Pandora's Box

Noire walked up to Taldarin and closely inspected his mechanical body.

"My name is Violet Sky. I am, well was, a commander in the Equestrian army," she said with a small bow of her head. Noire continued to examine Taldarin. She had pulled out a small device, from somewhere, that fit nicely onto her hoof. Manipulating it with her wingtips she began scanning.

"Noire?" The pegasus ignored her and continued messing with the device.

"Interesting," she muttered. The golden robot before her turned its gaze to the pegasus that had been prodding it. "Sister, this is just like the assault units from the war."

"It is very similar. Almost uncannily."

"Taldarin," Noire said addressing the Protoss artifact, "Are we the first ponies to enter this temple?"

 

Anthony chimed in, motioning towards Matt.
"I'm in the same boat as him. Born and raised as a human, now here I am with hooves and a horn."
He shrugged.
"I'm...starting to get used to it. I think."

Taldarin looked closely at the two ponies who had identified themselves as human.
"...Terrans?"

"Far from the first, though I suspect you are the first to enter this temple in many, many years. These "assault units" you speak of...do you truly believe they may have been of Protoss design? Such a thing should not have been possible...I wonder. Perhaps more units like myself were made and then abandoned here when the Protoss left the planet. Though even if that were the case, surely they would have realized that some of them were missing and returned to retrieve them. I suppose there is no use pondering it now as I can only speculate on what happened while I was in stasis. In the meantime, there are more important matters to attend to."

Without warning, a bright blue line of light came from Taldarin's visor, scanning each of the ponies from hoof to head in a matter of seconds. Taldarin then looked to Noire.
"You will have to excuse me, though it seemed only fitting as you had no qualms about examining me without permission." He almost seemed slightly indignant as he spoke. "Hmm...you seem to be part Changeling, if my preliminary results are correct. How ironic. When I was put into stasis, the Equestrians were on rather unfriendly terms with their kind."

Anthony cringed and wondered if he should even bother explaining.
"That...hasn't really changed. Apparently, they were at war not too long ago. Noire's a...special case. Long story."
He chuckled awkwardly and tried to change the subject as soon as possible.
"So, getting back on topic, you said we're not the first ponies to be in here. Who else was here? For that matter, why were they here?"

"Ahh, so it seems the Equestrians' knowledge of this place is lost to history after all. Just as we planned. Just as it should have been. Then you will no doubt find this next bit of information quite intriguing."
He looked around at the group of ponies gathered in front of him.
"There was a time when the Protoss and the Equestrians fought together against the Xel'naga."

Anthony's eyes widened slightly and his mouth hung open.
"Wait...you? And the ponies? Seriously?"
"Indeed. They even worked with our Khalai engineers to ensure that this artificial body you see in front of you looks as close to the real Earth Ponies as possible, along with other such projects."
"I hope nobody takes this the wrong way, but you'll have to excuse me if I find it hard to believe that ponies could be much help fighting these giant alien monstrosities. I've seen some of them! They look like they could EAT a pony!"
"You underestimate them. Come, let me show you."

Just then, a hole in the floor opened up in the middle of the group and a large pale green crystal came up from it. As the crystal began to glow, vivid memories from the past flashed in the group's minds as if they were experiencing them first-hand, though they were somewhat blurry and shifted too quickly to take in everything at once. What they saw was the land of Equestria from millennia past. There was a large-scale war about to take place right in front of their eyes. On one side were all sorts of terrifying creatures both large and small-- the only ones they recognized, the Zerglings, were among the smallest of the entire army. The brief glimpses they caught were of creatures for which the word "monstrous" seemed like a severe understatement. Some were serpentine in nature, some of them flew through the sky on bat-like wings, some were as large as a building with unbelievably massive claws and teeth. All of them were terrifying, horrifically mutated creatures that were far worse than anything encountered by any human or Equestrian.

On the other side were the Protoss and their machines of war. It was hard to notice exact details from the brief flash of memories they took in, but what they could see was no doubt strange and alien to them, but not disgusting and abominable as the Zerg were. The Protoss warriors they could see, standing a little over 7 feet tall, were bipedal creatures with grey skin and glowing eyes. They had a noble, regal look to them, accentuated by the golden armor they wore with some of them wearing dark blue capes. Their war machines, on the other hand, were just as massive and terrifying to look at as the Zerg. In particular, what stood out the most were a group of massive four-legged machines that stood at about 17 stories tall with a single glowing blue eye at the center of its head. There were many others, some that looked like large, mechanical centipedes and some that flew through the sky looking like futuristic fighter jets, but their fine details were hard to make out before the image faded away.

