A/n i just realized that the way this chapter starts out is kind of ...juvenile, but i can't think of a way to change it so...poop?
It was two months after the trouble with Duke Prosper and Tallis, and during that time Nero had begun to realize that he missed Anders. They had been close friends for years, surely it couldn't be completely over. So he headed out on his own, into the dregs of Darktown and made his way to the clinic, as he neared the door he heard the healer talking inside, to Hawke, no less.
"I cannot tell you how good it feels for a spirit to fulfill it's function." Anders was saying, "the waiting is over, I am finally seeking justice, and he's exultant. There is no ecstasy humankind can feel to match."
"Are you going to tell me what you did?" Hawke asked with concern.
"You are Kirkwall's Champion. You can better aid our cause in that role than in aligning yourself with me too closely here." Anders said cheerfully.
Nero frowned, Anders sounded...weird. And obviously he had gotten Hawke to do what he would not. Namely to distract the Grand Cleric so that he could sneak into the Chantry.
Oh Hawke, what have you gotten yourself into?
"You're scaring me," Hawke said, "you sound possessed."
"I am possessed! And it's never felt better! Even Justice bows to you for the faith you have shown in us. A victory for mages will be a victory for you."
"Right...I'm going to go...meetings with Nobles, and all that." Hawke said skeptically before heading out.
Unsure what drove him to do so, Nero hid as Hawke exited the clinic and it wasn't until the Champion had turned the corner that he stood up and approached the door. He hesitated before knocking, did he really want to speak to Anders when he was in this strange mood?
He shook his head, now was as good as ever, and was about to knock when Varric appeared behind him.
"Violet, haven't seen you in a while, how've you been?" the Dwarf asked cheerfully.
Nero tensed and turned towards the little man, "Maker Varric, scare a person, why don't you?"
Varric chuckled, "sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your staring at Anders' door."
Nero frowned, "I was about to knock I'll have you know."
"Right."
"What are you doing here?"
"Anders sent one of the boys around here to the Hanged Man to ask me to come see him. So here I am." Varric said with a shrug.
"Do you know what for?"
"No idea...why are you so curious?"
Nero glanced suspiciously at the clinic door before kneeling next to the dwarf so he could whisper in his ear, "Hawke was here a few minutes ago and I overheard him talking to Anders-"
"oh-ho! You eavesdrop now? You rascal, you." Varric snickered.
Nero rolled his eyes, "Anders is acting...strange. He seems ridiculously happy, and was saying that Justice was happy as well. Varric, he wasn't even this happy when he was with Bethany before. It's...suspicious."
Varric raised an eyebrow, "your not telling me something."
Nero hesitated and furrowed his brow as he considered what to tell the dwarf, he decided on the truth, "I'm sure you've heard about us getting drakestone, right?"
"Sure...what about it?"
"It wasn't to help make a potion to separate him and Justice...obviously. A few months ago he asked me to distract the Grand Cleric so he could get in to do something in the Chantry unseen. But I refused, because he wouldn't tell me what he planned on doing. I think he got Hawke to do it."
Varric frowned, "that is suspicious. He hasn't been around much either. Apparently the clinic is usually empty, especially at night, and the days that he treats patients have been getting progressively fewer and farther between."
"He's up to something, and he doesn't want anyone to know what."
Varric scratched his chin, "I think you have more chance of getting it out of him than I do. So here's what we'll do, I'll go in and see what he wanted to see me for. You listen in and when I leave you go in and I'll listen in to the conversation you two have. Then when you leave we'll head to your place and try to figure out what he's doing."
Nero nodded and stood, but Varric pulled him down again, "by the way, I've been meaning to tell you...Aveline said that while we were at Duke Prosper's a group of heavily armed men from Tevinter arrived in Kirkwall and were looking for you."
"Two months Varric, really?"
Varric shrugged, "I'm a busy man!"
Nero shook his head and stood again, motioning Varric to enter the clinic. When he did Nero sat against the door with his hood up and swayed a little, trying to look particularly drunk to any passersby, and listened in.
"Varric, I'm glad you came." Anders said joyfully.
"What's this about, Blondie?" Varric asked.
"Can't a man just want to see his friend?"
"Then why am I here and not Nero?"
"How do you know I didn't ask him to come here already?"
Varric chuckled, "I have it on good authority."
"Who's?"
"Come now, you know I never reveal my sources."
