Helloooo everybody! Guess who's back! *Hides behind overturned table*

Heh-Heh. PLEASE! stop throwing things at me! :'C *Pokes head out from behind table*

Its been HELL over here :\ Moving to another town and redoing my Tests :C. Its not fun. I'm working on Entropy I PROMISE! Defect is gonna take a bit more time cuz I've got a few ideas and I'm plotting where to go from there ;) don't worry I'll update them soon. Until then Here's something I've already finished. Its only a few chapters long so I'll be updating it regularly ;D

He came like the wind, like the wind touched everything, and like the wind, was gone - Robert Jordan

Chapter One: Where The Spy Meets The Princess

Shepard dragged his feet, slowly limping forward, towards the blinding pillar of light, towards his death, towards the end. Incoherent flashes of memory whirled past his mind's eye, as every step pulled him towards inevitability.

The revelation was Earth-shattering. The reapers were not the bad guys after all. The bad guy had been, all this time, themselves... sentient nature... Human nature. And it was now human nature that was their salvation.

Sacrifice. Selflessness. Compromise. Shepard knew them like old friends. But, there was one thing he did not, no, could not sacrifice. There was, after all an exception to every rule.

Shepard's knees buckled as memories of a bygone age assaulted him. Reality blurred as his senses spiraled into his most precious memories.

The sun sat in the sky, a giant orb of white fire, pouring light on the meadows that stretched as far as the eye could see. Thin, wavy strands of grass tickled his ankles, as he stood behind a large oak tree, spying on the little girl hosting a tea party for her dolls and stuffed toys. It was a bright day in secluded Glen Nevis, Scotland.

Shepard was twelve.

She noticed him as his head poked out obnoxiously from behind the tree, when he tried to take a look. She smiled, someone was actually looking at her! Her little heart welled up with pride, as she cleared her throat loudly.

Shepard yelped and fell flat on his bum. The little girl convulsed, trying hard, and failing, at holding back her laughter. Finally, a dam breaking somewhere at the incredulous look on Shepard's face, she doubled over, awash in mirth. Tears streaming down her cheeks at the funny, awkward little boy's antics.

Shepard's face burned, not only had he been caught spying, he had proceeded to make a fool of himself. Some spy he was. He hesitated when she offered a hand, still giggling, to pull him up. She was pretty, of that there was no debate. The raven tresses curling down her shoulders framed her ageless looks perfectly. His face burned some more when his unruly brain, thought how it would feel to kiss her. But the warden's words echoed in his baritone Scottish voice somewhat distantly in his foggy mind, "Boys, never ever, trust strangers. There be good, kind ones in them, sure. But what if the one you trust isn't?". Idly he wondered if the girl he'd been spying on for the last half hour was a nice person.

"Well what are you waiting for?"

Shepard started, and the girl giggled again. She had been holding her hand out to him, while he'd been on vacation in lala land. Blushing brightly, Shepard slowly reached out and grabbed her. Her hand felt so dainty. She looked so dainty. But she pulled him up, as if she was lifting a paperclip. His eyes widened. "You're strong!" he blurted out, and his face immediately turned crimson. The little girl blushed and looked away. "I've always been like that"

Shepard looked around, desperately trying to salvage the situation. "So, hosting a tea party, are you?" The girl immediately perked up at that "Can I join?" He asked, failing to feign aloofness.

She smiled at his antics and nodded, and he couldn't help but grin as he followed her to the little table and settled down on an empty seat.

The girl poured him a cup of what seemed like lemonade. When he looked at her questioningly she grinned. "I couldn't find tea. So I used orange juice". They drank in silence observing each other. The silence seemed to stretch on to eternity for Shepard who grimaced and tried to initiate a conversation

"So are you here with your parents? I've never seen anybody in this house before." The girl's face immediately grew sorrowful at the mention of parents, and for a split second Shepard thought whether she was an orphan like him. but then she answered.

"Yes." She sighed "I'm here with father. He actually bought this house, so we could move in from Australia, so you can see me every day, forever!" she smiled and the soured again "But he's at work." She grimaced as she said work, as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "What about you? Are you from here?"

Shepard was surprised. She had actually asked him a question. "Well, I actually live near town, a short way back. He fell silent, embarrassed.

"What about your parents?" she asked casually as she poured another glass for each of them. "they're dead." she said in a small voice. The girl gasped and dropped the kettle, which fell to the floor with a clatter. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I'm an idiot, blabbing on about things I shouldn't"

Shepard smiled at her. She was endearing, even in her discomfort. "Don't worry about it, I live in the orphanage. It's quite nice there." The girl still looked downcast so Shepard stretched out her hand. "Hey! I haven't introduced myself have I? I'm John Shepard" The girl finally smiled and took his hand. "Pleasure to meet you John, I'm Miranda Solheim" she smiled and added, "but you can call me Miri" in a whisper. "Friends, Miri?" Shepard inquired shaking her hand, "Friends, John." she confirmed.

They fell into silence, the kettle lay forgotten , below the table. "Could, I visit you John? where you live, I mean?"

Shepard smiled. "Only if you let me visit you too!"

They laughed until the sun hung red halfway on the horizon

Soooo Whadya think? Drop a review as you pass by. :D