, just stop!"
- >You pull your hand away, and she smirks in victory.
- >"Come on, follow me!"
- >She trots away from the gardens.
- >You have no choice but to follow, and you feel like you won't be back for a while.
- >Sorry, Chrissy...
- >He's been gone for a long time now.
- >A really long time.
- >You're still hungry...those apples weren't enough.
- >But more importantly, you're bored!
- >He's supposed to be back by now.
- >With apples!
- >And entertainment!
- >...but more importantly...
- >...you're lonely.
- >Cheer up!
- >He'll be back soon, he promised!
- >He doesn't break promises.
- >Look around...still...not here.
- >The sun's almost down...
- >Where could he be?
- >You really hate tea.
- >You really hate parties.
- >Whoever invented tea parties needs to be kicked in the rear.
- >"Alright, Anon, would you like more tea?"
- >You groan audibly.
- >This is torture.
- "Yes..."
- >As Cadenza holds up the kettle full of imaginary tea, your gaze shifts to the window.
- >The sun is going down.
- >THE SUN!!!
- >You quickly stand up, knocking the kettle out of her hand.
- >"HEY, wha-"
- "The sun's going down, I gotta go!"
- >With that, you rush out of Cadenza's room, and out of her house.
- >The streets of Cantorlot are nearly empty as the night approaches.
- >This makes it easier to bolt to your destination.
- >Snagging a red treat from a nearby shopping cart, you drop a few bits on the ground in it's place.
- >You aren't one to steal.
- >A few minutes later, you arrive at the entrance of the infamous Labyrinth.
- >Left, right, right, left, straight, left...
- >You almost feel like plowing right through to the center.
- >As you arrive, the stone statue glistens in the dark, radiating the moon's light.
- >That light, however, reveals an empty stone bench.
- >She's gone.
- >You slump, the ache and exhaustion from your run catching up to you.
- >One final look around reveals...
- >...that you really are alone.
- >Taking the tasty fruit from your jacket, you solemnly take a bite.
- >Stupid Chrissy.
- >You said you'd be back...
- >...you just didn't say WHEN...
- >Meanwhile...
- >Chrysalis returns to her family's cave.
- >At the time, she felt...odd.
- >Not hungry, for sure...she had enough apples.
- >She felt...like something was missing.
- >She makes her way to the thrones, where her mother and father sat.
- >Her mother more excited than usual.
- >"Chrysalis, my dear daughter!"
- >Her mother steps out of her throne and bends down to give her daughter a hug.
- >However, the fervor of her welcome quickly dissipates.
- >"...Nothing."
- >She gets up, collecting herself, and returns to the throne.
- >"What a shame...I feel so empty..."
- >That was it.
- >Chrissy now knew how to describe her feelings...
- >Empty.
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Just Like You - Chapter 2
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