- >"Where is he?"
- >"Did you see which way he went?"
- >"He's over there, get him!"
- >Wanted by the royal guard, as usual.
- >You notice the while stallions clad in gold armor approaching behind you.
- >You didn't feel like getting caught today.
- >Dashing into the fields behind the castle, your legs carry you faster than you thought they could go.
- >But you couldn't run forever.
- >To your left, salvation.
- >You run through a large gate of bush and shrubbery, and enter the Labyrinth.
- >"He went into the Labyrinth again!"
- >"He always escapes into that wretched place."
- >One of the guards sighs.
- >"You two wait outside for him to leave."
- >After instructing his fellow guards, he runs into the Labyrinth after you.
- >But he won't find you.
- >He never does.
- >Being a child at the royal palace is a pain, sometimes.
- >You're well aware your upbringing is more lucrative, priveliged, and probably envied by most p0nies.
- >You're not a fan, however.
- >Being 11 now, you were only 7 when taken in by the Princesses.
- >You have no clue how you managed to end up in this place, but after a year, crying for your mommy stopped being useful.
- >Now you just like to spend your time alone.
- >The Princesses liked to keep you close, being an 'endangered species', whatever that means.
- >Them setting up playdates with their students and relatives.
- >You always felt so out of place, though.
- >You used to constantly wonder why they never brought other humans.
- >Then they told you why.
- >The want to be alone only increased.
- >They royal guard always tried keeping an eye on you.
- >It gets old, fast.
- >So you begin your daily routine, escaping the guards line of sight, dashing to the Labyrinth.
- >The other p0nies hate this structure, but you love it.
- >You've memorized it's twists and turns, as you come here every time you want to be alone.
- >Which is quite often.
- >However, you wouldn't get to be alone today.
- >But you don't know that yet.
- >As you make your way into the Labyrinth, you recount the twists and turns necessary to reach your favorite point.
- >Left, right, right, left, straight, left...
- >It was clockwork by this point.
- >One last turn, and your destination was reached.
- >The center of the Labyrinth, occupied by a brilliant stone statue of the Princesses.
- >Well, others thought it was brilliant.
- >You liked it because of the stone bench where you could relax.
- >You take your seat, staring at the statue.
- >Luna and Celestia.
- >They wanted you to call them your 'Mom's.
- >You know who your mom is.
- >She's not them.
- >You still miss her...
- >But you quickly toss that fleeting emotion aside.
- >You know there's no way to send you back.
- >You asked every day for the first year of your life here.
- >Surely they would have tried to get rid of you by that point.
- >And since you're still here, they failed.
- >You reach into your jacket pocket and pull out a shiny apple.
- >Taking a bite, you relax on the stone bench.
- >No matter where you are, apples taste awesome.
- >You lie back on the stone slab, hand behind your head.
- >Eyes closed, you relax.
- >Another day of solitude.
- >*crunch*
- >Another bite of your apple is gone.
- >However this time, it wasn't you biting it.
- >You peek open your eyes to see a pair of dark green ones staring down at you.
- >"Hi!"
- >Unperturbed, you sit up.
- >So much for being alone.
- >The pair of green eyes takes a seat next to you on the bench.
- >Well, as much of 'taking a seat' is when lying down on the bench aside you.
- >"I'm still hungry..."
- >It whines.
- >She's always like this.
- >Reaching into your jacket pocket, you bring out a second apple.
- >You learned to bring extras after she kept eating yours.
- >You playfully stick it on her horn.
- >"..."
- "..."
- >"...meanie."
- >She conjures some green magic, her horn disappearing momentarily, the apple falling into her hooves.
- >The horn reappears, and she happily starts eating.
- >This apple-eating nuisance is no other than a changeling, Chrysalis.
- >Well, THE changeling, to you.
- >She tells you there are others, but they are disguised at other p0nies.
- >That makes you truly paranoid.
- >Well, it would, if the changeling in front of you could actually change into other p0nies.
- >She doesn't seem to be good at changing yet.
- >This one, at least, happens to be your friend.
- >She's been your friend for a few years now.
- >One of your only friends at that.
- >Well, there's Cadenza and Shining...
- >But they're just there because the Princess tells them to be.
- >Makes you feel REALLY wanted.