What they saw next was arguably even more unbelievable. Mixed in the ranks of these Protoss warriors were ponies, armored and ready for war. The Earth Ponies stood at the front line right behind the Zealots, the Pegasi were ready to strike from the air and the Unicorns supported some of the smaller ground-based war machines such as the Stalkers and Dragoons. But they were not the only ones. Alongside the blue-caped High Templar, those who were highly revered among Protoss warriors, were Alicorns preparing to cast their spells just as the High Templar were focusing their Psionic energy. The two armies stared each other down, neither side truly prepared to make the first move.

As the group watched the scene unfold, they heard Taldarin's voice in their head.
"This planet was but one of many ravaged by the Xel'naga during the war. Their goal was to enslave the races of Equestria and turn them against us or even worse, feed the Equestrians to their wretched Zerg slaves in order to drive their evolution even further. At the time, we were already fighting the war on many fronts and our forces were stretched thin. However, the brothers Khas and Adun could not bear to see this world engulfed in utter darkness. They sent what little forces they could, led by the original Taldarin, to save Equestria from their fate. They were successful, thanks in no small part to the Equestrians themselves, who were much braver and more powerful than any of us could have possibly anticipated. They leaped into the fray at their own peril, insistent on fighting for their freedom alongside our forces."

The images of coming war faded away, replaced with a vision of the Everfree Forest.
"So taken was he by their unyielding spirit, Taldarin wished nothing more than to stay with the Equestrians to protect them from further harm. However, he knew this was not to be."
The terrain began to look familiar. A small group of Khalai engineers were working together with a group of ponies, laying the foundation of an enormous structure. It soon became obvious that it was the very same temple the group was standing in.
"Instead, he constructed this temple with the help of the Equestrians, hoping that the secrets that lie within would be brought back into the light to protect this world if the need should ever arise. However, whether he was able to see his ambitions through to completion, I cannot say. I can only say that he surely intended to return someday, though I can only assume that he never shall if he is not here already."
The crystal's images slowly faded from everyone's minds and the crystal's now much brighter glow slowly subsided. Taldarin patiently waited for them to come back to their senses and gather their thoughts. He was sure they had quite a few questions to ask him.

 

"Actually they were made by ponies and powered with our magic," Violet said quickly in explanation as Taldarin spoke. She flinched slightly as the blue light tingled throughout her body.

Noire giggled in response, "That tickles!"

The vision hit the two of them full force. They swore they could feel the wind, taste the air and the tension in their bodies as adrenaline prepared them for battle. The two came out of it crumpled on the floor of the old temple.

"Quite a war," Violet said quietly as she sat on her flank.

"I saw Celestia," Noire added.
"The Princess?"
"Indeed. That's how she knew the design."
"Come to think of it, the Xel'naga resemble the Changelings quite a bit."

 

"The Xel'Naga have returned? Then it seems the worst has come to past. And you say that you bore witness to one of their kind? The mere fact that you live to tell the tale speaks volumes."

With a chuckle, Anthony chimed in.
"Sorta, kinda...we were in a virtual world. That was quite an experience. One that I'd be perfectly happy never reliving--"
His voice trailed off, as he couldn't help but notice that Taldarin's visor was glowing a little brighter.
"Uh...are you okay?"

"Do not be concerned, I am merely searching through my databanks for any information that may be helpful."
Taldarin, staring straight forward with his visor glowing even brighter, remained motionless for a few moments. Just as Anthony was about to speak up again, Taldarin's visor faded back to its normal, softer glow and he turned to face Noire.
"I believe we may have encountered this creature you speak of during the war. He was one of the lesser Xel'Naga, a commander of the Zerg forces with the uncanny ability to quickly alter his form at will. He assumed many aliases and his true name was never discovered; hence why many of us simply referred to him as the Shapeshifter. To know that he still lives is...vexing, to say the least."

Anthony couldn't help but think back to the Prophet's rather unsettling introduction.
"We're not too happy about it, either."

