Drain Brameged Inc. Proudly Presents

A 'Mad-Hamlet' Production

Blue

By Mad-Hamlet

Prologue

'Anderson?" No response."Sir?"

She closed her eyes...just for a moment, that was all, just a split second and it took everything she had left-

'...so little left...so tired...'

everything she had left to open them again. Again the silent war above the Earth-

'...she's burning, Earth is burning...'

and in that instant of weakness she could have sworn there were far less ships and even more of the black monsters.

'...have to protect them from the monsters...'

She looked down at her hand, drenched in blood, a deep wound that glistened in the soft lights of the control room; an old thought came back to her, an idea, a belief held by others that she rejected and yet it came anyways, lurching from the dark parts of memory:

'Sometimes the dragon wins.'

A burst of static in her ear, she flinched away from the noise and the sudden movement left her gasping, a rivulet of blood from between clenched teeth was clumsily swept away.

"Shepard! Nothing's happening, The Crucible has docked but nothing's happening!" Hackett's voice, usually so dry, resolute and firm held fluttering of panic- a quiet desperation.

She lurched to her feet, "What-" another ripping feeling, she stumbled, caught herself with one arm, the agony knocking her to her knees; she ignored it. "What do you need me to do?"

A quiet tone from the front of room chimed gently in the silence, she glanced up at the control panel from where she sprawled. A single holographic control was gently shifting in color from the default orange, down to a light blue and back to orange; floating above the controls a three dimensional model of The Crucible hung in mid-air, spinning lazily about and about. Above the model were the words:

Accept incoming operational protocols Y/N?

Gritting her teeth against a fresh way of pain, Shepard pulled herself to her feet and awkwardly shuffled to the controls, an arm outstretched to confirm, to authorize to just get the damn thing going and stop them, stop the dragons, stop the monsters, stop The Reapers.

Her body betrayed her and she fell, her out flung hand passing through the holographic display and slapping at he hardware beneath.

"Authorization accepted," a synthetic voice sighed. "Please standby."

With one hand pressed to her side Shepard leaned against the console with her other and pulled herself to her feet staring at the display. Seconds passed and behind the model of The Crucible the war continued to rage. A trio of Turian Frigates dove beneath an oncoming Reaper vessel, two going under while the third attempted to flank the behemoth. With casual, arrogant, grace the living machine flicked out a massive arm, neatly bisecting the lone vessel before orienting its killing beam at the other two, destroying them.

'At least ten thousand,' Shepard swallowed. 'Ten thousand dead right there.'

"Please standby" the synthetic voice repeated.

The three hundred and sixty degree display showed all the war raging over the Earth, ships flickered, blossomed and died. Pilots of smaller craft dove into oncoming Reaper fire to give the capital ships a few seconds longer; fighter craft bobbed and weaved pursued relentlessly and cut from the sky by automated drone fire and everywhere, not a single sound was heard.

"Firing controls coming online."

"Come on, come on," Shepard muttered between her teeth.

"Shepard."

This was not the synthetic voice, the entire room shook with the power behind that word, her name- the word was spoken by something behind her.

'Of course,' Shepard thought without turning around then aloud she spoke "All I have to do is push this button and you're all on a road to hell."

"Hell is a theological concept," Harbringer replied. "A place of torment and punishment used in many different organic belief systems as a form of revenge or as a threat of punishment in regards to issues of perceived injustice or as a means to control. The irony being that it is also used as a reason to believe in redemption," a pause. "Redemption is irrelevant."

She looked over her shoulder. The hologram was massive, filling the entire rear of the room and Harbringer's three eyes glared down at her. Even though they were only an image, a vague outline of light, somehow the immense time and power of their existance was palpable; their insect-like legs flexing, bending, an inhuman thing, an alien thing.

"In this case it means I'm going to kill you," Shepard smiled. "You and every single other Reaper in the entire galaxy."

Harbringer said nothing for a moment. Its eyes, bright harsh lights throwing clear shadows everywhere, just studied her in silence until:

"Bear witness," The Reaper spoke and hovering beside the massive hologram was an image of Earth, the combat around the transport beam that so many had already died to give Shepard her one shot. Her breath caught in her throat, "Liara," she breathed.

