After an hour of hard work, it was complete. Yet Eric Von Shadow felt no triumph. Nor did he have reason to.

He merely stood forlorn and wistful, gazing upon the gravestone and the words he had marked.

"It took a thousand years, my love," Eric noted. "But you finally get to rest in peace." He looked past the gravestone. "In the safety of your home."

He bowed his head with a sigh. For a moment, he felt content to stand there for an eternity. Then he felt it.

An unfamiliar presence. Approaching him from behind.

He didn't turn. "If you're planning on killing me," he said. "You should know: you'll have better luck killing a Tundra Dragon."

"Precisely why I'm here," the presence responded, walking up to the side of the shadow man.

Eric turned. Standing next to him was an odd creature. He remembered it was referred to as a 'Dragonoid' back home.

Humanoid, with bipedal legs and arms, but covered in sparkling white scales like a lizard, with a head that resembled a human, but with his cheeks equally protected with the snow-white scales.

"Well-well," the shadow man noted. "A Tundra Dragon."

"Perceptive of you, Kin Slayer," the Dragon growled through clenched teeth.

"So," Eric noted, turning away as shadows began to drip from his body. "You're here to avenge your slain brethen?"

The dragon tensed, his clawed fists clenching. Knuckles popped, and Eric readied himself for battle.

But, before he could start considering whether to strike first... the tundra dragon's fist unclenched, and he sighed in disappointment.

"Unfortunately, no" he growled. He turned to Eric. "I was sent to deliever you to the Elder. You can either come willingly... or I can drag you there."

As if to prove his point, his aura changed. A pair of black feathered wings sprouted from his back, and his claws and teeth bared. Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Human-Human Fruit," he noted. "Model: Archangel."

The dragon grinned. "By all means," he dared. "Pick the second option."

At first, Eric didn't reply. He turned back to Amber's grave, his voice dropping an octave when he spoke again.

"The dead deserve their peaceful slumber," Eric declared. The shadows receded back into his body, and he walked away from the dragon.

At first, the dragon blinked at his retreating form, unsure what he was up to. Eric's voice prevented the dragon's anger from rising.

"Lead the way, Tundra Dragon."

The Tundra Dragon deflated. "Shame..." he muttered. But, with his challenge denied, the tundra dragon caught up with the shadow man, leading him out from the empire and into the Frozen Tundra of the North.

Rainbow's eyes fluttered open. She groaned; she was back in that same unguarded room from before.

But something was wrong. She felt... empty. As if something had been taken from her that she didn't know how to get back. When she looked down, she found no shadow beneath her body.

"What... happened?" Rainbow asked, reaching a hand to her head.

"Welcome back," Silver Rain's voice greeted.

Rainbow Dash turned. Silver Rain was kneeling before her, looking on her with concern. Near the exit, Pinkamena leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Applejack stood before her, both engaged in a whispered conversation.

"How Long...?" Rainbow asked, rubbing her head.

"Only a few hours." Silver Rain answered.

"Glad to see you've finally joined us, Rainbow" Pinkamena said, drawing Rainbow's gaze. The pink mare walked over to her and offered a hand. "We figured out why Nopony is guarding this room."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked.

"We spoke to a few of them," Pinkamena replied, indicating the other ponies.

Rainbow Dash blinked. She hadn't noticed it before, but there were actually fewer ponies than she had thought. Less than a hundred instead of the three hundred she had thought she saw.

"They all told us the zombies said that they were free to go anytime," Pinkamena continued. "Many tried, and disappeared the moment they left the caves."

"What happened to them?" Rainbow asked. "Were they attacked?"

"No," Silver Rain replied before Pinkamena or Applejack could answer. "They just... crumble away to dust."

Rainbow's eyes widened as Silver Rain shuddered at the memory.

"I saw it myself," she continued. "We all tried to leave... and a hundred of us got out before we realized what was happening." She shook her head in sorrow. "The moment their bodies touched the sun's light..." She hung her head. "Gone."

"We must be trapped here until we get our shadows back," Applejack realized. "Until then, I reckon fer once, Celestia's sun would be bad fer us."

