//------------------------------//
// The Hideout 
// Story: The Poncho Chronicles I: The Beans 
// by BRyeMC 
//------------------------------//

	The group was hit with the musky smell of the tunnel system as they progressed farther in. They were all quiet during the walk, except Xarlin, who was too busy laughing and explaining the history of the tunnels. Wahlburn was still unconscious even though he was being drug along the bumpy, underground path. They saw, along their trip, how the current path would branch off to other sub-paths. These, of course, led to the other scattered outposts they’ve seen before. After what seemed like ages, Xarlin and the grunt finally stopped at a door. 
“Alright,” said Xarlin turning his attention to his prisoners, "you are all about to meet our Savior, so please be respectful?” Patel was about to speak in defense but was stopped by the grunt. Xarlin laughed and opened the door. 
When the door opened, the atrium of the hideout was revealed. The room itself was about the size of a chapel. It was filled with many hooded and masked members of the cult. There were multiple doors and doorways leading to unknown rooms. The walls were covered with a multitude of portraits of their King in different, confident poses. The ceiling, instead of earth and stone, was stained glass of the symbol of Phaselus Civilis. At the end of the massive atrium, there was a giant double door with two guards on both sides of it. Xarlin and the grunt that still had Wahlburn led them over to it. After the guards acknowledged Xarlin’s presence, they saluted and opened the doors. At the end of the room was a throne with a unicorn sitting on it. Xarlin led them nearer then stopped them and walked off to the side.
The unicorn was of a gray hue, cladded with a deep maroon colored robes with a cape. The robes and cape had a gold style trim to it. The haunting symbol was etched on his cape. He was also wearing a mask with the same colored scheme and symbol. He looked very muscular and confident. With him was an odd staff with strange carvings on it which the tip of it had a dim orb. “Welcome to our lovely home!” he said, his voice deep, confident, and unrattled. “I do hope you excuse my good friend Xarlin here with his terrible manners. Since he won’t properly introduce myself, I’ll do it. My name is Charles.” He smiled as he finished. 
“Sir,” said Xarlin, “wouldn’t it be better to actually use your official name? You know, to scare them off a bit? I mean Fabalis Rex sounds a lot more intimidating than...Charles.” 
The King shot him a glare. “Do you dare insult me in my own throne room, my friend? I will have your head for that!” He looked at Xarlin who gulped. Charles smiled. “Just kidding.” 
“Now then,” continued Charles, “I’m guessing my dear good friend Xarlin here told you about the benefits for accepting membership?”
Everyone looked at him blankly. “Sir, they aren’t accepting due to their choice, I captured them and brought here to be force to join.” Xarlin gave a half-hearted laugh.
“Damnit, Xarlin! You told me these were your friends, not enemies! Why would you do such a thing! I’m trying to make us look proper and intelligent, but you have to capture them? Well, I ought to banish you from our cult!” Xarlin put his head down in embarrassment. Charles looked back to the others and smiled, “Just kidding. He knows I’m a good joker and tease him all the time but he still gets worked up. No, but you can leave now, I can take care of our guests.” Xarlin bowed his head and quickly left the room.
Patel whispered to the others, “Is this guy for real?” They all agreed and wondered at Charles strange personality. 
“Now, as a good, mannered being, like myself truly is, I should show you do your residential paradise. It has high-quality beds and even all you can eat!” Charles stopped talking and paused. He saw that Poncho was getting excited by the news. 
“Uh, well thank you sir, your highness, your majesty, the all powerful”, said Poncho, blurting out random, honorable phrases.
There was a moment of an awkward silence due to neither side expecting such a kiss-ass response. When suddenly from the corner they heard a familiar voice say, “Are you fucking kidding me Poncho?! You fucking pussy, he won’t do shit for us! Just look at him!”
Enraged by the challenge of his power, Charles simply stomped his right front hoof onto the arm of his throne. From a hidden door behind him appeared an extraordinarily large pony, cloaked in all black, and wearing a satanic looking mask. Strapped onto his back was an absolutely monstrous double sided axe. This “pony” then made his approach towards the freshly woken Walburn.
