Mass Effect: Element of Kindness

by CommanderApplejack

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Chapter 39

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Use the Stare on Saren 68%

The exhausted pegasus knew that in her weakened state there was no way she could reach the turian, so she decided that there was only one thing that she could feasibly do to stop Saren. Fluttershy would have felt trepidation doing this on anyone else but not with the turian that stood a small distance away from her.

He deserved every single bit of it.

“HEY YOU!” she shouted, her burning lungs sending another spike of pain through her body. Saren turned his head to look at the pegasus, to see if she still posed a threat, but as his eyes met Fluttershy’s his body seized up.

Fluttershy felt the same corrupting disturbance that she had felt in the various other creatures she had used the stare on in the last few hours, though with Saren it was at a whole new level. Instead of burning away or having the corruption attack its host’s mind, the stare gave it a bridge to Fluttershy herself.

Tendrils of the black energy lashed out at her as she screamed in pain at the foreign intrusion into her head. Dark whispers in unknown languages called out to her, urging her to give up and submit. The manipulative voices continued to batter her resolve until she heard something that seemed far away, a siren of sorts. The volume returned to normal as the black energy suddenly retreated from her mind, Saren having staggered forward due to a sucker punch from Shepard which broke the contact between the turian and pegasus.

With her connection to Saren severed, Fluttershy could clearly hear a loud siren coming from Ashley’s location. This didn’t go unnoticed by the hostile turian either as he jumped onto his flying platform and quickly flew off, a couple of rounds impacting on the back of his shields as he left the scene.

“Damnit, Fluttershy!” Garrus cursed as he slid next to the downed pegasus that was still slightly twitching. “What the hell did you do?!”

“I-I used the stare, b-but something in h-his mind attacked me when I connected to it,” Fluttershy sniffed, Garrus cursed something under his breath and picked the fallen pegasus off the ground. The Normandy pulled up besides the AA tower with its hangar doors open, inviting the remaining STG soldiers and Shepard’s squad into the hold.

“We’re on board, Joker!” Shepard shouted. The door immediately closed and they could hear the Normandy’s engines roaring. Shepard quickly ran towards the elevator at the back of the garage and called it, Garrus stepping up beside him with Fluttershy. Neither the turian or pegasus said anything to the human as he blankly stared at the door in front of him until it opened.

The moment the elevator stopped and opened again Shepard ran out and up the stairs into the CIC while Garrus moved to take Fluttershy to the medbay.

“Garrus, stop. We need to go after Shepard,” Fluttershy said hoping that Garrus would listen to her.

“You’re hurt, Fluttershy. You need medical attention,” Garrus said and continued walking in the same direction.

“I’m just exhausted. Shepard needs us more right now, Garrus. He just left one of his own to die down there,” Fluttershy argued,

And I'm the one who encouraged him to leave her.

The turian stopped for a moment and looked back at the stairs that Shepard had used and muttered something before taking off after the Commander. They found the human in the cockpit standing behind Joker and looking at a screen that was displaying the aft camera. A bright flash suddenly came from the surface of the planet that they were fleeing from, the screen momentarily going into a white static. As the screen cleared again they could see—even at the distance they were at—the fireball reaching into the atmosphere, pushing the surrounding clouds outwards.

Garrus was standing close enough to Shepard for Fluttershy to reach out with her wing and gently touch Shepard’s arm. The Commander turned to look at the pegasus, a single tear rolling down his face. “She was the first after Akuze,” he softly stated before turning around and walking away. “De-briefing in thirty minutes, spread the word,” Shepard added without looking back at the pair behind him who silently glanced at each other.

“You two go do whatever you need to. I’ll tell the others,” Joker said from his position in the pilot’s chair. Garrus gave him a quick nod and headed off to the medbay with Fluttershy.

Everyone was silently sitting in the comm room as the Commander entered, and everyone except for Wrex had taken off their armor and cleaned up. Fluttershy was staring at her hooves as she felt the guilt of suggesting leaving Ashley pressing down on her chest like a ton of bricks.

“Commander, why did you choose me over Ashley?” Kaidan asked, Fluttershy did her best to sink further into her chair her conscience eating away at her.

“I suggested it,” Fluttershy softly said. If the room hadn’t been completely quiet in the first place, no-one would have heard her speak, but now everyone had heard very clearly. Liara and Kaidan looking especially surprised as they weren’t present when the pegasus had made her recommendation on the planet.

“No,” Shepard stated definitively, “This is not your burden to bear. Even if you hadn’t suggested it, I would still have gone to the AA tower to get the salarian STG team. You were all acting under my orders. I left her there.” The stern gaze Shepard shot at the two subordinates deterred any objections that they might have raised.

After another moment of silence, Liara spoke up, “Commander, I have an idea. I think the beacon you found in Saren’s base was similar to the one you found on Eden Prime, it may have filled in the missing pieces. I might be able to put them together,” she explained.

