//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: A Black Wedding Part 3 // Story: Death Cometh // by Dracthul //------------------------------// A massive breath of musty air forced its way into Sorin’s dried-out lungs. He coughed violently, almost choking on his own saliva as he suddenly snapped into consciousness. His eyes stung, and his body was incredibly weak. He felt his heart racing as his breaths sharpened. Pain coursed through his nerves, his broken legs leaving him immobilized. Lying on his side, he tried to keep breathing. Damn it all! He knew that he was dying. Twilight had only been surrounded by the emerald fire, but he had been blasted by it. His arrival brought with it a list of injuries. In this feeble version of himself, he did not have enough strength to prevent this from happening. He was not prepared to deal with a rival enemy, and it cost him dearly. He could feel himself quickly slipping away. He lifted his head, trying to look around. He could see Twilight lying next to him on the floor, still knocked out from what happened. Her body was intact, unlike his. The weight of his own head became too much to bear, and it dropped to the stone floor. His blood seeped from his wounds, spreading all around him. His miscalculations would be his downfall, it seemed. Yes, he would not really die, but all of his efforts would be for naught. Once Twilight awoke and saw his body, it would be too late. His cover would be lost, and he would no longer be able to infiltrate Equestria from the inside. Whoever had sent him to his demise would likely overtake Canterlot before he could return. Between two warring powers, he would not be able to take his prize. He would fail. He would have, but he saw his blood bubbling. It formed small strands that returned to his body, caressing his injuries. It sunk in, healing his battered form. He closed his eyes, letting his blood do the work. His legs were straightened and set, not without pain, and his gashes sealed up. The sensation of life returned to him as he was healed. The last of his power was poured into him, fully restoring him. He went to his hooves, stretching them out without grimacing. He would have to play it far more carefully now. Without the small amount of power he had left, he had only Equestrian magic to sustain him. He needed to stay alive long enough to connect to his other part, but that might prove difficult considering the situation he was now in. He was truly vulnerable. Sorin used his horn to illuminate the room with a white glow. As he looked around, he found himself in a large cave. The many surfaces of the walls reflected off each other, creating a maze of reflections that he could not make out. They were made of crystal, as was the entirety of the cave besides its floor. It was a chilling cold wherever he was, and he started to feel it. Twilight finally stirred, shifting to get onto her hooves. Her eyes fluttered open, and she took in the surroundings. Her eyes landed on Sorin, making her let out a relieved gasp as she ran over to hug him. Wrapping her forelegs around him, she squeezed him tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” He patted her on the back with a hoof. “I’m glad to be alive.” She pulled away, looking at him. Her face fell as she realized they were trapped in a cave. “I’m afraid I have no idea where we are. I’ve never seen a place like this before,” Sorin said, taking in the cave again. “Hello?” Twilight shouted. She started to walk towards what looked like a path. “Is anyone there?” She slammed her head into a solid wall that reflected her face to her. She realized the whole cave was like that. She could not tell what was crystal and what was actual rock. Sorin’s ears perked up as he heard a distant laugh. The sound bounced around the chamber, making him spin around wildly. Twilight went next to him, worry starting to take her. “Where are we?” she whimpered. “The caves beneath Canterlot,” Princess Mi Amore Cadenza stated. They whipped around to find a picture of the princess glaring all over the walls, fragmented a dozen times. “Once home to greedy unicorns who wanted to claim the gems that could be found inside,” the image of her on the walls spoke, jumping around the room, “and now: your prison.” “Help! Help!” Twilight yelled, running back to the center of the room. “It’s no use. No one can hear you. And no one will ever think to look for you, either.” Sorin’s eyes followed the princess’s movement. “Most ponies have forgotten that these caves even exist, which is why they are the ideal place to keep the ones who try to interfere with my plans.” She broke into wicked