Chapter Text
“Ah we have a visitor! Some foolish little boy comes to steal what I kindly lifted from his shoulders. You should have thanked me and left your fear where it lay, forgotten. You think that pain will make you stronger? What fool filled your mind with such drivel? The only one who gets stronger from your fears is Me. But you are a guest here in my home, so by all means, let me return what you have forgotten.” A deep voice boomed through the air as Ashton and his companions fought through wisps and shades.
Gues this Nightmare wasn’t such hot sh*t after all.” Bull laughed as Ashton found the flowers for the puzzle that Chance had found earlier. HE looked at the giant Qunari and smiled weakly.
“Surely these are but the Nightmare’s minions.” Cassandra echoed through the now silent area.
“Just let me have tis moment to hope, all right?” Bull complained.
“So, Bull, are you anxious to get back to Rose?” Chance asked.
“Yep, and leave all these demons behind and go back to fighting Venatori and Red Templars.” Bull laughed.
“Yeah, Alistair will be waiting for me.” Sasha smiled as they gathered at the stairs.
Ashton frowned as they headed up the stairs. “Max and Drake are waiting for me. And I will not let anyone keep me from them.”
Suddenly Ashton stopped, two little boys were sitting in the middle of the walkway. He approached them. “Max…Drake?”
The two boys turned around. Ashton choked back a sob and backed away. “No! This cannot be.” Ashton said as he fell on the ground.
“Ash! What’s wrong?” Chance said.
“Y…yo…you cannot see them?” Ashton pointed at the two boys, red lyrium growing out of their skin.
“I only see a…wow that’s a big spider?” Hawke said. Dorian set it on fire. Ashton watched as the two boys dissolved into a gooey mess.
Ashton closed his eyes. “I need to get out of this f*cking place.” He gripped his bow tightly as he opened his eyes and continued along the line. There was red lyrium all around and a burnt corpse in the middle of the walkway.
“What is that?” Cassanda asked. Ashton approached it and looked at a small paper that was attached to it. As soon as he touched the paper the body exploded, and a rage demon materialized from it. Dorian quickly froze it as Cassandra and Bull slammed into it killing it.
“You know, ever since Arizona taught us that trick, Rage demons don’t last very long.” Dorian commented as he followed Ashton up the stairs.
“Perhaps I should be afraid, facing the most powerful members of the Inquisition.” The Nightmare’s laugh voice boomed echoing off the walls. “The Qunari will make a lovely host for one of my minions. Or maybe I will ride his body myself.”
“I’d love to see you try.” Bull growled.
Ashton saw another group of burnt bodies. Again, just as before when he touched the paper, rage demons exploded out of the bodies.
“Dammit, Ash stop touching things.” Chance yelled as He and Sasha took out one of the three rage demons.
Ashton didn’t say anything as he took aim at the one Stroud and Justin were fighting. His arrow hit the demon, stunning it. A wisp materialized behind him. “Behind you Ashton!” Cassandra called as she charged toward Ashton. Ashton whirled around and pulled out his daggers. He stabbed the wisp and flipped away from it.
As the last demon fell the Nightmare’s voice came again, “Greeting’s Dorian…It is Dorian, isn’t it? For a moment I mistook you for your father.”
“That was rather uncalled for.” Dorian said, more annoyed than scared.
“Warden Hawke, how does it feel to always be overshadowed by your brother? He is a champion while all you are is a Warden.”
“Can you please just shut up?” Carver growled as they headed back the way they had come.
At the bottom of the stairs more demons spawned. “I’m so tired of fighting Demons. When we get home, you should see about getting that arcanist Cullen and Leliana are recommending you get. Maybe they can make some demon slaying runes.” Chance said as he pulled his sword from another Rage Demon.
Ashton huffed a laugh as he put his bow on his back.
“You Inquisitor is a fraud, Cassandra. Yet more evidence there is no Maker, that your faith has been all for naught. He will find out about your shortfalls and abandon you, taking his two boys with him back to the Free Marches, leaving you to die alone.”
