Disclaimer: I just have me and my OCs, 'kay?

A/N: Okay, let's see…

Stilphyell: Aw, I'm not that great, but thanks, I'll do my best! That part was so embarrassing, too!

Hopelessly Blue: I have to agree with you entirely! I can't stand wearing that stuff…

Oh, right, I was shot, wasn't I? Well then, let's continue, shall we?

My eyes slipped open slowly as consciousness returned to me. I found myself to be floating in the air, over an occupied hospital bed. I looked down and saw all of my friends who had been with me that night and my 'parents' (I was adopted) and some other parents, all sitting around the room. I moved my gaze to the bed and saw myself, seemingly alive.

My face was calm and my skin was colored normally. Seconds after I realized this, my eyes slowly slid open and scanned the room, taking in everyone's down turned faces. They all looked like they were praying or something.

"Why the long faces?" I asked, smirking a bit as everyone jumped and immediately started the routine scolding and such of an injured person. I studied myself carefully and saw that she was exactly like I was in her behavior and movements; even her words were the same. I watched for a while and began to wonder what I was supposed to do if I was no longer in my body, apparently replaced by a clone.

A few seconds after I began to ponder such thoughts, I suddenly found myself staring at a winged being. She was beautiful and positively ethereal in every sense of the word. I regarded her slightly passively, but I was definitely keeping myself from staring. She kind of glowed.
She gave me a sense of serenity and safety; something I couldn't say I'd ever really felt before. She regarded me and smiled, an all-new wave of ease flooded me. I felt as if she were there to guide me somewhere, but I wasn't sure where.

"Are you at ease?" she asked, her voice smooth and serene. I furrowed my brows slightly and looked back down to those below me.

"If I can rest, yet still protect those I care for… then yeah, I'd say so." I answered, gesturing to the me below myself when I said I could still protect them. She smiled as if relieved, but I really couldn't tell for sure.

"I am afraid you will be unable to rest at this time, young one." She responded, looking slightly sympathetic, if anything. I was a little confused, but I wasn't sure what she meant by what she said. I looked back at her and gave a confused look, not sure what to think.

"Where are we going, then?" I asked, smiling at the thought of adventure. She took my hand and began to fly upward, taking me somewhere.

The next thing I knew, we were in some kind of plain. It was a place that made me feel at rest; completely aware. I felt as if I sensed… everything. It's hard to explain, but the closest I could come, is feeling like I was one with the Force; as cheesy as that may sound. I looked to the angel, waiting for whatever to happen.

"You must return to your birthplace; your true home." She smiled once again as if proud of me for some reason. I still had no idea what she was talking about, but before I could say anything or react in any way, darkness overtook me once more.

"Commander, I find this ruin fascinating!" Liara exclaimed, staring in wonder at the giant, seemingly abandoned, ruin in front of the ground team. Shepard smirked at the pure excitement in the young asari's expression and began to lead the way into the ruin.
Just as she got to the entrance though, she felt a strong, territorial presence overtake her; it was as if it regarded her as a trespasser. She steeled herself and took a step across the threshold. The instant her foot hit the ground, a loud, aggressive roar echoed throughout the ruin, sending chills down her spine. It felt as if the roar was far away though; like it was an echo of something that happened in another time. Shepard never really liked ethereal specters and spirits, that was for sure.

"Commander; I can't scan this- anything." Garrus stated in annoyance, shutting down his Omni-tool. She shrugged, unable to be shocked by such news; this ruin was so old, it had sunken into the ground by at least a few feet. The real kicker was the fact that this enormous structure was nothing like what the Protheans built- even it's material was completely unknown.

"This place is creepy." Ashley's voice echoed through the countless corridors and unyielding walls, the effect only accenting the statement. Shepard knew something… tangible was here; a presence or, as their voices, echoes of a long forgotten time. Her philosophical side made her wonder what could've been here so long ago; what they looked like, what they sounded like. What was their culture?

