Anders and Hawke were sitting in the library, he was pretending to work on his manifesto, and Hawke was trying to read but really they were watching each other, trying not to give into their carnal desires so soon before dinner. There was a knock on the door, and Hawke noticed Bodahn hurry to answer. She could make out some whispered voices but not what was said, so she went back to smiling coyly at Anders.
"Messere, a message just arrived for you, the man said it was urgent," Bodahn instructed Hawke, as he brought her the letter. Hawke tore it open and Anders watched as her playful smile vanished to be replaced by fear.
"What is it, love?" Anders asked, coming to sit beside her on the couch.
"It's from Arianni," Hawke began explaining. "Feynriel has been asleep for two days now, and can't be woken up. Keeper Marethari is already at the alienage, she needs my help right away. I have to go help him, I don't know what they'll need me to do but I have to try."
"I'll help you," Anders insisted, as he stood and left the library. "Bodahn, we have to go help a young boy, please let Leandra know but do not hold dinner for us. We may not be back until late."
"As you wish, Messere Anders," Bodahn replied before rushing off to make sure the instructions were followed. The two mages rushed upstairs to change into their robes before grabbing their staves and heading towards the alienage. They stopped off in the Hanged Man to see if they could find any of their companions, and were please just about everyone was already there. Varric and Fenris joined them, and they headed towards the alienage.
"I received your message," Hawke rushed out, greeting Arianni. "I came as soon as I could. What can I do?"
"Thank you, for everything you've done for my boy," Arianni greeted her, tears in her eyes. "You've done so much for him, he considers you a good friend. Two days ago he entered one of his nightmares, and now they've taken him-" Arianni broke off as a round of sobs racked the elvhen woman's body.
"We will need to send you into the beyond, what you call the fade," the Keeper stepped forward, to further explain to the party what would be required. "We have a ritual which will allow us to send you to Feynriel and help him."
"I have walked the Fade before," Hawke stated bravely. "Send me in."
"I told you her courage was legendary," Arianni whimpered, finally mastering her tears at Hawke brave words. Arianni nodded her silent thanks to Hawke before turning into the house to finish the necessary preperations.
"And who else will you take with you?" the Keeper asked.
"Daisy's a mage," Varric pointed out. "She would be a good choice."
"Merrill has already given into the temptation of a demon Varric," Hawke stated bluntly. "I do not want to worry about her making a deal with another. Anders? You have experience a Harrowing, will you come?"
"Of course, love," Anders readily replied taking her hand in his.
"Varric?" Hawke turned to the dwarf.
"Frolic in dreams," the dwarf said with a shrug. "Why not?"
"You'll never get a chance like this again," Hawke smirked with a wink. "Think of the stories you could tell with this knowledge."
"You know my weakness Hawke," Varric chuckled.
"I do not wish to enter the fade, but if you need me I will go," Fenris grumbled.
"We are ready," Hawke turned back to the Keeper.
"There is one more thing," Marethari declared, with a look of concern. "If Feynriel should fall to temptation you will have to kill him in the beyond. It will make him what you call tranquil."
Anders watched Hawke stiffen, her eyes narrowing just slightly before stating: "I can't do that, that's Feynriel's greatest fear."
"I will trust you will do what is best," Marethari acquiesced before leading the party into Arianni's home. Before she sent them into the fade, the Keeper explained more about Feynriel's abilities as well as the fact that he will gather powerful demons around him. Then she started the ritual and all Anders saw was a familiar white light before he entered the fade.
"This looks like the Gallows," Anders heard Hawke say behind him. "Let's get this over with."
The three men followed Hawke out into a central courtyard where a demon glided along the floor toward the wary quartet.
"I had not thought to feel two forgotten magics in one day," it droned. "I had thought this place would be dull, perhaps I was wrong."
"A demon of sloth," Anders whispered into Hawke's ear in warning. "It will try to make you forget our purpose."
"Call me Torpor," the demon continued. "I would treat with you."
"I will make no deals with demons," Hawke proclaimed.
"Have it your way," Torpor slurred, before two more sloth demons joined his side. The four visitors took care of the demons with great ease.
"The longer we tarry, the more demons will come," Anders explained. "They are drawn to Feynriel and his power as a dreamer."