- >Back to the black thing full of holes.
- >"Running from the guards again, are we?"
- >You nod.
- >She knows you come here when being chased.
- >Off in the distance, a cry is heard.
- >"Anon! Come out wherever you are..."
- >The guard is still looking for you.
- >Chrissy laughs.
- >"Allow me."
- >A flash of green overtakes her throat for a second.
- >She then yells in the direction of the guard.
- >"I found the boy!"
- >She sounds remarkably like a fully grown male guard.
- >Impressions were always her strong point.
- >"Y...you have?"
- >"Yes! I'll be bringing him to the castle immediately."
- >She jabs a holed hoof into your side.
- >Oh, right, this is a two man act.
- "Yeah, I'm coming back!"
- >The guard remains silent for a moment.
- >"...very well."
- >You hear hoofsteps as the guard gets farther and father away...
- >Then closer for a moment.
- >Then farther again.
- >It IS a Labyrinth.
- >Once he's out of earshot, Chrissy explodes into a bout of laughter.
- >She still sounds like the guard though, so it's mildly disturbing.
- >Realizing she forgot to change back, she bashfully covers her mouth with her hooves.
- >After a brief awkward silence, you two both laugh.
- >Which is good, the mouth covering bit was futile anyways.
- >You can always look through her hooves.
- >The hours pass, you spend your time talking, as usual.
- >Nothing in particual, just life in the castle, being an outcast.
- >She can relate to the second one, at least.
- >The sun starts setting, the Princess' doing of course.
- >It's also a sign you really should be getting back.
- "I gotta get going."
- >You get up from the oddly comfortable stone slab.
- >"Oh come on, so soon?"
- >You look down to Chrissy, who is still on the bench.
- "I've been here for a few hours, isn't that enough? Besides, the Princess is gonna be mad if I'm not back soon."
- >"Well I'm a Princess too, and I say you have to stay!"
- >You chuckle.
- >She did say she was the Princess of the Changelings.
- >Though, with not seeing any other changelings around, you're hesitant to believe her.
- "Okay, 'Princess', but I'm pretty sure that the sun holds a bit more sway than walking cheese."
- >That struck a chord.
- >"HEY!"
- >You zip up your jacket, and start walking away.
- "See ya later, Chrissy."
- >"Yeah, see ya..."
- >Goodbyes are never pleasant with this one.
- >You make your way out of the Labyrinth.
- >Right, straight, right, left, right, right, left...
- >And the gardens appear in front of you.
- >Like clockwork.
- >You make your way into the castle, past the steps into the throne room, which is empty.
- >Past the hallways that lead to the library.
- >Up the stairs, past the balconies.
- >And into your room.
- >And, as expected, a certain Princess of the Sun was waiting for you.
- >"Anon, you're back."
- >You trudge into the room, dropping your jacket on the floor.
- >Without even glancing at the large white mare in your room, you plop down on your bed.
- "Goodnight."
- >You hear an audible sigh.
- >"I worry about you...I know you were in the gardens."
- "Then why didn't you come get me?"
- >Silence.
- >"I want you to come back on your own, you know."
- "Well I didn't."
- >You were being a brat, you know it.
- >But you never cared for the Princess' nagging you.
- >Finally, she gives up.
- >She walks towards the door.
- >"Anon, you shouldn't spend all your time alone."
- >You don't respond.
- >You aren't always alone.
- >"You're spending the day with Cadenza tomorrow."
- >No response.
- >Another playdate with the younger Princess.
- >Whoopee.
- >"Goodnight, Anon."
- "Night."
- >She closes the door, leaving you to solitude once more.
- >You hated being alone.
- >You hated being TOLD you're alone.
- >You hated being forced to play with others as if it would ease your loneliness.
- >But it doesn't, and you hate it.
- >The only thing keeping you moderately happy would be apples.
- >Apples, and the odd thing you share those apples with.
- >At that exact moment, a young changeling falls asleep with her clutch.
- >She hated being an outcast.
- >She hated being TOLD she was an outcast.
- >She hated being forced to deal with others because she was special.
- >But they don't get her, and she hated it.
- >The only thing keeping her moderately content were apples.
- >Apples, and the odd thing that gave them to her.

