Hey everyone! Hope you had a happy set of holidays and such. :) So this chapter (and the next, heh)... I have struggled with how I wanted it to go since I thought up this whole story. I have rewritten it (both in my head and in writing) several times. This is what I feel fits what my idea of the post-game confrontation would look like. I also went and listened to the recent podcast by Patrick Weekes on what was going on in Solas' head during the break up scene. If you haven't listened to it, it is really quite good. He also goes over Iron Bull and Cole as well as some other game points.

ANYWHO! Hope you all like this! Enjoy! :)

O.o.O.o.O

Night was falling once more outside the high balcony of the Inquisitor's room. After their surprise in the mountains, the group had ridden hard, and in surprising silence, back to the fortress. Melana had taken her unconscious lover on her own saddle for the trip back despite several offers from her companions. Some part of her was still uncertain if this was real and if she would blink and he would disappear once more. When Solas had first fallen on her, covered in grime and gore, she had feared he was dead. However, after a few frantic moments, she realized he was merely out cold from what ever had happened within the mountain. The scouts that had been camped outside waiting had been left with the orders to carefully explore what they could of the unknown expanse beyond the opening on the cliff side. Melana did not want them taking unnecessary risks, but she needed to know what he had come so close to her to find. That was two days ago.

Melana was once again sitting at her desk in her room staring blankly at the unmoving figure in her bed. Throughout the room, wards and other defensive spells hummed heavily in the air. When they had first arrived back, she had curtly ordered Iron Bull to help her carry Solas to her quarters for her to watch. Dorian had protested that he belonged in the dungeons after all the problems the elf had caused, but she was adamant. They did not know what was wrong with him or how long he would be asleep. On top of that, Solas was a very powerful mage, possibly more so than any of them knew based on her speculation, and obviously very adept at remaining hidden. Melana would not put it past him to break out of a common jail cell with no one being the wiser until it was too late.

Those facts brought her to her current predicament. Aside from a few broken and short naps in her chair, Melana had remained on guard at her desk. Over the past couple of days, a steady trickle of information had been brought to her attention from Leliana's scouts; as well as, the occasional enlightening visit from a worried Cole. Now all that she really had left to do was wait.

As the moon moved ever higher in the sky, a short burst of magic crackled against the wards from the still unmoving figure in the bed. Melana's focus snapped to Solas and she brought herself silently to her feet and stood a few feet from the foot of the bed. Another burst followed the first and a small flick of his wrist was his first movement. The Inquisitor's own magic flared to the ready just under the surface of her skin. She had no idea what his condition or mindset would be when he awoke, but the magic he kept emitting had a violent edge to it and it made her on guard.

O.o.O.o.O

The Fade was churning and twisting in front of his eyes. Normally, he could twist and manipulate the scene to match what ever he wished to see. However, Solas found he focus was scattered and a surreal sense of nausea had settled over his being. He walked slowly forward trying to figure out where he was and what was going on. His memory before falling asleep was vague and he pushed to try and clear the fog. Finally responding to his will, the Fade began to take a more concrete form. He soon found himself standing in the middle of his ruined temple, staring at the darkened eluvian. Now he remembered. He had traveled here hoping for this mirror to still be in tact, given its obscurity. He had been able to make it through to his sanctuary, but after that...

Mythal. She had been there and he had warily confronted her before the eluvian that held his greatest shame. Then, then she had fallen. A snap of power through Solas' being and the scene before him scattered back into the formlessness that was the normal for the Fade. As the foreign power continued pushing though his ancient spirit, Solas fell heavily to his knees. This was Mythal's doing. He had went to that place searching for the power he needed to fix his mistake, and she knew it. In the moment his guard had fell, she had given him what she always did best. An ultimatum. Lose the only other of his kind to walk the world or take her into himself. Selfishly, he had taken the power offered to him almost on reflex. But there was a price to such a choice.

Now, Fen'Harel and Mythal were bound together, their combined, terribly great powers were both flowing unchecked through his body. Her's had acted as a spark to, finally, fully awaken his own as well. The strength was intoxicating and his inner self howled in elation to have such in his possession. His subconscious transformation was all that had saved him during the intiial joining. But now it was burning his mind to ashes. Even one as old and immense as himself had limits, and Mythal was no weak goddess. Another pulse spread through him and out into the endlessness around him. He had to get control or this would destroy him.

O.o.O.o.O

The barrier she had placed around the room wavered and shimmered as another blast of magic slammed against her. Melana knew this was getting dire. Even with the few lyrium potions she luckily still had in her belt pouch, she knew she could not hold this up for much longer. Within her shield, Solas was writhing and twisting as if possessed, if that was even possible. More cuts had opened up all over his skin and the small about of mana she could divert went into healing him as best she could.

"Solas!" Melana grit out her words through clenched teeth. "You have to wake up! Please!"

Pulses of wild magic came faster and faster as the seconds passed. Melana dropped to a knee and drank her last potion as she pressed with all she had to keep Solas contained and alive. Something wet and warm began to drip from her nose. If this didn't let up soon, Solas would not be the only one this power destroyed.

Just as cracks began to form in her substantially weakened barrier, Solas shot upright in the bed and the terrible power ceased pushing against her. He stared blankly forward with eyes wreathed in black. His breath was coming out in heavy pants and his hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides. Shakily, Melana stood and wiped the slowing trickle of blood from her nose and lips with the back of her hand. She looked at him uncertainly. She was standing directly in front of him, but his unearthly eyes showed no sign of even seeing that she was there.

"Solas...?"

A snarl unlike anything she had ever heard ripped from Solas' throat and his eyes finally snapped to focus on her. Suddenly, Melana found herself slammed onto the rug in the center of the room with her arms pinned above her head. Mere inches from her face, Solas glared down at her with his coal-colored eyes and bared his teeth at her with another sharp snarl. There was no recognition in his cold gaze. Pushing back against her growing fear, Melana stared back at him without blinking. She had a feeling that the moment she broke eye contact, showed weakness, that she was done for.

"Solas, please. You know me. Its me, Melana. Please let me go."

Another snarl this time accompanied by a snap of his teeth close to her face. His grip on her wrists tightened and she feared he would break her arms before realizing where he was. Trying to make herself as nonthreatening as possible, she tried again.

"Ma vhenan! Dar'then!"