“Die in the void, Demon.” Cassandra quietly sneered.
Ashton looked over his shoulder at her. She blushed as she felt his eyes on her. He turned back to the path ahead and took a left and headed down another path.
“Did you think you mattered, Hawke? Did you think anything you ever did mattered? You couldn’t even save your city. How could you expect to take down a god? Isabela is going to die, just like your family, and everyone you ever cared about.”
“Well, that’s going to get tiresome quickly.” Hawke muttered.
“Smaller fears, I would wager, scavenging whatever the Nightmare leaves behind.” Dorian said as they pushed forward. Cassandra suddenly stopped when they noticed Ashton wasn’t with them.
“Where’s Ashton?”
Everyone stopped and looked around. “He was right here!” Chance said.
“Wait here. I’ll backtrack and see if I can find him.” Cassandra said as she ran back the other way. She went around the corner and found Ashton sitting on the ground.
“Ashton?”
“Why cannot you guys see them?”
“See who?”
“The bodies. They’re infected with red lyrium. Drake, Max, Zona, Hunt…” Ashton’s voice faded as he ended the sentence and looked at his hands. “I keep seeing them.”
Sasha came up behind Cassandra. “The Nightmare is using your fears against you. I saw Fergus and Alistair corrupted with the Blight.”
“I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Ashton whispered.
“Ashton, the only way we can stop these visions is to get out of the Fade.” Cassandra said.
“She’s right, Ash. Zona, Hunter, Max and Drake are all fine. They are out in the waking world…waiting for you to return.” Chance said Looking down at Ashton.
“What do you see, Chance?” Ashton asked quietly.
“My family…walking like corpses. But Ash, they are just demons using your fears. You treasure your family, and the demons contort them to use them against you. Like Sasha said.”
“We need to get moving and put an end to the Nightmare to stop them. So come on. We cannot do this without you.” Sasha and Cassandra reached down and pulled Ashton back to his feet.
Ashton nodded and headed to where the others were waiting. They came to another clearing with the Divine standing there.
“The Nightmare is closer now. It knows you seek to escape. With each moment, it grows stronger.” The Divine said as wisps showed up.
The team quickly took out all the wisps and Ashton went to each floating orb to collect the memories.
“The Demons!” The divine’s voice rang out with the first memory orb. Ashton quickly ran to the next orb and retrieved the next orb. “Keep running!” His own voice rang out as Ashton ran to the next orb. “Go” the divine cried. With the fourth one, Ashton sunk to his knees as the world went white.
“This is the breach back in Haven.” Ashton said as they watched him climb up a long stairway. “that’s how we, how I escaped.”
The Divine was standing at the top reaching out for Ashton. As Ashton got closer, she grabbed Ashton’s hand and helped him onto the platform.
“The Demons!” The Divine yelled as Ashton, and she ran to a rift. Ashton glanced over his shoulder at the Demons chasing them. They were gaining on the divine. “Keep Running.” He called out to the Divine. He whirled around when he got to the rift when he heard the Divine gasp. He reached out and grabbed her hand as the Demon’s clawed at her. She looked at him quickly said “Go!” as the demons pulled her away from him. Ashton watched in horror as more demons advanced on him. He hesitated for a minute but turned and ran into the rift.
As he ran through the rift the world went white and faded back to the green of the fade again.
“It was you.” Ashton said looking at the Divine. “They thought it was Andraste sending me from the Fade, but it was the Divine behind me. And then you…she died.”
The Divine slowly looked at him and nodded, “Yes.”
“So, this creature is simply a spirit.” Stoud said quietly.
“You don’t say.” Justin said irritated.
“I am sorry if I disappoint you.” The Divine said as she transformed into a brightly glowing figure and floated up.
“Are you her? Did you stay behind to help me?” Ashton asked watching the spirit float above them.
“If that is the story you wish to tell, it is not a bad one.” The spirit said.
“What we do know is that the mortal Divine perished at the temple, thanks to the Grey Wardens.” Hawke snarled.