"As for this Celestia you mentioned, you seem to believe that she is a survivor of the war. I cannot confirm or deny that theory as I was not given a record of all the Equestrians who took part in it. Though it would certainly be possible, especially given the long lifespans of the Alicorn race. To think she would emulate Protoss technology for her own ends...that is rather disturbing and certainly not what was agreed upon between our people. I can only hope that there were no other "exceptions" to the rule."
Taldarin stopped for a moment, realizing that some context was needed.
"Ah yes, I am getting ahead of myself. Once peace returned to Equestria, it was decided that the events of the war would be best forgotten by the citizens of Equestria. Of course there would be legends and rumors for generations to come but it was agreed that it would be for the best if no official record was kept by the royalty. Furthermore, it was agreed that allowing the Equestrians access to any kind of Protoss technology at that stage of their society's development would have devastating effects on the Equestrians' natural growth as a species. It seems our warning was not entirely heeded. Though if they were made solely through Equestrian means then I suppose the repercussions would be minimal."

Anthony, who was getting a little lost in the conversation, raised a hoof and awkwardly tried to work his way into the discussion.
"So basically...everything's good, right? No harm, no foul. I think the more important question is "what are we supposed to do now?"

Taldarin nodded, which admittedly looked a little strange coming from a robo-pony.
"You make a fair point. We must make our way further inside this structure."
Strange glyphs appeared on the monitor behind Taldarin, a message written in the Protoss language.
"Should the flame of the Xel'Naga engulf this world once more, bring those who are worthy into the depths of this temple. Only the greatest among their kin or ours may awaken the great defender. This is the message that my creators left, though even I am not entirely sure what it means."

Anthony raised an eyebrow.
"It sounds like it might be a little out of our league."
"Perhaps."
"Harsh. But you gotta love the honesty. Still..."
He turned to the others.
"...I think it's worth a shot. We won't know until we try and if things don't work out, we'll just have to call in some backup. But personally, I don't like giving up before I even try. What do you say? You guys up for a little exploring?"

 

"Or maybe you're still living it?" Noire said with a sultry chuckle. She came alongside Anthony and rubbed her front right shoulder against his left. There was a small smile on her lips and an odd gleam in her eyes.

Meanwhile Violet's attention had been caught by a shape in the corner of the medium sized chamber. Trotting over to it she realized that it was a pony skeleton- a Pegasus by the looks of it -that was badly damaged. The skull had a hole in it and some of the ribs were snapped in half. One of the rear femurs was broken in two. On the wall painted with ancient blood was, "Praise Pylon?"

Violet searched the immediate remains for any clues but there were none. She returned to where the others were talking.
"I would definitely like to see more of this structure. Aftetall its been untouched for millenia. Who knows what we'll find!"

She was especially interested in this whole Pylon business, whatever it was. Though she feared it wouldn't have a happy conclusion.

 

Anthony, caught completely off-guard by Noire, felt a surprisingly pleasant shiver run up his back. He turned to face her and was struck by the rather...seductive look she had about her. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, so he promptly closed it again. He diverted his eyes, a very slight blush on his cheeks as he spoke under his breath to nopony in particular.
"Gotta stay focused...we've got a job to do here."
Despite his words of encouragement to...well, himself, he still found himself thoroughly distracted.
"Am I going crazy here? Has Noire always looked so..."
Realizing that his mind was slowly drifting to a place that he just wasn't ready to go yet, he quickly shook the thoughts out of his head and got back to the matter at hand.

Anthony chuckled a little.
"You're really getting into this, aren't you? Exploring ancient ruins isn't really my idea of a fun day but hey, it's never too late to pick up a new hobby, am I right?"
He turned to Taldarin.
"So, uh, where do we start?"

Taldarin made his way to a door leading to the next chamber. The door was very elegantly designed, with most of its decorations designed around a small crystal at the center, almost as if the door itself was made to be a shrine to it. This dark blue jewel, shaped almost like a unicorn's horn except larger, radiated a strange form of energy that was somewhat familiar yet completely unlike Equestrian magic. Taldarin motioned to this crystal, looking at Anthony.
"I believe you would be best suited to take the Trials."

Anthony, understandably, had a shocked look after this rather uninformative and very sudden revelation.
"Wait, trials? Nobody said there'd be trials! What kind of trials are we talking about, exactly?"
He gazed at the crystal, a look of deep concern in his eyes.
"And...for that matter, why me?"
"Your Psionic resonance is by far the strongest among your group. You will be able to synchronize with the Khaydarin crystals quite easily."
"Psionic...resonance?"
"You were not aware of it? Hmm. This may be difficult to explain. In essence, it means you were either born with or gifted with a power very much like those of the Protoss race. Your Earth Pony companion also harbors an extraordinary power, but it is an entirely different order of power than your own. You should count yourself quite fortunate! If properly wielded, your Psionic abilities could rival or even surpass that of our greatest Templars."
Anthony let out a heavy sigh.
"Yeah...too bad I went and lost it."
"Is that so? Though I wonder. Can power such as yours truly be lost so easily?"

