//------------------------------// // Pride // Story: Mass Effect: Element of Kindness // by CommanderApplejack //------------------------------// Chapter 107 Pride HEY! I could get that amp any day! 49% “Hey! Who are you calling a chicken?!” Rainbow exclaimed completely forgetting about the element momentarily as she shot up to face Garrus in anger. “I can get an amp any time!” Garrus chuckled deviously and leaned forward to nearly pressing his face against Dash’s. “Oh is that right? How about we go and do it right now, or are you a chicken?” Rainbows cheeks flashed red in anger and glared daggers at Garrus who looked very satisfied with himself. “Hay no I’m not! Tell me the place and we’ll go right now!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Of course, as you desire. Want to tag along and see the sights, Gabby?” Garrus turned to look at the young griffin who’d been suspiciously quiet for a while now. “Y-Yes, for sure,” she stammered, getting up out of her corner of the room. “Perfect, now follow me you two, I’ve got the perfect place to go!” Garrus proceeded to lead the two with him out of the embassy where they’d holed up, Dash continued to glare at the turian’s back but gnawing doubt had already started forming in the back of her mind. Gabby, on the other hand, livened up at all the strange sights around her. “Oohhh, are all of those things carrying other creatures too? Where do creatures live around here? What are… those...” Gabbys’ eyes dilated as their shuttle flew out onto one of the Wards. Skyscrapers and other buildings stretched all the way to the edges and tip of the arms which lay nearly forty-five kilometers away. “Magnificent, isn’t it?” Garrus said as he gave the speechless griffin a nudge, who replied with a nod as she drank in every detail while the shuttle traveled to its destination. The craft eventually set down in the upper ward on a busy street, every type of alien walking through on their business. The group of three stayed very close together to avoid getting lost in the crowd, Garrus eventually leading them to a large clinic. “Nyxin biotics... she’s going to have an absolute blast when she looks at you.” “Wait, what? Why would that be?” Rainbow asked but Garrus had already stepped into the clinic, Dash following him with apprehension. “H-Hey Garrus, maybe we should do this somewhere else if-” "Welcome to Nyxin biotics, would you like to make an appointment?" the attendant said only for her eyes to fall on Rainbow. “Oh, uhm, I-I’ll go get doctor V'ladri immediately!” Rainbow stared at the desk as the asari attendant just about fled to the back. “What was that?!” “Oh, nothing to worry about,” Garrus laughed as another Asari came walking out of the back. “Hello there, I’m here for my friend since I heard this place had such splendid reviews from my girlfriend, buddy, and a friendly information broker.” “Y-Yes of course! I-I can make an opening right now actually!” she stammered fearfully, Rainbow now just watching along in confusion of what was happening. “P-Please follow me, miss…?” “Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus answered as she couldn’t make sense of what was happening and just decided to go with the flow. “Miss Dash. Would you mind following me out back? We need to perform some scans before the implant can be properly installed,” doctor V'ladri told Dash and waited for her at the door that lead deeper into the clinic. Rainbow looked back at Garrus who motioned her to continue on but the pegasus still wasn’t moving as fast as he liked. “Booook bok bok, is that a chicken I hear? Is Dashie too scared?” Garrus snickered as Rainbow’s face turned to thunder again.  “I swear to Celestia, I will hurt you,” Dash growled at the turian who shook his head and laughed. “Bet you will. But on a serious note Dash, learning how to use biotics will be immensely beneficial to you in the long run,” Garrus said as he crouched down next to the hesitating pegasus. “And are you going to tell me that Flutters, however awesome she now is, was brave enough to do this when she was still scared of a lot and you aren’t?” “Heh, I guess not. I’m still nervous about this though, my wings are everything to me you know.” Dash sighed. “Hey, I promise nothing will happen to your wings. That much I know for sure.” Garus gave Dash a pat on the shoulder. “Now don’t let the dear doctor wait any longer, she’s nervous enough already.” “Yeah, I guess. Though I’d like to know why exactly she’s nervous in the first place.” Rainbow deadpanned before turning and walking over to the doctor. “See you after this is done!” “We’ll be here!” Garrus called back as the door sealed the back section of the clinic off again, the turian now looking down at the small griffin he was now left with. Gabby didn’t look all too comfortable right now, being the only equestrian creature left with the alien. “Say, what do you think about going exploring the markets and little snack shops around here?” That made the griffin perk up. “Of course!” “That fish was absolutely delicious!” Gabby exclaimed, jumping around Garrus in excitement. The turian chuckled at the energetic griffin’s behavior, they’d been touring all sorts of stores on the ward and tasting all kind of foods. “That special human sushi we found was also really good! I should see if I can make that back home, it’d be an instant hit in Griffinstone!” “Whoa there, already planning out a new business are we now?” Garrus said teasingly but it went straight over her head. “Of course! If there’s anything we griffins can do well then it’s starting businesses and driving a bargain!” she exclaimed proudly, some of the passerby’s looking strangely at the griffin. “Hey Garrus, why is it that I can understand you but I can’t understand anyone else? Nor do they seem like they understand me?”  “It’s because the translation patch that holds your language isn’t galaxy-wide, I have it but most people do not,” Garrus explained as he brought up his omni tool and showed the file. “So I have to get one of those? That’s easy enough, where can we get one?” Gabby asked, looking at Garrus expectantly. “Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt. You’d probably get one on the Normandy anyway. We just passed a Sirta foundation, they probably have the necessary equipment there.” “Great! What are we waiting for?” Gabby exclaimed, looking expectantly at her companion to lead the way. Garrus shook his head and smiled, leading the griffin back to the store they’d passed.  The asari clerk was really helpful in providing service, implanting the required base implants and making sure they worked. Garrus also picked up the foundation’s implant attachment so Gabby could get a bit of extra use out of the tool. “This clanless is a thief, and I want her arrested!” Gabby immediately sprung around to face where the sound had come from, being able to understand what was being said now. “Wha-? I was just walking by!” a quarian exclaimed as she was stopped in the middle of the street by a short volus and a human C-Sec officer. “What’s going on with them?” Gabby asked Garrus, looking up at her companion. “Looks like a shakedown to me, quarians usually get the bad end of the stick of those...” Garrus grumbled as the C-Sec officer pulled her to the side. “What do you say, shall we go give her a hand?” “Of course, I love helping!”