A/N I'd like to thank Narutochi for giving me a brilliant idea for this chapter. I've been aware of the connection between Bloodmagic and Fademagic being impossible only recently because I've only played Inquisition recently. Hopefully the explanation will be a good one that'll tie directly into the main plot :) Thanks again Narutochi!

As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy!

I hear myself panting and open my eyes to find myself still leaning against my chair. I shake my head and catch my breath just as a pulse of energy announces a visitor at my portal. "Oh come on, what now?" I look to my left and am shocked to find a slithering shadow slowly making its way over to my alcove.

"Ah... I see your mind is plagued by even more mysteries than before Drifter."

I stare worriedly at him. "I think I'm going insane."

If he's here, then something bad is about to happen.

He stops a moment, "Then we are close to something happening. Something horrid, you can assume." before continuing on towards my alcove. I watch him nervously.

Something already happened...

Pause shifts over to the bookcase as it continues, "Such is the cost of leaping between realms so readily." His oily-black claws scrape across the bindings before stopping on one particular tome I've never seen before. "Although... it is not unexpected for that past to rise-" He takes the tome and floats it over to me as I tiredly sit in my chair, "-to haunt the present."

I look down at the worn stone cover and can recognize the cracked outline of a dragon, "What is this?" I ask, split between caution and curiosity as I run my fingertips across the sharp edges.

Pause lazily flicks a sharp claw at the book and it flips open in my lap, turning through the pages then again backwards to the first. "Perhaps it is unwise to worry about something long ago?"

My temper flares, "No! What did I see?!" I demand. "The crystal spires, the metal floors the-" I shiver. "-plaguing darkness." I lower my head as the images of death and destruction hit me again. "Why is it always death and destruction? Why not fleeting images with no meaning?" I mutter quietly. I look up at him sharply, "I've heard of Blood Mages going insane through exposure to the Fade, is that what this is?"

Pause places a sharp claw on the book in my hands, ignoring my question, "This is an accounting of the First Blight, made by the Magister Tyrannous the Third on request by the Archon." He flips the page for me as I watch the ancient Tevinter script flows across the pages, recalling the black city, the golden city, the blight, Dumat, and the usual tyrannical rants about godhood. He turns the pages again and an image of crystal spires cracking with a rotted black dragon burning the landscape fills my vision.

"What does it mean?" I ask with uncertainty, "Am I..." I can't even say it.

Pause slams the book shut and floats it back into the shelf behind him, "Nothing is permanent Drifter, and yet..." It turns abruptly to gently tap against another book from my shelves that I don't recognize.

Seriously? Where are all these books coming from?! I've read through that shelf more than ten times this month alone!

Pause lowers its arm to its side as it turns to speak to me directly, "Darkness is a figure in this world, the Fade is not as black and white as you'd expect, as you've known." Pause, pauses for a moment then continues with emphasis, "As HE'S known." It inclines it's head at me and I frown as I turn around to find nothing.

"Wait..." I stare at the realization. "There's actually someone else in my head? I'm not just the new owner of this body?" I start to panic.

Pause bows, "Not quite. You are a blend, an error in the fabric of things, barely able to hold yourselves together from what you've done before-" It stops and stares at me, "IT came into your possession."

"What?" I ask, still confused.

Pause looks to his right (my left) to a glowing blue wisp brighter than any star I've ever known. I stare in awe while it morphs into a figure and I gasp as I recognize it as one of the spirits from the forest! It inclines its spectral head and speaks in my- Darien's own voice, "It is good to know you personally are much more formidable than I had feared."

I blink in a mixture of curiosity and wonder at the spirit, blinking blankly at it's words.

"Oh forgive my manners," It apologizes before straightening up and folding its hands behind its back, "It is difficult to imagine anyone would willingly partake in this type of endeavor, I suspect you are a kind soul to think so selflessly about your own form."

I just stare.

Pause looks between us, "Well, now that we have all properly met, I propose we deal with the task at hand." It waves its black clawed hand and an orb flashes into existence between the three of us.

I watch as the spirit looks at the orb knowingly before placing a hand on it and evaporating into the orb, causing it to glow brilliantly. Pause plucks the orb out of the air and holds it out to me. "His soul is within your own, but without his body you would have been destroyed, just as your body was used to transport you here."

