//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: The Calm Before // Story: The Commander of Shepherds // by pchn00 //------------------------------// Chapter 15: The Calm Before Gingerly, she wrapped her hand around the rails overlooking the command station of the ship, the galaxy map spread before her. Eyes closed, standing still; just listening. Listening to the low hum of the ship, the occasional chirp from a terminal, footsteps echoing in the mostly empty ship, the quiet hiss of the elevator behind her. "I'm home." That wasn't all Shepard was listening to. She was listening to the chatter of long dead crewmen. Men and women who'd sat in the seats around her; who'd hurried to their stations or to carry out the orders of their superiors. With agonizing slowness she moved back down the short steps, her fingers grazing along the rails as she did so. Stepping in front of the console next to the map she slowly settled into the seat in front of it. "Samantha Traynor..." she spoke the name softly. The ship's yeoman and more or less her personal assistant. What had she done after the war? Did she end up married? Career officer? So many questions about so many people. Absentmindedly she tapped at her omni-tool, making another note. Another name to inquire about. Shepard eased herself out of the chair and glanced down the hallway leading to the cockpit. SADI was there piloting the ship manually. No doubt lost in thoughts of her own. If AI's got lost in their thoughts anyhow. She expected they did. Or at least SADI could. She'd heard her musing aloud plenty when she was still inhabiting her omni-tool. She had other places to visit, other half-memories to recall. Stepping over to the elevator she tapped the call button, and waited. And waited. And waited. "...this is getting replaced." ***** "How is she, doc?" Applejack and Rainbow Dash were both standing at a slight distance back from the bed in the medbay at Valin's insistence. "Not a doctor, Captain if titles are necessary. Valin if not. Hesitate to use the word 'fine' to describe Twilight Sparkle but all instrumentation shows she will be fine. Despite suffering severe burns over most of her body she is regenerating at an astounding rate. Plenty of tests to run, very curious about this ability. Common in your species?" Rainbow Dash blinked slowly at the salarian's rapid fire questions. "Uh..." Applejack rolled her eyes, much more used to fast talk from excitable fillies like Bloom and her friends. "Not really. Twi's an alicorn. Immortal, super magical an’ so forth." "Interesting. Would dismiss claims of immortality out of hand as nonsense in organic life but the rate her cells reproduce would retard the aging process considerably. Suspect death possible if body is destroyed completely however." Both ponies shrugged. "Maybe? Never heard of an alicorn dying though." Dash tentatively approached again, not wanting a firm rebuke from the salarian a second time. When none came, she eased onto the end of the bed to watch over Twilight more closely. "Well, best pain killers I have that will work with her physiology being administered. Not quite the medic Krom was but can certainly hold my own. Do not touch anything. At all. Do not disturb Twilight Sparkle. Ship AI will notify me if Twilight Sparkle's condition improves or worsens. For now, need to speak with the Commander." He offered them both a faint smile before briskly striding out of the med bay. A smile that fell quickly. They were wanted fugitives who'd attacked two Citadel councillors and slain several Ein, possibly members of C-sec as well. "SADI, where is Commander T'soni?" The youthful feminine voice spoke from one of the terminals nearby. "Her mother's old quarters, straight ahead and to the right, Captain Solus." "Thank you." With quick steps he crossed the deck and stepped into the asari's quarters. Elezzia was seated at a large desk covered in terminals. "Comically archaic technologies on board this ship." "Mmm." The asari didn't look up. Leaning back in the chair and watching recorded footage of Commander Shepard in action during the Reaper Wars. "Considering romantic advances toward Princess Sparkle." "Mmm. That's nice Valin." She didn't look away from her screens for a moment. Before spinning her chair to face him. "Wait, what?" Her subordinate offered a soft chuckle as he settled into the chair next to her. "Wanted to get your attention somehow." "Very funny." She regarded him silently, before a weary smile spread across her face. "Seems we're in quite a bit of trouble this time." "Exceedingly so. Krom would have loved it. Probably given anything to see Shepard head-butt Councilor Urdnot." "So you do believe she's the Commander?" He shrugged. "Willing to entertain possibility if nothing else. Shepard's survivability impossibility, yes? Yes. AI existence impossibility. Since disruption wave at end of war all