Thank you for reading! Here we go for a messy version of this quest. Additional translations at the end of the chapter.

Mahariel was waiting next to the Chantry, pacing up and down frantically. How many time did it take to this stupid vint to be back here?! He could not be that far.

"Miss me already? I cannot say I'm surp – "Dorian paused as he saw her bloodshed eyes. Considering, he didn't give that much attention to her change of look. His expression turned concerned and compassionate "What is it, my friend? What happened?"

She dismissed the question with an annoyed gesture. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk about this insufferable flat-ear. And she did not even want to begin to think about why his words had felt like a dagger going right through her heart. The only thing she wanted was getting this over with and going back to her life.

"You said you wanted to be here for when I act. Guess what, 'tis now." His eyes widened – definitely the theme of the evening.

"What?! Now?! Alone?!"

"Yes. Given Felix manages to escape once more." Her ear flinched as it noticed a sound "Speaking of which."

"Calessia, why – Calessia, are you alright?" Dorian rolled her eyes.

"That was a stupid question. No, she is not and on the top of it, I think she lost her way." She growled.

"Fuck with that." She handed Felix a little flask "Antidote. Take it, give it to your father. No south mages in the first stair, right?" She paused but a single second, taking the silence as confirmation "How much time? Fifteen minutes head-start sound right?"

"Wow wow wow, slow down. Head-start for what?" She rolled her eyes.

"For me to slam the door and poison the air to kill the Venatori, in order to have a proper talk without fireballs. What else?"

"You cannot – "

"Vishante kaffas! I can and I will! Help me or get out of my way, I'm tired of these messes!"

She shoved the vial in his hands. Felix looked bewildered as he tried once more.

"Calessia, if only you could tell – "

"Tick tock, fifteen minutes, no time for questions or dear father is poisoned."

She smirked viciously as she declared. Felix's mouth shut and he nodded, defeated and afraid. He casted a last pleading look at Dorian, asking to talk her out of it as he went away.

However, the mage quickly understood talking her out of it was not going to happen. So, he drank the vial she handed him and then went away to sneak inside the castle, considering he could not possibly arrive arm under the arm with the Herald. Herself did not need to take the antidote. She was used to pour some in the water of the party, since she could need the mist at any time.

She busied herself to throw dagger into an innocent trunk in the meantime. Freaking. Stupid. Flat-ear. I'm a fucking ersatz?! How are you better than me?! How can I do more?! She felt the tears menacing to come back. She scolded herself, wiping them fiercely. You ask for that, I told you not to be your stupid self. She looked back to the sky, face adamant. She considered the movement of the stars. She stretched her neck and whispered between gritted teeth.

"Time's up."

After looking for ten good minutes around the Camp, Varric and Cassandra came back empty handed. With her stealth, they had absolutely no idea of the direction she took. The rest of the party was still left out of the thing, even if they were all sensing something was wrong? Only not realizing the something wrong was a missing Herald. Varric and Cassandra finally asked Solas if, as a mage, he could somehow sense her. He nodded and stood, a bit worried than they had not been able to find her. He had hoped she would come back by herself after few minutes. As skillful as she was, the area was dangerous and she clearly was not in cautious mode right now. Maybe she just needed her space, but he had the urgent need to make amend, if such thing was even possible.

He did not correct them on the how he was able to track her which had nothing to do with sensing her magic. He could not track her, he could track the Anchor. The thing was a real beacon.

When the Anchor dragged them back inside of Redcliffe, he chastised himself for even wanting to frown. Of course, she was upset and this Felix was apparently a friend of her. Ironic. His jealousy had made him angry and his harsh words pushed her to look for the company of the man he was jealous of in a first place. The only thought of the man comforting her made him want to burn buildings.

But the Anchor did not lead him to the tavern as he expected. His jealousy fled as the location got clearer and was replaced by a wave of deep fear. He looked alarmed to Cassandra and Varric before breaking into a fast jog.

"Slow down, Chuckles! What is it?!"

"She is in the Castle!"

"What?!"

The three of them sped up, everything Mahariel and Bull reported about Alexius coming back to their minds. The man wanted her dead. The absence of guards outside the gates did nothing to ease their mind.