Hawke glanced around the courtyard they were in and noticed two doors. "Which should we choose?" she asked the group. Fenris pointed to one of the doors, and the companions climbed the stairs to the door he pointed towards. Hawke opened the door and they found a long hallway. Hawke led the way down the hall, proceeding with caution, knowing demons could appear out of the ground at any moment. They reach the end of the hall, and Hawke opened the door only to have a white light engulf the whole group.
When the light faded, First Enchanter Orsino was standing in Hawke's place, and Anders could no longer see his body or those of Varric and Fenris. He watched Hawke proceed into the room, where Keeper Marethari stood with Feynriel. She proclaimed the young elf to be the savior of the Ehlven, and with his wisdom and knowledge the People would rise again. Anders heard Hawke/Orsino speak, convincing Feynriel that he could not be trusted with the power. The elf lad finally realized the folly of the Keeper, and vanished from sight. Suddenly Anders was by Hawke's side again, as they looked at the demon Marethari.
"You, I could have given him power," the demon hissed in anger.
"The boy didn't want power, only his freedom," Hawke pointed out. Then Marethari transformed into a demon of pride.
"Everyone wants power," the demon raved. "Take this slave; do you think he would so easily turn aside power for his freedom?"
"Cast your eyes elsewhere demon," Fenris sneered moving to stand next to Hawke. "I won my freedom from the magisters long ago."
"But you still fear their hold on you, the hold they have from the markings on your skin," the demon purred. "I could give you the power to keep your freedom."
"Don't do it Fenris," Hawke pleaded. "Give in and you are no better than the magisters."
"But to be as an equal…" Fenris trailed off pausing in thought before turning back to Pride. "What would you have me do?"
"Only listen," the demon hummed, watching as Fenris turned on those he called allies. Anders understood the strength Fenris wielded, but he first turned to attack Hawke, it gave the blonde mage a chance to freeze the strong warrior in his step. Sadly, the nimble warrior had already hit Hawke, and she staggered back a large gash running from her shoulder down to the opposite hip. The demon trundled towards Hawke as well, but with a flick of her wrist froze him in place too. Varric shot off bolts from Bianca, trying to hurt Fenris as much as possible before he could move again. Anders could tell Hawke was in pain from her injury but began summoning a firestorm over the two opponents to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Anders cast a fireball, centered between the two followed quickly by lightning which arc between the two. Fenris was just starting to move when he cracked into a cloud of gray smoke and disappeared. The pride demon howled when its second minion was taken away but she too was soon dispatched. Anders hurried to Hawke side, and healed the wound on her chest, thankful it wouldn't exist in real life.
"He always lectures us," Hawke scoffed, when Anders had completed his task.
"Never thought I'd see the day," Varric observed, agreeing with Hawke in her assessment of the warrior elf who had just betrayed them all. "Let's find the boy. This place is making my chest hair itch."
"Don't tell us that," Hawke admonished in a whining tone before setting out from the courtyard they were standing in. The trio headed out to the courtyard and discovered a rage demon which the companions were able to take out swiftly before heading to the door they had previously left unopened.
After she opened the door, Anders and Varric disappeared again while Hawke turned into Feynriel's mother, Arianni. This time the room only had two people in it, the man Anders recognized as Vincento, the father who abandoned Feynriel and his mother. There was also a young boy, whom Anders realized what a very young Feynriel. The Vincento demon appeared to be teaching the lad his letters. Hawke/Arianni had to convince Feynriel Vincento never wanted anything to do with his son. There was little convincing on her part before the demon lost its temper.
"Don't question," it began before turning into a desire demon right in front of the young boy Feynriel. "Me." Feynriel ran off screaming before disappearing.
"You, you turned him against me," the desire demon turned to Hawke as Anders and Varric appeared beside her.
"Complete accident, I was trying to help," Hawke smirked, lying without regard for the demon.
"Take away one of my pets, and I'll take away one of yours," the demon purred. "Just how well do you know the man who shares your bed at night?"
"I am not so easily swayed demon," Anders countered, stepping in front of Hawke.
