The ancient catacombs of Aquila were one of its most famous landmarks. Stretching underneath most of the city, much of it were ossuaries filled with bones of griffon and pony alike. Workers crawled through the tunnels in swarms, ants whose queen was nestled elsewhere, checking the stonework, the foundations, and even the bones to ensure they were secure. Even with all the work in progress a mature, graying griffon hen led a little flock of griffon cubs, pony foals, and one dragon along a marked path.
“During the First Revolution the catacombs were where many loyalists like my brave parents would hide as the Republicans ran roughshod over our fair nation. They have a long and storied history stretching back to the very founding of the city itself when-”
Flurry glanced at Spike and then across the little crowd to one particular griffon. When their eyes met the griffon shied away. She leaned a little toward her uncle to whisper.
“Why is he here?”
“You know why, you’re supposed to at least be able to tolerate his presence,” Spike whispered back. “His parents are well respected, so Vivienne needs them to be able to come to the palace once in a while.”
“-and Grover II ordered the catacombs off limits to his army-”
With her mind elsewhere, Flurry could only hear snippets of her teacher’s prattling. “Let me guess, everyone else is here to make sure I don’t hit him again.”
“Pretty much, yeah… It was my idea,” Spike admitted, “I thought maybe meeting others in a big group that’s not a formal thing would make it easier for you to make friends.”
Flurry let out a snort. “I don’t want to make friends in Aquileia. We’re not living here.”
Spike shook his head. “Twilight would be disappointed to hear that, Flurry.”
“Aunt Twilight isn’t here!” Flurry snapped.
Her ears pinned back as the noises around her ceased as the others stared at her. She glanced up to see her tutor adjust her glasses.
“Flurry Heart, is there something you’d like to share?”
“No Madame Boulanger,” she said meekly as her hoof stomped against the ground a few times.
The hen frowned. “Very well then. As I was saying, during the Second Revolution these catacombs were a refuge for many republicans, an ironic twist from the First Revolution-”
Flurry continued walking along with the group, tuning out the tutor as her hooves tapped against the ground, taking the time to do a double tap against the cold stone floor. Her wings twitched as she swiveled her ears this way and that.
“What are you doing?” Spike whispered.
“There’s a little wind, but it’s not a cross breeze. I’m trying to find out where it’s coming from,” Flurry whispered back.
“Why?”
“It’s bothering me, there’s something really familiar about it?”
“This way, children, it’s almost lunch time.”
The ancient catacombs had many entrances throughout the city, and each one usually had a cafe close by for tourists after their walks through the underground. As the children gathered and sat at tables and on benches, Flurry and Spike had set themselves apart. While they ate their lunches, Flurry could not stop from glaring at the nervous griffon that approached.
“Hey there Louis! Come to join us?” Spike said with a smile to try and ease the young griffon’s nervousness.
He tucked his wings in as he avoided looking at Flurry. “Um, yeah. I wanted to talk about the wind in the tunnels. I felt it too.”
Flurry squinted suspiciously at him. “What do you know about it?”
“Father works in the weather business, I’ve learned a lot of things. That was a winter wind down below. You felt it, I know you did, I saw how you used your feathers!” Louis said, bouncing on his hind legs in excitement.
Flurry chewed on a spinach leaf. “And you want to come with us back down?”
Spike scratched his head. “Back down? We’re done with the catacombs Flurry, we’re supposed to see the old fort next.”
She gave Spike an amused look. “I meant after dinner tonight. Aunt Luna and the queen are busy with their game stuff so it’ll be easy to sneak out.”
“I don’t know…”
“Can I come?” Louis asked. “I want to know why there’s a winter wind under the city!”
The alicorn regarded the griffon carefully. “Well, I guess. You can use your magic to keep track of it while I use my earth pony magic to guide us around.” Flurry glanced around. “We can meet up here, I can see the palace over there. Do you think you can get here by yourself Louis?”
“Um, I can try.” He spread his wings out a little. “I’ve been practicing my flying so I think I can find my way here.”
“Great. After supper then.”
