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// 2. A Birthday Wish 
// Story: To Be Different 
// by Astrocity 
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Ten years later…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always lived in these caverns. Glowing green moss covered the walls and rocks of the dark tunnels. Despite it being dimly lit, I knew my way around this tunnel like the back of my hoof. After all, when you’re not allowed to leave the hive because it’s “too dangerous outside,” there’s not much else to do other than walk around and meet every changeling. The reason why I couldn’t go outside was because Mommy said that there were bad creatures out there that would hurt me. I didn’t know what she meant by that. She said that I would be able to go out once I was old enough.

Mommy is queen of the changelings, which makes me a princess. She’s really pretty. She’s a lot taller than the other changelings, and she has a pair of pretty wings and a horn. I wish I had wings and a horn like hers. For some reason, I don't look like everyone else. I don't have wings or a horn, and I don't have holes on my body. When I asked Mommy about it, she said I was special. Even though I look different, she said that I'll always be her little changeling. I'll always love my mom.

Today was my tenth birthday according to Mommy. I decided that today I would sneak out of the hive and finally see what it was like outside. I hugged the wall of the tunnels and ducked behind a boulder whenever I could. Beside me was my best friend, Happy. He, like everyone else in the hive, was a changeling. Changelings didn't have names. Mommy said that names were a burden for them to carry and that we only had names because we were their rulers. I didn't understand what she meant by that either.
 
Happy had a name because I gave him one. I called him that because he was one of the few changelings that actually smiled. I've known him for a really long time, ever since Mommy made him my playmate. He looked after me and would often worry about the things I did. It’s easy to tell the difference between changelings. For example, Happy had ears that were a tiny bit longer, eyes that were a lighter shade of blue, and his fangs gave him a toothier grin than the others.
 
Right now, Happy was trying to convince me not to leave. He gave a gentle tug on my tail and gave a worried hiss. I had never been able to understand what these changelings say, but I learned to read the feeling behind their words by the expression of their faces, like reading a book.
 
Happy’s face said, “We should go back, Nymph.”
 
I turned to him and whispered so that nobody else could hear. “Come on, Happy. We’re so close! I just want to get one look and then we can go back.”
 
He hissed and pointed towards where we came.
 
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be such a hatchling.”
 
Happy gave an annoyed hiss.
 
“Hisssss yourself.”
 
We were now near the entrance of the hive. The glowing moss grew thinner as we got closer. The actual entrance to the hive was a large wooden door guarded by two changelings, separating me from the outside world. Mommy made sure that those two guards wouldn’t let me leave. Of course, that didn’t stop me one bit. I wasn’t going to take the front door to get outside.
 
Instead, Happy and I snuck into the storage room next to the entrance. At first glance, everything looked normal for a storage room filled with random junk and doodads, things I don't really understand what they're for let alone where they came from. But this room was special. At the corner of the room, hidden by conveniently placed boxes, was a spot where instead of rock was soil. I found this room months ago. I’ve been digging a way out since then, with a little help from Happy. I had him promise to keep this a secret. Being a princess and ordering him to keep quiet about it helped out.
 
I pushed the boxes aside and began crawling through the small tunnel. For a few minutes, it was dark as I crawled to the outside with Happy behind me. As soon as I reached the end of the dark tunnel, I began digging with my hooves. Like a worker drone in the cavern, I dug, not down but up, where I knew there was something waiting for me out there. It wasn’t long until the dirt gave way and light poured into the tunnel. The light was blinding, but it was warm on my face. I shielded my eyes with a hoof and scrambled out the hole. I slowly removed my hoof.
 
There were so many colors. The ground below me was a light shade of brown and was warm under my hooves. Above me, I saw colors of red, orange, and purple—the sky, I think it was called. I’ve seen these things in books when Mommy taught me. Far away, I saw trees and mountains and something perched on the side of the largest mountain. But what stood out among the rest was something bright in the sky, slowly sinking behind the trees and the mountains.
 
It was called a sun.
 