laughter. “Plans? What plans?” Cadance put a hoof up as if shocked. “The plans I have for your brother, of course.” Twilight’s horn sparked with energy. “Don’t you dare do anything to my brother, you, you monster!” “Only way to stop me is to catch me,” the image teased, vanishing. “Over here!” Twilight fired a spell at the source of the sound, but the bolt bounced off the rock and ricocheted around the room. It landed just in front of her hooves. “Nope. Over here.” Twilight fired again at a different spot, shattering the crystal piece she hit. Sorin sent a bolt of his own at a stalagmite, breaking it into pieces. She charged one large blast for where she heard maniacal laughter from the loudest. She released it, causing chunks of rock to go flying everywhere. Sorin scowled as he saw the princess hiding in the newly revealed section of the cave. Twilight wore a face of rage as she stared down her captor. She got ready to charge. Sorin bellowed, “From dusk to shadow!” as he and Twilight sprinted toward their enemy. The windigos were rapidly approaching, their leader firm in the charge. The others saw what they believed simply to be a pony transform into a vile creature. He was still the same size, but they could feel the hatred radiating from him. It was almost overwhelming. His rage was different from what they could feed on. He was a being of hate, its purity too strong for them to devour. Draxil sped up as he neared the ground. His subjects did as well, none of them bold enough to break from the ranks. The land around the stallion turned black, causing the kingdom to shake. “I am Yogg-Saron, the God of Death, and you charge towards your end…” What had their king done? The swarm crashed into Sorin, but the ground exploded in a violent eruption of ice and magic. The dark energy around him ripped through them, causing the front lines to whinny in pain. They pulled up, trying to steer upwards again, but Sorin would not allow that. One by one, he plucked them from the sky with his tentacles. Some were able to fly away and regroup before preparing to blast him with frost breath. They swooped down, taking in one giant breath before unleashing the torrent. Sorin shifted into his essence form, darting out the way of the incoming blizzard. He reformed behind the group, sending a spell through his horn. A black sphere formed in front of him, swirling with his blood. He released the attack, and the ball shot hundreds of blood daggers outward. They ripped through the windigos caught in the way. Their ethereal bodies could not protect them from the volatile substance, and they fell to the ground. Downed windigos nearby got back onto their hooves, looking for their enemy. They found him, his horn sparking with electricity. They heard a deep rumbling from the sky, and they looked up, only to see a lightning bolt descending from the heavens. It crashed into the largest group of windigos, sending them flying. The ground was scorched, and at its center stood Sorin. He closed his eyes and dipped his head, channeling his power. His blood formed into dozens of strands that came out of his body. Like a web, they spread out and connected to one another before latching onto the windigos left standing. Once they were all connected, he opened his eyes, a furious light coming from them. The windigos broke into screams of pain as their bodies were racked with Void energy. “BOW BEFORE YOUR GOD!” Sorin yelled, amplifying the spell. The windigos keeled over, collapsing to their knees. The level of emotions coursing through them rendered them useless, and only Draxil stood untouched. The king looked around, seeing his brethren reeling in agony. This sole pony had managed to bring down an army—but he was vulnerable. Sorin’s eyes were closed, and his concentration was on his spell. Draxil sprinted towards him. He lowered his head into a charge, racing towards the stallion. Sorin’s eyes opened, Draxil only a few yards away, and he grinned. He pulled his blood back to his body, leaving the windigos to watch what was unfolding. As their king reached him, he unleashed the full force of the web upon him. With a thunderous clap, Draxil went tumbling backward. His ethereal bones snapped as he rammed onto the ground, and his crown was knocked from his head. Every windigo watched as it hit the ice, shattering into small pieces of flame. Sorin’s hooves crushed them, extinguishing their fire forever. “Your reign has ended.” Draxil tried to move, but his body was too weak to do so. Sorin turned around, looking at the ghostly horde. They were all in shock; their jaws hung open in disbelief of what had just happened. “Now you see my