A/N: The sequence of events is a little odd here. It's not exactly in chronological order. I think you can figure it out though. Please review and let me know if you have any questions.

)O(

"Remember, people will judge you based on your actionns, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold - but so does a hard-boiled egg."

Vaguely she wondered if this was the end.

Would baby Adaia remember her? Would Mamae be proud? How could she leave them all behind?

The Mother just kept laughing.

If the darkness was the only thing keeping her alive, so be it. At least that was something. Leliana called it faith, yes, that was it. Jenji had faith.

Amaranthine was already half turned to dust beneath their feet, but they would fight, because they had to. This was her city and these were her people. But she feared the force behind all this destruction. The Mother, it was called, somehow hoped to prevail where the archdemon failed.

If only it were that simple.

No war is ever won without sacrifices, causalities, this she knew. The cost of stopping the Blight had been staggering, but the price could have been even higher. And now some insane broodmother threatened to unravel everything she had worked so hard to protect.

Yet as they descended deeper into the cavernous horrors of the Deep Roads, that even now mirroed the growing darkness in her bones, Jenji couldn't help but feel as though she wasn't going to walk away from this. The Maker hated selfish heroes. There was only room in His heart for one; a warrior with the voice of an angel, or so the story went.

A few more steps and she'd probably go insane, too.

)O(

Erlina assured her the smoke on the horizon was an illusion caused by the storm. Apparently it had been known to lead many ship captains to their peril.

But Jenji was certain it was real. It looked like the very curve of the earth itself was ablaze..

And in a way, it was.

A man had sprinted all the way from Amaranthine. His clothes were soaked with rain and blood and he was gravely wounded. It was truly remarkable that he had made the journey at all, let alone managed to escape.

"I barely made it out," he rasped. "They kill you on sight. Hunt you down like animals, but they're supposed to be the animals, aren't they?"

Anders tried to heal the man, his efforts in vain. It was clear he had already accepted the fact that he was going to die.

"I had to run...I had to...Everyone said the Wardens could save us, that you would know what to do...We all prayed for a miracle..." He shut his eyes tight and took a deep breath. "They weren't far behind me...the darkspawn...are coming here, to the keep...You have to be ready, Commander."

"Are there any survivors?"

"Most of them are still trapped within the city, either unable or too afraid to leave…The chantry...that's where you'll find them. It's the only safe place left, but not for long..." Suddenly he doubled over in pain and the blood gushed from his abdomen. "Please, Commander..." the man said through gritted teeth, "...save them!"

Then everything went gray as their only link to the outside world was cut, his spirit's ties severed by some distant entity of the Fade.

Everyone continued to silently absorb the information. A small blond maid with eyes like a waterfall offered a quiet prayer to Andraste:

"'Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls.
From these emerald waters doth life begin anew.
Come to Me, child, and I shall embrace you.
In My arms lies Eternity.'
Thus spoke Our Lady Andraste, Bride of the Maker."

"So let it be." replied a few other solemn voices, completing the rite.

Now it was off to war.

)O(

"You feel it, don't you?" The Architect asked her. "The poison that courses through your veins as we speak, singing to you. It is the same song that has enraptured my brethren for centuries, the same song The Mother so desperately clings to." He paused, and then spoke much softer. "Do you not feel it? The voice that whispers from within your daggers; they are but a vessel. The creature still lives. In the end, its corruption calls to us all just the same. The Blight is as much a cure to my people as it is to you. But I can end it."

Some darkspawn talked too much.

"You will never be seen as equals, you know." Jenji replied. "People can't exactly spend centuries hating something purely on the principle that it is the embodiment of evil and then one day just start to accept it simply because it can talk. You'll never be wanted in this world. Humanity will never see you as anything more than vermin."

Jenji thought she saw the darkspawn flinch.

"Maybe not," The Architect conceded. "But anything is preferable to the existence we have known. I would rather the freedom to choose my death than be forced to wake another dragon from its sleep and have to watch as the Blight ravages the land."

"Wait..." she must have heard that wrong. "...You started this? You are responsible for the Blight?"

She was a Grey Warden, and he certainly looked a lot like a darkspawn to her.

"I seek to create a version of your Joining using Grey Warden blood. It was not my intention to wake the beast. We have a common goal, do we not? I can help you to defeat The Mother, and in exchange, you allow me to continue my research." And accidentally start another Blight in the process? I don't think so.

She didn't know why she was even listening.

There could be no peace between good and evil. Maybe things weren't that black and white, but even so, neither side was ever going to be able to bury the hatchet. If not the darkspawn, then who was there left to blame?

The Blight truly did bring people together.

)O(

They had to move fast.

"Voldrik, will the walls hold?"

"Aye," the dwarf replied. "An ogre could pound at our defenses until it died of exhaustion and only leave a scratch."

She nodded. "Good. Now, we'll need to split up. Some of you will go with me into the city while the others stay here and defend the keep."

Justice spoke up. "Someone must help those people. I should defend Amaranthine."

"All right," Jenji allowed. "Justice, Anders, Sigrun, and Daveth: you're coming with me. The rest of you will have to stay behind."

