Fool's New Journey
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age: Origins and I don't own Persona 3, ya happy now?
Chapter 1: Memories of another life
Tiabael Tabris(1) was having a horrible day. It started out sort of nice, seeing Shianni always made her feel good. But the message that she brought was horrid. Her groom had arrived here early.
She had gotten up and trudged to the basin with a small cracked mirror and made herself presentable, long auburn hair pulled back into a tail, delicate face with a tattoo of a stylized circlet, with a small flame symbol in the middle of her forehead, that her mother had given to her on her twelfth birthday(2), she had told her that it was the Dalish symbol of Fen'harel God of trickery, deception and betrayal, her lips lightly coloured red and the same shade dusting her cheeks. And finally her eyes, a unique red colour that had worried her father.
He had taken her to the Chantry as a babe and had her looked over by the Clerics and Templars, when it was found that she did not have the 'curse' of magic he had returned relieved to the Alienage where he was set upon by his… upset wife.
Now Nelaros, her groom-to-be was a handsome fellow, funny and smart and trained in a profitable profession. He was probably the most any elf could hope for, yet she yearned for the caress of delicate, female fingers on her body.
It was impossible to tell her father, he hadn't been as animated as he was planning the wedding since her mother, Adaia had been killed by the shem guards. It would break his heart that if she had her way, he wouldn't get any grandchildren.
So she wandered around with her slightly cowardly cousin Soris, greeting guests and collecting about half a gold in presents. Oh, and watching Shianni knock out the Arl's son, with a bottle no less! She was about to try to find Valendrian, the Elder of the Alienage when Soris brought something strange to her attention.
Another shem in the Alienage, staring at the Vhenadahl, the Tree of the People. Unlike Vaughan and his cronies, this one was armed and armoured to the gills. But it was her unofficial duty to keep the troublemakers out of the way.
She had approached him after Soris' warning and tried to reason with him, it hadn't worked and just when she was about to get violent, Valendrian had showed up and introduced the shem as Duncan commander of the Gray Wardens of Ferelden, and an old friend of her mother's.
Oh! And made up a story about an elven hero for some children.
After he told the Elder of the impending Blight and inquired about her willing to join the Warden's, which the Elder vehemently opposed, the wedding went underway.
Barely after the Chantry Sister started her blessings Vaughan came back with armed guards and took the female wedding party for his… amusement. She had threatened him, Nelaros called him a 'villain' in a angered voice, to her silent approval, when Vaughan knocked her out, where she had another of her odd dreams.
She had always had odd dreams, while her father cautioned her and cited Chantry rhetoric about demons leading unwary dreamers away, she couldn't help but wonder what was happening. A flash of a odd spear-like weapon, shems fighting strange monsters, a dog with eyes a red as hers, a gruff looking male in a black woollen cap bleeding to death in an alley, or a extremely attractive blonde haired, blue eyed girl looking at her with sad eyes. They never lasted long and only had flashes of things, but this one was different.
DREAM
All the shems, and dog, minus the male with the wool hat, from her dreams were standing on the top of a nightmarish tower watching a different shemlen float into an opening in a green moon. The floating shem looked remarkably like her, if it weren't for the ears, it could have been her. As the shem landed in the moon and fought a yellow, thing, and gained strength from her friends and allies. Tia was transported somewhere else.
A golden statue dominated the scenery of the white void she found herself in, a statue with a barbwire wrapped figure of the girl that was fighting the yellow creature. She was startled when the figure started talking.
"The Time has come then, has it? The time that you would awaken me?" The figure spoke in a voice much like hers except it had a heavy commanding tone to it.
"I-I what? Who are you? Why have I been dreaming of these things?!" Tia said getting more and more panicked.
"Hah hah ha… Who am I? Thou art I and I art thou, from the depths of thy soul I cometh. I am Hamuko Arisato, your predecessor and you are my reincarnation. My knowledge was to be fed into your sleeping mind, giving you my fighting ability… amongst other things. But current events have forced our hand. Take my power, my being, my… Per. So. Na!" As Hamuko said the last word the statue folded into itself until it was a glowing ball of energy, which launched itself into Tia.
"AAAAA-"
END DREAM
"AHHH!" Tiabael screamed lurching into a sitting position, startling the women who were checking on her.
"By the Maker!" They exclaimed. "You gave us a scare there cousin! We were so worried, he didn't hold back when he struck you." Shianni said holding her chest.
"Alright, that shem dies." Tia said pained, holding her head as it throbbed with the memories of S.E.E.S. and the Midnight hour.
