Talons Like Iron: Incipiens
Ok, this isn't what you think it is. This story isn't about me being in the Mass Effect universe, that story belongs to Mass Transitions. No, this is just a different kind where it's an OC that gets flung from our world into the Mass Effect universe. She'll have her own personality, and not mine at all. But there's a twist to all of this: she ends up becoming not human... but rather a turian.
Wait, don't go! I know this sounds really dumb, but there's an explanation for it! I swear! You'd just have to read in order to find out how and why because I've been thinking about this a lot. Rather than just fall head over heels for a canon character, there will be a lot to it.
So let's get this story underway. We are NOT going to start in our world. No, we're going to start somewhere else, somewhere dark and warm.
"Death isn't the end, it's the beginning."
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Prologue:
The Rebirth
Darkness had never been so warm before. Usually it was cold and frightening. At least that's what it was always considered whenever you see the colour. Cold, black, and empty. But here... it was warm and inviting, as though someone had turned off the lights in a bedroom and there was still so much warmth left over from the light bulbs.
I don't remember much. I hardly remember anything at all, and yet I wonder why I'm still conscious.
Whatever had happened, it was strangely bizarre. It was bizarre enough to get me thinking on what exactly happened the moment I closed my eyes.
Then, as if to answer my thoughts, a bright light engulfed my field of vision and I found myself floating in midair, still in the middle of the warm empty blackness. How strange that this darkness was so calm and gentle. Then, the light slowly faded, forming a humanoid shape but it kept the bright light and I was forced to turn my head at a slight angle to keep it from blinding me. Eventually the light dulled a bit and I was able to see more clearly, but the humanoid did not show its natural features. No, rather it kept on glowing white, but I could scarcely make out a strangely angled back head, but that was as far as I could tell.
"Wh-who are you?" I asked, finally finding my voice after what seemed like a long time of silence.
The stranger didn't say a word for a moment as it looked me up and down, as though it was deciding what to do with me. Eventually, a warm genderless voice spoke from it, "Skyler Jasmine Hawke."
I hesitated, wondering how the hell this thing knew my full name. I try to answer it, but the words die on my lips and I grumble to myself regarding how stupid my voice actually must sound to his being. Whatever it was that is. The humanoid came a little closer, gliding in a feminine manner and I realised that the closer it came, the more I was seeing a woman. But only thing that told me that made it not so human was the oddly shaped crest that was sticking out of it's head.
Whatever it was, it most certainly wasn't a human.
"Skyler Jasmine Hawke," the voice said again and I found myself transfixed by the voice. "I am aware that you have so many questions as to why you stand before us now."
"Us?" I asked. "Who is 'us'? Where am I? What happened to me?"
"Us is the being that stands before you," the humanoid answered, but the two voices sounded like they were merging together into a single entity. "We do not have a physical form and so we took on this one based upon the memories that we sensed when you entered The Void of No Return. From your memories, this has neither male nor female gender and is considered the wisest and most powerful being in the universe."
I can tell that the being had dismissed answering my third question, so I tried a different tactic. "The Void of No Return?" I ask. "What's that?"
"It is a place where beings that die come to and decide whether or not they wish to join their religious afterlife or continue on in life," the being answered softly, drawing closer until it was standing close enough for me to reach out and touch.
"Wait a minute," I suddenly shouted, "I died?!"
The being remained entirely silent for a long moment and the realisation began to sink in. Holy shit, I'm dead! But how? When? Why can't I remember how it happened? How come I can only remember my name and nothing more? It was as if this 'Void of No Return' had purged everything of my former life except for name. Why?
I hadn't realised I had been shouted until my throat was beginning to ache to the point where I wanted something to drink. But then the ache instantly faded and I was no longer thirsty. I shake my head to try and understand what was actually happening to me. Eventually the being's soft features began to fade until I could finally see its blue eyes, blue human face, and the bony crest. The only thing that was kept hidden was the rest of the body, hidden by the white light.
My god, it was a fucking asari! Holy shit!
"I am afraid that we had to purge your memories for your own good, little one," the asari told me. "Should you choose to go to your heaven, you will have them all back and be at peace with your life. But, should you decide to continue on in life, you will remember nothing else but your name. You will reborn as something else in entirely."
I curled up into a ball, bringing all my limbs closer together as I struggled to come to terms with what was happening to me. Somehow, I had died in my old life and I will no longer remember it unless I decided what I was going to do. It didn't matter what I chose, either all, I wasn't going to see my family, my friends, or even the world in which I lived in ever again. I would be dead no matter what form I took.
A warm hand rested itself upon my back and I realised that I was completely naked, thus explaining why my skin was so sensitive to the touch. I tried not to show my embarrassment, but it was there written all over my cheeks. I take a deep breath, accepting that it was going to be impossible to be able to see my loved ones again. They probably wouldn't even miss me anyway except when they bury my rotting corpse.
I hadn't realised I had been crying until I felt streaks of wetness falling down my cheeks. I wiped them away sighing deeply and looked into the eyes of the asari. The asari smiled warmly and pulled away.
"What must I do?" I asked quietly.
The asari pulled further away and spread her arms wide. There was a warm flash of bright light and then two wooden doors appeared on her left and on her right. The one on my left was bright white and yellow, warm and inviting as though it wanted me to step into it and come on home. A pair of small angels touching each other's hands sat in the middle, each one with a halo over their heads. The one on my right was mostly green with patches of white and blue. A strange symbol similar to an eagle's screeching head also sat in the middle, but it was not even a bird at all. Rather it looked avian and lacked feathers at all.
"The door on your left," said the asari, motioning to the door on her right, "is the door to your afterlife." Her other hand gracefully swept over to the door on her left. "This door will allow to come back to life as another being. But be warned, your memories of your previous will leave you except for your human name and the game that you know so well."
She lowered both hands and began to steadily move away, but her last words would forever echo in my ears for the rest of my life. "Now choose, little one. Choose wisely."
And with that, the asari scattered into shining stardust, the lights rising higher and higher until they faded into a white hole. Now I was left alone to make my final choice. Whatever I decided, I would not be the same person ever again. I would be leaving my family and friends behind, including my only home.
I closed my eyes, allowing the decision to pour through into my heart and a single voice whispered the answer: Choose.
I stepped towards the selected the door, slowly turned the knob and then my whole world went completely white.
And there you have it folks, the first chapter of my next Mass Effect story! I'm so glad that it isn't really me. OC Sis are a lot more easier than writing myself into it because then I'd be given one hell of a headache. And trust me, headaches are NOT nice at all. The next chapter will be uploaded in due time, but I'm content with this one nonetheless.
Fear not, Mass Transitions is on my next update list which will be happening very soon, that I promise you.
Hope you enjoyed it, and please don't hesitate to review!