Anthony gave Taldarin a curious look, but the robotic pony simply motioned to the crystal once again.
"Approach the door and gaze deeply into the crystal. Focus on it alone, shutting out everything else around you. Then your trial will begin, though I can only guess at what you will experience when it does."
Although he clearly looked hesitant to do so, Anthony nodded and did as he was told. He sat down in front of the door, staring at the crystal while trying to clear his mind of all distractions. After just a few seconds the crystal began to glow brightly and Anthony, now with a glazed-over look in his eyes, stared blankly ahead while barely moving a muscle.

Taldarin looked to the others and spoke.
"He will be preoccupied for a few moments. In the meantime, I will answer as many of your questions as I can."
He looked to Violet.
"You seemed quite fascinated with that corner of the room you were investigating. Did you find anything of interest?"

 

Noire sat down in front of Taldarin and allowed the spell keeping her old appearance in place to dissipate. She let out a small yawn showing her sharp fangs.
"I wouldn't say lost easily. More like forcibly removed." She thought for a few moments, her insectoid body scraping quietly against the stone as she readjusted herself.
"So this Prophet, what can you tell us about him?"

"What is a Pylon?" Violet asked.

 

Taldarin looked to Noire.
"Hmph. So he thinks himself a prophet in this age, does he? Such arrogance is not entirely unexpected. Very well, I will tell you all that I can find."
His eyes began to glow as he searched through his databanks for any relevant information. After a few seconds of standing perfectly still, his eyes dimmed again and he spoke up.
"From what I can gather, he is almost certainly the same creature that we encountered during the war. This Shapeshifter took an interest in your planet because he wished to pillage your world of anything that might be useful against the Protoss. Equestrian magic, the Elements of Harmony and surprisingly enough it seems he took an interest in the Changelings of this world. As a being who could also change his form at will, he knew that such a power can provide a significant advantage, so we believe that he may have been trying to assimilate their species into the Zerg Swarm. Fortunately, it seems that traditional means of infestation proved ineffective against them, as it had with many of the races on this world."

From one of the machines nearby, Taldarin conjured a holographic image of a Zerg parasite.
"Normally, when one of these creatures enters into the bloodstream of its victim, their DNA is entirely rewritten with Zerg DNA and their mind is enslaved to the Swarm's will. However, there are those who have a natural immunity to this attack."
Images of a Unicorn, a Pegasus, an Earth Pony and a Changeling appeared.
"Much like how the Khala protects our Templar warriors and the Dark Templar's connection to the Void protects them, it seems your kind's connection to the forces of magic and nature protect them from the Zerg's influence. Because of this, their physiology was of no use to the Xel'Naga...however, it seems the Shapeshifter returned to see what else he can harvest from Equestria."
The images flickered and disappeared.

Taldarin turned to Violet.
"You know of our Pylons? How strange. But for the sake of time, I will refrain from asking how you stumbled onto that term."
He used the holographic projector once again to conjure an image of what appeared to be a large diamond-shaped crystal surrounded by a floating golden ring.
"These structures are a power source made from Khaydarin crystals that when linked to a Nexus or something similar, can provide energy for our various buildings, defensive structures and warp gates. They also allow us to summon reinforcements from great distances by way of the Psionic energy matrix based on our homeworld. The Psionic field they project is vital to the Protoss forces, however, I would imagine they would not be of much use to those who cannot properly channel that energy."
The image of the Pylon blinked out as Taldarin continued.
"In essence, they provide power. You may see a few of them scattered throughout this temple, though surely there would be more had the real Taldarin been given the opportunity to construct additional Pylons."

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Deep within Anthony's mind, inside the dream-like trance that the crystal placed him in, he saw a horde of monsters approaching from the gaping, all-consuming darkness. All around him, terrified ponies screamed in horror and begged for their lives. Some hid in their houses, some tried to leave the city, some merely huddled in a corner and sobbed. But not Anthony. Alone but undaunted he stood against the darkness, his confident smile daring the monsters to make their move.
"Okay, I'm not gonna lie. There's a whole lot of them and apparently only one of me. That kinda sucks. Honestly, even with my powers back to the way they were, I'm not sure if I can handle this many..."
But even as he said this, his horn started glowing brightly.
"...But of course, there's only one way to find out, right? Hey, don't blame me if you all end up getting roasted. You called down the thunder...now REAP THE WHIRLWIND!!"
An enormous psionic storm appeared in front of him, tearing a large group of the monsters into pieces. With a smirk and a gratified chuckle, Anthony looked around at the few stragglers that were left.
"Anybody else wanna go?"

