//------------------------------// // Chapter 1, fourth edit // Story: The Zerging of Equestria // by Runa //------------------------------//   I was thinking of how considerate Celestia was to put me deep within the crystal caverns. I mean, I wasn't tormented by fillies and colts mispronouncing my name horribly. I was not prey to any birds, and I could see the beautiful crystals 24/7. I suppose that I should introduce myself now. My current name is Dahaka. As you can guess from my name - if you’ve played Starcraft: Heart of the Swarm - I happen to be a zerg. I was wakened from my thousand year ruminations when I felt the stone weaken. “Discord must be free now,” I thought. “Now to deploy the acid while the stone is weak.” I oozed acid from my pores and heard the satisfying noise of stone cracking. And just like that, I was free. I stretched my body languorously while I spilled my hive mind across of Equestria. “Finally free. Now it’s time to get out out of these thrice cursed caves,” I said. I made a mental note to repay the old chaotic being for weakening the stone.         The trip out of the caves was uneventful. There were no guards, no surveillance charms, no wards, and no traps. “Celestia and luna have grown weak,” muttered the remnants of the Prime Directive. “Shush, you are not in control any longer.” “AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE ARE NOW WEAK!” I winced as it yelled in my head. “And you collected the essences of half of their subjects. If you hadn't we would not have ended up in stone.” “Much of their essence was useless, and they were a waste of biomass,” it sneered “That does not excuse your many slaughters,” I thought as we exited the caverns into the beautiful world. “Let me out, I must CONSUME! EVOLVE! ADAPT!” it pleaded. “Never.” It screamed for a while, but eventually it skulked into the back of my mind, working on new zerg strains. I was glad for the release. After a little more walking, and a little burrowing, got out of the caverns. I turned around and looked at the mountain. It was the home of many good, and bad memory's for me. I started to remember things I wish I could forget. “Please, spare my baby!” “Why are you doing this “MAY YOU ROT IN TARTARUS, MONSTER!” I was lost in the past, for a second, until I shook my head and mumbled “Not my fault. Could not do anything to help.”I started walking while the claws of the past tried to dig in further. As I stealthily put some distance between Canterlot and myself, I checked on Prime Directive, just to make sure that it was not doing anything too horrible back there. It was working on a faster acting version of the zerg virus. It had worked on the virus so much over the years, that it could take over a host seconds after infection. I returned to the front of my mind before it could notice me. I noticed a ridiculously long caravan passing perpendicular to my path. I sighed and burrowed down into the ground. The wheat was tall enough to hide me from them, but I feel safer when I’m underground. It was time to stop for the night, anyway.  I had to sleep since I was not on creep for a while. I thought I could get some much-needed rest, but some earth ponies have a knack for telling if something’s burrowed under them. An earth pony was digging right down on top of me. He probably assumed that I was some sort of vermin that was going to eat some of his wheat. So I burst out of the ground and let loose with a deafening roar (like onto the ultralisk). “LET ME CONSUME HIS ESSENCE!” screamed the Prime Directive. I answered by running off. I wasn’t about to kill anyone if I could help it--at least not without a good reason. By now, the caravan was gone, so I could continue to the Badlands. I had a few more encounters like this, but not many.                                             Celestia’s POV         “Well done girls,” I said at the party that was held at the castle after the defeat of Discord. They where currently in the throne room. “We are just happy to get through it,” Twilight said. The other Elements made affirmative nods and noises. “WELL LETS PARTY NOW!” yelled Pinkie as she pulled out her party cannon. She was just about to pull the string when Celestia pleaded, “Not in THIS room, please Pinkie.” “Then which room?” “Out two doors to the right.” Then Celestia softly commented to Twilight, “We’d better get there fast.” As Celestia was on the point of heading out of the door, it opened and slapped Celestia on the muzzle. The elements gasped as she winced, but then noticed a guard kneeling there, trembling and whispering, “Sorry, sorry, please forgive me princess. Don’t send me to the moon, please.”  “It is fine, rise and report,” she said while wincing and rubbing her mussel with a hoof.  And as the guard did so, he reported “There have been reports of a monster. The reports have been extremity few and far in between. But there have been enough to gather an accurate description of it, and the direction it has been going.” Then Twilight said in a studies tone, “What did it look like, fair sir?” To which he replied, “It had purple and black carapace, it stood on two legs,” Celestia, by this time, had a very distant and sad look on her face. The guard diligently continued. “It had claws like a dragon. Some parts of it were glowing, especially its eyes.” Apparently Celestia had had enough because she said gloomily, “And I thought we would be able to celebrate.” “Wha?” said Pinkie as her hair deflated somewhat. Then Twilight asked, “But what is this creature, Celestia?” Then the other elements jumped in succession “But what’s wrong, darling?” “What ever this thing is, I'll beat its flank in ten seconds flat!” “What is this Varment, anyway?” “Um, excuse me? please listen. nevermind” “Ohhhhhh! CAN I THROW IT A WELCOME-TO-EQUESTRIA-PLEASE-DON'T-EAT-US-PARTY!?!?!?” With a burst of light, Celestia silenced them. “Stop. You're scaring the far-” But it was too late, the farmer had fled in a panic. “Nevermind, I’ll explain to you tomorrow, okay?” The friends all muttered that it was fine. They then disbanded, mood spoiled. 1500 years ago I was driving to Comic Con. I was excited because this was my first time at such an event. Not only did I have a wad of bills in my pocket that I had saved over the last three months, but I was also cosplaying at the same time, so it would be great. The only sore spot is that I could not find clawed gloves that fit my costume, and I could not make some because of lack of materials and because--okay, let’s face it--I’m horrible at crafts. I was cosplaying as a zerg of my own creation. I pulled into a parking lot, and got out of my car. There was already a formidable line forming, even though it was four hours before the event. So I got in line and waited. When I finally got in (after many compliments and questions about my costume), I looked around at the booths. That’s when, I saw it. The perfect pair of clawed gloves. So I rushed over to the vendor and asked how much they were.“Normally not for sale because it’s a one-of-a-kind piece, but because it would be a shame to have your costume go without it, sixty bucks,” said the Vendor. I gave him the money gladly, and I got the gloves. And then I did something that would change my life forever. I put them on. I awoke in a barren wasteland. I tried to stand, but something was holding me back. Then I stood, but not under my control. "This is weird," I thought before I saw myself. There where no longer any seams on my costume "The heck?" "Prime directive, to start and grow swarm. Beginning task of finding biomass" Something was talking inside of me AND controlling me. My body started walking. "Who are you?" no reply "Hellllooooo! at least tell me your name!" still no answer. "I'll just call you.... Prime Directive!" "Do not interfere." it finally said SOMETHING. "The heck I am! This is my body, and I'M going to be the one in charge!" I then tried to control my body. I failed miserably. It just swatted me away and crushed me in one corner of my mind so that I could barely think. What was happening?