Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect in any way.

I, like many other people, was disappointed by the ending. Ignoring the plot holes and the lack of choices, the biggest problem with it was that the themes from throughout the games were ignored. It wasn't necessarily bad, it just wasn't an ending to Mass Effect. "Here, listen to exactly what the illusion-kid says and do exactly what he says!"

So, I decided to write something. I don't think it's particularly good (which is why I used a throwaway account). But I wanted to just get something down and let my imagination fill in gaps. Epic cutscenes and emotional moments that could have been live in my mind, and I encourage all of dedicated fans to mentally construct their own endings for themselves. Whether triumphant or bittersweet, the endings that could have been if Bioware had put the same quality into the ending as they did into the rest of the game will exist in the imaginations of the fans. It has been a wonderful ride through the trilogy, and I thank Bioware for creating the Mass Effect universe. The creation and story of each Shepard has been an amazing collaboration between Bioware and the player. However, in light of them dropping the ball on the ending, it is up to us, the players, to generate our own endings for our Shepards, even if it is only in our imaginations.

"No."

Bloodied and bruised, yet far from broken, Shepard glared defiantly at the apparition.

"No? What do you mean by that?" inquired the Catalyst.

"I reject your options."

"You cannot. These are the only solutions. The cycle cannot be broken. The system must be reset. Creator and Created cannot coexist."

With a trace of smugness, Shepard smiled.

"Those are your solutions. They're the ones you've come up with; that you like. Not the only ones, just your favorites. But I'm not you. I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite solution. It involves stopping the Reapers by exploiting a glaring weakness- you."

"Me?"

"You said it yourself- you control the Reapers. Not that you direct or command them, that you control them. There's no reason that the civilizations you've harvested would all so willingly participate in the cycle. Sovereign, Harbinger, that Reaper I spoke to on Rannoch… they're all just you."

"Yes, that is true. But this knowledge is inconsequential. There is no weakness."

"You're wrong. This solution of yours is powerful, but any decent engineer would see this flaw. You are a single point of failure. Anything happens to you, and entire system breaks. You've exploited this design flaw yourself- with The Citadel and the Protheans. Once the central government and dominant race are removed, everything else is easy pickings. You removed the lynchpin, and then destroyed the separated groups one by one. But we don't have that weakness. You see proof of that before you now. The force you face now is not homogenous, but a coalition of independent groups and species."

*(insert montage of all the different groups Shepard has recruited battling on Earth/in space)*

"We are diverse, and that gives us strength. There is no single tactic that will work against all of us- no single flaw that will cripple us all. You saw the genetic diversity in humans, but your vision was limited. You failed to see the spectrum of sentient beings across the galaxy. "

"Your chaos will not save you. No organic species can withstand our power. "

"Look again. You aren't fighting single species. You're fighting a united force. Whatever weaknesses we may have individually are made up for by the strengths of others."

*(insert montage of different groups supporting each other in the battles)*

"Despite our differences, we are all here for ideas we have in common. Freedom, friendship, survival. We fight because we will not submit. We fight so our loved ones can live without fear. We fight to give our children a future. These causes that have brought us all here cannot be destroyed. Your foe is diverse, yet united. Many, yet one. You claim that organics and synthetics cannot coexist? EDI and the geth have disproven that."

*(insert cutscenes of geth and EDI working with organics)*

"The distinction between organics and synthetics is simply a line drawn in the sand. It is a difference, but not an essential one. We are all sentients. In the most important aspects, we are all the same."

"This shall not last. The inevitable shall occur. The cycle will continue."

"You are clinging beliefs even in the face of counterexamples. You are ignoring evidence that challenges your assumptions. I see now that your intelligence is quite primitive."

"We are beyond your comprehension. Your rudimentary intellect cannot comprehend our motives."

"No. I understand now. You are immense processing power but no problem solving. Your order does not allow you to accept new information. To search for other solutions. To consider that you may be wrong. You have forced your limited understanding upon the galaxy for millennia. But that stops now."

"Your endeavors are futile. The solutions are before you. There is no other way."

"The Reapers are just your puppets. All I need to do is cut the strings to end the show. Observing the power draw in this area, it's clear where you keep the quantum entanglement devices for communicating with them."

As Shepard limps over, a brief expression of fear flickers across the Catalyst. Shepard fires the pistol once… twice… a third time. The box explodes.

"Shepard. I don't know if you can hear this, but the Reapers are confused or going inactive. You've done it. The galaxy is forever grateful. " The voice of Admiral Hackett, relieved, confirms Shepard's success.

"What have you done?" The Catalyst observes in disbelief as its control over the Reapers slowly burns and sparks.

Task finally complete, Shepard allows the weariness to hit and slowly slumps to the floor.

"I think I'll just take a short nap. I'll explain it to you once I wake up."

*(fade to black)*

***INSERT DESIRED EPILOGUE HERE***