Chapter Twelve
Queen of Blades
Chapter Twelve
Twilight Sparkle gazed around as she shook her head, already contemplating the implications of what had just happened. Rarity was too stunned to even stand, and the Queen of Blades was looking around the room with her arms crossed and a smirk adorning her lips.
Rainbow Dash, amidst the chaotic scramble of yelling guards, simply looked at the first trio of spears being pointed her way. Then, she said the words that were on the mind of every tired pony who had heard the clamor inside the throne room.
“...oh buck me.”
=====
“...oh buck me.”
A rather odd thing to hear coming from her own throne room. Though maybe it wasn’t, given the rather noisy chaos of tired guards, scrambling about only by the grace of adrenaline, and the shaking that had just ended. Having been passing by, Celestia knew that whatever the cause of the noise, it was unlikely to be something that’d allow her a much needed rest.
Steeling herself for what was to come, the solar diarch of Equestria enveloped the throne room doors in her magic aura, flinging them open with ease. Not even her millennia of experience could have prepared her for what she found on the other side, and she stared with wide eyes at the spectacle.
The first thing she noticed were the guards, all brandishing spears at a small group of individuals situated in the middle of the room. They all wore grim scowls in their agitation, but Celestia was easily able to glimpse the confusion beneath their trained exteriors. A confusion she shared, considering that this group had apparently managed to teleport directly into Canterlot Castle, despite all the wards prohibiting exactly that.
Her confusion was quickly pushed aside however, worry taking the front as she soon spotted the trio of ponies, including her beloved student. The very obvious presence of the familiar alien creature only managed to add to her already growing headache, and at the time she was sorely tempted to just leave and let Luna sort out the mess for once. Twilight needed her however, and she was not one to ignore the troubles of her favored student.
“Guards,” her sharp voice cut straight through the chaotic situation in front of her. “Stand down, you are pointing your weapons at my student and her friends.”
As one the ponies in the room looked in her direction, the guards looking even more confused than before, while the three Element Bearers were still dazed. The alien creature simply looked on with a neutral expression.
The lead guard looked between his princess and the intruders with mouth agape. “But... but princess! This is the monster that attacked the Castle! You can’t mean to-...”
He was quickly cut of as Celestia glared in his direction. “I said. Stand. Down. Sergeant.” she spoke firmly, the command filled with so much authority that it would have made a rookie guard pee himself.
Obviously not happy with the situation and what he’d been ordered to do, the sergeant whipped his head back around to scowl at the alien monster. For a moment it looked like he was about to attack the creature himself; then he made a cutting gesture with his hoof towards the assembled guards.
“Colts, stand down.”
Weapons were lowered as the guards took a few steps further back, still ready to react at a moment’s notice should it be needed. Celestia however simply trotted forwards without a hint of hesitance. She looked to the group, running an examining glance over the alien creature. For a moment their unreadable gazes met, the solar diarch just barely suppressing a shudder at the feral nature of those red eyes.
Taking her eyes off of the alien, Celestia instead looked to the three ponies. They had all managed to recover from the after effects of the pseudo-teleportation, although Twilight and Rarity still looked slightly out of it.
“Twilight Sparkle,” the alicorn’s voice was soft yet insistent, causing Twilight to look at her mentor and snap out of her shock over the impossibility of what Kerrigan had just done. “Would you mind explaining all this, please?”
Twilight shook her head, clearing her mind from the after effects of transportation. Already being used to the vertigo induced by regular teleportation quickly turned out to be a boon in the situation. “Princess?” She looked to her mentor, her eyes growing wide in realization. “Oh no, I am so sorry! I shouldn’t have let this happen! How is this even possible!? You can’t teleport into the castle, there are too many wards in place and the distance was just-”
The princess quickly cut her off, placing a hoof gently on her student’s shoulder. “Twilight, take a moment to relax. I see now that you’re not the one who should be explaining their actions.”
Once more Celestia met the eyes of the alien female, the unspoken but obvious question hanging heavily in the air. It did so for long seconds, until finally the Queen of Blades directed her gaze fully towards the princess.
“Me? I simply gave my services in getting the ponies here. Twilight Sparkle is the one who insisted I came along.”
The mocking, almost joking undertone of the alien’s voice did not pass Celestia by, yet it did not show on the alicorn’s expression.
“Regardless, I am sure that my student did not propose that you teleport straight into the castle. She would know that such a thing is impossible with conventional magic, and that it would likely cause a panic.” Her eyes hardened, returning the gaze with full strength. “I have taught her better than to be so foolhardy and reckless.”
