The Shadow of Equestria
Chapter 18: The Dragon's Lair
Previous Chapter Next ChapterAlong the edge of the island stood a raised rock formation. On the formation was a massive hole which lead deep into the underground.
Deep within the vast layout of caves stood a large room filled with three hundred scared ponies, three of them unconcious. Though not for long.
Rainbow Dash was the first to awaken. Trying to rub her head revealed a metal bracelet bound to her wrist. A bracelet made of sea prism.
Rainbow Dash's groan roused her friends, and the three mares gazed at the group of ponies around them. One of which Applejack immediately recognized.
"Silver Rain?" Applejack asked.
The red earth pony mare flinched. "A-Applejack?"
"What are ya going here?" Appljack asked
"Ah was taken from Apploosa on mah way home from the saloon," Silver Rain explained. "Then everything went black and ah woke up here."
Looking around Applejack spotted a unguarded exit. She blinked at it for a moment before pointing it out to Rainbow and Pinkamena.
"Why haven't any of ya left?" Applejack asked. "No pony's guarding the exit"
"We can't," Silver replied morosely. Before she could continue, Rainbow Dash hissed.
"Someone's coming!"
Sure enough, they began to hear foot falls. Moving to the sides of the doorway, Rainbow and Pinkamena prepared to ambush whoever was coming through.
Then the footsteps stopped. Silver Rain moaned, covering her mouth as a chuckle echoed through the doorway.
Then, with a massive THUD, seconds of the wall collapsed, burying Rainbow and Pinkamena before they could even look up.
The zombie pony walked in - a dull gray stallion with dragon scales over his forearms leading up to a black vest lined with white fur, and open to reveal a '1' tattooed onto his open chest. He smirked as Rainbow and Pinkamena poked their heads from the ice, coughing and spitting up ice shards.
"You aren't the first ponies to try and attack me," he said in a deep voice. "And you certainly won't be the last"
Pinkamena and Rainbow Dash pulled themselves from the rubble as the zombie turned to Applejack.
"If you wish to see your princess, then I'd suggest you follow me," ordered the Zombie.
Exchanging a glance, the trio of mares reluctantly nodded, and followed the zombie, noticing the white '1' stitched into his vest. As they followed him through the caves, they passed more zombies. Some had more animalistic features, while others had other biazarre features like parts of their bodies covered in stone or straw.
"Let me guess," Pinkamena growled, not taking her eyes off the stallion in front of them. "You're Emerald Dream, aren't you?"
"And what makes you think that?" he replied.
"You have a One tattooed on your chest as well as one on the back of your vest," she explained. "The mare I tortured told me the rank one general was named Emerald Dream."
The zombie paused, sighing in irritation.
"So the mare failed?" he mused, shaking his head. "I knew it. He should've sent me; I wouldn't have let that Shade live."
He slammed his fist into the wall. An ominous crack weaved up the wall, before the sound of falling rocks emanated from further away. A small scream echoed before being cut off by the crash of stones. The mares watched Emerald with trepidation, but he merely let out another irritated sigh.
"Keep moving," he growled.
Eventually, the group reached the entrance to a very large room. 11 chairs lined the room, eight of them filled by Cold Scales generals. In the center of the room, the biggest chair held Cold Scale himself, sitting over an eerily still pony stitched together with dragon parts. A shadow squirmed and spasmed in his grip.
"I've brought the ponies, Master Scale," Emerald announced, bowing before taking the seat marked '1.'
"Glad to see I can count on you, Emerald Dream," Cold Scale replied, barely even looking at his general before shoving the shadow into the pony/dragon corpse. Slowly, the pony began to breath.
But as Applejack started to shift in front of her friends, Pinkamena gave a slight gasp. Glancing at her, the friends followed her gaze to above Cold Scale's throne.
Their breath hitched. Princess Celestia, bleeding golden ichor from several different injuries, hung above his throne, held by invisible strings. Her chest barely rose and fell, and her eyes were shut like she was asleep.
Tears began streaming from Pinkamena's eyes. Briefly, Pinkie's original voice escaped her mouth.
"N-No... Princess..." Pinkie sobbed, before Pinkamena wrenched control away, covering her eyes, and seething in rage.
"You bastard," Pinkamena muttered under her breath. Her fist tightened. Her knuckles turned white. "You made Pinkie CRY!"
The pink mare lunged past her friends, leaping to bury her fist into Cold Scales' smirking face. His smirk never wavered, and for good reason.
Her fist stopped a full foot from the ice dragon, and for a moment, she hung in the air.
