//------------------------------// // A Tome of Secrets // Story: The Walking Hugged (Hollowverse) // by Buraisu9009 //------------------------------// it was just another glorious day in the oh so perfect crustal empire. Everypony was going about thier daily routine, smiles all around. Birds were chriping, fillies were laughing and playing in the streets, the sun was shining, everythingwas peaceful, pristine, and, incredible boring.... Such was the thoughts of princess Flurryheart, sure it was great that things were going great in the empire, and yes it was also, good that everypony was happy but, by luna, would it be too much to ask for a little excitment to happen? Flurry sighed as she got up from the throne and slowly made her way down to the library, one of the few places she was allowed to go without an escort, to say her father shining armor was overprotective was a drastic understatment. "Argh, if I didn't know any better, you think he didn't trust me, I mean I only snuck out once! And it was aunties idea, but, did she get yelled at oh no, it was all on on me hmph". to say she had abit of a strained relationship with her aunt was well, putting it mildly. She loved her dearly but, like her father, she could work flurrys last nerve. The two have always been like that though, even when she was just a fillie, cadence would go on and on for hours about how much of a trouble maker flurry could be, and how twilight would have one of her "epic freakout sessions" whenever she was abit much to handle. The thought did put a smile on flurrys face, as much as the relationship strained and twisted, she couldnt help to be want to be just like her aunt, and why wouldnt she. Twilight Sparkle, who now ruled as Queen, not princess, Queen of all Equestria, with her friends serving as her council, any villian would be hard pressed to cause trouble. But flurry envied her aunt for completely different reason. Being a royal or princess or heck, even an alicorn was dime a dozen in Equestria nowadays, fo the point it became a joke. No, flurry didnt envy twilight for her status or power, she envied the freedom. For even as twilight ruled as queen, she or her friends still went on numerous adventures day in and day out. She longed to be like that, to see far off lands, to explore Equestriajust like she did, yet alas, between her "courtly duties" and overprotective daddy, it wasnt so simple. Thus flurry was forced to live out her fantasies through the pages of a book, ironically, just as her aunt did when she was a young filly. So she pushed open the doors to the royal library, the large doors creaking open as the royal archivist looked up from her book and welcomed her "Hello again your highness, back so soon?" Scribe Hoof asked as she welcomed her friend inside flurry rolled her eyes but, offered a smile "It's like dad will let me go anywhere else after last time Ms. Hoof". The archivist smirked as she walked over to the princess. "Yes well, if a certain princess hadn't snuck out fir a late escapade with her aunt without telling anypony, she may not be under lock and key now hmm". Flurry became abit defensive at that remark, but, she knew it was useless to argue. "That was twilights idea, and I, argh... nevermind. Can I please just have a book, something interesting, preferably something that I haven't seen a hundred times?" Scribe Hoof thought fir a moment, flurry had been to the library so much that nearly everything in here that would be of her interest had been read already. Despite her teasing, Scribe Hoof felt abit bad for flurry, after all, how would she be able to be an effective ruler and princess if she didn't interact with more ponies but, that was above her station. As she looked through her catalog of Tomes of possible interest, then near the bottom of the page, she saw something that caught her eye. "Well, I can't promise it'll be of your interest but, I have a tome about the secrets and mysteries of the castle~" That indeed caught flurrys attention. "Tell me more". She asked getting abit excited. Scribe smiled as she lead the princess to where the book was towards the back shelves as she explained abit about the tome in question. "The tome talks about some of the ancient secrets of the castle, you see, when the fortress was first constructed thousands of years ago by King Sombra, he commissioned many passages, hidden rooms, and hid many ancient treasures all over the place. Some say it was to protect his sources of power, while others claim it was to hide objects away, that not even sombra himself could control". The story captured flurryhearts imagination, she lived in the castle her whole life but, she'd never heard about this. True it wasn't out of the ordinary for castles to have tons of different rooms and secrets, the castle of the two sisters was a testament to that. Even so, it was interesting to say the least. As the two reached the shelf where the book was held, Scribe Hoof picked the book off the shelf with her teeth, dusting it off, coughing abit as some entered her nose. Flurry giggled as she used her magic to clean up scribes muzzle, to which she