"Hah! It's good to see you still have some life left in you." Shianni said, chuckling humourlessly.
"They locked us in here until that bastard is 'ready for us'" Soris' bride, Valora, said.
"Then we need to get out of here." Tia said patting herself to see if she still had her picks, which she sadly didn't.
"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath. The doors are locked and solid, and we're unarmed!" Kallian(3) panicked said.
"Maker keep us, Maker protect us, Maker keep us, Maker protect us…" Nola prayed louder than she was before.
"Great, now this again." Shianni deadpanned.
"Look, we'll… do what they want, go home, and try to forget this ever happened!" Kallian said trying to settle the two hotheads.
"She's right, it'll be worse if we resist." Valora said.
"It'll be worse if we don't!" Shianni exclaimed.
"S-someone's coming!" Kallian yelped.
"If you see an opportunity take it." Tiabael said with a tone of command that the others hadn't heard from her before. Tia was trying to figure out how to adjust Akihiko's fighting style to suite her slender build. Each of the S.E.E.S. members had taught her… Hamuko, how to handle each of their weapons, even Koromaru, strangely enough.
Five armed guards enter the chamber they were being kept. "Hello wenches- we're your escorts to Lord Vaughan's little party." The lead guard ground out in a evil voice.
Nola stood up with a scared look in her eyes. "Stay away from us!" She cried. Immediately the guard that spoke drew his sword and slashed her open, killing her instantly.
"Y-you killed her…" Kallian stuttered out. Any fight that was in any of the girls was lost immediately.
"I guess that's what happens when you try teaching whores some respect." He turned his head to two of his guardsmen. "Now, you grab the little flower cowering in the corner. Horace and I'll take the homely bride and the drunk. You two, bind the last one. She's the scrapper." He said as he and the other three guards took everyone but Tia away.
"Don't worry; we'll be perfect gentlemen. "Said the guard, with the large moustache, who had a gentle voice for someone who was doing what he was.
"Now, you 'eard the captain. Be a good little wench or you'll end up like your friend, there." The clean shaven guard said gesturing to Nola's body.
"Yes, come closer. I'll behave, honest." Tia said in her best 'innocent' voice that had claimed many a mugging target in the past. Moustache had a sword and shield, while clean shave had a mace and dagger. She had no skill with swords nor maces but daggers…
"Tha's right, nice and ea-Hrk!" Clean shaven was interrupted by a fist in his unarmored throat.
Now even a light punch to the throat would at least stun a person. But her's wasn't a light punch, no, it was a trained punch with some Persona strength bonuses added in. So CS (clean shaven) was on his knees grabbing his collapsed throat, suffocating.
"By the Maker!" Moustache said unsheathing his weapons. "I'll gut you for that, knife ears!" His charge for vengeance was not to be though. As he was setting his shield Tia grabbed CS's Dagger from his back and with a practiced throw launched it through Moustaches eye and into his brain.
"Uh…he- What the!?" Soris said as he walked in with a longsword in his hand and a crossbow on his back. He looked from dead guard to dead guard before settling on his cousin. He smiled ruefully and chuckled. "Couldn't let me be the hero, even once, huh? Nooo, you have to take down two trained guards with your bare hands and a stolen dagger!" He exclaimed waving his arms for emphasis.
"Right… er, sorry? Anyway lets go, we have to save the others!" Tia said, wiping brains off of her new dagger on Moustaches shirt. She turned and left, Soris falling to step behind her.
"I can't believe they killed Nola…" He said sadly. "We'll get them back." She claimed.
"That Gray Warden, Duncan, gave Nelaros and me his sword and crossbow, but that's all we had." Soris said handing her the blade, which she accepted with a grimace.
"Oh, Nelaros is here, is he?" She said, not knowing what to feel. She didn't like him, hell she didn't like most males, but here he was risking his life for a woman who had been neutral at best towards him.
Yes, he's the reason we're here. He lost it on those who wanted to 'hope for the best'. I… didn't know what to do." Soris confessed shamefully.
"You're here now, that's what matters." Tia said, happy that her cowardly cousin was here.
"Nelaros is guarding the end of the hall. Let's figure this out with him." Soris said as they entered the kitchen, alerting the cook and his elvish assistant.
"What's this? I don't recognize you, elf! Wait, is that blood?" the cook said going from angry to frightened. "You're bandits! Rebels! Outlaws! The guards will make quick work of 'uunnngghhh'" The cook collapsed as the elf assistant brained him with a pan.