Suddenly, a dark silhouette entered the room. Before the group could even turn to it, it lunged at Silver Rain. The pony shrieked in alarm, but after briefly being covered with darkness like ink, the darkness faded away.

Silver Rain blinked. She looked... fuller. Healthier. And to make matters better... when they looked down, her shadow darkened the ground behind her once more.

"Mah...Mah Shadow!" Silver Rain stammered. "I-It's back!"

"Somepony must-a killed Amber," Applejack realized.

Pinkamena didn't waste time, however. She raced to the earth pony and shoved her towards the entrance.

"Go" the pink mare ordered. "Get to the empire, and bring an army! We need to get the princess out of here!"

"But what about you?" Silver asked. She indicated the stone bracers on their wrists. "Those ain't just bracelets. Those 'r power-sealing stones. Made by that main dragon himself!"

Pinkamena smirked coldly, raising her fist.

"Your concern is touching," Pinkamena replied, popping her knuckles. "But you overlooked one major fact." Her eyes flashed. "I was born and raised on a rock farm!"

She spun, and slammed the palm of her fist into the stone wall. A series of large cracks spread from Pinkamena's fist and covered every wall before returning to the mare's side.

Silver Rain backed up, Rainbow Dash and Applejack right behind her. The other ponies spun, fear shining brightly in their eyes.

"Thank Celestia she's on our side," Silver Rain mumbled. Pinkamena merely smirked that cold smile again, bringing her arm back to her side.

"I may not be able to use my devil fruit," she growled. "But I can still take on plenty of that scaly freak's zombies." She seized Silver Rain by the mane. "Now enough talk. Let's get you outta here."

The mare wisely raced after her. Applejack and Rainbow Dash nearly followed, before Pinkie turned to them.

"You two stay," Pinkamena ordered. "And keep the others safe."

Leaving no time for arguments, Pinkamena raced out, Silver Rain moving ahead of her due to know where the exit was.

As they drew closer and closer to seeing the sunlight, Silver Rain's expression brightened with hope.

But just before they could reach the exit... the rank one General Emerald blocked their path. Pinkamena pulled Silver behind her, but the General had already spotted the darkness beneath Silver.

"Just like Cold Scale predicted," Emerald growled, cracking his knuckles. "Amber has been killed and her shadow returned to its weak master." He smirked. "I felt a tremor through the caves earlier. Was that you... Pinkamena?"

"Get out of our way, Zombie," Pinkamena ordered.

The zombie's grin didn't fade. He stepped forward, and Silver Rain stepped back. Even Pinkamena took a slow step backward as the zombie advanced on them.

"And what will you do if I refuse?" Emerald asked. "Without your powers, you're nothing but a weak, pathetic..."

CRASH!

Emerald's boast was cut short as a large chunk of rock collided with his face.

Pinkamena smirked, having thrown a chunk of the wall at him. She glared at silver, and the mare wisely took off, racing over the downed zombie as Pinkamena followed them. However, the zombie recovered quicker than expected, rolling to his chest with a growl.

"Okay," he muttered, lifting his fist. "Let's see you handle THIS!"

He slammed his fist into the ground. Deep cracks raced towards the ponies before traveling up the walls and into the ceiling, causing Pinkamena to gaze up with actual worry.

Grabbing Silver by her shirt, Pinkamena threw Silver Rain with all her strength. The mare tumbled out of range just as the entire ceiling came down. Pinkamena braced her body, threw her hands up... and caught the entire chunk of rock.

"Pinkie..." Silver stammered

"Go!" the pink mare screamed, struggling to hold the stone up. "Get out of here Silver!"

Reluctantly, Silver rose to her feet and ran out of the caves

"How honorable," Emerald said, appraoching the mare from behind. "I'm going to enjoy breaking that frail body of yours."

Pinkamena didn't respond, focusing on keeping the ceiling up. Emerald's grin widened as he struck Pinkamena's side with his fist... only to recoil with a cry of pain. It was as if he had just punched a solid steel wall instead of a soft pony body.

"What the...?" he demanded. Pinkamena just grunted in irritation, shooting him a cold smirk.

"What's the matter?" Pinkamena mocked. "Did our 'frail little filly' body hurt the big bad zombie?"

Emerald seethed. He lifted his fist... only for a cyan arm to wrap around his neck.

