The way back to Canterlot was uneventful, yet my stress levels remained high. Even with Zecora’s potion, the poison was still spreading. It covered half my chest and both my arms and hands now. I was actually thankful for Echo following me: taking the form of a gray unicorn stallion, he sat next to me. With his red eyes, black and dark gray hair and pale coat under black garb, he dissuaded others from coming near me, and kept his distance from me himself as best he could. Thanks to him, no one got infected.

With nothing better to do to keep my stress down, we started talking. The Changeling King went on for a bit – I could tell he was used to giving grander speeches – but from what I could decipher, he hoped to establish peace between his hive and Equestria.

“My subjects need food,” he said. “And while Equestria is easily the most bountiful land of love I’ve ever seen, I won’t allow my changelings to resort to pony-napping to feed ourselves. We must be able to live among the ponies in peace.”

“I understand where you’re coming from,” I assured him. “Really, I do. But what you want is going to be next to impossible. Chrysalis not only attacked Canterlot; she attacked the Royal Family.” I stared out at the passing island of Manehatten. God, it looks so much like Manhattan, I thought, before Echo gained my attention again with a disgusted scoff.

“Don’t remind me of that idiot Chrysalis,” Echo grumbled. “Honestly, it’s cruel irony that she’s my aunt.”

I shook my head, wishing I could pat him on the back. But in time, the train stopped, letting ponies out into Manehatten and letting others in. Each second felt like an hour, but thankfully, we were soon on our way towards Canterlot.

Halfway across, something had to happen: Echo gave a sharp inhale. When I spun, I saw an earth pony mare with a knife at the changeling king’s throat.

“Don’t move, changeling,” the mare hissed in his ear.

“Ma’am!” I hissed, raising my hands and wincing as I saw the poison had covered my palms. “I must ask that you leave my friend alone.”

“Your friend is a changeling!” she insisted.

Echo glanced at me, his eyes silently saying, so this is what you were talking about.

I shrugged, before gauging the mare’s reaction. There was no way she was going to ease up on him. And a fight would only instill panic. As I glanced down at my hands again, a reluctant plan formed in my mind.

“I know,” I admitted. And as the mare turned to me in alarm, I saw her knife twitch towards me. Acting fast, I seized her wrist, wincing as it started to turn red.

The mare felt the poison. She looked down at her arm, her eyes widening as the poison spread. “What are you doing?” she squeaked. “I was trying to…”

“Sorry about this,” I said, before I tightened my grip, and a surge of shadow went down my arm and into hers. “But I’m contagious.”

She wrenched her arm away, staring at the rapidly spreading red with a scream building in her throat. Seconds before she could unleash her wail, the shadows crept up around her, and she vanished into her own darkness.

Echo breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his neck, while I grimaced at the poison now covering both my hands.

Damn, I need to hurry, I thought.If this poison keeps going, I'll be dead by sunset!

"Eric?" Echo asked in concern. He reached a hand out, but I pressed myself into the corner like a frantic animal.

“Don’t,” I hissed, showing him my hands. He wisely backed up, his eyes darting to where the mare had been and then to me. “I need to find my healer,” I insisted. “I’ll be just fine then.”

“I hope you’re right,” he whispered, as the train finally arrived in Canterlot station.

Waiting for the departing ponies to thin out was torture, but necessary to make sure the poison didn’t spread. But just as Echo and I finally managed to depart the train, another challenge flung herself at me.

Princess Luna; my name on her lips and her arms spread to pull me into a hug. Instinctively, I dodged back from her, hoping she could see the fear in my eyes.

Thankfully, she always did have a sharp eye.

“Eric?” she asked, her arms falling to her side. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you… to stay away,” I whispered, holding up my hands.

Luna’s eyes widened in horror, taking in the red poison across my palms.

"Your hands!" the princess stammered, "What...?"

Luna never finished her sentence. A sharp pain shot into my heart like a dagger. Clutching my chest, I slipped, my back hitting the train exterior.

