WOW, an UPDATE! I know I said I'd update at 100 and I didn't until 109, but I have to say I didn't think I'd get as many reviews as quickly as I did. And I did have huge exams that needed to be out of the way first. And what's important is that I updated in the end, right? Admittedly, it's a bit of a filler chapter, but it's all necessary before I can continue with the actual plot.

Reviewers Who Need a Mention:

CeruleanStar- Way to lay on the guilt trip girly! But you were right, I should have updated sooner. Blame school. School is evil.

Meigen- It's technically an allusion, not a rip off. But in all honesty, I only meant Mimi's revelation to be like Jasmine's. Any other similarities are coincidences. I haven't even seen the movie in years. But somehow I doubt Aladdin (being a Disney character) would swear at his captors the way Matt did.

And of course a general THANK YOU to mimatogirlchicken, dragen545, Xymi Angel Ghost, taidigimon, kitty-kat allie, SWTxCANDY, Aoi senshi, Eva, Curtis Zidane Ziraa, Genna, ChilD of SinceritY and paochicute. I really appreciate you taking the time to review.

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Mimi was dragged through the streets, the chief of guards never letting go of her wrist, not even for a second. People turned to stare. Mimi understood why. How often do you see a missing princess be apprehended and then forcibly directed back to the palace by the police? She knew rumours would be rife by that evening.

She turned to one of the younger guards. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, almost being pulled over for halting for a split second.

He looked to the ground, unwilling to answer. The chief took the liberty instead, smiling sardonically.

"This is our job, princess."

They had arrived at the shuttle that would take them to the castle. The chief's grip around her wrist tightened further, anticipating an attempted escape. Mimi winced as she replied, "I was informed that the king and queen had not released the information of my absence."

Smiling again as he pushed her into the shuttle, almost knocking her to her knees, he said somewhat cryptically, "Those who needed to know, knew. Those who didn't need to know, didn't."

The door of the shuttle was slammed shut and locked by one of the younger guards. Both of the two subordinates places themselves between Mimi and the exit, and it was only then that the chief let go of her wrist. Mimi rubbed the red ring that had appeared from his excess force. Her thoughts flashed back to that day trekking up Mount Theisa. After Matt had saved her from falling she'd had a red ring around her wrist also.

Comparisons are odious.

Mimi sat back on the plush blue velvet seat. She wasn't going to try to escape. It would be futile anyway. A hot flush rose from her stomach to her throat and stinging tears came to her eyes. She should have known running away would get her nowhere. She should have known it was a hopeless folly. She should have realised how useless dreams were, and how foolish she had been to have one. She gazed out of the window. They were going to be arriving soon. She would have to forget her ideas of freedom. Forget her ideas of friendship.

Forget Matt.

The impossible task that would have to be undertaken if she were going to accept her lot in life. Mimi sighed, willing the tears to stay back. She couldn't let the guards see her cry. The hardest part of life was living it. Especially when it was a life haunted by memories of something better.

She felt the shuttle shudder beneath her. They were coming to a halt. Panic flooded Mimi as the two young guards unlocked and opened the door before jumping out. She had nowhere to run. The shuttle always stopped within the castle walls. She stood slowly, trying to delay the inevitable. Unfortunately the chief of guards put an end to this by shoving her hard between the shoulder blades, pushing her towards the door. After almost falling through, she stepped out. The sun disappeared behind a cloud just as she did so. The corners of her mouth twitched a fraction of a millimetre upwards. Even the weather was on her side.

The chief of guards took her arm again. She pulled away.

"I know very well where I must go. Please keep your hands off me."

Looking surprised at her assertiveness, he nonetheless let her go. Mimi walked with her chin up, looking much more confident than she felt, with the air of someone bravely marching forth to meet their doom.

Mimi was breathing fast as she approached the throne room. She could hear footsteps behind her. She supposed the guards were trailing her, ensuring she reached the correct destination. She wouldn't look back to check, though. Looking back was not an option.

She pushed through the great wooden doors. As she had expected, her mother and father were each sitting in their respective thrones. Her mother was sipping something and her father was deeply engrossed in some book or other. Mimi steeled herself, then strode up to them. She could still feel the guards' presence behind her. But she wouldn't be deterred. She knew her duty. She reached the steps that led up to the three thrones. She curtsied.

"My king… my queen."

The king put his book down carefully, so as not to lose his page. He had a look on his face that suggested he was anticipating a particularly ugly scene. The queen, on the other hand, screeched at the sight of her daughter and threw her hands around, sending her drink soaring.

"Princess… look at your clothes! Your clothes! They're all dirty! And ripped! Oh, in the name of all things holy!" She paused for a moment; head in her hands, looking significantly rattled, then continued in a slightly calmer voice. "Guards, you may leave now. And for goodness sake, find Princess Mimi's attendants and tell them to prepare a bath and some decent clothes for her."

As soon as the guards left, the king spoke. In stark contrast to his wife's high pitched squealing, he had a calm, low, serene voice.

"Well, Princess Mimi, my daughter. You have been returned to us at last. This is excellent news for which we are most grateful. You may now, of course, go and have that bath and get dressed so that your mother is satisfied."

Mimi wavered. They were letting her off so easily. This was not like them. She was so tempted to leave. To just have that bath and then crawl into a corner somewhere and forget everything. But she couldn't.

