With the defeat of Queen Chrysalis and her army of changelings, Canterlot had been saved. The city was repaired faster than expected due to there only being minimal structural damage, and things were moving along. Twilight and her friends started to organize the real wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor. Things moved quickly with that as well, and everything had been put in place. The city, as well as the nation, was ready to rejoice in the joining of two ponies in matrimony. The security presence had even lowered, and the shield around the city was brought down.
Sorin continued to watch over the Elements, just to be sure nothing else interrupted the wedding. He also wanted to keep them in his sights. Luckily, he had been able to do just that, staying with them almost the entire time they got everything ready for the ceremony. He had avoided almost everypony except for those six. He had to alter his plans now that he had two new allies in his cause. It would take some time to gather his forces, so he would have to distract Equestria until then.
Overall, the nation was elated that they had been saved from the changelings. The Princess of Love had defeated them with the power of her love for another pony, giving the media plenty to write about. Sorin was also in the newspapers again, proving his courage in helping put an end to Chrysalis. His reputation grew more extensive, and he was now known amongst all of the nation. Everypony was happy to hear their new hero continued to fight for them—everypony but the nobles. They were furious.
They wanted to learn more about Sorin, but he instead gained more political bargaining power. They learned nothing about him, and he was now going to be standing next to the two princesses at the wedding. His motives were still unclear, but he was more dangerous to them than before. The recent invasion got him closer to the princesses, which meant they could no longer have him “disappear.” Not without extensive planning, at least.
They would now have to simply observe him from afar and use their influence to get more information on him. Their castle staff on payroll would prove crucial in getting dirt on him. Until they knew more, they had to leave him be. They could no longer touch him.
Sorin put on his tuxedo, buttoning up his jacket as the last step in getting ready. The wedding had finally come, and he was to stand beside Princess Celestia, right behind the bride and groom. This was partly to ensure their safety, but he was also good for promotion. Celestia described it as “political mumbo jumbo” that looked good on paper. She also explained that she did want him there by her side, despite the political gains. He obliged, of course.
With a final lookover, he draped his cloak over his back. He had taken the time to add some black diamonds on the lining, giving it some flare. He snapped the neckpiece into place, finally ready. He made sure his wings were still hidden, and then he opened the door with his magic. He went through it, gently closing it as he walked into the hallway. The distant sound of cheering ponies could be heard, and it grew louder as he went towards a small door.
The sun blasted his eyes from all the glass windows as he entered. Hundreds of ponies were crammed into the room, looking towards the front of the room. Sorin trotted over to the front, coming up beside Princess Celestia. As he approached, the princess gave him a smile.
“There you are,” she said. “The ceremony is about to start.”
“Don’t worry; I wouldn’t miss this. Hopefully, I don’t look bad in the paper.” He pointed a hoof at the row of reporters and their cameras in the back.
Celestia giggled. “It’ll be fine. I’m glad you’re here, Sorin.”
“Glad to be here, princess,” he kindly said.
He leaned down to Twilight, whispering to her, “You put together something special here.”
“Thank you,” she sheepishly replied.
“Oh, and Shining Armor, I wanted to thank you for helping stop that dastardly queen. Who knows what would have happened if she had her way.”
The stallion looked back at him. “I should be thanking you for keeping my little sister here safe. From what I’ve heard, you are one trustworthy pony.”
“I would like to think so,” Sorin answered. “Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, it’s starting,” Celestia exclaimed, a drumroll starting. The choir birds broke into a harmony of chirps as they began the music. The doors at the back of the room opened wide, revealing Cadance in all her glory. Three fillies went ahead of her, tossing rose petals along the way. She elegantly made her way down the aisle, birds holding the long train of her white dress up. Golden lining made it look stunning, and her hair was pulled back into a majestic type of bun. All eyes were on the beautiful mare as she went up the stairs and next to the groom. They both looked to Princess Celestia, who had her wings outstretched.
“Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza—”
“Princess Cadance is fine,” the princess in question said.
Nodding, Celestia took another breath. “The union of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love, undeniable. May we have the rings please?” Spike, dressed in a tuxedo and tophat of his own, presented the rings. Celestia levitated them onto Cadance and Shining Armor’s horns.
“I now pronounce you mare and colt!”
