The Strike team minus Thane and Jack were all assembled in the mess hall, mostly seated and standing around the main table. A good few bottles of alcohol had been pulled out in celebration as they all laughed and chatted with each other. "You should have seen Rainbow make that crazy charge Shy, she really got the pressure off us when trying to get Thane behind cover," Garrus laughed
"Hey it was nothing, I just made sure you guys had the reprieve to focus on him," Dash very modestly brushed off, uncharacteristically for the pegasus as she nuzzled against Tali.
"Don't forget I had to pull her out of there too!" Grunt roared with a laugh as he downed some of his bottle of ryncol.
"Sounds like I missed a hell of a fight," Fluttershy smiled, brushing a hoof through Amethyst's hair as she sat, shielded with a wing, on Shy's lap.
"You're acting as if you didn't have an interesting detour," Garrus pointed out, "Flutterbat Rainbow said? I think you owe me an explanation on that one."
"It was a minor incident with Twilight, a spell, and some fruit bats," Fluttershy Sheepishly said. "The changeling queen I found in the side room had one of her drones inject me with something, it grew some new bits and pieces inside of me."
"Although concerning that such a rapid change is possible, there seem to be no negative side-effects I have detected until now. I am intrigued as to what changes there are which I might not have picked up." EDI asked as she popped up in the mess' holographic pedestal.
"Well, the changing from pegasus to a bat is one of course, the increased sense of smell is another, but those you probably found already."
"That is correct."
"I also got the ability to sense others' emotions, it's really distracting but I'm getting a handle on it. And the last thing I know of is telepathy of sorts, it doesn't work both ways so it's not like I can read another's thoughts but I can talk without talking." Fluttershy explained.
"That is both interesting and hella creepy," Rainbow pointed out.
'You don't even know the half of it,' Fluttershy projected her thoughts to Garrus, Rainbow, and Tali, as they were actively invested in the conversation.
"Like I said, creepy," Dash shivered. "So the kid is what? Like another changeling queen?"
Opening her wings slightly, Fluttershy revealed Amethyst peaking out at all the aliens around her. "Yeah, she is. Along with Chrysalis she might be the last of their kinds."
"That's... kind of sad," Tali said sympathetically, brushing her hand through the filly's hair. Amethyst shied back from the hand but relaxed at the pets.
"So, Shepard, where are you pointing us next?" Grunt asked loudly, pulling everyone's attention away from their conversations to the commander.
"To be honest Grunt, with the collectors gone we're going to have to start working on preparing everyone as best we can. That's something we can't do from the Normandy but has to be done with people on the ground everywhere. I'll take any of the crew to wherever they want to go but I'll be surrendering the Normandy over to the Alliance at earth when that is done," Shepard answered.
"Well, I think I speak for all if I said it has been a pleasure to serve with someone as honourable as the commander," Samara spoke up, raising her drink. A cheer of agreement went up through the crowd.
"It's a good question though, where are we going to go now?" Garrus asked the other three, Tali immediately had her reply ready.
"I need to get to the fleet, the admiralty board has..." she hesitated. "There is going to be another admiral appointed and with my connection to my father, I'm being considered. I need to return to my people."
"I'm going with her," Rainbow said without hesitation, only to peddle back a bit. "You know... if that offer for me to join you still stands that is..."
Fluttershy felt a wave of elation come from Tali, making the yellow pegasus smile. "Of course! It'll take me twisting some arms and some adjustment for your suit but the latter can be done in the workshop down here too."
"Yes!" Rainbow cheered before blushing, "Uhm, I mean, thanks." The daredevil smiled as she nuzzled up against the quarian.
"You sure Dash? The migrant fleet is a very claustrophobic place if you remember correctly," Fluttershy pointed out.
"I'll... find a way to deal with it. Got used to being a walking suit of armor too, I'll find a way to get my space," Rainbow replied with a smile.
"So, Garrus, Fluttershy, what are you two going to do?" Tali asked as she held Rainbow close.
"I'm going to head back to Palaven, maybe get back in touch with my dad and sisters. The planet need to be prepared and getting anything done is going to need some serious backing from the higher-ups," Garrus said with a sigh, downing his beer. "What about you, Fluttershy?"
Shy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I'm coming with you, right?"
"I'm just saying, you have Amethyst down there to take care of now and with Rainbow already having decided to head to the Migrant Fleet Your homeworld is missing some valuable experience and guidance for its defence," Garrus argued. "I know you Shy, if you choose to help them out instead I'd totally understand it."
"I... hadn't thought about it like that," Fluttershy admitted, looking down at Amethyst who was looking up at her expectantly. 'What do you think?'
'I-I trust you know best...' the young changeling queen meekly replied.
"I know Twi and the girls would be happy to get to spend some time with you again," Rainbow added to the argument of going to Equis.
"Same could be said about you, Dash," Fluttershy countered only for Rainbow to wave it off.
"Of course, but I haven't been out here long and they'll know I'm fine. You on the other hoof have been gone for two years."
I guess she has a point there... But I also need to Ugh, why is this such a hard decision...
1. Go to Equis.
2. Go to Palaven.
3. Drift around and focus on Amathyst.
10537355
Fun fact: that was completely coincidental and something I realised like 50 chapters in
I vote Equis as Flutters needs to help her home and hopefully introduce Amethyst as her ward/daughter to the rest of her friends.
Equis makes the most sense. Both for Amethyst and for Fluttershy. Her world needs to be brought up to speed. Oh, they have an AI and an old dreadnought. But nothing is a good substitute for 'Shy's experience and the kind of briefing she and her omnitool could provide about what everyone is up against.
