It was nearing sundown now that Eragon and Blue leaned on each other and climbed the stairs of the elven tower. They had spent the day routing the remaining soldiers of the Empire and helping purge radiation from both the city and the people therein after removing most of the spells of the city with the Name of Names. It had been a long day for everyone involved, though made intriguing with how TK- who was apparently the vessel to the deity Time had simply reversed the damage to most of the city.

Only the citadel remained broken and crumbling, smaller deities working alongside elves and dwarves to block it up as Classic simply.. rebuilt the wall with magic, revealing the immense strength of Destiny without a Fate to hinder her.

To add to things, thousands- literally thousands of lost creatures, elements and monsters of the Multiverse were wandering about in utter confusion, many banding together to feel safer, especially when they found others of the same universe. Bird had found his Undyne and Asgore, departing from activities to explain the situation and find his brother.

The pair of Riders finally reached the top of the malachite structure, stopping for a moment to stare at the door before sharing a look.
"Who do you feel-" "Nasuada." Blue huffed, not needing the human to finish the question.
"We still need to be present, however. So." He straightened, leading to Eragon copying him before a flash of blue magic had the latch lifting and opening the door.

There, in the large chamber stood an assortment of important figures. Orrin, Life, Reaper, Nasuada, Cicállaé, Orik, Grimrr Halfpaw- who sat on the floor instead- Arya, an elf lord by the name of Däthedr, Abyss and Alter. GB leaned on a wall in his bipedal form with half-lidded sockets, peering out at the Riders from the hooded gaze as Saphira sat perched in the space, tail hanging out of the enormous window in which she had entered. The light of the sunset poured in from the side, illuminating the chamber and giving it a sense of beauty- and oddly, somehow, a sense of finality.

Almost everyone was tense. Only the werecat, dragon, skeleblaster, gods and treeskeleton seemed relaxed, though part of it must have been weariness. Arya looked to have been crying recently- understandable given her mother, Islanzadí, had died in the fighting- and the elf lord was anxiously tapping the pommel of his sword. Orik was standing, hands folded over the end of Volund's haft, it standing in front of him as he studied his beard. Nasuada had crossed her arms, and Orrin was seated in a high-backed chair with bright eyes, wine in hand as he held a hand to his bandaged chest. Alter was tapping one foot anxiously as he stared out a window beside a serene Grimrr Halfpaw.

At the door, everyone looked up, Orik beaming.
"Eragon! Blue!" The dwarf king stomped over and clasped their shoulders, shaking Eragon. "I knew you could kill him! Well done! Tonight we celebrate, eh! Let the fires burn bright, and let our voices ring forth until the heavens themselves echo with the sound of our feasting."
They both nodded with tired smiles, Orik clapping Eragon's shoulder twice more and Blue once, returning to his place beside Saphira.

As Eragon went to his dragon, Blue stood next to GB, nudging him gently. The skeleblaster huffed, tapping his shoulder with his jawbone before pushing off the wall and blinking at the gathering.
No one spoke for a solid minute. A horse whinnied from the clamor of the city below.
It was Däthedr who spoke.
"We have a decision to make."

"That we know, elf." Orik huffed.
"Let him speak." Orrin waved his glittering goblet.
"I would hear his thoughts on how he thinks we should proceed." He smiled nastily, nodding at the elf. The lord merely nodded back, showing no sign of insult.

"There is no hiding that Galbatorix is dead. Even now, word of our victory wings it's way across the land. By the end of the week, Galbatorix's demise shall be known throughout the greater part of Alagaësia."
"As it should be." Nasuada stated, clad in a deep red dress that revealed her dramatic loss of weight.
"As it should be." Däthedr agreed.

Raising his voice slightly, he addressed the issue.
"However, as people learn that Galbatorix has fallen, the first question they shall ask is who has taken their place." Glancing about the chamber, he continued.
"We must provide them with an answer now before unrest begins to spread. Our queen is dead. King Orrin, you are wounded. Rumors aplenty are afoot, I am sure. It is important that we quell them before they cause harm. To delay would be disastrous. We cannot allow every lord with a measure of troops to believe that he can set himself up as ruler of his own petty monarchy. Should that happen, the Empire will disintegrate into a hundred different kingdoms. None of us want that. A successor must be chosen- chosen and named, however difficult that may be."

Still gazing out the window, Grimrr spoke. "You cannot lead a pack if you are weak."
Orrin smiled emptily, a false smile. "And what part do you seek to play in this, Arya, Lord Däthedr? Or you, Lord Cicállaé, or you, Goddess Life, or you, Lord Death? Or even you, King Orik, and you, King Halfpaw. And Queen Alter and Lord Abyss, and Rider Blue and GB. We are grateful for your friendship and your help, but this is a matter for humans to decide, not you. We rule ourselves, and we do not let others choose our kings."

Rubbing her arms, Nasuada unexpectedly agreed. "I agree. This is something we must settle on our own." Glancing at the elves, she added.
"Surely you can understand. You would not allow us to tell you whom you ought to appoint as your new king or queen." Then to Orik.
"Nor would the clans have allowed us to select you as Hrothgar's successor."
"No, that they wouldn't have."

