Author SI)

“The power your Lifemate, David, has learned to wield in his study of the Khala is the power of the Soul--the power of your most primal self. All beings have this power--my people and no doubt even the Terrans--but we cannot utilize it as your Lifemate David can. The power of my people is the power of the Mind, of thought, which gives structure to the self. David knows that you, too, can wield this power Luna, and thus, he has brought you here to Shakuras so that I may train and educate you properly in its use. However, you must understand that this study is taboo and that use of your energies will leave a mark upon your aura. You must also know that if this 'taint’ is discovered, there may be no way to reconcile yourself with the Conclave. David might lose his rank and status as a High Templar and the both of you might be exiled from Aiur.”

Sitting near me on the floor--her body almost completely hidden in the shadows cast by the pale, faintly green-tinged half-light of the meditation chamber--my beloved, Princess Luna, turned to look at Zeratul, before solemnly nodding her head. "I hear, and understand, honoured Elder. I am aware of the consequences we may face but, I still wish to learn." Zeratul--Prelate of the Dark Templar—nodded curtly to me, then returned his gaze to Luna, and regarded her silently for a moment--his eyes glowing vermillion, like hot coals--before he spoke again. “Then today, I shall begin your training, by teaching you one of our simplest and most useful abilities. I shall teach you to conceal yourself from sight.” Zeratul gestured to the space between Luna and himself. “Open your mind, and feel the energies of this space. Everything around us--matter, and energy—is a distortion in the pattern of forces.” Luna wasn't a High Templar. She'd read no books that dealt with Psionics and hadn't undergone the many years of rigorous training and study that I had gone through to gain mastery of my own latent psionic energies.

In fact, she'd had no training at all, and the only knowledge of Psionics she did have was the theory of Psionics that my own mentor--High Templar Zhand'Akull--had taught her. Now, as I watched her, I realized that she didn't need any studious discipline; she simply nodded her head, and then did as Zeratul told her, following his instructions through instinct alone. Although Zhand'Akull had only taught her the theory that every Protoss Acolyte learns before beginning any training whether physical or psionic, from his lessons Luna had learned this: the physical universe--as we knew it--was actually the manifestation of an underlying system of energies. Positive, and Negative; Light, and Darkness; Order, and Chaos. These forces had their own laws, their own patterns that defined the physical laws of the cosmos.

To use Psionics, was to take the power of the soul or the mind, and use them to act upon the physical world, by altering the underlying energies. Luna could not truly see--in any physical sense--the energies and ley-lines in the room, but her mind's eye presented them to her in a way that was almost visual. She could see the faint light in the space between herself and Zeratul, but now she instinctively pictured it as something more substantial, like water. Not wanting to interrupt my beloved's concentration by speaking aloud, with sign language, I relayed to Zeratul what Luna was doing--picturing the light like water. Turning his head but slightly he nodded to me, indicating that he understood, before returning his attention to Luna, and resuming the lesson.

“Excellent Luna!” he said to her quietly. “Light is pliant, as water. Water takes the shape of any vessel that contains it, and light, likewise, is only apparent when it strikes matter. If light cannot touch you, you cannot be seen. Now... look beneath the light, and try to see it not as light but as a flow of energy.” Although she couldn't wield the power of her soul like the Protoss, when High Templar Zhand'Akull had taught my companion Luna the theory of Psionics—so that she could get a better understanding of what he was teaching her—he had taught her about the underlying nature of those forces that gave rise to the physical universe. Now, as I watched she put that knowledge into practice, concentrating not on the light, as it existed in the room, but on the essence of the light - the energy of the pattern that defined the shape of the photons.

As he saw the intense look of concentration on her face, Zeratul continued to speak. “In order to manifest, energy has a certain structure. To simplify, it has boundaries. What you must manipulate Luna, is not the energy itself, but the boundaries; what gives the light its shape.” Suddenly exhilaration filled my mind, as Luna realized that this was where Zeratul's first lesson diverged completely from the theory that Zhand'Akull had taught her! Physical light was a manifestation of the positive force, but the positive force could manifest as many things. Bounding the positive force, however, was the negative that defined the edges of the light much as light defined the edges of a shadow. She nodded silently, indicating her understanding.

