Ellie: Haha, guys, today is New Year's Eve!
Rebecca: We're that much ahead of schedule? This was in Doc Manager for that long? Geez!
Meg: I bet Avery and Jackie are excited about that, they finished shooting The Mummy stuff a while back and they have to wait for us to finish our stuff.
Brooke: We've been at this a long time...
Sarah: Are you guys getting sappy on me? I WILL NOT HAVE IT!
"Even if I say: it'll be alright, still I hear you say you want to end your life. Now and again we try to just stay alive; baby we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late, it's never too late." -Three Days Grace
"What are you two doing in the armory?"
Brooke and Rebecca jumped in surprise at Meg who smirked as her friends struggled to get into the armor. "Meg," Brooke said. "We can explain."
"No need to," She said, fixing the armor they had put on the wrong way. "I understand, but you've got to promise you'll stay at the back and look out for each other, I won't be able to keep my eye on you all the time."
"We promise," They said in unison, then Rebecca continued, looking at Meg skeptically. "You're not wearing a helmet or body armor. What the heck?"
She laughed, "Don't need it. Whoever thinks they're strong enough to kill me overestimates themselves."
"Don't you think you're being a little to overconfident?" Brooke scoffed. Then, her brows furrowed at Meg's expression. "No, you're not overconfident. You don't care if you die anymore, is that it?"
"Kind of-"
"No; no 'kind of,' tell us the truth." Rebecca insisted.
With a sigh, Meg opened her mouth to reply when a battle cry rose and Nasuada called for her. "I wouldn't be too broken up about it if I did." She said, then turned and left them to join the battle.
"Arya's in trouble," Eragon said as they flew over the battlefield. "We need to help her. She's over the wall."
"Fine," Ellie said. "Go, but drop me off first."
"No time."
They jumped from Saphira, over the wall and beside Arya while managing to take out two soldiers and easily handling the rest. "Eragon, Lady Ellie, Lady Sarah, thank you for saving us." Blodhgarm said. He spoke with more authority now and less friendliness.
"No problem, what are we doing?" Ellie asked, tying a strip of cloth around a cut that she got form the quick fight.
"The gate," Arya said. "We have to open the gate."
"Great; simple enough."
From where they stood in the battlefield, Rebecca and Brooke had not yet joined the battle. Meg had gone to the front of the line and was transmitting orders to the army. Everything was going fine—until Meg froze up, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and beginning to glow. When soldiers tried to attack her, their weapons shattered.
However, whatever was happening to Meg did not go unnoticed. Ellie, Sarah, Brooke and Rebecca felt a pang in their mind telling them that Meg was in trouble.
For Ellie, it wasn't just Meg, though. Eragon collapsed, unconscious.
"What the heck is happening?" Sarah exclaimed.
"You tell us!" Arya cried. "We have to move. The people inside are trying to create a Shade!"
"Well, shoot." Sarah said, pacing in a small space and trying to rack her brains together to form a plan. "Okay, Arya, Blodhgarm, you come with me. We're gonna stop the Shade. Ellie, you and the rest of the elves stay here. Keep the gate open and protect Eragon."
"What? I—wait!" But Sarah and her team were already on their way.
Ellie hated her job. She was stuck with Eragon who kept coming in and out of the happy place behind the curtain. She wasn't a doctor like Brooke pretended to be when they were kids and she wasn't a magician-thing like Meg who was in the middle of her own freak attack on the other side of the gate.
"Ellie," She looked down, devoting her attention to the temporarily awake Eragon. "Oromis and Glaedr are fighting Galbatorix, or, Galbatorix in Murtagh's body. Ellie, Meg's there."
"What?"
"I don't know how, but she-" he went under again.
"Son of a biscuit!"
Meg was standing in the middle of a battle, but it wasn't Feinster. She knew this place from somewhere-
"Gil'ead."
She turned around faster than humanely possible, instinctively reaching for her throwing knives which were not there. "Murtagh, what do you-"
"No," He said, his voice noticeably different. "My name is Galbatorix. I am merely borrowing his body for the moment. For that, I apologize, we should be meeting in person. I do believe that you know me by reputation, but I know you through Murtagh's thoughts and memories. It's quite annoying, really. The only thing he thinks of is you."
She swallowed, unsure about what was real. "There is quite a difference between knowing me and knowing Murtagh's thoughts."
"Ah, a witty tongue. I admire that, I really do."
"Let me leave-"
"No! Not until I know if the stories are true—if you are the key to the chest."
"Pardon?"
"Are you heartless? Truly? Because I think, no matter what you say or do, there is still a part of you, however small, that still loves. Still wants to love. Everything I've heard or saw made me think you a cold blooded killer—but when I saw you and Murtagh in the tent and you recited your broken promise; I learned the truth."
She laughed out loud at his absurdity; truly, he was mad. "Whatever you say, I know the truth and that is all that matters." She turned to walk away when she froze upon seeing a dead gold dragon.
"Well, it matters to me." She turned, slowly, back around. "Because I need to know if you're the one."
"What?"
Before he could reply, he cried in pain and clutched his head. She dared not go near him in fear of a trick. His groans of pain turned from deep and frustrated to weak and more like-
"Murtagh?"
He looked up and froze, apparently unsure as to what he should do. "Meg?"
"What was he talking about? What did he mean by me possibly being the one?" She wished her knives were with her at least to put something between them.
"He had his future foretold. The woman said that if a child was created from heartless true love, merely created, not even born, he would remain king."
"He thinks it's me?!"
"Calm down, Meg, just don't get pregnant any time soon."
"Well, that's helpful."
He laughed, an honest to goodness pure Murtagh laugh that brought an honest to goodness pure Meg smile. "I've always admired your wit, Meg. You were never one to admit defeat even when it was clear that you were in the wrong. That's part of why..."
He trailed off and she frowned. The pain from the scar increased. She had noticed it had continued to fade, but did not mention it to anyone else. "Go ahead. Say it."
He raised an eyebrow, but she saw hope sparkle in his eyes, "I love you, Meg. I still love you and I will always love you."
She smiled and though the pain was excruciating, she spoke without hesitation, "I will follow you, Murtagh. To whatever end."
His face lit up and he went to her, but she cried out at his touch, her body felt as though it was on fire and she fell into black nothingness.