Sorin turned as the newlyweds went past him and out to a balcony that overlooked Canterlot. Thousands of ponies were gathered in the courtyard and surrounding streets, all of them breaking into cheers as they saw the two ponies. They waved to the onlookers, smiling wide.
Celestia and the Elements came up to him, enjoying the scene. The princess looked at Twilight. “This is your victory as much as theirs. You persisted in the face of doubt, and your actions led to your being able to bring the real Princess Cadance back to us. Learning to trust your instincts is a valuable lesson to learn.” She then turned to him. “You helped get the real Cadance back to us, and for that, I am thankful once again.”
The bride and groom kissed, finalizing the marriage. Celestia leaned down to Rainbow Dash, whispering into her ear. The mare threw her outfit off and shot into the sky, soaring above the ponies below. She sped up, creating an explosion of rainbow colors over the city. She then arced down, creating an actual rainbow in the sky. It was truly a sight.
The ceremony winded down after that, and the city returned to normal. On the castle grounds, however, the wedding reception began. Only some of the most prominent ponies in the nation were there. The Elements, Sorin, and Princess Celestia were there, of course, and so was the close family of the bride and groom. The nobles were invited as well. Cadance and Shining Armor slowly danced, taking the first of the night. Everypony watched them as soft music played in the background. A few were brought to tears from the tender moment.
Sorin stood next to Twilight, making small talk as the music came to an end. He looked up as he heard wings beating, finding Princess Luna landing next to her sister.
“Hello, everypony. Did I miss anything?”
“The first dance was just coming to an end,” Sorin answered her. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.” She lightly blushed at his words, trying, and failing, to hide it with a hoof.
Twilight nodded to Pinkie Pie, who shouted, “Let’s get this party started!” More modern music started to blast as the area came alive. All the ponies who had been watching took to the center, dancing with each other.
“I’m afraid I must be going,” he said, trotting backward. His friends waved him off as he went to the crowd of ponies, eager to speak with the Princess of Love. He made his way through the mass, getting closer to her. He carefully avoided bumping into anypony, just to be sure his wings stayed covered. He finally got to her, and she just so happened to be alone at the time.
Grabbing a glass of champagne from a butler walking by, he swept over to her, handing her the glass. She graciously took it, taking a rather large sip.
“Careful there,” he teased, “wouldn’t want to make too big of a scene on the wedding night.”
She laughed, taking another sip and finding the glass almost empty. “I need this after all we went through to get here.”
“Agreed,” he said. “I want to congratulate you on getting married—even if it was under some extreme circumstances.”
“Thank you.”
“I know you’re the Princess of Love, but I’ve been meaning to ask why. I know the other princesses control celestial objects, but can you control love?”
“I wondered that same question for quite a while.” She finished the drink. “From what I understand, I represent Love itself. That lets me spread Love wherever I go, but only if I feel the same way. That’s how I was able to stop Chrysalis. My love for Shining Armor and his love for me was strong enough to spread it through all of Canterlot.”
“So you don’t necessarily control emotion per se, but you can siphon it in a way.”
“When you put it that way, then yes.”
He nodded his head. “Very interesting indeed. I’m sure that you’ll end up becoming a great leader, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”
“Like I tell all my friends: Cadance is fine.”
He chuckled. “Alright then, Cadance. I’ll see you around.” With that, he left her to her own enjoyment. As he made his way back through the crowd again, an older stallion bumped into him.
“I’m so sorry,” Sorin said to the pony, making sure he did not fall over.
“Almost lost my footin’ there. Wouldn’t want to go fallin’ now, would I?”
“No, sir.”
“As a token of my gratitude,” the stallion handed him a glass with an amber spirit in it, “have this fine drink.”
“Thank you,” Sorin said, lifting the glass to his mouth. The stallion, the head of one of the most influential noble families of Canterlot, eagerly waited as the large pony was about to drink. Suddenly, Sorin paused. He slowly lowered the glass, handing it back to the stallion. “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” he shot a glare that could kill towards the noble, “it might be… to die for.”
The pony’s eyes widened to tennis balls. He quickly scurried away, vanishing in the crowd. He dumped the drink into a nearby bush unnoticed, disposing of the evidence. He had poisoned the drink, hoping to get rid of Sorin. Somehow, the hero could tell it was poisoned. That alone confirmed that he was dangerous.
Watching the strange stallion flee, Sorin turned around, heading towards Celestia. She talked with her sister, but they both turned to him as he trotted up.
