//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Am I needed at all? : S4E01/02 // Story: EverFree: Finding my Place // by DragonsHeart //------------------------------// Shepard arrives in Ponyville, after getting lost a few times, only to find the town getting over run with those strange vines she met at the edge of the forest. Suddenly a few attack Shepard. Shepard rolls out of the way, the vines grabbing harmlessly at the air, and while she gets into battle stance. Two more vines go after her, Shepard stands her ground this time, and as the vines get near she swipes her hooves outward, two omni-blades at the end of each of them, cutting the two vines down. She looks around, and sees that no other vines are attacking her at the moment. “The plants seems to be overrunning the settlement,” Harbinger notes. “Crap, I better get my stuff!” Shepard says, running to the library, dodging vines while she puts up a biotic shield to protect herself, “This better not be part of the Summer Sun Celebration…” Shepard arrives at the Library, which has yet to be overrun with the vines, and she bursts through the door, heading up to her room. She grabs hold of her armour, the Blood Dragon Armour, and starts putting it on, the dragon helmet automatically forming over her head once she has put on everything else. “Now for the guns…” Shepard says, about to reach for her guns, but suddenly her magic acts up and she smashes a nearby light, “What the… ok maybe don't use the guns, not like they’ll be much use on the plants anyway... Shepard runs through Ponyville helping any pony she can find, crushing, blasting, or downright burning any vines in the process, but it felt like it was about as effective as pissing in the wind, since there seems to be no end of the attacking vines. “Shit! Where are all these coming from?” Shepard asks, crushing a vine with her biotics. “Tracing origins from the forest known as Everfree. There seems to be a great number of them spreading out in all directions,” Harbinger states, “Our attempts in destroying them are negligible to such numbers.” “God damn, I was just hoping to enjoy the next day going out for drinks with Derpy,” Shepard growls, and then as an afterthought, “I hope she and Twilight’s friends are safe…” Though as she is saying that, she runs into them around the townhall. “Shepard? What are you doing here?” Applejack asks, recognizing the Shepard because of her armour. “I just got back, only to find myself caught in a plant apocalypse? I hope this isn’t an usual thing for the Summer Sun Celebration, surviving armageddon?” Shepard says, frowning under her helmet. “No, this is not normal, and we have no idea what is going on,” Rainbow Dash says, nervous, “Have you seen the sky?” “Huh,” Shepard says, looking at the weird clouds and the odd position of the sun and moon, “Very weird.” “We’re just about going to the library to see if we can find anything on this,” Applejack says, pointing back in the direction of the library, “Want to come?” “No, I’ll stay out here and see if I can somehow stem the onslaught,” Shepard says, before running off to help any ponies she can find. Shepard doing the rounds around Ponyville, mets Twilight and her friends heading out of Ponyville. “Shepard, there you are,” Twilight says, relieved to see the armoured figure, “I heard you were back in town.” “Yeah, but where are you going?” Shepard asks, tilting her head in confusion. “We need to find the Tree of Harmony, I believe that is where the problem is,” Twilight quickly explains, trying to get Shepard up to speed. “Never heard of that, but I imagine you know what you’re doing,” Shepard says, shrugging. “So we’re going into the forest to find it,” Twilight finishes up. “Sounds like a plan, but what should I do?” Shepard asks, wanting to help. Twilight looks away from Shepard and into the forest. Shepard nearly got killed in there once, and she could never live with herself if something would happen to her again. The same goes for her friends, but it's their duty as the keepers of the Elements of Harmony to solve this, so they have to do this, but Shepard is not involved with this, she should stay safe. “Just stay here and watch over Ponyville for us while we’re gone, alright?” Twilight says, smiling awkwardly. “Oh, ok sure, I can do that, I’ll keep the home front safe while you’re gone,” Shepard says, heading back into Ponyville. “Are you sure Twilight?” Rainbow Dash says, while Shepard walks away, “We could use her powers to help us?” “No, this is our duty