My eyes snap up to him in surprise, "What?!" I ask angrily.

He laughs his drawn out laugh, "You didn't think you'd retain your own body when you arrived here did you? The trip itself requires a blood sacrifice."

I shake my head as I connect the dots, "So once again my own body was used as payment?" I snarl with distaste.

He shakes his oily head with an annoyed sigh, "You humans are so connected to your forms, it was a simple trade Drifter, nothing more. One that you both benefited from greatly." Pause indicates the orb and I swallow uncomfortably.

He sacrificed my body, to send me here, then ripped Darien's true soul out of his body, so I could... possess it? Am I a demon? A spirit? A- a ghost?

Pause shoves the orb into my hands, his deep voice brimming with finality, "He sacrificed his body for you, it was a willing possession Dylan, you are him in body, he is now his separate self in this." It points at the orb. "You both lived tied to one body, but only now are you both of a separate mind. Your welcome Drifter." It states with distaste.

I blink at him, "But why am I going insane?!"

Pause groans, "Is it not obvious?"

I shake my head.

It raises its right claw and a ball of swirling blood form there, "Bloodmagic," He forms pure Fade Energy in his left, "and Fademagic" He crashes them together and a swirling chaos of monstrous images and horrors blasts past us, tearing my island apart piece by piece. I nearly pass out form the conflicting emotions blasting into my head when Pause pull his hands away and doses his magics. "Darien was neither of these things."

I frown at him, "But wouldn't that mean that I couldn't use Bloodmagic to open up Fade Rifts? I've been doing that for years!"

Pause groans, "As a mage, part of yourself is trapped here in the Fade," It stops and raises a claw to point at me, "As a Drifter, all of yourself is stuck in the Fade."

I stare at him.

"Your old body was given as a sacrifice to give you a physical body inside the Fade. You are a permanent figure of this realm, just as I am." It waves a clawed hand at the orb, "Seek him out, he will guide you down your path better than I ever could." Pause turns abruptly and shifts towards the portal.

I look at the orb with uncertainty before grabbing it and running after Pause. "Wait! Where do I seek him out?!"

Pause laughs slowly, "You're the Drifter here, figure it out." The portal flashes as the demon leaves before collapsing into a black and oily substance and shattering under it's own weight. I stare at it in surprise and worry before finally breathing again, the weight of what just happened still pressing down on my shoulders.

I gulp at the terrible burden and look down at the orange-sized orb in my hands. It glows a bit brighter as I hear, "We have much to do Drifter, meet me at the Tainted Mirror." The orb glows even brighter, turning into a ball of blinding white light before disappearing into the darkness...

I wake up to find I'm laying on my cot back in what I assume is a medical tent of a sort. I lay there in the dark, going over everything that's happened in the Fade before a light catches my eye and I spot my staff leaning up against the entrance to the tent, glowing with that same blue hue from the Fade, giving the entire area an eerie glow to it. I watch the shifting patterns in a trance, feeling every pulse ripple through the air before a blue light shudders within, calming the bright green Fade crystals and pulling the glow down to a dull roar. The last thought I remember as I fall into a dreamless sleep is the orb glowing with a mixture of blue and green energy lighting my way through the darkness...

"Is he awake?"

"No."

"When is he going to wake?"

"I don't know dear, now-"

"Can't I just wait with him? You need your rest!"

I blink awake to the sound of bickering and roll my head to the side to spot my staff still glowing that strangely calm mix of deep red and sharp green.

"Young lady I may be old, but I can still hold my station." I hear Wynne state flippantly.

"Please? I just need to see if he's ok." I recognize Leliana's pleading voice and smile at her concern.

Wynne audibly sighs, "I admire your persistence, but even if he was awake I wouldn't let anyone just storm in and cause more harm by stressing him out."

"What if I promise to not talk about anything stressful?" Leliana pushes.

Wynne is quiet for a moment before audibly sighing again, "Fine! But if I hear one murmur about the Blight, Darkspawn, Werewolves, or anything war-related I'll be forced to paralyze you." I hear Leliana gulp and I shake my head at Wynne's protectiveness.

I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm not a child. Hell I'm probably as old as her by now...

I think about it and don't notice the tent flap opening and closing.

Counting that I entered the Mass Effect universe when I was 18 in 2170 and left around 2190... that's 38, and add onto the over two years I've been here...