"Thank you Amethyst." Cold Scale said.
Though his attention didn't waver from his experiment, Rainbow and Applejack quickly saw the Five throne. The pony sitting on it had her fist raised and her eyes on the pink mare.
However, her expression faltered. "Um... sir?" she asked.
Cold Scale looked up... and his eyes widened. Pinkamena's fist was shaking. She was moving closer to to him. Lines of blood formed all over her body, and yet she continued to push herself forward.
"My my my," Cold Scale mused. "Even with Amethyst's powers, you are still able to move."
"No pony makes Pinkie cry," Pinkamena snarled, inching closer. "No pony... and no drake!"
"You truly are a strong one," the dragon mused, before turning to a familiar black and white dragon marching up behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "That's good. That's very good."
Rainbow and Applejack had just enough time to turn their heads before Obsidian seized them by the shoulders. Ice covered them in seconds, and they screamed at the freezing pain.
"Glad you could join us, Obsidian Fury," Cold Scale said, turning away from the pink mare as Obsidian pushed the pegasus and the earth pony next to her.
"Anything for my older brother," Obsidian said.
Rainbow and Applejack stared at him wide-eyed. "Brother?!"
Rainbow Dash tried to move, but the ice was too cold even for her flames. As she struggled, Obsidian spewed a barrage of fire of his own.
"Fire and ice?!" Applejack demanded, as the warmth slowly melted the ice on their backs. "Now that's just not fair!"
The others ignored her protests, as the light from Obsidian's flames caused the three mares to cast dark shadows before Cold Scale. Smiling cruelly, he reached down and seized the head of Applejack's shadow. And as the farm mare stared in silent horror, he lifted the folds of darkness from the ground.
"M-My shadow..." she whispered, before he did the same thing to Rainbow and Pinkamena's shadow, using his other hand and even his tail.
Amethyst Shard flicked a finger on her free hand, and Applejack's shadow separated like she had just cut a piece of very dark paper. Instantly, the orange earth pony fell, the rise and fall of her chest the only sign of life.
"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash screamed, before Amethyst did the same to her. With a final flick of her hand, Pinkamena's shadow was severed. Though the mare struggled to hold onto consiousness, glaring up at the dragon leader.
"I promise you Dragon," she snarled. "You will suffer greatly for what you did to both Pinkie and Eric." Yet, despite her bold words, not even she could resist the effects of losing her shadow. "Mark...my....words..." was the last she got out before she collapsed, and moved no more.
Sparing a small chuckle at the expense of the downed mares, Cold Scale turned to Artic Lilly. The shadows squirmed and thrashed in his grip, but had just as much luck escaping him as the many other shadows that he had taken.
"Bring me three more corpses," the dragon ordered his general. "I have the means to bring them life."
"As you wish Master Scale," Artic Lily said with a bow, leaving the room as Cold Scale turned to his other Generals.
"With this Shade still alive..."
"With all due respect Brother," Obsidian interuppted. "There's no way that creature still lives after what I did."
"I've heard that he has a stubborn grip on life," Cold Scale replied smoothly. "And it's better to be ready if he did survive." He turned as Artic Lily returned, dragging three bodies behind her. "With that being said, I have a special job for each of you."
Back at the Empire, Shining Armor paced before the Crystal Army. Though he was garbed in the Armor given to him by Celestia herself, the Crystal Army was completely unimpressed.
"We need to stand together," Shining Armor insisted. "Now more than ever."
"I told you, sir," the strongest guard replied. "We take our orders from Captain Von Shadow. The Reaper of the Crystal Empire. No one else."
"Ugh, not this argument again," Shining Armor groaned, rubbing his head. With a sigh, he turned from the soldiers. "At least see what you can do to keep the Empire safe. I'm sure Captain Von Shadow would say something similar."
As Shining left the soldiers to their own whims, he was unaware that he was walking right over the castle dungeon.
Amber sat in the corner of her cell. Blood still oozed from a million different cuts. Her left eye was swollen shut, and a large number of her teeth were missing.
Suddenly, a noise jumped life back into the beaten mare.
"Hey stop right..." a guard called before he screamed. Bones snapped, and something metal clanged to the ground. A pony stepped into view, his voice making Amber shiver.
"Poor poor poor Amber," the stallion mocked, his burnt red hair swaying as he shook his head. His eyes - one red and one yellow - glistened with disgust, and his singed orange coat failed to cover the many stitches adorning his body. A black Two was tattooed on his left cheek.
