Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and everything is the property of its rightful owners, as one would expect. I'm just an eager fan with an overactive imagination who's decided to put this ending right. This first chapter is a bit of a flashback.
Updates coming as soon as I can write them. Reviews welcome. Enjoy! =)
"But you must choose." the holographic construct of the Catalyst, the child, prompted.
"You can't just force the galaxy to evolve against its will. And I didn't come to make friends with the Reapers." Shepard answered after a long moment of deliberation, weakly wiping the blood from her face, "I came to destroy the Reapers."
"It is your choice, but it will be your extinction. Synthetics will rise up and extinguish all organic life in time without control or synthesis." the holographic interface said warningly, in that irritating, slightly echo-y way that made her want to rip out its circuits.
"You're wrong." she rasped, wobbling precariously even as she stubbornly stayed upright, "Organics and synthetics don't have to fight each other. The quarians and the geth are living proof that there can be peace."
"You are basing your entire supposition on a truce that has lasted for less than a week. The data of countless cycles does not lie."
"Maybe, but I know one thing. Either we destroy the Reapers, or they destroy us." she said, thinking of Anderson, her broken chest swelling with determination.
"Then your path is open." the hologram echoed. "Choose, but you must hurry. Time is running short."
Commander Shepard dragged her gaze to the battle raging above them. Yes it is, she thought. Slowly, jerkily, she dragged one foot forward and put it in front of the other, again, again, step, pause, step, pause, step, inexorably onward, up the ramp to her right, and towards the exposed core. But as she raised her gun to finish the job, she couldn't do it. Couldn't lift the blasted thing. Couldn't aim. Couldn't fire. She was so tired. Just wanted to lay down for a minute, close her eyes. Surely the galaxy could wait that long…
The hand on her shoulder pulled her back to the moment.
"I've got your back, Shepard." Garrus reassured, nudging her forward.
"We've got your back." Tali answered from her other side, helping her lift her shaking arm to point the gun towards the core.
"We're finally here, Shepard. After all this time." Liara said, supporting her as she stumbled forward another step. "And now it's time to end this."
She took the first shot.
Bang, the reinforced glass casing cracked, and Mordin put a hand out to steady her aim.
Bang, and Legion pressed her forward again.
Bang, Jack caught her as she fell.
Bang, bang, Kasumi and Jacob appeared behind her, egging her on.
Bang, Wrex urged her on as the glass began to fracture and fall away.
Bang, Kaidan joined the others in guiding her forward.
Bang, Joker cheered her on as the first shot made its way through to the core.
Bang, bang, EDI suggested a slight change in targeting behavior.
Bang, Thane guided her feet as she continued to walk and fire.
Bang, bang, Zaeed and Grunt shouted her progress, pointing out weak spots, as the bullets rained thick and heavy into the machinery.
Bang, bang, bang. "You're almost through, Shepard." Miranda whispered, joining the others behind her, supporting her.
Bang, bang, Samara kept her footing sure as the first mini burst of flame erupted from the core.
Bang. "You've got this, Commander." Ashley assured her, another gout of sparks and fire flashing before them.
"I'm proud of you, Shepard." Anderson said again, laying a hand on her shoulder as she took the final shot.
One last bang, and the core exploded in an angry storm of heat and light, shoving her back as it threatened to engulf her. She stumbled and fell to the ground, the shockwave washing over her as the system began to cascade into catastrophe.
"Run, Shepard." one of the voices hissed in her ear, dragging her back to her feet and shoving her away from the blast. "Remember your promise. Come back alive."
She ran, and the Crucible, hungry flames flaring out from its broken seals like blood from a wound, finally, and quite utterly, erupted behind her.
"Shepard."
Shepard woke with a start. She sat on a bench in the middle of a dark, half-shadowed clearing in a forest. Her breathing was even, unlabored, painless. With a start, she realized all the cuts and wounds she had suffered were gone. Gone, without even scars to mark their passing.
"Shepard." the voice called again. She focused, tracing it to its source and found herself face to face with none other than Mordin.
"This seat taken?" he asked in his familiar half-rushed tone.
She shook her head, still feeling numb and disoriented. The salarian sat next to her on the bench and hummed to himself as he regarded her. "Should not be here. Should have had more help. Galaxy will be a mess."
"There wasn't any other choice." she answered, a weak smile playing across her face, "It had to be me. Someone else might've gotten it wrong."
"Hmm, sense of humor still intact I see."
"I've missed you, Mordin." she said suddenly, all the aching his death had brought throbbing to the surface once more.
"Always there, with you, Shepard. Always will be. Never fear."