attempts at AI creation fail. VI's barely function. Yet AI clearly present, impossibility disproved. When impossible stares one in the face, need to amend to 'improbable'." "Her story is fantastic, but SADI's replay of the event at least opens the possibility. Shepard was the only living person on the Citadel when the wave went off, and presumably she was at its epicenter." Elezzia turned her attentions to the monitors again. "I must have watched these vids hundreds of times." "Possibly thousands, yes." "The way she moves, the way she talks. Acts. Fights... if she's a clone she is a very authentic one. Down to the scars." "Believe she is Shepard, or want to believe she is Shepard?" "It can't be both?" "Suppose it can. Must admit if opportunity arose for me to meet Dr. Solus in person, I would at least want to sit down and pick his brain. Shepard aware she is your father?" "No." Elezzia's expression turned trouble again. "She has enough to worry about right now without me throwing that in the mix too." "Amnesia, yes. Convenient cover if clone. Extreme PTSD not unexpected however. SADI's story very likely true. Hunting slaves, mercs, and pirates not really comparable to what Shepard and her crew experienced. All survivors suffered psychological damages of varying degrees." "Except the krogan." Valin shrugged dismissively. "Not worth mentioning. Krogan born with psychological damage." He delivered in a deadpan, but with a smile in his eyes. This drew a genuine laugh from Elezzia. "I'm glad you're here, Valin. I'm sorry I got you involved in all this." He rapidly shook his head. "Nonsense. Got myself involved in all this. Wasn't joking about interest in Princess." Elezzia gave him a genuinely surprised look. "I didn't think salarians were interested in romance." Another quick shrug. "Have any of us conformed to the norm of our species, Commander?" "Point. And you don't have to keep using my title, Valin. I'm retired, remember?" "Always be my commander, Commander. Active status or not. Saved my life too many times to show disrespect. Primarily why I am here now." Elezzia took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze, before turning her chair back to the terminals. "Something's bothering me." "Just one thing?" The asari chuckled. "A few things I suppose. But what happened on the Citadel in particular." "Agreed. Marees' shot was unauthorized. While ordinarily not shy about skirting orders, completely unlike her to shoot unarmed woman in the back. Possible outside control. Suspect the ein." Elezzia looked surprised. "The ein? Why in the world would you suspect them?" Valin shrugged. "Hunch. Twilight Sparkle gets a 'bad feeling' from them. Representative Javik never liked them. Won't let them on Khaje, refuses offers of aid and technology from them. Suddenly finding myself very interested why. What do we really know about them?" "Nothing, I suppose. I was on a mission with Krom when they first arrived at the Citadel but when we returned they were widely welcomed and beloved already. Their tech upgrades were being offered for outrageously low prices, repairing the relays and asking nothing in return... how did they know how to repair the relays? Why have we never asked this before?" "Hypothesis. The Ein did not want us to, and are somehow projecting some sort of signal or field preventing us from doing so. From their bodies, hidden tech, or from the implant upgrades most have within their very bodies. Questions only arose when I spent time with the Princess. Suspect unusual energy utilized by Equestrians interferes with the ein's tampering." Elezzia's brow furrowed as she considered his words. "SADI?" The synthetic’s voiced chimed from the intercom. "Yes, Commander T'soni?" "Have you been listening to our conversation this entire time?" "Not intentionally. However I am ensconced in most of the Normandy's systems. Unless you make a specific effort to block me I will overhear anything said on the ship." "I... would appreciate you not sharing my parentage with Commander Shepard, then." "A request I can follow for the moment. Unless it becomes pertinent to the Commander's wellbeing your business is your business as far as I'm concerned." "I appreciate that. Where is Representative Javik?" SADI projected a digital image of the ship's interior for Elezzia, highlightning one of the holds. "Here, Commander." Elezzia stood with a nod. "Thank you, SADI. Valin I'm going to speak with the esteemed Representative about the ein. If you don't mind, keep an eye on the Equestrians. The royals seem to be level headed enough to be trusted alone, the other two not so much." "Understood, Commander. I will make them my priority." The asari strode from the quarters over to the waiting elevator, tapping the call button and waited. And waited. And waited. "...goddess, this needs to get replaced." ***** Shepard stepped off the elevator and paused