"What happens when we find something out there... Worse than the Flood?... What happens when all of our advancements fail? When our ability to travel between Galaxies, our ability to destroy solar systems, our ability to evolve life and create planets, solar systems, by God even galaxies! What happens when all of this is proven useless?" - Doctor Catherine Halsey to Admiral Pargonsky

Prologue

10 years ago. Earth. The End of the Reaper War.

Katherine Shepard, breathed.

Her body ached. She was tired.

Even so she walked.

With short strides she walked onto a long bridge, her vision restricted to a singular point straight ahead.

Three beams of light lit the end of the bridge, three different colors contorting beautifully.

The first was a white beam of light racing down the middle of the Citadel. The second, to its left, a blue beam of light that acted as a backlight to two power conductors. Lastly the third beam, off to the right of the first beam, a red now with a brilliant glow illuminated another set of power conductors. It shined the same deep red onyx of the Reapers capital ships.

Electricity sparked wildly between the power conductors, adding brief flashes of white to the already contrasting colors.

She continued forward, limping with every step. A flash of pain and her hand clenched her side, blood slowly dripping from it.

Her long red hair was a matted mess, disgustedly tangled as it dropped around her shoulders. Her black armor was scorched, blackened by soot, and smoldering from Harbingers attack; the armor itself was falling apart bit by bit and only held together by the last few atmospheric seals and magnetic locks.

Another sharp pain rolled deep into her chest and she let out a wet ragged cough only to notice the blood it left on her hand.

She groaned.

She had to complete her mission.

She had to stop the Reapers.

It felt like hours passed as she limped forward towards the lights, only the smallest thought entering her mind.

Suddenly a light appeared before her, blinding her for only the briefest of seconds.

A hologram had appeared, a hologram of a young human boy. It looked at her and she barely recognized it. It was the boy in the shuttle, the one who died by the Reapers hand as they invaded Earth. She had watched him die.

The hologram seemed to be studying her, like a scientist examining a specimen under a microscope.

"You are awake."

Shepard didn't respond and instead raised her pistol at him, ready to fire at any moment. She had more than enough reason not to trust anything in this place.

"Name: Katherine Shepard. Species: Human. Greetings. I am the Catalyst," The holograms voice was high pitched like a child's yet held the cold and emotionless undertones of a machine. Shepard stared at him wondering what to say. Thoughts swarmed at the back of her mind trying to remember what it was that felt similar. Finally it clicked and she asked.

"The Catalyst?" It wasn't much, but she had been through hell and back. The last thing she cared about was her first encounter with this machine.

"Yes."

"I thought the Citadel was the Catlyst."

"No. It is simply, a tool."

"And what exactly is it used for?"

"Commander, I control those you have come to call the Reapers. I control them like I control the cycles," His voice was hollow.

Shepard slightly shivered as she remembered what this meant. It meant every the death of every being throughout all the cycles, was his fault. Every. Last. One.

"You're a monster... Why would you do this? What have we ever done to you?" Shepard hissed.

"You? Nothing. Simply put, organics are the Galaxy's biggest threat. All you do is fight and cause strife. They create synthetics and the synthetics rebel. Death and War are all that Organics accomplish. The cycles are the solution to that. The Reapers are the solution," The Catalyst turned away from her and began walking towards the central beam of light.

The Commander slowly limped after him sensing that he wanted her to follow.

"We can change. We just need the chance," She replied sternly.

"Maybe." The Catalyst stopped in its tracks. It turned back towards Shepard. She stopped and looked down at it.

"The fact that you are here Commander shows that organics have changed. No one has ever made it this far. If you can make it here... Maybe organics can indeed change," Shepard could hear the change in the Catalysts voice. It seemed almost hopeful.

"Still though," The Catalyst continued and turned back towards the light. "The cycle keeps you in check. Its my solution. If you win but don't change, my solution will be gone and then what?" His voice was cold again.

"We'll keep on trying. How do you know if you don't give us a chance?" Shepard's voice was confident. The Catalyst turned back to her.

"I will give you three choices Shepard. One you can destroy us and all synthetics, bringing peace to the galaxy, but know that the peace will not last. Two you can control us. Your body will be destroyed and you will never see those you love again, but you will control the Reapers and can do with them what you wish. Or three. You can synthesize organics and synthetics. You can merge them into one being. The final stage of evolution. These are your choices. You should hurry though, I will not wait forever," The Catalysts eyes were still.

Shepard grit her teeth. She quickly thought about each decision. Each one had its own massive repercussions.

She could choose destroy, but killing the Geth off after she earned their trust? After she ended the war between them and the Quarians? She would be the murderer of an entire species.

If she choose to control, the Reapers would be at her disposal. She could use them to rebuild, to help. Again though, who was she to have that kind of power over the Galaxy? Was it really her right to govern everyone with the power of the Reapers?