"You've no idea how long that shem's had it coming." The red-haired elf said calmly.
"Have you seen a group of elven maidens?" Tia inquired.
"Yes. Dragged them to Lord Vaughan's quarters, they did. You should hurry if you want to help them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm getting out of here before the storm hits." He said before running off.
They continued on through the kitchen, where she picked up several sharp knives, and the next room before coming to the mess hall, where three off-duty guards where playing cards.
"Were did you get a weapon, elf?" One sneered at them.
"Uh-oh" Soris muttered.
"You better talk quick, scum!" Another said as all three stood.
Tiabael blanked, she had no idea what to say. "Er, I was, um, he was… oh, sod it!" And threw two of her knives into two of the guards' throats, leaving a single guard alive, he didn't make it very far without armour before Soris' crossbow bold found his back.
They moved on, clearing each room they came across of guards, but not searching them yet, they had to find the girls. They came to another chamber with three guards surrounding Nelaros. They had arrived just to see the captain cut him down like he did Nola earlier.
"See? I told you there'd be more. Elves run in packs, like rodents." The captain stated, like this was a lesson.
"Should we keep the knife eared bitch alive?" One of the guards asked.
"They killed our boys. She dies." The captain said as he drew his blade.
A cold rage fell over her as she drew her daggers, one that she got from the gambling guards, her blood soaked wedding dress dragged along the ground and her mother's boots were squelching with each step she took. But none of that mattered the bastard that killed her friend and her affianced was standing there, assured in his victory. She started walking, then jogging, then running at them, silently, not a word nor sound escaping her.
The guards were laughing as the knife-ears rushed them, she was aiming to run right down the middle! Passed two blades and into the third, it was absurd!
What they didn't know was that she had switched her persona, from the relatively low-levelled Ganga to the stronger Thatanos. When she engaged the three, at the same time, she was able to dodge and parry the three's weapons with ease. With Soris picking his shots from the side it wouldn't take long.
"Sod!" "What is she?!" "She's possessed!" Were the last thing any of them said as they fell to blade and bolt. As the last fell, Soris knelt by Nelaros' corpse.
"Nelaros… I'm so sorry." He said, sorrow in his voice.
"He died… to save me?" She said, more confused than anything.
"Then let's make sure it wasn't in vain!" Soris declared getting to his feet, determination in his eyes.
As they were about to leave a small envelope fell from Nelaros' vest. Tia opened it and gasped at the content; a small ring forged from scraps of gold, likely from his job at the Highever forges. But the shocking part, were the two blue cards, both predominantly blue but one with a lighter blue cup on it and the other with a red sword. These, were how she stored her healing items and weapons/armour respectively, or how Hamuko did, in the Tartarus tower.
"How… did he get these? How did they get here?!" She said as she examined the content most of her weapons were there, the knives were missing for some reason. And most of the armour were there as was well, minus the specialized ones for each member. There was something new in the Sword card, something she didn't put in it. Something she was salivating over, a gun, an Evoker…
Her shoulders shook with evil laughter as she held the gun. "Soris! I going to try something, try to keep up." She said as she held the gun up to her head and fired three separate times. "Marakukaja! Matarukaja! Masukukaja!" She called summoning three personas and raising their defence, attack and agility.
"I, whoa, what? Y-you're a-a-a-a-n Ap-p-postate!?" Soris shouted as he felt the magic seep into his body. (4)
"Yes, I guess I am, huh? Listen! We have to save the others, cower after we finish!" She shouted back and rushed out of the room. Continuing her rash of destruction, now much faster.
Soris finally got over his shock and caught up to her in front of Vaughan's door. "Let's do this cousin, you have some explaining to do." He said as he adjusted his grip on the crossbow. She nodded and opened the last door to be greeted by a sight that would haunt their nightmares.
Shianni, naked, struggling and tied to the bed with a pants-less Vaughan approaching the bed. He stops when the door opens and ties a sheet around his waist when he sees who's entered.
"My, my. What have we here?" Vaughan drawls.
"Don't worry; we'll make short work of these two." Jonaley says smugly.
"Quiet, you idiot! She's covered with enough blood to fill a tub. What do you think that means?" Vaughan says panicked.
"It means that all your guards are dead." Tia says with an Evil Smile.
"All right, let's not be too hasty here. Surely we can talk this over…" Vaughan stammers, effected by the smile.
"If you have something to say, say it." Tia drawls out bluntly, crossing her arms.
