Author Notes:
This fic is a self-insert story, where Abby, Sarah, and DJ (also known as HK) make a wish and are transported to the story of Mass Effect 2. Now, don't you go getting discouraged because it's a self-insert fic! *wags fingers* Sarah, HK, and I are great friends and are just having some fun. We would never intentionally screw up our favorite game. ;) So please, before you judge, read the fic yourself!
Prologue
Aikido Dojo (Abby)
"All right, good. Grab your jo's and let's line up."
I wiped the sweat off of my forehead with a grin and grabbed the jo I'd lain on the edge of the large mat that dominated the entire dojo. We were all identical then, a swarm of exhausted people wearing rough white gi's, as we scrambled towards our designated place and, kneeling, bowed to the picture of O'Sensei hanging up on the wall. Clapping twice, as was our custom, we remained kneeling until Sensei turned and announced in a loud voice, "Domo arigato gozaimasu."
"Domo arigato gozaimasu," we repeated. We leaned back, relieving our aching backs, and bowed to our partners of the night's classes. "Domo, domo," we chanted, and I glanced up to see Tyler, my younger neighbor I'd so forcefully dragged into Aikido, get up to retrieve the brooms.
My wrists were going to hurt tomorrow, but today had been a good, productive class. If there was going to be another one, I would have joined in if I could, even though I'd already participated in two of them already. I couldn't wait to be an uchideishi, a live-in student, for a week over the rapidly-approaching summer break.
We swept the mats off and got to our knees one last time to wipe them off. I could already see my left wrist swelling up, but a few hours of sleep would make it good as new. Singing under my breath, I sat down on one of the many chairs lining the edge of the mat and took my cell phone out of my bag. I could hear the other students around me talking and socializing, but with a weary tenor that suggested that they were going to be sleeping good tonight.
Food, shower, bed, I thought, prioritizing.
I had a new email from Sarah, but didn't bother to read it yet; it looked like a chain message, and I didn't believe in those things. Let's see. . . there was a letter from Dawson asking how to put a wallpaper on his cellphone. . . Typical Dawson, he knew I was training tonight. . . I checked Facebook and read my friends' latest status updates, then checked out my DeviantArt messages.
Ah, the wonderful feeling of having a phone with internet!
I'm a Floridian at heart; I'd lived there most of my life, until we had to move to Virginia. The snow, which was originally awesome, had lost its charm and I was glad when the warm weather began peeking through the clouds. I'd been sadder than I should have been when we moved, but I was starting to find a place here in Virginia, and, well, I had stuff and people here that I just couldn't leave right now.
Dad and I dropped Tyler off at his house, as per our usual arrangement. When we got to our own I wasted no time in setting the water to boil on the stove. Yawning hugely, I logged in to MSN Messenger.
Sarah: BOO!
Abby: BOO!
Sarah: LOL. How's it going?
Abby: Awesomely, just got back from Aikido. You?
Sarah: Ooo, awesome.
I glanced up from the computer as the dogs began to cold-nose my hand. "What? What, you need to go outside?" I asked them. Bear, a black Chow with threads of Labrador in him, panted happily at my waist. "Oh, fine, fine, fine. C'mon, let's go!"
I led the four of them downstairs and out into the backyard. "Go pee," I told them, and closed the door. Still humming that same song underneath my breath, I took the stairs two at a time and checked on the water. Steam was rising from the top, but no bubbles yet. "Grawr," I mutered under my breath, and went to check my messages: Sarah had brought HK into the conversation window.
Abby: Sorries, had to let the doggies out. Hai peoples!
Sarah: HAI!
HK: Why hello there.
HK: How are you?
Abby: Doing pretty good. I'mma making me some RAMEN, yum. ^0^
Sarah: Ooo, that sounds good. We just had some pork chops for dinner.
I made a face. Gross!
Abby: Cool! So how're you guys doing? Sorry I didn't get on earlier, today was so busy.
HK: Oh no, it's fine. I haven't been doing much. Just working on my fic.
Abby: Awesomeness! :D
Sarah: Actually, I wanted to ask you guys a question...
Abby: yup?
HK: ?
Abby: brb! keep talking!
Sucess! The water was boiling! I grabbed a packet of beef-flavored ramen noodles and cut open the plastic wrap with a very large, disproportionately-sized butcher knife. Humming the same song I'd been singing back in Aikido, I dropped the ramen in to the pot and began to break it up with the pasta spoon. Setting it to simmer on low heat, I glanced back at the laptop.