"Don't even think about it, Bucker!" Rainbow Dash growled, locking him into a head lock, and getting her legs around him for good measure.

"Dash?!" Pinkamena demanded. She lifted the stone another few inches. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay behind!"

Rainbow Dash grunted as Emerald slammed her against the wall, but managed a grin. "Oh, come on, Pinkie. I can't let you have all the fun."

"Get..." Emerald growled. "OFF!" He jumped in the air, landing right on top of the cyan mare.

The force of the blow knocked the wind from Rainbow's lungs. With a gag, her grip failed, and Emerald rolled out of her grasp.

Rubbing his neck with a growl, Emerald Dream lunged on top of Rainbow, seizing her neck in one hand and bringing his other fist into her nose. Dash's head jarred to the side, and blood flowed from her nose as it was twisted to a bad angle.

"I'm going to crush your skull into dust," Emerald vowed, trying to bring his fist down again. Rainbow Dash blocked it, only to cry out as his fist bent her wrist.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow got out. "Drop It!"

Pinkamena shifted her grip. But before she could try to release her hold... something pulled her consiousness from reality.

Opening her eyes, Pinkamena found herself in a area extremely familiar to her.

An endless void of dark pink, dark blue, and black. Gray trees with black leaves guarded roads paved with grey and black. Candy skulls flanked both sides of the road, leading to a broken down-looking house that stunk of ominous foreboding.

"You can't do it!" a voice shouted.

Pinkamena turned with a growl. The original Pinkie Pie stood before her, on the verge of tears.

The area behind her was brighter. With trees made from taffy and other sweets, and a road made of frosting and sugar grass. Behind Pinkie was a version of Sugarcube Corner, only less of a bakery and more of a home.

Pinkamena scoffed. She always wanted to mock the party mare for her choice of residence. But the light in Pinkie's eyes warned against mockery.

"If you drop that ceiling," Pinkie insisted. "You'll kill Rainbow!"

"Pinkie, I need to drop it," Pinkamena insisted. "We need to stop Emerald Dream!"

"No!"

The tone of her voice shocked Pinkamena. While Pinkie had been known to yell for no reason, she never yelled at anyone in anger. Least of all her own dark self.

"You've already killed somepony," Pinkie insisted. "I won't let you kill my friend!"

"Arguing like this is just going to kill her anyway, Pinkie!" Pinkamena argued. "Her death will be on our hands regardless!"

Pinkie seethed, before giving up on words. Without warning, she slugged her darker half, throwing her off her feet and into several candy skulls.

Pinkamena rolled back to her feet, glaring at Pinkie Pie. Yet she didn't move to attack, even as her teeth grit in anger.

"I won't fight you Pinkie," Pinkamena hissed through gritted teeth. "We need each other, one cannot exist without the other."

Pinkie braced herself to charge. "I've never needed you," Pinkie growled. "And I never want you in control. Ever again!"

With that, she charged. But Pinkamena easily dodged.

"Pinkie!" Pinkamena barked. "I said, I don't want to fight you!"

She caught Pinkie's next blow, and threw her over her body.

"Stop this!" Pinkamena pleaded.

But the party mare's face lacked hesitation or doubt. Realizing she wasn't backing down, the evil half sighed, and prepared to stop holding back. She let her body heat up, and swung her fist, causing three lumps to form.

"2nd Gear," Pinkamena growled, steam curling from her body.

Doubt entered Pinkie's eyes. She started to back down.

"That's it," Pinkamena encouraged. "Stand down Pinkie. My job is to protect you. I don't want to hurt you."

But Pinkie's doubt left her, and she glared at her darker half.

"You hurt me the moment you hurt others," she said, before biting into her thumb. "3rd Gear!"

Pinkamena gasped, as Pinkie blew into her thumb, causing it to swell like a balloon.

"Bone Balloon," Pinkie added, leaping into the air as the air traveled through her body.

"Pinkie..." Pinakmena tried to warn, but the party mare aimed her right hand at her darker half.

"Gum-Gum...." Pinkie growled. "Giant Pistol!"

Pinkie's giant fist slammed into Pinkamena, and the dark half vanished in a massive cloud of dust and debris.