The Asari half crouched behind an overturned Mako, its crew scattered around the wreck, one body hung from an open wrent in the side, his dead hand brushing gently against her blue skin, the red blood mixing in the dark light as a mixed deep purple sliding alongside her face. She appeared to ignore it, her eyes were closed and her lips moved silently then with a cry of "Now," she lept around the edge of her cover flinging her hands forward. A singularity erupted into existence right in the middle of a line of advancing Husks and Cannibals, lifting them into the sky, flailing and twisting, caught up and pulled toward the center of the mass event. At the same time several Alliance marines stepped out of cover with weapons raised and with precise shots, began cutting the helpless things to pieces .

Shepard could see the sweat beading on Liara's face as she maintained the singularity well past its normal capabilities; holding so many and for so long was taxing.

"Clear," One marine announced, and Liara groaned slightly, wobbled, leaned one hand against the burning Mako and straightened.

"She's fighting," Shepard grinned. "We all are."

"You care for this one," Harbringer rumbled. "She is your strength."

Shepard's grin died on her lips.

"Observe," And the view switched to a group of Banshees, moving among the battle littered landscape with the same grace of the Asarai they had been harvested from, only twisted now, predatory. Small arms fire came from beyond the edge of the screen and one of the creatures casually flicked a wrist. A surge of biotic power ripped off in the direction of the gunfire, there was an explosion and the guns fell silent. Shepard felt it then, on the edge of her awareness, like a gentle pulse that echoed out from Harbringer's image.

'Communication?' Shepard thought and as the idea entered her head, as one creature the Banshees turned and stalked with new singular purpose- and Shepard knew exactly what that was. She spun on her heel to bring her hand down on the button. It would save them, save her, save them all and to hell with the consequen-

There was the quiet woomph of a short range biotic jump, a scream and against her will Shepard's hand froze.

'No,' she thought. 'Can't be too late, not again, not now- won't look. It's not- I can...'

And against her will she looked.

One Banshee had its talons hovering directly in front of Liara's eyes. Those blue, blue eyes were open wide. Her hands were pressed against the Mako. In the background the marines were burning right along with the entire horizon.

"The Cycle will continue," Harbringer thundered.

Another Banshee reached over the Mako and gripped Liara's face between its talons. It bent the Asasri's head back, forcing her to look directly at the screen, as she screamed in defiance the sound cut out. Still gazing upwards her screams ended and her lips moved silently, "Shepard?"

The Banshees remained still, waiting.

"Firing the weapon will do nothing," Harbringer rumbled. "An act of irrelevant desperation. Revenge against those who hold no meaning in the term; even as we die our minions would merely lose our guidance. The final moments of your mate would merely linger . Our armies are given purpose through our will, with that gone they will merely destroy. You cannot save her through violence."

With effort Shepard turned away. She regarded the panel with the blinking button that might trigger The Crucible, might end The Reapers, might bring finality to this war and save countless billions. She looked at her other hand, the thick blood oozing from between her fingers, running down the shattered remains of her armor to drip and splash on the floor.

She chose.

"I love her," she said turning back to Harbringer. "I only told her that once. I wish I had done it sooner but once will have to be enough."

Shepard glanced at the image of Liara, her Asari. Liara spoke again, Shepard couldn't hear but clearly could read what she was said: Do it!

"I love her more than anything," Shepard replied, ignoring Harbringer's threat. "I would have done anything, endured anything to save her. I'd like to believe she knows that." she blinked, shadows were creeping in around the edge of her vision.

Shepard took a deep breath, winced at the pain and continued, "But not everything. Not everyone. I don't know them, all I want is her. I want her, some rest. A chance to have a little peace," she smiled to herself. "A picnic maybe. I haven't been on a picnic..." her voice drifted off.

"I love her," Shepard said again, "More than any one thing; but not against everything."

"The Cycle will continue," Harbringer repeated.

Shepard pushed the button.

"Commencing firing sequence," the synthetic voice said without any emotion to mark the occasion, the significance.

The lights dimmed, faded, and died. Only Harbringer and the image of Liara repeating, "Do it, Shepard. Do it!" silently illuminated the control center.

Then with a roar that Shepard felt through her feet, run up along her spine and into her teeth a pulse emanated from the Crucible. There was nothing to see, yet a palpable wave passed through her, robbing her of strength and she fell to the floor, biting back a curse against the fresh slam of pain.

Harbringer hovered silently.

Then the world went white.

