"Awaken, Terran life form." A doubled over voice found it's way into my head.
"What?" I groaned. My eyes fluttered open, then widened when they caught my surroundings. I hopped to my feet and looked around, getting a better take of my situation. I was in a large, crystalline cavern that seemed to stretch for miles in each direction but one with no exit in sight. Countless outcrops of stone and crystal made odd formations, but gave the place character regardless. There was a massive stone at the end of what seemed to be a path. It looked to be engraved, but I could not make out any of said carving from my distance. I was about to go and examine the stone, but then remembered the voice.
"Terran..?" But that would mean it knows of the Brood Wars. I gasped, "Protoss! You're a little far from the Koprulu sector. What the hell are you doing out here?"
"I come to seek aid." The voice said. At this point, I assumed it to be just a very lucid dream. Or I was dead. Hopefully the former.
"Am I dead?" I asked, wanting conformation.
"No." The voice was quick to answer.
"Ah. So then just crazy, right?" Sarcasm invaded my voice as I crossed my arms.
"No. Merely resting." He answered.
"So I'm asleep then." I deadpanned.
"Precisely." It answered. Good. The former was correct.
"Better than being dead, I suppose." I said, "So, who are you?" I questioned. "I mean, how am I even still alive?"
"I am a Dark Templar under the guise of a Tal'darim Void Ray pilot. The one that saved you and your companion from the Purification of your planet." The voice said.
"I suppose that I should thank you, but I'm still focusing on what is going on. For instance, What is a 'Dark Templar'? What is a 'Void Ray'? And what is a 'Tal'darim'?" I fired out the questions. It had been a few years since the Brood War campaign launched by the United Earth Directorate had failed. I hadn't been among Dugalle's men, and none of them were very talkative after that. Not that I could blame them, honestly. Being hunted to the last by the creatures of nightmares will do that to people. If this was a dream, however, I was at least going to see how good my subconcious could make things up.
"The Dark Templars are warriors that severed our psionic communal link that bound us to the Khala, which is the Protoss's main religion. A Void Ray is a mechanical war device designed by the Khalai and the Dark Templars. It is built around a prismatic core, which serves as a virtually eternal power source. It is able to switch between different beams. Some of pure annihilation, and some of transportation. I used the latter to save your lives. And, lastly, the Tal'darim are a race of Protoss that, like us, separated from the Khala. But, unlike us, they are very hostile to anyone who stands in their way." He finished his list of answers.
"Okay... What does 'Purification' mean?" I asked.
"Hmm... I suppose your vernacular is the same as the Terran's, so you maybe more familiar with the phrase I heard from a friendly Terran force that was in a similar situation." The voice said, then cleared its throat, "'We bombed the donkey balls off that shit." I stood there for a few seconds, running those words over in my head countless times. Finally I came to a reasonable reaction. I laughed. No, no. I exploded in laughter. I laughed so hard that I collapsed on the ground, wheezing out as much laughter as I could manage. My sides could dogfight with any Wraith and come out on top.
"Truly, you are an interesting human. You laugh when you find out the news of your planets obliteration." The Templar said with intrigue as I continued through my laughing fit while clutching my ribs with a blood red face. Finally, I managed to cease my laughter and stand up, wiping a pseudo tear from my smiling face with a deep breath.
"Alright, I think I've got it. And no, it was just your... word choice that made me burst into laughter." I said, still trying to calm down.
"What's wrong with 'bomb the donkey'-" He started, but I quickly cut him off the second that I felt the laughter begin to rise within me.
"Just say 'blew it up.' I chuckled, then the fact that my entire planet was obliterated sunk in. It made my knees weak. Then I realized that I was still dreaming, or, at least I thought I was. Which made me not so shaky. A real Rollercoaster.
"I'm dreaming. I'll wake up any minute and this weird situation will cease to be." I said casually.
"Yes, you are dreaming. But I do not lie about any of this, nor am I a figure of your imagination." He said.
"Got any proof?" I asked.
"When you wake up. You shall know." Was his cryptic answer. I sighed.
"Well, when do I?" I asked.
"Shortly. But you must believe me. This is real, and I know that you and your comrades are special." He said. I sighed again.
"Alright. Let's say for a second that this is all real. Of course I would be sad about my planets demise, but it's not as if it's feasible. Look, we've got a fleet of Battlecruisers in or-"
"No. You do not. You do not have anything more than smoldering slag and ash. For that, I am truly sorry." He cut in, but the finality and genuine sorrow in his voice was malleable. It gave me pause.