"The decision is, of course, yours to make." Däthedr assured. "We would not presume to dictate what you should or should not do. However, as your friends and allies, have we not earned the right to offer our advice upon such a weighty matter, especially when it shall affect us all? Whatever you decide will have far-reaching implications, and you would do well to understand those implications ere you make your choice."
A veiled threat.

"That... seems reasonable." Nasuada hesitantly replied, looking over to Orrin as the king stared into his drink. He tilted the goblet around, not looking up as he queried.
"And just how would you advise us to choose, Lord Däthedr? Do tell; I am most curious."

With a pause, the elf debated on how to answer before he cautiously spoke.
"Whoever is to wear the crown must have the skill and experience needed to rule effectively from the start. There is no time to instruct someone in the ways of command, nor can we afford the mistakes of a novice. In addition, this person must be morally fit to assume such a high office; he or she must be an acceptable choice to the warriors of the Varden and, to a lesser extent, the people of the Empire; and if at all possible, this person should also be one whom we and your other allies will find agreeable."

"You limit our choices a great deal with your requirements." Orrin grumbled.
"They merely make for good statesmanship. Or do you see it differently?"
"I see several options you have overlooked or disregarded, perhaps because you consider them distasteful. But no matter. Continue."

The elf's eyes narrowed, but otherwise he gave no hint of displeasure.
"The most obvious choice- and the one the people of the Empire will likely expect- is the person who actually killed Galbatorix. That is, Eragon."

The room fell utterly silent, all eyes and lights on the boy. Even Cicállaé's sockets split open, revealing wide, cat-like lights of yellow-green and purple-blue, both pale. Abyss's equally feline gaze was cyan, hints of crystal structures in the iris shapes. Blue was mildly concerned, thinking of how young the boy was and their duty to the dragons. The boy debated the idea for a tense moment, then spoke.
"No. It would not be right."

The room relaxed slightly.
"I am glad to hear you say it." Däthedr admitted.
"No doubt you would make a fine ruler, but I do not think it would be good for your kind, nor the other races of Alagaësia, were another Dragon Rider to assume the crown."

Arya gestured then, and the elf lord stepped back so that she could speak.
"Roran would be another obvious choice."
"Roran!" Eragon gasped, Alter nodding.
The princess continued.
"It was by his actions that the Varden captured Urû-baen. He is a hero of your people and numerous battles. The Varden and the rest of the Empire would follow him without hesitation."

"He's rude and overconfident, and he hasn't the experience needed." Orrin argued before glancing at Eragon with guilt.
"He is a good warrior, though."
Arya blinked. "I believe you would find that his rudeness depends on who he is dealing with... Your Majesty. However, you are correct; Roran lacks the experience needed. That leaves but two choices, then: you, Nasuada; and you, King Orrin."

The king shifted in his seat and Nasuada remained unchanged.
"I assume that you wish to assert your claim." He drawled.
With a faint lift of the chin, she agreed. "I do."
"Then we are at an impasse, for so do I. And I will not relent."

Several skeletons and a goddess turned to regard the king with a burning, expressionless gaze as he toyed with the goblet in his fingers.
"The only way I can see to resolve the matter without bloodshed is for you to renounce your claim. If you insist upon pursuing it, you will end up destroying everything we have won today, and you will have none to blame but yourself for the havoc that will follow."

"You will turn upon your own allies for no other reason than to deny Nasuada the throne?" Arya questioned. There was a steel in her voice that bespoke a readiness to kill.
"No." Said the Surdan. "I would turn upon the Varden in order to win the throne. There is a difference."
"Why?" Nasuada asked.

"Why?" Orrin echoed derisively.
"My people have housed, fed, and equipped the Varden. They have fought and died alongside your warriors and, as a country, we have risked far more than the Varden. The Varden have no home; if Galbatorix had defeated Eragon and the dragons, you could have fled and hid. But we had nowhere to go than Surda. Galbatorix would have fallen upon us like a bolt from on high, and he would have laid waste to the entire region. We wagered everything- our families, our homes, our wealth, and our freedom- and after all that, after all our sacrifices, do you truly believe we will be satisfied to return to our fields with no other rewards than a pat on the head and your royal thanks? Bah! I'd sooner crawl. We've watered the ground between here and the Burning Plains with our blood, and now we'll have our recompense."
Clenching his fist, he added. "Now we'll have the just spoils of war."

Nasuada pondered his argument, seemingly sympathetic to his cause as Eragon faintly scowled. Arya spoke next. "I would hope that the two of you could come to an amicable agreement, and-"
"Of course. I hope for that as well." Orrin interrupted, gaze returning to Nasuada.
"But I fear that Nasuada's single-minded determination will not allow her to realize that, in this, she must finally submit."

Arya then continued where she had been interrupted. "..And as Däthedr said, we would not think of interfering with your race as you choose your next ruler."
"I remember." Orrin nodded smugly.
"However." Arya regarded him cautiously.
"As sworn allies of the Varden, I must tell you that we regard any attack on them as an attack on ourselves, and we will respond in kind."
Orrin sank inward like he'd tasted something sour.

