AN: Four updates in one day?! That never happens to me! Okay, yes, I was on a roll and couldn't wait any longer, so enjoy the last few chapters of this story cause at the end I have a surprise.

Interlude II

"Admit it, Screw Ball! We're lost!" Hail Storm complained.

"Would you calm down?! We are not lost!"

"Then where exactly are we?" Apple Shield quaked.

"Yeah, care to tell us that?!" Hail gestured.

Butter Ball was looking around.

Screwy yelled, "Look, I'm working on it! And I'll say if we're lost, no pony else. Got it?!"

By then, Butter took a step and a piece of the floor moved where a trapdoor opened. They all fell in, screaming.

In a different part of the castle, Fire Spark, Dignity, and Zany found a room with an organ in it.

"Hey, I think I know what this is!" Fire exclaimed. "The Organ to the Outside! My mother told me how it creeped the rest of the aunties out just by playing music and triggering trapdoors all over the place!"

"Yes…" Dignity pondered, "I seem to recall my mother telling me the same story and how she was in the throne room when she ended up outside."

"Let's try it out!" Zany made his way to the keys.

Fire was about to protest when Dignity stopped him, "Let him have some fun. It's not going to hurt anyone."

He looked at him in confusion, "Since when are you the fun guy?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, it's just whenever I see you with Butter Ball, Hail, and Perplexity, you always seem to be the quiet and stiff one of the group."

"I can't help that. I was raised in a household with manners and etiquette. I am a gentlecolt because of my parents and other ponies have told me so. That's something I would like to live up to."

"That's good."

"Surely with you as a prince, you know how important it is to live by one's expectations."

"Do I ever… Whenever my parents brought me along to huge gatherings like the Grand Galloping Gala or the Crystal Faire, I always have to be on my best royal behavior…"

"But do you like it?"

"Not… really… I rather spend my days in the castle cellar where my laboratory is and conduct experiments."

Dignity gave a small chuckle.

"And you? What do you do when you don't need to act so proper all the time?"

"Well… uh…" he turned his head away, "you'll think it's foolish…"

"What?"

He groaned, "Promise you won't say a word?"

Fire did the Pinkie-Promise gesture, "You have my word."

Dignity glanced over to see if Zany was still playing with the Organ. He whispered in Fire's ear, "Sometimes… I write poetry…"

"Oh…?"

"You don't think it's… girlish?"

"Who says poetry is girlish? Some of the best poems in history were written by stallions. One famous colt, I might add, is Edcolt Allen Poe, who wrote many intimidating poems that send a chill up your spine."

"Huh. I never thought of that."

"Oh, yes, my favorite is…" they kept on conversing.

It was dark all around them as Screw Ball tried to move, but that caused a yell.

"Ow! Whose hoof is in my ribs?!" Hail Storm said.

"Some pony's tail is in my face!" Butter Ball shouted.

"Why is it so dark?!" Apple Shield yelped.

Screwy started feeling the walls and to her luck, she felt a torch and requested, "Shield, think you can light this?"

A blow of green fire managed to light the tiny room they were in and the fire landed on the torch as Screwy held it up with her magic.

Hail pointed, "Nice going, Screw Ball. You got us trapped!"

"I didn't do this!" she retorted.

"What are we going to do?!" Butter Ball worried. "What if we're stuck down here forever without food or water?! We'll be goners! And I never had the chance to tell Perplexity how much I've come to like like her!"

"Whoa-whoa!" Hail faced him. "You like like Perplexity?! I like like Perplexity!"

Screw Ball motioned, "Please tell me I'm not hearing what I think I'm hearing, but are you two hitting on my sister?!"

"Uh…" they both faced her with blushing faces.

"Maybe…?" Butter Ball shrugged.

"She's well, um, you know cool… by 20 percent…" Hail rubbed his neck.

She smacked her face, "I don't believe this. Here we are stuck in a hole and all you two can think is how to impress Perp."

"Just out of curiosity… Who do you think she would choose?" Butter questioned.

"Hey, I may be her sister, but I don't know everything she's thinking about. From what I can tell, she sees you guys as her friends and nothing more, but hey, I might be wrong. Perp was always good about hiding her true feelings."

Hail slowly said, "So… there might be chance for one of us to…"

"Don't get ahead of yourselves. Who my sister dates is her business, but I can tell you that I hope she doesn't end up with one of you knuckleheads."

"Is that all you see in us?" Hail gestured. "Nothing but prank-loving, trouble-making colts?"

"Well, you haven't exactly shown your mature side whenever I'm around."

"But we thought you loved a good prank." Butter pointed, "Perp tells us how much you love to mess around."

"Yes, but I don't go overboard like you two do. At least you guys can get away with it. I can't!"

"Well… why not?" Shield questioned.

"Because…" she faced the other two colts. "Your parents are loved and respected all over Equestria. My father had tried to conquer Equestria! Now ask yourself: whose kid are you willing to believe would have fun that never meant to cause unintentional harm?"

The two stood bewildered.

"Exactly," she continued. "This is why, Perp, Zany, and I have to be careful. If any of us uses our magic in the wrong way, ponies are going to assume the worst just because we're our father's children."

"But surely with Aunt Fluttershy being your mom, you would get some benefit of a doubt?" Butter said.

Screwy slowly shook her head, "My parents warned me that ponies will think what they think, so it's best to lay low as much as possible."

"That sure explains why Perp never joins us for a good prank." Hail pointed.

"More or less," she replied. "But of the three of us, it's Zany that has the hardest time controlling his emotions with his magic."

Shield nodded, "I can vouch for that. One time at school, there were a couple of bullies teasing us for looking different. Zany nearly lost it!"

"Thankfully, he's getting better at it…" She turned, asking the colts, "So, what is it about my sister you find attractive?"

"She has an adorable laugh," said Butter Ball.

"She encourages us on," said Hail Storm. "She's the pony who keeps us together."

Screwy just smirked.

Meanwhile, Dignity was telling Fire Spark why he liked Perplexity.

"She's kind, gentle, and funny. And outspoken when she wants to be."

Fire whispered, "So… you're thinking of impressing her by befriending her little brother?"

"That's what I'm hoping for."

"Well, good luck there, mate."

"Oh, come on, how hard can it be?"

Fire grimaced.

Apple Shield looked around, "So… any ideas on how we get out of here?"

Screwy started feeling the walls again, "There's got to be a door there…" Then she felt a hole, "Wait a second, I think I feel something." She pulled down whatever she was feeling and the next thing they knew, a wall slide them out. Once they got a good look of where they were at, she exclaimed, "Ha! I told we'd find the Hall of Hooves!"

Hail smiled, "Okay, sorry I ever doubted you."

"Whew, this is sure creepy…" Butter Ball pointed.

"Yeah…" AS quivered.

Screwy said, "Well, now that we've seen it, any idea how to get back?"

The colts glanced at each other nervously.