“You must make a wall around yourself,” Zeratul continued. “Picture its shape in your mind... and then impose that shape upon the dark force. Do not immerse yourself--that is similar to the method used by stasis cells, and will certainly knock you unconscious. Just make a wall.” Luna obeyed. She imagined a huge wall around herself, a confining room, and concentrated on that structure. Then reaching out, she touched the darkness--the image firm in her mind--and as Zeratul had said, it began to take shape! She was amazed, and I could feel her amazement, flooding into my mind through the warmth of her mental presence. From Zhand'Akull's lessons, she'd learned that utilization of the negative force was taboo to the High Templar, because they considered it the force of oblivion--of non-existence.

Now, however, she knew that it was not non-existence--it was simply the mind's way of showing the principle of structure. The negative force didn't appear as light because it wasn't energy. Zeratul couldn't feel the amazement within her thoughts nor see it on her face... because the wall was formed and where Luna lay, was a huge, flawlessly reflective cube. “Now... shape the wall further, Luna,” he said to her, quietly. “Imagine the keel of a sailing ship--shape the wall so that light flows around it easily.” Luna knew instinctively what Zeratul wanted her to do--the 'keel' shape was simply an example--and, without hesitation, she followed his instructions. An improbable distortion of time, and space, the great wall stretched out before her, somehow tapering to nothing in every possible direction, unlike a ship's keel, which was narrow in one direction, and broad from the sides. Light slid by without touching her.

Zeratul watched the cube distort itself and vanish. Soon, there would be no intermediary steps necessary--Luna would be able to conceal herself with one smooth motion of her mind. Although she wasn't Firstborn--and wasn't a High Templar--she'd performed with incredible control, and Zeratul and I were both very proud of her! With a thought, Luna dispelled the structure she had created... and then she began to move, curling herself around me, folding her feathered wings over my body in a warm embrace! "I am so proud of you, Luna," I whispered. "I am so very proud of you." I started to caress her softly, then--and as I roamed my hands over her muzzle, her cheeks, her ears... every part of her head I could reach--I embraced her presence through our telepathic bond, letting her feel my pride and love.

Closing her eyes, exhaling her sweet breath across my ear and through my hair, Luna returned my mental embrace, her love for me filling my thoughts as she spoke four simple, heartfelt words. “Thank thee, mine David.” It was all that needed to be said. As we lay there together, embracing each other physically and mentally, for that single moment in time, Prelate Zeratul watched us and smiled as only he could, his eyes glowing midnight blue as he raised his brow ridges. “Well done Luna, well done!” he said.

After she'd passed that first lesson, Luna became more confident in herself and her abilities. And for thirty years--at the ancient Citadel of Guan on the twilight world of Shakuras--she continued to train in the ways, and methods of the Dark Templar. Like my own training with High Templar Zhand'Akull, Luna's training under Prelate Zeratul was not easy. Many a night, she would return to our quarters in the Citadel suffering from mental fatigue, her head aching painfully, but she never complained; no matter what it cost her, in order to gain mastery of her latent psionic energies, my beloved pony companion was determined to learn everything that Prelate Zeratul had to teach... And she did.

Under the guidance of Prelate Zeratul, Luna not only learned to conceal herself from sight but also learned how to stun a group of erstwhile attackers with a powerful surge of mental energy. In addition to this, she also learned how to channel her latent psionic energies to boost her tremendous physical strength and endurance. Eventually she also developed a powerful psionic attack of her very own! Luna learned how to create powerful psychic "ripples" which were disruptive to other life forms and then, through trial and error she learned how to focus those ripples into a devastating storm of negative psionic energy!

Her attack was a "dark templar version" of my own Psionic Storm--and, it was so powerful that it was capable of tearing apart anything in its path! When she finally perfected it, and demonstrated it to Zeratul, the Prelate of the Dark Templar was stunned--not only because of its awesome power, but because it was something that no Dark Templar had ever attempted or even contemplated before! Luna called her attack the "Negative Storm." When I had undergone my own training on Aiur--before being trained in the ways of the High Templar--I had had to learn the martial combat techniques known to all Protoss Zealots.