as bearers of the Elements to do this,” Twilight says, lying sort of. “Ahem,” says Spike, frowning. “And my number one assistant,” Twilight corrects herself, smiling slightly. The rest of Twilight’s friends frown, but agree with this, resuming their journey. Shepard walks back into town, only to be greeted by a strange but slightly familiar creature. “Why, isn’t that Shepard?” says the strange and tall mismatched creature, “I haven’t seen you since they dragged you out of the Everfree, all bloodied and beaten.” Shepard decides to ignore the strange creature, even if he is familiar looking. “Huh, just gonna ignore me are we,” Discord says, pretending to be offended, before suddenly appearing beside Shepard and holding out a pawed hand, “And here I was about to offer my paw in friendship, since if we’re friends maybe I can play with some of your toys?” “Stop talking to me like you know me,” Shepard says, getting annoyed at the creature's jabbering. “Oh, how can I know you when you won’t even speak to me,” Discord says, looking hurt, “I mean I would love to be your friend, especially since you almost wiped out Twilight before, and we all know what a huge stick in the mud she is.” “You talking about the past, I wasn’t well then,” Shepard says, getting angry at this annoying creature. “I know, I liked you more when you head was full of shouting voices, but now you’ve silenced them, seems boring to me,” Discord says, smiling wickedly. “Just leave me be, I have a job to do,” Shepard says, trying to walk away, but Discord just floats after her. “Ooh, and what job is that?” Discord says, taking a sip of a cup of tea, that he just suddenly has. “I’m looking after the town until Twilight comes back,” Shepard says, not looking at Discord. “What? You mean they didn’t let you come with them?” Discord says, acting shocked, “It is almost like they didn’t need you…” “What do you mean?” Shepard says, stopping. “Oh, it just makes sense that we don’t need ponies like you,” Discord says, holding up a flag of Equestria in a patriotic manner. “Since we deal with our problems with understanding, love, honesty, kindness, equality, and friendship,” Discord says, although with each word he shows more and more disgust, “So for people like you, who often choose that violence is always an option, you’re not needed.” “No, I’m not like that,” Shepard growls, glaring at Discord. “Oh please Shepard, we all know you tried to kill the girls,” Discord says, coming up and prodding Shepard in the chest, “They don’t really trust you and are always scared you’re gonna flip and kill them, also if anypony else knew how many things you have killed, good or bad… no pony in Equestria would like you at all.” Discord whispers the last part into Shepard’s ear. Shepard stays silence, her face unreadable because of the helmet. “Nothing? I guess you realize how unwanted and not needed you are, Equestria doesn’t need soldiers, or heroes like you,” Discord says, smiling like a cat, “How does it feel to be in an alien world where you're not needed?” Suddenly Discord finds himself in a blue ball of something, and he can’t escape for some reason. “Listen here you little shit!” Shepard says, her visor glowing a bright red, “I don’t take this kind of garbage from anyone, especially a freak like you! Now get out of my sight!” Suddenly the ball flies off at a great speed, Discord inside, making a “Weeeeee!” noise as he flies away. “What an unusual life form…” Harbinger notes. Shepard doesn’t answer, she just remains silent as she sits on the ground, head pointed down. “Shepard, why am I detecting uncharacteristic moisture below your eyes?” Shepard continues to sit there for a long time, although Discord did not return to bug her, she couldn’t get the words out of her head, it plays on feelings she already had. She only stands up once a bright light comes and returns Equestria to normal, before she returns to the library, nothing would've changed if she did anything after all… With the return of the Princesses, the Summer Sun Celebration is a huge success, Twilight fulfilling her part perfectly, and even Twilight’s friends are able to come and watch, to cheer Twilight on, and Twilight couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Although one thing is laying heavily on her mind, Shepard has not been seen since they got out of the Everfree Forest. After the celebration, Twilight walks down and meets her friends, exchanging hugs. “You did great Twilight, like I knew you would,” Rainbow Dash says, proudly, “I