//------------------------------// // Inside The Castle Part Three // Story: To get a life once lost // by ChangelingLumin //------------------------------// In the Castle gardens; inside the barracks, Stone Hoof was pacing back and forth talking with himself. Sweat was pouring down his face as he nervously muttered loudly to himself. “I don't know what the Princess was thinking, trusting that monster...” Little did Stonehoof know, two recruits were watching him. Both of them had looks of confusion and concern. “Uh.. Sir..” Said Bale Foot, one of the recruits. He had buck teeth and was talking with a heavy southern accent. His brown fur clashed with his gold armour. A white spot on his rump made his cutie mark stand out. A pitchfork and a bale of hay indicating that he was once a farm pony. “Are you alright?” Bale Foot's brother, Tail Foot said, with an equally heavy southern accent. He was the spitting image of his brother, a twin that shared every aspect of his brother; including the cutie mark. “But it doesn't matter no... The plan should still be carried out, regardless of a thing like that...” Stonehoof didn't notice the two recruits, who were eyeing him with concern for his sanity. “Celestia will fall, even if it means a civil war...” “Sir I think you might have gone mad with power.” Bale Foot said, his brother nodded in agreement. “Shut up! I'll tell you who's mad with power! Now go and check on the prisoner right now!” Stonehoof snapped. Bale and Tail Foot jumped in surprise, “Yes sir, Mr. Crazy sir” “I said SHUT UP!” The two brothers ran out the door giggling at their joke. Deep within the dungeon, Curtis and Luna were walking down the dark corridors, Luna used her magic to light the way, and Curtis followed with a scowl on his face. Not wanting to be a bad host, Luna decided to make small talk. “What are you exactly, and why are you here?” She asked, turning to face Curtis. “Well,” Curtis answered, “I'm a Human, that first question was strange to ask, but I understand why you asked it. As for why I'm here, I don't know...” Curtis still had that scowl on his face, “I'm not happy about it either.” 'Really?” Luna said, acting surprised. “Yes really,” Curtis growled in annoyance, “I was just fine living my boring and normal life, having a nice apartment and a good job. Then BOOM! I find myself here with nothing...” “It was an easy job too...” “Do tell,” Luna was starting to get interested. “I stocked the isles with office supplies, and made sure customers weren't lost.” “You worked in retail?” Luna was surprised that a rude creature like this would do such a mundane task. “YES I WORKED IN RETAIL” Curtis yelled, “AND IT WAS GLORIOUS!” He fist pumped the air as if to show how proud he was of his job. Luna just stared at him with a blank look. “But then I was thrown in the dungeons and beaten by that Stone Hoof guy!” Curtis punched the wall and shattered it surprising Luna with his strength. “Calm down please,” Luna was starting to get nervous and was desperately trying to calm Curtis down. “CALM DOWN!” Curtis shouted at the top of his lungs, “I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE ON THAT SON OF A BITCH!” “Curtis please calm down...” Luna was ready to restrain Curtis if need be. “I WILL NOT!!!” He stomped his foot on the ground hard. “YES YOU WILL!!” Luna yelled, she too stomped her hoof on the ground, this time shattering the floor around them. It took a moment for both to realize what happened. A crater appeared in the floor, and both fell down screaming into the abyss. Deep within the Canterlot mines, changelings were hard at work, digging tunnels and gathering metals from the earth. They were chained up and supervised by guards who were under Stone Hoofs command. Iron, Copper, Silver and Gold made their way to the fires in the middle of the large room that was dug out to hold the smelting machine which turned the oars into ingots, ready for the blacksmith to turn them into armour and weapons for war. One group of chained changelings had a large, female like one among them. She had an appearance of royalty on her, thanks to the crown on her head. She had a look of defeat on her face as she dragged her chains along the ground. “Oh how I, Chrysalis have fallen..” She sighed to herself, “To be dragged from my home and made into a slave...” Her ear twitched as she heard a sound. “Does anyone else hear that?” She asked her group, who looked around for the source of the sound, 'I'll take that as a yes then...” The sound got louder and Louder and took on the form of screaming. She looked above her and saw two figures falling. One an Alicorn with her wings clamped tight to her sides in fear, another a hairless ape with a sheet on him. She just stood there surprised, but began to scream when she noticed that they were going to land right on top of her. “NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Chrysalis screamed as the two figures got closer and closer. She was frozen with fear. BANG. They two figures crashed to the ground right on top of her. “Son of a bitch” The hairless ape said. “Luna you dumbass.” Back at Curtis' cell, Bale and Tail Foot were staring at the empty room looking confused. “Do you think we got the right cell?” Bale asked Tail “Well it was this one... I think.” Tail said. “Do you think they might have let him go?” “Maybe,” “He could be hiding” Bale walked into the room, but the door closed behind him and locked itself. “Well horse apples... Tail could you let me out please.” “I'm in here too...” Tail said. “Well this is a sticky situation... What were the chances of something like that happening to us?” Bale asked turning to face his brother. “One in a million I think...” “Well damn..” The two pondered their situation for a moment before Tail Foot broke the ice. “Do you think this would be on our performance record if we get out?” “Maybe...” Bale answered back. “Now what?” “I dunno. Want to do something to pass the time?” “sure.” The two heard the sound of stone breaking and then screaming in the distance. “What was that?” Tail asked Bale. “A cat I think...”