"R-Ronin?!" Amber squeaked out.
Grinning, Ronin's body turned to sand, allowing him to walk right through the bars of her cell. Though part of him reformed, the rest of the sand started to crawl up the mare's body. Despite her efforts to get away, her legs were quickly seized by the sentient sand.
"We sent you to kill the Shade and take his Power Fruit," Ronin lectured as his sand crawled up the mares body. "We had Jasper get you into the castle to kill the shade and his fruit users."
Amber couldn't protest. Ronin's sand had now covered the majority of her body, leaving only her frightened face visible.
"And if that wasn't enough," Ronin growled. "You told the enemy about me and the other generals." His fist clenched, and Amber whimpered as the sand dug into her cuts. "By all rights I should kill you right here and now."
Amber shut her eyes, death a sweet mercy compared to what she had already gone through. But as he noticed the look of relief struggling not to show on her face, Ronin rolled his eyes and pulled his sand away from her. Her eyes shot open in alarm, before he bounced a set of keys off her forehead.
"But lucky for you," he continued. "I wasn't ordered to kill you. And Master Scale thinks you can still be useful."
Hesitantly, Amber took the keys, freeing herself from her chains.
"Well whatever that use is," she grumbled. "Just know this body is now completely useless. The Shade will no longer hesitate at the sight of me."
"Good to know," Ronin replied sarcastically. "But it won't matter." He pointed at her. "This is your last chance to prevent your second death by the hands of our master."
Amber struggled to her feet. "And what do I have to do?" she asked.
"Kill everyone in the castle and bring their Power Fruits to Master Scale," Ronin replied, already walking out of the cell.
"W-Wait! Alone?!" she stammered in fear.
"I have orders of my own," Ronin replied like it was obvious. "Only instructions I had for you were to set you free." And with one more mocking grin, he disappeared into sand, which was blown away by an unknown breeze.
"Sure," Amber snarled at his departing form. "Leave the beaten mare to kill a princess, a changeling, three fillies, six mares, the Dark King, and his Shade. Not like anything could possibly go wrong there!" She looked down with a moan.
I opened my eyes with a moan. Once again, I found myself in the castle's medical wing. But I couldn't help but notice three mares were missing.
'Shit,' my thoughts bemoaned. 'Pinkamena's going to kill me.'
Getting up I find both my shirt and coat missing, and several hot damp rags all over my body, as well as a bowl of steaming water next to my bed. Immediately I remembered what happened.
That dragon... Obsidian. He had speed on par with the Shave Technique as well as the powers of the Ice Logia Devil Fruit.
All I could do was hope the others were okay. Dropping the rags to the floor I look around for a shirt, but found nothing. Cursing, I made my way out of the room and tried to find a shirt. I couldn't care less about the coat but I needed a shirt. Trekking through the castle I couldn't help but grow angry
'seriously, of all the things I bring from my world, They had to stay?!' I thought angrily.
Moving quickly through the castle, I passed many of the servants. One out of every seven let out a gasp of surprise and fear. I didn't have time for them, though; I was beginning to recognize the territory. I smiled softly; this had been my old living quarters. Back when I was Sombra's bodyguard. However my smile faded when I opened the door to my room, and found Luna.
She was carrying a vase with a red and orange flower. I knew that plant too: it was known as a Dragon Fire Lily. A medical plant grown by Sombra's mother. When brewed properly, the petals of that plant could keep a pony warm even if they stood in the Frozen North with nothing else, and could bring them back from any stage of frostbite or hypothermia.
"Eric?!" Luna yelped, her cheeks reddening as she set the vase down. "Sombra said you wouldn't wake up for another day!"
"I've been told that I'm a quick healer," I replied, pushing past the alicorn and into my room. As I tried to look around for a shirt, Luna gasped. I spun to her as she dropped the lily, it's vase shattering on the floor.
"Eric!" Luna whispered, trying to get behind me. "What...What happened to your back?"
I kept my back from her. "They're records of all my battles," I insisted, though I couldn't look her in the eye. "Trophies of war."
Luna sighed. When I looked up at her, I could see she didn't buy my lie for a second.
"Eric," she started softly. "My sister and I have seen many battles, and saved many innocent ponies from fates worse than death." She circled behind me, tracing her hand over one of the deeper scars. "These are not scars of combat. They are torture scars."
I spun away from her. Even just her voice saying it started to bring the memories back. I swore, already hearing the music. The screams.
I stumbled to the door, my knuckles turning white as they gripped the crystal door frame.
