5. The Shepard (April 2021)
Chapter 5: The Shepard
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At some point the wind had picked up speed, adding an extra bite to the already freezing air making the desert feel like the inside of an ice box. While the atmosphere was so dry that frost had nothing to use in which to form. The land had grown eerily quiet as the desert fauna had long since retreated to their burrows. Not even the crickets chirped anymore.
Unfortunately for the two stranded soldiers they had no place with which to warm and shelter themselves from the elements than a small grove of rocks and each other. They both slept uneasily with bed sheets and blankets wrapped around tightly around them.
“Its quite a view.” Anderson finally spoke, having awoken sometime as the first hints of sun started to show on the horizon. He felt a small sense of deja vu at having said the same thing atop the Citadel.
“Second best seats.” Shepard reciprocated. Grateful that they were both well enough to truly enjoy the view this time. The situation was still not ideal, but they had both learned how to adapt.
‘Work with what you have,’ she reminded herself, ‘and make the best of a bad situation.’
“Thinking of Earth?” The red-maned pony curiously asked as she had been reflecting on home as well. Wondering what had happened to Admiral Hackett and the allied fleet and just how many had survived the final battle.
“Hmm,” The Admiral droned in agreement, “thinking about all the people we left behind. It was months of running and hiding from the Reapers. We never stayed in one place for too long.” He took a moment to listen, “It was never this quiet either, it’ll take some time to get used to it. I do wonder, was it enough? Did I do enough?” Anderson turned to look at her, but she remained transfixed at the fading starscape.
“Of course you did.” she crossed her forelimbs across her stomach, “I can admit I thought you were a fool for staying behind, but I’m not so big that I can’t admit you were right.” She finally looked the human in the face, “The final push would’ve been dead in the water if you hadn’t held onto Earth.”
“Everything I did, Commander, would have been useless if you hadn’t united the entire galaxy to retake Earth.” Anderson seemed to drift away, returning to silence.
“‘Do you know how many times I’ve had my ass handed to me over the years?’ I remember you telling me that once when I thought I’d lost the war. We can shake this off, Anderson. We both had our roles to play. Was it enough? No one can ever really answer that question. Not me, and especially not you.” Growing tired of the feeling of sandy dirt in her new fur, Shepard cast the blanket to the side and stood up.
“But we have to believe it was. I wish I knew, but I don’t. My biggest regret is that I can’t remember exactly happened on the Citadel. I had a choice to make, but I can’t remember what it was.”
“The Reapers are gone, so I say it was the right call, whatever it was.” the human shifted uncomfortably.
“Yeah. I guess, we’ve both have had to make a lot of tough calls. I know I’ve made many mistakes along the way. I think about them all the time.”
The Commander felt the bottom give out from her stomach as she thought about the the memorial wall on the Normandy, half full with the names of lost friends. Were their names now a part of that monument?
“We’ve come this far, so...we must’ve done something right.” Shepard tried desperately to convince herself and failed. Secretly she wished that she had not survived. Death would’ve been a kinder mercy than to live on with the guilt of so many dead.
“I know I complain that I’m getting too old for this,” he gave a hopeful grin and cracked his knuckles in emphasis, “but I’m relieved to be here. Think of it as another grand mission, to chart another exotic world where no Human has been before. Like how things used to be.”
“Not quite how you imagined your twilight years.” Shepard had a knowing gleam.
“Exactly, Shepard.” Anderson chuckled to himself. A genuine sound as the two old friends put an arm around the other, content to just enjoy each other’s presence.
“Anderson, it’s almost morning,” Shepard hated to end on such a sudden note, but knew they had a busy day ahead of them. “We still need to tend to that wound.””
“And what about you, Commander?” He poked her shoulder for emphasis.
“Yeah,” Shepard scratched the back of her neck; the feel of her own hoof was starting to feel normal which concerned her greatly. “I think maybe it’d be easier to believe that this is all a cruel joke., or…maybe…penance.” She looked morosely at herself, something was beginning to bother her.
“Let’s not start up that conversation again.”
“Noted.” With the topic concluded, and the sun beginning to cast its dawn light, Shepard took the opportunity to really examine her new body. Without realizing it she had adopted a sitting position that was more natural for humans and not for ponies. Strangely it did not feel abnormal nor did it bother her anatomy in anyway, she had already seen evidence that these ponies could flex and behave in ways their Terran counterparts couldn’t. A couple of bruises from her fight with Snake Oil were proof of that much, as well as the simple act of being able to feel the back of her neck.
