Author's note: I have just updated this story. I have changed a little bit of what happens, as well as the quality of the writing. I hope you enjoy the changes!
Shepard could feel a tear form on his face as the explosion from the crucible trigger surrounded his body.
And then all was silent.
Shepard struggled to remember what had happened. He had activated the crucible, seemingly the final push that would destroy the reapers. He struggled to open his eyes, utterly deciding against it at the moment. Peeps of the world outside began to creep in through Shepard's other senses.
First came his feeling. What seemed like broken chunk of concrete lay beneath him, giving him the illusion of being sprawled out on a broken mattress. He tried to move, but his arms wouldn't respond to his mind.
"SHEPARD! He's got to be here!"
His hearing began to paint a picture of what was happening. Explosions outside told him that there was still fighting. He wondered if the crucible didn't work.
"Liara it's no use. He was probably disintegrated by the beam!"
Shepard's mind jumped at Liara's name. He had thought that he had put her back on the Normandy. As his hearing became more acute, he began to hear the roars of the Reaper forces.
"Ma'am, we need to go it's not safe!"
"NO! If he's disintegrated, I want ashes! I know he's alive, I just know it!"
Shepard could not allow Liara to get hurt. With new motivation to make sure Liara was ok, he tried to shift again. His time his body responded; his arm shifted and knocked some rubble over. A sharp pain erupted all over his body as his mind remembered to make him feel pain. He let out a sharp cry of pain.
"What was that?"
"Over there!"
"Goddess… SHEPARD!"
Momentarily he felt loving hands touch him, and he knew that he was alright. Liara was here for him. She brought a hand up to his face and softly brushed his cheek. He felt something wet fall on his face.
"Shepard speak to me! Look at me! Do something!"
Shepard tried to open his eyes and move, but his body would not respond.
"Show me you're alive Shepard, I just know you are."
Again Shepard tried but his beaten body was too tired.
"No… SHEPARD!"
His bondmate wrapped both arms tightly around him and began to weep. Shepard could not let her go on like this.
"Liara…" He wheezed out.
If Liara had not had her head close to his, she would not have heard it. "Shepard?"
"Liara…" He tried again, this time his voice was a little louder.
"SHEPARD!" Liara's sadness turned to joy. She kissed his bruised and bloody face. "Don't scare me like that. I thought I lost you."
Shepard let out a weak laugh. "I will never leave you Liara." Despite his dry throat, speaking was starting to get easier.
Another voice interrupted the lovers. "Ma'am, that's nice and all, but we can't stay any longer. Reaper forces are starting to overtake our position."
Shepard felt himself get picked up by Liara. His body shifted up and down as they ran from the area. As they ran, Shepard was able to get a peek out of one of his eyes. He could see the conduit beam get farther and farther away.
Shepard didn't know what to think. Something had told him that he had gone through that conduit before. But clearly if he had, he would not be here. His mind hurt as it tried to filter through all the conflicting information in his head.
"Where are you taking me?" He struggled to ask.
"We are taking you to a med bay love." Liara responded.
He could not leave the soldiers fighting a losing fight. Just the very fact that he was taken out of the fight would have been a severe blow to morale. If they were going to win this battle against the reapers, he could let them do that.
"No."
"Excuse me Shepard?"
"We are not going to a med bay. I'm going to fight. Give me some medigel. I can't let them down."
Liara stopped running with Shepard.
"You are not fighting. You can't see the state that you are in."
"And they said I couldn't live again." He coughed. "We won't ever have those blue children again unless you let me fight."
Liara went silent as she weighed her options. She couldn't bear to see him in this state, but she also couldn't bear not to have a future.
"I'm not going to leave you again."
"I don't plan on it."
Shepard felt a cool wave wash over him as medigel was applied. Quickly Shepard was able to feel strength in his arms and legs, and was able to produce a smile. He opened his eyes but his eyes protested against the glare. He tried to get up. Although the medigel did not take all the pain away, it was bearable. He opened his eyes again, this time his eyes were able to adjust to the light.
Liara stood over him, her eyes wet from crying, and her body covered in dirt and blood. He couldn't help but appreciate her beauty and the love in her eyes for a moment. Seeing her whisked him above the pain and he stood up.
