Ask Permission to investigate the offshoot. 83%
“Will get them there safely, Shepard.” Mordin stepped forward to volunteer himself to the cause of getting the crew to safety. “Can render aid on the way”
“Perfect. Now-”
“Commander, there’s something else,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Remember the scan? There was a smaller offshoot here leading to a side chamber. Permission to investigate it.”
“That’s a non-mission-critical diversion, I can’t spare anyone from the secondary team,” Shepard replied. “You know stealth, but if you go you’ll be on your own.”
Fluttershy took a moment to decide.
If I go I’ll have to stay in the shadows… is it really worth it?
Fluttershy had a feeling in her gut that whatever was out there was important somehow. Looking over to Garrus she found him looking back in concern. “I’ll check it out. If I find nothing I’ll contact Joker and retreat to the Normandy.”
“Shy...”
“I’ll be fine Garrus, focus on your part,” Fluttershy stopped her boyfriend, Stepping backwards into the darkness and smiling as she activated her cloak. “Remember, you weren’t the only angel running around Omega.”
Being completely out of sight, Fluttershy moved away from the unit that was splitting up into three. One team for the swarm infested chamber, another for the chamber that ran parallel to it, and the last was Mordin’s group with the regular crew.
Slipping into the hallways, Fluttershy checked her every move very carefully. Unlike the other passages they’d moved through, the ones here were smaller, narrow enough that if a collector were to come from the other end they wouldn't be able to pass without touching.
In truth, I don’t think a collector would be able to walk through these hallways regardless… why would they make anything in which they don’t fit?
Fluttershy had the nagging feeling she knew the exact answer already.
The familiar sound of buzzing wings echoed through the hallways, signalling that the passageway was going to open up into a larger chamber where flight was possible. Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, Fluttershy rounded the corner into the larger space. Chitinous four-legged black ponies mulled about aimlessly in the room, Fluttershy’s eyes going wide as she recognized the beings from video Dash had shown her.
Changelings.
She could at least confirm now the Changelings had been working with the reapers, something that Rainbow would appreciate knowing. That didn’t help her with getting through though as she saw the passage on the other end, the rooms from the scan being beyond this one.
I can’t engage any of these, if they’re linked in a hivemind like the collectors seem to be they’ll know I’m here the moment I do…
Looking for patterns in the behaviour of the changelings in front of her, Fluttershy noticed gaps in their wandering and exploited them. The invisible spectre deftly moved between the indoctrinated creatures, slipping into the gaps and coming out the other end.
Now let’s see what lays ahead.
Slipping through the final corridor Fluttershy lay eyes on the larger chamber that had shown up back in the Normandy, she dared to open a connection to the stealth ship and by extension its AI.
“EDI, check my feed.” Fluttershy focussed in on the main console sitting at the centre of the room, looking at the green holograms floating on there.
“I see it Flu..s.y... ” Static cut at the feed, only buzzing remaining as something interfered with the signal.
‘Another approaches... yet her mind is untainted.’
The pegasus stiffened up as she heard the voice echo through her mind, cold and bitter. Behind her in the hallway, she heard the buzzing of wings stop and saw a line of changelings staring at her, regardless of her cloak. Dropping the invisibility did not make the changelings come closer and suddenly attack.
‘Ahh, yes. Come forth, child, have no fear.’
Fluttershy looked back into the large chamber and set a carefully proceeded, the line of changelings following her at a distance.
“Who are you?” Fluttershy demanded as the consoles flickered, the back wall opening up to reveal a black hivelike structure.
‘One who has suffered for a long time...’
‘No more.’
Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she finally noticed the creature and its state. It was a changeling that may at one point have rivalled Celestia for her size if it weren’t for all the machines hooked up to it. The metal pulsing and humming as the creature’s faded eyes were squarely focussed on the small pegasus in front of it.
“What is it you want?”
‘Death.’
Fluttershy stopped as that wasn’t what she was expecting. The legs of the queen opened up to reveal a small changeling, untarnished by the machines.
‘And life.’
The creature held out the small filly sized changeling for Fluttershy to take but the pegasus hesitated. “Why?”
‘I have listened to the whisper of the machines for a cycle, seen my children twisted and corrupted, yet I still resist but I do not think I would last longer.’
The story sounded incredibly familiar, not all that different than that of the rachni queen, just on a much longer timescale. “And what about the changeling queen on Equis? Chrysalis Luna called her.”
‘Another lost daughter, head filled with the machine’s lies… I remember her well, she had such a bright future...’ A tear rolled from the eye of the large changeling. ‘This daughter is untainted. I beg of you, take her before the machines corrupt her too.’