"Eric?" Luna's voice echoed past the scream. I felt her hand on my shoulder.
"Get off me!" I hissed, yanking my shoulder away. The crystal cracked under my grip.
"Who hurt you?" Luna asked. But her touch was like poison. My vision turned red.
"Get...Off...Me..." I began to growl. My shadows started to seep off my body. They stabbed at Luna's hand, and she wisely withdrew.
"But Eric!" Luna began, but a wall of darkness formed, keeping her out.
"Please...Get off me," I hissed, tears streaming from my eyes.
I stumbled away from the door, and the princess took her chance, rushing out before my shadows slammed the door behind her.
But even with her gone, the voices weren't stopping. My breath came in short, hitches that had no air. I slid against the door, trying to think of something else. And thinking of nothing else.
NO! DO IT RIGHT! the voice boomed, followed by the hard slap.
INCREASE YOUR TEMPO the voice repeated, followed by the crack of a whip.
TOO SLOW the voice mocked, before the memory of a hot iron seared against my skin.
"Stop it..." I whispered. "Stop it! No more!"
AGAIN, PLAY IT AGAIN AND DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME! a metal blade flashed in the darkness.
"STOP IT!" I screamed at the voice.
"Eric, for Faust sake!" Luna shouted. "Let me in!" Her voice and fists pounded on the door, but they were drowned out by the voice. The torture. The music. The...
The music! I found it! A more pleasant memory.
Amber. Unaltered by Cold Scale's lies. Sitting on her knees; smiling at me with her hands on my cheeks.
'Sweetheart,' she said, her voice like soothing nectar. 'It doesn't matter what happened in your past. All that matters is what you do now. And right now I want to spend my future with you.'
She lifted her hand to my chin, and I saw a gold ring sparkling on her finger.
'So please,' she asked. 'Let me be your rock,'
My breathing slowed. My powers steadied. I smiled at my wife, even as she slowly vanished from view.
"Thank you Amber," I whispered. "Even in death you're still keeping me from the grips of insanity."
My head cleared further as I found a simple black shirt. Sighing in relief as the shirt settled over my body, I dropped into the shadows of the already dark room.
"I need to keep a level head," I muttered to myself, peering into the various shadows of the castle.
Eventually, I found who I was looking for:
Sombra was in the throne room, along with Shining Armor and Cadance. The two unicorns seemed to be talking about a plan of action with Cold Scale's army. Though the 'talk' was more of an 'argument.'
"Has becoming King of my empire messed with your thinking?!" Sombra snarled at Shining. "Because it sounds like you're putting Equestian battle stratagy into a place filled with ponies not familiar with it!"
"You're not the king here!" Shining Armor snapped back. "This is the best possible course of action!"
"I've already told you!" Sombra bemoaned. "Having the Crystal Army fight Cold Scale's army while Cadance raises a barrier to protect the citizens is MORONIC!" He practically stabbed his finger at the map. "The army should be stationed within the barrier in case they break through!"
"Cadence's barrier is by far the strongest out of the three princesses, but it doesn't adapt for allowing attacks out" Shining snapped. "You station them behind that wall, we're just settling down for a siege!"
"Not even a long siege at that," Sombra replied snidely. "Remind me, how long did it take me to break through her beloved princess' barrier?"
Shining seized the hilt of his sword, but Sombra drew his twice as fast.
"You bastard," Shining snapped, his blade clashing against Sombra's before he could put it to the lighter unicorn's throat.
"Enough!" Cadance boomed, her magic glowing and tossing the swords from both males' hands. "Both of you, this is neither the time nor the place to be fighting amongst each other!"
"But Cadance..." Shining protested.
"Shining," Cadence interuppted. "I hate to admit it but Sombra has a point." She indicated the map. "We need to place the soldiers at the border. That way, they can attack back, yet can also retreat if needed."
Shining's anger faded to reluctant silence, while Sombra crossed his arms, but nodded assent. I chuckled, emerging from Sombra's shadow, causing Shining and Cadence to jump in alarm, while Sombra merely sighed.
"Now we know who wears the pants in this relationship," I commented to Sombra.
The former king grinned wistfully, before he did a double take.
"Wait... Eric! You shouldn't be..."
"Sombra I'm perfectly fine," I assured him. His concern didn't fade. "Really, I am. But we need...."
I stopped as a scream ripped down the hall. A scream followed by gunfire. And manaical laughter.
Without a word, the four of us turned to the door... just as three fillies burst in.
"That pony from earlier!" Scootaloo screamed.