power firsthand.” “No! Wait!” Cadance exclaimed, putting her hooves out and trying to scurry away. Twilight jumped at her, pushing her to the ground. Cadance yelped as she slid across the stone floor. Her body was shaking as she looked up at the murderous mare standing atop her. “Please, don’t hurt me! Twilight, it’s me!” Twilight lowered her horn, its searing heat making Cadance squirm. “Please, you have to believe me! I’ve been imprisoned like you. The Cadance who brought you down here was an imposter,” she pleaded. “Likely story,” Twilight answered, her horn calming down despite her words. “The Cadance in Canterlot did seem off. You said it yourself, Twilight. Maybe she is telling the truth,” Sorin said. Cadance crawled out from under the mare standing over her. “Princess,” she looked at him, “can you light your horn up?” “W-why?” she stuttered. “I need to see your magic.” Reluctantly, she did as she was asked, her horn glowing blue for a second. “The imposter had green magic, which I found odd. Her story would explain that.” Cadance made her last effort by trying to help Twilight remember when she used to foalsit her, and they would sing a short greeting together. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” she said, stamping her hindlegs and then covering her head. She put out a hoof to Twilight. “Clap your hooves—” “—and do a little shake,” they both said while wiggling their rumps. Twilight suddenly realized that she found the real Cadance. The princess looked back at her with a gleaming smile. She beamed with a beautiful radiance despite her mane being in shambles and dirt covering her pristine fur. Twilight smiled back and pulled her into a massive hug. “You remember me!” “Of course I do. How could I forget the filly I love to sit for the most?” They embraced each other, tightening their grips. Neither of them wanted to end the hug and leave the warmth. At this moment, they both felt at peace. “I hate to break up the tender moment,” Sorin interrupted, “but your imposter is still on the loose.” They split apart, standing back up to their hooves. “We have to get out of here,” Twilight said, climbing on top of a rock. Cadance nodded. “We have to stop her!” The two took off into the winding caverns of the caves, Sorin running alongside them. The path they went down had twists and turns, and it kept going on for what felt like an eternity. “How long have you been down here?” Sorin asked Cadance. She glanced at him as she ran, trying to remember just how long it had been. “I don’t know anymore. I can’t even remember. I know it had to be at least a week because of how hungry I have been. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve slept down here.” She laughed at herself. “That imposter could have been ruining my life for two weeks, two months, or two years—I can’t even remember! Every day is just a blur.” More tears rolled down her barely dried face. If she did not need to escape, she would have curled up right then and there. “How can you blame yourself for what happened?” he asked. “I-I don’t bla—” “Don’t lie to me,” he interrupted. “I can tell that you do blame yourself. And I tell you now, it is not your fault.” She sniffled, wiping tears with a leg. “Did you try to stop it?” The memories of when she was kidnapped came flooding back into her mind. She swallowed dryly as she felt that powerless pain again. “Y-yes. I was in my room, looking out at the sunset, when I saw something in the distance. I went over to my window to see what it was, and then,” she hesitated, “I heard a crash.” Sorin nodded for her to go on. “Next thing I remember was being on the ground with four bug-like creatures holding me down. Their queen came in from the shattered window and landed in front of me. Her disgusting body slowly snaked its way over to me. I could do nothing as she mimicked my appearance down to every detail. She had the same color fur as me, she had that one chip in her front left hoof, and she had that small tuft of fur on her underbelly. Even her eyes looked the same. “She took my tiara from the floor and put it on her head. I barely remember her covering me in flames and sending me to the caves beneath Canterlot. W-what I remember is that fear I had the entire time.” She started to choke up, Sorin noticing the blank stare she had. “T-that way she grinned at me, k-knowing she would get away with it…” She wiped her face again. “I begged her to spare me, but she must have expected that. S-she acted like she had mercy on me, but it was a lie. “Instead of killing me, she sent me to these caves. Some strange magic kept me alive for as long as I have been down here, but