For the first time, without the armor, she saw that the fur on her body was a peach color.
“Wait.” Instinctively she jerked at the blankets, wrapping them more tightly around her than ever before in an effort to preserve her modesty. The Commander gave the Admiral a death glare, as if she was trying to lay the blame solely at his feet.
Anderson had indeed taken notice of his subordinate’s of the pony’s attempt to cover up and had wanted to assure her that it was an accident. But the mare was already on to him and her expression seemed to say, “Keep those eyes straight and not a single word from you, mister!” Yet the mixture of serious and adorableness made it seem more akin to, “Mark my words. Say something, anything, and we’ll see if my biotic charge leaves a rainbow trail as I implode your face. Like a boss!”
He was sure that Shepard was serious; she always was, at least, when she wasn’t being a sarcastic cynic. Yet, her efforts to that purpose had been hopelessly sabotaged by the overtly delightful quality intrinsic to her pony face; a look of a pouting, petulant child. Her expressive, larger than life, eyes didn’t help either. He knew it wasn’t her fault that her message was coming out crossed. Out of respect for his friend, Anderson looked away silently, and managed to disguise an amused chuckle as a cough.
“Speaking of clothes, Commander,” Anderson grew serious once more, “perhaps we should fashion you some from the sheets and string?”
“Can’t say I’ve ever worn a toga before, but that is…acceptable to the alternative.”
“Alright, Commander, while we do that why don’t you tell me more about what you remember on the Citadel and this choice you had to make.”
(…………………………………………………………………………………………)
“Wake up.” A voice spoke, a child’s voice intertwined with a resonance of Shepard’s own and unknown adult male. The emotion in the speaker was a mixed choir that reflected concern and irritation, hope and despair, and it echoed unnaturally through the massive, open-topped, room.
“What? Where am I?” She addressed the unknown speaker. The creature before her had the appearance of an adolescent male child composed entirely of blue, semi-transparent, tendrils of energy that shifted and changed like ripples in the ocean.
Numbed from blood loss, a head full of cotton, Shepard slowly and painfully rose to her two human feet. Grimacing through the agony, she took in her surroundings and saw that she was outside the Presidium Tower, on the top of the central Citadel spire. The one place no soul had ever stood before. She could see the infinite black of space all around her; interrupted only on one side by breathtaking view of planet Earth. Even from here she could see the orange blaze and plumes of smoke as whole cities and nations burned under the Reaper’s assault.
Her mind told her she should’ve been dead already, if not from her injuries, but from the fact she was standing outside the Citadel in the vacuum of space. The answer to the latter came quickly when she saw the shimmer of a Mass field surrounding the area, trapping a breathable atmosphere in its canopy.
“The Citadel. It’s my home.” The construct said, matter-of-factly.
The Citadel was stretched out kilometers beneath her. The mega station was many times larger than even the biggest Reaper, she could imagine the hexagonal design that reached out in six long arm. Each arm a metropolis onto itself; shops, houses, and factories connected to each other via the web-like roads and skyways.
Above her, anchored to the station by four metal grappling beams was the Crucible; with an uninterrupted column of energy channeling the unfathomable energies of the Citadel into the Crucible and prevented the two super structures from collapsing upon each other.
In between the station and dreadnaught was a gap of space where Shepard was able to watch the massive space battled between the allied fleets and the Reapers. Ships from the various galactic races fought with all their might against the Reaper drones which swarmed like clouds of angry locusts. Super charged projectiles erupted from both sides in a dance of red and blue lights. Striking, missing, and spinning amongst a sea of superheated debris and hulking steel behemoths. The conflagration of detonating fusion and mass effect cores painted the vacuum orange and yellow, almost all of them were allied ships.
There was the Human dreadnought, the Tokyo, as it was cleanly dissected in twain by a red beam trailing across its midsection. The doomed vessel was spraying debris everywhere and it’s two halves had spiraled out of control. Not an eye blink later it´s eezo core had detonated in a visceral flash, claiming all onboard. Shepard had to look away from the rapid birth, then death, of the miniature star, knowing that a crew comprised of thousands had been vaporized in an instant.
There was also a heavily damaged Reaper as it was continuously pummeled under the concentrated fire of a trio of Asari battleships and a dozen cruisers; comprised of Human, Turian, Volus, and mercenary ships. One of the battleships, a Turian vessel, seemed to melt into slag and boil away as it was rent asunder by the Reaper’s counter attack. A Human cruiser soon followed a similar fate, with no possible chance for either ship’s crew to escape or even be allowed to scream. Thankfully it had been the Reaper’s final act to defiance as a chain reaction of explosions traveled the entire length of the machine’s two kilometer body as lasers, torpedoes, and kinetic projectiles shattered it into hundreds of fragments.
