A/N: *sings* Reunited and it feels so good…

Disclaimer: Dragon Age is not mine.

Chapter 26: Perseverance

"Mycah, please, can't we rest for just a little while?" I plead. My feet feel like lead and my legs like jello.

My brother shakes his head, but allows me to lean on him a bit more. "We're almost there, Rhynn. Not too far now."

"I'm so tired…" I sigh, but continue to trudge forward. I still don't know where we're going and I'm not sure I even care anymore. Everything feels muted, muffled by a dense fog, and all I really want to do is lie down and sleep. Mycah won't allow me to, though, and I'm beginning to resent him for it.

A lifetime later, we finally stop and I sink to the ground, eyes already closing.

"Hey, hey!" Fingers snap in front of my face, startling me. "No falling asleep on me yet, Rhynnie."

"I always hated when you called me that," I grouse.

He grins widely, "I know."

I lick my dry lips and peer up at Mycah. "Do you have any water?"

"Oh! Yeah, just a sec," he moves out of my line of sight and returns, handing me a cup. I hum happily as the pleasantly cool water washes away a bitter taste in my mouth, one I didn't even realize was there until it's gone. "Better?" he asks and I hum again, nodding. As much as I want to gulp down the rest, I force myself to sip it, savoring. Mycah sits next to me, his body heat warming my right side.

I hand the cup back to him and rest my head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Myc."

"No problem. Why don't you get some rest now," he suggests.

"Fucking finally," I mumble, already half asleep.

.

"What is that?!" I lean against the door frame and curl my lip.

Mycah covers his chin self-consciously and turns away from the mirror he'd been gazing into. "None of your business, hellspawn. Get out of my room!"

"Is that a fucking soul patch?" I ask incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"Rhynnara! Language!" Dad yells from downstairs. Stupid parent super-hearing…

"Sorry!" I shout back, only somewhat sincere.

Mycah still has a hand clamped over his chin, looking like a dweeb. "I just wanted to see what it would look like," he explains defensively.

I step into the room, reaching out to grab his arm, "Let me see it."

"No!" he takes a step backwards, swatting my hand away. "You'll just make fun of it!"

I grin and shrug, "Probably. Let me see!" I lunge, grabbing his wrist and uncovering his chin. He slaps the other hand over it before I can get a good look, so I go after that one as well.

"Get off of me, Rhynn!" he pushes my hands away, backing up, but I keep coming at him with a slightly wicked smile. "You're such a jerk!"

Finally, I get hold of both wrists, pulling them away from his face. "Hah!" I examine The Soul Patch and start to laugh. "What is that, like three hairs?"

Mycah tears his hands free and covers the lower half of his face with both of them. "See! I knew you were going to do that!" he mumbles through his fingers and tries to kick at my shins. I jump back, narrowly missing his bony feet.

"Don't get your panties in a twist," I tease. "It's not that bad." Mycah's scowl softens a bit. "Maybe if you wish really hard, you'll grow a fourth hair." His glare returns with force.

I hear the stairs squeak and Dad calls out, "What in the world is going on up there?"

"Nothing, Daddy!" I reply sweetly.

Dad scoffs and continues to climb the stairs, "Well, now I know something's up." He comes in the room and takes in the scene, then looks at me. "Rhynn, quit teasing your brother about his facial hair." He turns his gaze to Mycah, pointing a finger at him, "And don't listen to your sister. She's a mean person."

"Hey!" I pretend to be offended. "You forgot spiteful!"

"Ah, yes," Dad deadpans. "How could I forget?"

"Senility is setting in."

"That smart mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble someday," Dad chides jokingly.

I throw my arms wide, grinning challengingly, "Bring it on!"

Dad shakes his head indulgently and turns back to Mycah. "Just give it time, bud. Soon, you'll be sporting a glorious beard like me." He strikes a pose, chin jutting out proudly.

"Oh my God…" Mycah slaps a hand to his forehead in embarrassment.

"Watch out, Mycah," I warn. "He'll start trying to live vicariously through you in an attempt to reclaim the glory days when he had a full head of hair."

