With everything having been said, and no true plan to carry out, everyone went their separate ways. Thanks to Princess Celestia's generosity, the Ferelden outsiders were able to stay within Canterlot castle for the remainder of their stay, for how ever long it would take to finish the Eluvian, now with Anders helping. The Warden-Commander returned to the old guest room he had used during their first stay in the castle, it looked meticulously cleaned and immensely tidy, much more so than he had expected, not a trace of his previous stay was visible.
Heaving a weary sigh, the commander slipped off the sheathe he had strapped to his back and placed the sword against the wall. In slow, unenthusiastic movements, he stripped himself of his armor, carelessly tossing the hunks of metal into a pile on the floor.
Wearing nothing but the somewhat baggy under-clothes that Rarity had made for him, the Warden fell back, sinking like a rock as he sat down at the edge of his bed. The comfortable piece of furniture bucked upward slightly at the sudden onset of weight, but it held together well enough. He simply sat there for some time, immersing himself in the silence and solitude around him, occasionally rubbing his eyes thoroughly as he mumbled unintelligibly to himself.
The consuming sense of bittersweet peace was eventually broken however, as the commander noticed a presence nearby, seeing Alistair standing in the doorway. The Ferelden king was as equally dressed as the commander, having stripped himself of his arms and armor. Wordlessly approaching his friend and comrade, there was a curious look about the royal Grey Warden as he eyed him.
“So, how are you feeling?” Alistair asked. The commander's own response was a raised eyebrow, looking at the king questioningly on the sudden inquiry. “Well, you seemed pretty upset before. Just wanted to make sure everything was alright.”
A huff left the commander as he broke away from Alistair's gaze and stared at the adjacent wall. “How should I feel?” he muttered crossly. “Now that we know that we're actually a danger to this world and its people... It's not something you can simply get over.”
Alistair simply shrugged, almost casually so. “Sure, it's bad and all, but it's not as though we had much of a choice in coming here,” he replied. “There's nothing we can do now except watch out for any more of our mistakes and fix them. To beat ourselves up about it doesn't seem worth it at this point.”
The commander's sudden spark of frustration over their situation fizzled out, leaving him to simply breathe another sigh. “Maybe you're right,” he murmured, sounding unconvinced.
It looked clear enough that there was still something bother him, but Alistair wasn't able to discern what. Then again, he knew full well how badly things had gone since the demon's attack, how much it changed everything. Crossing his arms, a questioning and confused stare fell down on the commander as the king said, “I also needed to talk to you about something.” There was a firm and serious tone in his voice, making the Warden match his friend's gaze. “What are we going to do about what that demon had said?”
“What about it?” the Warden-Commander asked, shrugging the pride demon's last words away like they were meaningless.
There was a brief moment where Alistair fell silent, simply waiting to see if his friend was serious with the question. “Well,” he stressed, “you seemed to make it a point not to tell any of the others about it. From what I heard, this isn't something to just forget.” Raising his hand up, he tapped the side of his head lightly. “And you felt it too, I'm sure. It was faint but... it felt like we were fighting a darkspawn...”
“It was probably just the weakened Fade messing with our heads,” the commander murmured, sounding calm despite the sudden unknowns, “Shale wouldn't notice and thing and it was Luna's first time there, no doubt she didn't voice any peculiar feelings. And that demon, whatever it was spouting, there isn't anything we can do about it now. I doubt the Eluvian sending us here had no effect on Ferelden. Might have even damaged the Veil that separates us from the Fade itself. Whatever the demon mentioned, it's probably a spirit causing trouble. I've told you about the Baroness, right?” Alistair nodded. “Well, there's nothing we can do while we're still here, there's no need to worry anyone about it now. When we get back home, I'll have Anders and the other mages look into it.”
“Well... alright,” Alistair accepted, sounding unconvinced but knowing there were no other options. Turning away to leave the room, Alistair turned back for just a moment to look back toward his friend, still looking downtrodden. “Just... just try not to beat yourself up about all of this.”
Leaving his fellow Grey Warden alone, Alistair walked down the hall in the direction of his own room. Since entering the Fade and defeating the pride demon, the king hadn't had a chance to rest. Finding the thought of his waiting bed comforting, it was all he needed to propel him forward in search for it.