“Call me a liar will you, you buffoon?” said Charles, “Well I’d like for you to meet a dear friend of mine, my son. Oh and by the way, his name is Janice.”
Upon hearing the large pony’s name, the dazed pothead burst into laughter, “Oh my God! You’ve gotta be kidding me! You named your son, Janice?! Like come on man! Why in the world would you name your son Janice?”
“For the sole purpose of the intense anger that would brew inside of him every day,” started Charles, “I knew before he was even born that if he wanted to get anywhere in this world he had to be strong, and the only way I could guarantee that was by knowing he’d fight his way through everything. And now look at him! He’s an absolute monster and I couldn’t be a more proud father!”  On that note, Janice walked over and gave his father a chest-crushing hug. Once he was let back down, and had caught his breath, Charles returned to his rightful throne and began to speak. 
“Now, since introductions have been taken care of, Janice, I’d like for you to do what daddy has raised you to do.”  Upon the command, Janice unsheathed the axe from his back and began to approach Walburn. Walburn began to get very frantic and fidgety. Without giving him the chance to speak or utter a simple whimper, Janice flung his axe straight through the center of Walburn’s skull, leaving symmetrical halves of his brain lying on the extravagantly tiled floor of the throne room. Janice then walked back through the doors he entered and left Poncho and the others shocked and scared.
“My guests and new friends! Now that you have seen how business is handled, even though it can be terribly...barbaric, in my little piece of heaven, and how unnecessary comments are tolerated, I do expect you all to be on your best behavior whilst I allow you to live...here.” He stopped talking again and waved his hoof around. “I meant not here, as in this very room, but here as in the hideout in general. Probably somewhere extremely warm or cold, but I heard that some ponies don’t really mind temperature...” He rambled on, talking to himself.
Patel looked over again at the others and whispered, “This dude...”
“Anywho, enough of my insensitive rambles, I’ll have you shown to your new rooms. Xarlin, my good friend!” A pause that lasted for a few seconds filled the massive room. Poncho and the others looked at the remains of Wahlburn. Disbelief and depression took over their thoughts.
Suddenly, Xarlin wandered back into the throne room, “Lord Fa-I mean Charles, you’ve called my services?”
“Yes, my friend! Show them to their new rooms.”
“Which rooms? The Hall or-”
“Now Xarlin, you should know better. They only get the good rooms when they pledge fealty to the cult and to myself. You know where to take them. Now if you all excuse me.” With a twirl of his cape, Charles left the room through the same door as Janice.
Xarlin quickly turned around, “Alright, let’s go, follow me.”
“Yuh-yuh-yuh-yes sir,” whimpered the saddened Spike over the loss of his friend. Xarlin led them back to the main atrium and passed through groups of members hanging around within it. They traversed the massive room and was led down a narrow corridor. At the end was another door, and when opened, showed the location of their new rooms. The room had a distinct similarity to a prison block. The room itself was big, and also multi-layered, but the “rooms” were actually cells. Each cell contained a simple bed and a blanket, from the ones that were open. On the sides of the cells were iron walls about an inch thick. The only way in and out of the cells were through the broad iron door. In the cells that were open, they could see other ponies being held against their will. Most of them looked weary and deprived of life. There were multiple guards patrolling on each level, and from what Twilight could figure out, one guard was in charge of one section. Xarlin led the group through a door with a section of six cells. 
“Since we don’t really have enough for the twelve of you individually, seeing how there are only six cells per section,  I guess we have to put you in two to a cage. I don’t give a shit who you are paired with. Don’t try escaping because guards are always on watch. Food and water will be provided in the morning and dinner. During the day, well, Charles will find something for you to do. You know, this would be a lot easier if you just accept your new fate as a member of Phaselus Civilis.”
“Never,” said Twilight, with a rabious voice. Her own friends nodded in return, while Poncho and his were all under conditions nearing depression at the increasing deaths of their friends.
“Have it your way then, you have ten minutes until lockdown,” said Xarlin and he left the block, leaving them alone, save for their own company.