Unlike me, however, Luna was not human; she was a pony--a creature that walked on four legs instead of two—and so, she could not learn the martial combat techniques that I had learned. However, in addition to training her in the use of her psionic abilities, Zeratul arranged for one of the best Dark Templar Warriors of Shakuras to come to the Citadel and put my beloved companion through a regimen of physical training. That Templar Warrior was Benares: a giant, purple-skinned Protoss from Aiur's Furinax Tribe, who was one of the personal guards of the Dark Templar Matriarch, Raszagal! Benares taught Luna to avoid or reduce injury during combat, by evading, deflecting, or absorbing blows.

He also trained and conditioned her for running and swimming, so that she could move short and long distances over land with speed and efficiency, and swim swiftly underwater. Benares also trained Luna to jump long distances, to avoid damage when falling from great heights, and even to direct her path while falling! Her training with Benares was intense, grueling, and often painful, but my beloved pony never complained. Instead, she seemed to outright relish the hell he put her through; she was utterly determined to better herself... and she did. Eventually, Luna became so great in her mastery of Benares' training, that she could move faster, jump higher, and defend herself in combat far better than any other member of her race.

Before officially becoming Dark Templar, all aspiring Protoss Acolytes of Shakuras must undertake a final test of their training, called 'The Walk of Shadows.' The test requires an aspirant to walk down a valley whilst keeping only to the shadows, out of which Dark Templar will spring unexpectedly to assault him or her. Upon making it to the end of the valley without being incapacitated, the Protoss Acolyte passes the test. Luna was not Protoss but she did aspire to be a Dark Templar, and thus, like all the Acolytes before her she, too, had to undertake this test... and she passed with excellence.

The Walk of Shadows took her many days, but she emerged from the valley unscathed, for her training was complete: so quiet and stealthy was she that the Dark Templar placed throughout the valley to assault and incapacitate her could not find her! When a Dark Templar's training is complete, he, or she, must undertake the Ritual of Severance, a ritual all Dark Templar undertake to acknowledge their exile--their severance--from their brethren on Aiur. During this ritual, the nerve bundles at the back of the head that allow all Protoss to access their communal bond, are severed with a heated broad-bladed sword. Luna honored the spirit of the ritual by having me braid her mane into a traditional protoss braid, which she then allowed Zeratul to 'sever' with the heated blade. When the sword took her mane, my beloved reflected upon her time in Equestria, most notably the relationship she had with her sister, tears misting her eyes as she spoke the creed:

“It is possible to see without comprehending.
It is possible to comprehend without sight.
I am one of the Firstborn.
They too are a part of me.
I will know them best by knowing my own soul.
I will achieve harmony by carrying out my will.
Those that spurn me are in ignorance --
Ignorant of themselves, ignorant of the soul of the Firstborn.
Their ignorance can do me no more harm,
For not by their hand, but by my own heart,
My path is set.”

Prelate Zeratul left the Citadel, then, and when he returned an hour later, he proceeded to ritually dress Luna in spectacular clothing. A 'triple-loincloth' like garment - called a shendyt – was draped over her rear (a hole existed for her tail to exit through), and also covered her flanks. Next, Zeratul helped her into barding made of Voidsteel! The result of first manifesting a small amount of the purest form of Dark Templar void energy into reality as a solid construct and then passing said construct through a replicator, at first glance, Voidsteel resembled obsidian. Its surface appearance, however, was where the substance's resemblance to the volcanic glass ended.

Since Voidsteel was a solidified form of void energy, it never truly lost its connection to the void, the place from which all Dark Templar drew their power; some part of it remained in that supernatural realm at all times. Due to this lingering psionic connection, Voidsteel possessed many unusual properties. Firstly, when viewed in normal lighting, it appeared to absorb the light around it, creating the illusion that it was an infinitely deep black hole in reality. When viewed in dim lighting, the glasslike, metallic material glowed faintly with a multitude of colors. Additionally, the unusual substance exuded strange vapors; if one gazed at these thin, murky streams for too long, sometimes unusual and frightening visions could be seen within them! Finally, when struck, the Voidsteel responded with an audible crystalline whine.

