20 years after the princess' kidnapping, the ruinous tower hadn't changed much in all that time. Inside the tower, a small pure white rabbit was hiding behind a potted plant.
"Where are you, sweetie?" a sweet voice singsonged. The bunny stayed hidden while smirking to himself. He was going to win this time. A pair of hooves walked past the potted plant before stopping.
After a minute of standing there, the hooves started backwards as the voice called out, "Oh, well. I guess he's not here. Oh, where could my darling Angel be?" The bunny smirked in victory, thinking he has won, but then he was picked up by the nape of his neck. He yelped in surprise before looking up at his owner, a butter yellow pegasus mare with a long pink mane and teal eyes, holding him by the scruff and giving back her own smirk in victory.
The young pegasus now known as Posey had grown up into quite the beautiful mare, her long pink tresses acting like a curtain when she felt nervous, her lashes long and pretty, her eyes shimmer like the clearest pond and her tail was long enough to drag across the floor, yet somehow never gets dirty. She never wore any makeup or jewelry, but was gorgeous regardless. She was quite a rare beauty though she was far too modest to see her true beauty.
"Found you!" Posey said, her excited voice slightly muffled due to her holding the bunny in her mouth. She walked him over to a table while still talking to her little friend.
"That's 49 times I've won today." She put him down on the table before continuing to boast, a rare thing for the normally shy and reserved pegasus to do. "I mean, I never usually win at anything, so to do it 49 times is just…I don't even know. Wanna go again, Angel?" she asked with wide eyes and a big smile. The bunny crossed his arms in irritation and shook his head.
The pegasus deflated and asked, in a voice more akin to her normal soft speaking voice, "Oh, o-okay, Angel. Do you have any other ideas of what to do for fun?" Angel rubbed his chin before hopping towards the window and pointing to the outside world.
"Oh, no no no no no, Angel!" Posey exclaimed. She grabbed him by his neck again and set him back on the table. "We can't go out there, you know that. It's supposed to be r-really s-sc-scary out there. Mother said so and mother knows best, after all. There's still plenty of things to do in here." Angel squeaked in response. To any other pony, all they'd hear from the bunny were squeaks, but Posey knew exactly what Angel was saying.
She sighed while rubbing her foreleg against her other leg. "I do wanna see the world, but I don't wanna leave mother behind. I'm the only family she's got anymore. Being locked up here isn't so bad, anyways. I've got you and mother to keep me company. I'm happy, see?" Posey gave the most convincing smile she could to show Angel she didn't mind being up in the tower. Angel shot her an incredulous look, not buying for a second that she was actually happy, after all the times she talked to him about wanting to go out and see the world. Posey saw this and her facade dropped. She sat down on the floor, her long mane draping over her face, giving her a rather depressed look.
"You're right. I'm not happy. Not happy at all. For heaven’s sake, I can't even let mother know I have you. After all, she doesn't want 'filthy vermin' in the tower." Angel squeaked in anger. "Sorry for my language. I know you're not filthy vermin, but she never understood my talent for animals." She looked at her flank sadly and saw her cutie mark: a trio of teal bodied and pink winged butterflies.
The one time she left the tower was when she was a preteen. She fell out of the tower while she tried to practice flying, but was saved by a hoard of butterflies. As she looked around at the beauty of nature, all the cute little fuzzy critters, the pretty flowers and the gorgeous sky, she wondered why her mother wanted to keep it away from her. It was then she met Angel, who was just a tiny fuzzy baby that could fit in a single hoof. She gained her cutie mark after talking and caring for the animals in the meadow near her tower. She was at first surprised by the fact that she could talk to animals, but adjusted to that fact rather quickly. When her mother came home, she was furious to see her daughter out of the tower and associating with dirty animals, smashing Posey's initial joy. Not wanting to leave her friend behind, she hid Angel into her mane and followed her mother inside. Now, she had someone to talk to whenever mother was gone, which was often.
