Brooke: Hey, do you guys remember me asking where Meg was in chapter nineteen or something?

Ellie, Brooke and Rebecca: *nod*

Brooke: Guess what I found out-

Rebecca: Since when are you so good and finding things out?

Brooke: Uh...I'm special. Anyway, I found out that she was off-set to go see The Desolation of Smaug!

Girls: NO! WHERE IS SHE?

Meg: *hiding in plain sight* Keeper only owns us and the plot twists!

"Choose your last words, this is the last time. 'Cause you and I, we were born to die." -Lana Del Rey

The rider must've been flustered, because he allowed Meg to walk up to him and remove his helm. Murtagh. The others gasped, while Meg remained expressionless. How did she know?

"Murtagh..." Eragon said, drawing his attention to him. "How can you be alive?"

With Zar'roc, he turned to Meg, a pleading look in his eyes, though she remained expressionless. "Meg!" Ellie exclaimed. "Did you accept the man's offer?" She appeared startled that she knew about it, but she removed her cloak and pulled down the neck of her shirt to reveal a jagged 'X' scar above her heart.

"What have you done?" Murtagh whispered as she replaced her cloak.

"I once told you that I loved you," She said, hurt in his eyes as the weight of her words hit him. "I no longer know what love is." He recoiled and looked away, but she was not finished yet, "Do not take the blame for this. You and I? We were born to die."

"So be it." He whispered and mounted Thorn. "Farewell."

And with that, he left.

The Varden had victory.

They had lost.

Ellie wished that she could console Eragon, but he had chosen Arya over her and she could not risk pain again. They wandered back to the main group only to be assaulted by none other than Rebecca and Brooke. "We've missed you!" They cried. "We have so much to tell you!"

"I've missed you, too." Meg said with a smile, returning their embrace. When questioned by Ellie, she explained, "The ability to love another as a...partner has been taken, not the ability to love my own sisters."

With that, they held Impromptu Meeting Number whatever it was and explained their stories, save for Meg who remained cryptic and dark.

"I suppose we're stuck here until the war is over." Rebecca said. "Oh, we may have forgotten to mention that Brooke and I are engaged."

"You're cousins!"

"How scandalous!"

"You know what I mean!"

"To who?"

"Roran and Baldor."

Ellie and Sarah were excited for them and offered squeals of excitement while Meg only gave solemn congratulations. Sadly, the ring leader was forced to recall that Meg no longer understood the affection between a husband and wife.

"There is something else," Meg murmured, drawing their attention to her. "Eragon and Roran are leaving us to hunt the Ra'zac and avenge Garrow. Ellie, Rebecca, you need to go."

"How do you know this?" Sarah asked.

"Enhanced hearing." She nodded into the direction of the "sneaky" cousins of Carvahall. "You two need to go if you intend on staying with them."

"Right," Ellie said quickly. She began to run after them with Rebecca when she skidded to a stop, turned around and hugged Meg. "Be careful, Bookworm, don't sell an organ without our consent, you hear?"

Meg laughed, and though it was a true laugh, it had lost the quality that made it sound like a bell. A bell that rang only for Murtagh.

End Part 2