Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age in any way shape or form.

/Chapter 1\

I had a thought.

Well, technically it was my brother who gave me the thought but still.

"If I would ever be a baby again?" I pondered the question. Mike hums a yes, continuing on mixing the batter or whatever it was that he was mixing in the bowl. It smelled like chocolate though. Personally, I preferred vanilla, but I'd still eat chocolate. Well, whatever it was, I'll be forever thanking the baking gods for successfully instructing my brother in the finer arts of sugar food-creating.

We were in my living room. Well, I was in the living room, lounging on the couch. He was in the kitchen which is right behind the couch, no border whatsoever. It was summer and the heat was nigh unbearable. I made do with the fan since the air conditioner was only for special events. Gotta save up on money after all.

"I haven't really thought about it." I tousled my hair before settling further into the pillows. "I mean, I probably wouldn't want to experience childbirth consciously. Oh gads, the thought is just horrible." Then I made gagging sounds which made Mike chuckle.

"In general though. What do you think of it?" Mike offered again.

I sigh. "It's weird. Improbable. Impossible. Then again, everything, in theory, is impossible until you achieve it or see tangible proof of it."

"So you believe it?" Mike clarifies.

"Well, I don't unbelieve it but I also don't believe it?" I scratch my head. "What I'm trying to say is that it could be possible, we just don't know about it or something or no one had memories of it or something. Even then that would difficult to prove because you can't exactly see into a person's mind to check if it's true."

I sit up to look over the couch's back rest and see Mike looking thoughtful while still moving his hands at a speed I didn't know was possible. Seriously, how was he doing that?

"If you would be reincarnated then, what do you want to be?" Mike asks again.

I shrug. "I dunno, generally anything except bugs, reptiles or babies. But I'd really rather be born again in my current body, or older." Mike only hums a reply.

Then I sat up straight and looked at his workplace interestedly. "So about that frosting on the counter..."

That's pretty much the end of what we had discussed.

I didn't think of it until after I died and woke up in a strange rubbery kind of place.

The first thought I had was 'yuck'.

The second was 'I'm thirsty.'

Those two phrases summed up most of my stay there.

I wasn't exactly sure how long I stayed there and where I was but I know I was somewhere. It was very warm there and everytime I pushed at the walls, I could feel something cold beyond the warmth.

I also didn't know that I had died.

Scrounging up whatever memory I can last recall, I made the genius deduction that I was probably in a coma which was why I could feel but couldn't move anything at all. The longer I stayed there as a mere presence, I began to wonder just how long it has been and how my brother was doing now.

I could barely remember what my brother looked like.

There was when I realized that something was seriously wrong.

I remembered only bits and pieces. The feel of his hair, the smell of his clothes, a brilliantly white smile and bright hazel eyes. I felt like crying when I realized that I couldn't remember his face.

There, I thought that I had amnesia. Needless to say, I panicked. I just about had a mental breakdown when I felt a strange sensation. Then I realized that I could move my arm. So I did.

I felt like crying. How long has it been already that I thought moving my arm was a strange sensation?

So I pushed, and pushed. And pushed some more.

The lesser progress I had, the more I panicked and the more I panicked, the more frantic my movements became.

It was even more later that I realized I could move my other arm and legs.

I kept working on getting out of wherever I was for as long as I could take it. It was a very long while until I felt the walls break and shift. I made some sort of sound then, and I stuck a limb out of the cracks in the wall that I made. The walls shifted and expanded...

And the air felt like it was burning me alive.

Then I passed out.

I thought, this is probably what it feels like to die.

This felt like an awkward way to end it but I honestly wasn't too sure how to end it either way. I AM SO SORRY I POSTED THIS UP REAL LATE. School is a nightmare especially when you have to catch up with the other requirements you've missed. -cries in despair- I'm not sure when I'll be able to put up the next chapter, because school, but I'll try my hardest to put something up as soon as possible. (Still no promises anytime reals soon though)

Fun fact of the day: Mages who develop powers outside of Thedas' conventional teaching methods, or mages who develop magic outside of the Circle, are called hedge mages. Their magic is oftentimes focused on charms, curses and shapeshifting though of course those are only the common ones. The most notable hedge mages in the game series: Solas and Morrigan. (as usual, credits to the dragon age wikia for these)

Question of the day: If you were a hedge mage in the world of Thedas, what would you like to specialize in?