"Here's our situation. You are skilled, obviously. We fight here, perhaps you could even manage to kill us…" He turns to stare at a portrait of his father. "My father won't let that go. Your pigsty of an alienage will be burned to the ground. Or you turn and walk away… with forty sovereigns added to your purses. You take that money and leave Denerim tonight. No repercussions, and you can go wherever you like." Vaughan said with a superior smile plastered on his face.
"And the women, will you let them go?" Tia said, considering the offer.
An ugly sneer crosses his face. "The women stay. They'll go home tomorrow, slightly worse for wear, and you'll be long gone. That's the deal take it or leave it."
"I'm going to enjoy killing you" Tiabael said, shaking with rage.
"Bah! I always regret talking to knife-ears! Now I'll just gut your ignorant carcasses instead!" Vaughan screams, drawing his blade.
With a fight shorter than the guard captains, but the same tactics, stupid shem lords not wearing armour. They fell.
"He… he's dead. Tell me we did the right thing, cousin." Soris panted out.
"What's important is that Shianni's safe" Tia said placatedly.
"I-I'll check on the back room for the others. Shianni needs you." Soris said before running to check on the others.
Tia cuts her bonds and wraps Shianni in blankets. "D-don't leave me alone… please… please take me home." She says before braking down into sobs.
"Everything is going to be alright." Tia says, slightly awkwardly. The only experience that she has in this situation was when Yukari was surrounded by punks, and Yukari had yelled at her… Hamuko, for saving her.
"So much blood. I… I can't stand to look at it. It's… everywhere. You killed them, didn't you? You killed them all?" She asked in a small, hopeful voice.
"Not just them, Shianni, everyone that hurt you." Tia responds calmly.
"Good, good." Shianni says before passing out from the stress.
Soris and Valora come out of the back room. Valora looks at Shianni with concern. "Is… she going to be alright?" She asks.
"I hope so, we got here before the bastard could do anything." Tia responds savagely.
"Er, we should go, soon, as in now!" Soris says, his gaze flicking from object to object.
"Yes, I've had enough of this place for a lifetime." Tia agrees, nodding her head and cradling Shianni in a 'princess carry'.
"I'll take the rear guard. I can't wait to leave this place." Soris says as he gets behind the group of women.
BACK AT THE ALIENAGE…15 MINUTES LATER
The returning group was met by what seemed like the entire alienage, led by Valendrian and Duncan.
"You have returned. Has Shianni been hurt? Where is Tormey's daughter, Nola?" Valendrian greeted them, and inquired about their wellbeing.
"Nola didn't make it, she resisted and.." Valora broke down crying. "They killed her." Finished a now awake Shiani.
"Nelaros too, the guards killed him." Soris informed the Elder.
"I see. Would the rest of you ladies please take Shiani home? She needs rest." The Elder asked. The girls nodded as the led Shiani to your home.
"Now tell me what happened?" Valendrian asked with a seldom heard edge to his voice.
"Vaughan's dead." Tia stated bluntly. Causing the Elder to wince.
"Then the garrison could already be on their way. You have little time." Duncan informed them.
Looking to Soris Tia said. "We may need to leave Denerim for a while." Causing him to nod. But before they could leave an elven youth came running up.
"The guards are here!" He shouted when he reached the Elder.
"Don't panic. Let's see what comes of this." Valendrian advised.
A troop of guards made there way to the center of the crowd where they were.
"I seek Valendrian, elder and administrator of the alienage." The silver-bearded captain of the guard shouted.
"Here, captain. I take it you have come in response to today's, disruption?" The Elder said smoothly.
"Don't play ignorant with me, Elder. You will not prevent justice from being done. The Arl's son lies dead in a river of blood that runs through the entire palace! I need names, and I need them now!" The captain announced to the milling crowd.
Looking across the gathered elves, Tiabael suddenly stepped forward. "It was my doing." She said calmly and clearly.
Now, her plan was to stay silent but she saw that bitch Elva about to shout out. So it would have been either herself and Soris at the gallows or just her, the choice was obvious.
"You expect me to believe one woman did all of that?" The captain said, not quite as disbelieving as he would have been if she had changed out of her wedding dress that was now red with blood from just below her breasts to her feet. She was still dripping too.
"We are not all so helpless, captain." Valendrian said rather smugly.
"You save many by coming forward. I don't envy your fate. But I applaud your courage." The captain says with respect tingeing his voice. He turns back to the crowd. "This elf will wait in the dungeons until the Arl returns. The rest of you, back to your houses!" He shouts.
"Captain, a word, if you please." Duncan says stepping forward.