Little did he know that his victorious attitude would be short-lived. A familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, a black and green pony whose nightmarish appearance stopped Anthony in his tracks.
"I will only give you this one chance, Terran. Leave this place or you will share in Equestria's fate."

Anthony broke out into a cold sweat, his confidence now slowly eroding.
"Thanks. But I think I'll stay right where I am."

"Even if it means your death?"
From out of the shadows, more monsters appeared. Anthony could now recognize them for what they were: Zerg. Swarms of them, dozens upon dozens upon...maybe even hundreds. They multiplied at an absurdly fast pace, until they had completely surrounded Anthony to the point where there were only Zerg and the Prophet as far as the eye can see.

Anthony clenched his teeth. Then, after taking a deep breath and fully coming to peace with his decision, the confident smile he had earlier returned to him.
"I can think of worse ways to die."
His horn glowing even brighter than before, he charged directly into the fray.

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As the crystal's glow faded, Anthony regained consciousness and shook his head, letting out a quiet groan.
"Urgh...that was pretty intense. Sure didn't feel like a dream."
The locks holding the crystal in place disengaged and the floating crystal slowly drifted towards Anthony. Anthony looked up at it curiously as it sat right in front of his nose.
"Huh...?"
Without warning, the crystal gave off a blinding light. Slowly, it began to merge with Anthony, seeming to disappear into the ether as its power became one with him. When it was finished, the light faded away and Anthony turned to Taldarin with an utterly baffled look on his face.
"That, uh...that was supposed to happen, right?"
"How fascinating. I have never seen a Khaydarin crystal react in such a way."
"WHAT?!"
"It is nothing to be concerned about. It is simply...fascinating, that is all."
Paying no mind to Anthony's rather shocked and somewhat horrified expression, Taldarin turned back to Violet and Noire.
"Is there anything else specifically that you would like to know about Pylons or the Shapeshifter before we continue?"

 

Matt was following the conversation closely.
Most of this was making him uncomfortable, but a few things were troubling him more than others. First was the feeling of dread this place was emanating. It was like... ice. Pervasive ice that chilled the back of the neck.
Do not be afraid...
He started – the voice had sounded as clearly as any bird-call or crack of a twig -
Oh dear lord, I’m starting to mentally become an Earth Pony. I am human! Come on, Matthew, focus on it for the love of -
I was human too.
He froze, visibly stunned.
... Wha...? Who are you?
Someone who was given the same power as you. Someone who has waited. Waited... so... long...
The voice grew faint, faded to static.
“WAIT!” he burst out, not realising his shout in his panic.
The oceans... it’s starting to hurt... me...
He sank to his knees, forcing himself to tune into the voice, to find it.
And then he heard the song. A sweet elegant melody, rising and falling. A song, wordless yet every note a syllable, acapella but every facet of speech a layered beat. A song of terrible beauty, and adorable sadness.
He straightened up, his eyes filling with tears.
“Can anyone else hear that?” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.

 

Anthony, who completely forgot about Taldarin's rather evasive question as he was startled by Matt's sudden shout, gave his friend a look of deep concern. He shook his head slowly at the question, speaking softly and slowly.
"Can't say I do. Hey, man...are you feeling alright? What's wrong?"
He turned to Taldarin quickly, hoping maybe he would have an answer.
"Are your...sensors or whatever you use picking anything up?"

"I am not detecting any anomalous audio frequencies. If I were to venture a guess, I would say that someone is communicating with him telepathically."
"Can you find out where they're coming from?"
"Although I am programmed to communicate in such a way, I cannot intercept telepathic messages. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for him."
Anthony had a downcast look as he slowly turned back to Matt, then to the door.
"Any chance it might be coming from somewhere in the next room?"
"There should be nothing of the sort in the main hall. However...it seems much has occurred that was not "supposed" to happen. It seems that I have been inactive for far too long."

