Disclaimer: Okay. I'm running out of ideas for the disclaimer. I think the story should just roll on...

Eragon: I didn't get to say anything!

Me: [sighs] Eragon... can you just shut up for at least a disclaimer?

Eragon: No.

Murtagh: Seriously... his voice kind of gets annoying at times. I wish he could shut up at times too, I hear it so many times in the storyline already...

Brom: I agree. Even though I created him or something...

Arya: Now that you mention it...

Eragon: Whaa...! I thought...

Me: Roll the storyline!

Eragon: He clearly doesn't own the Inheritance Cycle!

Me: Dammit, just roll the storyline!

Chapter 9: Kindred Spirits

After passing Gilderien the Wise, Eragon, Brom, Arya, Murtagh, Thorn, and Saphira walked to the heart of Ellésmera, where they saw Islanzadí watching Alanna and Dusan having their first time with mock swords. The queen watched the party of six come, quietly leaving the children to their twosome.

"I trust the battle went well?" the queen asked, after addressing the greetings.

"It seemed fine," Murtagh answered, "until we had to four-on-one a Spectre."

Islanzadí raised an eyebrow. "Spectre?"

Some eviler rendition of a Shade, apparently, Saphira quoted.

Islanzadí started nodding. She looked down, seeing Dusan tugging at her dress. "Islanzadí-elda," he said. "Can we get back to the sparring thingy?"

Arya threw a quick glare at Dusan. It was disrespectful to call the queen by her first name. Islanzadí laughed, told Arya it was okay, and then said to Dusan, "Why don't you let Brom teach you? He can show just as good as I can."

"Okay!" And the old man stooped down to teach the children.

"They are growing quite fast," Eragon commented.

"Yes," Islanzadí replied. "They are. May even be able to fight off a Shade by the time they reach twenty years from now."

"And the Festival?" Eragon asked.

Islanzadí smiled. "Tomorrow. Everyone is tired, and most of the elves are not back yet. So we'll have the remaining elves return before resuming the Festival."

Eragon nodded. "I understand."

Everyone dispersed throughout Ellésmera. Murtagh joined Brom, Arya followed her mother into the Tialdarí Hall, so Eragon, all alone, decided to go to the Crags of Tel'naeír. Eragon seated himself on the stump in the glade, closed his eyes, and spread his mind out.

Nothing.

Nothing but the trees...

Nothing but the trees and the animals...

Nothing but the little lights in the dark...

Suddenly, a monster conscience entered Eragon's mind. Due to his instinct, Eragon moved up his defenses around his mind, but the conscience plowed right through, as if it were a paper fence in a tornado. Eragon could only see nothing... but a swirl of rainbow lights.

Eragon...

Eragon recoiled at the words. Who are you?

The first. Your first. Why do you ask? There is no need to ask. The only thing... is to thank you.

Thank me for what?

For releasing my spirit from the hands of those dirty sorcerers. They are the reason I was angry enough to create a Spectre. It was my energy that fueled those blows and crafted Eldäftaka-Kratan. And you saved me. I knew you could come back.

But... who are you?

Do you not remember? It is me!

Eragon was enveloped in a tunnel of light, he found himself standing at the top of a mountain. In every direction was the sea, where to the east lay mountains among a forest. Below the mountain was a small city, bustling with figures.

Where... Then it hit him. He was standing on Vroengard. The city below him was Dorú Areaba. The mountain range was the Spine.

You remember... the voice hummed. The figure of a white dragon stood before Eragon. A faint scratch rested on the dragon's eye. Its wings were outstretched, the wingspan of about three shoulder-to-shoulder men. Sharp claws protruded from its paws.

Bid... Eragon said, Bid'Duam...

You remember! The white dragon said. Are you okay, Eragon?

Eragon blinked. I'm... fine. But... why am I here? What about the rainbow dragon?

Rainbow dragon? Bid'Duam asked. I do not know of any dragons with even two hues of color.

He thinks I'm actually the first Eragon, Eragon thought. But why am I having this? I'm supposed to be at the Crags of Tel'naeír, right?

You're thinking, Bid'Duam said.

I am.

About what?

The present.

The dragon huffed, a swirl of smoke rising into the air. Stop talking in riddles Eragon! It nearly drives me crazy. It's bad enough Queen Tarmunora sent us Riders here to Vroengard to govern ourselves.

Tarmunora...Right... Eragon thought. I'm back in the Past. This is like a remnant of some person's past, maybe Eragon the First's, or some other...

You're thinking again, growled Bid'Duam.

I am.

Bid'Duam looked into the horizon. Silver ships dotted the sea. A setting sun was disappearing, and a few stars could be seen. Eragon sighed, got down and sat on the ground. The white dragon plodded over to Eragon's side and set himself next to Eragon.

Sometimes I wish it were like this, Bid'Duam said. Just you and me. Nothing in the world to separate us. Just two kindred spirits in the world.

Kindred spirits... Eragon repeated. The two of us...

And everything faded to black.

Eragon found himself staring at the sky. He tried to remember where he was, but his head hurt. He saw in front of him an old stump. A glade of long grasses surrounded Eragon.

What... was that? Eragon asked himself. He tried to remember how long it had been. He looked at the sun, about midday. It was probably a few minutes that he had probably dozed off or something. But it felt like more than a few minutes...