"What is it, Gray Warden? The situation is well under control, as you can see." The Captain says with worry.
"Be that as it may, I herby Invoke the Gray Warden's Right of Conscription. I remove this woman into my custody." Duncan informs the guard calmly.
But for Tia it was a different situation, elation bubbled in her chest. "Ha! You here that? You can't touch me!" She yells joyously.
"Son of a tied down- very well, Gray Warden; I cannot challenge your rights, but I'll ask one thing: Get this Elf out of the city. Today." The captain requests.
"Agreed" Duncan says.
"Now I need to get my men out on the streets before this news hits. Move out!" The captain bellows to his troops.
"Your with me now. Say your goodbyes, and see me when you're ready. We leave immediately." Duncan tells her.
"But what will happen here?" She asks with worry for her people.
"For the moment they are fine. There are far more important matters arising that endanger more than just your people." Duncan chastises lightly. "I needed a Gray Warden and I found one. That conscripting you saved your life is only circumstance. You did what you had to do to accomplish your mission. We need people like you. Now quickly, say your goodbyes. Your life here is over." Duncan instructed her before turning away.
Soris was the first for her to talk to, mainly because he was right beside her. "Thank you. You really saved my hide back there…" He thanked her.
"I did what was right." She tries to brush his thanks off. Didn't work.
"As you always do. Well, I'd like to follow your example. No more daydreaming, I'm settling down. Valora's a good woman, and she has ideas on making life better for everyone here. The Elder had the woman take Shiani back to your place, will you see her before you go?" Soris said. Now standing straight were he was always slouched. He just grew up before her eyes.
"Of course."
"Good luck, cousin. You've been my hero since we were kids. It's just official now. And…you don't have to worry about the, you know, I'll keep it under my hat." He says slightly embarrassed.
After Soris, Valendrian approaches her. "Well, looks like Duncan got his recruit after all." He says slightly miffed.
"There's a whole world out there you know?" She responds.
"Indeed. It only saddens me that it has taken this for you to find it. If you'll excuse me, I must tend to our people. Goodbye, young one, and Maker keep you." With a final embrace he turns and disappears in the crowd.
She finds her father outside their home, looking saddened. "If… this is what the Maker has planned for you, then I guess it's for the best. Your mother would have been pleased." While his words are sad, she couldn't help but feel proud that she was emulating her roguish mother.
"I hope so." Saying a prayer of the dead in her mind, multiple now; Shinto, Dalish, even Greek and Norse that she, Hamuko had learned researching about her Personae and the most surprising for an elf with a Dalish mother, the Maker's blessing. She had no problem with the Maker itself, it was the chantry and the priests that were the problem.
"Take care, my girl. Be safe. And wise. And… well, you know, we'll all miss you." He says hugging his daughter.
Entering her home she is greeted by Valora. "There you are… thank you. For me, for Soris, for everything!" She thanks Tia profusely.
"Don't worry about it." Tia says with a smile.
"If I can ever to anything to repay you, I will." Valora pledges. "Shiani seems to have regained herself. I'll leave you two alone. Good luck, and thank you again." She says as she leaves the house.
Shiani was waiting by their beds. "You took all responsibility for what happened. You're amazing, you know that?" Shiani whispers to you, with awe evident in her voice.
"How are you holding up?" Tia asks her. Trying to deflect the praise.
"I'm all right. I'd be much worse if you had gotten there any later, as it is Vaughan only roughed me up a bit. *sigh* I love you cousin. Make us proud out there." Shiani says into her shoulder as they hug.
"Love you to, Shiani." Tia mumbles back.
"Maker watch over you." Shiani says as she sits on her bed.
Meeting back up with Duncan he informs her that there has been a change in plans. "Before we set for Ostagar we have one more recruit to collect. We leave for lake Calenhad, immediately." Duncan says as you both leave the alienage, and Denerim.
A/N So, yeah. This is my solution to the lack of Persona and Dragon Age crossovers. I know I suck at writing, hell I haven't wrote anything at length since high school and that was… a long time ago. So feel free to give a couple hints or whatever. Byes!
(1) Tiabael came from a elven name chart online, Tia=Magic Bael=Guardian
(2) third from the right in the dalish tattoo selection, no descriptions of the meanings are giving so I picked one out for the god.
(3) now even the Wiki doesn't know the name of the messy-haired dark brown-skinned elf, they call her bridesmaid #1, so I do dub her Kallian.
(4) Making it so only mages can see the Personae themselves, templars can see a rapid increase of magic but nothing else.