"What are you doing?" The medic from before came to the couple, the fear apparent on his face. The fear wasn't without reason, the sounds of fighting got closer and closer with every minute. "We need to get you to a medical facility! You can't go out like this!"
Shepard put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I can suck up just a little pain so I can have a future. We can't stop after a few bruises. We have got to fight on."
Shepard tried to walk away, but his strength was not fully back and he collapsed to the ground.
"Dr. T'soni, please talk some sense into the Commander!" The medic tried to gain an ally in Liara.
"I'm sorry medic, he talked some sense into me first."
Shepard felt Liara grab him and pull him up. She served as a support to Shepard as both began to hobble towards the conduit beam. The medic ran off in a huff. A nearby Alliance company saw the couple and was inspired by their bravery. They joined the couple and provided some cover fire.
Shepard felt surreal as the soldiers surrounded the couple and killed husks and cannibals all around them. They were starting to penetrate into the thick of the fighting; the reaper troops were most concentrated around the conduit beam.
Soon soldiers began to drop off. Shepard grabbed one of their pistols as they continued on. They could not stop now or they would die.
The screech of a reaper capital ship sounded behind them. The group began to move faster; knowing that if the ship caught them all was done. Soon they were extremely close to the conduit beam. The screeches of the reaper were getting closer and closer. Several husks rushed them but they were quickly put down by the soldiers. A marauder appeared from behind a pylon near the beam. Liara shot it down before it could do anything.
Another screech boomed above them; the reaper had caught up to them. Forgetting the pain, Shepard began to sprint at the crucible beam with Liara. The sound of a reaper beam sounded behind them, it rushed closer and closer. The couple dove through into the crucible beam, and suddenly everything went silent.
In an instant the scenery of a war torn London changed to the citadel. The receiving end of the beam shot them out and they continued their dive. The landing was surprisingly soft.
Liara screamed and Shepard got up. Liara was pointing to what they had landed on. Shepard realized why the landing was so soft; they had landed on a pile of human corpses. In disgust he backed away fast.
"They must be using these bodies to make a human reaper…" Shepard theorized. Both looked down what looked like a hallway. It was filled with bodies. Cerberus, Alliance, and civilian all shared one common horrific fate.
"Goddess, I have never seen so many bodies."
Liara clung close to Shepard. It was obvious that she was shaken by the bodies. What had shaken Liara's resolved only served to strengthen his own: the reapers had to be stopped.
Shepard could not recognize the part of the citadel that they were in. The hallway was dark save for a few consoles that keepers were working at. It was possible that these were tunnels that the keepers used to maintain the citadel.
They began to make their way down the tunnel to find a place to activate the crucible. They rounded a corner and saw a bright light at the end of a stretch of the tunnel. Together they hurried towards the light.
They got to the light to see what lay ahead of them. The tunnel led them to a large chamber. A long walkway extended out, terminating at a large center platform. Both were suspended over a large chasm. They could see the inside of the closed citadel. The arms sparkled from the billions of lights on them.
"By the goddess Shepard, it's amazing!" Liara marveled at the sight.
"If I had known better, I'd say this place felt immaculate." Shepard replied. "I feel almost like I want to stay back and smell the roses like you did back on Ilos." Shepard forced a smile. The pain was starting to come back as the adrenaline rush from the reaper began to wear off.
Liara chuckled. Shepard put his arm on her, and she resumed supporting him. Her touch had a calming effect on him; the pain was not such a big deal when he was with her. They began to walk to the center platform.
On the center platform they could make out a large console from the beginning of the walkway. As they got closer however, the image refined itself to a small console with a figure working at it.
When they finally reached the platform, they instantly recognized who it was: the Illusive Man.
"I should have known you'd be here." Shepard revealed themselves to him.
The Illusive man merely chuckled. "Shepard, you do have resolve, I'll give you that." He turned to face the couple, and did not make any attempt to hide the surprise when he saw Liara as well. "Ah… Dr. T'soni, I see you're assisting the commander with some… issues. I'm glad you could join us."