Weapons drawn, they nothing but knock down the door of the hall. Their eyes took in the scene with shock. Corpses of Venatori all around, Dorian and Mahariel facing Alexius, staves ready to attack. And what looked like a black hole opening and swallowing both of them.

Mahariel and Dorian stumbled in the foul water. They barely got time to blink that two Venatori were on them. Dorian wrapped them instantly in a barrier as Mahariel casted a winter grasp on a first one. She drove the blade of her staff in the frozen body, bursting it. The second suffered an electricity energy barrage from Dorian before the Tevinter called a lightning on him. Mahariel finished him with her blade. The immediate danger being dealt with, she took a look around.

"Bloody hell, where are we?!"

Her eyes stopped on the red crystals invading the space. She stepped back with awe. The Red Lyrium was bursting from the walls like a disease. The foulness of the air and the water around her feet made her retched. Dorian was thoughtful next to her.

"Displacement? Interesting. It's probably not what Alexius intended. The rift must have move us…To what? The closest confluence of arcane energy?" Mahariel frowned and forced herself to calm. The Tevinter was right on at least one thing, panicking was not going to help.

"Last thing I remember, we were in the castle hall." He kneeled to examine the dark liquid and she gagged again. How could his nose go so close to it without him vomiting?

"Let's see. If we are still in the castle, it isn't…Oh! Of course! It is not simply where – it's when! Alexius used the amulet as a focus. It moved us through time!"

Her eyes widened again and she stepped back. Her back collided with the Red Lyrium. She jumped on the side as she felt the sick tingling of its corrupted energy. How could he assess that with such calm?! Of course, he mentioned the time magic before and it did not move her that much, the theory even made sense but the perspective of having been moved through time…It terrified her. And she had not been terrified of anything in a long-time. It was so wrong. Her jaw dropped, eyes wild. Her emotions were already all over the place before, this was not helping her gain back some cold blood. Her hand reached for her pendant as all her years of training fled her mind.

"Fen'harel halani em, tell me this is Daern'thal messing with me." She looked at a bewildered Dorian. She did not even care for her Dalish accent or words "WE HAVE TO GO BACK! NOW! DO SOMETHING!"

"Calm down, breathe. We first have to look around, see where the rift took us. Then, we can figure how to get back…If we can."

"IF?! YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN AND YOU SAY IF?! What kind of Danh'direlan are you, shem?! Oh Creators…"

Dorian put his hands on her shoulders to force her to look at him. He left aside his surprise to find her sounding so much Dalish out of nowhere. She might as well be born in a clan and have joined the city later. Peculiar, but why not. There was a story there, obviously, but it was not the time for it.

"Herald, focus. I understand how you feel. I've had years to come to peace with the idea of this being possible. You did not. But you have to breathe and calm down. And slow down with the elvhen, I don't understand half you are saying."

She took few deep breathes and her face turned grim. Yes, of course, he was right. No time for another emotional breakdown. Her eyes became sharp and murderous. After a minute to put her fear in the back of her mind, she finally nodded.

"Right. Sorry, Altus. Let's get moving."

He nodded, relieved to see she was back to business. He took his hands back. She looked at the door of the jail and grunted. She could pick the lock but it would take time. She put her need to retch aside as she looted around. She finally put her hand on the key. Now, they could get moving.

There was a corridor of empty cells ahead of them. As in the one they were, Red Lyrium was everywhere. This place felt so wrong. They took some stairs only to arrive in more cells. Their movements were complicated by the pumping crystals which grew everywhere.

"Alexius has made a dreadful mess of this place, hasn't he?" She was about to snap at him but thought better of it. Better some chitchat to keep her mind away from what was in front of her eyes.

"I did not see this part of the castle before."

"It was covered in the tackiest carvings of wolves and dogs I'd ever seen. This is not an improvement."

"Mabari."

"Excuse me?"

"'Twas no dogs on the carvings. They were mabari." He raised a brow.

"Isn't that a breed of dogs?"

"Oh, my poor man, never say that in Ferelden. Mabari are glorious war hound, no dogs."

"Do I hear a soft spot for the doglords culture, Apprentice?" She smirked faintly.

"Maybe."