Eragon got up to his feet. He thought he saw something in the sky, but it passed over the trees before he could comprehend what it was. Eragon then got an idea in his head and dove into Oromis' hut.

Sure enough, the scrolls of the Alagäesian history were still there. He took the scroll mentioning Bid'Duam, skimming the text until he found the part of his death; the same as the First Eragon's. It read:

Bid'Duam died at Eragon's side, when a mysterious disease overtook the first Rider. The two were sent to the depths of Du Weldenvarden, never to be laid by any eyes for eternity. Any elves had forgotten of the sacred burial ground. But it is said, that for unknown purposes and reasons, that the spirit of either Bid'Duam or Eragon I will roam around Alagäesia. Sometimes, they enter someone's mind, and what happens next is unknown. Few people collapse after a spirit enters them, and even fewer remember what they saw.

Eragon closed the scroll, setting it back on the rack. So why was I given a time lapse? Eragon asked. And why did I remember what I saw.

His mind flashed back to the "vision." He heard Bid'Duam say again:

Just two kindred spirits in the world.

It was so vivid and real, that Eragon thought he heard it again in reality. Eragon frowned. It was a dilemma that actually puzzled him, more than the puzzle ring before he was a human, or even when deciding to make a death field in some part of Dras-Leona, or even trying to figure out a passcode to find Galbatorix's armory. It was confusing.

Eragon whirled around at the presence of another conscience. He saw Arya standing at the doorway, dressed in her green tunic. Eragon was a loss for words, so he merely stated, "Hi."

Arya smiled. She walked inside, and put a hand on Eragon's shoulder. "How was your meditation?"

"Okay, I guess," Eragon said. "But I... never mind."

Arya sensed his hesitation. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"You seem as if you don't want to talk to me. Did I come in at the wrong time?"

"No," Eragon said, shaking his head. "It was fine that you came in."

Arya looked down. "It seemed to me that you were in the middle of something. I thought I interrupted."

"No, it's not that. I was thinking..." Eragon decided not to talk about his talk with Bid'Duam in his vision. "...thinking about my namesake."

"Eragon I?"

"Yes, kind of."

"Kind of?"

Eragon looked down. "About what he would have felt in Vroengard. When Tarmunora sent the Riders there."

"Strange thought," Arya said. "But interesting, nonetheless."

Eragon's lips twitched a smile. "Thanks."

"Were you getting lonely?"

"Not really, since I thought you had business with Queen Islanzadí. Brom and Murtagh went to teach Alanna and Dusan about swordplay, and Saphira and Thorn left on some hunting trip or other what-not."

"Did you feel lonely?"

"Not with Oromis' grave right behind me. It almost felt he was watching me out the window, while writing a poem or story." Eragon sighed. "I miss him."

"We all do, remember?"

Eragon looked back. His master. He missed Oromis the most. He was the one who taught him the Rimgar. He was the one who taught him the twelve words of death. He was the one who helped improve his skills. He was the Rider of the one who gave him further instruction. And most of all, Oromis was the one who saved him from the conscience of Durza and his memories being Carsaib.

Eragon grimaced to hide his grief. Every time he thought of Oromis being dead threatened to make him start bawling. Arya saw his face contort, and put a hand on his shoulder. "It just bothers me to accept his death," Eragon said.

"I understand," Arya said. "Remember, we elves are all kindred spirits dwelling upon the last Elder being killed by the usurper."

Kindred spirits.

Just two kindred spirits in the world, Bid'Duam's words reverberated in Eragon's mind.

"That comforts me to know that I am not alone in the grief."

"If you listen closely to Glaedr's Eldunarí, you can hear him brooding over it. I heard it when we were landing on Saphira."

Eragon nodded. Eragon started out the door, taking a look at Oromis' copy for the fairth of Ileria. He smiled as the fairth went out of view as the sun dipped below the trees.

Tomorrow, Eragon thought, we are back to the Festival. And the rest of the rebellion was just that long. I don't believe we even wiped out a couple thousand people in just a day.

Everything seems fast all of a sudden, Saphira commented. Even I sometimes think we just left Carvahall with Brom, and we just killed the last line of ethereal beings.

And now we are selecting a king and queen to rule the Broddring Kingdom. And many more adventures await us after that.

Yes. And what do we know about lands across the Broddring Ocean?

I do not know, Saphira. Things are being more cluttered as we speak. May we leave this for tomorrow?

I'll hold you onto your word. Good night, little one.

Good night, Saphira. The two withdrew from their contact. Eragon went into his tree, falling onto the elven bed, falling into a deep slumber in just a few seconds.

A/N: Sorry this took so long. First, I started a Princess Mononoke Fic. Second, I successfully managed to lock everyone out except for myself with the complex magic that not even ma'mor could unlock the door.

Eragon: Ma'mor! Father, for the sixth time, can you do this already?

Me: Anyways, sorry to my fellow readers. Now I have two stories to worry about... maybe you like anime created by the guy who made Nasuicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Laputa - Castle in the Sky. The third is... Princess Mononoke. Guess I shouldn't hand out spoilers like free candy now...

READ AND REVIEW! RIGHT THERE!