It was a small victory, one whose cost was too terrible to imagine. Yet, Shepard felt a spark of hope as the Reaper finally died. She could almost hear the defiant, agonizing, cries of the enemy as every crevice of its form reached critical mass and it shattered like a pane of glass.
As the chaos continued, seemingly without an end in sight, no sound other than the hum of nearby machinery was heard. Everything seemed so far away, yet so close at the same time, as Shepard stood in her silent vigil.
As she was forced to watch the end of everything.
“Who are you?” She turned back to the entity at her side.
“I am the Catalyst.”
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“So that was the Catalyst. Not the Citadel as we first thought.” Anderson scratched his chin in contemplation.
“I was just as surprised as you are.” Shepard shrugged, “It was an advanced A.I. far beyond anything I had ever come across. It claimed that it was the one controlling the Reapers, and to have been created by the very species who would become the first Reaper and begin the cycle.”
(…………………………………………………………………………………………)
“How do the Reapers solve anything?” Shepard sneered at the A.I.
“Organics create synthetics to improve their own existence, but those improvements have limits. To exceed those limits, synthetics must be allowed to evolve. They must, by definition, surpass their creators. The result is conflict, destruction, chaos; it is inevitable.” The Catalyst fell silent for a time, contemplating carefully.
“Reapers harvest all life, organic and synthetic, preserving them before they are forever lost to this conflict.”
“We’re at war with the Reapers right now!” Shepard pointed an accusing finger towards the destruction unfolding all around them.
“You may be in conflict with the Reapers, but they are not interested in war.” The AI replied as if it were obvious.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“When fire burns is it at war? Is it in conflict, or is it simply doing what it was created to do? We are no different.” The child walked a few paces away, observing the battle outside with cold detachment. “We harvest your bodies, your knowledge, your creations; we preserve it to be reborn in the form of a new Reaper. Like a cleansing fire we restore balance.” The A.I. then spun to face Shepard again.
“New life, both organic and synthetic, can once again flourish.”
(…………………………………………………………………………………………)
“All that aside, it also told me how the Crucible could be used to end the Reaper’s harvest once and for all.” Shepard concluded her brief recounting.
“And it did, right? The Reapers destroyed?” The Admiral leaned closer, his voice elevated with hope, but guarded for possible bad news.
“I...,” A feeling of dread gripped at Shepard’s heart. There was only darkness where memories should have been. “I don’t know for certain. It’s a feeling, more than anything, that they were stopped, but I can’t say they were destroyed. Not for certain.” The words tasted bitter and poisonous.
“You don’t know for certain” A shadow fell across the Admiral’s face. “Commander, everything we fought for was depending on the Crucible. Are you saying that it didn’t work even after all we sacrificed to build it?”
“No! It worked. I know I activated it. Hell, I remember there being multiple different ways in which to use the Crucible against them.”
“Multiple ways? I’m not sure I understand.”
“I don’t know!” Shepard repeated, if she still had hands she’d be pulling her own hair out at this very moment. Instead she was limited to just running her hooves quickly through her mane. She was supposed to have the answers, she had lived through the whole ordeal herself.
Why could she not remember?
“The AI told me about the solutions. I know it happened, but I can’t remember the details. All I see is light all around me, intense pain, and then I woke up on this planet looking like an alien.”
“Commander, you realize the Catalyst could have been lying in order to save itself.”
“What do you want from me, Anderson? I had considered that too, but there was no time for twenty questions, my back was against the wall. Our plan was always a gamble at best.” By this point Shepard was nearly screaming at the Admiral. “You said it yourself. Somehow we’ve been shot across the galaxy to an alien world. I know, It! Did! Something!” Shepard emphasized each word with a sharp stomp of a hoof. “If that something included destroying the Reapers I can’t confirm it. Not anymore and especially not from here! To do that...”
“We’d have to contact the Alliance.” Anderson completed the sentence, hand held in a placating manner. Thankfully, Shepard noticed this and quickly brought her temper into check.
“Yes, which may be...problematic. To turn a phrase.”
“There may be a way, though it a long shot at best.”
“How?” She bushed a stray hair to the side.
“For two years I served on the Council as humanity's representative...”