The Queen of Blades didn’t hold the gaze long, eventually redirecting an indifferent glance towards one of the many stained glass windows, a twitch of her boney wings the only outward reaction to the short confrontation.
Celestia turned back to her student and her recovering friends. “Twilight, Luna is at the Royal Vault overseeing the investigation. Could you and your friends go and meet her there? I have a few things I’d like to discuss with our guest.”
For a moment it looked like Twilight was going to argue, but it only took one look from her mentor to discourage her from that particular course of action. With a small gulp she turned and gave a nod of her head. “Of course, Princess, we’ll go see what we can do to help. Come on, girls.”
“Sergeant,” Celestia turned a pointed look towards the royal guard. “Take your guards and escort my student and her friends to the Vault.”
The sergeant looked aghast. “But, Princess! We can’t-”
“Now, sergeant.”
As one the ponies in the room flinched, entirely unfamiliar with the sharp tone of Celestia’s voice. The guards didn’t even look like they wanted to question her, instead turning towards the three ponies and helping them to their hooves. Taking lead of her small group, Twilight directed a confused Rainbow Dash and still dazed Rarity out of the throne room, the guard ponies taking up positions around them.
Humming silently to herself the Queen of Blades watched the remaining ponies leave, only turning to look at Celestia as the doors closed behind them. “So, what were you hoping to-” Her sentence was cut off as she finished her turn, suddenly gazing into two eyes that were nothing like what she had previously seen from the Princess. Words failed to describe exactly what she felt in that moment, her eyes locked involuntarily with a being unlike anything she had ever encountered.
“Just one thing,” the princess spoke with all the resolve of a being who had lived for millennia, power emanating from her every word. It was a voice that demanded undivided attention, cutting so deeply it almost made her very essence shiver.
Even as she returned the glare in full, pouring every bit of her will and defiance into it, she could not help but wonder if this was what staring into the heart of a star would be like.
“If you ever hurt one of my subjects again, mark my words: I will personally end your existence.” It wasn’t a question, it wasn’t even a request. The words she spoke were fact, plain and simple.
From the beginning she had been so very mistaken, in her naivety believing to have judged the power of the Princesses from her first glance. If she hadn’t been engaged in what was quickly turning into a battle of wills, she might have berated herself for making such a hasty judgement.
Her aura of power flared, already making almost physical contact with the energy the sun princess was giving off. Yet she did not notice anything of her surroundings, her full concentration taken up by the two iridescent, magenta eyes that burned with a fiery essence she could almost taste. It was like looking directly at the sun in all its terrible glory, the princess’ essence almost showing visibly to her Zerg senses.
Already her nature pushed itself to the forefront of her mind, the Queen’s eyes glowing a feral yellow as the desire for the princess’ essence became almost overwhelming. Yet even then, something in the back of her mind made one thing clear. This essence was not one she could take, or even manipulate, the realization bringing her a moment of clear thought.
‘This quality of essence, why does it seem familiar? It is clearly incompatible with the Zerg, almost like-’
CRACK!
Both of them blinked, the moment broken as their gazes drifted to the marble floor where a large crack had formed at their clashing. In that moment all the tension left the room, leaving the two beings to look neutrally at each other.
“Perhaps this is a discussion best left for another time,” the solar diarch offered, her expression betraying nothing concerning what had just happened. “We can talk on our way to the Vault, but for now the investigation and restoring order comes first.”
The Queen of Blade nodded. “Agreed, I am looking forward to seeing more of your castle. My last visit was so terribly short lived.”
If Celestia thought anything particular about the smirk that had formed on the Queen’s face then she did not mention it, instead leading the way towards the large doors the others had left through. With a flick of her magic, Celestia opened the way for them to pass into the hallway outside. She took a turn, followed only slightly behind by the female alien.
Their walk was one of comparable silence, the princess leading the way as the Queen followed. They passed several ponies along the way, each of them giving the pair a wide berth. Idly the Queen of Blades thought on their reactions. They were clearly fearful of her presence, but no matter how scared they seemed when they first laid eyes on her, that fear was quickly replaced with a trusting calmness as soon as they spotted the princess by her side.
‘Such simple minds, that they can feel at peace so easily. Do they truly have such high trust in their leader?’