mean with me as your trainer, how could you fail?” “Rainbow Dash’s boasting aside, you did great Twilight,” Applejack says, patting Twilight's back, while everypony nods. “Thanks everypony,” Twilight says, smiling, but her smile disappears when she ask the question, “Has anypony found out what happened to Shepard?” The girls silence and sad looks are their answers, making Twilight hang her head. “We looked all over town, not hide or hair of hers anywhere,” Applejack states, shaking her head. “Derpy hasn’t seen her either since the Everfree attack,” Rainbow Dash adds, looking down cast. “I also asked every pony in Ponyville, last time anypony saw her was her acting like a badass, taking down any vine that looked at her funny… but that was before we went into the Everfree, no one seen her afterwards,” Pinkie says, sadly. “There were no signs of her belongings in the library, and we know she didn’t have her weapons during the attack, so she’s probably alright,” Rarity says, trying to cheer everypony up. “Yes, but where is she then?” Fluttershy says, bring everypony down again. “Oh no, what if Shepard was killed by one of the plants, while we were gone?” Twilight says, pacing nervously. She had decided to ignore this issue and leave it to her friends while she prepared for the celebration, but now she regrets it, “We should've never left her behind!” “Twilight, I am sure that Shepard is fine,” says the calming and mature voice of Celestia, as she and her sister approach the group, they have heard from Twilight about Shepard's disappearance. “But what if she's not, what if she is lying somewhere dying? What if she is already dead? What if…” Twilight rambles, only to be silenced by Celestia's hoof. “I don’t believe so, while I haven’t had the honour of knowing Shepard as well as you all have, I do know that she is an exceptional warrior, with a powerful ally at her side,” Celestia says, calmly. “Harbinger…” Twilight mutters, remembering the AI. “I’m sure Harbinger would somehow tell us if Shepard was in trouble,” Celestia says, smiling, "He, or maybe it, wants Shepard alive just as much as we do, I’m still looking forward to talking more with her.” “I also hope to be able to meet Shepard on more pleasant terms as well, the stories I have heard about her are most interesting,” Luna says, smiling. “Yes, the story I heard about how she fought a thousand timber wolves and a ursa minor to save a field trip of foals is most interesting,” Celestia says, smiling. “Really? I heard two thousand as well as two ursa minors and a major to save an entire school,” Luna says, confused. The two princesses look confused at each other, while Pinkie laughs. “Well first off Princess I need to explain a few things about that story,” Applejack says, holding her hat off in respect. While Applejack explains the actual story to the princesses, Twilight watches sadly, until she notices a slight flash of chrome, and the glow of a visor disappearing down an alleyway. “Shepard…” Twilight says, leaving her friends and following it. She rushes to the alleyway, chasing the figure before managing to catch up with her. It is certainly Shepard’s armour, there is no mistaking that. “Shepard is that you?” Twilight asks, nervously. Shepard nods her head, before looking past Twilight down the alley. “I came to see the celebration, knew you could do it, you always seem to be the type of girl who can do anything when push came to shove,” Shepard says, her voice sounding strange because of the helmet. Though before Shepard can speak anymore, Twilight suddenly comes up and hugs her. “I was so worried, I thought something terrible may have happened to you?” Twilight says, almost shedding tears of relief. “I’m no pushover Twilight,” Shepard says, pushing Twilight away, “I guess by your reaction you didn’t get my note?” “What note?” Twilight says, sad that her hug was rejected. “I left a note, it must’ve been blown away by a breeze,” Shepard comments, before walking past Twilight, “I need some time to be by myself, to work things out…” “Why, have I done something wrong?” Twilight asks, worried. Shepard is silent as she thinks it over, and it is long enough to make her next words hurt more than they should for Twilight. “I don’t know, I haven’t worked it out yet…” Suddenly Shepard starts quickly disappearing in front of Twilight’s eyes. “Wait! Don’t go…” Twilight tries to say, but Shepard is gone before she can finish. “What did I do wrong?” Twilight says, sitting down her haunches as tears stream down her face.