“It’s finally ready?” The words are almost filled with too much hope. He’d been planning this for so long under everyone’s noses. If he was right-- He should be able to get to Hawke and Carlisle. After everything he’d done, all the research and information he’d compiled both on cloning and on the fade, on Wardens and on the history itself. Nesisa and Dorian had been the greatest help in that. Without them, he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to acquire everything he needed for this mission. Allura made protests at first, Coran too-- but they gave up trying to stop him because of what was at stake. Two lives that had no reason being there. Of course they couldn’t stop him from doing everything he could to save them.
Discussions with Black continued for hours. The Fade, how it was different and yet the same as the Astral Plane. He’d spent so many sleepless nights going through scrolls and books, looking through Altean logs and all that was had on measuring the veil. If there was anyone who could do this and accomplish it-- Shiro was certain he could. He didn’t tell anyone what he was planning, though he suspected Leliana might’ve gathered some kind of idea with all his snooping and questions. Granted, even she wouldn’t have believed what he was capable of doing if he’d told her outright. He’d gotten with Coran on the cloning process, asked everyone who was familiar with Carlisle if there was anything he’d left behind that he may have touched. That may have been preserved in some way.
When he’d finally gotten his hands on a viable strand of the man’s DNA, he and Coran had begun working on it to alter and repair it. To rid it of the structural damages caused by the Taint. He worked with Coran for days and days to clone a body for Carlisle, it was perhaps a good thing they’d discovered the cloning plot by Haggar-- At least they had access to all the technology. It’d taken so long but now he was ready. He had everything he needed, had all the tools necessary and had the will to step into this. Are you sure about this? The words interrupt his thoughts and he turns his gaze to Allura with a reassuring smile on his features,”Of course I am. How could I bare to leave them there?”
After all he’d heard about the fade, of course he couldn’t abandon them there. Let alone after knowing they were people that everyone cared about. Friends lost. Friends left behind. Love lost-- “Just make sure that when we get back, you properly put Carlisle where he needs to be and I’ll treat Hawke.” There was no room for error. The records of the fade only made him all the more wary and he wouldn’t make a mistake if he could help it. There was nothing more to say and with a rumble from Black, he was already on his way. Deep breaths, he’s not sure if he’ll remember how to breathe. It’s different there. He knows it is. (How many breaths did you lose before?)
He could mimic it back then but it hadn’t mattered. What he’s concerned about isn’t the effect it would have on him though. He’d already died once-- A little death never hurt him, he’d joke. There’s a moment of disapproval from his lion and he chuckles his nerves away,”Let’s go, Black.” It didn’t take much, it never did. (She was always there in a way.) What took more was traversing to the Fade. First, he had to go to Thedas, then he had to go through to the crossroads and then enter the Fade through the astral plane. The steps sounded easy. Doing so was much more difficult-- yet Black made it look easy. Even if Shiro himself felt like vomiting the second he felt himself being pulled into the Fade.
It was like the Astral Plane but so much worse. He could feel the fear creeping along his flesh, the spirits sticking to his spine and the twisted portions of it looming in the crevices of his mind the second he stepped out of Black. “We’ve got to find them. Hawke should be here just the same as Carlisle, except-- well she’s alive and he’s.. Not. Search for the only living body in this place and we should find them both if she’s found him.” It didn’t take long for there to be resistance but he fought his way through the same as anything else. When he finally got confirmation from Black that she’d found something, he was quick to follow her guidance.
Laying eyes on them both, he reached up to take his helm off and almost looked too relieved and surprised all at the same time. It’d taken so long just to get to this point-- “Hawke and Carlisle? I’m here to take you home,” he spoke calmly even with the slight awe in his voice. Black elegantly sitting behind him, the trek had been a long one but they were both here now. “My name is Shirogane Takashi, this is my partner Black. I apologize for having taken so long getting here, it took a while to figure out just how to get you both back at the same time.” He was certain this must’ve come across as entirely unbelievable. For someone stuck here, alive this whole time-- he needed to show he was here and not some image of a demon. “I’m willing to answer any and all questions you might have, I’m in no rush and Black will put up a particle barrier to ensure nothing can get through while we speak.”