"The same holds true for us the dwarves." Orik added.
"And the sects of the Wyrdaí Islingrya." Cicállaé murmured.
"All of them." Alter added with a disapproving frown, arms crossed.
Grimrr, after inspecting his three-fingered hand, stated. "We do not care who becomes king or queen as long as we are given the seat next to the throne that was promised to us. Still, it was with Nasuada that we made our bargain, and it is Nasuada we shall continue to support until such time as she is no longer pack leader of the Varden."

"Aha!" Orrin lunged forward, hand on one knee as he held his goblet in the other. "But she isn't the leader of the Varden. Not anymore. Eragon is!"
Everyone regarded the human Rider as the boy grimaced.
"I thought it was understood that I gave my authority back to Nasuada the moment she was free. If not, then let there be no mistake: Nasuada is the leader of the Varden, not me. And I believe that she ought to be the one to inherit the throne."

"You would say that." Orrin sneered. "You've sworn fealty to her. Of course you believe she should inherit the throne. You're nothing more than a loyal servant standing up for his master, and your opinions carry no more weight than the opinions of my own servants."
"No! There you're wrong. If I thought that you or anyone else would make a better ruler, then I would say so! Yes, I gave my oath to Nasuada, but that doesn't stop me from speaking the truth as I see it."
"Maybe not, but your loyalty to her still clouds your judgement."
"Even as your loyalty to Surda clouds yours." Orik remarked.

Scowling, Orrin demanded. "Why is it that you always turn against me?" Eyes darting between Arya, Orik and Eragon.
"Why is that, in every dispute, you side with her?" He glanced at the skeletons then, aggravated.
"Why is it she commands your respect, and not I or the people of Surda? Always it is Nasuada and the Varden you favor, and before her, it was Ajihad. Were my father still alive-"
"Were your father, King Larkin, still alive, he would not be sitting there bemoaning how others see him; he would be doing something about it." Arya snapped.

"Peace." Nasuada cut in before Orrin could say anything more. "There is no need for insults here." She faced the king.
"Orrin, your concerns are reasonable. You are right; the Surdans have contributed much to our cause. I freely admit that without your help, we never would have been able to attack the Empire as we did, and you deserve recompense for what you have risked, spent, and lost over the course of the war."

Orrin nodded at that. "You will yield, then?"
"No. That, I will not. But I have a counterproposal, one that perhaps will satisfy all our interests."
With a note of displeasure, Orrin let her go on.
"My proposal is this: much of the land we have captured shall become part of Surda. Aroughs, Feinster, and Melian will all be yours, as well as the isles to the south, once they are under our governance. By this acquisition, Surda will nearly double in size."

Lifting an eyebrow, Orrin quested. "And in return?"
"In return, you will swear allegiance to the throne here in Urû-baen and whoever sits upon it."
His lips puckered. "You would set yourself up as High Queen over the land."
"These two realms- the Empire and Surda- must be reunited if we are to avoid future hostilities. Surda would remain yours to command as you see fit, save for one exception: the magicians of both our countries would be subject to certain restrictions, the exact nature of which we would decide upon at a later date. Along with those laws, Surda would of necessity have to contribute to the defense of our combined territories. Should either of us be attacked, the other would be required to provide aid in the form of men and material."

Setting the goblet in his lap and staring at it, Orrin questioned. "Again I ask: why should you be the one to take the throne instead of me? My family has ruled Surda since Lady Marelda won the Battle of Cithrí and thereby established both Surda and the House of Langfeld, and we can trace our ancestry all the way back to Thanebrand and the Ring Giver himself. We faced and fought the Empire for an entire century. Our gold and our weapons and our armor allowed the Varden to exist in the first place and have sustained you throughout the years. Without us, it would have been impossible for you to resist Galbatorix. The dwarves could not have provided everything you needed, nor the elves, as far away as they were. The monsters are simply out of the question, being such new members to our conflict already. So again I ask, why should this prize fall to you, Nasuada, and not me?"

"Because I believe I can make a good queen." She replied. "And because- as with everything I have done while leading the Varden- I believe it is what is best for our people and for the whole of Alagaësia."
"You have a very high opinion of yourself." He noted.

"False modesty is never admirable, and least of all among those who command others. Have I not amply demonstrated my ability to lead? If not for me, the Varden would still be cowering inside Farthen Dûr, waiting for a sign from above that it was the right time to advance on Galbatorix. I shepherded the Varden from Farthen Dûr to Surda, and I built them into a mighty army. With your help, yes, but I am the one who led them, and it was I who secured the help of the dwarves, the elves, and the Urgals. Could you have done as much? Whosoever rules in Urû-baen will have to treat with every race in the land, not just our own. Again, this I have done and this I can do."

She lowered her voice to something gentler then, though her expression did not change.
"Orrin, why do you want this? Would it make you any happier?"
"It isn't a question of happiness." He snipped.
"But it is, in part." She argued.

"Do you really want to govern the whole of the Empire in addition to Surda? Whoever takes the throne will have a huge task ahead. There is a country to rebuild: treaties to negotiate, cities still to capture, nobles and magicians to subdue. It will take a lifetime to even begin to undo the damage Galbatorix has wrought. Not to mention the destruction Error has left behind over the countryside and the mysterious beings of the monsters' Multiverse that are sure to wreak havoc across the land until properly wrangled."

