//------------------------------// // The Zerging of Zerg // Story: The Zerg of Equestria // by Marsara //------------------------------//         The Nydus worm erupted from the ground, creep already beginning to emerge around it. The moment it opened its mouth, four ultralisks came out. They were quickly followed by Dahaka, who assessed the situation quickly. Zerglings, roaches, and hydralisks came quickly behind. They were followed by about a dozen drones. By this time, the troops had become quite cramped, and some were outside the cave. Dahaka quickly ordered one of the drones to morph into a hatchery.         “This seems off.” Prime Directive said in the back of Dahaka’s head.         “I know what you mean. As far as I’ve seen, this place is inhabited. I don’t think Auric would agree to fight here. There would probably be collateral damage. Any ideas?” Prime Directive was silent for a moment before replying.         “None currently. But I will begin processing the situation.” Dahaka nodded slightly, and got on with the base management. More on reflex than anything else, he reached out with his mind until it encompassed the mountain. He could tell that there were a few things residing there, but nothing of consequence.         He sent a single Zergling out to investigate what the lay of the land was. It seemed similar to his world, but there must be something different about it if Auric wanted to fight here.         “Perhaps a plague happened, and everyone’s dead?” He hypothesised.         “Extremely unlikely.” Prime Directive interjected. “If they were, there would be some sign. If it happened a while ago, the building would be run down. If it happened recently, then there would be at least some obvious signs, even from this distance.”         “Also, where IS Auric?” Dahaka wondered. “We should have contact with him, another ally of his, or an enemy by now.” Dahaka sent another five Zerglings scouting in different directions. They were all directed to not be detected by any means necessary.         “We need to find a way to build a Hive without Tia finding out about its location.” Marsara told Paranoid through the Hivemind.         “Why don’t we set up two? On different ends of the forest.” Paranoid suggested mentally. “I’ll try and set one up near that Castle, and you build one in a cave to avoid obvious detection.”         “This is why I put you in charge before I was put in that stone prison.” Doing this could negate the chance of Tia finding them. Marsara could feel something, like a Sprinter not under her control. “Do you sense a Sprinter not under our control Paranoid?”         He stopped. “I thought that was an anomaly. A Zerg not under our control? I thought only we could control them… mostly you.”         “Let me see if I can.”  So Marsara tried touching it with her mind. As soon as she did, a voice rang out through the connection.         “Who are you?” Marsara couldn’t believe it… Another Hivemind? Here? She tried to find this Hivemind's center location.         “Let me ask you again, and if you don’t answer I’ll assume you’re some sort of conglomerate. Who are you?”         Paranoid tilted his head, “Conglo-what?” He asked out loud.         “I am Broodmother Marsara. Who are you?”         “I am Dahaka. The leader of the Zerg Swarm. Tell me, have you heard of one called Auric? I am searching for him.”         Paranoid growled. “How could you be the leader of the Zerg? Marsara is!”         “Settle down Paranoid. I am the leader of A Swarm.” Marsara told Paranoid hoping it would calm him down before he did something brash.         He sighed, and kept quiet. “Sorry…” He mumbled.         “I’m liking both of you.” He said with a hint of humor. “And you are correct, Broodmother. We are leaders of different swarms. Tell me, where you once human?” Hesitantly Marara told him. “Yes… How did you know that?” “I used to be human as well. Along with others that I have met. Still, do you know Auric? And if so, do you know where he is?” Thinking back, Marsara couldn’t think of anyone named Auric. “Sorry I have never heard of him before.” “Tch, you offer to help someone, and they don’t even meet you at the door... What do you think, Prime?” Before either of them could ask who Prime was, a new voice spoke. It seemed disturbingly synthetic and organic at the same time. “Most likely answer is that this isn’t the right universe. I don’t know how, but I will look into the failure.” Wondering who this ‘Auric’ was, so Marsara asked. “Who is this ‘Auric’ anyways?” Paranoid was in a corner, rubbing his head as if trying to remember something.         “He is a being that is on par with gods. He is currently in a war with another that is just as powerful as himself, and has been gathering allies. And when I was called, I ended up here for some strange reason.”         Paranoid slapped himself, then blurted, “Wait, I think I heard something about a war!”         “Did you get Auric’s message? He did send it across the multiverse. Still, Prime, do you have a way for us to get to the right world?”         “No.” Prime Directive responded. “We do not have the coordinates  for the correct world. We were following the trail made by his call.” Dahaka sighed before falling silent.         