in front of her old quarters. Had they been changed? Was it some sort of bizarre monument to herself with her old underwear sitting in glass cases for tourists to gawk at? That was a very bizarre thought. Her brow furrowed as she noticed her breath misting in front of her face. Glancing at the display on the wall she saw it was fifty four degrees. "SADI? Can we get the temp up here adjusted?" Her confusion grew when she got nothing but faint static back from the comm. "Guess they didn't keep everything in perfect condition..." She mused to herself as she tapped the door control. She was ready for the plethora of personal belongings that she was planning to look over and re-familiarize herself with that were on display. She was even ready for the outfits on the mannequins and the surprisingly well maintained fish tank with the vibrantly colored fish. What she wasn't ready for was the nude Luna sprawled out on the bed. Her flawless, alabaster skin entirely on display. Hair wafting lazily about her head. Mostly human except for the huge feathery wings and long spiral horn. "Another few moments and I was going to have to come collect you, Eliiiiiiza." Shepard felt a shiver go down her spine. Not at the chilly temperature, but the way Luna stretched her name. The purr she added to it. "Luna... you ah... are... naked. In my quarters. On my bed." "I am." The Princess replied, with that same sibilant purr that sent shivers of... well of something Shepard was trying to ignore. "Luna why are you naked in my bed?" "Because I just wreaked terrible vengeance upon horrible creatures and those who harmed my subjects and find myself terribly aroused by said violence. Do you not feel the same?" Adrenaline was still surging through Shepard from the fight. It was a well-known joke among the crew that the Commander would often take some 'downtime' with Liara after a mission. Neither the asari nor the Commander would elaborate on what went on, but everyone knew that gunplay usually preceded bedroom play with Shepard. "Oh, yes. No! I mean, yes, but ah..." Was this happening? Luna was a horse. She couldn't have sex with a horse. It wasn't happening. Sure she looks human right now, well humanish but she wasn't human. She was a horse. "Luna I know there's been this sort of ah... did... your chest just grow?" "It did. Humans find large teats pleasant, yes?" Shepard gulped. "Yes." "What of the flank and rump?" Shepard squeaked out a barely audible 'yes'. Luna smirked, rolling onto her stomach, allowing Shepard a view of her new, larger, plumper backside. If Shepard were in a clearer state of mind she may have questioned the draconian shape of Luna's pupils with their predatory gleam. She may have been interested by the fangs lining the lithe woman’s mouth, or the claw like nails adorning her fingers. Instead, flush from the violence and the high of being back on the Normandy she was focused on Luna's large, swaying backside. But Luna was a horse. Humans didn’t have sex with horses. Shepard had sex with a horse. ***** Elezzia found Javik scowling around the hold, arms folded over his chest. "Is something wrong, Representative?" "It stinks in here. Everything has been moved. I do not approve." "I don't smell anything." "You are merely contributing to the aroma. What do you want, Commander T'soni?" When Javik made no move to sit, or invite her to do so, Elezzia crossed her arms under her chest. "What do you know about the ein?" "I know that they are a blight on the galaxy and you primitives are all fools for falling under their spell. I know they are up to something dire, but I do not know what. I know that they go out of their way to avoid Khaje and myself specifically when I am on the Citadel. I know they are 'wrong' Commander. That they should not exist." Elezzia began to frown as he spoke. "Why have you never expressed these concerns?" "I did. Once. To who is supposedly the more intelligent of your mothers. She dismissed my claims without a second thought. I expect she is almost entirely a puppet of the creatures. After the humiliation she brought upon me in front of the council, I decided I did not care what they did to the rest of you." "I don't believe that's true. Not after you fought so hard at Commander Shepard's side to protect us against the reapers." "I fought at Shepard's side to avenge my people and because she and to a far lesser extent her crew had earned my respect. Most of them are deceased now and my opinion of your asari mother has reached an all-time low. I am the undisputed god king of a planet and I am content with that. I am only here now because Shepard is here and I will fight at her side no matter who is stupid enough to align themselves against her." "She is... not what I expected." Now Javik favored her with a rare laugh. "What did you expect, little girl? That she would be ten feet tall? That she would be all knowing and