"Hm. I'm sorry, can I get your name?" That gave him pause.
"Odd. The more I scan you, the more you seem to be Terran in both mental and physical aspects. I'll have to bring this up next time that I meet with Raynor and his troops." He mumbled to himself. "My name, is Zeratul."
"What are you talking about? Where the hell am I? Who is Raynor?" I asked, getting more frustrated by the second
"You are in a dreamlike state, visiting one of my memories that I, as well as my enemies, are absent in. Raynor is a Terran... Friend of mine." He explained, "Now quickly, we haven't much time. I did not send you here because of my good intentions, it was foretold in a prophecy that you, your friend, and another would be the saviors of the Protoss and Equin races as well as personal warriors to the Xel'Naga."
"I would say that's cliche, but I have no clue about you guys or an 'Equin'. Where did you find this prophecy?" I asked.
"Upon a fragment of the Xel'Naga's Prophecy. Behind you is what you seek." He said. I turned around to view the massive stone that I had noticed before. But it was closer now. Much closer. Like, in my face closer. I fell back on my butt and looked back up at the stone. I hate to admit it, but this is getting too real...
Engravings were scrawled all across its surface. Some depicting ancient warriors and others vile beasts. But one caught my eyes. It was a section with three individuals. One that looked like me, another that looked, faintly, like Ty, and the last was a horse-like creature with a curly mane. We were all standing silhouetted in the sunset over the corpses of the vile beasts, all having looks of victory in our stances. Floating behind us were three figures of alien-like creatures with glowing cyan eyes.
"But what about-" I was about to ask, before I felt a small tap on the back of my head.
"You will wake now." It spoke.
"So it is you!!!" I heard a rather familiar voice and steeled myself in pure reflex. I'm glad I did, because the next second I was knocked out of my dream state and into a brand new world.
~~~
Luna sat upon her balcony, unable to shake that gut feeling that something horrible was on its way.
"Is something troubling you, sister?" A sweet voice came from behind her, signaling Celestia's presence as she walked up and sat beside her sister. Luna opened her mouth to speak, but closed it and shook her head.
"Nothing." She said.
"Lying is unbecoming of you, Lulu." Celestia said, "Do not think you are alone, I feel it as well. Something is headed to Equestria. For better or for worse..."
"I hope for the former, sister." Luna said, visibly brightening. On the inside, however, she could not shake the feeling of evil in the pit of her stomach. Celestia put a comforting hoof on her sisters back.
"I am going to take my leave. Take care of the night, Lulu." Celestia said and got up.
"And you the sunrise, Tia." Luna said as Celestia walked back into the castle. Luna let out a sigh and looked up to the sky. A teal aura spiraled up her horn as she rearranged the night sky to her liking. But one stubborn star refused to move where she wanted it to. She focused more of her power, but the stubborn thing just kept moving towards the Northern Ice Plains, instead of above Hoofington. She tried to focus even farther, but was unable to because of a deep, foreboding feeling. As the star got closer, she realized that it was not a star, but a meteor that was out of her control. A pang of panic ran through her. Even though this was a normal occurrence, it did not feel right to the princess of the night.
She shook her head to rid it of the thoughts, and eventually retired inside of the castle. She went to the Royal Archives for a late night cram of battle magic that she feared she may have to use.
~~~
Celestia walked down the long, marbled corridors that were sparsely lit by torches, deep within thought. She nodded to the occasional on-duty guard while making her way to her own chambers. The royal Alicorn was immortal and her power made it were she did not need sleep, but occasionally, she preferred to go into the dream world. To escape her worries and problems, even for a moment. She eventually reached her chamber doors and entered them after a brief nod to her Royal Guards. She closed the doors and then, with a deep sigh, sagged her head. She strode over to her bed and flopped down on it, but as soon as she closed her eyes, a voice sounded from outside.
"Urgent news for the Princess." Shining Armor's voice sounded from behind the thick doors. Said doors swung open to reveal a determined white stallion with a differently hued blue mane. "Princess." His demeanor changed when he saw her ragged face. Usually it was stotic and expressionless, save for the motherly smile. Now it was depressed and worn, her age showing clearly in her eyes.
"What is it, Shining?" She asked, shaking the stallion from his observations.
"Right. A comet crashed into the Northern Ice Plains." He stated.
"That's close to the Crystal Empire! Is everypony okay?" She asked, suddenly worried.
"As of now, yes. But, I thought you should know. I've got a bad gut feeling about all of this." He stated. The princess nodded and then rested her head on the pillow of her bed.