“A job I volunteered you for,” she snarked, “and I never did get a thank you, by the way.”
“Shooting me in the head would’ve been a lot faster.” he quipped.
“You know very well you were the best choice,” the former human defended herself, “and Udina’s betrayal made that fact abundantly clear.”
“The point is that while I served on the council I would, from time to time, receive reports concerning the discovery of new pre-spaceflight species by deep space explorers and prospectors. I never paid much attention since the Reapers were likely to bypass those species for the time being. Conving the rest of the councilors of the Reaper threat was the objective.”
“So, it may be possible that this planet could already be on the star charts?” Shepard hopeful at the possibility, but Anderson’s expression showed he didn’t share this ideal.
“Not so fast, Commander, any military garrison or observation team would have been recalled on account of the war. Still, it is a real possibility there are leftover comm buoys and sensor satellites left in the system.”
“So if we can build a signal booster and antenna we may be able to broadcast a message from our omni-tools.”
“Exactly, it´s a desperate plan at best.” Anderson finished with a by rolling his shoulder, giving off an audible crack.
“Beating the odds is what we’re best at, besides it´s better than sitting around.” Shepard wasn’t one to brag, but it was the truth. Both of them could have been terminated in any of a million different ways, yet they continued to survive. “Though how we explain ‘me’ will be interesting. I don’t look forward to being put in a lab again.”
Having settled on a mission plan Murphy’s Law wasted no time inserting a monkey wrench into the gear box. It started with a low rumbling, growing more violent by the second, and by the time the Human and mare had located its source the sound of dozens of cloven hoof stomping the earth filled the like rolling thunder.
The quaking ground made standing difficult, but not impossible. Their sight was soon obscured by a large cloud of dust and sand rolling over them as large creatures of quadrupedal design quickly formed a tight circle around them. Rocks and boulders were easily knocked aside to make room for even more of the creatures.
“We’re surrounded.” Shepard whispered to her partner, the two of them positioned back to back.
“I am aware of the tactical situation, Commander.” Anderson drew his heavy pistol and promptly took aim. The condensed mass accelerator weapon promptly unfolded in his grip, finger on the trigger guard and ready to take down any attacker that looked ready to venture closer.
“Anderson, you were on Shanxi. What advice do you have on first-contact combat situations?”
Shanxi, the First-Contact war, as it had become known by, had been a brutal, if brief, skirmish that had started when a Turian task force had wiped out a human flotilla trying to study and unlock a newly discovered Mass Relay. Afterward the Turians invaded the colony of Shanxi until they were beaten into a full retreat by the Alliance Navy.
“You were the one who woke up the Prothean on Eden Prime, Commander. You tell me.”
“Wisdom before beauty.” Shepard’s body took on a noticeable aura of purple as her biotic powers were made ready.
Now completely surrounded the attackers came to a halt, snorts and grunps replaced crashing hoof falls. When the dust had cleared the Alliance officers were face to face with a sizable crowd of very large, and very angry, buffalo bulls. They were massive in size with bodies thicker than a human’s in width and the climax of their bell-curve backs reaching up to Anderson’s chin. Yet the head was positioned low to the ground, at equal height to a pony’s. Though they were capable of surprising speed for their size their legs seemed to stubby and inadequate to hold their bulk upright.
“If I remember correctly, the rules say to assume hostiles.” The buffaloes showed nothing but barely restrained aggression, snorting out wisps of steam. Digging furrows into the ground and ready to charge at the drop of a needle, yet they did not move closer.
“I say we’ve got that covered, now what?” A shimmering of purple static momentarily surrounded Shepard as she raised her biotic barrier, the invisible shield that protected her against both projectile and melee strikes.
“We go to war and kill each other until a third party forcefully brokers peace.” Anderson reluctantly offered.
“I’m all in favor for skipping right to the ‘making peace,’ part.”
“As am I, Commander.”
“Ah, so the heretics have been found,” a deep booming voice interrupted, full of righteous passion, “the ones who dared to desecrate our sacred stomping grounds.”
Neither of the soldiers could see who had spoken, but at the sound of the orator’s bass tones the platoon of bulls had begun to tighten the circle. One side would take a half step and, when one of the Alliance officers turned to face them, then the opposite side would follow with their own half step. The noose was tightening and any avenue of escape had been tied off. Their attention seemed to be solely directed upon Shepard, but several regarded Anderson with equal wrath.