"Oh!" Dad clutches his chest dramatically. "You wound me, child!" He runs a hand over his head. "It's just a thin spot."

I pat him on the shoulder on my way out, "You keep telling yourself that, Pops."

Dad laughs, "I've had about enough of your snark. Go wash the dishes or something."

I snort derisively, but go downstairs anyway to load the dishwasher.

.

My eyes open slowly and I clumsily rub the sleep from them, yawning.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," a voice says from somewhere behind me. "Sort of."

I sit up slowly and stretch, blinking blearily at my surroundings. The visual input I'm receiving doesn't register for a few moments… and then it does. The Fade… I'm still in the Fade. But this isn't the area I remember being in. Where's the giant spider carcass? The other bodies? My forehead wrinkles in confusion. Wherever I am now, it holds only a vague resemblance to The Nightmare's lair. There's still a lot of rock, some of it floating, and tons of green mist, but the air here feels… lighter, somehow. I feel lighter.

"Rhynn?" a voice pulls me from my musings and I twist around, eyes wide. There shouldn't be anyone here with me. What I see then has me crying out and scrambling to my feet, backing away.

"You can't be here!" I point an accusing finger at the Mycah look-alike, voice tremulous. "You're not real! Get away!" Angry, anguished tears fall from my eyes as the creature stands, arms held out with palms turned upward.

"Please, Rhynn, calm down," it implores with my brother's voice. "I can explain."

"You are not Mycah!" I screech, reaching for a rock to throw at it.

"Wait!" it implores, hands now held up defensively. "Please!" Light begins seeping between cracks in the thing's face, spreading until Mycah is gone. Before me stands a being of soft luminescence, a warm golden color that reminds me of an evening summer sun filtered through leaves. My jaw drops and I gasp. "You are correct." Its voice is quiet and steady and pleasing to the ears. "I am not your brother. I am a Spirit of Perseverance. I apologize if my guise offended you."

I stare, speechless for a long moment. "A spirit..?" I tilt my head, not understanding. "But how? Why?"

"I heard your dreams and was drawn in by them. Your tenaciousness called to me and I became curious. But you were trapped in a dark, twisted place. I was not sure how to reach you, so I bided my time. You were fading away, though, clinging desperately to happier memories. I examined them and took on a form you would most trust. You are free, now, of The Nightmare's lingering influence." The spirit smiles at me and waits. Is that why I was so tired?

I blink at it, shocked. "You saved me?" I vaguely recall leaning on my brother as we walked.

Perseverance inclines its head, "I could not allow Fear to claim such an enduring light."

"Thank you," I breathe, bowing my head and willing away the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. "Thank you…" I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and look up. The spirit stands close now, eyes kind.

"It was my honor, Rhynn."

A comfortable silence settles over us for a few minutes before I sigh, "What do I do now?"

"You must find a way out of the Fade. You cannot remain here indefinitely," Perseverance answers calmly.

I laugh without humor. "I can't remain anywhere indefinitely." The spirit just watches me quietly. "I suppose I could leave through any rift... there are plenty of them around right now," I give voice to my thoughts, then glance down at my midsection. The wound is just as ugly as usual. "I don't know what'll happen with this, though." I point to the hole. "I think I'm going to need immediate medical attention. So it can't be just any rift. I need to get in contact with my friends somehow…" I look around thoughtfully. "I need to get to Skyhold. Do you know which direction that's in?" I ask Perseverance, who is eyeing me curiously.

"Mortal, that is a very long journey for one such as yourself," it replies and I frown. "But I know the shortest route. Allow me to escort you."

Once again, I am struck speechless. "I… I… yes," I finally say. "Thank you." The words fall short in conveying the immense gratitude I feel toward this spirit.

.

It takes many days to reach Skyhold. During the journey, I get to know Perseverance a bit better. I ask a lot of questions, but the spirit seems happy to answer. It tells me stories of survivors it has witnessed and aided over its admittedly very long lifetime and I find the tales fascinating. Perseverance questions me, as well. It most enjoys hearing of the times I pushed through when it seemed all hope was lost. Luckily for it, that's pretty much my entire life. This doesn't always make for the most pleasant of topics, but this being saved me and continues to help me, so I don't mind all that much.