Synthesize? How could she? Synthetics and Organics were two different entities. If she fused the two, what would happen? She couldn't say. None the less, she didn't have the right. It wasn't her choice to choose for everyone else to evolve or not. That was up to them. Not her.

She was not God, not over the galaxy. The right was theirs to decide, and she would not play this monsters games.

Out of options.

She groaned internally, knowing what her answer would be.

"I chose none," Shepard straightened her stance as much as she could with the lances of pain searing her side.

"None?" The Catalyst looked on in confusion. His eyes flashed red for a brief moment, "Interesting. An organic given all the power in the galaxy and yet she chooses not to wield it," The Catalyst studied her a bit before speaking again. "Protocol has been overwritten. Commander Katherine Shepard has passed the test. Congratulations Commander," The Catalyst turned away and walked toward the beam on the right.

Shepard stared at him baffled. She was completely lost.

"Wait, what?" She asked confused.

The Catalyst ignored her and continued towards the pillars of light.

Katherine limped after him as fast as she could ignoring the searing pain in her side.

"What are you talking about? What test?" She asked frantically. She felt the pain in her body increase rapidly. She knew her body couldn't take much more activity.

"As the eons have passed Organics have constantly showed us that they were plagued. Unable to break free of the cycle of power. Unable or unwilling to change, always choosing the same path. However you choose differently. I had always expected an organic to choose power, but you choose differently… You showed that Organics can change. You have broken the cycle."

Shepard mulled it over. She wasn't sure what to think.

"This is too easy..."

"Of course it is, but rejoice for now the Galaxy is free," The Catalyst walked over to the red glowing onyx pillar.

"And now the Reapers fall." But others will rise... Ones that defeated the masters of the old...

With a wave of his hand, the power conductor flickered and ignited, exploding with a brilliant flash of light.

A red light flashed and the Crucible fired.

Tendrils of red laced across known space.

All across the galaxy the Mass Relays discharged in an explosion.

In the blink of an eye, all the Reapers in the galaxy, were wiped from existence.

Katherine smiled as the Catalyst vanished.

They had won.

Present day. Citadel.

Katherine, brushed her hair behind her ear.

She glanced out the window and to the stars beyond, the Normandy docked behind her at its usual port.

It had been ten long years since the fall of the Reapers. Now, she was the main guest at the Galactic Ball celebrating the Galaxy's victory, held on an annual anniversary. It was a dance, a festival almost, of power, displays, riches, and glory to the Citadel and her allies.

It disgusted her.

Here she was dancing and celebrating while dozens of systems were still trying to rebuild, trying to clean up the mess left from the war.

At first she had refused to come but after much persuasion from Admiral Hackett and Anderson she finally caved in. They explained to her that if the Galaxy were to see its hero, to see her, celebrating the defeat of the Reapers it would give a great morale boost, something they still needed despite their victory. She didn't see how it was necessary but she decided to go along with it. Not like she had much choice.

Surprisingly though, despite her resentments towards it, it didn't bug her that much to go. After the war she had been on dozens of diplomatic and spectre missions, seen and killed so much more than she had ever known she would. She was tired of it.

On top of that all, the Normandy wasn't the same. Almost all of her friends had left the ship. Only Joker, Samantha Traynor, and Legion remained from her old team.

Garrus had left to Palaven to deal with all the civil unrest but he at least sent her emails occasionally. Liara had gone back to Thessia to settle down with a family, Shepard hadn't heard from her in months. Wrex and Wreav had gone back to the Krogan and were settling clan disputes. The others she had no clue. All she knew was that they had all finally left around a two years ago and Shepard had never been lonelier in her entire life.

Letting lose a long need sigh, Katherine made her way down the hall, staring at herself in the glass windows.

Her red hair was curled and longer, though only reaching down an inch below her shoulders. Her face was clean and perfect. Her posture was soft yet commanding, as it should be. Her eyes were a lively green accented by her black eye shadow. Her light blue dress was wavy, and accented the natural curves of her body.

How things had changed.

She continued walking, all the way to the elevator, and got a salute from two guards on the way.

The doors slid open and she made her way inside, pressing the button for her chosen destination.

The elevator jerked to life and shot upward. It seemed that after the war with the Reapers, elevators had gained a tremendous amount of speed. A small victory, but a victory none the less.

The outdoor ballroom was towards the top of the Citadel, on a specific floor designed just for it, exactly where the elevator was taking her.

Shepard was glad she was alone in the elevator. She didn't feel like making small talk with people. Ever since her crew had left she had become more and more confined as the time had went on. Spending so much time alone on missions and being able to trust no one could do that to a person.

Now she even considered herself a recluse. Fortunately, she could still put on a mask when needed.

A minute passed and finally the elevator ringed, signaling her arrival at the ballroom.