Flurry nudged open the door to her balcony and lifted her front hooves up onto the railing to look out to the city beyond. Her wings spread out slowly and she gave a few flaps only to draw them back into her sides as a knocking came from the bedroom door.
The familiar voice of her aunt could be heard on the other side. “Flurry, may I come in?”
“You may,” Flurry said as she stepped down from the railing and back into the room as Luna walked inside.
Flurry bit the inside of her cheek as Luna had a very subtle smattering of makeup applied to her face along with her hair done up.
“Weren’t you and the queen doing your war thing?”
“We were, yes, but things ended early. An operational pause, one would call it. So we are taking a break to gather our thoughts.”
“You’re going out.”
Flurry’s ear twitched at her aunt’s gentle laugh. “She had been invited to an opera earlier in the week but did not let them know if she would attend until tonight. I wanted to wish you a good night before I left.”
She pouted up at Luna. “Can we go to the opera sometime?”
Luna leaned down and nuzzled Flurry. “We shall. Remember to wash up before bed and to brush your teeth. Goodnight Flurry, I love you.”
“I love you too aunt Luna,” she replied as she gave a dutiful kiss to the older alicorn's cheek.
After the door closed Flurry placed her ear against it, listening to the muffled sound of Luna’s hooves against the carpeting. As the sound drifted further and further away she pulled away and trotted back to the balcony. She hopped up onto the railing, large wings spread out to maintain her balance. Flurry scurried along the railing and hopped over to the next balcony, hooves sliding effortlessly along the metal before she dropped down and swiftly tapped on the door.
The curtains pulled back slightly and a familiar green eye peered at Flurry for a moment before Spike pulled the curtains aside and opened the door.
“You’re really going back to the catacombs?” he asked as he crunched down on a gem.
“Yeah! You’re coming with me, right? Aunt Luna is going out to the opera so we can be clear for a few hours.”
Spike furrowed his brow for just a moment. “All right, just let me get some things before we go.” As he turned around, Flurry’s ear twitched as she heard him mutter “Luna going to the opera? She hates Aquileian operas.”
He came back out with a little pack strapped to his side. “Some snacks because I don’t want to hear you complain about being hungry while we’re down there,” he explained as he worked his wings.
Together they took off into the night sky, flying side by side and going high above the rooftops. Most of the griffons below didn’t notice the pair, the glow of the city lights a dim yellow for those illuminating the walkways and bright white at the store fronts and apartments. Spike landed unevenly on a roof, the claws of his feet scrambling across clay tiles, one cracking.
“Oops.”
Flurry landed beside him, her hooves settling without issue. “What’s wrong?”
He flexed his wings a little. “I haven’t used these in a while, so it’s kind of awkward. The muscles aren’t as flexible as they used to be.”
Flurry craned her head to look over the edge of the roof. “When was the last time you flew?” she asked as she turned her attention back to her uncle.
“Oh, geeze, I don’t remember. Definitely before the war…” Spike fetched out a small gem and popped it into his mouth, crunching on it. “I should be good now!”
With a nod, Flurry spread her wings out and took off with Spike following right after, the pair continuing on their way.
They descended down across the street from the cafe, Louis already there and nibbling on a pastry. He waved to them as they landed.
“You’re here! Great. The catacombs are supposed to be closed off at night, but I looked around and there doesn’t seem to be anyone actually keeping an eye on the entrance.”
“It’s probably locked,” Spike pointed out, “If they don’t want folks running around underground at night.”
“Or maybe the queen has her ‘little owls’ keeping watch,” Flurry said as she trotted on over toward the catacomb entrance.
“La Chouette?!” Louis squawked out as his head spun around.
“Come on Louis,” Flurry snapped at him as she tapped her hoof against the ancient oaken door. “Hmm, it is locked.”
“Well, I guess that means we should probably go back to the palace-” Spike was cut off as Flurry’s horn lit up and the door opened soundlessly, her golden aura encompassing the entirety of it.