"We will help with that, of course." Abyss pointed out. She nodded, continuing.
"Is that something you are really willing to undertake? It seems to me that you would prefer your life as it once was." She glanced at the drink in his lap then at his down-turned face again.
"If you accept my offer, you can return to Aberon and your experiments in natural philosophy. Wouldn't you like that? Surda will be larger and richer, and you will have the freedom to pursue your interests."

"We don't always get to do what we like." The Surdan King growled. "Sometimes we have to do what is right, not what we want."
"True, but-" "Besides, if I were king in Urû-baen, I would be able to pursue my interests here just as easily as I could in Aberon."
She frowned, about to speak when Orrin spoke over her. "You don't understand...."
Then explain it to us. Saphira finally spoke, annoyed.

The king only snorted derisively, chugged the last of his wine, then threw the goblet at the door, where it bounced with a clang, now dented as jewels popped off and scattered along the floor.
"I can't, and I don't care to try." He squinted furiously at everyone gathered there.
"None of you would understand. You are too bound up in your own importance to see. How could you, when you've never experienced what I have?" At that, he fell back in his chair.

Finally, his head lolled to regard Nasuada. "You are determined? You will not withdraw your claim?"
She shook her head.
"And if I choose to pursue my own claim?"
"Then we will be in conflict."
"And the lot of you will side with her?"
"If the Varden are attacked, we will fight alongside them." Orik confirmed.
"As will the Wyrdaí Islingrya." Cicállaé hummed.
"As will we." Arya added.

Orrin gave a smile that more closely resembled a grimace. "But you would not think to tell us who we ought to choose as our ruler, now would you?"
"Of course not." Orik flashed a dangerous grin.
"Of course not." Orrin grumbled, facing Nasuada again.
"I want Belatona, along with the other cities you mentioned."

She paused, thinking on it.
"You're already gaining two port cities with Feinster and Aroughs, three if you count Eoam on Beirland Isle. I'll give you Furnost instead, and then you'll have the whole of Lake Tüdosten, even as I will have the whole of Leona Lake."

"Leona is more valuable than Tüdosten, as it grants access to the mountains and the northern coast." He argued.
"Aye. But you have access to Leona Lake from Dauth and the Jiet River." Nasuada pointed out.
At that, Orrin fell silent, staring at the floor. Minutes passed, and he remained as he was, mutely staring at the stone with a stony expression. The sun slowly drifted out of sight in the deathly silence, the vivid reds and oranges fading to pinks and purples, the sky shifting to a rich purple as stars appeared.

The sky was deepening into violet when Orrin finally shifted in his seat and regarded Nasuada in the waning light. He spoke quietly.
"Very well. As long as you honor the terms of our agreement, I shall not challenge you for Galbatorix's throne... Your Majesty."

The room was suddenly aglow as Abyss's scarves lit up with aquamarine light, Cicállaé's leaves shining gold in the dim space as Nasuada strode to the center of the room. Orik then smacked Volund against the floor and cried.
"The king is dead, long live the Queen!"

The phrase was repeated by several others, cheering as Saphira trumpeted deafeningly, GB whooping with his arms raised, the cries echoing over the city below.
"Thank you." Nasuada regarded all of them with tears in her eyes.

. • ° ° • .

The next day proved to be a bigger hassle than anyone anticipated, largely consisting of numerous crowds of monsters and whatnot that panicked at the sight of humans- and more unfortunately, dwarves and elves as well. The other races simply looked too similar to humans for the frightened people to trust, especially when faced with a strange world full of strange things.

They had discovered a band of vampires hiding in a cottage out near the capital early on, desperate and hungry as they fed on a goat's blood and anxiously held the family within captive out of fear of the strange dragon that had arrived.

Thankfully Blue discovered another miracle of Alagaësian magic being that with a simple spell, he could grant them an immunity to the sun, something they flocked to him for immediately.

Later on they had found a group of terrified monsters taking shelter in a tree- yes, in the branches of an oak- and cowering at the sight of GB flying overhead. Thankfully he had spotted them and explained the situation best he could.
All in all, they had been busy sending monsters back towards Urû-baen, where others would be a better help to them.

Now the sun was nearing the horizon once more as they flew back, enjoying what little peace they had whilst in the air. Not far ahead of them, the looming shelf over Urû-baen was visible, the walls appearing the same as when they had first beheld the city- courtesy of Destiny and Time for eliminating the need for repairs.

Speaking of deities, it had been strange what had happened after the battle to those opposing them. Hate had simply stopped attacking, going quiet and still before scoffing and removing himself from the fight. The unsettling being had vanished, then reappeared hours later, terrorizing troops of both the Varden and Empire alike before Cicállaé had found him, whereupon he had clung to and whispered something that had made them shudder before taking off for good.

404 had simply screamed upon realizing Galbatorix was dead, watching as Geno finally caught up to Fatal and abruptly seized his alternate, wielding Hivtrfreohr and brutally separating the broken one's skull into halves.

At that, the insectoid god had backed away on his 6 limbs, the blue carapace on his backside forming into moth-like wings before he took off, flying eastward and away from the city before Error could take notice of him.

Of said glitch, he had eventually reduced himself in size, but still refused to change into his old form, instead taking off to somewhere unknown with his son and daughter, whereabouts only known by Geno and Reaper- of which the two also refused to tell.