"Wow... I'm forty years old." I exclaim to myself in surprise. "I thought it's been longer than that." I shrug to myself, "I suppose time spreads out when your at war for so long..."

…

"Um..."

I whip my head up in shock and find Leliana staring at me in surprise and confusion. "Leli?" I ask with uncertainty.

She blinks at me before smiling brightly, "So, you're forty? You don't look that old..."

I cringe at my own stupidity and try to hide it, "No, just thinking about..." My mind goes blank as I trail off.

"About what?" She asks with a gentle smile.

I swallow, my mind reeling at the fact that I just fucked up pretty badly. I stare at her for several moments before she raises and eyebrow and cocks a hip with a smirk on her face, her 'I caught you in a lie' look. "Son of a bitch." I swear under my breath.

She laughs at my expense and I shake my head as I sit up and make room for her next to me. She saunters over and sits down in her full leather armor to examine my naked torso properly (I'm just wearing my small clothes) taking in every cut, scrape, and scar curiously. I fidget under her gaze and she looks me in the eye while brushing a loose strand of her fiery red hair out of her sharp blue eyes. A sharp contrast that I just can't look away from. "How do you feel?" She asks after a moment.

I blink and look down in embarrassment, "I'm... good. A lot better, thanks." My gut churns, "Is Erianne alright?"

She shakes her head, "She's-" She cuts herself off, "She's alive, but I was worried when you came back and then you passed out during the dressing... and undressing..." She stops herself and bites her lip to hold her emotions in, but I can still see them welling up in her eyes, it pains me to see her like this, uncertain.

I wrap my arms around her effortlessly, "I said I'd come back Leli, sorry for scaring you."

She stiffens in my arms, but wraps her own arms around my bare torso as she relaxes. "I'm just confused is all."

I take the moment to close my eyes and take in the strangely sweet scent of Andraste's grace and Lavender mixed with sweat that seemed uniquely... her. "I'm forty Leli, I hope that doesn't intimidate you."

She pulls away to look at me questioningly, "Intimidate me? I'm 29 and I don't think of it as a big deal. In Orlais-"

I reel back in shock, "Wait, you're twenty nine?" She nods and I shake my head in amazement, "You look WAY younger then that! If I had to guess you'd be no older than twenty!"

She blushes deeply, "Oh, really? I never noticed."

I smirk at her knowingly, "Oh I think you do, you take advantage of your beauty all the time I bet."

She giggles, "Oh stop it, I do not! Well... not anymore..."

I can't help but smile at her good mood, "And we learn the truth!" I throw my arms into the air, "Praise the Maker, Creators, Ancestors, etc!"

She shakes her head at my mockery and lightly pushes my arm playfully. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me, and yourself."

I shift closer, "And what are you going to do if I don't?"

She leans closer until our faces are nearly touching, "Tie you to a tree in nothing but your small clothes."

I lean back, almost bored from her suggestion, "Won't work, Erianne already tried that."

She frowns in thought, "How about... um..." Then her lips purse in thought before they curl upwards deviously, "I'll tell everyone you have a small-"

I cut her off, "Erianne, Morrigan, and Wynne has already seen it so that doesn't work." I smirk at her surprise.

"Wait, when did Wynne-?" Her face pales as she connects the invisible dots. "You, you..." She blanches, "You slept with her too?!" She shakes her head in disgust.

"NO!" I exclaim instantaneously.

She stares right though me.

"I just assume since she's treated me so many times." I fidget under her scrutinizing gaze.

Leliana stands up abruptly and walks to the opposite side of the tent, her arms crossed and shoulders slumped at the realization, "You did with Morrigan though..."

I sigh as I realize how stupid it was to say that to her. "Leli..."

She whips around to face me, "What? What am I to you? Just someone to bed and throw away? Some play-thing for you to use and toss away? I've lived that life and didn't enjoy what became of it."

I stand, wincing as my joints crack from their stiffness, "No." I say with finality.

She looks at me, surprised by my bluntness before scowling, "Then what am I to you? And what about Morrigan? I already knew you two were close, and I've heard of her history with men, but I never thought you'd stoop so low."

I growl under my breath, "Morrigan is a strong and independent woman!" I shout angrily.

I don't know why I'm defending her.