“Eric!” she screamed. She jumped to help me, but I dodged away from her.

“DON’T!” I barked. “Don’t touch me!”

Fleeing Luna, I made my way into the city. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash flying through the air.

"Rainbow!" I yelled, drawing the mares attention. "I need your-AGH!” Clenching my heart in pain, I staggered for a brief moment. "Ugh… help me find Photo Finish!"

"But...!" she tried to protest, or ask. But just then, I saw Photo Finish’s studio, and whatever she was going to say went right over my head.

But then I slammed open the door… and there was no one there. No Photo Finish. No attendants. No nothing.

It was over. I could already feel my neck and the right side of my face going numb. There was no way I could search for her with the time I had.

"Shadow man?"

My heart flared in hope. Turning from the door, I saw Photo Finish's attendant – the one that wielded the power of the Snip-Snip Fruit - wearing a hooded cloak. He flinched back at the sight of me, but I didn’t have time for his nervousness.

"Where's Photo?” I begged. “I need her help!”

"She was taken to the castle by the Castle Guards a few days ago," the attendant said. “Apparently someone leaked what she could do.”

I cursed, dropping into my shadow. Briefly, I saw Rainbow flying towards me before she faded away into darkness. I resurfaced into the castle, scaring the crap out of the sun princess in the process. Thankfully though, she was speaking to the pony I needed.

“Eric! I…” Celestia stopped herself upon seeing me.

“H-Help…” I mumbled, my focus on Photo Finish, before I hit the floor, and fell into a far different darkness; the darkness of unconsciousness.

For a moment, Celestia stared at the downed man of shadows. She lifted a hand to aid him, when a rainbow blur shot into her throne room.

“Don’t touch him, Princesss!” Rainbow Dash screamed, nearly smashing the princess into her throne. “He’s been infected with some kinda contagious toxin!”

Celestia gave another look at the red rash-like substance across his skin, and wisely kept her hands off him.

"How do you know this Rainbow?" Celestia asked.

"Because I told her," a new voice declared. A stallion with an oddly royal aura to him marched in, followed closely by Luna.

"He needs to be transported to your medical ward immediately," the disguised Echo declared.

Unable to argue, Celestia and Luna used their magic, picking up Eric in a magic aura.

As Rainbow raced ahead of them to ensure the coast was clear, Luna and Celestia floated the man of shadows after her, closely followed by Photo Finish and Echo. As they reached the medical ward and set Eric down on one of the beds, Luna shuddered as she saw blood beginning to leak from his eyes and nose.

“Help him!” Luna ordered.

Photo Finish stepped forward, all ten of her fingers turned to pointed needles before she gave a sideway glance to the princesses.

"I'll give him an overdose of every healing hormone I have," the photographer declared. And that’s what she did; stabbing Eric and pumping him with hormones. Even as she did her work, she shuddered at the red skin across his body. "Ez condition is critical,” she warned. “Ez chances of survival vill be determined by his vill to live and fight."

Photo Finish withdrew her needles, giving another shudder as red skin began to spread across her hand. Quickly stabbing herself, the poison faded as she injected herself with her own hormones.

“I von’t lie,” she added, watching as Eric began to groan and twitch. “He ez going to suffer more zan a thousand men.”

She wasn’t wrong. The groaning and twitching increased. His body began to thrash like an exorcist victim. Luna shivered, wishing she could help. Then Eric’s eyes snapped open, and he let out a howl of pain. A how that chilled the bone and could be heard beyond the castle. Even to the Crystal Empire and the Frozen North beyond.

A Man and a giant were walking side by side; the crowd parting before them like the Red Sea. Suddenly, the man stopped, turning as a wail of agony pierced through the hustle and bustle of the ground. He pat his giant companion’s arm.

"Fezzik? Fezzik, listen!” the man ordered.

Both giant and man turned, listening to the wail.