"Are you not?" the desire demon gushed. "I see you are filled with so many desires. You desire to be free and no longer hunted, the desire to be free from the taint, the desire to free your fellow mages, and the desire to rid the world of all templars. But most importantly you desire to keep your love safe from harm."
Yes, I desire these things, to never have to worry about being hunted, never have her hunted just for being born with magic.
"Anders…" Hawke pleaded with him, tears filling her cerulean depths.
"I can help you with all this and more," the demon promised, humming at its victory.
"I'm doing this for you, love," Anders spoke softly, trying to make her understand.
Suddenly Anders was under attack from both Varric and Hawke. He couldn't believe she would be so selfish, to deny so many mages freedom, a freedom she had her whole life because she had family willing to protect her from the horrors of the circle. Anders cast a glyph of paralysis under Hawke, trying to freeze her in place but her anger at this betrayal was too great and all it did was slow her movements slightly as she moved out of the range of the glyph, flicking her write to freeze him in place. Varric concentrated on the desire demon as she tried to bolster Anders' power but soon had to dodge multiple attacks.
"A little help here, Hawke," Varric bellowed, dodging the attacks made on him by shades the desire demon had summoned to aid her battle. Hawke turned to the dwarf and cast a protective bubble around him, giving him a chance to fight back without getting hurt in the process. Then she cast a firestorm, filling the whole room with fireballs. The desire demon, taking most of the attacks thus far, fell screaming her rage at her defeat. With the aid of her firestorm, Varric made quick work of the shades, leaving just Anders still frozen in place. Hawke looked at her love, tears streaming down her cheeks, and Anders resolve began to crack realizing his blunder just as she turned to the dwarf.
"Do it Varric," she whispered, pain and agony in every word. "I cannot."
Without a further word, the dwarf hefted Bianca taking aim at the blonde mage still frozen in place and shattered him with a resounding crack. Anders only saw gray smoke, changing quickly into a blinding white light and suddenly he was back in Arianni's house. Anders sat up with a gasp, the light blinding his eyes for just a moment. He felt a ghost pain in his chest where Varric had shot him to end his betrayal; Anders rubbed that spot now with a grimace. He heard a snort behind him, and turning slightly he noticed Fenris crouched not far away a sneer on his lips.
"Just like every mage," Fenris mumbled watching the sleeping forms of Varric and Hawke.
"Oh yes, you're one to lecture me on taking deals," Anders barked out, turning to Hawke next to him on the floor. He looked at her face and guilt twisted in his gut when he noticed tears leaking from the outside corners of her eyes. Tears he had caused. He tried to take her hand, to comfort her, but even trapped in the fade she would not be placated by him. He gave up trying to ease her pain, and sat waiting. Waiting for her to reawaken so he could beg for her forgiveness.
It was several minutes before Varric and Hawke stirred, waking at the same time. Anders tried to assist his Mari, but she brushed off his assistance and she stood to address the Keeper and Arianni.
"Feynriel has mastered his powers," she declared.
"Ma serranas," Marethari praised her smile lighting up her slim elven features. "We owe you a debt of gratitude."
Arianni requested to return to the Dalish camp, so she could see her son but Hawke explained Feynriel would be leaving to study in Tevinter since no one in Kirkwall could teach him what he needed to know. The four companions left Arianni's house soon after they gave a full recounting of events. Hawke paused before the steps of the Alienage.
"Mari, love, I'm sor-" Anders began before Hawke turned quickly, raising her hand to silence him. He noticed his words had caused anger and fresh tears to spring into her blue-green eyes but she refused to let them fall in front of him. Hawke transferred her gaze to Varric and gave the dwarf a curt nod; the dwarf nodded back in silent agreement, and blocked the path of the mage and warrior as Hawke ran up the stairs and out of the alienage.
"Varric, let me pass," Anders demanded.
"Fenris, you fucked up," Varric started, using their real names which meant they were on Varric's nug-shit list. "Anders, you fucked up even more. She needs space, let her have it."
Anders waited impatiently until Varric let them leave. He headed home, guilt eating away at his insides, to wait for his love to return, hoping she would forgive him.
A/N: I wanted to change up Night Terrors a bit, since without Justice, Anders is just as likely to betray Hawke as any other party member. I hope you enjoy my twist, and please feel free to review. :-)