Shepard chuckled, the distinct absence of rasping breath, of the gurgling, wet pain that would inevitably follow the gesture becoming all but palpable to her now. "Well, now I'm here with you. I guess we'll both be haunting people now."
Mordin shook his head vigorously, "No, Shepard. Not finished yet."
"'Not finished?' I think… I think this was it. I'm here, aren't I?"
"'The woods are lovely, dark and deep.'" he trilled, lifting his gaze to the forest around them.
She cocked her head, the words echoing in her memory. "I remember that one. Frost, wasn't it?" she asked softly.
"Yes. One of his finer pieces. Extraordinary poet. For a human. Care to finish poem?"
Ashley had been the poetry fan, not her. She didn't even really think she could remember all the words. But, somehow, thinking of Williams, the words came, instinctual and surprising both:
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep..."
Shepard looked around the clearing, staring deep into the woods for a long moment before speaking, "I have to go back."
Mordin nodded. "Thought as much. Still need you. Time is almost up. Have to wake up now, Shepard."
"Wait," she said, standing as he started to move away, "You… Can't you come with me?"
He shook his head. "My time is done, has been done. Yours is not. Am happy here, Shepard." he pulled a small circular object from one of his pockets and held it up for her to see, "Found the seashells. Fascinating. Still many tests to run."
She smiled at that, but the ache from his absence wiped it away almost immediately. "I'm still going to miss you, Mordin."
"Understandable. Human social structure leads to difficulty letting go." he paused, breathing deeply, "Will miss you too, Shepard. Will be there with you as well though. Never forget. Not physically, of course. Metaphorically. Will wait for you to make it here in your own time. Now go."
She hugged him, wishing desperately she could just stay here, free of the awful pain and weariness, sit and talk with her old friends—
"Mordin, are the others here?"
"Yes. At the bar, waiting. Maybe go there next time. Proper time. For now, promises to keep, people to see, reasons to live. Go." He nudged her towards the edge of the ring of trees, and she continued towards them in a daze, her feet seeming to move of their own accord. As she walked, the world began to fade, and as she looked over her shoulder, she could see Mordin waving back at her as he, too, began fading into the light.
She continued through the trees, everything echoing back into endless white, and as all around her melted away, the words of the poem continued to play in her head:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep…
Shepard woke with a gasp, the air sucking back into her battered lungs with a wet sound. She coughed, tasting blood, groaned when that involuntary movement shook her broken body from torn muscle to shattered bone, and almost passed out again from the pain.
She didn't know where she was. Didn't understand—
Where was the Citadel?
Where were the stars?
Wasn't she—She was… Am I still on the Citadel? Is this it? she wondered, head spinning, the bright light shafting through the cracks in the rubble around her sending pain arcing through her skull.
She shut her eyes, bracing against the darkness that quickly threatened to consume her once more. Why not? Just five minutes… I just need to sleep. But she couldn't. Not now. She'd promised.
She couldn't move. It wasn't just her injuries stopping her, it seemed the rubble had pinned her legs. She'd been lucky. The collapsed structure around her seemed to have shielded her upper body and head rather than crushing them.
From the sharp throbbing in her legs, she seemed to have skirted any debilitating spinal injuries. Small comfort that, as every slight movement sent her teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. She couldn't close her eyes against the light, couldn't give in. It would be so easy… too easy for her to just drift off and perhaps never wake again. But it was so bright.
She just lay there, for minutes, for hours, she knew not how long. Time seemed irrelevant, nonsensical. The only thing that mattered was survival, and she fought like a krogan to stay awake, to stay alive. As the light faded into darkness, so softly, yet so suddenly, she wondered if Anderson was here too. Wondered if she could find him, if he might make it. She wondered if Joker got everyone out.
The light returned, even more blinding than before. Until, it wasn't. Her vision was murky, unfocused, and beyond the rubble there seemed to be a patch of shadow that wasn't there before. Imagining things. Not good… Not… She was so tired. The shadow moved through the ruined structure, swooping down to investigate… what exactly? She didn't know. Couldn't string together enough hazy thoughts to make sense of it. Didn't care, really. This is it. I've finally cracked… So bright. Turn the sun off, just for a minute… just need a minute. I've earned that. Her eyes started to drift closed, barely aware of the shadow coming closer, becoming more solid, and—
"Shepard!" the shadow yelled, concerned, pained, hopeful, desperate.
Really… am going crazy.
"Hold on! Just hold on!" the voice called, it seemed so distant now, other shadows joining the first. She might have imagined them. Might be imagining all of this. How would she know? As the sun illuminated the shadow—the tall figure—something on their face caught the light, and, as it did, Shepard's world went dark and she knew no more.