"What do you want Illusive man?" Liara replied to his welcome.
"It's not a matter of wanting, it's a matter of need actually." The Illusive man produced a pistol and aimed it at the two. "But I don't have any time to explain. Shepard I need you to come to the console."
"You will put that gun down." Liara stepped forward, enveloping herself in biotic essence and stepping in front of Shepard.
The Illusive man laughed at the display. "Dr. T'soni you are very brave, but also incredibly naïve. You don't understand what's at stake here; I need to save humanity from the reapers. You trusted me before when you gave me Shepard's body didn't you? Trust me now."
Liara looked back at Shepard, her face showing him that she was still torn over her decision she made a while ago.
"This is a different set of circumstances, Illusive Man." Shepard took up the lead. "I'm not going to help you destroy the reapers."
"I have raised myself above the reapers, Shepard. I know what they know, I know their tricks and I can take the next step. But I need you. I can raise us all above the reapers! I have figured out their tricks, you saw what was on Horizon!"
"Go to hell."
"That is fine by me. As long as I know that I was the one that was able to do the choices that were necessary for humanity's survival and dominance."
"But this isn't for humanity's survival! The reapers just want you to think that. They control YOU!"
The Illusive man went silent as he considered what Shepard had said. "Then that is why I need you even more Shepard. Be the hero for humanity that you were meant to be. Control the reapers yourself."
"No human can control them. The reapers need to be destroyed."
"I won't let you forsake humanity without consequences. That asari must have clouded your mind Shepard. Think about humanity!"
"Humanity needs the other races. We can't stop the reapers together."
The Illusive man smiled. "And that is where you are wrong."
A terrible buzzing sound was heard, similar to a reaper, and Liara began to twitch and jerk in front of Shepard.
"What is happening to me?" Liara cried out helplessly. "I can't… control… myself!"
"What are you doing to her!" Shepard demanded.
"The reapers manipulate through the use of small nanomites that break into the body of people exposed to the reapers. And she has been exposed to many reapers." Liara fell to the floor, still twitching and jerking. "This is only a taste of the power I hold right now Shepard. I even have the power to indoctrinate others to my will! The reapers can be controlled Shepard." He raised his pistol again at the two. "But you won't see the best course for humanity, not when you're the bondmate to an asari. So I am removing her from the equation for you, to help you. Sometimes people need a push in the right direction."
Liara let out a painful cry as she writhed on the floor.
"Liara!" Shepard bent down to try to help his bondmate. The Illusive man fired a shot near them however.
"Remember, you need a little push. I might miss the next shot if you do that again."
"You're a monster!" Shepard spat at him. Another shot landed closed to Liara.
"Please Shepard? I don't want this to get bloody." He beckoned him over with the pistol.
"Just go to him Shepard." Liara whispered.
The Illusive man laughed to himself. "I should have taken the less direct approached with you much sooner. Just look at my results!"
Shepard begrudgingly approached the Illusive Man. He needed to buy some time so he could figure out a way to get out of this situation.
"I don't see any results." Shepard stalled.
"You want me to spell out how you killed so many of my soldiers, when you could have been helping us with saving humanity? I knew how Dr. T'soni felt about you, especially when she absolutely needed to have you back from the dead? I was stupid not to use her to get to you!"
Shepard could see as he got closer that the Illusive man's eyes glowed yellow as opposed to the usual blue. The Illusive man noticed Shepard staring.
"You have to take some aesthetic sacrifices in order to control the secrets of the reapers."
"What did you do to yourself?" Shepard looked at the man in shock. "Are you even human?"
"I am above humanity and I have all the power! Your mind is too primitive to understand me! "
The Illusive man stopped at looked at himself in horror. In his mad quest to help humanity, he had lost his own and realized it. He hadn't even meant to say those words.
The Illusive man began to convulse like Liara had done. Then his eyes shone bright yellow and his boy went back to normal.
Shepard realized exactly what was happening. He had seen it many times when he was fighting the collectors: Harbinger was assuming a new temporary host. Shepard pulled his pistol and looked down the sight.
"Well my primitive mind has run out of patience. This ends now!"