"I feel it, Shepard. This place has a dark story." Wrex's voice rumbled, his own echoing voice merciless in the quiet ways. It was louder than normal echoes should've been, but then again, he was a Krogan.

"What do you mean, Wrex?" she asked, still in the lead, looking everywhere for what could be there.

"I can sense darkness here; it's a forbidden place. This was a prison." He explained, sounding completely convinced. His confidence in the notion was enough for Shepard to consider the idea, but she wasn't sure what to make of it. The way this place was built, it seemed as if it were made specifically for sturdiness; there were no signs of degrading or age- it just looked abandoned. But the ruin itself was certainly older than anything in existence; that had been artificially made, of course.

"How the hell can you sense something?" Ashley wondered, obviously skeptical of the battle master. He growled in annoyance, but answered calmly enough.

"Because my instincts are stronger than yours, human." He retorted, displeased with her ignorance. There wasn't any response, so Shepard figured it wasn't a problem.

After literally hours of exploring the ruins and getting perfectly lost, the group found themselves in the center of the structure. It was a humungous room, the walls glowed along with the floor, there were symbols everywhere and several pillars in the very middle of the cavernous room. They reached to the ceiling, a strange glow emanating throughout the entire room; it seemed as if the strange presence was focused in on this place. A guard, perhaps.

Shepard made her way as the rest of the ground team fanned out behind her, covering the ground and scanning everywhere for the possible threat. Once at the pillars, Shepard noticed they were situated around a platform hovering about a foot from the ground, also glowing. She stepped slowly onto the platform and noticed it didn't move.
Shepard approached the main pillar, her gaze trained on it; it was the largest and most intimidating of the structures. She felt drawn to it as if in a trance, and snapped herself out of it, only to get pulled right back in. There was something about the pillar that seemed to call to her; dare her into getting closer. She did so, and soon, she was face to face with it.

"What is this…?" she muttered, touching her hand lightly to the surface of the pillar. Instantly, the pillar started to hum, lighting up as if coming alive. Shepard tried to remove her hand, but found herself unable to; her body wouldn't respond to her mind's screaming to get away.

Suddenly, the pillar flashed brightly and the symbols on the walls- even the ethereal glow slid into the pillar. It absorbed everything as a collective heartbeat thundered throughout the structure, life seemingly existent in the ruin. Shepard barely registered the others running to try and help, but it was apparent there was a shield surrounding the platform.

Just as the last of the glowing symbols seeped into the pillar, the heartbeat slowed and the glowing focused in on the inside of the pillar. Shepard's hand was released and she stumbled backward as the front of the thing faded. As it faded completely away, Shepard could see a young woman inside of it! Just then, everything stopped- even the presence seemed to disappear.

Shepard slowly approached the seemingly sleeping being with caution, unsure as to what it truly was. Sure, she looked human, but there were differences. Her hair was crimson red, she had strange armor that was unlike anything she'd seen, and she was found in a millennial old ruin. The young woman's face wasn't quite one of peace, but it lacked the aggressiveness expected of what could very well be a prisoner. She had very sharp, distinctive features; a seemingly humorless being.

Shepard reached out and stroked the woman's cheek as if to make sure she wasn't a hallucination. The only problem was, as soon as her fingers met the woman's skin, a jolt of electricity ran through her body. Shepard pulled back and tried again, this time meeting little effect to her body. Seemingly sensing Shepard's intent, the pillar's front completely faded to show the rest of the being's body, leaving her to fall into Shepard's stable grip.

"She's the prisoner, Shepard!" Wrex growled, seemingly cautious of the young woman. Shepard had a feeling he was right, but said nothing as she picked the girl up and began to lead the way back outside.

A/N: Hm. I felt like that could've been better… Oh, well, I'll do my best to continue in a way suitable to the awesome characters of ME, if you promise to review, 'kay? Well, I won't force you, it's not like I could, but reviews or PMs are deeply appreciated. ;)