Healing the Dark - Dragon Age Inquisition Fanfic

On the one hand, Holli did like to be included in these meetings in the war room now, she liked to know what was going on even if she didn't really get much say. On the other hand, they were kind of boring and at times served to remind her how little she knew and how useless she was.

"How many Templars are expected?" Josephine asked.

They needed to secure lyrium—normal lyrium—for the templars.

"A few dozen veterans are coming ahead of the rest to help seal the Breach," Leliana told her.

That made Holli's stomach flip. Once they arrived, they would seal the Breach. If it worked, what little use she had would be gone. And she and Solas were no closer to figuring out how to get her home.

"How soon until these veterans arrive?" Cullen asked.

There was a flash of light and smoke from the war table where a boy was crouched upon it, examining something in his hand. The others in the room shifted back, the sound of swords being quickly drawn hurting her ears.

"They're almost here. Templars don't like to be late."

Holli recognised him, the wide-brimmed hat, shaggy blonde hair. Cullen and Cassandra had their swords out, ready to attack him, but Holli shifted close, holding her hands out in a halting gesture.

"Wait!" She cried out.

Cullen and Cassandra still shifted until they were either side of her, blades ready to defend her.

Cole looked at her. "I came with you to help. I would have told you before, but you were busy."

She had been busy, she supposed; she'd spent much of the trip—while not walking or studying—healing. Even the tiniest wounds of her companions. She wanted the practice.

"All good, Cole, all good. You just gave everyone a fright, appearing out of thin air," a nervous laugh escaped her.

"I wasn't air; I was here. You didn't see me. Most people don't until I let them," he said, sliding around until he was sitting on the edge of the table.

"Call the guards!" Cassandra barked. "This creature is not what you—"

"A moment please, Cassandra. I would like to hear why he came," Leliana said.

"You help people," Cole said, looking at Holli. "I want to do that. I can help."

"You helped me a lot against Envy," she said, still grateful for it.

He nodded. "I want to help. I can be hard to see. I can kill things that would hurt people, that would hurt you. I won't get in the way."

"Cole saved my life in Therinfal," she told the others. "I might not be me now if it hadn't been for him."

"You're not honestly suggesting we give him run of the camp?" Cullen asked.

"Not freely perhaps, but it seems a waste to—hold on!" Leliana's eyes darted about the room, her form tense.

And just like that he was gone again.

"Where did he go? Cassandra asked, taking a step back, expecting an attack.

Holli grinned at the empty spot. Was he a mage? Because she would love to learn that trick.

"He does that," Holli told them.

"It's a neat trick," Leliana said; her tone didn't exactly sound impressed. "I'll have people watch the boy, but let's not be distracted from the Breach.

Cullen sheathed his sword, then looked to Holli. "We'll need you when the Templar veterans arrive. Take time to prepare while you can."

She nodded, leaving them to whatever else they wanted to discuss. The Chantry wasn't her favourite place, so she left it quickly, getting outside into the bright sun. Pausing a moment, she looked up at the Breach. How was she supposed to prepare for that? Last time they'd just marched her up the mountain and flung her at it. Well, she supposed warmer clothes and more comfortable boots would be one way.

With all the walking they'd been doing since she got here, she believed she'd have an easier time getting up there than last time. All the exercise had definitely been working to make her fitter. She wouldn't be running any marathons any time soon, but maybe she wouldn't feel like death a quarter of the way up.

Holli looked around; there were a few people nearby, none of them paying attention to her. There was a relief to her novelty having worn off by now.

"Cole?" She whispered. "Are you here?"

She felt his presence beside her before she turned to look at him. He was standing there, looking at her expectantly.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hello," he replied, seeming a little unsure of himself.

She started walking, having to stop when he didn't walk beside her. Giving him a look, she gestured for him to come with her, and he hesitantly fell into step beside her.

"I didn't get to thank you for your help with Envy," she said. "So, thanks."

He nodded, his attention drawn to everything around them. He almost looked dazed.

"How were you able to be in my head as well, Cole?"

"I don't know. I was watching, and you pulled," he said.

"I pulled you in?"

"Not on purpose, you reached, and you pulled. You were lost. More lost than you have been."

"I'm still lost," she muttered, kicking at a stone on their path.

She tried to take each day as it came, one foot in front of the other, hope that shit would work itself out. But always at the edges she could feel her anxiety at what would come next just gnawing at her.

Up ahead she saw Solas, brightening slightly and increasing her pace. "Come meet Solas, Cole."

Cole obediently followed.

"Solas!"

The elf turned to look at them, his eyes immediately fixing on Cole, his brow furrowing slightly.

"This is Cole, the boy from inside my head at Therinfal," she said. "Cole, this is Solas."

Honestly, part of her was relieved he was real and she hadn't gone a little bit mad. Part of her was mortified someone else had been in her head. At least she didn't think he'd seen much given they'd spent most of their time in the parts that Envy had been screwing with.