Anders laughed, "alright, fine. I asked you to see me here because I wanted you to have this."
"What's this, a ...pillow?"
"Hand embroidered by my mother. The only thing of hers that they let me keep when I went to the circle." Anders explained soberly.
"Why in the name of Andraste would you give that to me?"
"You've been a good friend, Varric."
"Uh-uh, You keep your pillow, Blondie. And may you have many more dreams of killing Templars on it."
"Well it's not that ratty looking is it?" Anders asked.
Varric laughed, "that's not the problem, I should be leaving though, things to do, people to see. You know how it is."
Anders chuckled, "Varric: the working man."
"That's right."
Nero heard Varric approaching and quickly scurried away from the door and hid, in case Anders saw him out. When the door shut without any sight of the mage he breathed a sigh of relief and motioned for Varric to join him.
"He really doesn't seem right does he?" Varric said.
"I know...why would he give you his pillow? Did you say you wanted one like it before or something?"
Varric shook his head, "it was like he was giving it to me as a parting gift...but I don't know where he's going..."
"Maker, this isn't going to be good is it?"
"We're going to have to keep our eyes and ears open, somethings brewing...I'll call on some of my spies down here, maybe they know of something."
Nero frowned and looked at the door, "I have to go in there now, don't I?"
"Well it certainly wouldn't hurt, Violet."
Nero sighed and quickly walked to the door and knocked as he pushed it open. Anders came from the back room when he heard the door shut and gaped at him for a few moments before he spoke. As the mage stared at him in surprise he noticed that his clothes were different, darker and cleaner looking, as though he had finally taken the suggestion to get them fixed. It didn't look too bad, Nero thought.
"Nero. I didn't think you'd come back here." Anders said as Nero strode towards him, "I know you don't understand why I must do what I do, but I thought maybe you'd support me."
"You never even told me what your doing!" Nero exclaimed.
"I'm trying to protect you. There's no reason we both need to hang."
"What have you done?"
"You know I can't tell you." Anders said with a shake of his head, "I'm not telling you because if you know it'll put you in danger."
"Anders..." Nero sighed and began pacing, only stopping when Anders spoke.
"Should I have told you the truth? There's no one in Kirkwall I wouldn't kill to see mages free. How would you have reacted to that?" he snapped.
"There must be a peaceful solution."
"No." Anders said forcefully
"If you talk to the Grand Cleric-"
"No.
"If Meredith steps down-"
"They see mages as monsters. They can't imagine a world with room for all of us. Maybe they're right."
"What does that mean?" Nero groaned, "Anders, you can't keep doing this. If you want mages to be free, you need to convince people your not dangerous."
Anders threw up his hands in disgust, "impossible!"
"All your doing is proving the templars right." Nero told him desperately.
"I've been telling them that all along! Mage after mage in Kirkwall turning to blood magic because its 'easy!' I always said they are their own worst enemies. But I never thought I..." The mage trailed off with a sigh, his confidence in himself wavering.
"Whatever you've planned there is still time to stop it." Nero told him hopefully.
Anders frowned, and sadness touched his eyes. Any trace of the happy mage that Nero had heard earlier was gone, "Yes, time. Maybe there is still time."
Anders skin suddenly cracked and his eyes turned the familiar blue that announced Justice's control.
"Leave. this does not concern you!" The spirit spat at him
Nero seethed, he hated this entity, "this is Anders' decision, not yours!"
"I am Anders! You have given into sloth. You would stand by while mages are abducted and tortured. Go, Anders has no need of you." With that Justice released his control, leaving a confused and troubled Anders in his wake.
"What was I saying?" the mage asked.
Nero was shocked, Anders was usually able to see what the spirit was doing when Justice took over.
"You...don't know what just happened?" Nero questioned.
"No. What do- oh, I'm having more blanks in my memory. It's like the longer we go, the less of me there is. You were right all along, I should never have done this. I will see..maybe it's not too late to change things." Anders said sadly and looked around as if he was searching for something, "I think...I think I need to be alone, Nero."
Nero frowned, "you still wont tell me what your doing?" he questioned.
Anders shook his head, "if I fail...I can't, you cannot be involved."
"Anders..."
"Please, Nero."
Nero hesitated, but finally he nodded, as he headed out the door he heard Anders say it was nice to see him and he nodded his head in response. When he was finally standing next to Varric they looked at each other sadly.
"He's going to kill somebody."