“I’d sneak snacks out of the kitchen pantries back in Sunset all the time,” she explained with a cheery tone as her hooves clip-clopped down the stairs into the dark tunnels below..
With a groan Spike followed after her, and with another nervous glance around Louis scrambled in as well. As soon as Louis had passed the threshold to the catacombs the door silently swung shut.
Flurry’s horn illuminated the passageway in a dim, golden light as her hooves gently tapped against the ground.
“Can you concentrate on your unicorn and earth pony magic at once?” Spike asked. He looked at the skulls embedded along the wall, the light of Flurry’s magic making them look like priceless artifacts waiting to be plucked by enterprising thieves rather than bone remains.
“Of course. A basic light spell is nothing. It’s the earth pony bit that’s a little more difficult,” Flurry explained in between taps of her hoof. “I don’t think aunt Celestia or Luna remember anything about using it. Louis! You’re searching for that wind, right?”
“O-oh, yeah!” the griffon stammered out as he spread his wings slightly. He raised the left and lowered the right, then alternated them. “This place is creepy without anyone else around.”
“It’s just a bunch of old bones, there’s nothing to be afraid of!” Spike assured him, even as he looked over his shoulder into the darkness they left behind.
They walked along slowly until Louis let out a chirp of surprise sped up to walk beside Flurry. “I feel it now, we need to go right up here.”
Flurry paused for a moment and tapped her hooves against the ground. “Hmm. Okay, we go right.”
“What are you doing anyways?” Louis asked as they turned, more empty skulls staring along the walls.
“Marking our path so we can find our way back. Leave a bit of magic behind, sorta like leaving a bread trail, except more reliable.”
Louis flitted a wing, keeping track of the thin, chill wind. “Where’d you learn that?”
Flurry bit her lip. “Earth pony Royal Guard trick,” she said. “How far do you think the wind goes?”
“Oh, that kind of thing is almost impossible to figure out. I’m working mainly on where its flow is coming from. It’s so slight, if it wasn’t for my weather education I’d probably have missed it. It’s funny, it definitely feels like a winter wind, but it doesn’t make any sense unless someone was making it.”
They came up to an intersection, the catacomb path splitting off in three other directions. Louis stepped forward, wing raised high. He circled around slowly with intense concentration before he lowered both wings.
“This way, the breeze is getting a little stronger and colder.”
Flurry and Spike followed after Louis as he led them along, the tunnels deathly quiet save for the sound of their feet against the ground. Time rolled by as they came to another intersection.
“Wait,” Flurry said as she tapped at the ground. “We’ve been here before.”
“What?” Spike looked around, eyes narrowed. “How can you tell?”
She rolled her eyes. “The magic trail I’ve been leaving behind!” she squeaked out in annoyance. “We came back to the four-way path from before.”
“B-but,” Louis gulped, “we kept going straight after that right turn!” His wings twitched, feathers gone askew.
Flurry turned around as she kept tapping her hooves on the ground. “We did. These catacombs aren’t known for being magical.”
“T-they were known for being a holy place to M-Maar,” Louis stammered out as he paced around, his tail fidgeting.
With a roll of her eyes Flurry walked over and nudged Louis firmly. “You don’t believe those old tales, do you?”
A whistle of chill wind blew by them and the cold bit through the layers of feathers, hair, and scales.
“Not until tonight,” the griffon whispered with a shiver as his pupils shrank.
Flurry looked down the dark corridor, her eyes widened from what she had felt in the freezing breeze. Hooves clopped noisily against stone as she trotted down the path the wind came from. Spike and Louis scrambled right behind her, calling for her to wait just a moment but she was too focused on finding where the wind came from. The familiarity of the cold had wrapped around her heart and was the force pulling her along.
The wind whistled in her ears, the cold wreathed her wings. So intent was she on following the path that everything else was shut out, the winding tunnels of the bone-laden catacombs twisting this way and that. As she ducked down through a narrow passageway the ancient door slowly swung shut behind her. Flurry galloped so far ahead that she couldn’t hear the panic from her uncle as Spike tried to pry open the door in every way he could.