We pass many dreamers along the way, but they don't notice us, too occupied by the scenes that play around them. It's a strange feeling, watching them, like entering a theater production halfway through while blindfolded. My own dreams are pleasant, though I recall that they were rarely so when I slept in Nightmare's realm. I try not to think about those ones, but sometimes they slip through and I won't talk for hours after the fact. Perseverance tries to get me to discuss them, but I can't.

I am exhausted, both mentally and physically, by the time we arrive. Skyhold in the raw Fade is a strange amalgamation of ancient Elvhen structures and the fortress that stands there currently. It also just… feels different. I'm not sure how to categorize the sensation. Energy crackles over my skin and sets the little hairs on end. Is this magic? If that is what I feel, it must be very strong for me to have sensed it.

Perseverance and I enter the lower courtyard. Or, what I imagine must be the lower courtyard. Things aren't exactly where they should be. There are many dreamers here, wrapped up in their own little worlds. Spirits flit to and fro, jumping from one dream to another. There are also a few demons, but despite this, the sight is mesmerizing and I pause to admire it.

"Do you know where your friends might be?" Perseverance asks, interrupting my reverie.

I nod and begin climbing the rocks to Skyhold's main hall. Please be here… There are no doors leading to the rotunda, just large arches, and I peer in hesitantly. He's there, seated on the couch. Solas! My heart thuds in my chest and a bright smile spreads across my face. Solas' dream is different than the others I've come across. It takes up more space and is less defined around the edges. I step closer, curious as to what he's dreaming of. That's when I notice there's someone else seated beside him. Wait… that's me! What? The woman next to Solas is my doppelganger, minus the puncture wound, and it's really quite creepy.

Solas and other-me are talking, but their voices are muffled and I can't understand what they say. As I watch, his face slowly morphs into weary sadness. He bows his head and says something else, to which my clone nods and responds, then disappears. What the hell? My eyes dart back to Solas and I take another step forward. Head in his hands, he sits there, unmoving. He looks tired, resigned, and… lonely. What happened?

The realization comes quickly and I feel ridiculous for not having pieced it together already. He thinks I'm dead. Of course he does! The likelihood of my survival was slim to none, and I neglected to tell any of them about the explosive. Hell, I didn't even remember it myself until the last second.

Armed with this knowledge, I carefully enter Solas' dream. His reaction is immediate, having sensed me the moment I crossed the barrier. His head snaps up, face blank. And then, all at once, it crumbles into ruin.

"Rhynn…" he breathes, face switching between emotions so quickly I can't keep track of them all. "What…?" He pushes up from the couch slowly, staring at me as if I might disappear should he look away for one second.

"Um, he – " my voice cracks and I clear my throat. "Hey." I rub my forearm nervously. How the hell do you talk to someone who thinks you're dead?

The movement draws his gaze downward and his face contorts in horror. "Fenehdis…" I'm confused at first, but then I remember the large hole in my stomach. Oh… "How…? This is impossible!" he shakes his head slowly, disbelievingly, and looks into my eyes again, taking a step forward. His own eyes are glistening and the sight makes my chest constrict. "You cannot be here. Your spirit should not have lingered…" his words choke off and a tear slips free, rolling down his cheek.

Oh, Solas… I move toward him and raise my hand, wiping away the wetness. He breathes in sharply at the touch, swallowing hard, posture rigid. More tears slip free, so I bring the other hand up to wipe those away too. Then I cup his face with both, looking directly into his eyes.

"I'm not dead," I tell him softly.

He glances down at my wound, expression guarded now. "Are you so sure?"

"Yes," I reply with conviction. "I don't know what's up with that thing," I nod at my stomach, "but I am very much alive."

Emotions flicker in his eyes, disbelief chief among them, as he slowly raises a hand and brushes just the fingertips across my cheekbone. He does it again, a bit firmer, and the dam breaks. With a sound like a wounded animal, he wraps his arms around me, crushes me to his chest, and burrows his face into my neck.