She told me it was a thing to be feared and hated. But when I saw the sun sinking in the horizon like a dying flame, I couldn’t help but look at it with wonder. It was hard to describe it. It was a feeling of wanting. It was freedom—no more walls, no more ceilings, just open air as far as the eye can see. With all its warmth and brightness, the sun left a kiss on my cheek.
 
I wanted to show my mother the sunset. Maybe then she wouldn’t see the sun as a detestable thing. Seeing the outside world with my own eyes was different than looking at the pictures. I could see, touch, and hear everything. The shadows grew as the sun was swallowed up from afar. Soon, everything was dark again. Only this time, instead of a ceiling above me, there was a sea of stars, twinkling and glimmering in the sky. In the sun’s place was something white and round: it was the moon.
 
“Wow…” I finally managed to say.
 
I stood there taking in everything until I was shaken by the changeling next to me. Happy pleaded me to return to the hive.
 
“Alright, Happy. Let’s go back.” The changeling gave his toothy grin, and I laughed.
 
We went back to the hole we came from. I made sure to cover the hole with a rock before going back into the tunnel. Happy and I snuck our way back into the deeper part of the hive where Mommy and I lived. In these parts of the hive, the tunnels were lit by green-flamed torches that hung on the walls. There were more changelings around, but I made sure to take the path with the least amount of changelings.
 
Eventually, we reached my room. Happy slumped on the ground while I went to my bathroom to bathe and wash the dirt off me. Once I washed the evidence off my fur coat, I trotted back to my room to see Mommy in my room.
 
“Mommy!” I shouted as I went up to nuzzle her. She craned her neck down to nuzzle me.
 
“Hello, my little changeling princess. How was your day?” she greeted.
 
“It was great!” I said. “Happy and I played a lot of games and I finished reading a book and…” I was about to tell her what I saw today, but then I remembered that I had to keep that a secret. “… and then we played hide-and-seek.”
 
She gave a chuckle. “My, it certainly sounds like you’ve had a wonderful day.”
 
I looked around and noticed that Happy wasn’t around. “Where did Happy go?”
 
“Hmm? Oh, I sent him to retrieve your dinner. It should be ready by now. Come along, Nymph.”
 
I followed my mother out the room, and we made our way to the throne room. For some reason, I always ate in the throne room with all the other changelings watching. I’ve grown used to their stares by now. I was enjoying a bowl of apples, freshly picked by some of the changeling servants, while I sat on a small throne next to my mother. The throne room looked magnificent with its regal appearance and black and green colors. Mommy and the changelings never ate, or at least I’ve never seen them eat. I was always the one that was eating, while everyone else just sat with their horns glowing green. For some reason when everyone’s horns stopped glowing, Mommy looked tired when all she had done was sit next to me. I rubbed the side of my face against her body to comfort her. Just a simple action would bring her spirit up and bring a smile to her face.
 
“Thank you, Nymph,” she said.
 
The changelings left and returned to their tasks. Most of them worked on expanding the hive or serving me and my mother. Some of them, however, went up to the surface. Usually, they came back with food. Other times, they would bring back nothing and their horns and Mommy’s horn would glow like before. And sometimes, they didn’t come back at all. I’ve always wondered where they had gone. Maybe they loved the outside world so much that they left the hive?
 
Once Mommy felt better, she turned to me. “Since it’s your birthday, I have a surprise for you.” She clapped her hooves twice, summoning a changeling into the throne room. It was Happy who flew into the room. What he was carrying made my mouth water.
 
“Is that…?” In Happy’s hooves was a plate holding a slice of a small white pastry with strawberries and a candle on top. It was almost as big as my hoof.
 
“Yes, Nymph. It’s a cake. I know how much you’ve always wanted to try it, so I sent him to get one for you.” I’ve only seen a cake in a book, and I have always wanted one ever since. Although it was smaller than the one I saw in the book, I gladly accepted the gift. I took the plate, giving Happy a smile which he returned with his own. “Blow out the candle, Nymph, and make a wish,” said my mother.
 
I could have wished for a lot of things, like a horn or a pair of wings like Mommy’s. But instead, I made a different wish. I closed my eyes, blew out the candle, and made my wish. I wished Mommy could see the sunset with me. I opened my eyes and looked at my mother. She gave a warm smile.
 