Sarah: kk
Sarah: So, anyways, you know how stupid those chain emails are, right? I mean, sometimes I send them on, you know, just in case they're true, and nothing ever happens. It's like...
Sarah: All of these people SAY their wishes come true, but, really, they never do, you know?
HK: Yes?
Sarah: Well, one of my buddies on DA sent me this chainmail. If all three of us wish for the exact same thing at the exact same time, the wish will come true at 11:11 tonight.
Abby : I wonder what Time Zone they're using. .
Sarah: hehe
Sarah: Well...
Sarah: I was wondering if you guys wanted to try it out. It probably won't work, but...
Abby: what if it does?
Sarah: Yeah, exactly
HK: hmmm, we could try it out, I suppose
Abby: We should totally wish for something stupid, though
Abby: Like
Abby: 7 pineapples in the mail, tomorrow, with little strawberries inside of them
Sarah: ewwwww
Sarah: I think...
Sarah: If we do this...
Sarah: We should at least be serious about it, because the letter is only good for one wish
HK: Alright, then. What should we wish for?
Sarah: hmmmmm
Abby: ...cake
Abby: Strike that. How about...
Abby: To be in Mass Effect 2!
Abby: Wait, Sar, did the wish of your DA friend come true? What'd she wish for?
Sarah: She said she wished for a red sports car. And she got one! I saw it in her Journal today. Apparently...
Sarah: Two of her friends got a sports car, too!
Abby: ...LET'S DO IT!
HK: But it's not like we can just wish to be in a video game. Let's at least wish for something normal.
Abby: Like...?
HK: Well, I don't know. :P :P
Abby: I vote ME2!
Sarah: Well... I suppose we could try it...
Abby: Or we don't have to. It's up to you guys.
Sarah: No, I think it'll be interesting. I don't want to wish for like a gazillion dollars or anything.
Sarah: Can you imagine in...
Sarah: "Hey mom, dad, GUESS WHAT I FOUND OUTSIDE!"
Abby: LOL!
HK: LOL
Abby: Pleeeeease HK?
If I had to wish for anything, it probably wouldn't be to get sucked into Mass Effect 2. Seriously, that would just be... odd, to say the least. I'd probably end up wishing for a job at Bioware or something, though, so it was a moot point, kind of...
Besides, it wasn't like this would actually work. Hah!
HK: Okay, I don't see any harm in it :P
HK: Leave it to YOU TWO to think this up, though
Abby: *bows*
Abby: You love us anyway.
Sarah: Ooo I can't wait. You guys didn't read the email I sent you yet, did you?
Abby: Nope.
HK: No, not yet.
Sarah: Good!
Sarah: Okay, well, here are the rules...
Sarah: We can only read the first paragraph...
Sarah: And then we all have to close our eyes and think about the thing we wish ten times.
Abby: Okaies. Does it have to be in exact word order or something?
Abby: Like... "i wish we were in--
Sarah: No, just the general impression, methinks
Abby: Alright...
Abby: SO!
Abby: If we're going to be in ME2, we should at least have a starting point.
Sarah: What do you mean?
Abby: Well, if we just randomly popped into ME2, where would we be?
Abby: I do NOT want to see Udina in the shower.
Abby: Or... well, anybody else for that manner.
Abby: and can you imagine what would happen if we popped in during a ROMANCE scene? Gah, the HORROR!
Sarah: LOL!
Sarah: That would be too funny
Abby: Not if you're Shepard... .
Abby: We should create our own Shepard, too, just to be safe.
HK: We don't even know if this will work, but I'm willing to give it a try, LOL.
Sarah: Yay! *hugs*
Sarah: Okay... how about a female Shepard?
Sarah: Paragon! I definitely don't want to meet a Renegade Shepard.
Abby: Heeeell no.
Sarah: hehe
Sarah: Any other ideas, guys?
Abby: Shepard should be a biotic
Abby: So... an Adept.
Sarah: kk
Sarah: HK?
HK: Did she save or kill the Council?
HK: Because you all know what I did. :P
Abby: "Ah, yes, 'Reapers.'"
Abby: I DIED when the turian dude said that.
HK: LOL
Sarah:So, since I don't know much about ME1, you guys will have to figure that part out, hehe.
HK: Well, it does make things a bit harder in ME2 if you killed them...
Abby: More doors are open if they live.
HK: Okay, then. So the Council is alive...
Abby: Wrex is, too. And Wrex loves us.
HK: You can't have Mass Effect without Wrex!
Sarah: .
