Prompt: Deep Castle

The little batpony colt trembles. Ruti's stomach growls standing at attention as their leader inspects the cadets. The bat pony's sloted copper eyes track the large imposing batpony stallion through the eyeholes of his helmet sings the praises of Nightmare Moon and propagandizes against the evil sun ponies. The colts cling to every word. Everypony puffs their emaciated chests with pride knowing one day their beloved Nightmare Moon will return and bring forth the eternal night they all crave. Ruti's mind wanders, the words mean nothing when he struggles to stand through the fatigue. The drawstrings on his armor cannot be pulled any tighter his hooves anchor his bony frame to the floor. He hasn't seen a fruit without blight in months however, in their deep castle in their flooded cave, they are sold promises of conquest.
The stallion stops and salutes his cadets. The silence scares Ruti to attention as he throws up his hoof in unison with the rest of the colts. He struggles to keep his hoof to his head as his legs quiver. The chorus of water dripping from the massive stalactites and whisper of the flowing water is enough to mask the occasional growl from an empty stomach. The fatigue consumes the little colt. His body aches and quivers simply holding his salute. He just needs to hold a little longer, he tells himself. The imposing stallion finally releases the salute much to the relief of the cadets.
In his regal cape and ancient uniform of shining buttons the stallion addresses his cadets. "You fine soldiers are the future of our kind, every one of us here knows our night will come and we must be ready to seize it. Even as those sun ponies seek to drive our kind to extinction, we must hold fast to ensure our princess, Nightmare Moon, has an army ready to for the fight to end the tyranny of the sun. Even as the sun ponies starve us and blind us with their light we must stand strong and be prepared for the fight ahead. I am proud of all of you!" He raises his hoof once more in salute as the colts struggle to return in their ancient oversized armor. He lowers his hoof to the floor with a click "Dismissed!"
"Praise Nightmare Moon!" The colts cheer in unison. Ruti lowers his hoof with relief. He has to catch his breath as the colts filter out of the barracks to return home. Ruti barely makes it out to the rope bridge. He collapses on the rotten wooden balcony weakly looking across the gargantuan cavern. His eyes capture the tranquility of their deep castle. Their fortress, their bastion of hope glows from the bioluminescent pool below illuminating the stalactite dwellings carved into the ceiling of the cavern. He finds his home in a low cold low cave carved into the wall of the cave. He smiles with relief knowing that despite how dire things may be atleast a hug from mama will make things feel better. He just...needs to rest he tells himself as the fatigue sets in. He can't lift his helmet anymore he drops his head to the slimey rotten balcony. Maybe after a rest he will have enough energy to get home
Just as his eyes drift closed a hulking black stallion's hooves touchdown on the balcony as his leathery wings fold. He doesn't spare a glance at Ruti as he steps over the starving colt. He enters the hollowed out stalactite with a heartfelt salute "Lord Blinding Dusk, my scouts have reported sun ponies entering the valley. Three of them. They do not appear to be of Celestia's ranks. They do not move like scouts either. How would you like us to handle the threat?" The stallion's gravelly voice reports with unwaivering sense of duty.
Ruti's curiosity gets the best of him. He always looks up to the scouts and hears the tales of their bravery from every mouth. The stories they tell from places far away from their deep castle inspire so much hope in the little colt. Maybe there is a place for them beyond the cave, a place far away from their deep castle. He eagerly listens as the two discuss the sun pony threat
Blinding Dusk stands behind his podium as a groan of inconvenience escapes his lips "are you sure they're not scouts Starry Nimbus?" The Batpony lord asks un rolling a map of the valley
Ruti hangs on every word. He's never heard anything about the sun ponies asside from the stories and propaganda. Will the guards launch a raid? Will they engage in psychological warfare. The possibilities excite the colt long enough to forget his hunger.
The stallion takes a stick in his mouth and points on the map where the sun ponies were spotted and where they were headed "scout formations would be moving along a strategic pre-planned route, their meandering path suggests they they are most likely lost travelers my Lord." The stallion faithfully reports
Ruti's excitement dwindles. The idea of war with the sun ponies excited him since he was a foal but it never seems to come. As he finally lifts himself to his hooves he hears the orders and it draws him back in.
"Looks like they may stumble upon the orchards at the rate they're traveling." Lord Blinding Dusk states with a sense of worry, "not like there will be much for them to steal regardless." He groans trying to come to a decision
Starry Nimbus nods in agreement "i estimate at the rate the group is traveling they will be at the orchards by next moonrise." The stallion confirms awaiting his orders.
Ruti shakes in his armor, the anticipation eats away at his feeble frame. Maybe he can join the raiding party and scare the sun ponies into the night.
Lord Blinding Dusk stands at his podium with deep contemplation though not a threat to their tranquil home, their deep castle, his lip curls into a sickening grin "i want you to end them."
Ruti's colt like smile of wonder fades in an instant but...they're travelers, the little colt asks himself baffled by the order
Lord Blinding Dusk's grandiose vision takes hold. Decades ago he took land from the sun ponies and now he will do it once more. "Those three sun ponies will be made an example. A way forward for our kind" Blinding dusk explains taking a step away from the podium to overlook their flooded cavern city.
Starry Nimbus freezes for a moment, his sharp immediate obedience waivers as the Lord takes note "My Lord, has Nightmare Moon returned?" The stunned stallion asks turning to his leader for answers
The lord stretches his wings with delight relishing in the grand vision of the future. "No, but we shall succeed. Nightmare Moon needs ponies of heart, merit and determination. If we simply wait for here down here, we will starve. I've seized the valley from the sun ponies before, what's stopping us from taking more?" The lord stomps his hooves turning back to his dutiful soldier "gather the army, i want an ambush waiting for them when they arrive. Take them and use them as bait to lure in the guards. That's when we will make our strike. Once the guards and those ponies are delt with. The sun pony settlement will be powerless to stop us and their orchards will be our to harvest." The lord fantasizes licking his fangs with delight
The stallion raises his hoof in salute "it will be done, my lord" he turns and leaves the room giving a glance to Ruti before taking flight in total silence.
Ruti can hardly believe his ears. They want to kill the sun ponies? But they're just travellers, they're innocent! He tells himself in disbelief. His heart aches and pounds. He has to do something, anything. Maybe the sun ponies aren't as bad as they say. The dimly lit cavern sings with the drips off the stalactites and the floow of water through their pool. He gazes upon their deep castle with a sense of disgust. It's all he has known his entire life. All while being told the sun poines are behind every misery, he looks towards the cave leading to the outside, the gate to their deep castle. He looks to the cave with fear not knowing what lay beyond the deep castle but he knows if he does nothing, life as he knows it will never be the same. Ruti slips off his helmet and unties his armor. with what little energy he has left, he stretches his little leathery wings and takes flight. He soars across the cavern flying to the exit as his hooves touch the cave floor he looks back to the deep castle once more. He has no idea what lay beyond but he prays whatever he finds will help him save the deep castle he loves so dearly. With a lone tear and a heart filled with sorrow, he leaves to find the three sun ponies and find the truth beyond the walls of their deep castle.