Shadow n flames

(play sad music)

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with a groan Daring stirred from her sleep keeping her eyes close as she shivers in the cold ''Ahui close the window will ya''

no respond

''Ahui'' she creak her eyes open only to find to herself surrounded by an cloak of darkness, she grasp struggling to sit up but soon finds that her hoofs are unsteady she frowns. Thanks to her years of adventuring the oddly unstable ground proves to be an small annoyance.

''Where am I?'' she ask herself '' the last thing I remember is walk in the Everfree with.......'' Her eyes widen worry starts to take over ''Ahui'' she whispers. Panic starts to fill her as the full memory runs itself in her mind, her falling into the hole with Ahui jumping after her, tears threaten to spill over with despair and sorrow echoing in her heart. ''Ahui'' she cried in morning 'It's all my fault....why did you jump in after me why why'' she starts to curl up in a ball of emotions and tears, her ears pick up slight rattling as her moves uncovering an overbearing smell that's cruelly attacks her nose she finches at the smell but she knew that specific smell, the stanch of ruins mixed with the smell of ancient dead, she knew it too well after all one must get use to the smell of long dead ponies if they are going to be tomb raiders unfortunately for her, in the state she was in the smell of death made things worse as she cried bitterly with her mind played cruel images of her Ahui falling to his death because of her.

*groan*

''Ahui?'' she said questioningly blinking back tears her tan ears perked up listening for the monkey-like sphinx  an another groan echos in the dark fellow by rattling sounds

''Dares!?'' Ahui half shouts/questions, ''Dares where are you! Are you ok''

Half choke by emotion Daring was attempted to run in the darkness following her beloved's voice instead she calls out to him ''I'm over here Ahui and I fine just an bit sworn'' she hears Ahui sighs in relief before asking, ''Can you see?''

''No, it's too dark I cant see pass my own hooves'' she yells back she feels her hoof bump against an grin glace her lips ''I'm going to try find an light''

''you do that, this place is giving me bad juju I don't think that we should be here the air doesn't feel right'' He called in warning feeling the fur on the back of his neck pricking.

''Yeah I'm getting an feeling about this place too Ahui'' Daring muddles as she searches though her bag seeking an magic torch, ''ah here it is! she cried out in triumph before slipping on the unstable ground the cave echos with rattling as the tan pegasus mare slide down a few feet crashing into something hard

''Dares!!'' shouts Ahui as he tried runing after his wife only to slip on something landing on his belly sliding till he crashed into her

''Oh'' moaned Daring in discomfort ''what did we hit?''

''Dares you ok'' asked Ahui struggling to stand back up

''I-I think s- ah'' cried Daring as her wing as Ahui's hand touched it, ''No I am Celestia damn it I think the bone busied''

Even thou she could see Ahui's she could ''feel'' his hurt look  she sighs -''I'll be okay after a while''

''..your sure...'' Ahui sensing an need to change the subject ''do you still have the light?

''yeah'' said Daring questioningly some how the torch manger to stay in her hoof the whole 'ride' ,'' let's see what we slipped on''

As soon the magical light burned brightly enough their jaws immediately drop at what they have found, an entire street covered with thousands of thousands of bones semi standing buildings that were heavily borne the signs of the time and aging , they idly wonder what the building would of looked if they were rebuilt, air was heavy with anguish as if the ruins gave off an aura of sorrow

"What..has...happen...here...'' whispered Daring in horror ''I had my share of ancient tombs but I never knew such a tomb as vast as this!''

''Dares I don't like this... the energy of this place....is bad very bad'' whimpered Ahui feeling the countless eyes of the skulls stare into being grab his's tribes' amulet protectively as if it was an ward against earthbound spirits ''We should leave now''

''There no away this place should exist Ahui, there's no records of an civilization in the Everfree'' said Daring thinking aloud an smile gracing her lips her eyes giving off an shine as her stare at the ruins ''Ahui you know what means!?''

''Yes I do we need to leave now before any lingering spirits come for us'' Cried Ahui his eyes wild truly frighten of the ruins' energy

''No It means we just discovered an long lost civilization!'' cried Daring happily ''an single artifact from here could rewrite the history books alone!''

''Daring Do!'' Yells Ahui grabbing the tan mare by the shoulders force her to look at him '' Snap out of it! We need to leave this place and forget we ever saw this place! Daring's eyes went while as stare into Ahui's panicking eyes she was going to tell him to calm down but something else stole her breath away.

Gasping ''Ahui'' she whispered breathlessly and tan hoof shakily rose point at something behind the sphinx ''look''

Ahui eyes wide turning his head slowly he too gasped in shock, for what was behind the two was none other than a statue of a large bipedal creature that was appeared to have been covered in flames, in its right arm was a very wicked looking saber that appeared to made from the same flames that seem to make up the body while in its left arm was an large Draconian claw sporting five long talons of flames, the statue itself worn an cloak made from the same  flames covering its head along with most of its body what really stood out was its face only had eyes nothing else no ears an mouth as if it's artist never finished it . The statue appeared to have been cutting down an enemy and by the looks of its body it must have been leading an charge. The statue towered over both him and Daring by an easy six feet as Daring was only three feet tall while Ahui was four the statue seems to be even taller then Celestia herself.

"Dares....'' Ahui said his voice small  ''What is that... is this depicting one of the beings livid here?"

''I don't know'' she said while looking at the large statue in awe, never before seeing a creature as this before even though she had traveled all over Equestria and beyond its borders to neighboring nations in search of relics and treasure, this colossal creature was something she has never before seen as her eyes linger on the stoned titan she feel in aura of nobility and power slowly dipping form it's form beating back the sense of sorrow the tomb emanated  ''I-..I think it's might be depicting an deity that ponies that live here worship and judging by how large it is and what is holding I'll say that it might of been not only their patron but the deity of fire and war.''

''Perhaps Dares but I still think that we should leave this place'' said Ahui slowly backing away from the statue ''Judging by these bones an great battle took place or sickness if it's the latter then we must take nothing unless we meet the same fate as the ponies who livid here.''

''You have an point Ahui but'' said  Daring as she slowly approached the statue her eyes scanning the stone, trying to get an rookie geologist guess about its age, condition, and most importantly fantasying about it being placed in a museum or even the Canterlot Royal Gardens. ''There's just something about this statue........'' her hoof slowly reaches out to touch the stone as soon her hoof touches the stone an presence whispers into her mind

''Help me''

''Ahui did you said that'' thought Daring she looks to Ahui but strangely he wasn't there

''Help me''

''Ahui'' she whispers fear ripping into her being

''I'm not Ahui............free me of this place'' it whisper before disappearing back to where it came

''Dares!!''

''Dares!!

Dares!!

Daring Do!!

To be continued