You were with a servant?!"
"The nerve, trying to mess with Her Majesty's daughter!"
"Oh, my poor baby! What did he do to you?!"
While all this commotion was going on, Pupa just stared ahead, a blank expression on her face. She had a light cloak draped over her shoulders, and her mother was hovering over her, rubbing her back while murmuring comforting words. Her father was pacing in the middle of the throne room, muttering angrily to himself. She heard none of them. Everything going on around her was just a jumbled mess of blurry shapes and muffled voices. I could have done something, she thought to herself miserably. I could have teleported us to somewhere safe. Or, I could have sent Feelers and Venom away, far from here. Instead, I just fell over like some petty, helpless princess! Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes, making her see everything wobbling like the gelatin cocoons that the prisoners in the dungeon were trapped in.
When the guards and Pupa had arrived back at the throne room, they had informed her parents that Feelers had tried to get the princess to run away with him, which was completely ridiculous to Pupa. Apparently, people had thought Venom was the hero, charging, bravely racing in to save Pupa, but was knocked on the head, confusing him. Then, Feelers was taken to the dungeons. Pupa could picture him, hanging upside down, suspended in time in the sickly green gel of the cocoon, awaiting his punishment. She brushed aside the thought of it, knowing it would keep her up at night worrying if she kept thinking about the situation. She just couldn't shake the vision of Venom, fighting like an animal. She probably would have become sick, had a changeling guard not burst into the room, eyes wide and panting like a dog.
He knelt at the foot of Morpheus, chest still heaving. "My liege," he huffed, taking deep, labored breaths, "The prisoner has escaped from the dungeon." The king's eye twitched, not speaking. Somehow, the silence was more foreboding than him shouting. "And how did he escape," he whispered, his voice as silent as the grave. The guard trembled, "W-we do not know, your Excellency..." "Then find out for Celestia's sake," he shouted angrily, eyes blazing green. The guard tensed, not expecting the sudden lash out from his master. "I want all security measure doubled, even tripled!! That wretched grub must not escape me!! He must pay for his crimes!!" The guard, nodding and trembling, raced out of the room as fast as his little wings could carry him. Pupa straightened up, feeling happier and a sense of satisfaction. Feelers was okay. He was free. Then, the sinking feeling came back tenfold.
He was free, sure, but now half the kingdom would be searching for him. She could picture it now. Her father, issuing ordersPupa stood, knowing she had to take action. She wouldn't let Feelers and Venom be broken apart again, ever. She rose, the cloak falling from her back. She took a step forward and felt her mother's hand on her upper arm. "Pupa," she hissed, "Sit back down, right now!" Pupa shook herself free. She was done with listening to her. All her decisions had done for her was get Feelers, Venom and herself into trouble. If she were to become a stronger person, she would have to stand up for herself and what she wanted, and it started now.
She walked over to her father's pacing form, ignoring her mother's desperate pleas to return to her seat. She could almost make out the waves of anger coming off of him. Pupa cleared her throat, wishing to make eye contact with him. Morpheus wheeled around to face his daughter, breaking into a grin upon seeing her. "What can I do for you, Pupa," he asked, trying to come off as relaxed. It didn't fool Pupa. She could smell a lie a mile away. She took a deep breath, bringing her speech she had written mentally to her tongue. "Dad, it was my fault. Venom and Feelers were already there when I came in. Please don't blame him," she said. Morpheus started at his daughter. Blinked once. Twice. Then, he smiled sadly and said, " I don't believe you understand, sweetie. You see, that horrid..." "He is not horrid," Pupa screamed, turning all heads in the room.
"You just don't want to believe I made a mistake!! I'm not some perfect princess who does everything her parents say!! I have a life too, you know!!" "Pupa, sit down," ordered her father sternly.
"And another thing," she yelled, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I am not a princess who will just do what people tell me to do just for 'my own good'. 'Hold your fork nicely, Pupa, it isn't proper otherwise.' 'Put your hand on his waist, Pupa, you need to learn to dance better.' 'Get married to this random guy, Pupa, it's your duty as a princess!!'" She screamed the last bit, tears starting to trickle down her face. Her father looked at her, and in a deep, threatening voice that was not his usual jolly tone, said "You, are an insult to this ritual. Do not cross me again, young lady. I will not be as merciful next time." His irises were lime green, as per usual, but this time they had slitted pupils and a slight ring of red around the green. Pupa stepped back, startled. An instant later, the red was gone. She straightened up, and looking at her father in the eye with absolute hatred, "I will not be pushed around any longer. Goodbye, Morpheus." She walked calmly out the doors of the throne room, but as soon as they shut, she took off, sprinting down the halls, tears streaming down her face. She crashed into her room, finding it devoid completely of life. She was glad. She needed some alone time to think. Why were his eyes red? They're supposed to be green! Was it my imagination, or did somebody else see it??
All these thoughts were running through her mind as she got up from her bed, walked over to her vanity, and opened a secret drawer. She peeked inside, checking to make sure there were no spectators. She carefully took out the packaged object, holding it in her hands like a delicate piece of glass. Nobody knew of her secret, not even Buzzy. Pupa wasn't sure if she could even trust Buzzy with this big of a secret. She carefully tuned the guitar, letting the brown, stringed instrument lay in her hands. It was like it was begging to be played.
Pupa has found it when she was just a little girl. She was on a picnic with her parents near the border and had wandered off. She came close to the green shield surrounding the mountains, and had seen the guitar, the neck snapped and four strings missing. She had fixed it up, and now it played as beautiful as an angel's song. She sighed, starting to strum a little melody she knew.

"There was a time when I was alone,
Nowhere to go and no place to call home.
My only friend was the Man in the Moon,
And even sometimes he would go away too.
Then one night as I closed my eyes,
I saw a shadow flying by. He came to me with the sweetest smile,
Told me he wanted to talk for awhile.
He said, 'Peter Pan
That's what they call me,
I promise that you'll never be lonely'.
And ever since that day,
I am a lost boy, from Neverland.
Usually hanging out with, Peter Pan.
And when we're bored we play in the woods,
Always on the run from Captain Hook.
'Run, fun, lost boy,'
They say to me~
'Away from all of reality'~
Neverland is home
To lost boys like me,
And lost boys like me are free."

She sighed, letting the guitar fall onto her lap. She had made up her mind. To find her fortune out in the world, she would have to leave the Changeling Valley.