“What is it?” Celestia asked, noticing the look on his face.
“There’s something I need to tell you two. I-it’s better if we go somewhere private.”
“Of course,” she nervously said. Glancing at her sister, she went over to a small area, hidden to any prying eyes. He let out a heavy sigh.
“Sometime during the changeling invasion, something happened to me.” Sorin paused for a moment. Luna stepped towards him, looking him over.
“Whatever it is, please tell us,” she said.
“It’s better if I show you.” He undid the front of his cloak, letting it sag on his neck. He took a breath before opening his wings. Celestia and Luna gasped as they saw his majestic black wings extend to their full length. They were the same size as Celestia’s, maybe even longer.
“You’re… you’re—” Luna tried to say, almost speechless.
“—an alicorn,” her sister finished.
“What does this mean?” Sorin asked.
“It means you’re one of us now,” she started, “and you have been deemed worthy of holding this power.”
I doubt that.
“But how did this happen? I am—was—a unicorn.”
“Something must have triggered his ascension,” she whispered to Luna.
The Lunar Princess nodded. “Much like the young Cadance, thou must have had some significant event that activated something within thee.”
“The invasion,” he said under his breath.
She nodded. “Those who are not born alicorns become them when they display a trait related to their purpose as an alicorn. Cadance became one by showing love. A similar event happened to you.” He took a moment to process everything. They could see how conflicted he was inside.
“I am ready to take on such a role if it means helping Equestria; I just don’t know where to start.”
“Do not worry,” Celestia said, draping a wing over him, “we will help guide you in your purpose. For now, keep this a secret. We will reveal this development soon, but give us a few hours after the reception to come up with a plan.”
“Okay. I’ll try to keep everything under control until then. I haven’t accidentally started flying yet, so that’s good.” They both laughed.
“You won’t notice any hiccups until tomorrow at the earliest. Just be careful, okay?”
“Alright. I trust you both.”
They smiled at him. He smiled back, putting his cloak back on. All three of them left the small area, heading over to the reception. They stopped just short of the group of ponies.
“We will see you soon, sister. We have a few things to attend to first,” Luna said, flying off into the night sky.
“I look forward to having you alongside us. You have proven yourself time and time again to be a true hero. I’m sure you will do the same as a prince.”
“I hope so,” he answered. “I’ll have a lot to live up to. Your sister keeps nightmares at bay every night and raises the moon. You raise the sun, for starters. You also help ponies through their issues every day and make sure the country runs smoothly. This is all not to mention the stuff you do behind the scenes. I know there is lots of paperwork, and regulations, and laws, and meetings, and—”
A new alicorn?
Celestia zoned out of the conversation as she felt that creature prodding at her brain.
Strike him down now; before he rises against you!
She shifted her hooves nervously. An all too familiar chill swept over her.
He will betray you…
“Are you okay?” Sorin asked, noticing her lifeless eyes.
“I-I’m fine,” she said all too quickly. “I should probably be going now. I have some things waiting for my approval that I must get done. I’ll see you soon, Sorin.” After finishing her statement, she flew away. She needed to get somewhere to calm down and get the wicked thoughts out of her head.
Watching Celestia fly away, Sorin grinned.
I will show you the way…
Those were the words echoing through every changeling’s thoughts.
After they had regrouped, their new master, Yogg-Saron, had guided them through the barren terrain of the Frozen North. At first, they protested against serving something they had never even seen, but their queen commanded them to obey him. She promised that they would get all they wanted—if only they served him.
It took them a couple weeks to make it all the way to Mount Everhoof. The journey was treacherous, and they had to stop to find any food they could along the way. While traveling, they felt their bodies changing as the blood of their master bonded with them.
As promised, he led them to the mountain, where they found the windigos. The ghostly creatures explained how they, too, served Yogg-Saron. They gave the changelings food and water, taking them the last bit of the way to Mount Everhoof.
When Queen Chrysalis and her subjects got to the top of a nearby mountain, they saw something strange. A group of windigos was building something. As they got closer, they discovered that it was a statue, a statue of a terrible, horrid being that froze the blood in their veins. It was then that they looked past the statue and saw the titanic structure behind it. Made entirely of black crystal, The Citadel dwarfed the mountains it stretched across.
Welcome to your new home.