“That’s not fair, Hawke.” Sasha said stepping up next to stroud.
“As I said, the Grey Wardens responsible to that crime were under the control of Corypheus.” Stroud retorted.
“We can discuss this further once we return to Adamant.” Carver said stepping next to Sasha.
“Assuming that the Wardens and their demon army didn’t destroy the Inquisition while we were gone.” Hawke snorted.
“Oh, for f*ck’s sake. Sweet Maker! Shut the f*ck up all of you. You can f*cking argue once we’ve escaped from the giant fear demon.” Ashton snarled.
“Inquisitor…” Stroud said looking at something over Ashton’s should. Ashton whirled around and saw his entire family including himself advancing on them. All of them were infected with Lyrium.
Ashton closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “f*ck…let’s put them down. Quickly!”
Ashton shot arrow after arrow at the demons. “They are only demons; they are only demons.” He kept muttering as he fought. “Please, maker just give me regular Demons. I cannot keep fighting these.”
“I suppose we should follow the Divine. Whatever she is, she is our way out of here.” Dorian said as they walked along the path.
“Warden Stroud. How must you feel to devote your entire life to the Wardens, only to watch them fall? Or, worse, to know that you were responsible for their destruction. When the next Blight comes, will they curse your name?”
With the maker’s blessing, we will end this wretched beast.” Stroud said as he fought more demons.
“Warden Cousland…”
“Do your worst Demon, it won’t work.” Sasha snarled before the Demon could finish his taunt.
The demon laughed. “Arizona will never find a cure for the taint in your blood. You will never have any children of your own and Alistair will find a better lover, perhaps Arizona will accommodate him.”
“f*ck you, Demon.” Sasha snarled.
“Zona will never sleep with Alistair. She has Cullen, Demon.” Ashton snarled as he put his dagger through a shade.
Everyone followed the path towards what looked like a barrier.
“Do you think you can fight me? I am your every fear come to life!” The Nightmare taunted. I am the veiled hand of Corypheus himself! The demon army to ear? I command it. They are bound all through me!”
“Ah so if we banish you, we banish the demons. Thank you, every fear come to life.” The Divine said.
The Nightmare roared in rage as the Divine dispersed the barrier blocking the way.
Ashton and his team ran along the path.
“Arizona?” A female voice said.
Arizona opened her eyes and found herself standing in a field of flowers. “Where am I?” she asked softly.
“Where do you think you are?” A woman asked from the distance.
Arizona looked around. “I…I’m in the fade.”
A tall woman formed in front of Arizona and beckoned her to follow.
Arizona followed the woman to a small pool near a river.
“Your brother has been here before. We have spoken a couple times. I wanted you to see something. I know you care greatly for Ashton.” The woman stopped and turned to look at Arizona.
“Of course I do. He is my twin brother.” Arizona said.
“I know and he loves you just as much. Look.” The woman said smiling. She pointed to the pool of water. Arizona looked. Small ripples began at the center and slowly spread revealing a green landscape.
Arizona gasped when she saw Sasha, and Cassandra fighting a Pride demon. She saw a fire spell enter the picture and then arrows. The Pride demon went down on one knee and Ashton went charging in with his daggers drawn. He climbed the pride demon and stabbed it in the neck.
“He’s alive!” She gasped.
“Yes, and he will be coming through the main rift in the center of the fort.” The woman said as Ashton and the team went further up the path. “He promised two young boys that he would always return to them. That will give him the courage to face the Fear Demon that has been plaguing all Thedas.”
Arizona looked up from the pool and looked for the woman but there was no one there. “Thank you for showing me this.” She said to the air.
A warm breeze blew across her. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she was back in the command tent with Cullen pressed to her back. She turned in his arms.
“He’s alive and coming home.” She whispered against Cullen’s bare chest.
Cullen smiled as he felt her breath against his chest and she muttered something. He couldn’t make out what she said but he was pretty sure she had said something about home.