The muscles in her legs ached as she stumbled along, her lungs seared from exertion. Flurry’s thoughts were muddled and her head swam as her pace slowed down. She leaned against a wall, only to yelp as stone and bone crumbled away. With a scream she tumbled over, the wall having given way to a slope. Hooves scrambled to find purchase against the smooth stone but failed to grab hold. Her wings spread, only for the narrow way to keep her from being able to stall.
When the slope ended and the floor began Flurry rolled a little further before coming to a complete stop. She groaned as she stood up, legs shaky from the adrenaline. Panting, she swung her head around, horn alight with magic. The path continued just a small way to a simple iron door. Flurry turned and looked up the long slope, then there was a bang behind her. With a jump she turned and fired off a wild shot of pure magic at the now open iron door. As the golden aura disappeared into the darkness a gust of icy wind came from the opening.
The chill wrapped around her like a blanket and Flurry Heart accepted it, her wings opening for just a moment before they folded back. Her hooves tapped lightly against the stone floor as she walked forward through the open door and it quietly shut behind her.
Flurry looked around the room. There was little furniture, most of it having collapsed from dry rot long ago. Unlike the rest of the catacombs, no bones were set in the walls. Mosaics of ancient scenes she could not even begin to know about lined the walls. She lifted her head up and the light of her magic illuminated a large statue of old marble. A raven griffon, swathed in a large cloak.
She sat down as her gaze was drawn to the marble before her. “You’re Maar, aren’t you?” she asked as she tried to catch her breath.
Silence.
“Aunt Luna said that you don’t talk to us, but I’ve still tried,” Flurry said as she kicked a front hoof against the ground. “I prayed to Boreas because he’s the king, so maybe he’d help us princesses, but then that letter came for aunt Celestia and she left us.”
“I prayed to Arcturius because he’s the god of war, so maybe he’d help us get our home back! But then the letter from the queen came to aunt Luna.”
Flurry wiped away tears forming in her eyes. “I prayed to Eyr to bring my family back together, then aunt Luna told me we were coming here.”
She looked up and sniffled. “I guess you might not want to help if I ask because I tried all the others first, but I could really use your help! P-please Maar, I just want to see my mom and dad again!” Flurry choked out. “A-and aunt Twilight too, and grandma and grandpa and and a-and I know you’re the god of death and all b-but if you could c-could you keep them alive long enough for m-me to see them again?”
Soft sobs echoed in the room, wrapped in her own sorrow that she didn’t notice the wings embracing her.
“You gave Spike quite a scare little filly,” Luna chided gently.
Flurry looked up, tears trickling down her cheeks. “A-aunt Luna?”
“Let us return to the palace, it has been a long night for you.”
Luna gently scooped Flurry up onto her back and disappeared with a flash.
Within a moment they were back at Flurry’s room at the palace and Luna gently pulled the covers on the bed back to set Flurry in. She carefully stroked the younger alicorn’s mane with a wing as her horn glowed. Flurry watched as Luna gently tucked her into the bed sheets, the moon princess humming softly.
“I’m sorry.”
“You have to apologize to Spike for running off on him like that,” Luna said as she made sure the blankets were folded correctly.
“I’m sorry for sneaking out,” Flurry corrected.
Luna looked at her niece and smiled. “I am not upset about you sneaking out,” she said as she kissed Flurry’s forehead. “My sister no doubt would be, but that is why we will not tell her. It is good that you have made up with Louis.”
Once satisfied that her niece was tucked in properly Luna walked towards the door. “No more escapades without telling me first, okay Flurry?”
“...Okay.”
Their eyes met and Luna smiled. “Goodnight Flurry, I love you.”
“Goodnight aunt Luna, I love you too.”
The light went out as Luna slipped through the door. Flurry rolled onto her side and stared out to the balcony. The balcony door creaked open and she could feel a cold wind embrace her even through the layers of bed sheets. The same chill she felt as a newborn, when she shattered the Crystal Heart. She drifted off to sleep, tears turning to frost on her cheeks.
She dreamed of home.