//------------------------------// // Ponyville // Story: Wolves and the Shepard // by Chemtest //------------------------------// The train pulls into the Ponyville station. Garrus remarks from the squad’s cart, “These ponies have such old technology. It looks like something right out of a movie on ancient history.” Fluttershy looks over at him, “Well, I’m sorry that we aren’t exactly space-fairing yet.” She smiles, “Perhaps you three could teach us?” Wrex grunts, “A race of aliens without guns? Sounds like a horror movie to me.” Shepard smiles, “What that means is enemies that have to charge us.” He instinctively reaches to his waist, where his shotgun sits, “All the better for us.” Fluttershy shakes her head, “No need to worry, Mister Shepard, there aren’t any ponies around who would want to harm you. There are no enemies around here.” Wrex frowns, “Then I will make enemies.” Shepard shakes his head, “These are peaceful creatures, Wrex. Wait until we have a geth to shoot at.” Wrex grumbles, “Fine.” Garrus stands as the train comes to a stop, “We’ve arrived.” Shepard looks out the window, and sees four other ponies on the station, “I assume they are your friends?” She smiles as we step out, “Yes, they are.” She looks at the four, “They are Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie is gone for some reason.” She motions to us, “Girls, this is Wrex, Garrus Vakarian, and Commander Shepard.” Shepard takes a step forward to Twilight, holding out a hand, “Pleasure to meet you, Sparkle.” Twilight allows him to take her hoof, and they shake, “And it is a pleasure to meet you, Commander.” He smiles, “Call me Shepard, please.” Garrus moves past Shepard, and up to Rarity. She offers her own hoof, “I’m Rarity, Mister Vakarian, pleasure to invite you into my home.” Garrus quickly examines the body language of Rarity, before deciding upon a greeting. He bends down, and slightly kisses her hoof, “And I am glad for your genoristy, Miss Rarity.” Wrex looks at Fluttershy, “We ready to go?” She looks at the sky, and at the rapidly setting sun, “If you really want to, I suppose we can.” Garrus looks as Wrex leaves, “Well, Miss Rarity, I suppose this is time for you to show me where I will be sleeping.” Shepard also looks at Twilight, “Well, seems like it’s time to go.” ——— Garrus fades into his dream, on a bed in Rarity’s attic. But, he is not alone in his dream. For a voice whispers to him. “Destruction comes, Vakarian. The darkness shall consume all. All shall be remade. You can stand with us as we rebuild.” Garrus looks around the dark void he floats in, “I don’t know who you are, but I won’t listen to you. The Reapers will never get the chance to win.” The voice growls, “Fool.” Garrus finds himself in the middle of a destroyed town, buildings toppled over and sand blowing through the air, “Palaven has already fallen. The turian home world is only dust.” Garrus turns around, “These don’t look like turian design. You cannot lie to me, voice. This is human design.“ The voice fades, “Then you will be suffocated by the dark instead.” It leaves Garrus in the middle of the destroyed town, where he turns as he hears footsteps running down the street. He comes face to face with something else. It’s as tall as him, with a strange bird like mask on, and a dark coat disguising the rest of them. He stops and looks Garrus in the eyes, “What are you?” Garrus opens his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by loud, old gunfire. The man rips a pistol out of a holster, and fires two shots into a nearby alley, “Why are you here?” Garrus tries once again to speak, only to be once again stopped as four long knives pierce him from behind. He starts to wake from the strange dream, only to hear the man fire off a few more shots, “Hiding behind other dreamers now, Freddy?” Garrus wakes in his bed with the dream still in his mind. He eventually shrugs it off, and goes back to sleep.