“Stand down,” Anderson bellowed the command, “or you will force us to defend ourselves!” He placed his index finger against the pistol trigger and fired a warning shot into the ground. A flash of yellow jumped from the pistol’s muzzle to the sharp sound of a whip-crack, followed by a powerful thump as the dirt in front of one of the buffalos erupted into a haze, leaving behind a head sized pit.
Instantly the attitude of the herd changed. Some had grown red faced with ire, while others had become paralyzed, but all had understood the danger and had halted their advance. They did not retreat; instead it had become another waiting game. One which Anderson and Shepard knew they couldn’t play; eventually, whether from exposure, fatigue, or a lack sustenance, they would eventually be unable to resist. Their only choice was to fight even though they were outnumbered.
The boisterous bass voice from before returned, and this time it was grunting out orders in a language neither of the officers could understand. The circle of bulls parted to allow the passage of the largest buffalo yet. A headdress made of a blue band with an arrangement of white feathers, with brown tips, adorned his head. At his side was a female buffalo that was slightly shorter than Shepard and lankier. Despite that she seemed just as confident as her larger male counterpart had been.
“By the great spirits, the eye does deceive me,” the leader adopted an air of caution and curiosity, “Two impossibilities stand before me, an Earth-pony using magic alongside a being of the past, a...human.” The declaration sent the other buffalo into hushed whispers and mumbles.
“You know what I am?” Anderson felt unnerved by the change in attitude, but slowly lowered his weapon, if only slightly.
“Indeed, human, your kind is well known amongst my tribe,” The Chief buffalo jabbed a foreleg towards the heavens, “many stories retold down the centuries speak of your species and the impact they had on the history of my tribe. The ponies, as well, have knowledge of these stories that have been passed down to us from our ancestors, and their ancestors before them, and their ancestors before them...”
“Yes,’ the female calf interrupted with an eagerness that only the young could manage, “it´s a pleasure to meet you and we apologize for the harsh welcome,” she then gave a bow, “I’m Little Strong Heart and this is Chief Thunder Hooves, and we’d be honored to commune with you and share our hospitality and stories. But right now we are busy trying to track down a unicorn that caused a lot of damaged to our ancestor’s land.” Her attention hovered between the two officers, but mostly on Shepard.
“Oh, damn it!” Shepard cringed under the radar. She knew exactly what Strong Heart was talking about.
“If you’ve seen them then we would appreciate the help.” The girl gave a diplomatic smile, eyes alight with wonderment. She wasn’t the only one judging as many of her fellow tribe had joined in.
“We’re flattered,” Anderson holstered the pistol, “but we haven’t seen any unicorns out here.” The Admiral answered truthfully, returning his best poker face. It was met with the Chief slamming both forehooves into the ground in anger.
“Not a unicorn, but one who should not know of magic,” he scowled at Shepard, “all this night we have tracked the heretics responsible for this dishonor. Human, we know you met with this pony, your path have crossed. Reveal their identity or you will both be punished in their place and we do not wish harm to you Human.” He took a threatening step forward.
“There was never any unicorn involved.” Shepard denied, it was the truth and the only unicorn she’d seen was the good doctor, but wasn’t about to use him as a scapegoat.
“Do not take us for fools, little pony. Magic, you may yield, but no simple earther could match the power of a unicorn to cause so much devastation. Their tracks were seen meeting the human before entering Appleloosa. If you will not reveal them to us then the two of you will have to be judged in their steed.” The leader declared only for Shepard to kick sand at him.
“It was me.” Shepard blurted out, inserting herself directly between the Chief and the Admiral. Desires of self preservation overridden by the need to protect. “Yes, I did it. It was an accident, but still my fault.”
“Chief Thunder, I…” The admiral attempted to be a voice of reason.
“Shut up, Anderson!”
“So the little pony has teeth.” The Chief spat condescendingly, his disbelief clear. “Your desire to defend your own is honorable, but meaningless.”
“Shove it you walking shag carpet!” Now it was Shepard’s turn to step forward, “I may not be a unicorn, but I have a magic of my own!”
A stream of biotic energy supercharged her implants and forced her body to begin burning calories at a highly accelerated rate. The flow went up her spin and into the L5n amplifier at the base of her skull. The amp was the focus that made her many times more powerful than an unaided Human biotic. It was a short hop from the amp to her right hoof; thrusting the appendage forward a purple bolt jumped from an array of microscopic emitters with a whoosh of air. It impacted one of the bulls at the Chief’s side. The unfortunate creature was instantly encased in a lavender aura which was, in fact, a mass negating field. The bull began to float upwards into the air as gravity’s influence no longer applied to him. His companions watched helplessly as the trapped creature was helpless to resist, crying out in terror, but unharmed.
