Of Love and Loss

by tom117z

8 - Flurry Heart

Ancient Ruins, Far From Equestria

Princess Flurry Heart carefully moved her way through the giant ancient, battered stone doors at the far end of the cave. Even in this cavern the vines and foliage of the jungle above seemed to invade every available space it could find. It was so thick that two of Flurry’s companions laboriously hacked away with machetes, attempting to beat back the centuries old flora.

The rest of her entourage brought up the rear, carefully bringing their equipment into the structure, trying to prevent any damage to either.

Flurry gave an impressed whistle as she entered the ruin’s entrance hall. The room was large with several staircases leading in several directions. Still standing pillars, undoubtable reinforced via magic, held up a roof that should have caved a very long time ago. Strange carvings decorated the walls, some being text written in some long dead language, and others showing various scenes since lost to history. Long dead torches still hung to the walls, and several ponies were already at work replacing them with new ones to light up the darkness.

“Look at this place,” Flurry Heart exclaimed, “How old do you think it is?”

The professor finished examining some runes carved into the wall, “Looking at some of these carving, all the way back before the founding of Equestria. Likely during the time of Faust herself.”

The unicorns in the group all looked rather uncomfortable, “You highness, do you feel that?”

“Yes,” Flurry Heart confirmed, “Dark magic. This place is full of it.”

“Where is it coming from?”

“I don’t know,” The princess responded, “But I intend to find out.”

Flurry turned to the expedition team, “I want you all to set up a base camp. While you are doing that, I will track down our dark magic problem.”

“Your highness!” The professor protested, “You can’t possibly go off on your own in this place!”

“Just watch me,” Flurry Heart smirked, “I promise to be careful, just have everything ready for when I return.”

The professor wanted to protest further, but a stern glare from the princess stopped the words from ever forming.

Flurry Heart lit up her horn a magnificent golden, attuning it with a spell to locate the dark magical source. A small spec of light danced off of her horn’s leylines, and shot off up a set of stairs and down the dark passageway beyond.

Excitedly, Flurry Heart briskly followed the light, making sure to grab a saddle bag filled with torches and supplies as she went.

She continued down the hallway for a little while, lighting torches on the wall as she went. It was noted that the passageway was perfectly straight, with no deviations or rooms lining the walls. However, the carvings on the wall seemed to increase in frequency, and in content. Eventually her spell led her to the end of the long hallway, and to a deep, dark set of stairs leading to the bowels of the planet. The young alicorn princess hesitated for a moment, looking down into the dark depths that gave her nothing but the feeling of dread. However, she forced herself onwards, descending down the staircase into whatever would be found below.

It was then she found something peculiar.

Traps.

That usually would be a causes for concern in a ruin such as the place Flurry Heart found herself in. Except these traps had already been dealt with, and disarmed.

Recently.

Her spell would stop to wait for her every time she stopped to examine one such trap, each one showing signs of very recent tampering. Or at least, recent given how old the ruin itself was.

Somepony had been down there, Flurry realised. That fact did little to put her unease to rest.

And as she continued on, the presence of dark magic only increased. This was most apparent, at the very bottom of the staircase, where yet another hallway extended forward.

However, now she could see the end. And there existed a doorway, which looked like it would be high security and heavily reinforced in its prime, but now was rusted off its hinges and hanging down. As decayed as the surrounding structure.

As Flurry Heart made her way forwards, she stepped over the rubble in the doorway and found herself entering a large chamber, in the centre of which sat a large dark obelisk overflowing with red, green and black energies. Dark magic, and lots of it.

“Found you,” Flurry Heart stated.

The roof was held up by four curved, spiked pillars holding of the roof of the circular chamber. The obelisk itself floated ever so slightly off of its pedestal in the centre of the room, humming menacingly.

Flurry Heart cautiously approached the artefact, scanning for any spells that would seek to actively harm her.

She found none.

The alicorn got up right next to the obelisk, and stretched out her wings to bring her up into the air slightly, on level with the artefact. She placed a hoof on it, and found it to be deathly cold, with slight vibrations running through it. The glowing runes caught her eye, and yet without a means to translate the language Flurry heart could do little more than speculate.

“Why isn’t aunt Twilight here when you need her?” Flurry chuckled to herself.

“I would be careful if I were you,” A distorted voice said.

With a shriek of surprise, Flurry dropped to the floor and spun on the spot. Behind her, near the entrance of the chamber stood a shadow.

The shadow had the basic features of an alicorn, and stood a fair bit taller than Flurry Heart. Aside from that however, the shadow alicorn lacked any other distinguishing features.

“The obelisk is fragile,” The shadow spoke, “And once broken, it cannot be remade.”

“Who are you?” Flurry Heart demanded, on guard.

The figure sighed, “You wouldn’t remember me, Flurry Heart. It was so very long ago.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know many things about you,” It responded, “But that is not what we have to discuss here today.”

“What are you talking about?” Flurry asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I was told of your imminent arrival, and I am glad Discord was correct. You being here is most fortuitous.”

“Discord? I know that name…” Flurry remembered the tales her family had told her about their younger years, during the final days of Celestia’s reign.

“Indeed,” The shadow said, “But before I impart my knowledge onto you, Flurry. I must have a promise from you.”

Flurry Heart tilted her head, “It depends of the promise.”

“It is simple, you tell nopony of this place. And I mean nopony. And once you leave, you’re to forbid your expedition team from entering this place. The rest of the ruin is fair game.”

“Why?”

“I already told you the answer,” It responded, “The obelisk is fragile. And we still have use for it.”

“We? Does that include Discord?”

“Yes,” It simply answered, “Things are at play, Flurry Heart. And care and precision must be taken to avoid potential catastrophe.”

Flurry Heart studied the figure, debating with herself within her own mind.

In the end however, she said, “Very well. I promise. Cross my heart hope to fly stick a cupcake in my eye!”

The figure chuckled, “Now, that is a promise I can believe. Very well then.”

“Now, what is it you have to tell me?”

“A warning,” The figure stated urgently, “Your family is in danger.”

“What?” Flurry Heart shouted, “Danger? What do you mean?”

“I have seen things. The Crystal Empire, Sombra left something behind. One final revenge in the case of his death. And it has been discovered.”

With the warning given, the thing began to evaporate back into the shadows it emerged from. Flurry Heart darted forward in a panicked attempt to stop it.

“Stop! There has to be more than that!”

“Go, Flurry,” A voice echoed throughout the room, “Go while there is still time.”

Flurry Heart bolted.

In a speed that would make Rainbow Dash proud, Flurry flew up the stairs and through the hallways, all the way back to the central chamber.

“Your highness!” The professor greeted, “Base camp has been prepared and-“

“No time!” Flurry shouted, “I’m leaving immediately, and you are all hereby forbidden from entering that hallway, understand!” Flurry pointed to the hallway she had just emerged from.

“Y-yes, you majesty. But why?”

“No time!” She repeated, “I have to get home, now!”

She was about to take off again, when she remembered something, “Professor, pass me my dragon fire candle, quick!”

“R-right,” The professor went over to a table that had been arranged nearby, and passed over the object in question.

Flurry Heart grabbed the candle, along with some paper and a quill.

“Aunt Twilight-“ She spoke what she began to write.

Comments

[Cross Lament]

Cliffhangers!

[Crensler]

7198508 Gah, the bane of every avid reader

[Shattered Ice]

Way to go!

[The Radiance]

The shadow is definitely Celestia

[DarkSnowGaming]

8305308
Most likely and i wouldn't be surprised.