Disclaimer:…Do I really need to do this?

This one is short. Originally, chapter eight & nine were originally one chapter, but I felt splitting it made the story flow better. That, and I felt that a long argument was unnecessary. Sorry if you feel otherwise. This is the last chapter. I could take this farther, but I don't intend to rewrite 3 books. Still, if anyone wants to, you can continue the story. The ending will probably piss people off, but I think it's time to put my pen down.

Chapter Nine: No Turning Back

The golden rays of the sun threw the shadows of the elms and redwoods across the bedroom floor. The sun was touching the horizon. Was it dawn or dusk? Difficult to say; no one had noticed the passage of time. Only one thing mattered now, and that was the decision that one Rider had to make. He stood in the corner of the room, veiled in shadows. He was leaning against the wall with his head down, deep in thought. Finally, he looked up to the two figures that were the center of his troubled thoughts. On the chair, with her legs drawn into her chest, sat Kachina. She looked annoyed, but was silent. In a way, she looked like a child receiving a punishment for something that seemed unfair. Her lips were pouting, and she stared stonily at the woman who was lying on the bed. Arya, on the other hand, looked at the child with rage. Her fingers were constantly twitching, as if she want nothing more to wring Kachina's neck, and all of her muscles were tensed so much that they were shaking. He sighed wearily, pinching his bridge of his nose with his right hand. It had been a very good idea to soundproof the room once Kachina had entered it. The constant shouting and screaming probably could have been heard for leagues. As it was, it had been so loud, it had made his head throb painfully.

"Just get rid of her, Eragon." Kachina's voice was low and hostile. She glared darkly at the elf that lay among the blood stained sheets. "She doesn't deserve you, after all that she did to you."

"Get rid of me?" The reply was biting, "You're the one who should leave, monster. You have no right to be here." Arya paused, and coughed up blood. Eragon came out of his corner, and handed her a handkerchief. She accepted it with a murmur of thanks. Kachina's eyes watched impassively as she spat out blood and wiped her mouth. "In fact, I should kill you right now."

"For what? Actually caring about Eragon? Need I remind you that you had to be ordered to stay near him? And you left so soon as you could, too. Even when he needed you." Kachina's voice sounded bored.

"He wouldn't have needed me if you hadn't corrupted him! You're nothing more than a piece of that accursed Shade, by the fates!" Arya's tone was full of venom and hatred.

"Corrupted? That's rich. Isn't that what you and your mother were doing? You were only staying close to Eragon so that you could control him. He cared for you, and you used that love to manipulate him. I overheard all of your conversations with the Queen. Sounded more like you were trying to control him."

Eragon broke in. He sounded weary, "Both of you, stop. This bickering is getting us nowhere. Arya, were you ordered to keep an eye on me and to intervene if I showed any sign of disloyalty, or doubt?" Arya couldn't meet his eyes. The sadness in them was too much for her. She bit her lip, trying to phrase the answer in a way that sounded positive.

"Just tell the truth." Eragon sat at the foot of the bed. Kachina immediately jumped up into his lap, leaning her head into his chest. He hugged her, and she smiled with joy. The scene was too much for Arya. She closed her eyes, tears threating to spill out of her eyes. Why was she being so emotional? She was a highly respected diplomat, used to facing down situations where emotions ran rampant. She was always the voice of reason, the meditator in discussions. Why was she acting so irrational?

Eragon sighed, and hugged Kachina tighter to him. "Why did you do this to her, Kachina?"

"I told you that brother was manipulated by the people he cared about. They forced him to kill and torture people. He just wanted justice, but they took over his body, took his freewill away. Just like she," Kachina gestured to Arya, "was trying to do to you. I had to make sure that would never happen."

Eragon looked at Arya, then and Kachina. "Are you going to making me choose between you two?"

"Eragon, she is obsessed with you." Arya pleaded, "It's…it's…wrong." Eragon arched an eyebrow. Arya changed her tactics. "What about Saphira? What does she say?"

Eragon chuckled, but was without humor. "She says that the choice is mine. As long as if I am truly certain about my decision, she will stand by me. I think she just wants me to be happy." He looked out the window, then at the little girl snuggled against his chest. The slow rhythm of her breathing showed that she was asleep. For a while, Rider and princess watched the young girl, as she dozed peacefully in his arms. "I can't believe she went this far."

Arya was silent. Then, "Is she really a part of Durza? Do you think she was telling the truth him being forced to do everything he did?"

"Yes. I saw all of Durza's memories just before he died. The spirits he summoned were the inhabitants of his destroyed village. They were the ones that controlled his body and mind. They all wanted revenge against the organization that supported the attack and they were willing to kill anyone that they thought had any connection to the organization."

"It wasn't the Empire?"

"It was the Varden. The town was rumored to have held many Imperial spies and a spymaster. They didn't want to take any chances, so they burned the town to the ground, and made it look like Imperial soldiers had destroyed the village. Everyone bought the story; there was no one alive to dispute it." Eragon met Arya's eyes. "The truth is written by the winners."

Arya looked at him sadly. "But what about us? I do miss you as a friend. You always did take my mind off the darker things that haunt my mind."

"Is that the truth?"

The silence stretched on for minutes. Then one word was breathed upon the wind. "Yes."

"Kachina is still a little girl. I don't want to fail her like I did to Elva. This time, it will be different."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Still…look, Kachina is hurt just as much as you. I'm not leaving her."

"I can't just forget what she did to me."

"Just as I can't forget what you said to me." Eragon seemed lost in thought. "If the spirits that inhabited Durza were anchored to this world by hate, why didn't they stay when I killed him."

Arya sighed, "Sometimes spirits can move on if they feel that their job is done. Prephas they felt that their vengeance was complete."

"But Kachina didn't leave. She always stays near me and always wants to make sure that I have freewill, unlike her brother. I think she is bound to this world by her guilt."

Arya considered that, "About what?"

"About her inability to help her brother. She feels like she failed him, and she doesn't want to fail again." Eragon looked out the window, watching the dancing shadows, "No wonder she went to such extremes. If I…we can help her get passed that guilt and assure her that I won't end up like her brother, she can leave this world without any regrets."

"That's a wild assumption."

"Do you trust me?" He looked at her, his eyes searching for the truth.

Arya looked at Kachina as she considered her answer. "If this gets us or anyone else killed, I'm going to murder you."

Eragon smiled.