"The incubation should take just a few more hours and he will be done." Father said as he and Clutch stood before a large tube of biomass, framework meshing in the shape of bones, tissue, organs and nervous systems all ready and placed as the Biomass began attaching and molding into flesh, bones and all the requirements for an organic being. "Hm, what should we name him?"
"Well there are plenty of names we can give him." Clutch shrugged. "Dusk, Equinox, Eclipse, there are a lot."
"Hm, true, but it's not very native. Maybe-" At that moment, alarms in Clutches lab went off. Security doors sealed shut and weapons became armed. Suddenly, above them in the labs ceiling was a fast spinning vortex of multicolored light. "What in the name of?!"
"The hell is going on!?" Clutch yelped in panic at the sudden multicolored light.
The swirling lights lowered down to the ground level, slowing and soon began to take a shape. It was bipedal, but lacked specific details and characteristics of any species. It was as if a crude drawing of a bipedal came to life. It's body made of that multicolored light as two whites appeared in the head region, forming eyes of pure white.
The entity gazed at the two for a moment before 'walking' it's way over towards the tank housing the soon to be built male Alicorn. It placed an appendage to the glass, as if examining what was happening.
Clutch wanted to run, but her Father kept a grip firmly on her wrist. A small smile and wide eyes on his face.
A small, barely noticeable trace of that multicolored lights flowed from the entirety into the tank. Rapidly, faster than what should have allowed, the being inside the tank rapidly developed. A construction that took some days now only taking seconds before Clutch and Father's eyes.
When the building was completed, the tank broke, the male Alicorn Inside, laid unconscious on the ground. His coat is light grey and mane a pale blue.
The being of light then turned back to the two, making Clutch tense up. It walked over to them, giving them both some sort of pat on their heads with it's two arm like appendage before vanishing in a flash of bright white
"What…in god's name was that?" Clutch asked tentatively, afraid of what in space hell that was.
"Exactly… that." Father said, letting go of Clutch's wrist and walking over and down to the male Alicorn. He checked for a pulse, smiling as he found one immediately. "And that, my daughter, was Divine Intervention."
"Divine Intervention? Did…did we just see Harmony give that man a soul?" She asked in shock.
"Maybe. I don't know." Father said, laughing in excitement. "But, this proves something to me. This Harmony is a God, and they approve of our goals."
"Well, if we ever needed the perfect excuse to show our good intentions…" The changeling said carefully.
"Quite." Father said with a nod. "Come now Clutch, help me move him to an empty quarters. We will soon see just what and how Harmony did to our newest addition."
"Yes father." Clutch nodded, helping get the newborn adult alicorn up and to some empty quarter.
Once he was in a bed and resting Clutch and Father went over a bit of DNA they pulled from a feather to analyze. The results were fascinating. "Magnificent." Father said as he looked over the data.
"This…" Clutch muttered in awe. "This is incredible!"
The DNA was the same on the foundation, but there was more. So much more that was unknown. It was as if despite his shape and appearance, he was a different life form altogether.
"This stuff makes Changelings DNA look like mud in comparison." Father commented.
"How is this even possible? This…this is beyond even our best bioengineering…"
"It's as if his DNA follows and breaks and bends the laws of Physics all at once… but it's nothing like Discord… unless…"
"It…couldn't be those 'outside'...can it?" Clutch asked. "The ones you based Discord off of?"
"If it is, then that might explain it. After all, what lifeform other than a tried and true God would have DNA that follows so many laws of physics from possibly countless dimensions, and all function harmoniously… heh."
“This…this is amazing…” She said in awe.
"The things we can learn from this DNA, why… why indeed…"
“Yeah…why would they just…hand us this amazing gift?”
"That is indeed the right question, Clutch. Why would a God gift us this…"
"Okay so that's nine Gravity Cannons, four Mana Howitzers, forty Clockwerk Golems ready to activate upon landing and one Backlash Funnel Generator." Helix said. The repairs and upgrades to the ships finalizing.