Dismissing the pointless thoughts from her mind, the Queen of Blades instead returned to watching her surroundings, and her silent partner. Despite being only within arm’s reach of an alien predator, the princess seemed as calm and collected as someone taking a stroll through a flower garden. As the sound of armored hooves and carapaced feet sounded on the marble tiling, the Queen came to a realization. It wasn’t that Celestia was just confident in being able to defend herself from a possible attack, rather it was as if she commanded the area she walked, making it her unrivaled territory. In a way she actually respected that composure, it was so much like her own.
“I am curious,” the sound of Celestia’s voice brought the Queen out of her contemplations. “What exactly is your origin? I have lived for a very long time, and I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone of your… form.”
“I will answer your questions only if you will answer mine in turn,” the Queen said without missing a beat, striding confidently at the alicorn’s side.
Celestia responded with an all too casual smile and nod. “That is only fair.”
“I came here from another world, far beyond your sun. I am of the Zerg.”
It was the smallest of things, nothing more than a slight twitch of Celestia’s unshakeable facade. But it was more than enough for the perceptive Zerg to pick up on. Of all the answers she could have given, she’d had thought that one to be the most obvious, so why did it cause such a reaction?
“My turn. What are the Elements of Harmony?”
The Princess didn’t even break her stride at the direct question, instead smiling fondly as if remembering a memory from long ago. “The Elements of Harmony embody the core concepts of harmony. The values of kindness, laughter, loyalty, generosity, honesty, and magic. Each of them are important parts of our most valued ideal, and the strongest kind of magic. That of friendship.”
‘Friendship, that’s the kind of thing Raynor would spout.’
“You didn’t answer my question as to what they are.”
“Oh?” Celestia intoned as she directed a serene smile towards the Queen. “I’m pretty sure I did,” her expression didn’t change as she continued. “Now, what are your intentions in Equestria?”
Dismissing the princess’ deceptive reasoning with an annoyed flick of her wings, the Queen of Blades instead resolved to take the alicorn’s words with a grain of salt. “This may surprise you, but I did not arrive here through any decision of my own. As for my intentions, I simply want to find a way to return to where I came from, nothing more.”
The alicorn nodded at that, returning to look ahead as they turned another corner. The halls were quickly filled with more and more activity, guards searching intently and servants working to maintain some measure of order. They were not having much luck, and the presence of an alien creature in their midst obviously didn’t help.
“That is very unfortunate. Perhaps you could tell me more about how it happened? I might be able to help you in your endeavour.”
‘And I didn’t even have to ask for it, how considerate of her.’
Smirking inwardly, the Queen of Blades simply nodded her head as if in thanks. “It was through the use of a particular device, a Xel’Naga artifact of immense power.”
A moment of silence.
“I… see.”
The Queen of Blades blinked, surprised by Celestia’s reaction. It was almost as if the alicorn was hesitant with her words, something she found quite uncharacteristic of her. Yet when she glanced towards Celestia, she did not find any hint of surprise or shock on her.
“I’m afraid I will need some time to properly research your situation, I would ask that we take the time to sit down and talk once our current business has concluded.” She looked back at the zerg Queen. “Is that reasonable?”
She took a moment to look the princess in the eyes, searching for any hint as to what she could be thinking. Not for the first time she cursed her inability to simply read her thoughts, it would’ve been child’s play had she still her entire power intact.
“That is… acceptable.” She returned to looking ahead, noting that the density of guards was growing. “I did tell Twilight Sparkle that I would help, so that takes precedence.”
The princess smiled at that. “Thank you, I am glad to see that you are so thoughtful.” She readily ignored the slightly annoyed glare being directed her way. “In any case, it would seem that we have arrived.”
They came to a stop, standing before a large, open metal door. Its construction was rather bland to the Queen’s eyes, but she couldn’t fault the obvious strength of the thing. She doubted she would’ve been able to force it open in her current state.
Ponies were coming and going from the Vault; guards, specialists, and administrative personnel alike. All of them looked extremely focused on their tasks, so much so that they hardly noticed their princess and the alien visitor. Celestia for one didn’t waste time as she lead the way through the vault door, nodding in confirmation at the two guards standing outside.
“Sister!”
Another alicorn greeted them, this one a stark contrast in appearance to Celestia. The aptly named Princess Luna was in fact, the Queen of Blades noted, somewhat easier on the eyes than her obscenely colorful sister. She was slightly smaller in stature than Celestia, coming only up to the Queen’s chest in height. The suspicious look she was brandishing was also a much more sensible disposition to have in her presence. The Queen of Blades could appreciate that.
“Hello, Luna. Sorry for taking so long, I wanted to have a talk with our guest here,” the solar princess said with all the serenity one could expect from her. “I trust that you’ve brought Twilight and her friends up to speed with the situation?”