The Commander straightened herself and put on the classic and charming Shepard smile, one that could win the attention of any person she wanted. The doors silently slid open and she walked out.

Katherine couldn't help but let her eyes wander around the ballroom. Despite being here eight times before, having missed one year due to the flu and the anniversary ball itself not having started till two years after the war, she couldn't help but still feel amazed at the sight.

The stars and nebula above were dazzling with their different colors and sheer numbers. The Citadels ceiling replicated the sight perfectly. The golden lights twinkled and moved around providing light for the party. The grass, flowers and trees surrounding the area, were alive and abundant. A marble dance floor with a fountain in the middle took up at least three fourths of the area. Long tables with white table cloth and gold embroidery surrounded the lively dance floor.

Dozens upon dozens of people danced on the dance floor, a live jazz band nearby ripping it up to an old human chart called In the Mood.

Dozens of others were sitting at the tables lounging around and conversing carelessly with one another and even then dozens of waiters frantically, yet elegantly, moved about trying to fill the orders of all the tables. At the largest table, right next to the marble dance floor, sat the council and a few Admirals including Admiral Hackett.

Slowly, shepard made her way over to the table. She could see a piece of paper in front of one of the chairs, with the words clearly written on it Reserved: Commander Katherine Shepard.

She passed several dancing Asaris and Turians, almost bumping into a female Krogan before making it to the large table. As she walked over to the chair with her name, the new Asari Councilor, Lithyia, spotted her. She was a jolly and passionate Asari. Warm and friendly, unlike the councilor before her.

"Shepard! So glad you made it!" The councilor greeted loudly.

"Glad that I could make it," Shepard replied with a warm whole hearted lie.

The councilor stood up and moved over to her, embracing Shepard in a long hug. Shepard returned the hug but quickly pulled away.

"Greetings Shepard Commander," Exodus, the new Geth councilor, greeted.

"Exodus," Shepard said with a polite nod. The others around the table greeted her kindly and warmly enough, all telling her to take a seat and order all sorts of different dishes they found tasty.

The greetings were soon over, and the table returned to the topic it had been discussing.

Shepard listened in, only partially, to the conversation about the Krogan's and Turian's relation. Apparently the two were getting along quite nicely. Their urge to be the best and strongest was now almost uniting the two races. Shepard was just glad they weren't ripping each other apart like they wanted to only ten years prior.

She looked around and noticed Ashley Williams dancing in a silky black dress. Her hair was straight and she danced with an Alliance officer. Shepard smiled slightly to herself. It was nice to see an old friend who hadn't changed from everything that had happened. So many others had.

Even she had.

Suddenly a hand placed itself on her shoulder. She had to resist the urge to attack whoever it was for startling her, and turned around to look up at the new company.

"Nice to see you Shepard, but if I didn't know you better I'd say you'd want to hit me for startling you," Garrus smirked. He was wearing the Turians version of formal attire. The Spectre rolled her eyes.

She hadn't seen her friend in a long time, but he was still Garrus. Always making a joke towards her. She decided to play along for a bit.

"If I didn't know you better I'd say you're trying to scare me," Shepard said glaring up at him with a smirk.

"Yeah if you didn't know me better. Too bad you know me better," Garrus grinned. Shepard chuckled and looked back at the table. The occupants were now engaged in a conversation about galactic taxes and the economy, none of them even paying attention to her.

"Wanna get out of here and hit the Purgatory?" Garrus whispered into her ear. Shepard quickly looked around. She figured no one would notice she was gone for a few minutes. A quick drink never hurt anyone.

With practiced ease, she quickly slid out of her seat, "Lets go. If I stay here a second more I might go crazy," and grabbed Garrus by the arm before pulling him away from the table.

They zig zagged through the crowd of people dancing, bumping into several people.

"How've you been Shepard? Its been a long time." Garrus asked over the music. A Krogan bumped into him almost knocking him over. Shepard grabbed him and pulled him away before he could do anything about it.

"It really has been. Too long if you ask me," She replied.

"No kidding. All the soft beds and warm food making you soft yet?"

"No, but you look like you've gained some weight."

"Can't help it. Nothing like a home cooked meal." The two quickly moved passed a kissing couple. "But enough about me. How've you been Shepard? Heard they've been sending you all across the galaxy these days."

"They have been, but I'm fine." She lied.

"Sounds interesting. You know if…" Silence. A silence that covered the entire room.

Shepard looked back at her friends wondering why he had stopped talking.

He was standing still, not even breathing, right in the middle of the dance floor.

"Garrus?" Shepard asked getting closer to him.

That was when she noticed it. He wasn't the only one.

Everyone was still. The music had stopped. Not a person breathed or moved besides herself.

Katherine took a step forward and the lights suddenly went out. She stayed still until her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. She looked around and saw everyone was still frozen.