“What black sorcery is this?” The impossible reality before him caused the Chief to as if an explosion had detonated right beside him.
“By the Great Spirit, it was you!” Strong Heart wasn’t as affected, instead her smile only seemed to beam brighter.
“Now get back! You’ve seen what I am capable of and if you want a repeat performance I can oblige.” The buffalo looked to each other with uncertainty before they retreated several feet. None particularly enthused to join their still floating compatriot.
“Chief, I don’t think she’s bluffing,” the female calf stepped in, placing an arm over the Chief's neck, “We should all calm down and talk this over.” The lead bull’s eyes were wide with wrath, irises like pinpricks. He looked ready to attack regardless of the danger.
“Such crimes against nature and our tribe cannot go unpunished. The ancestors are not forgiving,” He spoke slowly, every word punctuated, “nor do they suffer those who corrupt the land with dark powers.”
Strong Heart bit her lip and slugged the bull across one of his horns. It seemed to snap him out of it and he faced the little calf with an emotional hurt clearly written across his face
“This isn’t Appleloosa a year ago, Chief. A fight now will hurt more than more than an apple pie did. Besides, if it was an accident, she might be willing to settle this peacefully” She said calmly, yet firmly.
“Then what would you suggest?” By this time gravity had reasserted itself over the floating bull and he fell back to earth like a sack of potatoes.
“Let me talk to them. Perhaps I’m sure we can reason with them without the need for violence. Besides,” she began to whisper, while looking at Anderson “this is a genuine chance to talk to a real precursor.” She backed away while the stubborn Chief traded looks between her and Shepard. Finally he gave a nod of acknowledgment.
“I’m sorry about all this,” the calf apologized as she walked up to Shepard, “please understand that this land is sacred to us buffalo.” She put on a brave face, but her legs were shaking slightly, thought it was difficult to tell if it was due to excitement or nervousness.
“I gathered as much.” The former-human said plainly.
“So...were you telling the truth?...About it all being an accident, I mean.”
“Yes,” Shepard looked away in shame, “I lost control and did something I shouldn’t have.” She hated admitting to failure.
“We would like to avoid any more misunderstandings,” Anderson keenly contributed, “we did not come here to cause problems between our people.”
“You do seem sincere and I know I’d…I mean, we’d like to avoid any violence. I’m sure that we can come to an agreement Mr...” Strong Heart offering her hoof.
“I’m Admiral David Anderson, Alliance Navy.” He kneeled, gently taking hold of her thin limb and shook it.
“And you are?” Strongheart repeated the gesture to Shepard.
“Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy. N7 grade special forces.” The fire-mane pony gave a curt nod. She did not release her hold on her barrier, but it didn’t trigger as she accepted the hoof shake. At the mention of her name, excited conversations had begun to pass among the assembled buffalo, slowly gaining in volume. Both Strongheart and Thunderhooves were giving her guarded looks.
“Did you say Shepard?” Strong Heart seemed cautious and elated at the same time.
“Yes. Is that a problem?” Something in the young buffalo, the sudden growth of growing reverence in her attitude, that put the Commander on alert.
“As in, ‘The Shepard,’ Shepard?”
“My name is Shepard. I’m not, ‘The Shepard,’ of anything that I’m currently aware of.” she frowned at the mock title.
By now Chief Thunderhooves had walked up to the Commander and had begun to circle her to better examine the otherworldly pony before him.
“Hmm...” he intoned, “Earth Pony who is a master of unicorn magic, traveling with a human for a companion,” he examined her blank flank, much to Shepard’s clear irritation, “no pony mark; the a sign of an undecided future.”
“And the jewelry around your neck.” Strong Heart hoofed Shepard’s dog tags, the N7 logo shining in the moonlight. The invasion of her personal space irked the Commander, but she fought to remain calm under the impromptu examination.
“I think we found the vessel. Maybe it´s time you asked her the question.” Strong Heart civilly suggested.
“Yes, little heretic,” The Chief met Shepard’s eyes with his own, “answer this question correctly and your crimes shall be forgiven.”
“Alright,” she crossed her arms, “what is it?”
“What is ‘The Shepard’s’ full name?” He asked with all the seriousness of a hangman’s ax.
“That’s it? My name?”