They arrived in a wide room with metal fence on the ground, letting see the promise of a displeasing fall under it. Two other Venatori were there. She sighed with relief. Finally, something to kill. Dorian's barrier fell over them as she placed an immolate under the two guards. Taken aback, they cried under the burning – maybe more of surprise than actual pain. They drew their swords and rushed towards the mages. Mahariel grinned sadistically and disappeared in stealth. Dorian casted a chain lightnings on the both of them. An ice mine appeared towards them and burst under their feet. They fell loudly on the rear. Mahariel reappeared and pressed her boots against the throat of one. A sickening crack resounded as she broke his neck. She leapt astride the other and froze his limbs with a gesture. Slowly and painfully, she thrusted her blade through his armor. She held his gaze as blood spurted from his torso. She drilled his lung and looked viciously the life leaving oh-so-slowly his eyes. Dorian looked at her, puzzled with awe.

"I had my doubts earlier, but you certainly look like a countrywoman right now."

She jumped on her feet and did not answer. Fear had this effect on her. Turning her into the ruthless assassin she was known to be. Anger and bloodlust would be useful in there.

They went through other stairs on the other side of the room. Going done, her ear suddenly flinched as she heard a voice nearby. She frowned as she sped up her pace. The voice was…singing? In elvhen? Melava inan enansal, ir su aravel tu elvaral. She knew this song. She suddenly froze few inches away from the door leading to the cells.

"NO."

More than the song, she knew this voice. Dorian looked at her as she remained still, afraid of going through the door and acknowledging it was the same voice. Older than the last time she heard it but…NO. Her eyes became blurry as her feet broke into a rush by their own will. She passed the door and she saw her. The young elf with jet-black hair, sitting against the wall of a cell. Red Lyrium way too close to her. She froze again as she whispered.

"Analen."

The elf's head spun to her and she scowled before her eyes widened.

"Mahariel? Is that you? The shemlen said you were dead!"

Mahariel fell on her knees as her sister stood to come closer to the door of her cell. Her skin and eyes had a sick red glowing aura. Dorian glanced with distress from one to another, not understanding at all what was happening, except for the part where the Herald was obviously losing it. She nothing but crawled to the door, her hands shaking as she began to pick the lock. Hopefully it was an easy one. Her face was dropped, her eyes bloodshed as tears were drowning her face. She nothing but babbled.

"What…What…. How do you…"

The lock finally gave up and Analen fell on her knees to take her sister in her arms, still not believing she was alive.

"They said you were dead. I knew I could not believe them so I came to Haven. But, then…"

The young elf's voice was trembling, giving a vague idea of the ordeal, she had been through. Dorian gave her fifteen years, something like that. His eyes narrowed as he was trying to see her eyes. Despite the glowing red, he could guess a bright blue color. Without the green nuance of Mahariel's ones but the lagoon blue was peculiar enough to make him suspect a sibling. Kaffas. And, Mahariel? Wasn't she called…Oh Maker, this was becoming so complicated. Analen resumed, parting slightly from the angsty embrace of Mahariel.

"I made it to the Frostbacks when I ran into a mage. I explained him who I was and where I was trying to go. I think he knew you because he instantly told me to stay with him…I did not understand but then, I saw them…The Red peoples everywhere…And…"

The following of her sentence lost itself in a weep. A voice resounded from a cell behind, tainted with endless pain.

"Mahariel? You are alive? I saw you die!"

She started at Solas' voice. Focused as she was on her sister, she did not even realize he was in the cell across. Her eyes widened as she spun to look at him and saw the same red glowing around him. Her tears doubled – if it was even possible. Last time she saw him she wanted to rip his throat. Now, her throat was tightened, almost chocking her. Analen, now him. She could not take it. Dorian took his chance of finding out pieces of information.

"The spell Alexius casts displaced us in time. We just got here, so to speak."

Solas proceeded the new with remarkable quickness and looked at Dorian with hope.

"Can you reverse the process? You can return on obvious events of the last year, it may not be too late!"

Dorian nodded, Mahariel enable to say anything. Solas looked back at her and his voice broke with pain as he saw how broken she was, her sister tight in her arms.