A chill ran up her spine.

Something was wrong.

"Hello?" She asked spinning around. She could've swore she saw a shadow dash out of sight. She reached under the hem of her dress and pulled out a small side arm.

She had learned years earlier never to go anywhere without a gun, when she had been on a diplomatic mission to Kajhe, the Hanar home world. While she was there a dozen former Cerberus operatives tried to kill her at a dinner while she had been unarmed. She had held out for a few minutes, till the policing force of Drell got there. It was not a fun experience.

Shepard slowed her breathing and scanned the area around her. She held her side arm close to her body, her finger hovering just over the trigger.

"Anyone?" She called out again as she started moving through the crowd.

A swish of the air behind her.

She spun around once more to find was beginning to form on her forehead. She waited a few seconds listening for the slightest sound of any movement. Nothing.

She relaxed and took another step forward.

Shepard... A dark voice chuckled behind her.

It was cold and deep. Unfriendly in every possible way. As hollow as a cathedral. She almost couldn't even comprehend the magnitude of the chill running down her back. Her hairs stood up, her heart raced, her head throbbed, cold sweat began to race down her back like a wild river. Her breath shook as she spun around and raised her weapon.

Again nothing.

What on Earth could possibly make her so unnerved? She had beaten the Reapers. What could be worse?

"Who's there?" She yelled, trying to be frightening. It back fired as her voice only shook. She had literally never been so unnerved. The voice had been so soulless. So cruel. Evil to no end.

I? I am the consequence to all your sins. The reason the Reapers did what they had too. She heard the voice from behind her. She held her breath and spun around again.

A green mist, mixed with a black fog covered the ground. Thick tendrils, swirling through the crowd came towards her.

It is interesting how you are not affected by us... Yet others are. You are special Commander.

It didn't seem like a compliment.

A threat.

"What do you what?" Shepard snapped, a sliver of her confidence returning.

I simply want our destiny to be fulfilled. For my Kin and I to do what they were meant to do. The voice replied.

"And what exactly is that?" Shepard asked with a cracked voice of steel. She was slowly regaining her courage.

Do you think you can stop us? You cannot! You are weak. Useless. Who are you against us? Us who have defeated Gods and Demons? You are an expendable life. To be thrown to the deep pits of oblivion.

The mist swirled over to her and the Commander flashed her biotics ready to fight.

Our time to fight will come Commander. Soon.

She felt something touch her foot. Pale green tendrils slipped out of the mist and wrapped around her entire body. A second voice joined the first.

We shall take everything. For we are everything.

"As if I would let you," Shepard spat, the tendrils tightened around her

You may try... But as the Sun rises, so shall it fall.

"What do you mean?" the Commander hissed straining against the tendrils around her.

Darkness is everywhere.

Shepard blinked and felt her biotics strain, preparing to blast free of her captor, "Not everywhere."

A hallow chuckle.

What you fail to realize Shepard...

The temperature dropped dangerously.

Is that all things, even the light, must come to pass...

Something, a figure in the darkness formed, but covered by fog Shepard couldn't see them.

You can never win.

The figure moved forward towards Garrus and Ashely William's who was frozen nearby.

Something formed in the figures hand.

A flash of light, a gunshot, and then blood.

"No!"

The mist and fog disappeared, the figure vanishing with a sinister laugh.

Shepard fell in a heap to the ground, her skin a multitude paler than before, her heart racing, and her pistol laying in front of her.

It didn't seem real, yet it was.

Then everything unfroze.

"She's been shot!" It was Ashley, on the floor, bleeding.

Katherine stared wild eyed and confused.

Screams.

"Call a medic!"

"She has a gun!"

"Shepard!" Garrus yelled looking towards his friend as security forces pushed through the crowd.

The lights were on again and whatever was there earlier with her was gone.

Shepard tried to get to her feet.

She had no idea what was happening, then a sudden stab of pain in her head and she fell to the floor clutching her head. She let out a blood curtailing scream, and across the stars, billions of lightyears away, a green mist filled the darkness of space.

The time had come.

The end of all things.

And none could stand in their way.

"Had we ever found him we might have stood a chance," Lord Hood during the battle of the Andromeda Galaxy.

A/N (Updated as of 10/06/14) well hey! Hope you enjoyed! This may seem a little paranormal and all, but everything's explained in due time, trust me. So I'm basically revamping this story as of today. I tried my best to tone down this chapter from its supernatural aspect. The next couple of chapters will be kind of crappy with grammar and all that since they were written a while ago when my writing wasn't nearly as good, but I'll be redoing all of that since, I am of today, Revamping this stories earlier chapters. I'll be trying to update them as much as possible but if you notice the quality drop form this to the next chapters, just try to ignore it. I'll do my best to try and revamp them quickly. Thanks for reading and review! God bless you!