Also, as a member of the crew, EDI might provide her with the specs for a Quantum-Entanglement generator. With that, and a bit of help from the dreadnought's AI, she can probably hook Equis up to the rest of Citadel Space, allowing the Princesses to directly communicate with the outside universe. They also have bridges to build, and plans to make.
Finally, it would allow the others to be a part of the third act. I keep going back to Twilight when she had the power of all the princesses transferred to her. Yes, she had a boost from the others. But she was able to hold it, and use it. That suggests deep wellsprings of power that maybe only Celestia guessed at. Give her some time to prepare and a biotic amplifier to make her even more powerful, and she could well be the heavy artillery the Mane Six need to get in on the action.
10538396
I was gonna vote she drifts around and focuses on Amethyst but that was about as convincing an argument as any to change my mind.
I have to vote Equis. That ship the ponies unearthed is going to need a captain and Fluttershy is the only one who has the experience to become one. Plus, the Flutterbat form might make her approachable by the Lunar Guard crew.
Given Equis has a massive biotic base and theoretically Citadel class capabilities, I would go for Option 1, Equis. They dont know how they survived the last time, and this time the Reapers know they exist and are there? Chrysalis needs fully sorting so she cant be used as much as infiltrators, 5th columnists, and the other races need checking for biotic compatibility and non alliance capabilities, cooperative abilities?
Wonder what Amethyst will make of Kevin.
It's going to be interesting to see where Shepard is at the start of ME3, being that he won't be in prison this time. He'll probably be with the Normandy already if he's on Earth at all, which means no kid... Also, I can't remember, is Shining Armor back on Equis? Because I could see him ending up in prison instead (probably not on Earth, but maybe on the Citadel), considering he was the one who blew up the gate.
I also have to say Equis. The planet has been found so the enemy could come there in which case everyone there have to be prepared for the danger. I also think it's a good place to raise Amethyst... after explaining the situation to others of course. And it would be a good idea to rather show the change to others earlier than later, IMO.
One thing that is raising a question right now is Shining Armor and his situation. Unless I misremember... he's still on the Citadel.
10538446
Don't be so sure. Remember, even if you didn't do arrival dlc, you start in prison just for your association with Cerberus.
10538432
While I agree she should go to Equis, I am not so sure that she’ll be captain of the new ship. That will more than likely go to Shining Armor or Princess Luna. After all, if she’s commanding her own vessel, she won’t be able to join Garrus on the Normandy for ME3.
10538446
Shining was cleared since it's an incredibly hard task proving the one pony in the system just happened to press the go button on a covert base made by humans. In the beginning Equestria chapters it's mentioned Luna negotiation with Legion and the geth to give passage to him down to the planet.
Like so many others have said, Equis makes the most sense out of them all. Besides if she went with Garrus while it would provide cute couple moments and meeting the family. Anyone that played ME3 will know it turns into a shit show fast and even with picking all the best options possible it goes nearly tits up in the end regardless.
So lets make sure Equis doesn't end up like Earth...or try to anyway. As I feel the Reapers are gonna be pretty pissed that a race survived one of their purge cycles and kept its tech from that era too. Machines, AI or otherwise, don't make it a habit to leave a task unfinished after all.
10538446
Regardless of where Shepard is, there will be no kid. Even if you subscribe to the indoctrination theory it wouldn't make sense here since Fluttershy knows how to purge it.
10538620
My take on all that had to do with the Crucible having never been successfully docked to the Citadel in the past. Essentially, the Citadel is the Leviathans' original Reaper AI, but has some very serious limits on what it can do. The Crucible is designed to kill the Reapers, but its designers never considered what might happen if the killswitch generator was plugged into a hostile Reaper-controlled weapon platform. The "three flavours of death" was the Reaper AI's final attempt to make Commander Shepard pay for foiling its plans. You can win any one of three ways, but each way is tainted just enough that it's never going to be a purely lossless victory. And you die no matter what.
It's why I chose the fan-made MEHEM route. The final kick to the gut, introducing a brand new plot thread in the last five minutes of the last game in a massive series, just to force you to derail all your plans because some schmuck at Electronic Arts wanted it that way. Nope, not gonna happen. The whole point of Mass Effect is fighting the system to win in spite of the odds. As far as I'm concerned, using MEHEM to change the ending is actually a very meta way to end the game. I'm fighting EA to end the game on my terms in spite of their drooling incompetence.
And I'm going to win.
10539277
Flutterbat in all her glory!
Every sapient needs some time in their happy place.
Equis has that. Familar spaces, familar faces, a chance to divest yourself of the hypervigiliance of war.
I hope to Equiss has won
1. EQUIS
Fluttershy has a race to save by raising the new Queen!
10538370
Happy coincident or DESTINY?!
10538376
Flutterling to save Changeling Kind
10538396
Rebuildimg the Array unfortunately only helps delay things, so full on war is no longer to avoid. Hope Celestia is up to the challange...
10538432
Very good idea... Didn't even come to mind. Magnificent idea!
10538442
If Kevin is a thing...
I wonder if Amethyst wull have to start from scratch or she can claim the Changeling on Equis for herself.
10538446
Good point, Indoctrination jf affected would be also purged by Fluttershy
10538481
With Fidelos on Equestria i think it's save to say that SA is there as well...
10538568
I always hated that bullshit... He is a Specter after all...
10538614
Can the Geth get Equestria support to stop Quarian suicide attack?
10538620
Yep, no Nightmare Indoctrination for Shepard
10539246
Hear-hear! I have to check that mod out of youtube ♡
1. The magic environment of Equis should help the little Changeling Queen, also more food opportunities ♡