all seeing? Shepard is just a woman, Commander T'soni. She is obnoxious, often times childish, and far more intelligent that her behavior often implies. She laughs, she loves, she hates, she cries. She is human, with all that entails." "Do you think I should tell her that I'm her daughter?" "I do not care." Now Elezzia laughed. "Sometimes I forget what it's like speaking with you, Javik." "I try to leave an impression, Commander. Was there anything else?" "Why exactly are we going to Khaje?" "To supply primarily. The Normandy is an archaic relic and if you are to lead this sad crew into battle they will need to be properly outfitted." "Me lead? What about Shepard?" "Shepard's mind is still hazy. Not as bad as it once was, but she has not fully recovered. And even once she does, she will likely be a different woman than she once was. One does not endure what she did and emerge the same. I do not believe the burden of leadership should fall to her at this time." Elezzia's frown returned, tapping her fingers along one arm. "I'll think about it. Can we leave the Equestrians on Khaje?" "Firstly, they will not remain and you cannot force them. Secondly, it would be foolish to attempt it. They are too powerful and we too few in number to cast aside such potent allies. I have made calls for assistance but I do not know how many will be answered. We will arm ourselves, improve the ship and, ideally, have a firm lead on the Collectors by the time we are ready to depart." Elezzia sighed. "Alright. I'll head up and speak with them. Do you need anything down here?" "Privacy." Taking the hint, Elezzia made her way back to the elevator with a small huff. "Always a delight." ***** Shepard had been through countless battles. Geth, cloned krogan, thresher maws, mechs, mercs, sentient space ships, rachni, all those messed up reaper monsters. She'd been spaced and died. She rode a wave of energy from one end of the galaxy to the next. She'd never been this sore in her life. She sat up gingerly, hissing in pain at the scratches along her back. "Ooo… ooo... that's... hnnn..." Slowly, ever so slowly she pulled herself into a sitting position. Luna was standing near her old desk, idly looking over the curios arranged there. "...that was... uh... wow." "I am glad you enjoyed, Eliza." Luna's voice was soft. A hint of sadness in it. Shepards brow furrowed in confusion. "Luna? Are you al-oooo-right?" Pushing herself to her feet, her back cried out in agony, and her knees buckled. Luna's cool blue aura of magic snapped into being around the woman, catching her before she fell. "A moment, Eliza." Luna gently eased her back into the bed, and rotated her so she was laying on her stomach. Laying her hands on Shepards back, Luna slowly worked them down the still bleeding scratches, healing the worst of them with her magic. "That should feel better." "You know... it's so weird hearing you call me by my first name. I get the feeling it was never used very much when people talk to me." "I can go back to calling you Shepard if you prefer?" Shepard rolled onto her back, smiling up at Luna. "In public..." She reached up and took Luna's hands, pulling her towards herself. "In private, I like Eliza." Luna smiled softly, but it faded quickly. "Then that is what we shall do." Shepard's brow furrowed at the Princess' melancholy behavior. "Luna, what's wrong? You're not regretting what we just did are you?" How could she possibly explain? It wasn't Luna who had ravaged Shepard, but Nightmare Moon. A demon she was supposedly cleansed of. Surely Shepard would tell Twilight Sparkle and the others which would cause panic and possibly being smacked in the face with a rainbow. Not an experience she wished to go through a third time. "No, of course not. I'm just feeling guilty I suppose." "About what? My back? I've had worse, Luna." "No..." Luna's finger tips gently traced along Shepard’s jawline. "My sister; she is in peril and I am carousing with you like nothing is amiss." "Ah..." Shepard’s smile faded. "You can't think like that, Luna. I know it's hard but we're doing our best. It's not like we're shacked up in a love motel somewhere shutting out the world. We'll save Celestia and your people. We'll violently slaughter the Collectors and do this for a week straight to celebrate. Alright?" Luna closed her eyes, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "You know just what to say to a mare, Eliza. Very romantic." "I try my best." Luna eased herself into bed beside Shepard, allowing the human to put an arm around her and pull her closer. Learning her head against Shepard's shoulder the pair lay silently for several long moments. "How are your memories?" "I think mostly all the way back. I remember faces and people more clearly, even the ensigns and such. I remember my crew and my—ah..." "Liara was her name, according to the museum. Your lover." "Yeah." Shepard