Leliana's eyes narrow, "Oh? Then why does she feel the need to screw her brother?"

I clench my fists as my face burns with the intensity of my anger, "Really? And you've done so much better?!" I shake my head and wave an accusing hand at her, "How many people did you bed and murder once they were spent Leli? HUH? You did it out of your own sick twisted search for pleasure didn't you!"

She takes a step forwards and clenches her fists, her own rage building, "I gave them the best night of their lives! I might have loved it, but I at least wasn't related to them!"

"How many died? Do you even know? Did you even know if they had families? Wifes? Children?" I argue angrily.

She takes another step forwards, "You USE people and discard them like nothing! Why I ever thought I had feelings for you I will never know." She steps to push past me and I block her with my body.

She snarls at me but I step defiantly right up into her face, "Morrigan and I aren't even related!" I shout loud enough that I'm sure Witherfang heard it.

She pants in her fury, darting her eyes between my own, searching for any lie when she suddenly calms significantly and downcasts her eyes as she rubs her arm in embarrassment, "Oh..." She says quietly.

I breath out my own fury, willing myself to calm down before my magic erupts, "Yeah, and I don't know why I said those things about you when I've done the same in my youth." I scoff, "Creators I'm such a hypocrite..." I rub my forehead with my palm.

She looks at me with a raised eyebrow, "Really? You? And the Dalish didn't..."

Oh... fuck a duck.

I stare wide-eyed at her for a moment before saying, "Well, n-not the Dalish, but bandits, bandits who weren't too bright." I internally wince at my terrible excuse while struggling to keep a smirk on my face.

She looks skeptical, but drops it for now, "Alright... well... I'm sorry for-" She sighs, "being a complete fool." She mutters quietly, shaking her head at her own idiocy.

I frown at her self deprivation, "You aren't a fool, just..." I search for the right words, "...territorial."

"So what is it between you and her?" She asks carefully.

I sigh, "We were both trained by Flemeth, we both lived closely and became like... well... siblings. So we say we're brother and sister even though we aren't by blood."

She blanches, "You still had sex with someone you thought as your sister."

I groan, "What do you want from me Leli? I'm a guy, I have needs, she's a woman, and she has needs! We took an opportunity."

She shakes her head, "I'll need to think about it."

"I completely understand mona-mi." I smirk at her.

She smiles at me, "So you-" She frowns again. "What am I to you then?"

I stare at her for a moment before stepping closer and without warning, capturing her lips. She gasps in surprise before falling into it and using a free hand to hold my head and deepen the kiss. "Mmm..."

My hands wander up and down her armored back before I separate our lips, watching for her reaction. She pulls away and quickly blushes as she avoids eye-contact. "I... I..."

I swallow in apprehension, "That wasn't bad was it?" I ask nervously.

She blinks at me before smiling nervously, "N-no! It was just... surprising." she says, out of breath.

I sigh in relief, "Thank goodness." I shake my head clear and meet her brilliant blue eyes as they smile back at me.

"I liked that." Her eyes flicker downwards and I blink as I realize I'm still in my small clothes.

"Oh..." I whip around quickly and grab my garments from the pile next to the cot, Pulling on my leggings and boots in a flas-

"By the Maker..." I freeze and look behind me to find Leli blushing violently.

Oh... small clothes only hide the front...

I feel my face burning as I quickly finish strapping on my lower robes before pulling on my right glove and feathered pauldron. Throwing on my velvet hood I let most of the fabric pool around my waist so my torso can breath a bit in the mildly hot air. I sigh contentedly as my magic and willpower nearly double from the runes imbued into the thick cloth and leather. I step over to my staff, "So what's happening with Witherfang?"

"I'm not sure, Erianne hasn't-" She stops herself.

"I need to know Leli." I insist.

She sighs, "She contracted the disease."

My heart stops in an instant.

"What?"

She looks away, "If we don't find Witherfang soon..." She bites her lip.

I just stare at her in shock.

A moment of silence later I stalk over to my staff and grip it tightly, grinding my teeth as the intense energy singes my hand for a moment before sub-siding. "She's not going to last long if we don't hurry." I look at her skeptical stare and smile as convincingly as I can manage, "She's tough, she'll pull through..." I swallow at the thought of Erianne dying, "...I'm sure of it."