"Cole said I pulled him into my head that day," she told him. "Do you know how? If I was going to pull anyone, I would think it would be one of you guys."

"I suspect it's because Cole isn't human," he replied, studying Cole.

Holli turned to look at him. He looked human enough. Sure, he could disappear, but people in this world had all sorts of strange powers.

"What is he then?"

"That is a complicated question to answer."

Before more could be said, they could hear a commotion at the gates.

"The veteran Templars must be here," she muttered. "I should go. I'll catch up with yous later."

She hurried off, heading back to her cabin. If it went anything like the last time, she could end up unconscious for days again. How to prepare for that? Scarf down some food? Skull back some water?

Would they want to go up there right away or wait for tomorrow?

There was a knock on the door, and she answered it, finding Cassandra there. That was quick.

"Are you ready to close the Breach?" She asked.

"We're going now?"

Cassandra nodded.

"Right, ok... I guess."

Time to make that trek again. At least this time she would be warmer. And if it got too cold, she could use the warming spell Solas had taught her.

It was possible closing the Breach would fix the mark on her hand, possibly even send her home. If her purpose here was to close the Breach, maybe whatever force brought her here would send her back.

Holli followed Cassandra outside and down to the gates. It looked like a lot of people would be making the march up there. Not just Templars, but Inquisition soldiers, and Varric, Solas, and the others. It wasn't the entire force, but it was a small army.

Cassandra ordered them all to move, and they started trouping towards the mountain. Holli fell into step beside Varric, who was talking to Cole. After Therinfal, they already knew about the boy who'd helped her in her head. Not all of them had believed it, so his appearance here was quite validating for her.

"You ready for this, little bird?" Varric asked.

"Not sure it matters," she shrugged.

Part of her was afraid of getting shunted back to her world. Mostly the fear that she would end up back in that bathroom, bleeding out on the floor next to Katie's dead body.

"Who's Katie?" Cole asked.

Holli's wide eyes shot to his. "Are you... are you still in my head?"

"Not in in, like before. But I can hear. Why would you wake up bleeding out on the floor?"

Varric looked up at Holli then, his concern evident.

"Uh, the- the moments before I ended up in this world were... pretty shitty. If I get sent home, I'm just afraid I'll... still be in those moments."

"But you're here. Time still moves there."

"Do you know something about it?" She asked, a sense of urgency in her tone. "My home? Where it is? How to get back there?"

He shook his head. "But time is time. It stops for no one."

"It stopped when we were in my head."

When they'd come out of it, not even a second had passed.

"It didn't stop. Your mind just moved quicker."

It probably wasn't meant as a compliment, but the words still pleased her.

It was a little easier climbing their way to the Breach this time around, maybe because they were a bit slower with such a large number. And she was dressed better, in her warm pink coat, snow boots, scarf, and hat.

When they got up there, Bull helped Holli climb into the pit, effortlessly lifting her down. Holli stood in the middle, staring up at the sky. Her hand was sparking, but it was more a discomfort than the excruciating pain it had been last time she was here.

She caught Solas watching her, and she offered a tremulous smile.

"If this sends me home, it was nice knowing you," she said.

He smiled back and inclined his head. She didn't think he believed in the possibility but was too kind to dash her hopes. He followed Cassandra towards the Templars.

"Templars!" Cassandra called their attention.

"Focus past the Herald! Let her will draw from you!" Solas ordered them.

Holli held her hand to the rift, her mark connecting with it. She could feel something else, the Templars, she assumed. Solas had explained how it might feel and what she would have to do. The Breach wasn't fighting exactly; more like it was just being immovable and stubborn. She pushed harder, feeling it begin to give, likely because of the Templars. It hadn't felt like this last time. It was starting to hurt though, like she was being squeezed. She cried out with the exertion of trying to push it back, or pull it closed; it felt like both at the same time. And then it shattered.

There was a blast of blinding light and the sudden lifting of pressure before she was thrown back, hitting the ground hard. When her vision cleared, she looked up at the sky, nothing but clouds...

She let out a laugh, relief mostly; she hadn't died. Or fallen unconscious.

Still lying on the ground, she could see she wasn't the only one to have been thrown. No one was standing. She could hear their weapons and armour clattering as they picked themselves up.

She would have done the same, but her body felt like jelly, weak and unstable. She was able to lift her hand and get a look at it. The light wasn't as bright, but the mark was still there. Damn.

Solas appeared over her. "Are you all right?"

"Just savouring the moment."

She heard the stones beside her shift and looked over to find Cole had lain down beside her.

"The stones aren't very comfortable," he noted.

"Then why did you lie down on them?" She asked, lightly whacking him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. She felt a little giddy, like a gigantic weight had been lifted.

"So you weren't the only one left."

Tilting her head around, everyone was up on their feet.

"Just give me a minute," she said.

"Because your bones are jelly?"

"Because my bones are jelly," she agreed.