Part Six:

Your days back at the Academy brought back your memories from your childhood. You were waiting for your only friends here known as Darla and Frask, the twins. They had platinum blonde hair with icy blue eyes and snow white skin. Darla was THE beauty everywhere she went, there wasn't a match for her amongst the other girls while Frask was hiding his good looks behind his always messed up hair and messy clothes.

Eragon told you that they were sent back to Shardau, the little village where they came from because they weren't Alagaësian Riders. They were exceptions because their dragons were from Cheys Whain the neighboring country to Alagaësia. It was a mystery where their dragons came from or how they could find them but no one tried to pry.

You sat at your window looking out to the training field thinking about the times you practiced till you reached perfection in everything. You could still hear Srunugr talk to you and reassure you during the endless nights you spent down there to practice. He always alarmed Eragon and Saphira if you fainted out of exhaustion. Your lips quirked into a small smile as you jumped back to the night you first made a fairth.

Flashback~

Sweat beads rolled down your skin from your forehead to your chin as you concentrated on the piece of slate in front of you. Your arm stretched out towards it while your eyes never leaved the surface of it as formed the perfect picture in your head. Srunugr lied nearby starting to get bored but he waited for you to finish. As you concentrated on the field of flowers you wanted to do you couldn't help but started imagining yourself running away from a certain prince of Asgard who chased after you. His eyes shined bright with excitement and admiration while his thin lips parted to shout out your name.

When you opened your eyes you looked straight at the Loki in your fantasy making you blush deeply. Your pointed ears burned furiously as you screamed frustrated.

'Aaaaaargh!' you grabbed the piece of wood and tried to break it but Srunugr's boyish voice interrupted you.

'Why do you hate the poor guy so much?' echoed through your head. You shot your head to the emerald green dragon swinging his scaled tail on the ground bored.

'I don't hate Loki' you answered.

'Then why do you always break that poor thing into pieces? If you like him you should take his picture onto your room's wall to be able to see him everytime you want.' rolled his eyes Srunugr.

'I don't like him!' you shouted back.

'Yes, you do'

'No, I don't!'

'Yes, you do like him'

'No!'

'Yes!'

'No!'

'No!'

'Yes!' you shouted but froze in your spot realizing what you just admitted. 'Argh! You tricked me!'

'You should tell him how you feel, (Name). Everyone can see the ogling you do to each other. The looks he gives you makes even me jealous! So stop your stubborn acting and confess to him!' said your dragon wearily.

'Mother would never agree to anything I would want to do or have. She would definitely find something against him and would forbid me from seeing him or going to Asgard…' you sighed as you sat down leaning into Srunugr's side. It was warm which gave you some warmth against the chilly night. 'And if you're mistaken and he doesn't like me back… it would make everything so complicated between us. I would eventually lose my best friend.'

'Hey, what about me? Am I not your best friend?' feigned hurt Srunugr.

'You're bonded to me through our lives. You wouldn't stand being far from me' you laughed.

'He is dumb if he doesn't see the beauty and nobility in you. You are special and not just for me, (Name). You were made to be something bigger and better than just a princess. I know that not everyone likes you here but you shouldn't make their accusations truth. One day, I know that they all will see the person I see whenever I look at you, (Name).' hummed the green dragon nudging you with his nose making you giggle as you pressed your forehead to his scaled nose.

'You are my light in the dark, Srunugr… thank you for showing me the way I need to go' you answered quietly.

End of flashback~

'Memories?' asked suddenly someone from behind you waking you from your thoughts. You whipped around and spotted Darla and Frask. They looked a little older now but not much. You ran to them hugging them both in a bone crushing hug.

'My dearest friends!' you sighed happily. 'It is so good to see you again!'

'We missed you, (Name)… more than you think' smiled at you Darla.

'Where were you? What happened during the time I was…' you fell silent and couldn't fail to notice their mournful expressions.

'Don't worry, (Name). Vraë will get what he deserves when the time comes' smiled pained Frask. 'You know what? I'm gonna tell you what kind of missions we got from your father!'

'You just had to ask…' shook her head Darla. 'At least can we move this to the dining hall? I'm starving!'

You laughed happily at her and nodded following the twins towards the dining hall. You walked through the ball room where every new recruit got their uniform which was just a common armor they wore in battles. You remembered the day you got your own and how proud you were to have one. Now you couldn't wear yours anymore and the sorrow seeped back into your chest making your heart throb painfully.

As you walked past the Riders from the same class you were in back then you felt their hateful gazes. You never understood why was it a big deal that you were Eragon's daughter but then you had to accept that your father was a legend of course everyone was jealous of you. You three sat down at a table with a large plate of food in front of Darla.

'So when we arrived to the Spine Darla noticed the place of a small camp fire a few feet from us and I knew that we were at the right place!' gestured wildly Frask.

'Please add the part when you ran away from the raccoon screaming like a little girl to it too' quipped in the blonde girl next to her brother making Frask blush furiously but his attention turned to someone behind you and all blood drained from his face. You furrowed your eyebrows and turned to the source of his fright. A familiar face approached you with shoulder length dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail, brown eyes looking at you. He was tall and well-built wearing leather pants, laced boots and a linen shirt with Za'roc on his side. Your eyes widened in realization as your lips pulled up in a happy smile.