"Do you hear that?” the man declared. “That is the sound of Ultimate Suffering!"

"My heart made that sound when Rugen slaughtered my father,” the giant rumbled grimly. “The man in black makes it now."

Thankfully, Echo had the foresight to disguise himself as a unicorn stallion. Firing up his magic, Echo held Eric down. The magic was well needed; the man of shadows thrashed and screamed as if his organs were in a high-stakes knife fight with each other.

It was impossible for his wailing to go unnoticed; in seconds, the rest of the Mane Six, Sombra and even the Royal Guard had gathered, their horrified expressions only worsened by Eric’s song of agony.

"What's happening to Eric?" Pinkie whimpered, holding her ears closed as her hair deflated.

“Eric was affected by Toxic’s deadly poison,” Celestia replied, her eyebrows knitting as Eric paused to breathe… only for his screams to continue. “A fact that he kept to himself,” she added bitterly.

"Tia?” Luna asked as Eric’s screams sent a shiver through her spine. "Is this... how it was for me? When you and Eric healed my spine?"

The sun princess gave her sister a sad look. “This is far worse,” she confirmed. She winced at the horrified look Luna gave his thrashing form, and quickly added, “B-But he will survive; if his will to live is stronger than the poison.”

Sombra sighed. “Then he’s going to die,” he said blankly.

"How can you say that?!” Rarity demanded. Sombra didn’t show any fear in the collective glares he got. He watched his friend struggle as if he knew it was for naught.

"Because deep down,” the former king answered. “He still wishes for death so he can join Amber.”

“Amber?” Rainbow asked.

Sombra started to speak, but Luna cut him off.

“Eric’s wife,” Luna remembered.

“Wait…” Rainbow Dash stammered. “Eric was married?!”

“It wasn’t obvious, Rainbow?” Rarity asked. She indicated the golden band around Eric’s finger. “No one wears a ring on that finger unless they’re married.”

“Or very rich,” Pinkie added. ‘But that’s probably not important.”

“Wait… Luna,” Sombra asked. “How did you know?”

“The first night you and Eric arrived,” she explained. “I searched his dreams. Looking for malcontent in his mind. I saw a memory of him proposing.”

Sombra looked away. “Was that the ‘weird dream’ he talked about…?” he muttered to himself.

“From what I gathered,” Luna went on. “The dreams involving her are a rarity.”

Sombra looked down in shame. “No,” he admitted. “He dreams about her every night. Except they’re not dreams to him; they’re nightmares.”

Fluttershy winced. “H-How did she die?” she whispered.

Instead of answering, Sombra left the room. The others looked doubtfully between him and Eric, but Fluttershy followed Sombra out.

As the yellow mare followed Sombra to the hallway outside the medical ward, she took in the shame and regret emanating from his body. His head rested against the nearest wall. After a second or two, he reared his head back and brought it with a hard CRACK into the wall. Fluttershy jumped, the stone foundation splintered, and blood smeared the cracks, dripping down Sombra’s forehead.

“S-Sombra?” Fluttershy asked. He didn’t turn to her.

“What do you want?”

“You…” Fluttershy shivered at the look in his eyes. “You didn't... kill her? Did you?”

Silence dominated the space between them. Then Sombra spun back to the wall. His fist cracked the stone further, and widened the spot of blood.

“I didn’t…” Sombra curled up on the ground, clutching his broken fist. “Please… just leave me alone.”

Fluttershy hesitated, before backing away.

"If you ever wish to talk,” she said. “My door is always open."

She flinched as Eric let out another scream – louder this time – and ran back into the medical ward. Sombra shut his eyes.

"There's nothing he cares about in this world." Sombra whispered, walking down the hall. Tears mixed with the blood dripping down his face. "He's going to die, and I'm going to lose my best friend.”

Three days past, and Eric's suffering showed no signs of stopping. If anything, it only got worse.

And the man of shadows wasn’t the only one suffering.