thanked her. "Are those tales really true Ms Hoof? Mom and dad never said anything about it?" Scribe Hoof smiled and shrugged as she gave the tome to flurry heart. "Whose to say, the past had many secrets it has yet to tell, maybe it's just waiting for the right pony to find them" She says walking back to her desk. Scribe didn't know if it was right of her to put such ideas in flurrys head but, on the other Hoof, she wanted the girl to have some adventure, even if it was within the walls of the castle. Flurry immediately smiled and teleported to her room and immediately began reading through the book. the tome certainly didnt disappoint. Line by line, verse after verse, it spoke of long forgotten secrets and passages that supposedlyhad been hidden throughout the fortress, and just as ms hoof, had stated, it had been commissionedby king sombra, but, not just him, apperently, it also, had been order by one Queen Amore, the former ruler of the empire had comissioned, apperently, she had crafted a special chamber, holding mystical relics from past rulers of the empire, one that could only be opened by those of either the royal lineage or, those who from her direct line. Flurryheart had only ever heard about Queen Amore a hoofull of times, she wondered though, that name, Amore, it reminded her of her mother Cadence, or Mi Amore Cadenza, was her mom a decesndant of Amore? And if so, that made her, flurryheart, a decsendant as well. Which also, meant, she could locate and open this passage, all those magical artificats, relics of the empire lost to history. "Oooo maybe if I find and open the door, mom and dad will finally give me some room to breath, and, I can have my own adventure in the process, finally things are looking up'. Suddenly though, a knock came from flurrys door. "Flurry honey, it's me, can I come in?" Flurry sighed and responded. "It's open mom". Cadence walked in and walked over. "Where you've been sweetie, your father and I haven't seen you all morning?" Flurry rolled her eyes. "I went to library to find something to read, not like you guys will let do much else". Cadence frowned at that, she knew flurry wanted some independence, but, she worried for her. Flurry was alot like her that way, they both got abit tired with how well, perfect the crystal empire could be, and cadence also, knew how overprotective her husband could be of thier daughter. It was an issue, one she tried to get him to ease up on but, there was only so much she could do. Secretly, she was glad twilight had snuck flurry out for some fun, even though she didn't show it. She didn't want the relationship between her and her daughter to deteriorate, so she tried to loosen abit. If only a little. She had noticed that flurry was reading a book she hadn't seen before. "What do you have there?" Flurry panicked abit. "U.. um nothing, just a history book". Cadence rose an eyebrow. "Flurry your a worse lair than applejack" Flurry tried to come up with an excuse but, just sighed, she was already on thin ice due to her sneak out, she was rebellious, not stupid. "Argh fine, it's a book about the castle, talking about secret passages, hidden rooms and stuff like that". That actually peaked cadences interest as she took a seat next to flurry and smirked. "Tell me more". Flurry couldn't help but, have a flash of Deja vu from a few moments ago, mother like daughter as they say. So she shrugged and explained what she learned. "I barely just started reading but, it talks about hidden rooms that king sombra built and someone called Queen Amore built some secret vault somewhere I'm the castle, do you know anything about her mom?" Cadence thought about it for a moment, she had indeed heard about Queen Amore but, she didn't know the finer details. "I remember celestia telling me about her, I know she used to rule the empire before sombra, but, something happened to her, sources vary but, sombra supposedly over through her". Flurry nodded but, was curious about something. "I actually wondered if you were related to her, since your names are so similar, I know that doesn't mean much but, still". Cadence was now curious as well, sadly she didn't know much about her birth parents, since she was adopted by celestia at a young age, yet celestia insisted she call her aunt instead of mom, even though cadence considered the alicorn her true mother. "I have to admit, I'm not sure but, now you've got me curious. What else does the tome say?" "Like I said, I only barely started but, it did say that only one of the royal family, or a direct decesndant of Amore can find and open the vault". Cadence smiled and got up. "Then let's get looking". Flurry rose a brow confused. Cadence smirked as she looked at her daughter. "Your not the only one who gets bored out of her mind around here sweetheart, now cmon slow poke". She says walking towards the door. Flurry smirked back as she picked up the tome with her magic. She may have hoped to originally go on this adventure solo but, it might be fun to have her mom along, foal steps she guessed. "At least I know where I git my rebellious streak from" She though, laughing to herself.