"Yes. Thank you and good night, Shining." She said. The last thing she heard before drifting into a dreamless sleep, was the closing of heavy oak doors.
~~~
"You are coming into orbit, Drone 122343." The Drone's master, The Queen of Blades, sent the message into its brain.
"Understood." It thought back and prepared its carapace for the landing. It felt a strange tugging, and instantly thought it to be a Protoss Dark Archon trying to control it. The Drone resisted with all of its willpower and, eventually, the tugging stopped. The Drone was able to think highly of itself for a few minutes, at least until it landed. The impact threw snow all around it, but the snow settled after a few minutes.
"Drone 122343. Morph Hatchery." Kerrigan's voice came into the Drone's mind. A brief emotion of pride for the Swarm welled within the Drone's mind before it planted itself into the ground and used its back to create an embryo around itself. The embryo swelled to the point of being several stories high, then exploded, revealing a three story high building that looked more like a growth than anything. A greyish material began to spread out over the ground, covering it entirely when it came into contact. A larva swam down and out of the tube of the Hatchery and immediately turned into a Drone egg.
"And so it begins..." The unmistakable voice spoke, ending on a dark chuckle.
~~~
A hyper, pink mare hopped down the main avenue of Ponyville alongside a lavender mare. They were laughing and sharing stories about their various exploits around town when all of the sudden, the pink mares' entire body shuddered.
"Ohhh! We got a DOOZY coming on, Twilight." The pink mares sweet, sing-song voice said, inciting a giggle from the lavender mare.
"Well, I just hope this one's as good as the last one." She laughed.
~~~
"Hey, Matt. Aren't we suppose to be in warp by now?" A middle aged man with long hair and a scruffy beard said from across the Bridge.
"Yes... But the system's seem to be malfunctioning." A sharply dressed young man said while frantically typing up things on the control board.
"Have ya tried rebooting the systematic coding for the warp drive?" A short, chubby man with a robotic claw for a left hand said as he walked in from the door that led to the Armory.
"Twice." Matt said, annoyance clear in his voice.
"What about checking to see if the coding is right in the first place?" Raynor deadpanned. Matt blushed furiously and then turned around to check it out.
"Nice one, Hotshot." The clawed man said with a laugh. Raynor smirked.
"Whoa... This is odd... How did the Protoss get their coding into here? And these coordinates! They are beyond the Fringe Worlds!" Horner exclaimed with shock, his previous embarrassment far behind him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up there, Sparky. Beyond Fringe Worlds?" Swann asked.
"Protoss?" Raynor asked vaguely, his interests elsewhere as he rubbed the scruff on his chin.
"Yes! Beyond Fringe Worlds! And yeah, Jimmy, Protoss." Horner said, waving Raynor off with a hand.
"What's your angle, Zeratul..." Raynor muttered to himself
"What was that, Cowboy?" Swann asked.
"Nothing. Matt. Kick us into warp and head towards the the coordinates put in by the Protoss." Jim said, taking control and walking over to the map.
"Are you sure about that?" Matt asked quizzically. Raynor laughed and swiped over the map.
"Positive." He said, "Adjutant, give me base information on these coordinates." A robotic female face with tubes around it appeared on the map and began to speak in a robotic voice.
"Planet status: Habitable. Planet Class: Unidentified. Planet Natives: Unidentified. Planet Name: Equis. That is all of the information that I possess on this." The Adjutant said.
"Well at least we wont have to wear our helmets." Swann laughed heartily.
"Yeah, but we still have no clue what the natives are like..." Horner said.
"Don't worry about it, Matt. We'll come out armed, but peacefully." Raynor said as Matt kicked up the warp drive.
"Warping on my mark." He said then raised a hand with five fingers up. "Buckle up." He said and put a finger down, "Four, three, two," When he reached the last finger, he made his hand into a fist, "Mark!" He said and the ship lurched forward and shot off into warp speed.
"It's going to take a few days. This planet is pretty far away." Matt said, walking over to his friends.
"How far, exactly?" Swann asked.
"Far enough for it to take a few days going light speed." Matt responded and walked towards the door that led to the Cantina. "How about I buy you guys a drink?" He offered.
"Hell, I'm in." Swann laughed.
"Yeah..." Raynor responded, still not really focused. He got up and headed out of the Bridge and to the Cantina, but not before he glanced back at the planet surrounded in Protoss coding. "I hope you know what you're doing, Zeratul." He said and closed the door.