There is something horribly symolic about this... I'm going to wrap up this story at the same time I'm completing my first year of college.
That's right, this is the last chapter. I'll post the epilogue this Friday or next. Which Friday it is... Well, that depends on the reviews, now doesn't it?
Disclaimer: For the second to last time, I don't own Inheritance! I also don't own something else that I'm adding the name of in the end note...
Amy sat up in her bed three nights later, unable to sleep. It was there last day in Sudra. Tomorrow, they left to the temporary home of the Riders, which also happened to be the elfish capital. She, for one, was ecstatic. No more slinking around, trying to avoid creepy kings. No more whispering, annoying as hell, human magicians…
An older dragon around to teach a certain pain-in-the-ass dragon how to make better damn shields! Amy glared at the ceiling since her dragon wasn't in sight.
Jadia had the decency to send a wave of guilt back to her Rider after the rather pointed thought. Since Thorn finally gained enough backbone not to step back after her show of hissing at him to confront her about the opals, the pair had been as inseparable as Amy and Murtagh. The only problem had been the youngest dragon wasn't very good at blocking out her Rider, which resulted in Amy learning more than she needed to know.
Sighing, Amy stood, tugging down her pale aqua blue silk camisole from where it had ridden up as her matching pants did so on their own. Her hair was a rumbled mess down her back from her restless sleep. Ignoring it, since it would take an hour to get it to behave, she instead sneaked past the beds of her fellow Riders, pausing in front of the full-length mirror left in their room. Her reflection showed just how much this trip had worn on her; she had lost a lot of weight, and there were dark circles under her eyes.
"You look like hell…" she muttered at the reflective surface, only to gasp as the reflection rippled. Briefly, she caught sight of a woman in what she recognized as a Japanese kimono, her dark hair insanely long and loose.
Come down and see me…
The voice echoed through Amy's mind. Ignoring any instinct she had not to listen, she scurried out of the room, barefoot and in her pajamas.
"Where are you…?" she asked softly out loud when she reached the bottom of the stairs that connected the Riders' wing to the rest of the castle. Another thought probe, this one wordless, led her to the ballroom, where the cursed gaudy mirror still was after that night.
Cautiously, Amy approached the mirror that had told her more than she wanted to know, only to gasp. Her own reflection… wasn't there.
Instead, a beautiful woman, tall and graceful, like a willow tree, stood in front of her. There was the butterfly-like kimono Amy saw in the other mirror, and like she thought, the woman's dark hair fell down her back completely straight, the length insane. Ruby red eyes filled with so much wisdom looked down at her, a gentle but sad smile on her face.
So… This is another of Fei Wang Reed's ripples…
Despite the woman's mouth moving, Amy knew she heard her words inside her mind.
"Fei Wang Reed…? Ripples?" Amy asked instead of the obvious "Who the hell are you and where is my reflection?" question.
Don't worry. Your reflection will return to normal soon. Apparently asking wasn't needed as the woman smiled. I am Yuuko. I am known as the Time and Space Witch. Fei Wang Reed… is a man, a magician, with a wish he wants granted. However, the wish he has is taboo. That does not stop him. Instead, he intends to force what was once taboo to be available to him. The worlds around the one he has housed himself, and the ones he has manipulated and those around them, are being truly distorted. However, world around the edges are feeling ripples of his magic. These ripples alter time, and can alter space as well.
Amy swallowed thickly before whispering, "I am supposed to be dead… Is that ripple why I am here?"
The ripple affected this world at the same time as it affected yours. Yuuko confirmed Amy's suspicion as her eyes drifted closed before opening only half way, the ruby depths dark. In this world, a man lost his beloved partner, and was twisted mad by it. It caused the destruction of an entire race, except for five.
"The dragons…"
Yes. During these dark times, your other self died as well.
Amy blinked, now lost. "My other self?"
Yuuko smiled and opened her eyes all the way again. Yes. In every world, there is a version of you. They may not all appear the same or have the same personality, but they are all there. Your self here was a remarkable person… One of the few Lady Riders, who rode a light green dragon that matched the woman's eye color almost exactly, she was quite important. The former leader of the Riders…he had a brother, elder, who was also a Rider. She was that man's wife.
Amy covered her mouth as she realized all the similarities to the current time. Yuuko nodded as she said, Time adjusted itself, and to do so it brought forth those similar to those who had been denied their destinies. However, there was no female here suited to replace the Lady Rider Guinevere. Instead, in your world, the ripple hit slowly because of the way time flowed. It sent twin girls, both who were on their death beds, into worlds that needed them far more.
"Twin girls… Lyn and I…" the female Rider gasped out as she realized exactly what the woman was saying. Before she fell, she rapidly folded her legs underneath her, kneeling on the floor. "We… We were brought to worlds that needed us… She's… She's alive too…" Tears began to fall down her face, though she was unsure whether she was happy, sad, or angry.
Yes. She too had somewhere she was needed. Together, the Archer twins can do so much more than they can together… Do you resent Time for separating you?
"…No… Not really. We've been apart so long now, it doesn't hurt so badly…" Amy admitted. "But I would like to see her, if I could."
If that is your wish, you must pay for it.
"Pay…?" Amy twisted this around, and her stubborn nature asserted itself. "My wish is to know how to search, unobtrusively, through other worlds for my sister. What is the price?"
Clever girl. Yuuko's smile gained a cynical edge. Few realize that the best wishes you have to work for. Yes, I will grant this wish. In return, I ask for another kind of knowledge. Your music.
Amy choked on her next breath of air, her eyes wide.
Not everything, child. Just of something. You have such a vast collection… Surely there is something you love, yet wouldn't miss?
Right then, Amy knew what to do. "My piano," she said with surety, "Take my knowledge of the piano."