Anthony let out a heavy sigh, then stared at the door intently for a while.
"Tassadar."
He whispered under his breath the only idea that came to his mind before turning his head back to Taldarin.
"Maybe Tassadar can help us out. Tal, we've got some Protoss friends on the outside but they can't do much of anything right now. They say their signals are being blocked by something, along with their telepathic abilities. You know anything about that?"
"Ah yes, the Psi Disruptor. How fortunate that it is still operational after all these years, despite whatever else might have occurred here."
"Hooray. How lucky for us."
Anthony's sarcasm was not lost on Taldarin.
"Ahem. It should be a simple matter to deactivate the Disruptor once we reach the main chamber. Then you should be able to communicate freely; they will also be able to warp in reinforcements should the need arise."
"Warp in? That sounds handy. Is that anything like Recall?"
"Hmm. I suppose the basic premise is similar, so that explanation should suffice for now. Unless you want a much longer, more detailed elaboration on the differences--"
"Uh, no. No thanks. Maybe later when we're not doing important stuff."
"I assumed as much."

Anthony trotted up to the door and looked at it carefully. Although it still looked more like a door than a wall, he couldn't find any apparent way to open it. He'd half expected there to be a doorknob or handle, though he immediately realized how silly that would be on such a high-tech door. He soon found a panel that was previously deactivated but now glowed with strange markings on it that he vaguely recognized as Khalani. Under that, however, was another set of letters that seemed to be the Equestrian language...or at least that was his best guess.
"Great. Two languages that I can't read."
He gave the Khalani symbols and focused on it as hard as he could to see if he had the knowledge he needed somewhere in the depths of his mind.
"Is that...wait...could that be the Protoss word for "open" by any chance? Hey, that makes sense! I'll give it a try."
With a faint smile of contentment, he raised his hoof and was just about to place it on panel when suddenly, the door started to open on its own. Anthony's look of surprise was priceless when he whipped his head back to see if anyone else had done something. His expression quickly turned sour when Taldarin spoke up.
"My apologies. You were taking quite some time so I took it upon myself to open the door."
Anthony groaned and rolled his eyes, clearly feeling that Taldarin had stolen his thunder. He slowly turned back to Matt, now looking just as worried as before.
"Are you gonna be alright? If you need to take a few minutes...well, I'm sure we can manage for a little while on our own."

 

The song beat in his head. The tune wouldn’t stop. It was unlike any music he’d ever heard, an orchestra in a thimble.

He looked up at Anthony evenly. “I’ll be... fine. I’ll be fine. Just... you guys head on ahead for a second, I need a minute or two.”

He felt his body become heavier and heavier by the minute. His vision was tinted blue, and everyone could see that his irises had turned purple. “I just... need... a quick...”
His legs wobbled.
“A... a few...”
Suddenly, the walls began to coil and twist, rot oozing and ivy crawling out of cracks in the stone. “I am the Despoiler of Worlds, Conqueror of the Land Beyond Breath and the Dead Defiler. I am the Corpse Eater, the One Who Crawls Beneath Your Souls.”
The voice was coming out of Matthew’s mouth, and it seemed to cut through the music like a shark’s fin through water.
“I am the Dreadwyrm. And I am the End.”

Suddenly the activity ceased, and Matthew’s eyes returned to normal. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Not entirely sure where all of that came from...”

 

"Never doubt the worm," Noire whispered.

"So that was... unsettling," Violet chimed in. She walked over to Matt and looked him over. "How do you feel? Any idea what... that was? Is it anything like the other you from the facility?"

Turning to Taldarin, "We should press on. Whatever weapons you have inside of this facility we should get them as soon as we can."

 

With a look of shook on his face as he stared at Matt, he nodded slowly and absentmindedly at Noire's suggestion.
"How many super-powerful repressed personalities does he have in there?!"
He blinked a few times, breaking his mile-long stare and inner monologue as he turned back to Noire to respond properly.
"Yeah...you've got a point there. Let's get going before, I don't know, something else happens."
He turned to Taldarin and motioned towards the corridor.
"Lead the way, Tal."
When no response came, Anthony gave him a curious look and tried again.
"Uh...Taldarin?"

Taldarin, whose eyes were glowing brightly as he stood perfectly still, finally turned and responded.
"My apologies. I was preoccupied, scanning your human comrade for certain anomalies."
"Find anything interesting?"
"Perhaps. But that matter will have to wait for later. As the Changeling pointed out, we should be on our way."
"Alright...if you say so."

The group made their way down a long hallway. What they saw along the way was somewhat surprising. Unlike the main entrance, which seemed relatively undisturbed, this area looked much more like a typical ruin save for the Protoss architecture. Some of the crystal torches were shattered, the glass screens of computer-like consoles were broken and mechanical parts ripped from their machines were scattered around. Taldarin ran in and scanned the room frantically (or as frantically as a robot could appear to be), his voice giving away a tone of confusion and panic as he spoke up.
"Impossible! What has happened here?! This facility should have been shielded, protected from any outside influences."