squirmed uncomfortably at the direction the conversation was headed. "She was there was she not? On the Citadel?" "She was... with Wrex. I beat him up. I'll send him some flowers to apologize later." She was trying to play it off, but she felt Luna tense against her. "Do you still... will you go back to her?" Shepard took a deep breath. "No. I won't. And it's not just you. I remember them all, I remember what I did... I kinda remember who I was. But that's not who I am anymore. I'm... very different from the Commander Shepard who saved the galaxy. Where it counts I'm still me but... everything that happened in Equestria, it's changed me." "Does this distress you? This change?" "No... not really. I'm definitely more relaxed than I used to be, that's a plus. I'm trying not to think about it too much; about anything too much aside from the mission. I get all introspective and depressed and that sucks." "About your lack of belonging?" "Yeah... I can't help but feel that I shouldn't be here. That I should have died on the Citadel. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I met you and everyone in Equestria just... I don't know what I'm going to do when all this is over." "Perhaps you could move to Ponyville and start up a sheep ranch." "Ha!" Immediately she regretted the outburst as her sore muscles made themselves known again. "...hah. Maybe I will." Leaning over and kissing Luna on top of the head, she rested her head back in the pillows. ***** "I expect the stench of primitives is permanently ingrained in my quarters. What brief nostalgia I felt is fading rapidly." Javik didn't turn to face her as Shepard entered the quarters. "The stink of shame and sex is not helping the aroma." Shepard blushed and coughed into her hand in surprise. "Sorry, I should have grabbed an extra shower." "You never have to apologize to me, Commander Shepard. Even in jest. You are the sole living being in the entirety of sapient space that has earned my respect and friendship." "It's nice to see you too, Javik. More than I can say honestly. I've been feeling so... lost. So out of sorts. Everyone I knew is gone. Mostly, anyhow. Places I've been to are either gone or so changed I'd never recognize them. Seeing a familiar face is... very reassuring." Javik finally turned to regard her. "Yes. I cannot imagine what it would be like to wake up to a universe not the one you fell asleep to. Everything and everyone you knew gone." Shepard blinked, then laughed softly. "I suppose you're probably the one person in the galaxy who can relate to this aren't you? Sorry. My whining must be annoying." "On the contrary, Commander. Your whining is most welcome. I have missed you more than I am comfortable admitting. You are an exceptional military officer, and more than that an exceptional person. Your company is a pleasure, and a significant improvement from the jellyfish and lizards of Khaje." Shepard helped herself to a seat. "How the hell did you wind up there anyway?" The prothean shrugged, sitting across from her. "After the war I had little to do. I travelled with the mercenary Zaeed for a time. He died as he would have wanted, violently and taking many of his enemies with him. The company looked to me for leadership but I was surprised to find I had my fill of violence. I wandered from place to place for a time, before returning to the Citadel. Several hanar were being accosted by c-sec officials over permits or some such nonsense." "And what? You leapt to their defense?" "Essentially." He chuckled at the clear surprise on the woman's face. "Time can change anyone, Commander. Even me. My ancient foes were slain by your hands. My war was ended. A soldier without a war to fight learns to lay down his arms and find a new cause, or continue on to become a rabid varren snapping at anything that moves. I chose the former. When I speak, people listen. Something about being a prothean moves the primitives to listen to me." "Javik, the voice of the hanar people. I hope things have at least gotten better for them." "Significantly. Though I sincerely doubt you are here to discuss politics and economics, Commander." "Just Shepard, please. I'm not the commander of anything anymore. I'm here because Luna's sister was abducted and we're trying to get her back. And now that we're onto that topic, how about you fill me in on how you know about Equestria." "Very well. As you know I am no scientist or explorer but we were taught of them. A world we seeded and manipulated like most of the worlds of that era. I'm sure you picked up on plenty of symbology and mythos running parallel to Earth, yes?" At her nod, he continued. "Your tales of unicorns, griffon, minotaur likely stemmed from us. Some left behind research or pictograms on a cave... I cannot say." He shrugged. "However their world was unique in one very specific way. The core of their world is comprised of an energy