King Echo valiantly held Eric in place with his magic. But, like all changelings, his magic ran off love. As the days past and Eric gave the King Changeling no time to recuperate, the disguised changelings’ magic started to falter, and he had to struggle to keep Eric down while also maintaining his disguise.

As sweat started to bead on his forehead, Echo almost didn’t notice Luna walk in with a tray of food. But he did notice when she planted a kiss on his cheek. Strength rushed into his being, and his magic steadied. He turned to Luna with surprise, but she smiled softly at him with her midnight blue eyes.

"Thank you for your help," Luna said, before turning towards Eric.
Echo started to sweat again; he could feel the love radiating off the moon princess. For once, Echo found himself thanking Eric for being so hard to quell; it was hard enough resisting the urge to feed off Luna as she knelt at the edge of his bed.

“Eric,” Luna whispered to the thrashing, screaming mess her savior had become. “Please get through this.” Gazing down at his hand, Luna noticed his skin had returned to its proper color. Glancing nervously at Echo, she reached out to take his hand.

"Princess,” Echo warned. “I don't think..."

But she could not be stopped. She took his hand, resting it between her own hands. And both princess and king breathed a small sigh of relief as no poison spread to her.

Closing her eyes, Luna planted a kiss on Eric’s head, and stood. She had just crossed to the exit when Eric’s screaming suddenly… stopped.

With a final spasm, his body went limp in Echo’s magic grasp. Echo stood, while Luna raced back over.

“Eric?” she asked, checking his pulse. “Eric?!”

But the man of shadows didn’t reply. Despite wanting to pass out or lunge onto the princess’ magic, Echo forced himself to fire up his magic one more time, casting a spell that scanned Eric’s vitals. His blood ran cold.

“I-I can’t feel his pulse,” Luna stammered. She turned to Echo. “E-Echo?”

Not missing a beat, Echo ripped off his shirt, and charged a minor lightning spell.

“Clear!” the king warned, placing both hands on his chest. An electric pulse jolted Eric’s body, but his head just listed to the side, and his heart didn’t beat again.

“Eric!” Luna screamed, before pumping his chest, trying to perform CPR.

“Don't you dare do this to us,” Echo demanded, before charging his spell again. “Luna, clear!” he ordered, sending another lightning surge through Eric’s body.

But after five minutes of alternating between lightning jolts and CPR, Echo slowly backed away.

“Echo, no!” Luna insisted, still pumping his chest. “He’s not…”

“Luna…” Echo said in defeat. “He’s gone.”

Luna stared down at Eric’s body. “No…” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. Echo gently took her arms, and started to guide her away.

Then a long dry groan split the air.

Echo and Luna whirled around, Luna nearly throwing Echo aside. Her eyes lit up as Eric Von Shadow opened his eyes. Slowly and weakly, he sat up

When Eric spoke, his voice was low and scratchy. "W…at…er..."

Luna immediately lunged and embraced Eric in a massive hug. A hug that produced a squawk of shock from the man of shadows, along with his spine popping like cracked knuckles.

Resisting the urge to chuckle, Echo picked up a glass from a nearby table, filled it with water, and handed it to Eric. No sooner had he given the cup over than its contents were gone; sloshed down Eric’s throat. He handed the glass back, the light in his eyes begging for more.

After three more cups, Eric’s voice grew stronger.

"Thank you… Your Majesty."

Echo froze. The empty cup clattered out of his hand. Luna glanced between them, confusion fighting against relief.

“Eric?” she asked.

Clearing his nose and rehydrated throat, Eric smiled at Luna before indicating Echo like the King he secretly was.

“Princess Luna,” Eric declared grandly, as if he was Echo's herald. “May I present King Echo Silhouette. The First Changeling King of Silhouette Hive.”

Okay People this is the last chapter of the Venom Arc while I'm working an another story I'm going to think about where to proceed next. As always Oc's are welcome

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)

Also Looking to do a crossover chapter with other displaced writers

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