The Hand Of Despair

The Ruins

Azwraith's PoV

Once as the pony touched me, her life energy drawn me into her not only recharging my body and powers but left her mind completely open to me. She was nothing more than an open book as my mind was drawn into her's allowing me to steal all of her knowledge she had upon her at the moment.... what I found in that mind was both unsurprising and unnerving. Humanity was dead no surprise there given their bricking it was bound to happen sooner or later. Those bastards were all dead unfortunately the causeof their extinction was what it appear to be their genocide of monsterity, leaving both of our kinds gone in the world until the world itself forgotten, the humans die because we had died, thus once everything that was the old world was gone, the planet given birth to new creatures to replace was lost and unjustly forgotten. In all leaving me as nothing but an relic of another time, an forgotten time. An relic and nothing more. The new races held no knowledge of once was and there was nothing I could do to change it.

...I had failed...

That knowledge gave me no pleasure nor sense of fulfillment of what I am now am, it was an hollowing feeling (as if I could feel in the first place I am living shadow not a being of flesh). the new creatures er... the new races were nothing more then bricking children or just that children with no aims to better themselves or the world they live in. Just Dull and oh just wait just more dull. Thrilling just thrilling an graveyard was much more lively then most of the sobs I see in this ''Daring Do'' mind but they were still much more interesting than a dead city trap deep below the earth some of the new creatures did peeked my interest such as this Discord thing and a few takes on some creatures I knew or I thought I knew changelings and windigos. I think I'll call them Neo-chanelings and Neo-windigos. they were no longer humanoid but ponylike and feed off of emotions much like a succubus or at least how I think they do it. The mare has no knowlegde on the how nor the why if I think... or rather she thinks about it. I wonder what became of the others? the elves; the minotaurs; the centaurs are they too alive yet in an different form?

... Everything is gone...

After seeing all I could see from the mare Daring Do and trying out her body for a time ( I didn't knew she could bend like that but she might feel some pain in the morning... maybe. Not that I really cared ) I released my hold on her causing her to pass out on the ground leaving me alone once again in my stoned prison stealing a bit more of her life to feed my hunger. It won't be long until ''Ahuizotl'' returns with more ''ponies'' to save her from the trap that is this cave. Since I was down here far from the light of day I had little in order to tell time outside of feeling each and every year pass upon by easing a little more of the world that was once there in order to make room for the new world. From my victim's memories I knew that nothing of the land was the same of the lands they were in my time mountains crumble; the seas ran dry; cities grown into forests; forests became deserts and deserts became oceans while rivers grew into valleys. I knew that there was several nations drawn on the land that was once was my beloved city Thorth-un-gol. Equestria; The Bad Lands; The windigo kingdom; The Dragon Republic, the Diamond Dog Under-Empire; The Undiscovered South so many others.

... What the is the point of living now....

Mentally I prepared myself for when they came for her.... today I'll be free of this place, my liberation is at hand it's only a matter of time and time is something I have in abundance, but a there was question that need answering, one single haunting question ''what will I do now?''

The question echoed thought out my mind and if found my answer wanting,with the city dead I had no purpose, the city and those who dwelled within it was my purpose, my reasoning to exist. What am I to do now what could I do now?

....what is my purpose?...

With an longer then normal suffering sigh, I found I couldn't answer that question.... how could I? I am an relic and nothing more, I had no purpose. The sounds of hooves ripped the silence of the cave asunder reminding me of my coming freedom and the only thing I could do is close my pseudo-eyes and allow for my mind to retreat back into itself replaying memories long since past... and closing myself to the outside world.

... Could I live with the world.....the world that left me behind? or will I fall into the safety that is insanity?...

Then again what is insanity? what is sanity? a choice of evils? did I even had a choice? No I didn't for there isn't an choice only the will to make something of yourself then that is what I'll do make something of myself until I can answer that single haunting question. Then I return to my ageless slumber with dreams of the sun.

The outside world

Ahui's PoV

''There she is!'' I called as I lead the herd of ponies deep into the gloom of the cave not bothering to take a moment to study the ruins surrounding us there will be time for it later Daring comes first. Princess Twilight lent me twelve of her ponies for the rescue of my dear friend. She didn't trust me at first given how I was portrayed in the books but I was able to convince her of my good intentions (and offering her the chance to play a part in the next book) she personally gave me her best guards and medics for the mission.

It was easy to find the tan mare in the dark of the gloom.... too easy as if something wanted us to find her but I didn't question it the only thing that matter was my best friend was safe. She was laying on the ground passed out before a massive and ancient statute at seeing her fallen form I quicken my pace almost leaving Twilight's ponies behind who pace slowed as they realized their surroundings an entire ruined city under the Everfree forest. Once I was at Daring's side and took her into my arms she starts shivering and at the shivering I realized just how cold she was.... she was freezing to the touch and thanks to my nature and the nature of my species the cold hurt.... it was painful to be near her but after a while the chill left her body thanks to my body heat and then I felt her start to stir.

''Ahui?'' she says breathlessly yet in a tired tone, her hooves warping themselves about my form, holding me tightly for warmth or something else entirely something had spooked her.

''Daring?'' I asked concerned for the well-bringing of my friend

''We have work to do''