Fluttershy hesitated a bit longer but then stepped forward and took the little creature in her hooves, it looked just like any regular filly would have if they’d been a changeling that was, a little crown-like structure standing on her head. “What do I do with her, I do not know how to care for a changeling.”
‘It has been long since our kinds shared hallways. She will grow fast I made sure of that. Now one more task remains.’
Fluttershy hadn’t been watching her back and couldn’t respond as a changeling sank its fangs into her neck, her limbs locking up as she felt something spread through her veins
Crap, I should not have trusted it! Move you idiot, move!
She could not move her body, forced to watch as the old changeling’s legs wrapped around the tubes and ripped them out of her body, letting out a shriek that was echoed by every single changeling present.
‘Peace.’
Fluids leaked out of the limp body as the rest of the changelings, including the one that had just bitten her, scattered and ran as the little child in Fluttershy’s hooves started crying. The pegasus’ control of her body was restored almost instantly as well.
“Fluttershy, come in!” Shepard’s voice called in over the radio, interference gone.
“I’m here, I’m okay,” Fluttershy replied, trying to soothe the crying filly in her hooves as her eyes were glued to the ancient creature that might have survived since before the reapers even came the first time around to find Ponies.
I wonder what things she could have told me…
“EDI informed me she lost contact. We reached the end of the chamber and are about to head into the heart of the base. Did you find something and are you capable of reaching our position from there?” Shepard asked urgently, clearly sounding like he could use the help.
Fluttershy brought up her omni-tool, something that quieted down the young changeling queen as it watched in fascination. Checking the paths running out of her current location that would lead her to the others.
But what do I do with this little one?...
1. Head to the Normandy.
2. Take the filly with to the others
3. [Leave the filly]
Yeahhh boyeee new chapter!
Definitely take the baby to the Normandy. For the same reason Mordin escorted the kidnapped crew back to the ship, they’d just be a distraction and placed in more danger if they went with the team. Fluttershy has the experience, mobility, and stealth abilities to make it back to the ship on her own. What’s more, both Dr. Chakwas and Mordin would be able to perform a check-up on the baby while waiting for Shepard and the team.
1. Welcome back.
2. Even if it's a Changeling, I'm doubting Fluttershy would just abandon a child so...tough call on what to do...
...unless she can mark it for someone else to pick it up but even then there's a risk.
Well, that was a major branch option of the story timeline, that has so many ways of collapsing back so very quickly.
I suspect that the bite was to transfer pheremones or similar to Shy, if not reaper nanotech IDing the swarm, making Shy compatible with her new passenger, and in doing so, a recognised part of this section of Collector defences?
Hmm.. head back to Normandy and assist with the civilian evac, or head to the target with a critical save VIP that has a very slight option of swinging the swarm and so outcome of battle?
Even though I dont know how good Shys stealth is, Ill say Option 2. Shepperd will need all the help he can get, and if they fail with the collectors theres a good chance they fail totally?
I'm voting for the filly's safety so number 1 for me.
Wow! An update! What a twist!
Gotta keep the changeling safe!! Besides, changelimg nymphs are adorable :3
protecc young buggo
Why would you take her? That's dangerous.
Uh, the 3rd option is fake
I feel like the option to go to Normandy alone/with extra cargo is not clear enough and will trip up a lot of people.
both options are within 'Shy's personality but option 1 has the best chance of success.
10533822
I think the third option is a Renegade option that this version of Fluttershy is too Paragon to take. If all the votes before this had gone a lot more Renegade, that option would be available.
More precisely, the third option is unavailable for this playthrough due to previous actions.
As much as I hate the idea of leaving the others, this changeling is essentially an unknown, and going into a major combat situation with an unknown is a terrible idea. It's best to trust in the capabilities of the others and return to the Normandy.
I love how Fluttershy can’t take the renegade option; it makes it feel like the game.
And now we have Flutterbat!
As for the child, definitely take her back to the ship. A baby in a combat zone? That's not even a question. While the rest of the crew will be down one or two people, they have more than enough for the assault, still. And Fluttershy would not be capable of endangering a child, regardless.
Not a good idea, IMO, to take a newborn into battlefield even if it does grow fast so I say take the changeling back to the ship.
10534014
let us drown our sorrows in song! I'm dumb enough without alcohol...
Taking ANY child regardless of how known or unknown they are to a war zone is just stupid. Fluttershy is not dumb, she wouldn't take a kid into such a dangerous situation. To the ship!
1. Time to save the Changelings future!
Lovebug saved today gives snuggel buggys tomorrow
To undo one of the Respers crimes, to save the future of a entire race, to simply do what she missed on Omega:
MAKE - A - DIFFERENCE - FOR - THE - BETTER !
♡1♡