And of Madness? The deity had stared at the takeover of Urû-baen with indifference, before returning to the smaller form that was his vessel- the insane once-human demon that was Entropy.
In a shocking act of kindness, Madness had returned to Reaper his stolen scythe and split apart from Entropy in what seemed to be an excruciating process that left the former human gasping helplessly on the ground.

Before the god could finally put an end to the depraved being, the Chara had taken off, frantic as they zoomed away- only for a pair of massive, crocodilian jaws to snap around them and shiver.
The broken half of Destruction then fell unconscious- and even now had yet to wake.

Blue shook his skull from his ponderous musings, looking down at the fields as they drifted down towards the walled city, revealing an already tremendous crowd that was the gathered monsters of the now destroyed Multiverse.

In their midst was a god with smooth black skin, underbelly gleaming with all the colors of the rainbow as they drifted around, ropy tail trailing far behind them. Supposedly it was Ink, but Blue simply could not believe it to be. The creature was too calm, too somber to be the enthusiastic and eager god. The giant had refused to speak to anyone, choosing utter silence and fleeing from anyone who tried to touch their mind. So after a while, the whale-headed god was just.. left alone, drifting absently above the growing crowd outside the capital.

GB slowly glided to a stop some hundred feet from the mass of monsters, in the shadow of the multicolored god beside Draco and Saphira. Blue hopped off to see that Eragon was addressing a small group of humans that were shouting. Something about the creatures clawing at their doors, something said with fear. Given the glances he was already receiving, Blue was content to let the boy handle the situation.

It took about thirty minutes, but eventually the crowd reluctantly turned back towards Urû-Baen, casting glances over their shoulders the entire time until they were some distance away. Blue took the chance to walk over.
"Tiring, aren't they?"

"Very." The human sighed. "Though they cannot help it. They fear what they do not understand."
"I know." Blue hummed, looking back at the veritable sea of monsters milling about. "And there are thousands already. Our work certainly is cut out for us."
"All of those gods and deities seem to be invaluable help to us now."

"Especially Destiny and Time. I still cannot quite grasp that Destiny chose Classic, of all people. Not to mention how they now have pronouns. Destiny was always more of a sentient force than any other. It makes them.. her.. feel all the more real and personal, doesn't it?"
"I am not sure what opinion to have on the matter. I have never known of a Destiny beyond it being a word."
"I suppose you have a point." Blue mused, gazing up at the listlessly drifting god with a pang of sympathy and wonder.

He then mumbled thoughtfully.
"Someone's coming. Have you noticed?"
"Of course I have." The human smiled, facing the great gathering of monsters. "They feel like more skeletons."
At that, Blue hummed. "You're right, they do.... Shall we meet them, or shall we let them find us?"

Starting forward, the human replied. "We should meet them. Better to see why they are coming here."
Blue grinned at that, the two walking side by side down the slope. When they were stepping onto the rise of the next knoll, GB jumped and trotted after them, Draco following close behind as Saphira trailed after.

They heard arguing voices first, words indistinct from the rumble of the crowd, all spoken in generally low, irritable tones. They sounded familiar, but any skeleton could sound familiar when involving the Multiverse.

The bickering grew louder as they approached the top of the hill, only to stop utterly short as Saphira peered over at the figures.
There is a sort of two-legged reptile behind them. She noted before they too, strode over the top of the hill, peering down the slope at the array of monsters there.

"That's a tyrannosaurus?!" Blue recoiled in surprise as he noticed the figure upon its back.
"Oh dis is just Susie." The other grinned from the olive green dinosaur. It lifted its head at Saphira, rumbling deep in its throat.

"Blue?" A familiar voice asked. He blinked down to see a pair of old friends.
"Razz? Black? You two have already found each other?"
"We woke up beside each other- but enough about us, what has happened to you?" Black questioned while bringing him into a rough hug.
"More than you can imagine." He chuckled.
"You don't say." Razz snarked, staring at the tail swinging behind him.
"You almost feel like someone else." Black agreed, staring into his whitish eyelights.

"I am not who I used to be." Blue admitted, regarding Eragon. "None of us are."
"How cryptic of you." Razz scoffed.
"It's difficult to explain." He excused.
"I imagine. War changes people. I'm surprised you're still so cheery. How long were you stuck with Nightmare when you were first sent here?" Black asked.

"Nightmare?" Eragon asked. "He is with Dream; they are assisting the Varden in Urû-baen." He pointed at the walled city.
"Together or separate?" Blue quested.
"Together, of course."
"Well you two are in for a surprise." Blue remarked to the other swaps.
"We know they aren't fighting anymore, a deity told us." Razz then frowned. "Actually, we do need to come clean on some matters."

"I imagine; you've been speaking with deities? Have they asked anything of you?"
"Before everything collapsed? Yes. We accepted." Razz nodded.
"And we know about Unity now." Black added. "Why did you never tell us?"

"Because we made a promise!" Unity interrupted, making the other two flinch.
Wincing, Blue explained. "You understand I was close to Ink. He was Fate's favorite. If our- Unity and I's- meddling was discovered, Fate very well could have killed me and shattered Unity. So, we kept silent."
"Though no more! Fate is gone, I can hardly believe it!"