“Happy Birthday, Nymph.”
 
I took a bite out of the cake. My taste buds were overwhelmed with sweetness. It was one of the best things I had ever eaten. “This is delicious! Mommy, you should try some!” I said to my mother, holding the cake up to her. She tittered when she saw a bit of cake stuck on the tip of my nose.
 
She shook her head. “No thank you, Nymph. I’m full at the moment. It’s your gift, so you should be the one to eat it.”
 
My ears dropped. “Really? I wanted to share it with you.” I turned to Happy who was waiting for orders. “Do you want some, Happy?”
 
He shook his head.
 
I shrugged my shoulders and finished the rest of my cake, covering parts of face with its tasty goodness. I cleaned myself up with a napkin that was given to me by my mother.
 
Since I was older now, maybe Mommy would let me go outside now and maybe even watch the sunset with me? I cleared my throat. “M-Mommy?”
 
“Yes, dear? Is something wrong?”
 
“No, I was just wondering…” I felt nervous asking her the question. “Am I old enough to go outside now?”
 
She took on a stern expression. “You cannot leave the hive until you are older.”
 
“But how long until I’m old enough?” I whined.
 
“Until you’ve learned all there is to learn about being a princess,” she said firmly. “There are things out there you are not ready for yet.”
 
I could feel my anger rising. “What could possibly be so bad out there that you want to keep me locked in here?”
 
Mother remained firm on her decision. “I’m sorry, Nymph. But you have to stay in the hive until I have deemed you are ready. For now, I want you to return to your chambers. It is getting late.”
 
I stayed silent as Happy led me to my room. As soon as we entered my room, I started kicking and screaming, letting out all my frustration in my tantrum. I didn’t understand why she thought I couldn’t take care of myself out there. Outside seemed much more peaceful than I thought. I’ve stepped outside before and nothing bad happened to me. I wanted to leave this dark and dreary place. I’ve only had a taste of what was waiting for me outside, and I craved for more. Outside was so much better than being in this hive. It was bright and warm and colorful. In here, it was dark, depressing, and boring.
 
When I stopped my tantrum, I looked around and found my room in a complete mess. My blanket and pillow was thrown off the bed. Books were scattered all over the floor. And I found Happy taking cover under the bed. I think I might have scared him a little because he flinched when I poked my head under the bed.
 
“Sorry about that, Happy,” I said. He chittered quietly. “I’m alright now.”
 
Happy had crawled out from under the bed and began patting me on the shoulder, giving me some more hisses of comfort followed by his goofy smile.
 
“I just wish she didn’t keep me locked up in here. ” I sat on my haunches. “Just once, I’d like to show that I can take care of myself.”
 
Then an idea hit me. “I know what I can do!” Happy tilted his head and gave a questioning hiss.
 
“She wants me to be older, right? Well, what if I acted older and showed her that I can take care of myself? If I go to the surface and show her I can handle myself, then she’ll let me go outside whenever I want.”
 
Happy shook his head quickly. “Of course it’s a good idea!” I replied. I began making my way out the door. I turned my head to the changeling. “You can come too, unless you’re too scared…” I heard him give a sigh of defeat before flying after me.
 
We snuck our way back to the hole to the surface. Many of the changelings were asleep by now, so it wasn’t hard to reach the place without getting caught. Once in the storage closet, I moved the boxes out of the way and climbed through the hole with Happy following me. At the end of the tunnel, I pushed the rock that covered the hole aside and climbed out. It was dark outside, but I preferred this darkness than the hive’s darkness. It wasn’t completely dark outside. Everything bathed in the moonlight. I was free again. The fresh air nipped at me. It felt great.
 
I felt a tug on my tail and turned around to see Happy, who had a worried look on his face. I smiled. “We can’t go back now, Happy. Getting outside was the first step. The real adventure begins now.”
 
I saw a light in the distance. It was coming from the object that was perched on the side of the large mountain. I figured that would be worth checking out, so I began sprinting in that direction. I laughed as I felt the excitement build up in me, while Happy flew beside me. I was finally going to see the world with my own eyes.