"I'm so sorry, lethallan…I tried to put her to safety…I failed you." She glanced from one to the other with distress.

"A year? Solas…How…How did it come to this in one year? Oh creators, how could I not be here…"

Analen took gently the lock-pick from her sister's hands to go open his cell. She did it swiftly and came back to her. Solas kneeled in front of her as well and put his hands on her shoulders gently.

"Mahariel, look at me. It is not too late. This can be undone. You can undo this." She sobbed.

"You are dying from the corruption! Both of you! Oh Gods, where are the other, are they…"

She could not even breathe anymore. Her throat was too tight, her limbs were weak, she could not stop crying. Solas stroked her jaw with extensive tenderness. Dorian felt almost uncomfortable, feeling like he was not supposed to witness that. Despite the glowing red of his eyes, the earnest feelings of the man towards her were obvious. He brought her chin up to make her look at him.

"Some are dead, but you will find other alive and ready to help. Arasha, you will make this right. I know you will."

She held her gaze through her blurry eyes. Her features softened as she heard the endearment. Arasha. My happiness. She took some deep breathes and her hand reached for his. She closed her eyes to blow the air and then glanced to Analen. In other circumstances, she would have said something about how the world must be about to end if her sister wasn't teasing. But…Well. Her other hand reached for her pendant, the first not letting Solas' go. She could still save them. It was not too late. Seeing she was pulling it together, Solas gave a smile and gently took his hand back, pulling Analen away too. Mahariel looked at him, a bit dumbfounded. He met her eyes ruefully.

"We are sick. I shall not allow us to infect you."

Cassandra, Varric, Sera and Leliana were in the castle, alive, as well. Bull, Blackwall, Vivienne, Josephine and Cullen were dead. The one when running into Analen and Solas was her final breakdown. The tears were punctually coming back afterwards but she channeled everything in anger. Her rage was growing each time she saw another of her friends or heard the story of yet another horrible death. Or when she saw the Breach taking the whole sky. Her father and the Keeper were dead too. No one knew anything else about clan Lavellan. They just knew for the one who actually tried to reach Haven to catch Analen. What happened in the Free Marches was unknown, even if there was no way it was good.

She was raging mad, even raving lunatic at some point, broken on the inside. Her heart ached and retched at every single step. She was yearning for two heads: Alexius' and the Elder One's. Whoever the hell was the second. Dorian was doing better but he was thanking the Maker for not having to fell on people he cared for. He did not know Calessia – Mahariel, or whatever was her name – but he sympathized with her. He could not imagine what he would feel if he was in her place. Better not knowing what happened to his people in this dark future.

They finally vanquished the mechanism of the throne room. Mahariel entered inside, her stance threatening and ominous. Alexius was standing on the dais, his back towards the party.

"It's over Alexius."

"So, it is. I knew you'd appear again. Not that it would be now. But I knew I had not destroyed you. My final failure." She snapped.

"I am the only damn thing you did not destroy! Are you going to tell me that is what you wanted?! You destroyed the world you delusional idiotic bitch! Na din'an sahlin Danh'direlan!" Your death is coming, moron!

"Was it worth it? Everything you did to the world? To yourself?" Took over Dorian.

"It doesn't matter now. All we can do is wait for the end." She snorted.

"You won't have to wait long, be assured." He nothing but ignored her and chuckled without mirth.

"The irony that you should appear now, of all the possibilities. All that I fought for, all that I betrayed, and what have I wrought? Ruin and death. There is nothing else. The Elder One comes. For me. For you. For us all."

Mahariel was going to spat at him when Leliana came out of stealth and grabbed a man sitting on the ground she did not have noticed until now. The spymaster was threatening his throat with a dagger. Alexius cried in alarm. Dorian and Mahariel looked at each other with awe to the name he used. Dorian's voice rose in anger.

"That's Felix?! Maker's breath, Alexius, what have you done?"

"He would have died, Dorian! I saved him!" Mahariel replied.

"Wasn't that enough?!" She pointed the entire room, the red Lyrium. "He deserved better. The world deserved better!" Her voice almost broke again as she glanced towards her party. She could not make eye-contact with any of them.

"Release him. I'll do anything you ask." Mahariel declared, dark.