"I wasn't expecting such a.. bubbly voice." Black admitted cautiously.
"Well of course not, especially with Vengeance and Revenge tied to you two. Can I wake them? They missed their favorite parts!"
The pair blinked as Blue hummed. "You know, I am not surprised. It's fitting. I would have expected Vengeance and Revenge to be the same being, though."
"They were, once! Eons ago, though." Unity explained.

GB leaned down, then. "Are we just ignoring the T-Rex sniffing us like a dog, or..?" He cringed at the dinosaur as it thudded past him and touched noses with an intrigued Saphira.
"Oh no, Bruh, she's just curious." Epic explained from the predator's back.
"De dragon don't bite, right?"

I do not bite unless I wish to. She squinted. Epic lit up. "Dat was you!"
"I hadn't realized that was the dragon speaking!" Black gasped.
"What is your name?" Razz called.
She sniffed the leathery hide of the reptile with intrigue, eyes flicking to the Riders.

"Right, I've been rude. That is Saphira, the last living female of her kind- apart from eggs." He smiled at the glittering blue as the human stepped forth. "And I am Eragon Shadeslayer, son of Brom and Saphira's Rider."
They shook hands, the fellswap and swapfell seeming intrigued.
"A damn fine last name." Razz noted.

"Oh no, that is not a last name, that is a title." Blue corrected.
"One that we share." Eragon nodded. Blue hesitated, flushing slightly. "Well I had the Twins' help."
"And I had you and Arya."

"Sensin' a history here." Epic called from atop the dinosaur.
"For once, I can agree with him." Razz sighed.
"Ah, it's a matter of what Shades are. Quite wicked beings, a collection of dark spirits that possess the body of a sorcerer and are exceedingly difficult to kill. You must stab them in the heart."
"With anything in particular? That sounds suspiciously like how to kill a vampire."
"No, stakes are not required." Blue chuckled.

"A vampire?" Eragon quested.
"Oh, they get a horrible reputation for their blood diet. Few are actually evil themselves. I actually just helped a group of them to find their way here like the rest of our refugees just hours ago. As it seems, spells can easily protect them from the sun. They have an intense reaction to it, you see."

"The Multiverse has many strange races." Eragon mused.
"Blame Ink, he has a ridiculous imagination." Blue shook his skull.
"Speaking of which." Razz began, looking up at the sorrowful god. Every once in a while a great tear would slip down their face and harden into a crystal as it fell to the masses below.
"Has anyone checked on him? He seems surprisingly distraught."

"Are you sure that's Ink?" Blue questioned.
"Yes." Black stressed. "We met him shortly before everything turned for the worse. He became that in some unknown effort to preserve the Multiverse for as long as he was able. Apparently gods have this other, larger form that en-""encompasses their greater self, I am aware. You should see Error. Downright unsettling, his." He frowned, stepping forward.

"That's really him?" He asked. Unity silently confirmed even as the others reiterated their answers. With a thoughtful hum, he spoke, still gazing up at the mournful god.
"GB?"
The skeleblaster leaned close.
"Wait, that's- you have wings?" Razz spluttered, going ignored.

"We going up there?"
"I will go alone. Can Loyalty wake the other two while you watch?" GB met his lights, his answer clear.
Eragon stepped closer. "Are you sure? Flying up there alone will cost a lot of energy."
Blue finally glanced at the Rider, eyelights twinkling. "And I have a deity, Eragon."
With that, he launched himself upwards, flying on magic alone as he zoomed closer to the somber, drifting giant.

The hill on which the others stood quickly grew smaller, Saphira the most visible astride the knoll as they all watched him leave. Slowly, Blue turned around, facing the whale-faced god as it floated by, emitting a low drone as it passed.
This was Ink? It was hard to believe.

As he drew closer, Blue found that the giant was actually rather small- at least, in comparison to the titanic forms of the other gods and deities it was. Heavy hands hung limply beneath the massive frame, hazy, prismatic wings only half raised, the god simply floating along on magic alone. The thick, luxurious mane waved in the breeze of its passing, sending up sparks that gleamed in rainbow.

He paused by one great, whitish eye, fogged over and unfocused. It didn't see him.
"Ink?"
With a blink, the eye slowly cleared, revealing an unusually shaped iris that slid over to regard him dully. With a snort that was reminiscent of a whale water through a blowhole, the god sped up, floating past him with a weary groan.

"Wait, Ink! Where are you going?" He called, watching as the cetacean faced one flew away from the vast gathering he had been watching over. Blue could hear a whistling sigh as a wing passed over him. With a thought, he was flying after the god, frowning.

The strange god dipped away, wings spreading in a lazy swoop as he flew out across the plains. Blue glanced back to see a trail of glowing mist left behind, rapidly fading.
"You can't just abandon the people as soon as the place is gone, Ink!" He shouted, not sure if the other could even hear him.

With a low whale call that shook the air, he turned towards the Ramr River, tail falling so low it brushed against treetops below.
In a mix of bewildered confusion and frustration at the other, Blue launched his mind at the mournful god, freezing as his thoughts brushed against an incredible sense of loss and guilt.