It was both the best and worst day of her life. She got a taste of freedom, but in that short time, she realized she wanted more than a taste. She wanted to roam free. She'd still visit the tower often, but she just wanted to do more than just sit around all day. Mother wouldn't let her, though. Yet, mother can leave all she wants. It's not fair! When will MY life begin?! Posey would often think whenever she did think about this. She stared with tears in her eyes at the unfair situation she found herself in. Angel saw her crying and soon grew a more sympathetic look. He didn't mean to make her cry. He just wanted to do something that wasn't in this dumb tower. Angel hopped forward and hugged her to try and comfort her. Posey started to calm down and hugged the bunny back.
"Thanks, Angel." She sniffed before continuing, "I’m sorry I broke down like that. I love my mother very much, but I want more outta my life, you know. M-maybe...maybe I'll ask her about leaving today, maybe to go see those lights I see every year on my birthday. That'd be a good first adventure, right?" Posey asked. Angel nodded his head enthusiastically. Posey smiled in response.
Their heartwarming moment was interrupted by a voice calling from the stairs. "Posey, darling. Mother's home." Posey gasped before hiding Angel under her bed, brushing her mane so it'd look presentable and rushed towards the door that led to the stairs and opens it, revealing her mother, a tall slender unicorn mare with a dark brown coat, dark crimson red mane and tail and dull green eyes. She always wore a black cloak, so Posey never knew what her mother's cutie mark looked like. Posey hugged her mother.
"Welcome home, mother." Her mother grimaced slightly at the contact, but patted her head slightly in response before pushing her away.
"Hello, dear. How was your day?", the disguised Chrysalis asked in a sickly sweet voice that was much unlike her real voice.
Posey smiled at her mother, very much unaware of her mother's true identity and said, "I'm good, mother. How was your trip?" Chrysalis set down the basket she was carrying on the table before replying.
"Oh, the usual. Boring, uneventful, aside from all the danger and terror, of course." At this point, she had enough experience in terrifying the poor dear that she didn't have too much thought into her words to scare her. Posey shivered slightly at her mother's tone of voice, but due to her bravery on asking her about going out, she didn't shiver as much as she normally would've.
"Um, mother-" but before she could ask, Chrysalis interrupted her. "I did, however, manage to get your favorite!" She opened the basket and revealed a baker's dozen blueberry muffins. Posey's stomach growled and she drooled slightly at the sight. Blueberry muffins were her absolute favorite food in the whole world. Posey didn't get them often, but when she did, she ate as many as she could, which probably explained her slightly pudgy belly.
Posey grabbed two muffins and sat down at the table before she started to eat them. Chrysalis smiled at her 'daughter' before sitting down with her at the table and grabbing a muffin herself. She didn't need to eat it, but it was best to keep up the illusion.
"Oh, but that trip was so long, and you know what I wanted to hear as soon as I got back?" Chrysalis asked.
Posey swallowed the last of her first muffin before asking her mother innocently, "What?"
Chrysalis smiled at Posey's naivete before replying in a slightly hammy fashion, "Oh, nothing much, just your wondrous singing voice. Will you sing for me, my darling daughter?"
Posey smiled in response and exclaimed, "Of course, mother!"
Chrysalis blinked in surprise. Normally, the princess would be too nervous to sing, thinking she wasn't a good singer and would only disappoint her. Chrysalis would then usually tell her that she was proud of her and her gift was something special to behold, as much as it churned her stomach to say such sappy things. It was then she noticed that Posey was happy. Too happy and Chrysalis knew it wasn't just the muffins that were affecting her mood. Something's going on here, but what? She quickly pushed that thought away as the princess started her warm ups and simply sat back as her 'daughter' sang:
There's music in the treetops
And there's music in the vale
And all around the music fills the sky
There's music by the river
And there's music in the grass
And the music makes your heart soar in reply
As Posey started vocalizing, Chrysalis started using her magic to steal some of her love. Just a few more steals, and she'd be strong enough to take Equestria by herself.
Took long enough, she thought bitterly. But she didn't focus on that. She focused on the fact that her power was slowly growing as the princess reached the song's climax by holding the last note. Once she finished and Chrysalis stopped the spell to drain her love, Posey put a hoof to her head.