Across the display running the entire circumference of the control room, out in space, Shepard saw one of their capital ships pause, almost comically hold still then lazily start to roll sideways. A great pulse of white light seared through the cracks that made its body and it was dead. Then another and another. A pause, a great quiver ran along their body, the pulse of white and then just another drifting wreck.

Harbringer turned, looking out at the display then stared down at its destroyer.

From on the floor Shepard grinned up at The Reaper through bloody teeth, "Fuck you."

Harbringer returned their gaze to the destruction of their race and said nothing.

"The cycle continues!" and the deep thunderous roar was almost one of triumph, of exultation.

"What?" Shepard whisper. "You're dying, we're destroying you in fact why are you still talking?"

"As we were the first, so shall we be the last," Harbringer replied calmly."As it should be."

"The cycle is broken," she shouted back at the ancient machine. "I've broken it," and she gestured to the display, showing the battle around them. "We, together, have broken your damned cycle."

"No," Harbringer replied and if anything its voice was now calm. "The cycle will continue. We are your salvation through destruction."

"I'm destroying you!" Shepard screamed. She was so tired, her self-control was cracking at the seams. "I'm destroying you," she slammed her fist on the floor. "I'm destroying you, you son of a-" and she stopped.

Thoughts raced, her eyes flickered to the battle where the remaining fleets were firing with everything they had left at the few active Repears who were still slowly dying, all the ships, from all the races, fighting, dying, together- the combined might of every creature alive in the galaxy were right out there as one force.

Shepard then said, "Whose destruction?"

Harbringer remained silent.

Shepard pressed on, "Whose destruction is our salvation?"

And then Anderson's voice echoed around the control room, "You've done good, child. You've done good."

"Answer me!" Shepard shrieked and she didn't even feel the pain.

"It is irrelevant," The First Reaper intoned. "The victors will harvest from the destroyed and grow stronger so as to face what is. As our time ends your people will harvest us. Learn from us, grow from us. Perhaps you will turn your newfound strength upon each other. That is acceptable. The victors will grow stronger from that still."

"The Crucible, it's your technology isn't it? You seeded it, didn't you? Left it behind for each cycle to discover and improve upon."

"Yes."

"But you harvest them, us!" Shepard shouted back.

"Salvation through destruction," The ancient machine repeated. "One is as good as another."

"I thought we were dust before your cosmic wind," she snarled.

"Shepard," Harbringer said. "You have created a storm. The cycle will continue."

"So...because the galaxy has united itself against you-" Shepard began. "All this death? So many cycles, always ending in genocide for what? So you could create a situation that makes all the younger races suddenly buddies? That's your cycle?"

"There are realms of reality that you do not know," Harbringer said calmly. "And within them are threats, threats we opposed. We stopped them and replenished ourselves, strengthening our numbers and fortifications at the expense of other advanced life that could be harvested; now we will end. The cycle will continue, Shepard, but it is no longer our responsibility to protect this galaxy. That burden is now your own." It took a moment and Harbringer's eyes stared out at the panorama. "All of yours, together. Including your mates'."

Shepard sat upright, "Liara," she breathed.

The Banshees were still there and again Shepard felt that quiet pulse emenate from Harbringer. Again, as one The Banshees obeyed an unspoken command. The one gripping Liara's head released her and they turned and began to stride away. Then one paused and without warning buried both its hands up to the elbows into the the torso of its nearest companion. With a shrill scream the other Banshee shifted through space with a biotic jump ripping its attackers arms off in the process leaving both to collapse with unholy shrieks echoing across the battlefield.

Liara ran. In a heartbeat she was no longer in the image.

"We are losing control," Harbringer stated without inflection. "We are undone, the duty is yours, Shepard."

"What, of protecting the galaxy?" bracing one hand on the console she pulled herself to her feet, hissing against fresh agony, ignoring the heat of her violated flesh against her palm.

"Yes."

"Like you? Like your 'protection'?" she hobbled toward the hologram, thrusting out an accusing finger. "You protected how many races into extinction?"

"Our salvation, their destruction," Harbringer stated with rebuke in their voice. "And then to their salvation in the struggle. One that you will face alone now."

Shepard grit her teeth, 'why can't you just be afraid?' she thought. 'Why can't they all just be afraid, just once I want to see them afraid, not this calm ...dead...cold nothing."

"Die already!" she snarled.

"Soon enough," Harbringer agreed. "We will-"

The room exploded.