He drew back in surprise, the great head turning to regard him with one eye, inexpressibly mournful. The god slowed, as if aware of his attempt at contact.
Hesitant now, Blue drifted closer, Unity silent inside as he approached the smooth, reflective skin.

Not knowing how to respond to the grief he'd touched, Blue gently set a hand to the damp skin beneath one tremendous eye.
"...I understand.. that you are hurting." He spoke, watching it blink.
"But it does no good to sit around and regret. The Multiverse is gone, yes, but now is the time to help what remains. We cannot do this alone. We need your help to make things better. If you do not, many more will soon die."

The eye blinked once again, full of a burgeoning sadness. Blue tensed slightly as the tremendous plane of guilt and grief touched his mind. He felt it linger for a moment before finding the strength to speak in an uncannily soft, distant voice.
ᴬˡˡ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰⁱˢ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵐᵉ.

"..Did you know that this would happen?" Blue asked him. "That everything would collapse? Could you remember then?"
..ᴺᵒ..
"Then stop lingering on it. What's done is done. Many have died, but a great evil has also been slain. The Multiverse itself may no longer be, but much of its people and creatures are still here. Much of what made the Multiverse what it was is still here. Use that guilt, Ink. Use it as the tool that it can be. Have you not told me that every emotion can become an inspiration?"
ᴵ ᶜᵃᵘˢᵉᵈ ᵃ ᵗʳⁱˡˡⁱᵒⁿ ᵉˣᵗⁱⁿᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿˢ.

He hesitated, glancing back at the several thousand monsters milling about in confusion.
"... Would you like to prevent one?"
The eye blinked at him absently, slowly processing what he had just said. Blue leaned against the enormous face as it turned, eye flicking to regard the masses.
ᵀʰᵉʸ ˢʰᵒᵘˡᵈ ʰᵃᵗᵉ ᵐᵉ.

"And they are allowed to. You have made a terrible mistake. You should try to rectify what you have done, yes, but neither can you expect everyone to accept your help. People are complicated, and this situation also. I wouldn't try to find forgiveness in others. I would work to make up for the wrongs. I suggest you try that. Most importantly, I suggest you find a way to forgive yourself. And most of all, I ask that you help us with this mess before it gets much worse."

Ink now hung silently over the trees, hovering upright as his tail dangled, its end vanishing beneath the trees. His mind had retreated somewhat from Blue, thoughts flitting about amidst the painful expanse that was his consciousness.

They remained like that for several minutes, the sun sinking closer to the horizon as the sky began to flare up in vivid oranges.

Then he began an inexorable descent, slowly falling towards the ground as his tail curled in on itself, looping around until his main mass set down between the trees, held upright by the many coils of his lengthy tail. Blue also set down, huffing faintly with relief as the magic he'd been utilizing to fly without wings finally stopped draining.

"What now?" He asked the god looming over him. The bright, glowing eyes blinked at him, then the glowing, scaly chin dipped to rest on an equally luminous, multicolored chest.
ᴵ.. ᴵ'ᵐ ᵗʰⁱⁿᵏⁱⁿᵍ.

He stood there silently, watching the god sit there. In time, the sky grew more vivid, orange and pink intensifying as the sun went down. Then Blue flinched as something dropped from the enormous hand, thudding. It was an unmistakable device: a tool, a weapon, the paintbrush.

Blue moved to stand beside Broomie as Ink's enormous form seemed to collapse inward, black skin becoming runny as it closed around the colorful scales, wings melting into his body as their colored mist faded to nothing, brown fur sinking beneath the skin before he shrank into a shapeless mass. Blue grimaced at the unsettling sight, but refused to avert his gaze.

Eventually the mass spread out along the grass like a puddle, the middle rising up in a bump like a grotesque pustule, the fluid around sinking into the earth as strange, black plants grew from the puddle. The leaves were shaped like hearts, gleaming with rainbow iridescence as glowing, multicolored flowers bloomed.

Hefting up the gigantic paintbrush, Blue made his way through the unusual growths, stopping before the black mass as it burst, liquifying and cascading around a curled up figure, unbelievably small, unnervingly delicate.

As the dark fluid peeled away from white bone, lightless sockets peered up at him. Blue finally looked away as he realized the other was naked, offering the brush. "Have you decided what you're going to do now?"

There was an uneasy silence, the paintbrush being taken. A few more seconds went by before there was a somber reply.
"Probably get some clothes on first."
Blue snorted at the sheer ridiculousness of the statement.
"Well of course, we wouldn't want you running around in the nude now, do we?"

Surprisingly, there was no quip in reply, only rustling and the sound of flowing liquid.
"...Where's Dream?.... Is he okay?"
"He's fine. I'm sure he would like to see you again.. different as he is now."
"How is he different?"

Blue heard leaves rustling and a faint footstep, turning to see Ink in his familiar clothes, save for a lack of shoes.
"It's not my story to tell." He explained, noting a lack of the iconic sash.
"Where are your colors?"

Ink looked away, despondent. "I left them behind." He replied sullenly. At least his eyelights had returned, as dull and navy they were.
".. What will you do without them?" Blue couldn't help but ask. Ink only shrugged listlessly.
"I dunno. I stopped taking them months ago." His lights met Blue's as the other blinked.
"But you're.. feeling?"
He could see it in the god's face- Ink didn't know why. He didn't know and seemed tired of wondering why.