Abby: Poor poor Sarah :P
Abby: brb, noodles are cooking
I drained the broth and poured the noodles into my bowl. It hit the bottom with a satisying glop. I mixed in the flavoring and took it over to the table, then brought the laptop over. It was 10:30.
Abby: Alright, and her name is...
HK: hmmmm
Sarah: How about something pretty, like...
Sarah: Amelia or something, you know?
Abby: That works.
HK: Okay.
Abby: Love interest?
Sarah: How about...
Sarah: Kaiden?
Abby: I LUV KAIDEN!
Sarah: haha
HK: Yes we all know you do, Abby.
HK: :P
Abby: ^0^
Abby: And while we're at it, let's wish for a greater and more in-depth story than the one they showed us in the game.
Abby: Like... I want to know more about the characters.
HK: Yeah, totally.
Abby: And when I get there...
Abby: i want my iPod, which shall always be charged, to play the music from the OST that matches the moment. :P
Sarah: LOL okay!
Sarah: well, I don't have an Ipod or anything, but... well, if I don't have anything else with me, like... no internet, no ability to watch DVDs, or whatever... I want my CD player with me, and some spare batteries, because... if things get too stressful or if I need a moment to chill or whatever, I like to listen to music. .
Sarah: maybe...
Sarah: I could have a special CD or something... that has assorted tracks on it. Like... it can just happen to play ANY song I want, anytime
Sarah: bwahaha
Sarah: whatever I'm in the mood for
Abby: the Abby approves. :P
Abby: it would be so awesome if this actually WORKS
HK: Indeed.
Sarah: Okay, so let's think about how we'll phrase the wish...
Sarah: We need--
HK: HEY DO I NOT GET A WISH?
Abby: FIIIIIIIIINE! MAKE IT QUICK!11!
HK: :P :P :P
Sarah: LOL
Sarah: LOL
Sarah: LOL
HK: J/K, I don't need a wish...I can't think of anything to bring along
HK: :P :P
Abby: ...you're horrible!
HK: Well I can't! :P :P :P
Abby: Are you sure you don't want to bring, oh, I don't know... a book or something?
HK: Yes, I am sure. :P
Abby: *rolls eyes*
HK: Oh hush.
Abby: Grawr.
Sarah: LOL
Sarah: Okay!
Sarah: We should call this idea...
Sarah: Well, some sort of name so we don't have to think about ALL of these details.
Abby: Team Milky Way.
Sarah: ...LOL
HK: *facepalm*
HK: Of course it is.
HK: :P
Abby: o:)
Abby: So, basically we'll all wish together, on Sarah's cue...
Abby: "Commence Team Milky Way."
Sarah: Hahaha
Sarah: I think we should say 'I wish' though, just to be safe
Abby: awww, there goes my big bad movie impressions.
Sarah: lol
Sarah:So... are we all ready?
Abby: Yup! BRING IT ON, you weirdo Collectors!
HK: Yes. :P
Sarah: Okay...
Sarah: Now, remember...
Sarah: We ALL have to wish it, at the same time, okay?
Sarah: So as soon as I say it--
Abby: Just get on with it, we know!
Sarah: Okay, okay, just making sure :P
Abby: bum bum bum buuuuuuum
Abby:*cue suspenseful music*
Sarah:Everybody ready?
HK: Yes
Abby:NO!
Sarah:okay, we'll wait
Abby: brb, doggies. If I'm going in to an alternate universe, I can't leave them outside. LOL
HK: ...*sigh*
I got up and let the dogs in, giggling. Dad had already gone up to bed and Mom was probably comatose up there as well. I shooed Hootch away from my ramen and ate it all before I looked at the computer.
Abby: Okay... question
Abby: shouldn't we wish to wear future clothes, as well?
Abby: Because there are two things that may happen
Abby: #1, we'll get there naked
Abby: #2, we'll get there in whatever we're wearing
And so we debated on the exact style of clothes we would wear.
Abby: commence team milky way!
Sarah: Okay... everybody ready?
Abby: Yes
HK: Yes
Sarah: Alright... 10 times, wish right now.
I closed my eyes immediately and thought, I wish for Team Milky Way.
I repeated it again, and again, and again, until I got to my tenth time. I opened my eyes and waited for the others to get back.
Sarah: And now...
Sarah: I guess we wait.
Abby: It's nearly 11:00. We'll know soon. Better eat up! :P
HK: Just thinking aloud here, but I just realized something...
Sarah: hmm?
HK: Well...
HK: After the Collectors basically destroyed the ship, Commander Shepard probably isn't going to like random visitors.
Abby: I suggest we duck.
Abby: :)