Stuck daydreaming about his furniture, it came as a surprise to him as he came to a sudden halt. Nearly crashing into someone, the Warden-King nearly tripped over himself as he stopped sharply. Alistair's gaze then lowered slightly to see who he had nearly crashed into, Oghren's grinning face appearing in the center of his vision.
For several moments, both Grey Wardens just stood there. Neither one said a word as Alistair gazed down on the dwarf and Oghren stared at the king with great mirth. A nervous smile slowly twisted itself onto Alistair's mouth as a sudden feeling of unease and awkwardness washed over him. Before long however, Oghren's hairy mug was also split open, his teeth showing clearly as he began to chuckle.
The noise of merriment steadily grew louder, Oghren's eyes still locked onto Alistair. In only a moments notice, the joy in his voice increased, becoming a full on laughing fit as the dwarf clutched at his sides. Someone might have told the funniest, most filthy joke in existence and it still wouldn't gain such amusement as what he was displaying. The dwarven Warden nearly toppled onto the ground, his knees bending slightly as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.
Quickly sidestepping the dwarf, Alistair bolted into his room and shut the door tight, still hearing Oghren's laughter ringing in his ears. It was then that there was also an overpowering onset of paranoia, as well as a deep down sense of dread of loose lips on a dwarven mouth.
The talk with Alistair having left a somewhat bitter taste in his mouth, the Warden-Commander left his room and headed for the banquet hall, thinking he could get a drink of something if he looked hard enough. He had nearly tripped over Oghrne on his way out, the dwarf looking as though he had been crying for some reason, his face matching the bright red of his hair as he wiped tears from his eyes.
Finding the large and familiar chamber, the commander was surprise when he realized he wasn't the only human there. Anders was already sitting at the elongated table, a bottle of alcohol in hand while several others were scattered around him on the table. Some of the bottles were empty and knocked over while others remained untouched. The rosy-red tint covering the mage's cheeks showed clearly how the empty bottles had been drained.
“Anders, what are you doing?” the Warden asked, approaching the thirsty mage.
“Wha'?” Anders murmured, turning his drooping, half-lidded gaze toward his commander. “Oh... it's you... Wellp, I'm just-just having a little drink. There's nothin' wrong with that... right?”
The commander looked at the mage flatly, seeing he was on the brink of slurring his words into a incomprehensible mess. “Aren't you supposed to be working on the Eluvian?” he asked sternly. “You know, our only way back home.”
Anders nodded his head sheepishly, his latest bottle sloshing back and forth as he nodded it as well, causing several drops to spill onto the table. “Yup-yup,” he replied. “Took a good, long look at the thing... Saw their progress and everything... Saw it mocking me. Yeah... I'm sure I can make it work nice an' special.... So I figured I earned myself a little treat. Drown my soul-crippling disappointment for a bit...”
A small look of disgust made it to the commander's face as Anders drained the last drop from his latest bottle and rolled it away, immediately grabbing the next one without much delay. Though he wanted to get the mage to stop, he couldn't bring himself to do it, realizing what the mage was going through after what the demon's attack caused. “Just don't drink too much,” he muttered, trying to give him some middle ground. “We need you at tip-top shape to get the Eluvian working.”
The half-drunk Anders barely nodded, his eyes widening for a moment as he sharply hiccuped. “You know what's messed up?” he asked after taking another swig. “Just how unexpected life can be at times...” Blankly staring at the wall on the other end of the banquet hall, Anders took brisk sips from his bottle in between talking and breathing. “I remember, when I was just a wee little baby-child... I was with my dad and mom. They were pretty happy people I guess... Not like super happy like how Alistair or Oghren get at times or nothin'... but pretty happy... We lived in this big ol' farm out in the middle of Maker knows where. And dad would always go on and on about how he was a farmer, how his dad was a farmer, how his dad was a farmer and how ever longer until I lost interest and tuned him out... But... he made certain to know that I'd be a farmer too... follow the 'family trade.' Now, I really didn't care for it or nothin', didn't seem like a lotta fun. But hey, what else was I gonna do? Then one day... suddenly,” Anders clamped his hands together, grinning slightly toward the commander, then slowly pulled them apart, making an explosive noise with his mouth, “boom... Whole barn goes up in flames. Then the next thing I know is... these templar bastards are dragging me away, dad's goin' on about how it's good riddance or something, and mom... mom just stands there and cries...” A weak chuckle escaped the mage, almost sounding like one of Oghren's for a moment. “Guess who didn't become a farmer...”