“It’s still fascinating how well your tech is synchronizing with the Protoss’s tech.” John said honestly.
Helix shrugged. "Just remember, the Backlash Funnel is strong enough to pick your ship back a few hundred thousand miles in zero gravity space so try not to accidentally recoil yourselves into a planet, asteroid or black hole."
“We’ll make sure.” John said honestly. “By the way, you seem more…chipper than usual.”
"I had some good company. Very rare for me to talk with a like minded pony. In any case, what will you lot be doing now?"
“Well, we were hoping to have peace talks with this planet’s many inhabitants.” Karax said. “As Terran saying’s would permit, ‘Extend an Olive Branch’ as it were.”
"Hm, if that's the case you may want to take one of the Princesses with you. I suggest Twilight Sparkle. She has met several of the other species representatives and I imagine she'd be-"
"Helix!" Up ran one of the Gentech soldiers to the mare. "Reports just in, Griffinstone is under siege."
“What!?” John asked, only to see a holo screen come up.
“Templar, we’re detecting several Void Signature’s forming in the Griffon Lands.” A Protoss reported quickly.
“Shit, we don’t have any Pylon’s in that area and I don’t think Tina’s got any Nydus Worm tunnels to that area.” John frowned.
“Is the Spear of Adun operational?” Karax asked the Templar.
“Yes, the Spear of Adun is fully operational.”
Wasting no time, they group packed and headed off, flying towards the old griffon kingdom.
What they saw upon arrival was a massacre. Those void beasts rampaging, slaughtering the Griffons without remorse or prejudice.
"This…." Karax muttered in horror.
"This is just mindless slaughter!" Zegara snapped in disgust.
"We need to save anyone we can now!" Tina snapped, already trying to get a base set up with John
"Right, we need to set up a perimeter and close those damn Void Portals." John added, already having his base warped in swiftly.
Objective: Close all Void Portals
Bonus Objective: Protect all Five Survivor Camps
"We're setting Up Camps to keep any survivors safe." A Genetech soldier said, a Scout Class Base flying over and sending out dozens of Golems and Soldiers as they all started to set up safe areas for them. "While we can handle ourselves, Director Helix authorized a bonus if you manage to funnel in any and all survivors and protecting our camps while we're still setting up."
Both John and Tina went to work, thankfully having a sizable army from the get go as they rushed hard into trying to work their economy and unit productions, the two commanding their individual armies around and facing off against Amon's hoard, but they weren’t acting like the two other fight’s, they were acting…more like savages, completely ignoring any and all order’s and just mindlessly destroying and fighting thing’s not their own without much of a plan.
"Hey Boss, got some neat things for ya!" The bubbly bee zerg said, as three drop pods were sent down and showed new Swarm Hosts, which were twice the size of normal Swarm Hosts, were tinted red and white around it's normal zergish browns and purples, and was spawning their flying locusts that looked more like battle medics than anything. "I call this strain the Rescuers, took a bit of finagling, but I managed to mix both mutation strains, and with a bit of Genetech biomass and Magicite, I was able to make these things tankier, bigger, and give it's Locusts the ability to carry and heal units."
"Fantastic work." Zegara said with pride at seeing a brand new strain of Zerg as it lumbered around, spawning dozen’s of Locusts that flew around, fighting against Amon’s forces and grabbing any and all survivor’s and injecting them with a special bioneedle that filled the person with what amounted to a healing potion.
”Well, nothing like having giant angry Ambulances on leg’s to perk up your day.’ Tina thought, already moving dozen’s of Mutalisks to take out a pack of Void ground Infantry.
As the fighters rushed towards the battle, the Void Beasts rapidly met them, clashing their teeth and claws with the Zerg armor while Rescuers quickly walked through the carnage, picking up wounded and surviving Griffons.
"Fascinating." Helix said, standing next to the captains aboard the Spear.