I still feel the pain of starvation and thirst. There was a mirror in my cell that would show me what my imposter was doing.” She stopped again. “I-I-I had to watch as that m-monster lied to my love, s-slept in our bed, and stole my life. “The worst part was that I couldn’t stop her. I am supposed to be a princess, and I can’t even protect my ponies. I am supposed to be love itself, and I can’t even keep my loved ones safe! I failed them…” Her head lowered as she continued to sob, running through the tears. Love itself? Sorin jumped over a chasm along the path. He landed on all four hooves, his company doing the same. They stopped for a moment, needing a moment before going on. Sorin lifted Cadance’s head so he could look into her eyes. He smiled. “You did not fail. How can you expect yourself to hold off a group of creatures that ambushed you? A princess you may be, but you are still only one pony. The very fact that you feel you are at fault shows that you are worthy of being a princess. Responsibility is important, yes, but it must be taken in moderation. A princess cares for their people—and you do.” He pulled his hoof back. She looked at him with watering eyes. He whispered, “It was not your fault.” She let out a choked breath. “T-thank you. It means a lot.” After a moment, he got up, stretching his limbs. “We should probably get moving again.” Twilight and Cadance got up as well. “You said all this, and I don’t even know your name,” the princess joked. “It’s no worry at all. I’m Sorin.” She gasped. “No wonder you’re so good with words. I remember hearing how you helped both of my aunts at the Gala and Ponyville.” “Your aunts?” Sorin asked. He connected that one of her aunts was Celestia. “Oh, the princesses. Yes, I seem to have a reputation now because of that.” “That and you helping stop Discord. Don’t worry, it’s only been good things I’ve heard about you.” She gave him a smile. “Alright, let’s go!” Twilight said, pulling everypony back to reality. She and her friends spurred into action, racing through the caves again with unmatched determination. They had to stop at an intersection, four paths forking from the one they were on. Each one looked like it went on for a good way. “Which way do we go?” “I don’t know,” Twilight answered Cadance. “Do any of you know where exactly we are under the city?” Sorin asked. They both shook their heads no. “If we can figure out where we are, we may be able to find a way out.” “How?” Cadance asked. “Based on the texture of the air, we are deep underground. Only a few places in the castle go this deep below the surface. If we can find out where we are, we can head towards those places.” “I didn’t even know the castle went underground,” Twilight said, surprised that he knew more about the place than she did, considering she practically lived there for a while. “There is a whole floor underground. It’s small, but it houses some of the more guarded items. Other wings go down, but there are only three that I know of that go this far.” “It’s settled then,” she said, “we need to find some kind of map.” “Let’s hope it’s in one of these tunnels.” He walked towards one, taking a nice, long sniff of the air. He went to another, doing the same. After smelling each one, he could tell which one had the fresher air. “I think we should go this way,” he said, pointing towards the path on his right. “It seems closest to the surface.” “We’ll go that way then. I trust you,” Cadance replied, hoping he was right.  They started down the way, feeling the temperature rise ever so slightly. The walls changed from deep purple to a more vibrant light blue color that looked similar to the sky. They ran through, jumping over chasms in the path. They finally found themselves in a giant chamber with a ceiling hundreds of feet tall. They stood on a high ledge, but railroad tracks were leading to the other side. There were two wooden minecarts on the rails, but rocks were all around their wheels. Cadance rushed over to the first one, pushing against it with her body to try and move it. She strained herself against it, but it did not budge. Twilight lifted the two rocks stuck on the wheels, and Sorin lifted the rocks from the other cart. The two carts started to crawl down the track, Sorin jumping into the front one while Cadance got in the rear one. Twilight was barely able to grab onto Cadance’s cart as it started to fly down the rails. They went down a large spiral as they descended into the chamber, darkness overtaking them. They felt the ricketiness of the path as they were jerked up and down, trying to hold on. Sorin barely dodged a wooden beam that was inches from