The mage then slouched forward, his chin resting against the table as his eyes went completely blank. He didn't move except for the tell-tale signs of breathing. For several moments, the commander could only assume that he had fallen asleep. It made him jump as the mage suddenly shot upward.
“But then,” Anders said forcefully, sounding as though there hadn't even been a break in what he was saying, “I'm stuck in that... that blasted tower.” A shuddering groan left him, clearly hating the basic idea of the place. It made him bring his current bottle back to his lips to take another sloppy drink. “Man... how I hated it there. Of course, I made sure to try and leave whenever I could... but you know how it is, templars all over the place... not a drop of fun amongst them... No, I figured I'd be trying to get away from them for the rest of my life... Of course, how was I supposed to know I'd end up running into the-the grand... powerful... mighty... strong... brave... Hero of Ferelden! Looked like any other pompous bastard you might run into in Denerim.” His gaze drifted toward the commander for a moment. “No offense... Then... Oh yes then... Before I can even think, I'm chugging down a cup full of blood and I'm joining the Grey Wardens!”
“I bet those templars didn't see that coming, huh?” the Warden replied, smirking slightly.
“You're damn right!” Anders shot back, laughing in triumph as he emptied the bottle in his hand and immediately grabbed another. “Course... then I figure it'll all be about killin' monsters, rescuing ungrateful fools when they needed it, dieing a horrible... gruesome death of some kind.... But, life just had to have another doozy waiting for us, huh?!” Waving his empty hand around the room he was in, he looked back at the commander as if to make a point. “We're thrown right smack dab in this eye-strainingly colorful world... Oh yeah, everything's coming up Anders now, I thought. Finding this grand place, filled with nothin' more than cheerful people and.... and... this really good booze!” Taking another drink, the mage's voice began to rise steadily as he continued talking, showing a hint of building frustration. “The kinda place that, you know, you'd wana settle down in, end the nonsense of harder life! Nope! Life just had to backhand us like a cheated whore when we were least expectin' it! Now... Ferelden awaits... darkspawn, demons, templars an' all!”
Anders fell quiet once again, a depressed sigh escaping him as he again rested his chin on the table. Eventually, the mage shrugged his shoulders and absentmindedly began running his finger around the rip of his bottle. “Eh,” he grunted, his mood dropping down considerably, “listen to me... goin' on about how much of a bitch that woman called life is...” Looking back to the commander, Anders' eyes glinted with understanding. “You know all about it yourself... It's not like you were expectin' for your family to be... butchered like cattle. It probably came as a surprise when you... a Grey Warden as fresh as a newborn... was given the weighty task of ending a Blight, a civil war, and not to mention the hundred other things you did during that time. And I'm sure it was unexpected when, that witchy lady you liked so much up leaves you high and dry... right after saving the entire sodding world no less...”
The commander thought on it for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor as a frown creased his mouth. Realizing how parched he was however, he simply heaved a much needed sigh and grabbed one of the few untouched bottles for himself. “Well,” he said, lifting the bottle up, “here's to the unexpected that life brings, and to soul-crippling disappointments!” As the bottles held by the two Grey Wardens clinked together, the commander took his first drink of his, gulping down a third of the tasty beverage in one go while the inebriated mage nearly dropped his own. He brought the bottle to his lips and tipped it upside down, leaning back to get every last drop of it until he fell backward onto the floor.
A relived smile was all that Princess Celestia could make as she gazed into Twilight's room to see her student well, not ensnared by horrid creatures or corrupted by dark influences. Even knowing she had been rescued by the efforts of her sister and visiting heroes, such an event still left the princesses heart to be gripped with fear, unable to bear the thought of such a thing occurring again.
Twilight lied down on her stomach atop the bed she had been given, perhaps the simple room wasn't as grand as the tower she once called home, it was still a quaint room that held its charm. The scholar's face didn't show any peaceful rest or noticeable joy to it at all. Instead, her expression was one of sadness and depression, the likes of which Celestia had never seen from her before.