“The Zerg do tend to evolve swiftly if given enough time and biomass but…that almost seemed too fast, even for their new Bioengineer…” Karax hummed, looking away as he continued his work, for even though he’s a Templar now, the sounds of machinery and phase smithing always helped him focus even more on the task at hand. “And thankfully, as a seasoned Phase Smith, I can create thing’s just as swiftly.”
”You sure this will work? These haven’t even been tested.” John mentally asked Karax, seeing the next set of brand new magicite and Genetech technology fused with Protoss ingenuity and Psionics.
“I had to recreate Immortal’s Pulse Cannon’s on the fly in the middle of battle, these are simple, effective, and powerful.” Karax said, as Helix saw what could be considered a strange hybrid between a Halberd, and a gun that had a lot of Psionic Crystals growing out of it.
"And what will that do?" Helix asked.
“I’m glad you asked!” Karax said happily, already having the weapon’s sent off to the Zealot’s on the battle field. “So, after we figured out that I can see parts of John’s memories, I decided to upgrade our standard Zealot’s Halberds with a weapon known as a ‘Needler’, and not only can this give our Zealot’s some much needed range, but when connecting against an opponent, the Psi-Crystal’s are able to imbed themselves deep into the enemy's body and grow to the size of a Terran Grapefruit, and then explodes sending shards outwards and hitting nearby enemies.”
“And when you combine that with the Zealot’s Whirlwind ability, the term ‘Spin to Win’ is a lot more applicable when in horde battles like this.” John added happily.
"Interesting." Helix nodded. "So, you two just… stand up here and have the ship and those… Zealots, do all the combat?"
“Not just the Zealot’s.” Karax said. “We have also deployed many Immortal’s, Stalkers, and Phoenix’s into the battles, while many in the Spear of Adun help our Templar’s down on the battlefield with many special abilities.” He explained, one of his robot arms pointing towards a part of the fight as Helix felt a thrum of psychic energy ring through the Ship for a moment as a Void Thrasher was about to crush a group of Stalkers, only for a force field to appear around them and block the attack. “From defensive shields, to increasing the speed of production, to orbital bombardments if the battlefield is prepared for it.”
“And Karax here is first and foremost a Phase Smith, a Psionic Blacksmith if you will.” John added. “Karax is all about Machinery and improving weapon’s, armor, gear, and much much more…at a breakneck speed to be honest.”
“I’m not much of a fighter as John has explained Ms. Helix.” Karax said honestly, forming ten more brand new weapons. “I feel more comfortable building, repairing, and preparing for the next battle with anything new I can invent or upgrade.”
"And what of you?" Helix asked Zegara.
“While I do tend to be on the front lines more often than not,” Zegara started, before gently patting her lower insectoid half. “There are…certain thing’s I’m still trying to process with how the Magicite has affected me when we first appeared on this planet.” The Overqueen stated, Helix seeing a whole lot of color slowly cycling through the many sac’s of the Broodmother. “It is…a strange feeling…”
“I mean, part of it is her feeling Horny for the first time.” Tina said through the Zerg, causing Karax to stumble at the fact he heard such a thing, his robot arm’s thankfully catching his work before it got ruined.
“Zerg do not get ‘The Horny’!” Zegara snapped at Tina in slight embarrassment
“Hey, don’t blame me for being curious how you’re sex life works.” Tina said honestly. “I’m already missing the girls, so why not focus on the dumptruck of a tauric ass you have?”
“I do not have Terran physiology to constitute half of what you're saying!” Zegara countered incredulously, even though Tina’s imagination was…a tad wild with thinking of how a female zerg would look like with mammalian bits, she was not a mammal damn it!
"Neither is Chrysalis yet she does have Mammalian bits of biology." Helix commented. "Not sure if that's because of her shape shifting or how she was made but, it's probably something a constantly evolving race like yourself can easily acquire." She smirked, the Zerg Overqueen blushing at that.
“B-but…” Zegara tried to argue. “Sex appeal is not something we Zerg desire…” Zegara tried to defend herself, even as some new sensations kept budding within her.