we called 'light matter'." Shepard's brow furrowed. "I thought light matter was just 'matter'? The opposite of dark matter right?" "What you 'think' and what is right are rarely the same thing, Shepard." He ignored her indignant look and pressed on. "They do not have a molten core at the center of their planet, but a mass of energy holding it together. This energy, the light matter, has permeated everything on the planet. The flora, fauna, minerals, atmosphere, the various sapients. All are steeped in it, and all can manipulate it to a degree. My people called their manipulation 'ambience'. They call it magic, yes?" "Yeah, they do. So if you guys knew about them even back then, why didn't you try to use them against the reapers?" "Reports on that vary wildly. Some claimed that the surveyors found the picturesque world 'too pleasant' to interfere with. The way my people were, particularly at the height of the war I find this hard to believe. More likely they were frightened or intimidated by the rulers of the planet." "The mighty protheans were intimidated by Equestrians?" "Consider their capabilities, Shepard. The seemingly least impressive among them have strength far eclipsing a krogan. Their bone and muscle density is so powerful they can shrug off most small arms fire. The winged ones can fly at speeds approaching and at times exceeding the sound barrier. They can freely manipulate the atmosphere. The horned equestrians can command the ambience to a degree that they can warp the very fabric of reality." "Well when you put it like that..." "Then their 'Princesses', their ruling caste. The traits of all three. Impossibly powerful, virtually impossible to kill. Provoking that species would end in disaster. And hypothetically, if they had assisted in the war and had destroyed the reapers what then? Who is to say they would not wish rulership of our Empire next?" "I'm not sure about all that, but I can see how it'd make someone nervous, sure." "If the Collectors have seized one of the ruling caste and somehow subdued her, it could have disastrous consequences for the entire galaxy. We must find them and liberate her as quickly as possible. I have sent a message to Khaje already and my agents are working to locate any sign of Collector activity. I expect a report waiting for us by the time we dock." Shepard sighed softly. "Thanks, Javik. I hope you're not in too much trouble with the council over all this." He shrugged. "I do not care if I am or not. As is typical when you are involved, your mission supersedes other concerns. While information is compiled I will have the Normandy outfitted with more modern upgrades before we depart to rescue the Equestrian royal." "We? You're coming with us?" "You are my Commander, whether you wish the title or not. Nothing will change that, Shepard. Besides, this is my galaxy too. I do not wish it imperiled just after I've started to get everything arranged in a comfortable manner for myself." He quirked a faint smile. "Fair enough." Shepard rose to her feet. "I doubt you want a hug, so I'll just go find Luna and uh, make sure she's still resting comfortably." Javik's smile faded. "Be cautious with her, Shepard. I sense a darkness about her that could prove dangerous." Shepard chuckled as she moved to the elevator. "Consider me warned." Javik watched her go, before rolling his eyes. "Primitives." ***** "Nnngh." Twilight Sparkle groaned softly as she cracked her eyes open. Ears going flat and jerking a bit in surprise at Rainbow and Applejack's muzzles being right in her face. "You're awake!" "We were mighty worried, sugarcube." Twilight offered a tired smile. "I'm awake. I'm sorry for worrying you. I feel much better. Actually I feel entirely better." She sat up as her friends moved back a bit. Though tilted her head in confusion as Applejack coughed softly and looked away, Rainbow Dash barely suppressing her laughter. "What?" "Well yer a mite uh..." "Naked." Twilight frowned in confusion. "We haven't been spending that much time as human girls. I didn't think you'd be that used to..." She trailed off as she noticed the extreme chill in the air. Then glanced down at her nude, hairless body. Jerking a blanket over herself with a yelp. Rainbow Dash lost it completely by that point, falling off the bed onto her back, guffawing obnoxiously. Even Applejack was working to suppress her laughter. "It ain't that bad, Twi." "Where is my coat?! Why hasn't it grown back?!" Her shock and confusion were turning to annoyance as a little snicker slipped through Applejack's lips. "Oh ha ha, laugh it up girls." Before anypony could voice a quick protest, she charged her horn and transmuted the three of them back into their human shapes. Drawing a surprised yelp from Dash. Applejack took it in stride, adjusting her hat. "We're just glad yer alright. Gave us a mighty big scare." Twilight relaxed a little. She