"Ooo, why does singing always leave me so dizzy?" she asked. Her mother only gave a sympathetic look that Posey took as genuine, though it was anything but. Chrysalis knew that the princess' dizziness was caused by her stealing the love from her, which was a surprise to her. Most of her victims that she had fed on anywhere near this much before became so weak that without medical attention, they can't move for days, sometimes weeks. Most have even died from being drained too much before she could kill them herself. But the princess' love was so strong, it seemed, the most she gets is a mild headache that goes away in a few hours. Chrysalis didn't mind that, cause it just meant she could keep feed on her until her usefulness has run out and she just kills the princess herself.
Posey shook her head slightly to try and clear her headache before asking, "Um, mother, I have a question to ask you." Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at the request but let her continue speaking.
Posey cleared her throat and said, "Now, you know I love you very much and I never ever want to disappoint you. But, I'm going to be 21 tomorrow, a-and some of the books you gave me say that most ponies l-leave their h-home around that age or earlier. A-and I'd like to start by seeing the floating lights I see every year on my birthday." Chrysalis started choking on the muffin that she was eating. Posey gasped and starting to help her mother before the muffin piece flew from her mouth. The princess rubbed her back as she started apologizing quickly, "I-I'm so sorry, mother. I didn't mean for that to happen. I'll s-still visit you often and I'll love you forever, but I just want to be able to travel and enjoy the world, e-even if it is s-scary out there. Oh, please forgive me, mother."
Chrysalis eventually calmed down from her choking fit (she didn't even know she had the ability to choke on pony food) and soon stared at the princess as she finished her apology. She didn't doubt the honesty in her words, but she couldn't let her leave. Not when she was so close to being strong enough to take over Equestria. She had to keep her locked up for just a little longer.
"Oh, my dear sweet child. You could never disappoint me," she said, holding the princess' chin with her hoof and making sure to emphasize her sweet tone, "However, I just don't think you're ready to see the outside world. We both know you aren't exactly brave and strong, are you? For heaven’s sake, you can't even fly, darling."
Posey's ears pin to her head as her mother's words took hold. "I k-know, mother. But I t-think I am ready. Please, I don't want to leave you forever, I just want to be able to travel on my own and see the world." Posey said in response.
Chrysalis faked the saddest look she could muster before saying, "Fine, if you do think you're ready, leave me. Leave me alone, just like your father did before I had you. I'll just be here all alone and when you come back, I'll be nothing but dust." She finished dramatically before pretending to cry. Posey's heart broke at the sight. She never knew her father and when she asked, her mother said that her father left them when she told him the news that she was having a baby. Though she could never hate any living soul, she did resent her father for doing this to her poor mother. And now, her only daughter wanted to leave her too, so no wonder she'd break down like that.
Posey leaned forward and nuzzled her mother while she herself was crying before saying, "I'm sorry, mother. I d-didn't mean it like that. I'll s-stay and n-not ask again." Chrysalis kept an evil smirk from forming on her face before hugging her.
"Ssh, baby. I knew you didn't mean it like that. It's just me and my old worries, but I'm glad you want to stay with me for a while longer. I love you, Posey." Posey wiped her tears and gave a weak smile.
"I love you too, mother."
"I love you most, princess." Chrysalis replied. "Now, I'll be gone until later tomorrow evening. I only came back to give you a treat since you've been so well behaved lately. Eat as many as you want, but careful of getting a tummy ache." She poked the princess' stomach as she said this and Posey giggled in response. Chrysalis kissed her forehead and soon left, walking down the stairs before calling out, "I don't wanna see any filthy vermin when I get back, dear. Love you," before closing the door behind her.
Posey's smile disappeared after the door closed and she rushed to her bedroom, jumped on her bed and started crying into her pillow. Angel heard her and got from under the bed, hopped up and started stroking her mane in comfort.
"I guess I'm n-never going to l-leave. Why is life so unfair?" She looked up at the ceiling and her imagination spawned images of the lights she wanted to see. After a short while, she started to fall asleep on her bed. Before she slipped into unconsciousness, she softly sang, "When will my life begin?"