“If you are ‘The Shepard’ then their name will be your name. Three simple words you may think, but a name that is known only by myself, Goddesses of the sun and moon. Those of us who have gazed upon the codex.” The Chief declared with finality.
Shepard was not sure of what to make of the odd request. What really made her curious was the mention of a codex that listed her specifically by name. Questions to what this codex was, where, and who had found it. One thing for certain was that it highly unlikely there was a public access terminal nearby. If there had been then finding her full name was a single extra-net search away.
Shepard opened her mouth to speak, but a cloven hoof silenced her as it was jabbed mere inches from her head.
“It would be unwise to speak such a name aloud. Words have meaning and names hold power.” Thunderhooves reprimanded. Shepard nodded and moved herself centimeters from the Chief’s ear, cupping her hooves over her mouth. Quietly she told him her name, her full name. The way the Chief reacted next, the Commander suspected biting his ear off would’ve produced a more subdued response.
Suddenly the Chief kneeled down and had prostrated himself before her. Strongheart and the rest of the tribe followed in their leader’s shadow.
“What are you doing.” Shepard backpedaled while raising an arm in defense as if she’d been attacked.
“Please forgive my hubris and my rude behavior from before,” The Chief apologized sincerely.
“Uhh, its alright, I mean, I understand what I did was…”
“You are the one the prophecy foretold of. You are the ‘The Shepard,’ whose arrival will herald the day of judgement as a goddess either salvation or destruction.”
“What are you talking about?” She felt the world spinning around her.
“Come my brothers. Let us set up camp here for the night. Tomorrow we shall tell of the good news to the rest of the tribe.” Thunder Hooves politely dismissed himself as the tribe began to pull out rolled up tee-pees, blankets, wood, and other supplies that had been inconspicuously hidden in their thick fur coats.
“What the hell just happened?” She turned to Anderson as the tribe dispersed to perform their tasks.
“I think you just got a field promotion to a god.” The Admiral replied just as dumbfounded as his XO.
“What?!” The red-head shouted again. All of her mental faculties crashed, forcing a hard restart of all systems lest her sanity be permanently damaged. Her body was rigid as a statue with an O-expression frozen on her lips. She stayed like that for a minute till her brain turned back on.
A part of her had always envisioned herself being promoted to Admiral one day. Maybe even the captain of an Everest-class dreadnaught, the biggest Starship class humanity had ever built, the SSV Elbrus being the target of her ambitions. After all she couldn’t stay on the Normandy forever and dreaded the day she would have to leave the magnificent little ship behind.
But a goddess? It was absurd, stupid, and unwanted; not worth it to even entertain such a ridiculous idea. Being a pony was crazy enough; a goddess: insane. Shepard found herself looking upwards.
“Kill me now.”
“Shepard? Are you alright?” Anderson watched the mare stiffen up and decided to give her a gentle shake.
“No!” her shriek drew the attention of the tribe. “A goddess? Me? Screw that noise!”
“Why not, Commander? I can’t think of anyone more deserving of it than you.” the Admiral gave her a congratulatory pat on the back. She just regarded him with a ‘are you serious’ face. “Think of it this way, now you can say you finally outrank me.”
“Anderson…,” she whinnied, “just…no.” but she couldn’t hold back a smile.
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Yay, new chapter finally!
Must read, but must also go get breakfast... wait a minute. Phone with internet browser! Hallelujah
....Assuming direct control....
Oh yeah, Shepard is gonna bring the smackdown!
Like a boss!
Shepard is pissed, that is the one thing you don't want to have.
So Celestia and Luna know the prophecy too? Shit just got real!
Also, I love the way you handled not revealing Shepard's full name.
Dis gonna be good.
Yay! it updated!
Love how you incorporated the new DLC.
1199887: This isn't Shepard being pissed off. We've all seen what happens to people when Shepard gets mad; see Saren Arterius, Warden Kuril, Kai Leng, among others.
This is Shepard snapping. And that's worse.
Other than this, this story continues to deliver. Keep delivering.
1200321 Yeah, now that I think about it, Shepard snapping is a hell of a lot worse.
Nice one Shepard getting a field promotion from commander to goddess.
I think paragon Shepard would never snap over something like this perhaps get annoyed maybe a bit angry if they don't quit calling her a goddess but never agressive (although one has to take the changed conditions into account like getting puntet to an unknown planet and being a pony).