hitting his horn. They then felt themselves rising, the room getting light again. Sorin saw the end of the minecart rails coming up rapidly, just in time for him to react. He pushed his hooves down firmly and pushed off hard. He flew into the air as his cart barreled through the stop, falling to its end. Cadance flew overhead, Twilight barely holding onto her barrel. Sorin desperately flailed through the air, trying to grab onto something. Cadance landed on the ledge that he was flying towards, Twilight getting off of her. She looked around for Sorin but was instead terrified to see him about to miss the ledge. “No!” Cadance screamed, diving towards the cliff to catch him. Her hoof missed his, and her heart went to her throat as his head went below the ledge. She felt the rocks below her shake as a powerful blast came from below the cliff. Sorin bounced into the air, his hoof grabbing onto the ledge. Cadance quickly pulled him up and onto the stone. He breathed hard as he dusted himself off. “I thought we lost you there,” she told him. “I’m glad we didn’t.” “It’ll take more than a cliff to take me down.” They walked onward, but a pile of boulders blocked the way. There was no other way to go. “Oh, we’re never going to save him,” Cadance deadpanned. “This whole place is a labyrinth.” “We will,” Twilight said, going back to the edge and looking around, “we just need to find…” She saw a faint light coming from a hole near the ceiling. It was large enough for them to fit through. “There!” she shouted, pointing at the hole. Cadance and Sorin looked at the small area. “We’re gonna have to teleport,” Twilight said. “Ready?” They nodded. She started to charge her horn. “One. Two. Three!” Three flashes of light lit up the chamber as they vanished, reappearing in a stone area with a large cutout leading to stairs. “We made it!” Twilight exclaimed. “It looks like we won’t have to figure out where we are after all,” Sorin said. “This has to be one of the three wings in the castle.” Out of the shadows, three voices said in unison, “You’re not going anywhere.” Sorin, Twilight, and Cadance spun around to see the three bridesmaids approaching, their eyes green. Twilight and Cadance were gripped with fear, and so was Sorin. He could tell they were not ponies, but he had no idea what they were. He was too vulnerable. He almost died by falling to his death only a few moments ago, and now he was faced with three creatures whose job was to stop them from escaping. The bridesmaids approached each of them, pushing them into three corners. Sorin gulped, as he had never felt so close to death. “Your king has failed; your kingdom has been toppled, but I offer you a choice.” Sorin gestured to Vultrax, who came to his side. “Be destroyed by me and my forces, or serve me and help bring about the end of Equestria.” He looked to Vultrax. “The time has come for you to receive my gift.” He extended a hoof, a ball of his blood forming above it. “Take my blood, and ascend. Lead my armies to victory.” Vultrax put out his hoof, inching towards the blood. Sorin nodded, and with that, Vultrax touched it. It wrapped around his leg, climbing towards his chest. It spread over his entire body, turning him black like shadow. He grit his teeth as he felt Yogg-Saron’s blood bonding with his own. “Witness the strength of my blood. Join me, and you too will have power.” Vultrax’s breath turned ice cold. His form turned more ghostlike, shifting in and out of the physical plane. His eyes lit with a purple glow as he was transformed. He embraced the Void, letting it reshape him into a weapon. “Take your first true breath, Vultrax.” He did, feeling everything within the air. He could taste the snowy chill, the berry hint, the smoky flavor, and the savory specks of blood in the air. He smiled, brimming with power. He shot forward, zooming at incredible speed. He zipped past his brothers, shooting into the air like a rocket. He let out a joyous whinny as he dove towards a building. Shifting his form, he passed through it unhindered, reforming on the other side. He returned to Sorin’s side, landing on his hooves. A shockwave spread out from where he landed, cracking the ice around him. Sorin smiled. “Take my blood and become one with The Void,” he said, floating another ball of his blood in front of him. This one branched into dozens of individual threads, looking for hosts. They connected to each windigo, injecting his blood into their bodies. He could feel it bonding with them already. Their power went to him, making him stronger. He could feel as more and more of it was added to his arsenal, and it came faster and faster. The