She nods worriedly and joins me as I open the tent flap, ignoring Wynne's furious glare as I finally take in a deep breath at being free of my mental nightmare.

Now I just need to find that Mirror, figure out why I can do Blood and Fademagic, hunt down Witherfang, kill Zathrian, recover some ancient Sullivan bark, freaking hell there's a lot to do. How are we going to end the Blight again?

Varric takes a moment's rest and smiles as he notices Cassandra watching him intently, "Like what you hear Seeker?"

She lifts an eyebrow at him, her expression unreadable for only a moment before she makes an annoyed sound, "What I wish to know is how this... Darien... has never been mentioned in any of the tellings of the Hero of Ferelden."

His frown shows his own confusion on the subject, "Now that's a very good question. I thought it was complete bullshit first time I heard it. But after talking with my contacts I found enough witnesses to prove a strangely dressed elf with Dalish tattoos did in fact travel with the Warden and her group of companions."

Cassandra narrows her eyes with scrutiny, "You'd better not be lying Varric. Who are these witnesses? Why haven't they brought up Darien in the past?"

Varric shakes his head, "Seeker, it's rare to find someone who's even LIVED past an encounter with the Warden let alone one who had time to notice the strange elf hiding in the shadows." He says smoothly.

She sighs as she agrees that it would be nearly impossible to notice him with the Warden's strange group drawing your attention. "You, have a point."

He sighs in relief. Knowing how obscure his tale could come across. Maker knows he had his doubts when he heard it the first ten times. "Cyna, you'd better not be screwing me over with another one of your delusions..." He mutters under his breath.

"What was that?" Cassandra narrows her eyes.

"Nothing, just a cough." He fakes a cough.

Cassandra shakes her head in agitation, "I have doubts about Darien's origins. He seems to have forgotten his own past, but claims to have lived through it." She crosses her arms, "And what's this Demon of his; Pause, doing that has had such an effect on how Darien sees the world around him?"

Varric doesn't respond as he just stares at her quietly, knowing if he said the wrong thing his lifespan would shorten faster than his patience with Bartrend after the Deep Roads Expedition. "It's... complicated."

"Complicated?" She retorts suspiciously.

Varric sighs, "Yes, complicated."

"Explain." She demands.

He thinks for a moment before saying, "Darien, the supposed real Darien, WAS an elf that was part of a clan that roamed near the Kocari wilds... the Darien that I'm speaking about is someone entirely different."

"Are you trying to say this Darien character was really a demon?" Cassandra asks in shock.

Varric shakes his head, "No, a spirit... I think."

"You think?" She crosses her arms.

He frowns, "Hey, I barely understand anything about the Fade and I know next to nothing about whatever the hell roams around inside of it."

She makes a annoyed noise, "Can't you just summarize what happened?"

Varric scoffs, "Alright then, Darien was possessed by not Darien and not a Demon, or even a Spirit, just... another person. Then when Not Darien sleeps, he sees a Demon and Darien. Darien was a rogue Dalish hunter before Not Darien possessed him, and Not Darien could control the Fade somehow using Bloodmagic, so when they came together... it was messy. And now we're at the point where Darien is in a crystal ball atop a staff and Not Darien is alone inside Darien's body while the Demon is still talking to both of them. Does that explain all of this shit any better?" Varric watches Cassandra just stare at him with wide eyes.

"You are right, I need to hear the whole story for myself." She groan as she places her head in her palm, "Maker I'm getting a headache."

"Try keeping it all straight for an interrogation." Varric quips.

Cassandra glares at him lightly, understanding his position a bit more, "Alright, continue when you are ready." She starts walking out of the room, "I need a minute to collect myself."

Varric smirks at Cassandra as she leaves the reading room for a moment.

A/N Once again, there are mysteries and unsolved questions rather than answers. :)

Is Erianne going to pull through?

How is Alistair going to react?

When is Darien going to choose between Leliana and Morrigan?

All will be answered soon! :D

And by soon I mean in another two days, since I'm on a roll! :)

I'm also having problems uploading new images of Darien so for now the cover image will stay the same.

For everyone interested... I FINALLY revised the Circle Tower Arc! :D Go check out chapters 10, 11, and 12 to see the differences!

See you all in the next Chapter! BlackenedAsh24 out.