However, Pinkamena jumped up from the dust cloud. No visible damage adorned her. If anything, she just looked angrier than before.

"Fine Pinkie!" she barked. "Have it your way!" She threw her arm back with a added spin. "Gum-Gum Jet Rifle!"

Pinkamena's fist spun and connected with Pinkie's chest. The party mare flew out of the air and into a group of taffy creatures.

Pinkie shook off the pain, and channeled the air into her left foot, launching at the still airborn Pinkamena

"Giant Stamp!" Pinkie Pie yelled, as her giant foot collided with Pinkamena. The dark mare soared through the air, and crashed through the roof of her house.

With a growl, Pinkamena kicked her door open... to find Pinkie gone.

Looking up, she spotted her brighter half. Still in the air, with her giant left leg raised far above her.

"Giant Axe!" Pinkie yelled, bringing her enlarged foot right into Pinkamena's house.

Jumping up, Pinkamena ran up Pinkie's outstretched leg. Before Pinkie could pull her leg back, Pinkamena fired a flurry of blinding attacks on her counterpart.

"Jet Gatling!" Pinkamena barked, launching Pinkie into her candy house.

As Pinkie vanished in a dust cloud of sugar and gingerbread crumbs, Pinkamena launched her arms forward. She seized the edges of the hole she had punched into Pinkie's home.

"Jet Missle!" Pinkamena added, smashing through the home and turning it into sweet tasting rubble.

Pinkamena stumbled back, the injuries dealt by Pinkie catching up to her. As she knelt, trying to recover, she groaned as Pinkie similarly rose. Though she was shrunken and gasping for breath. A negative effect of the 3rd Gear.

"You care about them," Pinkamena admitted. "I know this, Pinkie." Her stance strengthened as the steam faded. "But I need to kill that zombie."

Pinkie didn't look up. She began to sob. Pinkamena's glare faded into pity.

"I never wanted to bring you so much pain," Pinkamena whispered, offering a hand to her brighter half.

But without warning, Pinkie seized Pinkamena by the shoulders. With a desperate scream not unlike a cornered animal, Pinkie reared her head back and slammed it into Pinkamena's face. Both Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena staggered backward as as their eyes turned white. The two mares collapsed backward, and consiousness left them.

"I'm going to crush your skull into dust," Emerald vowed, trying to bring his fist down again. Rainbow Dash blocked it, only to cry out as his fist bent her wrist.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow got out. "Drop It!"

Pinkamena shifted her grip. But before she could try to release her hold... the pink mare gasped as her body twitched and spasmed. In a single sentence, her mane puffed up into the curly hairstyle of Pinkie Pie, before shifting back into Pinkamena's long and straight. Her coat brightened and darkened like someone was flicking a flashlight on her.

Before Emerald or Rainbow could figure out what was happening, the pink mare's eyes rolled up in her head, and she collapsed. The ceiling that Pinkamena was holding up fell with her. And Rainbow Dash and Emerald Dream screamed as they were buried under tons of frozen rock.

Hours passed. The sun slowly set.

Just as the moon rose, and night overtook the day... a scaled arm punched up from the stone.

Emerald Dream pulled himself from the stone, and dusted himself off.

"I hate foal sitting," Emerald muttered as he limped back to the cave. "Why couldn't I have just been on the attack team?"

Growling at his misfortune, he slammed his fist into the entrance, triggering a massive cave in. As the rocks blocked out the night sky and moon, Emerald made his way to his masters rendezvous point.

Completely unaware of a snow owl circling above him. With a flap of her wings, the snow owl returned to the empire.

"Better tell that yellow mare there'll be an attack on the empire," the snow owl noted, before noticing an earth pony desperately racing through the snow. In the same direction.

"Hm," the owl mumbled. "Maybe if I add in that some pony escaped the dragon... I could get something better out of our agreement."

Chuckling at the thought, the snow owl beat her wings, eager to reach the Empire before the earth pony.

The War of Shadows Arc Ch. 9

if you want your Oc in this fanfic just put this in the comments or meesage me
Name:
Race:
Description:
Devil Fruit:(optional)
Backstory:(Their backstory will determine whether or not if I can use them)

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