Fluttershy awakens, the morning sun shining into her room. She climbs out of bed, and prepares her normal morning chores. However, as she arrives downstairs, she remembers her new guest.
As she looks around for him, she starts to hear a banging noise from outside, like a quiet firecracker. She checks outside, only to see Wrex messing around with an odd looking device.
Wrex fires his shotgun at the far target, managing to hit every bullet. He spins around, and fires at another behind him. He passes it through his holster to his left hand, pumping the gun with the holster, and firing again at the first target.
Fluttershy approaches him, “Hello, Mister Wrex.”
He looks at her, and lowers his shotgun, “Fluttershy.”
She smiles, “What’re you doing up so early?”
Wrex grunts, “Some flash of light in the forest. Been out here ever since.”
Fluttershy notices the gun in his hand, “What’s that?”
Wrex holds it up, and smiles, “My shotgun. Pride and joy of my equipment, and the tool I know the most about.”
Fluttershy nods, “How do you use it?”
Wrex points it at a target, and nods, “Point at what you want dead, and fire.”
It goes off, and the figure of hay is filled with five more holes. Fluttershy shakes her head, “Dead? Why would you want anything dead?”
Wrex looks over at her, “When you are a Krogan, there are many who want you dead. So you have to make them dead before they can make you dead. And when some insane Turian is sending an army of super advanced AI Geth at you, you make them dead.” He sighs as he sees Fluttershy slowly back away from him, “It does have other purposes than death, though.”
She stops her retreat, “Like?”
Wrex smiles, “Well, if you and your friends grab a few drinks and go for a drive, you can find a lot of fun by shooting your guns. Throw a bottle up in the air, and boom, you can shatter it with a simple pull of the trigger!” He laughs, “Oh, others may have their pistols, rifles, or submachine guns, but there is nothing more satisfying than a shotgun blast!”
Fluttershy smiles again, “Wow, you make it sound really fun.”
Wrex looks over to her, and tosses the shotgun over, “Let’s see if you peace loving ponies can match up to Krogan.”
She catches the gun, and tries to hold it the best she can, “Oh, uh, how?”
Wrex moves to the far side of the field, and readies his biotics. He smiles, “You will shoot until you hit the targets.”
———
Shepard opens the door to the library, only to be stopped as a bag of gold is tossed to him. He catches it, and Twilight smiles, “If you are going out, can you pick me up a quill? There’s also some extra in there, so enjoy the town.”
Shepard smiles back, “Good day, Twilight.”
He steps out, his light armor still over him. He strides through the town, quickly absorbing it’s layout.
However, as he arrives in the marketplace, he is stopped by two ponies having a shouting match.
He walks closer to them, seeing a young mare and old stallion. The mare shouts, “This is obviously overpriced! They were only two bits the other week!”
The old stallion snaps back, “Well, that’s the price the fish are now! So either pay up, or move along!”
The mare glares at him, “I think the Guard will have a lot to say about this extortion. So how about you lower the price back to something reasonable?”
The stallions narrows his eyes, “This is reasonable. I have a family to feed, and a grandfoal to get a gift for Hearth’s Warming! They are five bits, and that is the end of this discussion!”
Shepard joys up to them, “Whoa, maybe I can help. What seems to be the problem?”
The mare looks, and glares at him, “And who are you, exactly?”
Shepard smiles, “I am Commander Shepard, Spectere given supreme authority by the Council.”
The stallion smiles, “A Commander? Well I am honored, really, but I don’t think anything could change that mare’s mind.”
Shepard turns to the mare, “Please, tell me, why exactly do you want this fish for such a low price?”
The mare smiles back at him, his happiness seemingly infecting all around him, “Well, I have a friend coming down from Griffonstone with the rest of his family, and I want to make his favorite meal. So I really need at least four fish, but it would cost twenty bits at this price!”
Shepard nods, “Alright, I can see why you would want to get it. Now, how about your story?”
The stallion nods, “I would love to sell my fish at the price she wants, true, but it is currently impossible. There’s something in the Forest that’s disturbing the fish, so I can’t catch as many as usual. I have to spend longer out there, and I get less fish then I would before. I had to increase the price so that I could continue making a profit for my time and supply.”
Shepard looks between them both, “Alright, how long until your friend arrives?”
The mare thinks, “Well, it’s about... two days?”
Shepard smiles, “So, how about I go and clear out whatever is disturbing the fish, and then you can sell her the fish at normal price?”
The stallion nods, “Okay, sure, if the fish can return to normal.”
Shepard nods, “Well, I will go take care of that, then.”
The mare takes a step forward, “Wait, why don’t I come with you? I couldn’t just allow you to go alone.”
The stallion also steps forward, “Let me come as well, I can help with the fish.”
Shepard smiles, “How about your names, first?”
The stallion motions at himself, “Sharp Hook, Shepard.”
The mare smiles, “Amber.”
Shepard nods at the two of them, “Alright, lead me to the forest.”
———
Garrus takes a sip of tea, sitting at the breakfast table with Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Yet, despite the conversation the other two are holding, his mind is only focused on one thing.
Rarity and Sweetie get up, and Sweetie sets off for school. She then turns around, surprised to see the usually observant Garrus staring at nothing.
She walks up to him, “Mister Vakarian, is everything fine? You seem quite troubled.”
Garrus sighs, “Sorry, it’s just this dream I had.”
Rarity sits from across him, “Please, tell me about it. If anything is disturbing you, then it becomes my business as well.”
Garrus looks down, remembering, “There was a planet, one in ruins, yet one of obviously human build. A man came along, with an odd bird mask, and a gun in hand. He looked like he was running from something, yet he instantly asked me who I was, instead of opening fire. And the voice, telling me it was Palaven, trying to get me into a state of dispair. Telling me that I should give up and join them on some mission. To stand with them as all falls to darkness, and be a builder of a new world. Yet the whole time, my mind seemed to be shouting something into my head. A name, I believe it was.” He looks up at Rarity, “Miss Rarity, have you ever heard of Nightmare Moon?”