"Why… why did you not inform anybody of my absence?" she asked before quailing a little.

Her mother looked shocked. "Princess, do use your common sense! Think of the panic that would ensue if the public thought you had left us! We'd be facing a revolution the likes of which have not been seen in ten years!"

Being so young, Mimi only had very vague memories of that uprising. She remembered it taking place so fast Celestria didn't even have time to mobilise their troops for support. She remembered that everyone in the royal family had been massacred. They never even found the bodies of the royal children. She supposed it made sense to avoid something like that. She bowed her head, bending to her mother's silent will. She would be quiet. She would return to being just another ornament in the palace. Like another porcelain doll, made for style and not substance. Easily broken.

"Yes, my queen. I should have known you were acting for the greater good. I shall take my leave of you now."

She dipped into a low curtesy before turning to leave the room. Hot tears prickled behind her eyes, threatening to spill over. All was lost. It must be her destiny just to live within closed walls and let whatever potential she had trickle away. Just to live alone in the shadow of love and joy.

She could feel her bottom lip trembling. But she had reached her attendants, and she would never let them see her cry. They would fuss and fuss over her and never give her a minute's peace or time alone.

Erin, the head attendant, bowed to Mimi before speaking. "Come, Princess. Your bath is drawn."

The four other attendants followed Erin's lead and bowed before leading Mimi to her bathroom. Mimi felt guiltier than ever at the sight of this bathroom. It was larger than a lot of the peasant's houses. A white marble bath the size of a large pond lay in the middle, filled to the top with steaming hot water. Everything was adorned with scattered rose petals of every colour, and from the scent of the room, rose essential oil laced the water.

Her attendants politely turned away as Mimi disrobed and slowly descended into the water. She sat amongst the floating petals, the steam and heady scent making her sleepy. She sighed, sinking herself in until only her nose and higher saw over the roses. Closing her eyes, she could feel the water as it rippled around her. She stilled as one of her attendants began to carefully wash her hair, gently removing the knots as she worked. Mimi just let her continue. There was no point rebelling against any of this. It was her lot in life. She had to accept it, learn to like it for what it was.

Eventually the bathing ritual was complete. She was clean. Her attendants turned away once more as she climbed gracefully from the bathtub. Drying herself quickly with a towel thicker than many peasants' winter blankets, she stood, waiting for her attendants to bring her clothes over. To her mild surprise, they presented her with her nightdress, a floor-length item of fine, lacy material. It was more extravagant than many of the townspeople would wear out.

Mimi mentally chastised herself. She would have to stop making these comparisons if she were going to be content with her lifestyle. She turned instead to the attendant who was holding her nightclothes.

Taking the garment and slipping it over her head, she asked, "Why am I dressed to retire at such an early hour?"

Another attendant approached Mimi with soft silk slippers and a matching dressing gown. "We were informed just now that the queen thought it would be for the best if you went to bed early today and had a chance to relax… recuperate from the stress you have been under."

Mimi grimaced as she took the slippers and gown. Nothing could ever stress her more than her family and her natural lifestyle. When she was with Matt and the others all her troubles had dissipated. Matt had made everything all right. She was safe with him. Happy with him. There had been something special between them, some light that had cast no shadows. Ever so briefly, when with him, she had lived under the sun. Without him the sun was eclipsed and she was living in the dark. And she had no hope of leaving it.

She thought back to when she was caught. He looked so hurt. His eyes showed confusion, disappointment, but most of all, pain. He didn't know what was happening. He deserved to know. After the joy he'd given her it wasn't fair to leave him without explanation.

Heading for her living quarters, Mimi stopped again by the throne room's grand doors. She had to ask. There was no question as to its necessity. And she had to somehow summon the courage to do it now, not leave it until all chance had passed. She pushed on the doors.

Her mother and father seemed shocked to see her again. Good, Mimi told herself, take advantage of that.

"King, Queen, I have one favour I wish to ask of you. I wish to see the people I… stayed with… one last time. This is not too much to ask. They kept me safe for the time I was not protected within these walls. Shielded me against the people in this world who would have leapt at the chance to capture the princess of a township as prosperous as this. They need to know that no danger has befallen me. And I need closure on them. If I am to remain in this castle forever then I need one last meeting with my… friends… to set everything in order." She paused. "It can be done here if you are afraid of me running again."

Mimi did not entirely expect her parents to allow this. It just did not seem characteristic. The look on her mother's face attested to this. It was one of sheer disbelief, as if Mimi had just slapped her. But to her great surprise and delight, she saw her father nod.

"Yes. You must have made acquaintances in your time away. Both they and you deserve one last meeting, to get everything settled and smoothed out. It is our duty as royalty to maintain good relations at all times. Give your mother and I their names and location and we shall arrange everything." One glance at his wife made him amend his words slightly. "I shall, at any rate."

Mimi felt like skipping. A small victory was a victory nonetheless. And she'd have one last chance to make Matt understand. To calm his hurt. Knowing he was in pain was like a thousand hot knives in her heart, and she would never be able to move on with such feelings holding her back. And neither could he.

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The next chapter will be better, I promise. Now, all of you, click that little box down there that says "review." Or I'll eat your souls… I'll update again at 125 reviews or thereabouts.

Emma's useless facts about nothing in particular

Clouds fly higher during the day than at night.