hundreds of windigos restored him, bringing him ever closer to his level when he was on Azeroth. The power spilled over, spreading through him in waves. He lifted his head back, releasing a feral roar as the transfer completed. The windigos turned black as they became one with him, and Sorin’s form changed. As he embraced his newfound power, wings extended from his back. As dark as night, they dripped wispy mist. They snapped to their full length, spanning the distance of four ponies. Dark energy overtook his body, crackling around him. His eyes flickered as he gripped the ground with his magic. Mount Everhoof trembled as a titanic dark crystal rose from the ground. It grew and grew, becoming larger than Canterlot itself. It branched on its ends, forming slightly smaller bastions that stretched across nearby mountains. Ramparts formed around them, creating a massive crystal wall that seemed to absorb all light from the sun. Unlike The Spire, these structures were large enough to contain entire armies. The windigos looked in awe as their master created a fortress fit for an empire. Vultrax was slack-jawed from what he saw. Sorin broke into maniacal laughter as he felt his newfound power stabilizing, his new stronghold complete. He finally embraced his true voice, speaking within the minds of his servants. “Behold, The Citadel…” “Spread my influence across this land, not close enough to draw the attention of anyone or anything, but claim everything else in my name. When the time comes for you all to feast, I will call upon you.” “Until then, I have work to do…” With that, Sorin flew into the air with one forceful beat of his wings, shifting into his essence form as he rose. He shot through the air as a massive cloud of darkness, hurling towards Canterlot. Yogg-Saron’s blood soared over the land at lightning speeds, his whispers permeating the air. He rapidly approached the city and its massive barrier, eager to rejoin with his weaker form. As fate would have it, he did not have to go through the border. He only needed to phase through the nearby mountain to reach the caves below the city. Untouched, he passed through chunks of rock, going deeper underground before reaching the caves. Maneuvering through the winding tunnels, his blood found his body atop the ledge. The bridesmaids were the perfect diversion for him to rejoin with his blood. His friends were distracted, and the bridesmaids were currently focused on Cadance. Slowly, his blood crept over the ledge and up Sorin’s leg unnoticed, seeping back into his pony form. He noticed how fainter the signature of the barrier had become now that his essence was returning. It was close to failing—but that no longer mattered. As the last of his blood became one with him again, he felt wings grow at his sides, hidden by his cloak. He grinned and then laughed. The bridesmaids looked at him with a confused expression. “Silence!” one of them shouted at him. “You think you can defeat an alicorn princess and two of the most powerful unicorns all by yourself?” He stepped forward. “You cannot possibly think you compete with the princess, let alone all three of us. You were fools to reveal yourselves.” He took another step, and the bridesmaids stepped back. Cadance formed a bouquet out of magic and wiggled it in her levitational grasp. She threw it past them, and they darted off to grab it, fleeing from Sorin. “Phew, that was close,” she said in relief. “Too close,” Sorin added. “Anyway, we made it.” He put out a hoof to the stairs. He and his friends made their way up the stairs, reaching a long hallway lit with torches. A light fog covered the area, and the air was musty. “Do you know this place?” Twilight asked, a little scared. “All too well,” he answered, looking back at the door to his old prison, the same prison he spent a thousand years in. They continued through the hall, passing strange room after strange room. They finally made it to the other end, going up another flight of stairs that would lead to the central part of the castle. As they ascended the steps, they each had their own equally contrasting thoughts. We’re coming, Celestia. We won’t let this imposter fool everypony. Whoever tricked my brother is going to pay! I can’t wait to see my Shining Armor again. Soon enough, he will be in my arms again. I’ll tell him how much I love him and how sorry I am for what happened. I will love him forever. Soon, my laughter will be all that remains of this miserable little seedling. My influence over the mountains grows more by the second, and now that I have taken control of the windigos, I am even stronger. Soon, my empire will be made reality.