Renegade Shepard on the other hand would probably start to flip tabels or in this case buffalo if she couldn't get them to quit the whole goddess thing.
the mane six are about to get a major smack down should Celes and/or Luna send them there
dident need to know where ponies breast were but all in all good chapter
MFW>scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw7673_medium.jpg
1199661
Cell phones are incredible, but I'm more interested in what you thought of the chapter.
1199809
Shepard is the eternal bad-ass.
1200045
Oh I'm just getting started. I do have a full name picked out for Shepard. Not sure if I will ever reveal it, but it is there in case I ever do decide to show it off.
1200281
Thank you. It was difficult to decide on how, and how much, of the DLC to include in the story.
1200321
Giving everything that she has been through, I imagine that Shepard would eventually snap. No one; human, pony, or buffalo, wants to be in the danger zone when Shepard comes calling.
1202114
Paragon or renegade; I think that Shepard has seen so much death and destruction that, by this point, she wants a vacation or some quiet time for herself. Instead she has more world shaking decisions thrust back onto her and I just don't think she would take too kindly at having such responsibility forced onto her so soon after the Reaper War.
1234149
Well now you know, and knowing is half the battle. (GI Joe!)
I'm surprised that no one asked about potential romance options. After all, isn't the paramour path one of those guilty pleasures that players secretly love about games like this? I already have straight and curved relationships in mind, but if anyone cares to guess, (or suggest), then feel free to do so. Not going to add a romance tag because such things will be a subplot and not critical to the story. As it should be, and was in the games.
1234446I loved it. Can't wait for more!
1234446
im the kind of guy who dosent like romance but that doesn't mean im agents it im in the neutral area i think. and i already read it this far so i might as well continue to read. aslo your the 4th story that decided to go romance in the middle of the story and this is my face everytime>scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw7584-40e.gif
still like the story though
1234446 In my opinion, I think it should be mentioned that Shepard has romanced with Garrus Vakarian (since he is the most popular romance choice for female shepards in ME 2 and 3. But as I said: my opinion only) and that she starts feeling a bit down since she thinks it may be highly unlikely that they'll ever meet up again and starts missing him dearly.
Any news on an update?
three words doctor whooves relationship
Someone find a like a boss picture for Shep ASAP!
KEEP WRITIIIIIING
Hiatused, cancelled, or just not able to get out what you like?
Welp, this story seems dead
SHEPARD IS A GIRL IN THIS... THE HELL?
2018163 Have you ever played mass effect dude? You know you can choose to be a girl right?
2015757>>1988530
This is from a message on his page, not dead, he was just away.
2040579 Yeah, but girl Shepard doesn't roll right with me, I barely see her in anything! I never played anything but male Shepard, so yeah.
2040880
Every Mass Effect/MLP story I've read on this site, that includes the Commander, features him as a male Shepard. I believe this is for the same reasons that most Human in Equestria stories have male characters. Make of that what you will.
So I went with female Shepard to kind of stand out from the crowd. Plus I already write for a male in 'Pony Space.'
But mostly because I beat all three Mass Effect games as a female Shepard first and prefer Jennifer Hale's voice acting over Mark Meer's.
2040588
You do realise that was posted after my comment, right?
2040967
That still true, bro?
2040991
Thanks for showing me those vids. Alas it is still true. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed my time with Meer as Shepard, I still prefer Hale. Though outside of the games it seems Meer is a bit more active with the fans.
On a side note, if they ever got Meer or Hale to voice a character in MLP it'd blow my mind in three different directions.
2040967 ....
2041047
If you agree with me, say nothing.
.
.
.
That's what I thought. ;)
“I think you just got a field promotion to a god.” The Admiral replied just as dumbfounded as his XO.
Achievement Unlocked: Heroes Don't Die...
description: ...they're reborn as gods.
2097596
you sir, win a moustache
The Goddess, Shepard.
Hey, as if THAT isn't clear enough. Play the games, you can't say he/she isn't.
~Skeeter The Lurker
A nice touch, keeping Shepard's first name undisclosed.
2040991
Oh god, i nearly chiked on my hot pocket, that was so finny
This would be my reaction too!
A scene from Ghostbusters comes to mind here...
“Are you a god?”
“Um...no?”
“Then, DIE!”
“Ray, if someone asks if you’re a god, you say YES!”
Great scene!
2018163
Shepard works better as a girl.
Yup. While being revered as a returned long-lost ancient is nice, there are some downsides.
Like blind reverence. Maybe Princess Celestia can give some advice.
On that note, I wonder what the ponies will think. The Chief said the ponies also have legends about humans.