"The one that tried to kill Eric," Sweetie Belle cried.
"She's back!" Apple Bloom finished weakly.
I didn't hesitate. Forming two shadow tendrils, I seized Shining and Sombra's swords from where Cadence had flung them. Drawing them to myself, I stormed out, Sombra right behind me.
"Eric, why my sword?" Sombra demanded, grabbing for his blade. "You have your own!"
I made him flinch back with a sideways glare. "That thing may have the body of my wife," I growled. "But she is in no way worthy of being killed by that blade."
Sombra didn't argue, and I continued on, following the sound of gunfire and screams.
Soon enough, I found her. Standing in the middle of numerous dead guards. Breathing heavily, her eyes darting around wildly like a cornered animal.
"It seems to happen," I whispered, drawing her gaze.
"When people least expect it
Death awaits for no one"
She flinched at the sight of me. She backed up as I approached her.
"Eric..." she tried to begin, going silent as I pointed Sombra's sword at her.
"I don't care who's shadow is inside you, Amber," I said. "All I care about is freeing you from your torment. Giving you the proper burial you deserved one-thousand years ago."
Amber narrowed her eyes, only to widen as she noticed the shadows shifting. She jumped just as the shadows struck, slamming into the walls, floor and even ceiling.
She escaped them all.
I growled. "You always did have the ability to tell when something would go wrong," I noted. "But if you want it the hard way..."
Remembering when Celestia had seen Echo's true form, I let the Conquerors' Haki expand from my being. The mare staggered, but tried to aim her changing arms at me.
"Shave," I whispered under my breath, and I shot at the zombie with blinding speed.
She tried to fire, but I was already behind her. She screamed as my blades burst through her chest, and fell to her knees, clutching at the blades asthey protruded from her chest.
"Goodbye Amber," I whispered in her ear. "I pray this finally sets you free."
Amber spasmed. She choked. Then suddenly, a black blob forced it's way out of her mouth. With a gurgling spit, she regurtitated the shadow, which promptly shot out the window, seeking to return to its owner. Amber's head drooped, and she moved no more.
I withdrew the swords, tossing them aside to pick her up in a bridal pose. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a slight distortion in the air.
"Hello, Echo," I whispered, my voice monotone and wistful.
Echo shimmered into being, a curved dagger in his hand and a shocked expression on his face.
"How'd you know I was here?" he demanded.
"Your cloaking spell had a slight visual distortion," I replied, my eyes not leaving my now dead wife. "It's easy to spot when you've faced the number of hostile changelings that I have."
The stomping of footfalls drew my gaze. I glanced up apathetically as one of my soldiers rounded the corner.
"C-Captain Von Shadow," he stammered, staring in horror at the carnage before him. "I..."
"Assemble every soldier we have," I said, in a tone that was not to be questioned. "I want each and every one of you standing guard at the borders of the empire."
He quickly saluted. "Y-Yes, sir," he said, turning and running to follow my orders. Turning from him, I made my way down the hall, my wife never leaving my arms. Echo watched me go curiously.
"What are you going to do Eric?" he asked.
"I need to get something from my old office," I replied. "Then I'm going to bury my wife"
Leaving behind the changeling king, I continued through the castle. No one tried to stop me. No one tried to question me. The only sound was my footsteps, steady as a beating drum.
Briefly stopping in front of my office, I let a shadow double shimmer into existance.
"Get it, while I go to the graveyard" I ordered.
The shadow double obeyed, sinking into the door, while I continued onward.
While Eric made his way to bury his beloved, his shadow went into the office. The key was still in its secret keyhole.
Turning it until it clicked, the shadow stepped back, watching as the bookshelf pushed itself out and slid open. Inside, a small space awaited, filled with weapons. At the center of it all was a mannequin with a unique set of armor:
A dark blue shirt with the Royal crest embroidered on it. A black trench coat with the image of a skull on the left shoulder and a pair of metal bracers on the forearm sleeves. Black fingerless gloves with thick metal studs on the knuckles. Black pants with thick metal shin guards. And a pair of dark grey boots with two razor sharp spikes on the back of the boot.
The armor of the Captain of the Crystal Royal Guard. The Uniform of the Reaper of the Crystal Empire.
The shadow placed a hand on the mannequin, it's essence pouring into the armor and pulling it into the darkness. When the mannequin stood bare, the shadow pushed the bookshelf back into place, reclaimed the keyring, and replaced the books.
It's work done, the double stepped into the shadows of the room and returned to it's master.