Yuuko smiled and raised her hand. Music notes, the sound of Mozart, filled the room, even as physical representations floated from Amy's chest, just over her heart, to Yuuko's hand in the reflection. I accept your payment, and in return give you this: knowledge of space.
A butterfly formed where there were once musical notes in Yuuko's palm, and it fluttered to Amy's chest. She carefully pressed its wings against her bare skin, and it absorbed into her. Over her left collarbone, a patch of skin became darker, in a complex outline of a butterfly.
You have great things ahead of you, Lady Rider. Do not worry about Fei Wang Reed. Others are in place to face that force, and you are no match for him.
Amy reluctantly nodded. As much as she wanted to rip the man that sent her away a new one, she appreciated where she was at. Slowly, she watched her reflection return to normal. However, the Time and Space Witch apparently wasn't finished speaking yet.
A piece of advice, Amalthia. Get yourself and all the other dignitaries out of Sudra. Time is about to take another spin in that world.
Eyes wide, the female Rider didn't have to be told twice. Being as quiet as possible, she scurried back to the Rider's wing. Inside, both men were asleep. Wiggling her lower lip, Amy muttered, "Screw it," and began to pack her own things, reaching for Jadia in the process.
The three dragons took Amy's news with little argument, though Jadia didn't hesitate to chew out her Rider for going somewhere dangerous on her own. The older two dragons woke their Riders and relayed the information. Eragon sat up in bed right away, looking at Amy in slack jawed wonder as she finished adjusting her tunic. Murtagh didn't even stay in bed; he immediately lurched to his feet and pulled Amy roughly into his arms. "Don't ever, ever do that again," he hissed.
"I can't if you smother me, or if we don't hightail it out of here," she mumbled back.
"Arya has the others ready to leave," Eragon interrupted, keeping his voice soft as he proceeded to dress as well. "She's having a couple of the elves suit up the dragons in their lighter saddles while we get out of here are. They will fly up as soon as they are ready. The heavier saddles are already loaded in wagons."
"We grab what we have to have," Amy muttered at them both. "Leave behind fine clothing and the like, it can be replaced. Just grab weapons and anything magical that could be used against us. All correspondence, too. I don't want our letters aired out for everyone to see."
Murtagh was silent, stuffing pillows under the blankets. When he felt Amy's eyes on him, he turned to look at her. "What?" he whisper-yelled.
"That is so not going to work…" she muttered back at him.
"It will delay them," he hissed back.
They glared at each other before Amy huffed and finished her packing. She began to rock back and forth impatiently on the balls of her feet, waiting on the two men to hurry it up (and they joked about women taking forever, honestly) and for the dragons to arrive.
The loud thumps on the landing alerted Amy to one dragon. Scurrying outside, she was slightly disappointed to see Thorn. However, he wasn't. We are taking you as you are ready. Jadia can take Eragon, she's sure of it, and Saphira can handle Murtagh. You're on me.
Right. How? Amy said, eyeing him skeptically. I'm not that tall…
Rolling his eyes good naturedly, the dragon knelt down, bringing him much closer to Amy's reach. She snapped the pack on her shoulders over onto the lightweight saddle. Just as she was buckling herself into place, Murtagh came out, his own pack not quite fastened shut yet. He obviously was in on the dragons' plan to take different Riders than normal. "Please…" he said softly, begging, "Please keep each other safe."
"Be safe yourself, dear heart…" she murmured back leaning down. He reached up and tangled his hand in her still wild hair, pressing his mouth fiercely against hers. It was panicked and frightened, but all they had time for. They had to get out of there, fast.
Thorn was the one who ripped them apart, taking a few steps forward before launching himself into the air. Behind her, Amy heard Saphira take his place.
They will be alright. Jadia tried to assure her Rider, but Amy's hands flexed around the leather under her hands all the same.
The unlikely duo received word when Saphira and Murtagh took off. It was when Jadia had just take flight that the news hit the guard that not only were all the delegates gone, but dragons were in the sky.
Through Jadia, Amy heard the clatter of steel on stone, just as silver claws released stone underneath them to take to the air. We'll make it, focus on getting yourself safe! the littlest female ordered her Rider. Reluctantly, the human female kept her focus on her surroundings. She and Thorn had just passed over the outer wall of the city when the guards obviously heard the news and received orders.
Whistles filled the air.
Hold on! Thorn ordered, and instantly began aerial maneuvers that made Amy's teeth rattle. She was instantly missing Jadia's smaller and more flexible stature.
Luck was with them, perhaps because of Yuuko. Amy was relieved when Thorn crested to a stop at the rendezvous point with the other delegates. Arya was worriedly watching the horizon, and she started to see the human girl astride the red dragon.
"We switched mounts," she explained as she hurriedly unbuckled, "Just till we got here. Eragon is on Jadia, Murtagh on Saphira."
"Are the others right behind you?"
"Saphira had already left and Jadia was taking off just as they received word we were gone."
Both women shared deep breaths, and then began to watch the skies together. Little Brom tottered over, holding on to the edge of Amy's tunic and Arya's dress. There were shared exhalations as Saphira appeared, landing beside Thorn. Murtagh hurried dismounted as Saphira joined Arya in her watch for Eragon. The two Riders shared a brief embrace before Amy worriedly turned her gaze on to the horizon once more.
"They'll be here," Murtagh assured her, resting his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. She nodded silently, too focused on her dragon to respond verbally.
I can't lose her… Please God, I can't… Amy mentally begged.
Fiery Pain. Roar of outrage. Shouts of anger.
Black.
"AMY!" Murtagh caught his love as she fainted, as everyone's faces turned ashen with worry. Could it be…?
That's right, cliffhanger! Epilogue wraps it all up... So hurry me along now!
The other thing I don't own: xxxHolic and Yuuko. That's CLAMP's.