"Ma nuvenin, Commander," Velanna said. "Dareth shiral." She was too proud to say what she really wanted to.

"I'm still going to keep my promise. I will find Seranni." At least her heart was in the right place.

"Sometimes I think you have more hope than I."

To her surprise, Erlina did not protest. Oghren seemed a little disappointed. And even if neither of them would admit it, Nathaniel knew why she wasn't taking him with her. He would be too distracted anyway worrying over the fate of his sister, Delilah, the only family he had left in the world.

"Commander," Varel called, "the darkspawn will be upon us shortly. If you intend to make it to Amaranthine in time, I suggest you leave now."

"We are far sneakier than any mere darkspawn."

They trudged through the mud in silence. It was still raining and the only light was a fiery orange glow as they drew closer to the city. The smoke burned her eyes and snaked its way down her throat, making her cough. Amaranthine looked like a ghost town. Darkspawn were scouting out survivors who were trapped or hiding beneath the rubble, then killing them, while several hurlocks pounded away at the chantry door. She knew that soon the barrier would break and all hope would be lost.

Jenji killed the hurlocks, buying herself some time.

"Who's out there?" a voice on the other side of the door demanded. "Are you a darkspawn?"

"No...I am the Warden-Commander, and I've come to help."

"Really…? You haven't forgotten us? I knew it! Oh thank the Maker, we're saved!" A moment later she was ushered into the building and out of the chaos. There were more of them than she had expected. Anders tended to the wounded and everyone seemed to relax now that the Wardens had arrived.

"Maker bless you," the priestess said as she led them through the rows of now homeless refugees. "We had almost lost our faith." Jenji resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that.

"Kristoff...?" A woman asked in a small voice. She was sitting on the ground with her knees brought up to her chest. Upon seeing Justice, her eyes widened. And that's when Jenji understood.

The woman, who they would later learn was named Aura, shrieked and stood up. She looked like she wanted to hit something or cry.

"I am sorry," Justice apologized. "Have I frightened you?"

"What are you?" Aura wailed. "What have you done to my husband, you...you demon!"

The priestess tried to comfort her but she would have none of it.

"I am not a demon," he replied calmly. "I am a spirit of justice."

"Justice is it?" she asked furiously. "What about justice for him? What did he ever do to deserve this?"

He sighed. "I never intended for this to happen..."

But that didn't change anything, and people were starting to take notice of the scene that was unfolding before them.

Suddenly the door flew open, right off its henge, and there stood the giant and powerful form of an ogre. The beast snarled as it towered over them. Everyone save for Jenji and her companions cowered in the dark shadow of its massive form.

The ogre let out a terrifying roar and puffed out its armored chest, brandishing its great horns in a threatening manner.

"That's enough!" a hurlock barked, stepping out from behind its much larger comrade. "Our orders were only to talk with them, and you've gone and frightened them half to death."

The ogre responded with an apologetic grunt.

"Well you should be ashamed, you great brute." The darkspawn continued to scold, much to the ogre's dismay.

No one dared to speak.

"Please forgive us, Wardens. My friend here may have regained his mind, but he is still not the most intelligent of creatures." His was almost a nervous smile. "We have come on behalf of The Architect. He wishes to speak with you face to face."

"I...see." Jenji thought about this offer. "And if we refuse to go with you?"

The ogre's low and dangerous growl was as good an answer as any.

The followed the darkspawn out of the gaping hole that had once been the entrance to the chantry. Aura still appeared to be in shock, as did many other citizens. At least Delilah was still alive. There was hope yet.

"And what do we call you exactly?" Anders wondered. "The others...of your kind have all had names."

The hurlock seemed slightly taken surprised by the question, but then smiled, a twisted attempt at a smile though it was. "You may call me the Messenger."

They headed away from the city, their faces smeared with ash. Jenji shivered when she realized the Messenger was leading them into the Deep Roads. There was no doubting it. She could sense the corruption getting closer; her blades seemed to hum a low and beautiful melody...

"Are you sure about this?" Daveth asked in a whisper.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore."

He took her hand and they entered the darkness together, ignoring everything but what was right in front of them.

)O(

"You want to take the music away from me, do you?"

The Mother lunged at her again, but this time Jenji was knocked back a good distance. She could feel the bones breaking, the warm blood flowing from her wounds and onto the floor. She no longer cared about the song, or the darkspawn, or even her broken promise to Velanna.

Intriguing lights danced before her eyes…then she realized they were stars and suddenly the light didn't seem so bad.

A horrid shriek broke the silence she hadn't even been aware of. The Mother was dead, finally dead. For some reason she could never fully understand after the fact, Jenji tried to stand up then. But the dizziness resulting from the blood loss was overwhelming and it felt like there was something attempting to break through her skull from the inside.

She fell backwards, but as always, Daveth was there to catch her. The elf's body went limp and she leaned against him, closing her eyes.

"Daveth…" she murmured wearily, "…I wanna go home."

"Soon, Jenny, very soon…"

Then there was darkness.

And all she wanted was to see the sun again.