"I beg to differ human." The booming voice of Harbinger replied.
Shepard answered with a pistol shot. Immediately the Illusive man's unshielded body sunk to the floor. Shepard walked over the body and activated the console. From what was open, Shepard deduced that the Illusive man had been trying to hack the console. But why did he need to hack into it? Why did he need Shepard in the first place?
Shepard touched the controls and immediately a bright light of a scan proceeded to run up and down Shepard's body. Without any user input, the console then hummed to life. The arms of the citadel began to open.
A VI appeared. At first Shepard thought it was in the shape of a reaper, but then it became clear that it was actually a leviathan.
"Scan complete. Subject is human. Indoctrination scan is negative. Crucible is in range and docking citadel. I require activation codes."
"What is this?"
"I am a VI, my primary task is guarding the catalyst. Only those not indoctrinated by the reapers can access me."
"But you are leviathan. When were you installed?"
"I was installed by organisms, specified as Prothean, of the last cycle."
Shepard scratched his head. "But don't the reapers reset the citadel after every cycle?"
"I was installed after the reapers reset the citadel controls."
"But that means it was during our cycle. What do you mean?"
"I was installed after the reapers reset the citadel controls. There are no points to clarify."
"How could you have been installed by Protheans after the reset when…" Shepard cut himself off as he realized the answer. The prothean scientists that came with the conduit must have had other things to do other than sabotaging the keepers…
Shepard still had some questions he needed to answer. "Why are you a leviathan and not a prothean if you were installed by the protheans?"
"The leviathan's saw their chance to bring about the end of the reapers and gave the prothean scientists inspiration."
So the leviathans were still manipulating things behind the scenes. It made sense now that the scientists were able to discover the secret to the mass relays. They got inspiration from the creators without even knowing it.
The pain was starting to come back to Shepard, and he knew he couldn't waste any more time asking questions.
"VI, activate the crucible."
"Please enter the activation codes."
Shepard was flabbergasted; he did not have any authorization codes. But he couldn't give up, not when they were so close. He hit a button on the console and was immediately lifted up just like the prothean beacon had done. Unlike the beacon however, he felt that it was accessing knowledge in his brain.
"Resistance is futile."
Shepard was thrown back before any meaningful information was accessed by the console. Shepard quickly leapt to his feet to see his attacker. The Illusive Man, stripped down only to his synthetics, stood before him. Just as Sovereign had assumed control of Saren's synthetics, Harbinger was doing the same with the Illusive man's.
"Indoctrinated subjects detected. Shutting dow- ERROR, hack detected. ERR-" The VI simply froze in place.
"You have only delayed the inevitable Shepard, the next cycle must begin." Harbinger's thrall approached Shepard.
Shepard grabbed his pistol and fired a few shots into the synthetic husk. Harbinger was unfazed, picking Shepard up and bringing him to the edge of the platform. Shepard's feet dangled and he tried to fight Harbinger's grasp.
Then Harbinger let go, and Shepard thought he had broke free. Then he began to fall.
"Get your hands off my Shepard!" He heard Liara yell.
Shepard felt the husk hit his feet as it rocketed off the platform. Liara was up and fighting, but it was no use. Shepard's life began to flash before his eyes.
"I love you Liara!" He yelled.
He heard giggling above him and looked up to see what was up. A biotic singularity had caught Shepard in its pull, and the source of that singularity was peeking at him from the edge of the platform.
"When you die, you are going to die with me. That's final." Liara stated, pulling Shepard up to the platform. They embraced and went to the console.
"It keeps asking for authorization codes. I don't have them." Shepard told her in defeat.
Liara was silent. "What about the cipher?"
Shepard's spirit jumped at the idea. It was a chance they would have to take.
"Systems are functional. Indoctrinated presence has been neutralized."
Shepard pressed a button and was levitated in the air. He could feel the console probe his brain, running through everything. Then it stopped and Shepard drifted to the ground.
"Crucible has been activated. Charging catalyst. 5%"
Liara grabbed Shepard. "We don't know what this will do... It might very well just destroy us right here. Shepard, I'm scared to die."
"...20%"
Shepard turned to Liara and their hands intertwined. "At least you won't do it alone." He said.
