Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings does not belong to me. I belong to the Lord of the Rings.

It will take even my heart away from me.

I know it will, I know it wants to. It wants everything. It wants to return to its master, to Sauron, and it wants my death.

It is so hard to carry something all this way, when it is something that wants my death.

Is Sauron the master, or is it the master? Both need the other, but neither controls either. Both are equally powerful if it is not more so. It will take everything away from me.

Sam doesn't know. He is my hope. He doesn't know what it says to me in my mind, whispers. How could he know? I don't want him to know. He is my hope and if that last fire goes out there will be no warmth through the winter. I do not want him to be as lonely as I am.

I don't want his pity. I don't want to admit it, but I don't want his pity or sympathy. That's its fault. It is taking me away, piece by piece. My heart will be gone soon too.

But I'm trying so very hard to hold on. When it wins my heart it will all be over. When it wins my heart I will not be able to destroy it.

It wants my death, and I want its death.

A battle of will, now, is what these lands depend on. A battle of will between it and I. I am the fate of Middle-earth. And I know it.

So I must not let it take my heart away from me.

The battle in Gondor is irrelevant now. Yes, my friends are there, and if the White City falls it will be harder to rebuild life . . . but if I fail to destroy it, it will return to Sauron and Sauron will rule. I do not think I like having this pressure fall to me, but all the same I do not mind.

I tell myself that I am doing this for Sam, for Bilbo, for Aragorn, for everyone else that I love. I know that I am not doing it for me any longer.

It may not take my heart away from me, but it will take my innocence. I was not a child when this began; but I will not be a hobbit when this is over. I will not be one of my people any longer; not lighthearted or carefree like them. I will have this memory of the wheels of fire in my mind. I will not be any hobbit save in body. In soul, I don't know what I'll be.

I won't belong anywhere.

But I must win this. I must destroy it. Everything depends on that.

Sam smiles at me. My hope.

It will take even my heart away from me.

But no, I mustn't let it!

Stop, I cry to the Ring, silently. Stop, thief. Leave me my heart and let me cry.