Atop her barding, Princess Luna wore a long, flowing, midnight-blue robe. Decorated with Protoss glyphs and symbols, the robe was made from a thick material resembling fine silk, and it would serve to protect her from the elements, whilst denoting her rank and status; its only modification being the slits cut from it for her wings. Zeratul's final gift was a beautiful Voidsteel Chamfrain. Dozens, and dozens of glyphs and symbols of the protoss dialect adorned the Chamfrain’s highly polished surface, but unlike those inked on a templar robe, the glyphs were imprinted such that they could only be seen in certain types of light.

A decorative feature, common to many types of Chamfrain, was a roundel with a small spike, usually located at the center of the forehead, between the eyes. At the center of the forehead of this Chamfrain, however, was something that Luna had never seen before: a 'cap' for her impressive horn forged from elegantly carved Argus Crystal, as black as the void of space, with hundreds of delicate facets! As Zeratul walked towards us, carrying the Chamfrain with both hands, the pale faintly green-tinged half-light of the meditation chamber played across the surface of the crystal, creating a rainbow effect.

Almost instinctively, we both knew that the Chamfrain was for Luna... that it was hers by right... her proof to the world, that she had indeed completed her training. Therefore, when Zeratul came within reach of her, she "knelt" before him as only she could. Dropping to the ground, she splayed her forelegs then unfurled her great wings from her back and laid them flat, before turning her head forward and closing her eyes. Slowly, reverently, Zeratul knelt and placed the Chamfrain on her head... and then--after strapping the armored helmet in place, he stood up and began to speak to her. “The power of all Dark Templar is the power of the mind--of thought--which gives structure to the self. So great is our mastery of this power, however, that there are a select few of us who can use our abilities to see into the weave of Time—to see the past, and the future.

These particular Dark Templar are known as "Domus Oraculus", or "Dark Oracles" and the true extent of their power is kept a secret from the general population of Shakuras. I am one of these Dark Oracles... Over three hundred years ago, whilst meditating in this chamber--using my abilities to see into the weave--I beheld a vision of a truly fantastic creature! I could not glean from this vision any intricate details of this creature's point of origin, or physical form, but I remember that it was shaped similarly to a terran horse--and, that it was beautiful, midnight-blue, with four legs, and a pair of great, feathered, birdlike wings!

In my vision, I saw that this beautiful creature would journey to Shakuras in the company of her chosen companion: a High Templar--who was not Firstborn, but human! She would come to our world to learn our ways and our methods then carry them with her, and teach them unto her own race. Now, I know that the creature I saw in my vision was you, Luna! You have learned to value our ways and our methods--you have learned to wield the power of your mind--and I am proud to call you one of us. Arise, Princess Luna, Dark Templar! Accept this gift with the honor it brings you here, and wear it proudly, as you take your new station at your Lifemate's side!”

Author's Note:

Dark Templar Luna is GO!!!

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Carpinus Caroliniana

Carpinus Caroliniana #1 · Apr 26th, 2014 · · ·

Fucking AWESOME!

I know very, very little about Starcraft but I know enough to picture this new and improved kickass Dark Templar Luna.

By the way, it's "ley lines" not "lay lines".

Coranth

Coranth #2 · Apr 26th, 2014 · · ·

4293100

When a Dark Templar's training is complete, he, or she, must undertake the Ritual of Severance, a ritual all Dark Templar undertake to acknowledge their exile--their severance--from their brethren on Aiur. During this ritual, the nerve bundles at the back of the head, which allow all Protoss to access their communal bond, are severed with a heated broad-bladed sword.

I'm not sure about this bit, though. Should I have Luna honor the 'spirit' of the Ritual of Severance by 'severing' - cropping - her mane and tail (leaving enough of her tail to cover her privates, of course), the way horses' manes are cropped for shows?

Cue Celestia with a WFT?! moment...

BTW, why the hell did you change your username? (I hate it when Authors do that; makes it difficult to archive stories written by the same author)

ParadigmShift