“Listen, I know it’s weird, but believe me when I say…H Cup tits.” Tina said simply.
“Stahp!” Zegara pleaded. “I can’t become something outrageously sexy, I am the Overqueen of the Zerg! I need to be strong, dominant, and powerful!”
“Kinky.” Helix answered readily to spite Zegara, who started making more embarrassed insect noises.
“I…don’t think I should be hearing this conversation…” Karax said nervously, trying to get back to work.
“I think it’s more…prevalent to point out that the Magicite has also affected you in a way Karax.” John pointed out.
“My physical strength has increased, yes, but nothing else is of importance.” Karax stated simply.
“Are you referring to something more… mental, John?” Helix asked.
"He's been about as horny as Zegara is apparently." John said honestly.
"John please…" Karax groaned. "My physical and psionic abilities have been improved due to my exposure to Magicite…and that's everything important…"
“So there’s something not important that changed as well?” Helix asked, making Karax red with blush.
"Yes." Karax stated.
"He's getting through a crash course on seeing women in a new light." John stated.
“Ah, I thought Karax was gazing down at Zergara’s ‘dump truck’ a little often.” Helix stated.
“I was not!” Karax countered swiftly, blushing even brighter.
“And…besides, we are completely incapable of being together.” Zegara stated. “Our biology’s literally cannot work together.”
“I mean, we literally just came into contact with a super material that helps create matter from literally nothing.” Tina pointed out. “It’s not going to be some weird genetic abomination like what Amon was forcing into existence.”
“Plus, given our studies of Changeling Biology with Chrysalis’s former hive, much like Ponies and every other species on Equis, they are extremely cross compatible. Be this a result of Magicite affecting our evolution or something else who’s to say the same thing is not happening rapidly to you two. After all, you two seem to rapidly alter your DNA for bettering your races. Is such a useful biological skill as full cross compatibility so bad?”
“It’s not as clear cut as that.” Zegara said. “For the Zerg, we can infect biological life with Zerg biomass and turn them into host’s to help bring more Biomass for the Hive, but Protoss are the one race that can’t be affected.”
“It’s back to the ‘Purity of Form’ and ‘Purity of Essence’.” Karax pointed out. “Our races were hand crafted by the Xel’Naga to help shepherd the Infinite Cycle…”
“And so far, this planet has thrown too many new things that, at this point, throw a big enough wrench into everything you two know that sooner or later we will force you two into a date.” Tina said.
“Exactly.” John agreed. “Plus it’ll be a Double Date if it ever get’s to that point.”
“Speaking of, is there like no way for the two humans to somehow have their own bodies?” Helix asked. “How did they even get into you two in the first place?”
“So…the weird thing is that God himself shoved me and John into Zegara’s and Karax’s bodies.” Tina answered carefully.
“We have no idea if we even can have new bodies considering how…I suppose ‘mentally close’ we are.” John added carefully. “I mean, maybe we can get new bodies, but I doubt we’d be able to right now.”
"Hm, what about Flesh Golems?" Helix offered.
“I thought the same thing, but considering how…unorthodox our situation’s are, including the Magicite that was also infused in our minds, I doubt a normal Flesh Golem could work.” John shook his head.
“Yeah, I tried once with a mindless Ultralisk to try and see if I could body swap…nope, poor thing fell over dead trying to contain my consciousness and whatever nonsense I have added due to a lot of other things I don’t know about.” Tina shook Zegara’s head bitterly.
"Then… why not clone your bodies? If your own bodies are all that's capable of holding them and yourselves, why not make copies?" Helix brought up.
Karax and Zegara thought for a moment on cloning. “While…it could work…” Karax started.
“Would the new bodies be strong enough to handle it?” Zegara asked.
"Hm, well, if they are exact physical replicas of your current ones… I don't see why not. Tell you what, if you give me some samples of your DNA, I'll see if The Founder can do anything."