Anthony had a grim look on his face as he looked down the hall. A sense of foreboding crept into his mind and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned to Violet, still keeping his composure but also looking deeply concerned.
"Hey...you were poking around this place a little more than we were. Did you see anything...out of the ordinary?"

Before she could answer, a loud hissing noise came from down the hall. The group could hear the sound of loud, clanking footsteps approaching them quickly. Slowly, from the darkness of the main hall, a large, shadowed figure was running right towards them. Anthony braced himself for a fight and called out to the others.
"Get ready, guys...whatever that thing is, I get the feeling it's not here to give us a warm welcome!"
As the figure drew closer, the group could now make out its features. It was certainly imposing, a little over 7 feet tall and much bigger than a human. Its bipedal movement gave away the fact that it was not native to Equestria, though not as much as the otherworldly blue glow that came from its eyes. It stopped in front of them suddenly and as it stood in the light, observing the group, it was now clear that this thing was some sort of mechanical construct.

"Uh...friend of yours?" Anthony asked Taldarin, somewhat hopefully.

This was not an unreasonable assumption as the machine, although shaped much differently, appeared to be constructed from the same material that Taldarin was made of. However, this one seemed to be in severe disrepair. The armor on its right leg and left arm were broken off, exposing the circuitry inside, part of its head was missing and it had dents, burns and broken pieces in many places. Its movement was quick but erratic and every once in a while sparks came out. After completing its scan of the group, it spoke in a flat, monotone voice.
"In-In-Intruders detected. Initiate...*bzzt*...c-combat protocol."
"Sentinel, begin shutdown procedure."
Unfortunately, Taldarin's command went unheeded.
"En-Engaging...Zerg--incorrect...Xel'Naga...*bzzt* un-un-unidentified hostile forces."
The sentinel stretched out its arms and from the top of each of its hands came two long, claw-like energy blades, which appeared somewhat unstable but still extremely dangerous. The sentinel charged towards them, set on cutting down the nearest enemy.

 

"No... different. Something new. From... here."
Matthew was not doing too well. His head was still faintly buzzing with music he'd never heard before and yet somehow made him want to dance to beats he knew were coming. He kept seeing flickers of rot out of the corners of his eye and the twitching in the back of his mind told him that the delectable attentions of Ira were flitting around his subconscious. His head was already a dark enough place as it was, and having additional things cluttering it up seemed to come across as a terrible idea. So aside from having some sort of death entity scuttling around in his psyche (and he dreaded the moment whatever this Dreadwyrm was decided to tangle with Ira or any other denizens of his head) he wasn't really happy about events at the moment.
He told the earth to move up, and roots tangled themselves around the sentinel's legs, rooting it in place.

 

The Sentinel struggled in vain to continue its forward advance, either because it failed to register the earthen entanglement around its legs or it could not come up with a solution for its predicament. The ancient machine's parts groaned under the strain of trying to break free but although it still had a great deal of power, the vines around it held on securely.

Anthony glowered at the Sentinel, his frustration growing as he tried to figure out how to capitalize on this opportunity to strike.
"This would already be over if I still had my old powers...I haven't even learned the first thing about using unicorn magic in combat!"
His thoughts were interrupted and he turned his head suddenly when he heard Taldarin speak up.
"Focus your Psionic energy. Forge your will into power and strike the enemy."
"But...do you really think I can?" Anthony asked with a look of surprise. "I know even less about that than I know about Unicorn magic! Besides...I lost just about everything to that power-sucking machine I got stuck in."
"Did you? You may yet have more power left within you than you realize. Do not be concerned about your lack of experience. Trust your instincts. Will the power you need into being and it will come."
"Well...it's not like I have any better ideas."