Luna cast one glance at the alien being before returning her full attention to her sister. “Verily, Sister. They art currently in the midst of assisting with the investigation!” she exclaimed with a voice that betrayed her happiness about their presence.
The Queen of Blades raised a brow as she looked to the three ponies. Assisting? Twilight Sparkle was occupied with eagerly examining some gilded scroll, Rarity was busy gushing over every pretty knick knack in the place, and Rainbow Dash was being more of a nuisance to the investigator ponies than anything else. Assisting indeed. It didn’t take more than a flat look from the Queen to make Luna look behind her.
For what it was worth it seemed as if Luna made the same realization, her almost jubilant demeanor quickly shifting to a deadpan. “Or at least, that is what We were lead to believe when they said they would be helping with the investigation.” Her voice was just loud enough to catch the attention of the ponies in question, who had the good graces to look guilty about what they were doing.
“Uhm, sorry, princess,” Twilight said as she returned the scroll to its partner on the table. “I’d just never seen the enchantments in the Vault before and sort of got caught up…” She directed an apologetic smile towards the trio of ‘royals’. “We really should figure out what happened here, and I’m guessing it has to do with the holes and the lack of gems in the Vault?”
“Indeed!” Rarity exclaimed, making Rainbow Dash jump slightly. “Such a dreadful situation; so many masterful pieces of art and not a single gem to accentuate their beauty! Truly this is a crime of the greatest magnitude!” She stomped a hoof dramatically on the floor.
The severity of her words, inspirational though they were, would likely have been taken more seriously had it not been for the silver tiara perched on her head, and the numerous rings and bracelets she had adorned herself with made it seem like she’d just jumped into a dragon’s hoard.
Several pairs of eyes stared at her, and Rarity gave a sheepish smile. “Uhm, yes, these jewels have certainly been pilfered from, ehehe,” she took a step towards a nearby shelf, telekinetically lifting the tiara from her head. “I’ll make sure they’re returned to their rightful place.”
Twilight blushed with embarrassment as the princesses looked to her, more used to her friend’s peculiarities than she’d like to admit. Rainbow Dash simply shook her head with an exasperated sigh.
Celestia couldn’t help but smile, but that smile soon turned into a more serious frown. “Yes, all the gems have been stolen from this Vault. Several points of entry have been made by digging through the floor, a feat that should have been impossible for any conventional tunneling species we know of. None of the magical detection wards went off, so they did not use magic, and the markings that were left behind is not something we’ve seen before.” The princess took a moment to let her words sink in before continuing. “We believe it is related to the recent break-in of Canterlot Museum, from which a large quantity of gems were stolen as well. The reports from that scene also confirms that they tunneled into the building itself.”
The three ponies nodded in understanding, the Queen of Blades having moved to one of the holes in order to examine it when Celestia had started speaking. They didn’t look like they’d been left from any burrowing species she was familiar with, and especially not by Zerg.
“Now,” Celestia continued, looking towards the kneeling Queen of Blades. “I don’t believe that this is the case, but just to be on the safe side. You-” she stopped as realization dawned on her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe I actually asked your name when we first met. That was quite rude of me.” She walked a few steps closer to the alien being. “I’m sure you know me as Princess Celestia, might I ask your name?”
The Zerg Queen took one last look at the tunnel before straightening up to her full length, turning to look at the princess. “I am the Queen of Blades, but since that name is apparently unsuitable for pony socializing,” she cast a slightly accusing glance towards the trio of ponies. “You may call me Kerrigan, if only to make conversation easier.”
The few guards nearby didn’t look particularly happy about this strange creature addressing their ruler so brazenly, but Celestia didn’t seem to mind it in the slightest. “Well then, Kerrigan, as one ruler to another feel free to call me Celestia.” The solar diarch smiled that enigmatic smile she had already become familiar with.
“Alright then, Celestia,” she pointedly ignored the aghast expressions of several ponies in the room as she used the princess’ name so easily. “I know what you want to ask, and no, I did not have anything to do with these instances of crime. I am not some common thief.” She looked to the floor beneath her feet with a judging gaze. “And I would be more than happy to prove it to you right here.”
Before anyone could question her about what she meant the Queen of Blades’ body started vibrating at an incredible speed. In the next moment there was the sound of rock and marble breaking apart, and the Queen of the Zerg was gone through a patch of earth where there’d only a second before been solid marble. It all happened so fast that everypony in the room save for the two alicorns jumped in surprise, looking with wide eyes at the spot where Kerrigan had been standing.