“You want to join to the commander’s mind, don’t you?” Fluttershy asked even though she was pretty certain of the answer.

“Yes, I would understand if you want to leave for this,” the asari replied, Shepard nodding in agreement.

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. “I’ve seen it enough times to have it haunt my dreams already, one more time isn’t going to make a difference.”

Liara looked questioningly at the Commander who gave her a nod that she could start. The asari recited the now relatively familiar poem and the vision flashed in front of Fluttershy’s eyes, only this time when it stopped she didn’t feel as tired as previous times. Liara, on the other hand, seemed more taken aback than before.

“Incredible! I-it’s a distress call, a message sent out all across the empire! There were also locations, places I recognize from my research… Ilos! The conduit is on Ilos!” Liara practically bounced through the comm room as she took in this new information about the subject she had been studying for over fifty years. Her enthusiasm withered as she thought about it for a moment longer. “Saren will have his entire fleet stationed above the planet. We’ll never make it down without reinforcements!”

“We’re in a stealth ship,” Wrex bluntly pointed out, chuckling to himself at the asari for forgetting about that.

“Those are my problems. I’ll contact the Council and will see what kind of help I can get from them. Get some rest all of you, I want everyone rested and ready for Ilos. Dismissed,” he said, everyone leaving the comm room to allow the commander to make his report.

Fluttershy, though still very tired, felt much more refreshed after the shower she had taken. She still wanted to get some rest but wanted to talk to someone to get her mind off of current events.

The longer I can avoid the nightmares, the better.

1. Go to Tali

2. Go to Liara

3. Go to Wrex

[Vote link]

Author's Note:

Well, for the people that missed it, my laptop got a bit beat up and is now in a repair shop getting a brand new screen.

I hope the next chapter will have less delays but I'm not promising anything.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!

[Paragon] or a [Renegade] Are colored when available, though normal options might also contribute to one or the other. As for the shippers under us [Romance] is now also a thing.
When an option is not available due to various reasons it will be colored [Grey]

https://www.strawpoll.me/18146331
[Certainty: 70]

Now edited by gerandakis and lordelliot

Remember that comments are like authors' food, we gain energy from them. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Comments

[Starcat5]

Ye-ouch! That is going to bite us on the flank come game 3.

As for the poll, Fluttershy hasn't really interacted with Wrex much so far. Best Krogen needs more screen time.

[Black Hoof]

9669407
I'm curious, did you read this fanfic and its sequel?

[RulerOfIce]

While I would want Fluttershy to talk to either Tali or Liara, I AM actually interested to have Fluttershy talk to Wrex now.

[Booster Spice]

Go see Wrex, poor Krogan is really getting his history worked over?

You cant Starhammer, Nova Bomb etc Ilos at all, give Saren an Apophis party?

[CommanderApplejack]

9674148
A while back but yes.

[Black Hoof]

9674251
A shame the author suddenly vanished without a word.

[Blaster M]

Fun fact for those who never played Mass Effect: The Virmire survivor (the one you saved) will argue you should have saved the other. Yes, Ashley says you should have rescued Kaidan, and Kaidan says you should have rescued Ashley. But in this one, you also saved Kirrahe and STG group. This will work out in the 3rd game, since you saved Wrex

[AdverseFlower95]

Well there goes my theory that the Stare could be used to counter-indoctrinate people. Should have expected that it would be too potent for Flutters.

[Chronokat]

Out of the 3 choices id have to go with wrex. He's probably the one who has lost more comrades over his lifetime. He seems rough and tumble but thats because he's seen some s**t. He's probably the one most likely to give her sage advice with coping over lose. Then tell her if she spreads anything about him being sensitive or sentimental he'll kick her a*s.

I wouldn't rule the stare as a total loss to use. Its just its the first time going up against something trying to counter attack her. She'll need to learn from someone whose proficient at mental defense. Probably a asari justicar if i remember the name correctly. Maybe she'll meet samara on the citadel during a mission shes not apart of.

[lordelliott]

9674148
I recommend reading those to anyone who likes Mass Effect. Even though the sequel is unfinished, it's a really good read.

[Black--Soul]

Liara will be informative.
Tali will be a nice emotional support.
Wrex could need a hug...

But most importantly... Wasn't her Wing dislocated?

[Black--Soul]

9673994
What is going to bite us in the ass?
9674182
Dito... Big Log might need a hug from cute pone...
9674148
Awesome story!
9674251
Awesome stuff, but you'r starting in me1 so mutch more time to have a effect.
9674262
Bussy. The Author probably will release at least 2 chapters this year. Last i checked it was like 60% done for the next update.
9674463
In other words: We can kill Ashley Bitchface Williams and get basicly only benefits out of it
9674479
Than again she was not at top condition... So maybe next time?
9675347
Indeed last update 2021 and currently the next update is underway.

[Black--Soul]

We seem to miss the snuggeling option for Garrus