Anthony took a few steps forward, narrowed his eyes and stared directly at the Sentinel. He cleared his mind, putting all of his concentration on the enemy in front of him. Just then, a recent memory came back to him. The moment when he summoned a storm of energy to destroy the Zerg intruders. A small part of him still remembered how it felt, what it meant to wield that power. He tried to recall that feeling and reenter the same state of mind he was in, even though there were no experienced Templars to help him. Just then, his horn began to take on a faint glow-- not a bright red this time, but a dark blue-- and he directed his horn towards the Sentinel.
"This is it...isn't it?"
He muttered his thoughts out loud as his horn glowed brighter and brighter until suddenly, a sphere of blue energy launched itself towards the Sentinel. It exploded on contact, causing the Sentinel to recoil as another piece of its plating clattered to the floor. Anthony, now in a trance-like state, fired another blast of energy. The blast was even stronger this time, nearly knocking the Sentinel to the floor despite the roots that held it upright. It also inflicted a good deal of damage to the already critically-damaged machine, tearing off the last few pieces of its front armor plating and exposing the circuitry underneath. The glow on Anthony's horn faded away and his head drooped as he took in a gasp of air, apparently feeling some strain from the effort.

The Sentinel, now on the verge of destruction, began to flail about wildly. As it did, its blades accidentally cut a few of the roots, and it seemed likely to free itself soon if it was not destroyed.

 

Violet released the magic that she had been gathering. A purple aura surrounded the Sentinel, outlining it. As the unicorn strained dents began to form on the sentinel's body. With a loud groan and the squeal of metal on metal the sentinel was crushed into a ball. Opening her eyes she began walking forward.

"Straight forward," Noire purred, "So unlike you, Sis."

Violet didn't respond to Noire's tease.

 

Anthony trotted along behind Violet, smiling widely as he glanced towards her.
"Cool. I wanna learn that spell next."
As they walked past the mangled Sentinel, he gave its remnants a swift kick before continuing onward.

As the group made their way forward, the long hallway eventually gave way to the main room of the temple. This central area, which was certainly much larger than the last, held many wondrous sights but also showed many signs of battle and ruin. Some of the walls were lined with stasis cells much like the one that held Taldarin, though their crystalline cylinders were more appropriately shaped to hold their Sentinel inhabitants. Unfortunately, about half of the cells were destroyed and some of the Sentinels-- or rather, what remained of them-- could be seen scattered around the room in pieces. Even worse, in some corners of the room there were dried bloodstains and what looked like the skeletons of dead ponies. Yet another mystery inside the room were ancient equine writings scribbled on the walls. Taldarin's eyes glowed as he scanned them, reading aloud what he could make from the hardly-legible writings.
"Pra-se Pyl-n? What sort of madness is this?"
He continued on to the next.
"Do no- wa-e -he Drag-on."

Anthony had a horrified, almost sickened expression as they looked around the room. He looked up at Taldarin, hesitating to speak as he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer to his question.
"Taldarin...what...what IS this? Do you have any idea what happened here?"
"I do not. Though I suspect this came from a rather dark chapter in Equestrian history. I wonder...is this what became of the ones who worked alongside the Protoss to construct this temple?"
"And did they say something about a dragon?"
"I cannot say. The meaning behind these messages are lost on me, if they carried any meaning to begin with."
Taldarin walked to the center of the room, where they found the main terminal which was remarkably well-preserved amidst the ruins. Placing his hoof on it, he began to interface with it directly and in just a few moments, the ancient machine hummed to life. In the center of the terminal, a large cylinder made of golden Protoss metal opened to reveal a large Khaydarin crystal, apparently meant to be the temple's main power source.
"Finally, a bit of good fortune. It seems this terminal and the crystal both survived whatever transpired here unharmed. Allow me some time to assess the state of the temple."

While Taldarin remained perfectly still, transferring information back and forth with the Protoss mainframe, Anthony turned to the others.
"So...what do you guys make of all this?"

 

Matthew looked around, analysing the decrepit yet grandiose room around them. “The whole situation seems to reek of something that could still be around, potentially.” The music increased in his mind temporarily for a quick little melody and he bit down on his tongue to distract himself. “Mmph... and I’m really hoping we meet it.” He’d meant to add a “don’t” in there, but the music seemed to edit the words right out of his head.

 

PRAISE PYLON

The two words thundered inside of Noire and Velvet's heads. The two ponies staggered under the weight of the mental pressure. Velvet fell back onto her flank while Noire simply grunted and remained standing. The two of them had shut their eyes and grimaced against the pain. The call was beckoning and commanding them to submit to the will of... whatever it was that screamed at them with the force of the strongest pegasi made tornado.

PRAISE

"Pylon." Velvet whimpered quietly. "Praise." Noire stared ahead blankly. She wasn't blinking.

 

Matthew's head snapped up. Whatever had made that disturbance... he'd felt it, but it wasn't strong enough to cut through the the pounding drums in his ears.
"Anthony? You hear that?"