“Did… did she just?” Twilight began with a dumbfounded expression, but didn’t get much further in her question before the sound of crushing gravel was heard, and the Queen of Blades erupted from the marble flooring nearby.
With one hand the Queen of Blades removed some dirt from her carapaced shoulders, looking as casual as she had been while they were talking.
“Uhm,” Rainbow Dash moved to look at the place where she’d disappeared from. “Doesn’t that make you seem, I dunno, kinda like an obvious suspect?” She asked the question with an eyebrow raised in confusion.
“Nay, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said as she moved to join her. “Unless the Queen of Blades possesses other means of traveling by tunnels, this demonstration shows that she did in fact not cause those other holes to appear.” When Rainbow Dash cocked her head in question, Luna indicated the area with a hoof. “As you can see, the entrance and exit tunnels created by the Queen of Blades collapses on their own, while the other tunnels remain open. It is like comparing a drill to a shovel.”
The furrowed brow of the Queen of Blades indicated that she did in fact not appreciate that particular comparison, but she didn’t deny it either.
“That clears that up then,” Celestia said. “That just leaves finding the actual culprits, and that’s the reason why I asked you to join us today.”
Twilight nodded in understanding. “Because Rarity is skilled with gem locating magic, and one thing the two crimes have in common are the missing gems.” She took another look at the tunnels, silently contemplating something before continuing. “And you wanted me here as well, because the most logical place where these tunnels would lead is somewhere I’m somewhat familiar with already.”
She looked at her teacher, who confirmed her suspicions with a nod of her head.
“Those tunnels likely lead deep below Canterlot, into the crystal caves.”
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So, you've finally returned, eh?
Woot, an update
Where have you been dude I knew eventually you update story I never gave up hope on you and this story.
So...after all is said and done, will you be doing a sequel with HOTS kerry? >.>
It's alive!
But you were ded
how?
And here I thought you'd died. So long since I last read this...
Good to see it's still alive.
3476623 Because there aren't many multi-chapter starcraft fics around. And most one that are just die. Who knows? But there need to be more.
glad to see such an epic fic continue
Not...Zerg?
WTH?
That line suddenly jumped into my head when I saw the tunnels weren't made by Zerg, Changelings, anyone?
3793311
That is very possible, but for now this story is far from over
3793448
I was resurrected through the magic of friendship!
YAY!
there is only on word for my feelings about the return of this story. HUZZAH!
I just noticed, almost one whole year since the previous updates!
3798783
Everyone knows its okay if you just update before a year has passed!
3800890 Yup!
Almost a year... you're worse than me at updating. (Back when I still wrote, of course.)
Yaaaay update, pleeeeeeaaaaseeeee go on
Huh and here I assumed it was Zerg/Diamond Dog hybrids.
Ah well, the occasional unexpected plot twist is good and I'm glad to see this still updating.
Slight complaint with the new chapter: Given that she never got around to sending her explanatory letter about what happened the first time Kerrigan was in Canterlot, I'd expect Twilight to want to explain that in addition to explaining their sudden appearance. And for Celestia to possibly have some questions.
3858395
Yeah, I'm afraid that the year long break didn't do much to help me maintain continuity. I'll see if I can't patch it at some point, but right now writing is my first priority.
3863319
A mention of Twilight handing over the letter she was going to send or something along those lines would probably fill in the gaps, but I won't complain over getting new content before corrections are edited in.
Awesome story!
Ya know.......
I was looking for this for months
At Last An Update!!!!
Good chapter btw.
Kekekekeke
Kinda hoping Kerrigan gets her full power back at some point... The sheer badassery of her and Celestia going at it hammer and tongs would be awesome.
Calling it now, the ponies (or maybe just the alicorns) are another of the Xel'Naga's little science projects.
Could you give us an estimate of when the next ones coming?
4097438
dragon essence grants fire resistance, simple really
4097438
blizzplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-zergling-evolution-banner.jpg
Spinning new strands.
I do hope this continues.
last updated around 2 years ago?
i.imgur.com/VFX0JLg.jpg
6632990 *feels the stories pulse* Noopee in a coma jim =-=
you got a thumbs up from me before I even started reading the story because of the description.lol
Can't wait for more.
It's kind of sad when a promising story just die off like that
I SWEAR TO SHIT, THE GOOD STORIES ALWAYS FLOP OVER AND DIE
FUCKNUGGETS
3795389 No, it died.... Again