“Well…hopefully.” Tina said, as John took a small bit of Karax’s beard hair and put it in a vial, and Tina scraped off a bit of Zegara’s carapace into a different vial and handed it to Helix.
"Thank you." Helix said, taking the samples as the four went back to directing the battle with gusto.
In the Void, on a Battlefield once thought to be the final resting place of The Betrayer, a being of immeasurable proportions and power was clinging onto as much life as it could. “So…you can give me the power I need?” Amon, the ancient Xel’Naga betrayer, asked into the pitch blackness of the Void itself.
That, and more. My role in this new existence is new, but my… associates, and I, find that the best way to avoid a terrible history repeating itself, is best to guide it. My role is simple, select my champion, and watch, learn and observe. Providing support is but part of it.
“So…I’m just another pawn to help the Shepherd along on their grand designs?” Amon asked, knowing he didn’t have the power or Essence to really get well and truly upset, or to fight this…being.
Hehe, while there is a design in the works, I can assure you, life and death are not our goal. Simply empowering our selected champions. I personally could care less if this or any reality lives or dies, but that's just me.
The giant mound of Psionics and Essence sighed, too tired and energy starved to really argue. “My soldier’s have already attacked several of their homes…what more can I do?”
He felt a sensation, like a hand pass over their head. They suddenly felt… satiated, full on energy again. The best way to defeat an enemy is to know your enemy. There is one race on that planet that carries with them an ancient hatred for all the others, especially those Equines. It's the oldest of this race that can gain you information, and valuable… resources.
“Tell me…who are these beings?” He inquired.
Once, we were no different than many of the races amongst the Infinite dimensions, but like you, many of us were but playthings to a higher power, kept in a toy box held within a prison. And after a long battle, we faced the one our prison was built to hold. And after that battle, we became what we are now. All powerful, all influencing. All Makers.
The being’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?”
It is quite ironic that we became the same entity we had to slay to escape our prison, and now, to avoid the chaos of history repeating itself, we shall ensure that any entities of power that arise are to our approval. But, this is a competition. You will be against those two, and their mental roommates.
“Yes…them…” Amon growled. “The group’s that dared ruin everything for my new world…”
Yes, they are the only ones who stand in your path, but, like any God, you'll need more than just mindless beasts to call your followers.
“I had many followers…the Hybrid…but they all were purged from the Universe…”
A trivial matter, for if it's armies you need, and an army you lost, The voice spoke, the Void battlefield changing and reversing. Becoming more and more like how it was before the battle, and the armies of the Hybrid were appearing in their numbers back to full. then it's your army I shall return.
Amon was completely floored by such a display, not only reversing time to bring back the thousands of Hybrids that were slain throughout the Campaign against Kerrigan and her pack of blind followers, but to also teleport them all here at the same time was astronomical, to the point he didn’t know if any Xel’Naga was able to do such a thing. “Everything…is back on track…”
Do not make the same mistakes, Amon. I've brought them back just this once. While your goals don't need to change, your plan will.
“My plan will have to change…” He admitted. “But the planet will succumb to the Hybrid’s Psionic domination.” He said, believing that the many races on the planet wouldn’t be mentally strong enough to handle the mind control and powerful psionic’s of the Hybrid.
Pride and Arrogance is what brought your downfall last time. In order to best these races, you will need to… expand your gene pool. And the inhabitants are notoriously cross compatible.
“That will help thing’s be a lot simpler.” Amon said. “Hybridizing Zerg and Protoss took millenia, but if their Essence is that malleable then my army’s will grow swiftly.”
For best results, I recommend that once you capture your first specimens and make them into this.
Amin's head throbbed, the means and measures to mutate a native into a massive, eternal Hybrid breeder flowed into his mind. One for every race on this planet… and, some select targets for the strongest soldiers to be produced by them.
“These…designs…” Amon said in surprise.
A gift, to best use the natives to build your army.
“Excellent.” He said menacingly, lightly moving a tentacle as several Hybrid went off at their master’s command to hunt in the new world.