'Murtagh!' you cried out happily.

'To you I'm still an instructor, midget' smirked down at you your uncle as he ruffled your hair.

'I'm not that small! You're too tall!' you grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from your head.

'Hey, you two! Shouldn't you back practicing and asking for a new mission?!' narrowed his eyes at your friends who nodded, shot up to their feet a scurried away fast. Murtagh started laughing at their reaction.

'You should go easier on the recruits' you shook your head as he sat down beside you.

'What fun is in that?' smiled the brown haired Rider. 'Your father goes way too easy on them.'

'I missed you' you said quietly.

'We all missed you, (Name). I'm sorry I couldn't help you get out of their… Vraë just barricaded Du Weldenvarden with magic and we couldn't see what happened to you but this is no excuse for leaving you alone and believe me… Eragon still regrets not bringing you back here immediately.' placed a hand over yours Murtagh reassuringly. Tears threatened to come as you stared at the wooden table.

'I was the one who pushed him away… it is my fault… only mine' you whispered as a teardrop escaped your right eye and fell onto the hard surface of the table.

'You should talk to him before you wouldn't be able to do that' said the brunette. You nodded quietly in response. 'Other than that… I have heard about a certain black haired prince of Asgard courting my little niece.'

You shot your head up your cheeks burning, your (e/c) eyes wide and your pink lips parted.

'Don't you dare try to scare him and embarrass me!' you cried out as you ran after your uncle drawing everyone's attention to you wherever you passed.

Meanwhile~

Thor and Sif were getting to know the students of the Academy and for the young Riders' requests they showed what they got. Loki watched them from a far corner of the training fields with a bored expression on his face.

'Do you not enjoy the view?' asked someone from his left side surprising him. No one ever could surprise him. Eragon stepped in line with him watching the events far from them with a small smile on his face. Something made the Trickster cautious with (Name)'s father.

'I can watch my brother practice like that everyday' answered Loki.

'As I remember you are the one who prefers to read books and use magic. (Name) couldn't stop talking about you whenever she came back from Asgard.' said Eragon. Loki suddenly felt an overwhelming presence above himself, something fearful, something strong.

'You don't look as scrubby as I imagined you to be…' rumbled through the Trickster's head a feminine voice. Loki blinked in surprise and looked up at a sapphire blue dragon with its mouth slightly ajar to show off its sharp teeth. Loki smirked and looked back to the training Thor and Sif.

'As I remember it is rude to intrude in someone's mind without permission' answered Loki. He felt Saphira's surprised thought waves and appreciation. Not many were brave enough to talk back to a dragon. Loki saw the smirk on Eragon's face.

'(Name) has found her partner in you, I can see that' said the Rider.

'Is that an approval for me to court her?' asked the Trickster.

'Do you not court her already?' asked the brunette quirking an eyebrow still looking straight at the training field.

'It… is complicated' said quietly Loki drawing Eragon's attention to him.

'Why would it be?' asked the Rider with concern. It wasn't like Loki didn't want to court you or make you his queen but… the fact that so many years passed and how everything changed… how he changed made him think that you would ran away far from him again if you would realize what a monster he truly is.

'Too much time passed by and she loves someone who does not exist anymore' looked down on the ground Loki saying his true thoughts for the first time in a while.

'You still love her old self, don't you?' asked the half-elven man. 'Look, you changed I'm not doubting that but both of your old selves are still in there. You can grow to love the new sides to each other. The change in you doesn't have to separate you from each other it needs to bond you even more because your old selves are your true selves and that means that you love everything about each other. That is something precious.'

Loki's eyes widened but his expression snapped back into the usually unreadable one. He can't be like that anymore. He's a monster who is to be blamed for every wrong.

'Father!' sounded from behind turning both of them to your approaching form. 'Did you see Murtagh?'

'Is he back?' asked surprised Eragon.

'I just talked to him in the dining hall' you nodded furrowing your eyebrows. 'I was chasing him but he disappeared.'

'Why were you chasing him?'

'Um… that's a long story' you grinned sheepishly. That was when you noticed Loki and Saphira. 'What are you three doing here?'

'I could not find any better entertainment than watching my brother and Lady Sif train' sighed Loki looking back at the crowd gathered around the blonde prince and brunette warrior woman.

'I think I should find my brother then' smiled your father at you but turned to Loki before leaving. 'Think about what I said.' and with that he went with Saphira towards the main building. You quirked an eyebrow at Loki questioningly but he just shook his head.

'Nothing you should be concerned about' he dismissed it.

'Did he try to embarrass you? Or threaten you? Did Saphira?' you asked your curiosity picked.

'I have to accept that she has quite the scary teeth' chucked deeply the dark prince.

'What happened?!' you asked like a little child left out of something.

Loki just laughed at your antics and grabbed your hand pulling you towards the gardens.

To be continued…