"Rhynn," he sighs into my skin, and the sound manages to encompass both despair and hope. The side of my neck feels damp and Solas is shaking slightly. I clutch at the fabric covering his back, my own breathing ragged. Please let this be real! His hands stroke my hair, my back, my arms, as if making sure I'm not a figment of his imagination.

The whole thing is so overwhelming, I don't notice right away that Solas has begun pressing wet kisses to the base of my throat. His lips travel up my neck, then across my cheek before latching onto my own. I whimper into his mouth as he holds my head gently. The kiss is hard and desperate, both of us pouring out our jumbled emotions.

Solas' hands run down my back, feeling the curve of my spine. Until he brushes over the wound, freezing, then rearing back. He begins speaking in frantic elvhen, hands hovering over the ragged skin.

I can't understand most of what he says, but it's not hard to figure out what's wrong. "It's okay," I assure. "It doesn't hurt."

He takes a deep breath and pulls me into his arms again, pressing our foreheads together. "Ir abelas, lethal'lan. This never would have happened had I not – " I press my fingers to his mouth, hushing him. "But… how did you manage to kill The Nightmare?" he asks after I move my hand.

"I had a powerful explosive with me. I blew its fucking head off," I grin ferally.

Solas' face twists, "Why didn't you tell me about this explosive? I would not have – "

"I know, I know," I interrupt, "but I forgot about it until everyone was already through the rift." He sighs and closes his eyes, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. "I would very much like to get out of the Fade now," I continue a moment later and Solas pulls back.

"Of course. Wait outside Skyhold, on the other side of the bridge. I shall wake the Inquisitor and have her open a rift there." He releases me and takes a step backward.

"Wait!" I call, reaching out. Solas moves forward again, grasping my hand and pressing a kiss to the knuckles. "I… don't know what this wound is going to do when I leave here…" I'm suddenly terrified. After everything that's happened, this could be the end. My end.

He leans in and kisses me again, just once. "I'll be ready," he promises and then disappears.

My pulse jumps in panic that I quickly bury. Solas' cozy study dissolves, leaving only a round room with rock walls.

"You did not tell me you are friends with Fen'Harel." I glance over my shoulder to find Perseverance watching me.

I turn around fully and approach it. "I didn't realize that was something I should have shared."

"It is not, I suppose. I was simply making an observation. Will you be leaving the Fade now?" it asks, head cocked.

"Yeah, the Inquisitor is going to open a rift outside of Skyhold," I explain, then frown. "You probably shouldn't be nearby when that happens. I don't know what rifts do to spirits."

"Then this is where we part ways," it states. "Perhaps we will see one another again someday."

"Perhaps," I smile slightly. "Thank you again. I won't forget what you've done for me."

"Thank you for sharing your stories. Farewell," Perseverance gives a small bow and vanishes.

On shaky legs, I make my way to the designated location. I sit, arms wrapped around my legs, and wait. My heart refuses to slow, as scared as I am. I don't want to die.

A loud crack startles me and I jump to my feet, watching as a tear starts to form midair not far from where I stand. The rift widens and a figure comes through, walking quickly towards me. Solas. I move to meet him and we embrace. I sigh with sharp relief before he pulls away.

"Lie down," Solas instructs. "I'm going to heal you in here." I do as he says, laying on my back and watching as he kneels beside me. His hands begin to glow and he holds them over my abdomen. After a long moment, his eyebrows furrow. "It's… not working," he says, worry coloring his tone.

My heart begins to race again and cold sweat trickles down my neck. "W-what do you mean?" My breathing accelerates and my vision blurs.

"Rhynn, look at me," Solas commands and my eyes snap to his, seeking an anchor in the storm of my terror. "You are going to be all right." He sounds so sure, and I want to believe him, but… "There are more healers waiting outside. You'll be fine." He helps me up and leads me to the rift, stepping through and then turning back to offer his hand. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and follow.

Shrieking agony rips through my torso, spreading outward. I scream once before everything goes black.

A/N: Fenehdis: curse word meaning 'wolf penis.'