Holding up a gloved hand, Blue hesitated.
"Can I.. try something?"
Ink just shrugged again, free hand flopping limply as the other weakly clung to the side of the brush.
Reaching out, Blue attempted to draw out what had never been there before.

He instead blinked as a red aura lit up around the paintbrush, the tool itself burning oddly bronze. The light then flashed and a thin coating of previously unseen scarlet threads collapsed around the length of the handle. Ink backed away in surprise and alarm, suddenly scratching his arm as if expecting to find something there. He looked up as something white emerged from the wood.

Blue glanced at Ink and Ink stared back, uncertain.
"What is that?" Asked the god.
"Ink, it seems obvious, doesn't it? It's.. that's a Soul."
Eyelights flickering between shapes and colors, Ink hesitantly took the paintbrush in his hands again, glancing between it and the oddly diamond shaped Soul, gleaming and iridescent in the dying light. Broomie itself had changed, wide handle now a hint thinner, made of a dark, rich mahogany wood whereas previously it had appeared as an unknown, oak-like golden wood.
"Broomie has a Soul?" Ink questioned, bewildered.

"I.. I don't think that is Broomie's." Blue stated hesitantly.
Mismatched eyelights shot up to regard him anxiously.
"Blue, I.. can't." He seemed at a loss for words.
"I'm not... it isn't...."

Instead of speaking, he simply released the magic holding the Soul, watching it dart towards the god.
Ink recoiled sharply as it flew at him, dropping the paintbrush with a dull thud as he hugged himself in alarm. His sockets went dark and he stared blankly at the ground. Blue blinked as faint lines of light gleamed beneath the other's sleeves, following patterns he was well familiar with.

Ink shuddered, bending over slightly with a whimper.
"Are you alright?" Blue asked. He didn't respond, just shivering with faint gasps. Suddenly, he retched, then was sick, his namesake splattering at his feet as he bent over further. It was uncomfortably quiet, nothing but the rustling of leaves and his choking- yet Blue simply had no idea what to do or say. He was still processing the mere fact that Ink had a Soul, and it was reunited with its owner- and was so oddly shaped, too!

"How- how are you feeling?" He finally worked out. Ink retched louder, the black liquid splattering at his feet as he collapsed to his kneecaps with a scratchy, wounded scream. Blue leaned forward, hand extended in concern as the god gripped his skull and screamed louder, sounding less like frustration and more like agony. The lines spread over his bones were vibrant, now easily visible through the fabric as he let out a wail that spooked birds from the trees around them.
Ink then doubled over, whining as he hugged his skull.

Blue crouched down beside him, nimbly avoiding the black vomit as he rested a hand on the god.
"Tell me what's wrong. Is there anything I can do to help?" He offered in worry.
Ink only sobbed in his fetal position, a broken sound as he mumbled incoherently.

"You're going to have to speak up, I can't hear you." Blue explained.
"I.. I. Everything. Rem- I remember. I don't wanna, I don't, didn't.. please." Ink muttered. Blue cringed at the implications of his words before a hand clung to his radius, the grip strong enough to be painful. Slowly, the god looked up at him with empty sockets, black tears staining his cheekbones.

"I.. remember. Everything. N-not just Error. I. I fucked up. I'm. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Please. I. I hurt you, I hurt all of you, I'm so fucking stupid, I-"
"No, no, Ink. You didn't remember. You couldn't. We understood that you could not remember. Now you need to understand that." He shook his shoulder gently, picking up the end of his scarf and holding it out to him. "That was why you had this, right? You were trying. That's what mattered. You were trying despite how difficult it was. Now you have to keep trying. Can you do that? For us? For what remains?"

Ink stopped moving at the last sentence, staring off into the distance as his breathing hitched. He then slowly turned back to Blue, a fresh wave of black tears spilling from his sockets.
"I.." His voice was thick, unable to continue.
"I've done so many.. bad things... I don't. I don't think I can do good."

At that, Blue shifted from a crouch to a kneel, taking Ink's face in his gloved hands.
"Ink.. how can you assume so much of yourself when you have yet to try? I would not have chosen to go with you and be your friend if I did not see good in you."
"Berry you'll be friends with anyone, all you ever see is the good in people- even the worst li-like me."

Blue sighed at that. "You're right. I do see the good in everyone, even in the vilest of people. That does not mean I don't know what the right thing to do is. That does not mean I will protect those that are undeserving of it. I know when it is better to simply put a bad thing down. And you, Ink, are not undeserving of love. You may have done some bad things, but you are not one who is full of malice. You may have been foolish in the past, but your intentions were honest- if not always bright. And even now, you wish to be better. You can still be better. You only have to try. So, Protector of the Multiverse." He picked up and pointed the famed paintbrush upright, offering it to the god.
"Are you willing to try again?"

Ink glanced between him and the brush, breathing heavily before his face scrunched up in a sob and he dived, clinging to the scrap of fabric that was Blue's bandana as he broke down, heaving. The Rider could only sigh and wrap his arms around the creator.
The sky above them was fading to violet, innumerable stars appearing overhead.
Most of them were new. Most of them were Souls.

The Multiverse and Alagaësia had become one.