was still naked but it felt somehow less 'wrong' to be furless like this. Probably all the time she spent across the mirror. "Well I guess that confirms the whole alicorn near immortality rumor." She gazed across the room to her saddlebag, where the Element of Magic lay. Rainbow sat up, already having gotten comfortable with the alien body. "Think the rest of us will pop back like that? Since we're Element bearers too?" Lips pursed in thought, Twilight tapped her chin. "Possibly. The Elements of Harmony are arguably the most powerful magical artifacts in the world. Magical items of that nature tend to have minds of their own in a way, and work to protect their owners. That being said, it's just as likely my alicorn physiology saved my life and not my Element. Personally, I don't think it's worth risking to find out, don't you?" AJ and Dash shared equally unenthused looks. "Suppose not." Twilight took a deep breath, easing herself out of bed and gingerly removing the various monitors from her body. "Well, let's get dressed and go find the others. I'd like to know what happened and how we ended up here." Applejack offered Twilight her bag and clothes. "Hope things're goin’ better back home for th' others than it is out here for us." With a roll of her eyes, Twilight began dressing. "I don't see how it could be worse." ***** Three very unhappy ponies gazed out at the assembled crowd from behind the bars of their hastily constructed cage. "There, you see? We're perfectly normal ponies now. Whatever... nonsense made us into aliens like Shepherd has obviously worn off." Rarity offered the townsponies a thin smile. Her temper was reaching a peak and she had just about had it with Ponyville's xenophobic reaction to her, Pinkie, and Fluttershy's unexpected transmutation. "Yeah! Besides it wasn't that bad! We just got taller, and furless, and our teeth got sharper and..." Rarity silenced Pinkie Pie with a hoof over the muzzle. "As Pinkie was saying, I'm sure everything is back to normal now. Yes?" The unicorn looked between her two caged friends, then out to the townsponies. The mayor tentatively approached. "Well we haven't heard back from Canterlot yet... but you three do seem to be over what happened so..." She reared back with an alarmed whinny as all three mares in the cage were engulfed in a white glow. The crowd panicked anew, running to and fro in an effort to escape the three newly transmuted humans in the cage. "Ohhhh! Horseshit!" Fluttershy barked out. Rarity and Pinkie turned to their normally timid friend with wide eyes. Before the surprise from her outburst faded and both sighed. "Horseshit indeed, darling. Horseshit indeed." ***** The assembled crew had made their way to the command deck. The Equestrians sitting at the stations around the deck. Rainbow Dash sitting on her hands as per Luna's orders. Valin was in the co-pilot seat next to SADI as the synthetic piloted their course to the Khaje relay, Twilight Sparkle hovering over their shoulders watching them work with interest. Elezzia stood near the star map with Shepard, both women staring down at the charts. "Not much has changed. Map wise I mean." The asari smirked at Shepards words. "Well there are new colonies and such but no, the planets are largely in the same place." Both women turned in alarm at Luna's sudden sharp intake of breath. The transformed Princess nearly bowling them over as she rushed toward the airlock. "Open the door!" Eyes wide with alarm the two commanders lunged for Luna. "No!" They shouted simultaneously. Shepard got her hands around Luna's waist, lifting her from the floor away from the airlock. "What the hell's the matter with you, Luna? You could kill everyone if you tear open those doors!" "Unhand me! Celestia is outside!" Shepard dropped Luna in shock. "What?" Now she had everyone's attention, Twilight Sparkle's especially. "I... don't know if it's the Princess but it's definitely an alicorn." "Commander, I am detecting a massive gravimetric surge outside, suspect imminent attack!" Elezzia and Shepard both reached for their weapons as the ship ground to a halt. Luna nudged the group aside with a magical field and snapped a dome around the airlock. SADI hastily opened the doors before Luna could pry them open herself. "Sister!" The loud hum of biotics filled the air as the figure lazily floated into the ship. The airlock closing behind her. Her features obscured by the bright light of her active biotics. Before they snapped off revealing a wiry human woman. Her arms, chest, and neck covered in tattoo's. Head shaved at the sides, with a long ponytail trailing down her back to her hips. She took in the scene on the ship with large blue eyes. Javik snorted. "It took you long enough to get here." "I got my own shit to do y'know? Hey Shepard. You're looking more alive than I expected." Shepard just lifted a hand in greeting. "...hey Jack."