Horribly Wrong – Chapter 2

Author's Note: Remember when I said this would be a 1-shot. I lied. Also, thanks for the reviews and favorites and stuff! You all make me feel loved! Sorry it takes me so long to write chapters, I'm horribly unorganized and lazy.

Disclaimer: The characters, places and things of the Dragon Age universe do not belong to me. If they did, Alistair would live at my house and Zevran would be in a collar.

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Nelia sat on her bed, one hand absently stroking the hair of the boy who was currently using her lap as a pillow, listening to Morrigan. "He was talking by the time he was a year old then?"

Arms folded, Morrigan paced back and forth next to the bed. "You have no idea how irritating that little brat can be. He was bad as an adult, that is true… but as a child, it's almost as though he is putting all his energy into pissing me off."

"You'd do it too if you were me." Alistair spoke from where he lay. "You knew about how I did not like you… if you had just listened to me four years ago, then you could have been rid of me and we'd all be happy." As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around Nelia's back.

Morrigan paused in her pacing, blinking at the two. "Alistair… I'm aware of just how much you missed Nelia... but don't you think your current position is a little uh… inappropriate?"

"I'm six. I don't know any better." Alistair looked up just long enough to stick his tongue out at Morrigan, and then buried his head back in Nelia's lap.

Nelia, who was choosing to ignore the two, sighed. "Tell me, exactly what happened from your point of view Alistair?"

Morrigan, sensing defeat, plopped into a nearby chair. "Start at the fight on Fort Drakon, she'll need to know what happened there too."

Alistair rolled to the side and sat up, legs folded beneath him. "Hmm, Fort Drakon… ok, remember the part where I grabbed the sword and ran in swinging?"

Leaning back against the headboard, Nelia watched Alistair as he spoke. "I do. You pierced its head and a beam of light burst out of it and surrounded you, then branched off and hit Morrigan." She looked suddenly sad. "And that's when you died."

Alistair scooted closer to Nelia and placed a small hand on her knee. "Yes… well what happened there was the light that hit me was the soul exiting the Archdemon. As soon as it touched my body it spoke inside my head, I told me that it saw the plan to transfer it into a child's body… " He frowned, clearly trying to think of the best way to describe it. "The spirit was... tired? It did not want to stay in our world." He smirked. "So, it did the best thing it could think of. It pushed my soul out of my body and into the baby's… then it killed itself on the taint in my body."

From her chair, Morrigan picked at her nails. "Clearly the Old Gods do not like having decisions made for them."

Nelia nodded, quietly processing this information as Alistair went on. "As soon as the light faded, I passed out… or fell asleep… whichever makes more sense. I dreamed while I slept, that I was safe and secure for some reason. I dreamed of you as well Nelia, that we would be together when I woke."

With a snort, Morrigan stood and moved toward the window, looking out over the lake. "Boy were you wrong." She flashed Nelia a smile. "As soon as that little nug humper was born, he started screaming… screaming that did not stop until he was a year old. I swear… the only peace I got was when he was sleeping."

Before Alistair had a chance to defend himself, Nelia spoke up. "How did you realize that the baby was Alistair?"

"Oh! Oh!" Alistair bounced in place. "Ok, it took me almost an entire year to get used to my new body. I couldn't walk, feed myself… this body's muscles were undeveloped at best. But, after a year of working on it I finally was able to talk."

Morrigan sat in the window, a smirk played at her features. "And you haven't shut up since." She glanced back out the window, deep in thought.

Nelia giggled. "I can imagine it wasn't easy for you." She gave a small sigh. "Well, I can guess the events that took place the following years; it hurts me that you would not contact me Morrigan… You cannot imagine the pain I went through after that day."

Tears welled in Alistair's eyes and he tried to wipe them away, sniffling sadly into his sleeve. "She's gone… you know." He gestured toward the window where a few feathers were drifting to the ground. "I'm sorry, this was her plan… she didn't want to stay and get captured."

Nelia jumped up and ran to the window, watching as a giant bird blended in with a passing flock. "Cullen is going to kill me!" She turned back toward the room and plopped back onto the bed. "Well, now what do I do? Maker's breath…this is a lot of information to process all at once."

Alistair sled to the edge of the bed, feet swinging back and forth. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry… about you know, everything."

"Oh Alistair…" Rushing forward, Nelia grabbed a hold of Alistair and hugged him tightly. "I would never blame you for anything… "

Tears suddenly gone, Alistair grinned into Nelia's chest and wrapped his hands about her body in an attempt to pull her closer.

Nelia, catching onto Alistair's farse, pulled back and scowled at the small boy. "Morrigan was right… there is something about that, just wrong…" She shook her head and walked to the door of her room, throwing it open. "Alright, there is a mage I know would be just overjoyed to see you, and I need to appease my templar before he gets to angry with me."

"Aww." Shooting her a hurt look, Alistair jumped off the bed and followed, quickly grabbing her hand with one of his. "Wait… your templar? What do you mean?"

"You mean you didn't know about… ooh, your vows." Nelia lead him down one of the passages. "You must not have been told, but every mage that ever lives in this tower has a templar bound to him or her. It's really complicated… I hate it… but it's part of my life."

They arrived at the senior enchanter quarters and Alistair gave the ground a scuffing. "I see, so you're a slave to two masters? I'm sorry."

Nelia gave his small hand a squeeze before knocking on the door. "You have nothing to be sorry about; at least Cullen isn't the horrible sort."

The door slowly opened and a woman with very gray hair stood at the door, blinking sleep from her eyes. "First Enchanter, what a surprise, to what do I owe this visit?" She looked down at the child and gave a short laugh. "Oh, I do hope you are not here to try and convince me to take a new apprentice… I fear I am getting to old for such things."

"Wynne?!" Alistair looked up at the older woman, then let go of Nelia's hand and wrapped his arms around Wynne's waste in a hug, bouncing in place as he did so.

Wynne took a moment to pull the boy loose from her person, then kneeled down and took a good look at him. "Do I know you child?" She blinked slowly and realization slowly spread across her face. She looked sharply at Nelia. "This is his child? The one you told me about? That would explain why the Knight Commander was complaining of Apostates at the tower…"

"Wynne," Nelia started softly. "You may want to sit down."

Alistair looked up at Wynne with a goofy grin on his face.

"Why would I need to sit down?" Wynne stood straight, looking with confusion between the two.

"That isn't Alistair's child… that's Alistair." Nelia placed a delicate hand on the top of Alistair's head and gave a halfhearted smile to the elder mage who kneeled once more and looked straight into Alistair's face.

"Hullo Wynne!" Alistair smiled a toothy grin which promptly faded as Wynne fainted and fell to the side with a thud.