A shriek of twisting metal blasted her from her feet and sent her tumbling across the floor, fresh blood stained the deck as she rolled. Behind her the console sparked and began to burn. She could feel the vibrations through the floor as The Citadel groaned.

"Of course," she moaned. "You couldn't have gone quietly."

"Your construction efforts were flawed," Harbringer stated. "The Citadel will survive the weapon's detonation but this area will be destroyed. Return to the beacon, it will return you to your point of origin. We will be waiting."

She stood up again, hobbling, limping toward the door. A pause, she wasted two seconds on a last salute to Anderson, she didn't even glance at where the Illusive Man lay.

'I'm dying,' the thought hammered her.

'I'm dying,' again a hammer blow of despair. She shuffled toward the stairs, it took what felt like forever to make her way down them; one shuffling step at a time, the knowledge that one mistake and she'd tumble head first down them and never stop falling.

'I'm dying,' each step, each limping pathetic shuffle, sent pain lancing across. It felt like she was being ripped apart; deep inside parts of her were giving up and she kept moving anyway.

'I'm dying,' The long hallway packed with the dead was waiting for her. The deep red light, like blood and fire was waiting. She felt their eyes, weighing her, judging her, demanding answers. A violent detonation behind her sent her into a wall; the explosion of agony behind her eyes made her gag and a rivulets of blood went coarsing across her tongue to be vomited on the dead.

'I'm dying,' the beacon was there. A quiet, white illumination glowing in the dark, deep reddish hell of the dead. It lead back to Earth, back home, back to-

"I'm dying, Liara," Shepard spoke the words aloud. "But I'm not dead yet."

A shuffle, dragging one foot slightly, she stepped through the beam.

Liara T'Soni ran

The warbling battle cry of a group of Cannibals keened from the darkness; she shifted to the right and took off again parallel to her original path.

A Marauder stepped out from some rubble and opened fire, with a bust of will a barrier sprung up between her and the incoming fire, deflecting the threat but the strain sent her stumbling. She tried to get up but her legs wouldn't support her, the Maraduer calmly stepped around the obstruction and took aim- and the Cannibals were upon it. A maddening frenzy of the lower echelon Reaper troops took it down in a flurry of violence; their massive gun arms swinging in long arcs bludgeoning the harvested Turian into a shapeless mass and then they began to feast.

Quietly the Asari got her feet under her and darted away from the creatures.

'She did it!' the thought was the only exultation Liara allowed herself. 'I have to get back to beacon, she could be- she might be-'

She hurdled over some rubble, 'Coming,' the thoughts, her thoughts, scattered in direct contrast to her focus- everything left, and more besides, narrowed down to one core absolute: She was going to get to the Beacon.

Husks hurled themselves from the skeletons of broken buildings, she battered them aside with a wave of her hands; the headache that erupted from the effort she ignored with equal disdain. 'Coming, Shepard, almost there. Wait, just wait for me.'

A bellowing roar from off to her right echoed through the shattered streets of London, '

'Brute, slow, stupid, close range combat, Shepard; I'm coming. Easy to avoid, keep moving,' The Asari sped through the broken rubble and bodies; she leaped over the scene of of a one sided battle that had left Alliance personal dead by the score and a handful of Brutes; 'Survivors? No, coming Shepard.'

"Liara, get down!" Her name surprised her, the warning did not, she rolled forward and the shot passed over her head. Something directly behind her roared and the earth shook as something big hit the earth.

"Scoped and drop-" Garrus stopped as she sped by without a glance or acknowledgment that he had probably saved her life.

"She's coming!" Liara shouted.

The Turian dropped his rifle, drew a pistol and ran after the Asari. He didn't need to be told who she was.

The two approached the crater in the middle of which stood the Beacon; a spearhead of white light lancing up through the dark sky. Everywhere there was war. In one part, a circle of soldiers fought in a circle, back to back, cutting down a steady wave of Husks and Cannibals. There a Brute smashed a Banshee to the ground with its massive claw and decapitated it only in turn to be attacked by a Marauders.

"They've gone mad," Garus mumbled. "Shepard did this?"

"Move!" Liara snapped and lept down the hill.

Liara ignored it all, one thought, only one thought, 'Coming, Shepard, wait, wait for me. I'm coming,' over and over again. Hot air grated her lungs, her feet felt like they weighed tons and she kept going.

She reached the light.

Too late.