As dependable as ever, the infantile dragon Spike stood nearby, ready to make himself of use and tend to the mare's need, simply joyful that she was safe and sound. Maybe he was simply too small to notice it, but it seemed that Twilight's mood was lost to him, though it seemed possible that the assistant was simply too young to fully understand what was effecting her.
The overwhelming silence in the room was broken as the princess stepped inside, causing both the unicorn and dragon to turn their heads toward her. The soft smile she was known for spread across her lips, Celestia's regal gaze fell onto the dragon. “Spike,” she said sweetly, “would you be so kind as to retrieve a white and gold tome from Luna's chambers? I am in need of it and she can be so forgetful at times.”
“Oh, sure thing, princess,” Spike replied, straightening his posture as he saluted the royal equine respectfully. In moments he was already out of the room, fulfilling Celestia's request without delay.
With the dragon having gone, it left the two mares alone in the simple room. It didn't take very long for it to register to Twilight, quickly picking up on the princess' actions. Celestia merely allowed her typical smile to dwindle into a look of concern, her eyes never leaving the unicorn.
“How are you feeling?” the princess asked, her tone doing well to show how much she cared.
The lavender-coated mare nodded her head with little enthusiasm. “Yeah...” she replied, “I'm doing fine.” There was a moment of pause as Celestia continued to eye her student, clearly seeing she was anything but fine. The few moments of silence proved to be all the coercing the librarian needed as her own gaze landed on the far of wall. “I've heard about what's happening because of the others being here... and that they have to leave soon because of it.”
“Yes,” Celestia nodded, “it is unfortunate in all regards. But they realize it is for the best that they do not risk Equestria by staying here longer than they need to, especially not after what befell you.”
Twilight sighed sullenly as she continued to stare aimlessly at the wall. “Maybe we would be better off had they never came here in the first place,” she murmured flatly.
The alabaster lips of the sun princess sank into a frown as she looked at her student with with a new concern. “Twilight,” she said, “you do not truly mean that, do you?”
Not answering, Twilight's glistening eyes fell downward, ashamed of her own words. Celestia followed her student's gaze, seeing her hoof against the pendent that hung around her neck. The princess' sights remained locked on the peculiar trinket for some time, seeing more than magic placed into its creation. There was so much emotion in it as well, all compacted within the small ornament. It helped to lessen her concern even more, her smile reclaiming itself on her face as she looked back to the scholar.
“Should we say that their leaving and the reasons for it are cause for such thoughts?” Celestia asked. “Yes, they may have brought great trouble to our land, but have they not brought such wondrous things as well? Just because our time with them is brief, fleeting in all concepts, does that make it any less grand?”
“But...” Twilight whispered, her thoughts tentatively being spoken, “for them to come... only to have to leave so quickly...”
“Shouldn't that make our time with them all the more precious?” the princess remarked wisely. “Now, Twilight, there are several great lessons everyone must learn in life. How unexpected life truly is, and no matter how unexpected it is, the only certainty in it is the inevitable ending of things.” Celestia then sat down next to the bed, never letting the lavender unicorn out of her sight. “Just as everything has a beginning, there is also an end. But no matter how brief or how long the time between them is, every moment should be cherished, never blackened with what ill tiding might come.” A huff of amusement left her as she continued to smile cheerfully. “Now, can we truly say that we were better off never knowing these creatures?”
Twilight blinked, her eyes blank as she thought on the princess' words. “I... I guess not,” she replied, a weak smile appearing on her expression.
“Good,” Celestia said. “Now that we know how limited their time is with us, should we not enjoy every last moment we have left?”
The strength in Twilight's smile suddenly grew, broadening across her mouth as her shimmering eyes beamed toward the royal mare. “You're right,” she said with growing joy. With her spirits lifted, the unicorn approached her mentor and nuzzled against her affectionately. “Thank you, princess.”
Celestia could keep her soft smile as she returned the gesture. An immense amount of happiness welled up inside of her heart, simply from knowing of her own student's happiness. Perhaps the otherworldly creatures had unintentionally brought danger to her land and her people, but there was no moment of regret toward their appearance that crossed her mind. Not after everything else that they had brought.