Now then, shall we begin? That form is hardly suited for you.
“What?” Amon asked. “What do you mean?”
You should look like a God, and strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. I can bestow onto you, a body fitting your dark divinity. One that can let you use the endless void around you. Within the void, you will be unlikable, and within creation, you can spread its taint and corruption with every step.
“Yes.” The Xel’Naga writhed, even though his form was monstrous and covered in Void Energy giving him a ‘dark god’ look from what some of his followers said, he never felt like himself when in this form, missing his old ‘Pure’ form. “Anything to look less…like this mound of flesh and psychic energy.”
Before he could Register, Amon found his body was different. It resembled his Pure Form, but taller, four arms and large leathery wings adorned on his back as a series of horns around his head formed a crown where Void pooled into a sphere above his head. A long barbed tail covered in natural armored chitten moved about and dripped a special Void based Venom. His senses were… sharper. Hearing every noise, seeing for hundreds of miles, smelling and feeling every vibration of the ground or air all on command.
Amon looked himself over, sighing in bliss as he stretched like a normal being would. “You have…honestly no idea how good it feels to be in a normal form again after billions of years.”
Oh, I can relate quite well. Regardless, now, it's time to start remaking that plan of yours.
"... Ugh, my head…" Spoke a voice for the first time. Rising from the odd but comfortable bed of black and green, the entity took in the surroundings around them.
"You woke up, and can speak." They turned, seeing a small, almost child looking creature. Changeling. The name came to them, but they do not know how they know that. "What did that God do to you?"
"His Vitals are stable, mana reserves holding steady." Another Changeling said on the other side of the newborn being, a woman he could tell from the outfit and the voice.
"What .. where?" They asked, looking their body over. "How do… I know things, but not who I am?"
"You were made. You just awoke." The small child Changeling said. "I am Father. And this here is Clutch. We were… building you, and then, divine intervention struck."
"Well…I suppose that makes…some modicum of sense." He said, rubbing his forehead from a minor headache budding from whatever the hell he knows but doesn't. "So…I was built…well, what's my name?"
"We haven't given you one. Given the… unique circumstances of your creation, I felt it best if you were to name yourself. You are unlike anything Clutch or I have ever crafted. One of a kind in all creation, and we have been over a vast, vast portion of it."
"Right…" The Alicorn nodded, looking over themselves carefully. "Well…Adam doesn't sound right…how about Adamah?" The Alicorn suggested.
"Knowledge of languages and religion not native to the planet below. Interesting." Father said. "Now tell me, Adamah, do you know why we made you?"
"Um…" he started. "Peace through…me trying to seduce four wonderful ladies?" He guessed, having heard bit and pieces of their conversations about him while his consciousness was fully developing.
"I mean…that's technically correct…" Clutch said carefully.
"And that's the best kind of correct." Adamah added readily, before blinking at the unknown reference that was uttered. "Um…that kinda slipped out."
"No need to fret, and it's really just two, maybe three. Depends on how that young purple one reacts and the fourth is already married so. Anyway, yes, that is the main reason but given what you… have become, I feel it best to test and see exactly what you can do. After all, a literal God appeared in the lab and took the frame you were being built upon and finished you in a matter of seconds, your DNA is like nothing we have in our records and frankly, what you are might just be what we'll need in the near future." Father stated.
"Uh…yeah, I feel like someone helped me because…someone else is trying to start a lot of bad things." He said slowly and carefully. "I don't know who or what they are…but something's gonna happen soon."
"That is correct. There are entities from a dimension between all dimensions known as The Void, and someone is sending them through rifts into this reality, and onto the planet below… and they won't stop with just this planet."
"Maybe that's it…" The Alicorn shook his head. "So…when do I head out?"
"After we run some tests to determine exactly what you are capable of."
"Fair enough." He nodded. "A simple physical shouldn't be too bad."
"Simple he says…" Clutch said ominously
"I don't like the sound of that…" Adamah muttered nervously.
To be continued...