Shepard curled around herself, arms wrapped around her belly. Something had torn, torn badly and she could feel things sliding around. Edges rubbing up against each other that had not been there moments before. Blood flowed steadily from her guts but she did not let the scream pass her clenched teeth.

She could see the sky.

Where the beam split the clouds apart she could see the stars and between them, streaking downwards were thousands of shooting stars. 'The Reaper fleet,' she realized. 'Just like when we fled Earth only this time they're the ones burning, falling.' Her lips pulled up at the corners.

Her legs wouldn't stop shaking, "So many wishes," she whispered. "Wish upon a star and look at them all. So many wishes can be made now. They're going to live, everyone is going to live and they can make their wishes now." she could barely see the stars now and was too weak to wipe away the salty mixture of blood and dirt that marred her sight.

"So many wishes, why can't I have one?"

And Liara was there. Shepard wasn't surprised.

A flash of an Omnitool and the pain was violently pushed away. She heard Liara's voice, calling out to someone for more medigel. 'It's okay', she thought. 'I got my wish.'

She could hear...something. People, screaming? Orders?

"...say again, Shepard is down. Need priority evac. Dammit, she just saved every living thing that can walk and talk. Get her out of here now!

"Garrus, she's...the bleeding won't stop!"

"I'm out of medi- one second. Who am I? You stupid- Shepard is down! What part of that fails to get through to you?"

"Garrus, talk to me! Hold on, Shepard. I love you, don't. Don't. Don't. Please don't."

Everything was so blurry. "Liara?" she whispered. Or thought she did. There was such a lovely color of blue above her. She thought she could see the stars in the blue. And the shadows deepened. She blinked.

Harbringer towered above her, two kilometers tall, crouching slightly as it settled slowly to the Earth. 'Mm, must be to tired to panic,' she thought. 'Wonder if its going to kill us. Nah, don't really care. Everything is so nice and blue. Soft, warm, blue.'

"Shepard," and she heard that damned voice through her entire brain.

She tried to snarl, tried to spit defiance at the dead but she couldn't even move. Just saw the blue that had two stars and it was raining. Hot, salty rain on her face, behind that lovely, raining blue Harbringer loomed.

"Shepard. You have destroyed us," Its eyes, three great streams of white, hard light pooled around her but she didn't blink.

'Blue protects me, I can sleep in; I love you Blue. Wait, that's not right. Not Blue...what?'

"Shepard, we are you salvation," she smiled. That heavy, awful voice couldn't hurt her, Blue was- 'Not blue. Li- uhm...so tired.'

"Garrus I'm losing her!"

"The shuttle's coming, just keep her-"

"Salvage- Husks!"

"Got you covered- command, we need evac now!"

She kept smiling at the blue, the rain. Some fell on her lips; her tongue lazily flickered. She felt ..something. 'Blue kisses, getting hard to see,' she felt safe.

"Garrus!" she knew that voice. "Don't go, please don't go Shepard. I came, I'm right here, Goddess please. You promised!"

And she could see perfectly. Directly in her line of sight she gazed up at the beautiful, tear stained face of Liara T'Soni and directly behind her, filling the sky overhead was Harbringer. Its eyes casting a halo of bale-white light around her love. And Liara was speaking, her lips were moving but Shepard couldn't hear anything but the shapes of that wonderful, soft mouth was so familiar, they spelled out the words: I love you.

But what Shepard heard was: "We die, we are the last; we were eternal, we were the final answer, we were Harbringer. Now we are dust."

Its eyes turned red, it bellowed. The Asari didn't even flinch, she could see Garrus now. He didn't seem to notice the noise or the Reaper.

And the ancient, ancient, dying machine roared, its voice filled her mind with black agony. She screamed. She screamed at the words, the meaning behind the words, the knowledge that came with the words and everything that followed after.

"You shall never know peace. The duty falls to you now and so you must know, know the duties you are bound too, know the name that you have earned; know your place, Harbringer! Learn," and the pain quantified.

"...She's stopped breathing..."

"Move, move, move!"

"Oh Goddess, please!"

"Liara, get out-"

"Someone get this hysterical blue bitch out of here!"

"Garrus, let go, I have to-"

"They've got her, we have to-"

"No response to stims. Get more gel in that wound'"

"Christ, you could fit a Krogan's fist in that hole."

"Shepard!"

"Get her out of here!"

"You promised!"

"She's flat-lining."

And inside, she kept screaming.