"...45%"
Their lips connected as they shared a passionate kiss.
"..60%"
Shepard brought her body even closer to his. Her touch took away all the pain again.
"..75%"
Shepard could feel tears coming down his face. He couldn't tell if they were his or Liara's or even both of theirs.
"..85%"
No moment ever felt more perfect to Shepard. They were together, and they would be for eternity.
"...90%"
A great wind swept the platform, however it was not enough even phase the two lovers.
"...91%
...92%
...93%
...94%
...95%
...96%
...97%
...98%
...99%"
"Liara I love you." Shepard yelled over the wind. Their arms got tighter around each other.
"...100% Crucible Activating."
Both held each other and closed their eyes. Through their eyelids both could see a blinding light, and then they were knocked by a great shockwave. Quickly both pulled themselves apart from one another and witnessed a great wave of energy coming out from the crucible. As the wave moved it hit reapers and sword fleet ships alike and all suffered the same effect; the ships and reapers floated uselessly in space after the wave had touched them.
"Goddess, the reapers are being stopped, but so are our ships."
"I just hope the people weren't killed."
"Does that mean it's over?"
They watched as the wave hit Earth, and the many splotches of artificial light were blacked out. Only the light from the fires all over Earth remained.
The platform that they stood on began to shake.
"It's going to fall!" Shepard yelled. He grabbed Liara's hand and sprinted to the keeper tunnel.
The shift of weight as they moved caused the walkway to buckle. As they reached the center of the walkway, it gave and the couple fell.
With quick reflexes Shepard grabbed a stable piece of the walkway that had not fallen. Desperately he held himself to the walkway as Liara held onto his leg.
"Hold on Shepard, I'll climb up." Liara planned. She began her ascent up Shepard. Once she was safely on the walkway, she helped pull Shepard up.
Both collapsed on the walkway from the exertion. Liara snuggled up against Shepard, her head on his shoulder, and both closed their eyes for a moment just to listen to the quiet.
"It's all over Shepard… We did it."
"Yeah… we did."
Both let the silence come back in. Earth lay out in space before them.
"Just look at Earth. It's beautiful." Liara marveled.
"And it's all ours."
Liara giggled as Shepard rolled on top of her. They began to make out, the passion rising as the great burden of war had been lifted.
Shepard's omni tool lit up moments later to interrupt the two lovers.
"Hello? Can anyone read me? This is the SSV Normandy attempting radio contact. Is anyone out there? Was everyone's electronic knocked out?"
The couple stopped their love making. "Joker? It's Shepard. What happened?"
"Shepard?! O my gosh, GUYS SHEPARD IS ALIVE!" Shepard was able to hear a large amount of chatter behind them. "You won't believe it Shepard, the crucible released some kind of energy wave that knocked out all of our systems. Donnelly and Daniels were able to figure out a way to jump start our systems that's how we got electronics back. How are you contacting us?"
"That's a good question Joker. Liara and I are on the citadel right now. We must have not gotten hit by the wave. What about the other ships?"
"We are currently attempting to distribute the jump start solution to the other ships. Hopefully we will have all of our ships up and running in no time."
The citadel shook violently. Shepard and Liara looked to each other suspiciously.
"Uh Joker, what is happening to the citadel?"
Joker was silent for a moment as he checked what was happening. "Looks like the reapers are still fighting back. Several of their corpses collided with some of the arms."
"Can we get a pickup?"
"You'll have to give us some time to get the solution out, then we will send the shuttle. But I imagine that you won't mind waiting at all with Liara."
Shepard eyed Liara. "Oh you could say that." He cut off the communicator and took a spot again next to his bondmate.
Liara sighed. "It would be easy for a single ship to get lost out there..." She spoke as the great void of space called out to her.
"It would."
"… To find someplace very far away where you could spend the rest of your life in peace… and happiness."
"Right now, there's no place I'd ever be."
Shepard rolled his bondmate onto his chest and looked into her eyes. "Neither would I."
Their faces merged and together their bodies danced and played, with only the stars as witness to their love. This time was different than all the others; this was not a last dance, but merely the beginning.