Paranoid cut in, “... I wasn’t contacted by Auric, but some… thing, called himself a ‘Displacer’. He said if Marsara got something from a ‘War of Understanding’ to leave it. It did some major flop. Don’t know all the details though, but he said something about making a new one…”         “Well, that’s just great. I wonder what happened to cancel it? Hmm, thats one thing to keep an ear open for. Still, this is your world. So do you want me to return to my own world, or can I keep a small base here?” Seeing no harm in it Marsara told him.         “As long as you don’t try too kill me or the ponies I’m fine with it.”         “Thank you. We could also exchange some strains if you want. I have some interesting ones.”         “What are these strains like?” She asked, curious as to what another Swarm could have.         “I have a structure that completely covers a cave mouth, making it so that only friendlys can come through. And if worst comes to worst, it can petrify. I have aquatic versions of all the Zerg. I have the Encroacher, which specializes in theft and sabotage. I have the Blightling, which can infest units with their attack, so when they die they leave unmatured Blightlings behind. The unmatured Blightlings grow in a day into full Blightlings. I have Banes, which can subtly infect an enemy unit ahead of time, and detonate it later in a Baneling burst. And I have others as well. In fact... I’ll give you one of them now, as sort of a gift. Alright?”         “That sounds reasonable. But the only strains I have as of right now is the Harvester a Sin meant for harvesting materials, and the Spawner a Sin that can lay eggs like a Broodmother. I made them so I don’t have to worry about Larva or Drones. “I… Um… Designed some new breads of Zerg myself… If that’s what you two are talking about. More than a thousand years without anything else to do means I’ve got free time...” “What are these strains Paranoid?” “Well, just some things… I’ve got what I call Flies, which are smaller than real flies. They infect Ponies with a stun agent. Suicider's, which are big balls of acid that explode. Don’t worry, they don’t have a mind of their own. Shy Swats, which can camouflage to their environment. Skale’s, which can take a lot of damage, while infecting melee attackers with something worse than the flu. And Clone’s, which were the hardest to design. They can copy the shape of anything, mostly ponies, to become like a spy controlled by stronger minds in the Hivemind. They can switch between the form you choose them to take, and a Zerg/Pony hybrid like me.” Paranoid finished with pride. Marsara was proud of Paranoid but confused as to why they would need a Zerg that can mostly just copy the shape of the ponies. “Paranoid. Why would we need a Strain that can copy the ponies?”                  Paranoid coughed physically. “Information. I needed to keep up with the times. With more than a thousand years waiting for your return, I wanted to prepare information to tell you. Things like how Luna got banished, where new towns were settled, and who the new bearers of the Element are. They’re fun to watch...”         “SOMEPONY BANISHED LULU?!?! I will find and kill who ever did this to poor Lulu!” Marsara was starting to feel the anger from before rise back up. It was getting the Sprinters all riled up.         Paranoid laughed nervously, “Actually, Celestia banished her after Luna was infected with some kind of parasite. She’s back on Equis now, and free of it…” Marsara knew almost instantly what said parasite was.         “Nightmare. I will end you like I should have when I found you.” Marsara stated with venom. She was starting to feel the anger caused by the Nightmare… And she was enjoying it.         “I like to call it ‘Blacklight’ for some reason… I also think it’s gone.”         “Still, we must be alert. But on to other matters. You said something about the Elements getting new bearers.”         “Oh, yeah. After Luna’s banishment, Celestia lost the connection with them, and hid them. Fast forward to a couple years ago, the Princess sends her personal student: Twilight Sparkle, to a small town called Ponyville. I know, stupid. Where they came up with that crap, I have no idea. Anyway, Nightmare Moon returned, and Celestia was nowhere to be seen. This Twilight Sparkle went into the Everfree Forest- you know, where we are- with five other ponies. Rarity, a Unicorn fashion designer. Applejack, a country farmer who picks, get this, apples. Crazy, I know. Rainbow Dash, weather manager, wannabe “Wonderbolt”, and self proclaimed Fastest Flyer in Equestria. Fluttershy, a timid-hard to believe, right?-animal caretaker who can stare down a dragon and make ‘em cry- I’m kinda scared about her. And Pinkie Pie… A party planner, impossible, and overall scary pony… I don’t even want to even think about half the stuff she can do.”         “Which Element went to which pony?”         “Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter. Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. Applejack, the Element of Honesty. Rarity, the Element of Generosity. And Twilight Sparkle, the Element of The Magic of Friendship… Or just Magic. I don’t know…”         “This is most interesting… But back to what were talking about. Why would we need to spy on the ponies when we can just ask them? We are their protectors aft-” Marsara was cut off as Paranoid pointed at the dead guards. “I just assumed they were rouge. It has happened before.” Paranoid pointed at the remains of Marsara’s prison, and shook his head. As much as Marsara didn’t want to admit it… He was right. “Just what happened to cause me being in stone? It had to be the Elements, but I would have had to have a darkness in my heart.” Now that Marsara thought about the past she couldn’t remember much after she found the parasite.         “Let’s just say Nightmare did some bad things as you, and leave it at that.”         “This is not good… Wait… Why can’t I feel any other Zerg Hiveminds besides ours and Dahaka’s? Why can’t I feel any of the three million of my children?”         Paranoid gave Marsara a sad look. “Marsara… You… I don’t know what happened to the others, and I tried to save as many of them, but… They kept getting out of control… I couldn’t keep control as well as you…”         “Do not worry Para… You tried your best. But I can not feel the other Mothers… Please tell me Tia didn’t come for you.” Marsara asked the last bit hoping she was wrong.         “I think the dead Royal Guards are the answer.” For the first time since Marsara was first sent here she snapped.         “I will kill that bitch for killing my children… She is too blame alone. Not Lulu or Disy… No harm shall come to any who don’t try to stop me… All who do shall be killed along with Celestia.” Dahaka, who was staying silent up until that point, interjected at this point.         “So you’re going on a crusade against Celestia then?”         “Yes. She will pay for killing my children.”         “Don’t you think you’re being a little rash here? I mean, I never had that sort of relationship with any of my zerg, but still.”         “When I started making my Swarm, my mind started changing into that of a human turned Zerg. Having the feelings of a human but looking and acting more like a Zerg. So, I see my Swarm as my children… All three million of them… If they were still alive.”         “I never got that change. The worst I got was Prime. When he was in control... well, xenocide happened. Still, are you sure you want to go on the war path? You won’t be able to avoid casualties. You will have to make mothers go through the grief you’re going through just to get revenge.”         “If she is willing to give herself over, then none shall be harmed… But if she doesn't… Think of the time when you had something very important in life that meant everything to you, then someone that you have protected for over a thousand years comes along and kills it even when it only wanted what it thought of as its mother. I looked into the memories of Paranoid and found Tia attacked because Paranoid wanted to get my statue back.”         “I was encased in a statue for about one thousand, five hundred years. I was conscious for all of it. Still, if this is what you want to do... Your world, your rules. Just don’t expect me to attack them.”         “I do not expect you to help. And I am sorry to hear you were encased in stone like I was except I wasn’t conscious for the thousand, and seventy-two years I was encased.”         “Still, I promised to give you a free zerg strain. Which do you want?”         “I think the wall type structure would be useful. If you would like I can give you one of my strains.”         “That strain was a gift. I insist on trading for any you give me. Still, Prime? If you would?”         “Very well.” Prime Directive sent a tendril of thought to Marsara, gently touching her mental barriers. Then the tendril was severed from Prime Directives mind, and began dispersing. Marsara’s mind absorbed the tendril and suddenly gained the knowledge of how to make the structure.         “Thank you. What shall you do now?”         “Go back to my world. There’s a big war going on there that I need to win.”         “Then I wish you a good journey back. Also, what are you at war with?”         “We just call them Slitherers.” He then sent over mental pictures of the enemy.         “I think I remember these from a game I played back on earth. Anyways if you like I can send a Sin back with you too help.” Amusement could be clearly felt from Dahaka as he sent her a picture of a huge battlefield with Zerg and Slitherers fighting.         “I don’t think that would really make a difference, but thanks for the offer.”         “I see. You’re still welcome to make a base here if you want.”         “Yes, I’ll be keeping this base. Honestly, I’m wondering if I should lend you an Ultralisk...”         “No thank you I do not want to cause collateral damage if possible.”         “I’ll be going then. The base here will be semiautomated, but won’t go outside the cave it’s in. It will be able to contact me if you need help. But until then, goodbye.”         “Goodbye then.” Dahaka’s mental impression then vanished as he went back to his world via Nydus Network.         “... Well, that was… Entertaining…?” Paranoid shrugged, “I’ll go get the structure for the Castle ready. If you want, I’ll send the Sin to find a new cave to set up in.”         Paranoid trotted towards the exit, then stopped. “When you saw my memories, you didn’t see my… Um…”         “No, Paranoid.” Marsara told him, while internally smirking. Marsara actually knew about Surprise but decided not to embarrass him.