"No." Leliana stared at Alexius, answering the pleading too, as dark and ominous as Mahariel.

"I want the world back."

She cut the throat with a wild and loathing gesture.

The fight finally began. Arrows and bolts were falling on him from Leliana, Sera, Analen and Varric. Ice, fire and lightnings were relentless as well, Cassandra's sword finishing to overwhelm the Magister. He soon began to open rifts in the room.

Mahariel avoided the dark claws of the terror, rolling on the side. She jumped on her feet. An arrow drilled the demon's shoulder. She casted an immolate under it and wielded her spiritual blade. She rushed on it, yelling a war cry. The terror dissipated in the air. She was covered in dark sticky substance.

The time around her distorted again as she leapt. It made her head dizzy and she stumbled as she landed. Cassandra caught her elbow to steady her. She thanked her with a glance and froze the shadow next to them both. The Seeker finished the job and Mahariel held her hand high to close the rift above them. She spun on her heel to face Alexius once again. The man was out of breath. It was not going to take long, now.

"NO!"

Cassandra, Varric and Solas were staring at the now empty spot with awe. Except for the cry of distress of Solas, there was a silence of death in the room. They did not have time to react that a new rift appeared, along with Dorian and Mahariel.

She did not even see them. She turned right away to Alexius, her eyes red and swollen of the tears, her cheeks still wet, her hands shaking. Her voice came out in a low growl her party barely recognized.

"Ar tu na'lin, harellan."

If only one person understood her words, the intend was clear as a raindrop to everyone. Dorian stepped between her and the Magister. With the pumping blood in her head she barely made out what he said. She growled again.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way."

"Don't kill him, Herald. He surrendered."

"Fuck that! You saw what I saw!"

"He did not do it. He will never do it."

She held his gaze and seriously considered killing him too. But the slightest part of reason she had left was shouting it was not right. She burst.

"To the Void with you! Do what the bloody hell you want!"

She disappeared in stealth instantly and she was out of the Castle within a handful of seconds. Cassandra, Varric and Solas hesitated, looking from one-side to the others. They pursued their lips with frustration settling for duty. They approached the Magister, not sure what was happening, but having effectively heard the man surrendered. Cassandra handcuffed him with a rope as they were all pressing Dorian with question about what was happening with Mahariel. Dorian's nose wrinkled, obviously not sure what she wanted to share with them. At least he was able to recognize them. That was a start.

"I…Think she just had the shittiest day you can picture." Varric glanced at Solas accusingly.

"Yes, that we knew. What's new, where did you disappear?"

"Oh, it was already a bad day before that? Maker, poor thing actually might have had the shittiest day of the history of shitty day. To make it quick, the rift sent us through time. In the future." Their eyes widened. "It was…a possible future, the future of one year from now if…Well, if the Herald had died today. That was not good, as you can imagine." The mage shivered a bit to the vivid memories of what just happened.

Cassandra processed quickly his words, not wanting to think too extensively about the all travel through time thing. She finally assessed.

"Varric, go grab any Inquisition forces you see to take care of the Magister. Solas, go find her and make sure she is okay." Varric snorted bitterly.

"She is not." Dorian hesitated but intervened.

"Maybe…I should go with you, Solas. I am the only one who was with her there." Felix glanced at him with dilemma as well. He wanted to go with them but was not going to let his father like this. Dorian reassured him "Don't worry, I can handle our friend." Cassandra and Varric frowned. Friend? Cassandra spoke up.

"I don't trust you." Solas nodded.

"Agreed." Varric rolled his eyes.

"C'mon Chuckles, Seeker. What point does have Sparkler here to propose himself to cheer her up? If he wanted her dead, he would have already make his move, considering…Whatever the hell just happened. Besides, I'm not convinced Chuckles is the best suited on cheer up duty." Dorian looked at him, dark.

"This is not cheer up, dwarf. You have no idea what she just went through." Cassandra grunted.

"Fine. Solas, don't leave him out of your sight."

Ar tu na'lin - I'm going to kill you

Harellan - traitor

Fen'harel halani em - Dread Wolf help me

Danh'Direlan - Idiot

Daern'thal - One of the Forgotten Ones. Associated with nightmares.